Business Edge 45

Inside business08matters chairmans column

october/november 2018 business edge

12 manufacutring and engineering 13 fine print 14 business support 18 business matters 26 inspirational leaders 28 cover feature 33 business matters 40 finance focus 44 hospitality and events 46 training and events 52 new members 54 5 minutes with the magazine for sussex chamber of commerce members

Sussex - A global powerhouse of advanced flexible manufacturing Page 28

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october/november 2018 business edge

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october/november 2018 business edge

Sussex Chamber of Commerce

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.

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

SUSSEX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Unit 4, Victoria Business Centre, 43 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9LR

PRODUCTION & DESIGN Distinctive Publishing 3rd Floor Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 5805990 www.distinctivepublishing.co.uk

ADVERTISING Angie Smith, Business Development Manager, Distinctive Publishing 3rd Floor Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 5805990 angie@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

FEATURE EDITOR Ellen Rossiter ellen.rossiter@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Welcome to our Business Edge magazine!

Ana Christie Chief Executive Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Our Annual General Meeting is taking place on the 18th October. We welcome the President from the British Chambers of Commerce, Francis Martin, who will provide the very latest updates on policy issues, trade and Brexit discussions that have been taking place with senior ministers and government. The British Chambers of Commerce represent the Accredited Chamber network and over 80,000 businesses nationally. It would be great to see you at this event.

We are also holding our annual event with the Bank of England on 8th November.

An opportunity to hear the recent developments in the UK economy and the Monetary Policy Committee’s forecast for economic growth and inflation.

www.issuu.com/distinctivepublishing

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.

Enjoy reading the latest Business Edge. I look forward to seeing you at one of our events or training courses. For further information please contact the Sussex Chamber on 01444 259 259.

CONTENTS welcome

3 4-6

cover feature

28-29

energy and environment

30-31

manufacturing and engineering

8

manufacturing and engineering

chairmans column

8

training and development

chamber benefits

DISCLAIMER

Our magazine is packed full of amazing stories. Membership provides many benefits and services, and depending on the level of membership, you can submit editorial and updates for our Business Edge magazine – please speak to your membership adviser to find out more. There are also discounts available for those wishing to advertise.

Our Ditch the Plastic campaign @DitchPlasticUK is starting to develop.

We are very pleased to announce our Business Edge magazine uses paper

business matters

E-BOOK

from an FSC certified supplier and is fully recyclable. Furthermore, the plastic bags that cover the magazine are biodegradable.

So great news! We will continue to review our use of single use plastic within the office and work with our suppliers and staff too.

We are urging businesses across the county to make a real difference. By helping to improve the environment we live in, we can make it safer for our wildlife, our oceans and seas, and everyone who visits and lives in Sussex. Share your stories on Twitter @DitchPlasticUK and @SussexChamber

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33 36-37

manufacturing and engineering

39

manufacturing and engineering

12

finance focus

40-41

fine print

13

hospitality and events

44-45

training and events

46-47

business support

14-17

manufacturing and engineering 18-19

manufacturing and engineering 48-49

good health focus

business matters

20-25

manufacturing and engineering 24-25

new members

inspirational leaders

five minutes with...

26-27

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

50 52-53 54

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business matters

october/november 2018 business edge

Skills & Productivity Challenges for the Gatwick Diamond Economy Rosemary French Executive Director, The Gatwick Diamond Initiative

The Gatwick Diamond Initiative, Gatwick Airport and Coast to Capital Local Economic Partnership commissioned research from Centre for Cities, which outlined the economic geography of the area. The report compared the Gatwick Diamond to Local Enterprise Areas elsewhere because our economy is of LEP proportions. Our GVA at £24bn is higher than 20 of all 39 LEPs; and our GVA is 50% of the Coast to Capital LEP. So, the evidence tells us that the Gatwick Diamond is one of the UK’s strongest economies and best performing areas. It performs well above the national average on productivity, its share of high skilled workers and its track record in attracting foreign investment.

But the report also tells us we have pressures and challenges.

Our Productivity.

At £63,000 per worker the Gatwick Diamond is 16% more productive than the rest of the UK. We know that the highest productivity comes from knowledge jobs.

But our productivity is far behind the £71,000 output per worker in the Thames Valley.

The percentage of knowledge sector jobs in the Gatwick Diamond is high at almost 22% but again this falls behind the Thames Valley, which has almost 25% of all their jobs in the knowledge sector.

And here is our first challenge. Although we do have a high share of Knowledge Intensive jobs, we are growing at a slower pace than the UK average. Over the past 18 years our Knowledge Intensive jobs have grown at 60 per cent compared to an impressive 127 per cent in the Thames Valley.

Foreign Investment The Gatwick Diamond has been hugely attractive to foreign investors with 18.5% of our workers employed by a foreign company; higher than the Enterprise M3 LEP area but we are 5% behind the Thames Valley. Is the reason the lack of new employment space over the past few years?

Is it because they have access to more skilled staff who are not jumping on the train to London like here?

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Skills Leak

Housing Affordability

The Gatwick Diamond has a very high number of in and out commuters, with 100,000 coming into the Gatwick Diamond to work and 112,000 leaving to work elsewhere. One in three residents are working outside of the Gatwick Diamond.

The cost of housing is likely to be a factor in the success of an area attracting and retaining workers and our housing affordability ratio is 13.2 times higher than the annual resident wage. Even higher than the Enterprise M3’s leafy Hampshire and West Surrey, and Thames Valley’s desirable Berkshire.

London plays the biggest jobs role in both directions with 37% of total jobs filled came from Greater London and 23% of Gatwick Diamond working residents work in the Capital.

However, the Thames Valley percentage of commuters to London is half that of the Gatwick Diamond. And yet both areas are well connected, close to London and an airport.

Is the reason because our Knowledge Intensive jobs and thus highly paid jobs are growing much slower in the Gatwick Diamond? Is it because our town centres are not attracting knowledge intensive jobs because of the loss of office space?

What the report does say is that more high skilled residents work outside of the Gatwick Diamond than high skilled residents commute in.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Gatwick Diamond housing is attractive to Londoners because they can afford it and indeed are pushing up local housing prices still further when there is little availability.

The report shows that we are attracting young families from London as they look for more space but that they are more likely to continue to work in London because the higher wages there makes it work for them.

We are on a spiral of rising house prices and I am not sure how we can get off that roundabout. Indeed, the London Mayor is quite happy that we continue to provide housing for his workers at the cost of losing our own resident workers. But we are at risk of discouraging business investment in the future due to inability to recruit staff.

tel: 01444 259 259

business matters

october/november 2018 business edge

Celebrating a 30 year Partnership Samantha Armstrong Marketing Executive, Knill James

Sussex based accountancy practice Knill James are celebrating a 30 year partnership with Senior Partner, Chris Ketley this August having worked with the firm since 1980. Chris joined Knill James after leaving Brighton University as an Articled Clerk and rapidly progressed to become fully qualified in 1984. He then took an opportunity to work abroad within business development in Papua New Guinea from 1985 for 3 years. Chris was based here during a revolutionary period for the country, with a boom occurring in industrial development.

Chris returned to the UK in 1987 on an offer of Partner Designate back at Knill James; succeeding to full partnership in 1988, the 1st new equity Partner for the firm in 15 years.

At his time of return the firm was evolving rapidly to reflect the advances in technologies, with Chris leading the charge on the increase in computers available to

Chris Ketley

‘I’m really proud to have played an instrumental part in the success of Knill James being able to position ourselves as a leading medium sized firm within the South East. We have always strived to be big enough to cope but small enough to care; and I think through ensuring we always exceed the client expectations we have, and will continue to achieve that.

For the future I see us focusing on our strategic tax planning and corporate finance expertise, for which we have an excellent team in place and I would consider our strongest USP and potential for continued growth.’

staff. Since this time Chris has been part of the many changes at the firm including its exponential growth, and its evolution from a traditional practice to a modern, progressive business. Chris has helped to grow not only our client base, but our connections within the community having initiated many ongoing partnerships with prominent charities, sports clubs and social groups throughout Sussex. On reflecting on his career at Knill James and visions for the future, Chris says;

Currently Chris specialises in business coaching and mentoring, strategic development and non-exec services for the firm. He is passionate about delivering these to clients who are equally as passionate about their businesses and future plans.

He is an expert on the provision of agile business improvement advice; through his extensive experience within audit, assurance, ATOL and FCA reporting, management accounting and proactive taxation advice (including International).

Chris is also member of the global Mindshop Business Strategy, Development & Facilitation network of advisors.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year through the doors encouraging repeat visitors to venues they wouldn’t normally consider.

Vicky & Daniel Doughty Company Directors, The Christmas Decorators

How about the morale and productivity of staff at Christmas?

Christmas is such an important time of the year and one that brings friends and families together. As soon as we’re back from our summer holidays our minds start to wander towards Christmas where will we spend it, what shall we cook and when to start the Christmas shopping!

But what impact does Christmas have on business owners?

We all have different ideas on how to spend the holidays but we all love to see stunning trees, decorations and lights.

During this season our spirits are raised and the smell of cinnamon and fresh pine trees spark of nostalgia taking us all back to our childhoods. These wonderful feelings are shared by every generation and the magic of Christmas comes alive.

The impact of Christmas can have a big effect on turnover and cash flow so

getting it right is paramount. The golden quarter is so important to owners of pubs, restaurants, hotels and shops that a successful Christmas period can help a business through the quieter times.

Consumers spend more at this time of year so attracting them to your business is vital.

With the broad range of decorations available it’s easier than ever to get it right and get those tongues wagging.

Giant baubles, nut crackers and candy canes have all been used to stand out from the crowd and attract new custom

Creating a fun environment at work during this season should not be underestimated. Who wants to see a spindly, tired and badly decorated tree in the corner of the office or the same tinsel hanging off light fittings year after year. Neither are appealing to staff so it’s no surprise that forward thinking bosses consider the budget for Christmas an integral part of keeping a workforce happy.

Forward planning and stretching that budget a bit further can allow business owners to maximise their profits at this time of the year with costs easily recouped in sales and productive workers.

There is no secret to a great Christmas, it’s the same as any other time of the year. Plan well, invest in your decorations and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year…

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

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business matters

october/november august/september 2018 business edge

Is your business protected against cyber crime? not guarantee that you will not be hit or mitigate the damaging effects of a breach.

Whilst most businesses manage their IT infrastructure on a day to day basis internally or with a contractor, the additional costs incurred following a cyber-crime incident can be a shock to even the most well prepared CEO. The cost from a ransom attack alone could be thousands. From the cost to notify clients of the incident through to the IT forensic experts that are needed to unlock encrypted data and truly rid the system of any trace of the malware.

With GDPR firmly in every business operator’s mind the risk and impact of cyber-attacks are becoming an increasing headache across Britain’s boardrooms. Andrew Dix, sales director at UK insurance broker Gallagher, based in Metro House in Chichester, explains how a cyber insurance policy can best protect your workplace from online fraudsters.

Cybercrime is on the rise, due to our increasing dependence on technology, coupled with the rise of mobile devices and cloud-based computing. Fraudsters can now target businesses anytime, anywhere, with many unaware, and unprotected. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2017 revealed that just under half (46%) of all UK businesses identified at least one breach or attack in the last year. Whilst strengthened security procedures, good digital housekeeping and high user awareness will reduce the likelihood of your business suffering an attack, it does

Given that all businesses insure their buildings and their liabilities without questioning it, in this day and age it is just as important to insure your businesses cyber presence. A tailored cyber and crime insurance policy can protect your firm against the multiple impacts of a cyber breach incident, but will also manage the investigation process for you following an attack. From identifying the breach and neutralising the threat, to providing your business with legal and PR advice while covering the costs to notify those affected, as well as any fines, the benefits could be priceless:

Your reputation is strength – so why not protect it?

In addition to the short term hazard of financial loss, compromised systems pose the longer term risk of losing loyal customers and incurring a damaged reputation.

Insuring your reputation in light of a breach ensures the costs are covered when enlisting

the help of a dedicated public relations firm, as well as the loss of future sales that arise as a direct result of loss of custom

Data is your most important asset Data is not covered by most standard property insurance policies. A cyber policy with comprehensive cover will include data restoration, no matter how the loss occurred.

You can be held liable for any third party data that is lost Businesses hold more information on their customers and suppliers than ever before, and have a responsibility to protect it. Cyber liability insurance ensures protection against non-disclosure agreements and contracts that contain indemnities and warranties in relation to this type of breach, as well as consumers seeking legal redress in the event of loss of data.

Operating systems are critical for daily business All companies rely on operating systems to manage their business, but in the event of your business suffering unplanned downtime as a result of a cybercrime, a traditional business interruption policy may not respond. Cyber insurance provides you with cover for loss of profits associated with a systems outage caused by such attacks.

Ensuring you have the right protection in place is critical for safeguarding the future of your business. If you wish to discuss the best insurance options available to you, then get in touch.

Don’t get hooked – avoid the email scams Daniel Oviawe Sales Manager, Blue Cube Security

We’ve all experienced suspicious emails with poor spelling and dodgy branding purporting to come from our banks demanding security details to “resolve” an issue with our account. We may also have been tempted by those “too good to be true offers” which are, of course, too good to be true. In the world of Cyber Security these are called phishing attacks as they are “phishing” for information that can be used to gain access to confidential data which is used to commit a crime such as credit card fraud.

These email scams, also known as phishing attacks have been easy to spot with most of us discarding them immediately without damage but they are becoming increasingly sophisticated

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with well-crafted emails, carefully branded graphics and cleverly constructed URLs. And, with over 90% of Cyber Security breaches being attributed to such attacks, just the thought will send a cold chill down the spine of any IT Director.

As these attacks go direct to your employees’ inboxes what more should you do to protect your business? When your business is being bombarded by these attacks on an hourly basis how can you best fend off attackers?

To be truly successful at minimising potential threats from phishing, your business should implement a multipronged defence including:

Why not join us at the next Cyber Security forum on the 16th October to learn more?

Martin Anwyll of COFENSE will present on the topic of: A Phish just hit. Now what?

n Staff awareness training n Layered Cyber Security solutions: n State of the art anti-phishing technology n Sophisticated anti-malware solutions n 2-factor authentication for key activities

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Regular staff awareness training will furnish many of your team with the knowledge to identify and avoid these scams. Sophisticated anti-malware solutions will assist with blocking, quarantining and removing many threats before they reach your users. State of the art anti-phishing technology will give your cyber security teams the possibility to leverage the knowledge of savvy users, identify attacks early, reduce false positives and furnish them with the tools to neutralise any attack as fast as possible. Finally, where warranted, 2-factor authentication can provide greater protection for access to key business applications and data.

And... If you don’t want to wait that long, give the Cynergy consultants at Blue Cube Security a call for a confidential chat and advice on protecting your business today.

tel: 01444 259 259

october/november 2018 business edgeedge august/september 2018 business

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manufacturing and engineering

october/november 2018 business edge

Manufacturing – the lifeblood of the economy

Sussex – a Powerhouse of Advanced Manufacturing Richard Mower Managing Director, ATE Aerotech

Sussex attracts some of the UK’s most advanced manufacturing companies.

In a leafy part of the Sussex countryside, in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a large but unassuming building is home to a global leader in wind tunnel technology.

Ate AEROTECH (ATE) has been providing sophisticated test equipment for use in wind tunnels such as force measurement balances, wind tunnel model motion and positioning systems, flow survey devices and small scale wind tunnels throughout the world for over 30 years. Its customers come from the Automotive, Aerospace, Motor Sport, Research and Development and Educational sectors.

When designing any kind of vehicle or object that is required to move through air, wind tunnels are commonly used to perfect the flow across the subject’s surface, ATE specialises in providing exacting tooling and apparatus to facilitate this design perfection process.

All supplied equipment is required to meet exacting tolerances to ensure that the client is able to measure airflow pressures/velocities and force as well as undertake acoustic measurements and be confident that these are as accurate as technically possible.

To achieve this, ATE uses 3D modelling techniques at the design stage to ensure that each component to be used in the test equipment is manufactured to the highest standard out of high quality raw materials.

During the assembly stage a laser measurement device is used to quality check each component before being incorporated into the finished product.

The same laser is used to check each sub assembly and the finished unit.

In all the equipment the company provides, a controls and data acquisition system is required utilising the ATE’s bespoke software packages. These are designed to provide the necessary motion, positional accuracy and data output with the ability to communicate with the client’s facility controls network.

Before despatch to the customer, the equipment is factory tested and commissioned and packed ready from shipment. Once on site ATE’s engineers supervise the installation and undertake acceptance tests. Recently a flow survey assembly was shipped to the Chinese Automotive Engineering Research Institute China and is currently being installed in readiness for handover at the end of the year.

Managing Director, Richard Mower, explains. “Ate Aerotech is an ISO 9001 accredited company with a wealth of experience in designing, manufacturing and installing wind tunnel test equipment. As a specialist engineering company we pride ourselves in providing highly accurate and cost effective solutions for a variety of applications which are tailor made to exactly meet our customers’ specific requirements. It is therefore important that we have and use suppliers that use the most up to date manufacturing techniques.”

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www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

It is great to see our Business Edge magazine so full of interesting articles about our region’s manufacturing companies and the great success they are achieving. I had the privilege of being on the Board of Ricardo UK from 2011 to 2014 and witnessed at first hand the company’s emerging relationship with McLaren and the wonderful contribution to this country’s defence made through the design and manufacture of the Foxhound military vehicle. Seeing the company’s consulting offering being extended to environmental and rail, to my mind, shows a wonderfully positive attitude to transition and change.

David Shore’s article about robotics demonstrates the need to embrace change in new technologies. In many ways it is plain to see the advantages that automation and robotics brings to business but only if this is done in a safe and secure way. Our personal experience of autonomous systems is often one of lack of trust brought about by the many examples where software failure and vulnerability to cyber-attacks, have caused visible and sometimes catastrophic outcomes. Tesla’s and Uber’s autonomous cars and TSB and RBS in banking, for example. We are also still a long way away from willingly going on our holiday in a pilotless aircraft, even if the technology is in place to support it. The inability of developers to be able to totally ensure the behaviours of their autonomous systems means that safety restrictions are still much in evidence (warnings, cages, plexiglass screens etc.). Thankfully companies like my own (D-RisQ Ltd.) are introducing new technologies to overcome system and software vulnerabilities to ensure correct behaviour and help enable a robotics market which according to statista [1] will reach $500B by 2025.

The Chamber’s manufacturing forum goes from strength to strength and brings together manufacturers from around the region to discuss issues common to the sector. If you are a manufacturer and are not part of the forum, now’s the time to enlist!

[1] https:www.statista.com/ statistics/760190/worldwide-roboticsmarket-revenue/

David Sheppard Chairman Sussex Chamber of Commerce

tel: 01444 259 259

october/november 2018 business edge

DEGREE APPRENTICESHIPS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICHESTER Degree apprenticeships bring together the best of vocational training and higher education and enable apprentices to combine university study with valuable ‘on the job’ training. The University of Chichester offers a range of degree apprenticeship options to suit the needs of local businesses.

Our Degree Apprenticeships: n Chartered Manager n Chartered Manager (Schools Business Professional) n Digital Marketer (subject to Standard approval) n Digital Technology Solutions (Software Engineer) n Digital Technology Solutions (Cyber Security Analyst) n Electrical/Electronic Technical Support Engineer n Mechanical Engineer n Postgraduate Teaching n Senior Leaders Masters Level (MBA)

FIND OUT MORE Find out about the University of Chichester’s degree apprenticeships at www.chi.ac.uk/apprentice.

Interested businesses should get in touch at apprenticeships@chi.ac.uk

chamber benefits

october/november 2018 business edge

Investment in Young People - The Business Mark for Corporate Social Responsibility

Youth skills development is an important part of the UK’s industrial strategy.

Are you playing your part as a business? Can your business help move the youth skills development agenda forward?

By gaining this award, and proudly displaying the IiYP business mark, it will make your business stand out as an employer of choice, demonstrating that you are making a real difference to young people’s lives in your local community.

n Electronic copy of the IiYP Award logo for use on stationery, website and marketing materials

The IiYP mark is exclusive to companies that have been successful in meeting the required standard.

Being recognised as an Investment in Young People company shows your commitment in supporting the development of a Young Person’s employability skills and their understanding of work and support for their future careers and employment.

Investment In Young People (IiYP) is a National Award that recognises the important work that businesses carry out in assisting young people aged 5 to 25 gain employability skills and who assist them with the transition from education into the world of work.

n Entry into the online Awards register which lists employers who have achieved the IiYP Award. This list can be viewed at www.iiyp.co.uk

The Award is held by the business for a 3-year period. You will receive:

n Press release & photos n Listing on the Sussex Chamber website

Investment in Young People Award can help you to attract the best young talent to your business.

n An IiYP certificate which will be presented at a Sussex Chamber networking breakfast or lunch (2 free places)

Special Introductory Offer Fees have been reduced by 33% until 31st December 2018.

Until the end of the year the maximum fee charged for a small business (turnover up to £5m) will be £251.25 + vat, for a medium sized business (turnover £5m+) will be £502.50 + vat and for a large business (turnover £50m+) this will be £1,005 + vat.

To apply this discount use code SUSSEX33 when you complete your online application Register your interest online and complete the Application Form found at

http://apply.iiyp.co.uk/register

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www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

chamber benefits

october/november 2018 business edge

The only thing that is certain is uncertainty Importing/Exporting of goods and services means businesses have receipts in, or payments out, of foreign currency. The need to buy and sell that money has always needed planning and caused headaches, but never more so than recent years with Brexit and current world factors causing increased uncertainty and therefore extra movement in rates.

John Sawyer Account Manager for the British Chamber of Commerce partnership with FX specialists MoneyCorp

In the 12 months from Aug’17-Aug’18 the GBP/USD exchange rate moved between 1.2700 and 1.4300, a 12% movement.

For companies trading internationally, fluctuating exchange rates can be so difficult to manage and hard to budget for.

If the markets move heavily against you it can erode or even eliminate profits and in a time of tighter margins and increasing raw material costs it is ever more important to protect yourself from exchange rate risk and make savings wherever possible.

Planning is the first step to managing your FX risk. Agreeing on a budgeted exchange rate for the year will guide your

transactions. Your budgeted rate should take into account the volume and timing of your expected transactions as well as being a realistic assumption of current and future rates. It can help to define this rate by analysing past trends. Planning ahead will help protect your business from foreign exchange risk and even enable you to benefit from any exchange rate movements which are in your favour. This could make a huge difference to your P/L bottom line.

Nobody can pretend to know where rates are going – all the best analysis in the world cannot account for natural disasters, wars, the death of a political leader or the sudden turn-around in sentiment that often sparks a market to panic and can lead to the crash of a currency or commodity market.

What you can do with careful preparation and the use of market guidance is negate your risk, as and when it becomes apparent.

Using spot and forward buying or selling you can cover FX exposure as it is identified,

so as not to leave yourself hoping that rates happen to go your way, nervously watching movements week by week until the day of need actually arrives.

If you have bought goods or services based on the FX rate seen today, if you have won a contract in another country that means you will receive payment in a few months’ time, don’t leave the exchange deal open to chance or luck. Negate the risk today, by dealing out to the forward date. You can then get on with your business knowing that your exposure is covered and taken care of.

Having access to a currency dealer to help you monitor the markets can enable you to make more timely decisions on when to buy/sell.

Please contact me, at Moneycorp, on 0203 823 0526, or get in touch via your local chambers team.

John.sawyer@moneycorp.com

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

11

manufacturing and engineering

october/november 2018 business edge

Scientifica’s Flexible Manufacture trained against the process and can operate efficiently through all stages, they are ready to be flexible and operate as knowledgeable workers.

Bethany Hirons Content Marketing Executive, Scientifica Ltd

All of Scientifica’s electrophysiology and imaging systems are built and configured in-line with the experimental requirements of individual customers. Our experienced team source high quality components, manufacture, assemble and test all equipment in the UK. This enables us to be in control of the whole product life cycle, ensuring that quality is built in throughout our processes.

Here at Scientifica, our focus is moving towards capability enhancement and customer fulfilment. To do this, we need to be flexible and agile. Flexibility and agility in a business is the capability to quickly adapt to change. Using our people to achieve this is key to our manufacturing environment.

Many of our processes are reliant on our dedicated team, so we need to be flexible

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and able to adapt to a new product, improvement to a process or indeed a completely new process. We need to invest as much in training and development as our teams need to accept change. This in turn will lead to a flexible and adaptable culture within the business, along with the thinking and behaviours that drive the team to success. Diversity and flexibility of skills are key to the success of flexible manufacture and these divergent skills need to be shared amongst the team members involved in the specific process. Once the team are

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Having a highly skilled and adaptable team is only part way to achieving a flexible and agile manufacturing environment - the process they follow also requires attention.

Processes are generally written to produce ‘a’ value stream. Once a different product/ assembly is then input, the process is rarely efficient or even effective. It is important to remember not to tie down processes so much that there is no flexibility. One way of achieving this is to keep high level processes to control the process with minimal detail and reference to lower level Work Instructions (WI) giving detail to each value stream. This gives ease of change to each product whilst maintaining compliance to the overall assembly process.

Through an engaged and empowered team along with ongoing improvements to manufacturing documentation, Scientifica’s dedicated team continue to ensure optimal product and system performance whilst meeting with our customer’s desired specification and requirements.

tel: 01444 259 259

fine print

october/november 2018 business edge

Leading with Emotional Courage: How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability, and Inspire Action on Your Most Important Work | By Peter Bregman It’s not about knowing what to say or do. It’s about whether you are willing to experience the discomfort, risk, and uncertainty of saying or doing it.

Michael Nice Senior Designer, Storm12

If you are willing to feel everything, you can do anything.

Quick tips for logo design Logos matter. It is often the first point of contact between your business and the rest of the world. And that’s including any industry colleagues, prospects, leads and customers. So, how do you create a unique and memorable logo design that will differentiate your business and give you a firm foundation for branding?

The crucial questions Any good logo designer will want to get information from you about your business before working on your brand.

Questions about your business, what you do, how you do it, why you do it and what makes it unique will all be crucial.

Start in black and white It’s often easier to assess the impact of a logo design by starting with a black and white version first. Colour can be a big distraction – and a huge improvement – but you need to make sure the logo stands up on its own before applying colour.

Simplicity is key The simpler the logo, the more your audience is going to be likely to find it easy to remember. Aim for a simple, pared back logo that tells the key story of the brand in a glance.

A representative logo Typeface, size, arrangement, use of symbols and acronyms could all be

factors in your logo design. Each one needs to be carefully considered in terms of whether it is appropriate for the brand it represents and the audience it’s trying to reach.

Mark the differences Your logo needs to stand out; if your competitors are all using symbols, bright colours or a specific font, steer clear of any similarities and create something that is completely unique instead.

Symbols aren’t everything Your logo may work just as well as a simple word or couple of words; you don’t have to spend hours agonising over an image to go with them. And, it doesn’t have to be literal to your business.

Test the logo in context A good logo designer will give you examples of your potential new logo in situations where customers are likely to see it. That could be on packaging or posters or even on social media. The more context you see, the stronger the sense you’ll get of whether the logo is likely to work.

If you’d like to find out more about creating the perfect logo and brand building, get in touch with Storm12 today.

Leading with Emotional Courage is the essential guide for developing emotional courage and increasing your freedom to act.

Bregman makes the counterintuitive but compelling argument that when you avoid feeling - and most of us avoid feeling - it’s a huge drain on your productivity and directly affects your personal and organisational results. By building the courage to say the necessary but difficult things, you become a stronger, more effective person.

Leading with Emotional Courage draws on the writings of Bregman’s popular blogs for Harvard Business Review. Each short, easy to read chapter provides real-world advice for building your emotional courage muscle, giving you grounded advice for handling difficult situations while building your leadership presence.

The incredibly practical Leading with Emotional Courage will help you speak up when others remain silent, maintain your ground in the face of uncertainty, respond productively to opposition without getting distracted, and deal with others’ anger without shutting down or getting defensive. It will transform your capability to act powerfully and courageously in your life, in your work, and in the world.

Peter Bregman is the CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a company that helps senior leaders create accountability and inspire collective action on their organization’s most important work. He is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller, 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, named the best business book of the year on NPR, and selected

by Publisher’s Weekly and the New York Post as a top 10 business book.

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business matters

october/november 2018 business edge october/november 2018 business edge

The Big Wins from Our GDPR Compliance Journey I’ve had the opportunity to share my thoughts on various aspects of GDPR in the past, but with the 25th May now behind us, I’ve taken the time to reflect on our initial compliance journey at OpenCRM, the steps we took and the big wins we achieved.

The Big Win – Evolution breeds evolution; by taking the time to explore new and exciting changes in our Data Security policies other interconnected processes benefitted from the best practices we uncovered.

Enhancing Our Customer Focus For us, GDPR was a great project as it was purely focused around our customers, ensuring we were doing everything in our power to secure their data. Whilst we all aim to put our customers at the front and centre of everything we do, often our product, processes or people can be cause for the focus to slip.

Alongside a more robust and sharpened Data Security policy, the process of GDPR compliance has strengthened the way we operate as a business, improved the way we engage with our customers and streamlined the way we collaborate as a team.^

It helped to reaffirm the clarity of what we do and why we do it. As a software provider, we’re here to build tools that not only help businesses manage what they do but ensure they do it in the right way – GDPR epitomised that and helped remind us of what it’s all about – our customers!

The Ripple Effect

The Big Win – GDPR gave us the opportunity to put the customer at the front of what we do! It helped remind everyone what really matters and re-energised the entire business.

It was without doubt that the introduction of GDPR was going to mean a complete evolution of our Data Security policies and procedures, after all, the goal posts had moved. But the nature of developing this process, led us down avenues of further evolution across the business.

Through the new requirements we faced, we found new best practices, technologies and methodologies emerged, allowing us to get some big wins in other areas of the business as well. Discussions around capturing consent lead to new Account Management steps, by exploring how we retain data we found new technology features with cross department benefits and engaging with expert consultants helped to broaden our infrastructure capability.

The Benefits of Empowerment For the nature of our GDPR project in particular, we knew we needed to extend our open company culture to enable us look objectively and honestly at where we were and how we needed to change to meet the challenges. We gave the project the maximum authority it needed to rewrite some key areas of our business, but above that, we gave the project team the authority to challenge all that was put in front of them.

correct or suggest how to do something better. It didn’t matter if that was to one of our newest starters or to me as the Managing Director, we had to apply the duediligence to achieve the right result.

The end result? A Data Security policy we’re truly proud of and can fully get behind. The level of challenge and scrutiny meant we couldn’t rest on our laurels, we covered all the angles and accounted for the risks.

The Big Win – By giving our GDPR team the maximum authority, we fostered the approach we needed. Hierarchy can undoubtably cause barriers, if you break them down, you can achieve the best results.

Whilst I don’t believe the ICO (or anyone really) has really got their heads around the impact GDPR will have on the tech industry, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.

Alongside a robust security framework, we’ve felt the wider benefits of an open and enthusiastic project that’s bred evolution in many different areas, empowered our staff to ask questions and helped us set our sights back on what matters, the customer.

To talk to a member of the OpenCRM team about how CRM softwre can benefit your brand, just call 01748 473000 or visit the website: www.opencrm.co.uk

We knew granting this authority would be essential, we needed our team to not be afraid of challenging if something was truly

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tel: 01444 259 259

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

business support

october/november 2018 business edge

The Wonder of Graphene Where it all started Graphene was discovered at Manchester University in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov who later became Nobel prize winners in 2010.

Initially using Cellulose tape to remove layer after layer of carbon from graphite (which is mined in a similar way to coal), they discovered at the end of the process, a single one atom thick layer of carbon was exposed, not visible to the human eye.

Continuing research is trying to understand more about this “wonder material” as it is known.

So what is it?

As a brief explanation; Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms, (known as 2 dimensional or 2D) in a lattice structure similar to that of a honey combe. This ultra thin material is very strong, transparent to most wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation (optical light, infrared ultra-violet), allowing all to pass through it, without affecting its properties.

The physical properties of Graphene, heat and electrical conductivity are excellent and better than pure graphite in the bulk form.

As science progressed, the CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) growth method of reproducing graphene became established. CVD

is now the recognised laboratory research tool and with further investigation it was discovered that Copper has the unusual property of “selflimiting” the carbon layering to one atom thick, under the correct conditions. This proved to be a turning point for the scientists, as it permitted laboratory equipment to be designed, giving a controlled source of Graphene. Planatech UK Ltd, are one of the leading CVD growth system suppliers worldwide.

So what can it be used for? n Membranes n Improving water filtration n Gas separation n Desalination n Biomedical Applications n Targeted drug delivery n Improved brain penetration n DIY health-testing kits n smart implants n Energy and Energy Storage n Wearable power supplies n Longer lasting batteries and supercapacitors which provide bursts of energy n Solar cells n Composites and Coatings n Lighter, stronger aircraft and car parts n Conductive paints n Inks n Rust-proof coatings n Sensors

! e v i t s e F t Ge with

Get Festive for Chestnut Tree House and make a real difference to local children with life-shortening conditions and their families this Christmas.

n Enhanced gas/chemical/biological detection. n Better crop protection. n Electronics n Faster transistors for improved computer and device reaction time n Bendable phones n Flexible displays n Decreased power consumption n Other electronics Research into other materials that can be grown as a single molecular structure, is ongoing with some interesting results.

There is a free to attend Graphene talk within the Photonic and Vacuum Exhibition and Conference held at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry on 10th and 11th October 2018 Ray Whitehouse will be hosting the Vac Techniche/Planartech UK stand and would welcome a visit from fellow Chamber of Commerce members and non-members https://www.photonex.org/ https://www.graphene-expo.org/

On Friday 7 December 2018 we are asking you to show your support for Chestnut Tree House by organising some festive fun!

(Please feel free to choose an alternative day to Get Festive for Chestnut Tree House if you wish)

For more information, or to sign up and receive your free Christmas fundraising ideas pack, please get in touch.

www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/getfestive corporate@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk 01903 871838 | 01323 725095 #GetFestiveCTH

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Registered charity number: 256789 © Snowman Enterprises Limited 2018 THE SNOWMAN™ Snowman Enterprises Limited

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business support

october/november 2018 business edge

IT skills shortage worsens The scrapping of ICT courses at GCSE Level is set to exacerbate the skills shortage in IT departments and tech companies across the UK. The UK government’s decision was made back in November 2015 but only introduced in this current academic year.

The decision was taken to get schools and colleges to concentrate on teaching the harder Computer Science GCSE which was introduced in 2013.

Bad idea This decision has created a problem. Recent figures from The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations show that there’s only a small annual rise in the number of students taking the Computer Science GCSE. When the two courses ran concurrently, many more students opted for the ICT qualification.

Now a Computing Education Report from Roehampton University reveals that: “the removal of GCSE ICT and failure to approve equivalent qualifications looks likely to result in a significant fall in the number of students taking any computing-related qualification beyond 2018.”

Fewer skilled workers A recent report by Tech Nation already shows that attracting skilled workers for

UK tech firms was a problem for more than 50 per cent of those surveyed. A further decrease in the number of young people with qualifications can only worsen the existing skills shortage in the IT sector.

Gary Jowett from Computer & Network Consultants in Brighton, says: “Companies across the South East need to be prepared for the worsening skills shortage in the years ahead as it could have a big impact on the management and maintenance of their core infrastructure.

“Most businesses increasingly rely upon IT to sell services and manage their backoffice operations. So, it’s worthwhile considering a range of options, including IT apprenticeships and graduate sponsorships to help maintain the right number of tech savvy people you need in your business. You could also consider outsourcing some or all of your IT services to an external provider who may be able to offer a more costeffective solution to suit your needs.”

ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 Certified

SAY HELLO TO YOUR NEW IT DEPARTMENT. The benefits of outsourced IT You gain access to a whole team of highly skilled people that are always available, and right up to date with all the latest technology, knowledge and trends. Alongside online monitoring and management tools, we can provide 24x7 cover with regular strategy meetings.

We would love to talk to you and offer a complementary systems check-up with no obligations to use our services.

— 01273 386 333 — sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk — www.cnc-ltd.co.uk

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business support

october/november 2018 business edge

Improvements on the way for Brighton’s train services Passengers travelling to and from Brighton are going to see improvements to their journeys from May next year thanks to a £67million Government investment taking place between Brighton, Gatwick and the capital. In the last 20 years the number of people travelling on the rail network has doubled, and the rail network, our stations and our platforms are dealing with more passengers than they were ever designed for.

A joint Network Rail/GTR industry communications campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the dates when the line will be closed to allow the works to take place. Colleagues from across both organisations are actively engaging with passengers, businesses, political stakeholders and the local community to prepare them for the closures and to ensure their colleagues, employees and customers are aware of the alternative travel routes so the impact on businesses is minimised.

The Brighton Main Line opened in 1841 and now requires improvements to ensure it is reliable and resilient as it transports customers to and from the Sussex coast.

The upgrade work will focus on four Victorian-era tunnels – Balcombe, Clayton, Patcham and Haywards Heath – and the railway which runs through them.

Passengers will benefit from: n Improved performance and greater reliability on the line n Fewer delays for Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express passengers

We will be: n Stemming leaks into the tunnels and improving drainage n Upgrading or replacing the third rail power system and signalling n Replacing track and sets of points, which enable trains to switch between tracks n Replacing fencing and improving security to deter trespassers From September 2018 until May 2019, 34 days of closures timed at weekends and the February half term will enable engineers to carry out the first major overhaul of the southern end of the line in more than thirty years. While the work is taking place, train services between London and Brighton will be diverted via Littlehampton, with West and East Coastway services revised while bus replacement services will run from Brighton to Three Bridges and Lewes to Three Bridges.

Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Chief Operating Officer for the South East route, said: “Passengers on the Brighton Main Line deserve a better, more reliable railway and our work over the next nine months will deliver that.”

Keith Jipps, Govia Thameslink Railway’s Infrastructure Director, said: “Network Rail’s work is essential to give our passengers the reliable, punctual services that we all want on our route and my aim is make sure everyone benefits as quickly and painlessly as possible from that.”

Proactive engagement is a central tenet of our joint programme communications strategy as we work to ensure the public is aware that Sussex remains open for business throughout these works. Network Rail is keen to collaborate with the local business community throughout this programme of work as it is mindful of the potential impact the closures can have on local businesses. After consulting with stakeholders and listening to your needs, our team has developed a series of resources which will explain the engineering works and reasons for the £300 million investment along the Brighton Main Line.

These resources will help your colleagues, employees and customers prepare for the closures and with minimal impact to their business. The south coast is a key destination for tourists and home to many commuters. The planned improvements will help to reduce delays on the line and make future journeys much more reliable.

Information on the tools and resources can be found at https://brightonmainline. co.uk/information-for-business/ We look forward to working with you as we continue to build awareness of the line closures and engage with stakeholders to understand their views. Please sign up to our business stakeholder newsletter at eepurl.com/dvPswf or follow us on Twitter @brighton_line. If you have any questions about the Brighton Main Line Improvement Project or on how you can prepare your business for the improvement works, please contact us at BrightonMainline@ networkrail.co.uk

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17

manufacturing and engineering

october/november 2018 business edge

Manufacturing sector finds millennials the hardest generation to manage

Zoë Rudling

David WilliamsRichardson

Audit Partner RSM UK

Employment Tax Partner, RSM UK

Create an inclusive culture Those at the top of the organisation need to lead by example to create an inclusive and dynamic culture.

Go beyond stereotypes According to a recent YouGov poll commissioned by leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM, manufacturers find millennials to be the most challenging generation to oversee, with 48 per cent of the sector saying they struggle most with this age group.

The survey of 348 UK middle market business leaders, operating across a range of sectors, was conducted during a period in which for the first time since the Industrial Revolution five generations of employees are now working side by side. Whilst this presents a major opportunity, with it can come significant challenges.

RSM’s newly unveiled report entitled ‘New forces at work – how to manage emerging people risks’ advises employers to consider new approaches to people management and incentivisation.

David Williams-Richardson, partner specialising in employment tax, based at RSM’s Gatwick office said: ‘Friction or management issues don’t have to be a consequence of having five generations under one roof. As our survey reveals, many organisations value the varied opinions, experience and knowledge that a multigenerational workforce brings. But taking advantage of those benefits will depend on the organisation’s willingness and ability to create a culture in which its people feel valued, heard and understood.’

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Zoë Rudling, manufacturing lead partner for the South East, also based at RSM’s Gatwick office, said: ‘It’s interesting to observe that a number of firms in the manufacturing sector struggle most with millennials. Yet, it was apparent from our findings that 26 per cent of the 54 manufacturing firms surveyed had not engaged with their people via an employee survey for over two years, or ever.

Direct and regular engagement is critical in understanding the needs of an organisation’s workforce to leverage productivity.’

Two thirds (66 per cent) of all the firms surveyed said that an age diverse workforce helped the company to have a more comprehensive skillset and knowledge base.

More than seven in ten (71 per cent) felt that a multi-generational workforce brought contrasting views to their company.

However, four in ten companies (41 per cent) said that a multi-generational workforce also increased the risk of conflict in the workplace.

Practical steps within RSM’s report include: Work out your age profile Carry out a workforce audit to get a clear picture of the age profile of employees to ensure that those at the top can understand why the company’s existing approach to people management may need to change.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Don’t rely on stereotypes about baby boomers and millennials to inform your strategy. The only way you’ll find out what your workforce wants is to ask them.

Organisations need to run regular employee engagement surveys to understand what people think about your organisation and what will motivate them to do a good job.

Find similarities, celebrate differences Stagnant wage growth and rising living costs have toppled the long-held belief that each generation should have a better life than the one that came before. As a result, cross generational tensions have begun to rise. Consider ways to strengthen intergenerational relationships, for example, by setting up reverse mentoring to allow younger generations to share their ideas and perspectives with older employees.

Watch out for age discrimination With an ageing workforce, the potential for age discrimination claims can increase. To protect your organisation, you must make sure your policies, procedures and practices don’t help one generation while alienating others. Tackle unconscious biases and introduce training to encourage people to challenge their preconceptions and build awareness about risk areas.

Read the full report here - https://www. rsmuk.com/ideas-and-insights/newforces-at-work

tel: 01444 259 259

october/november 2018 business edge

manufacturing and engineering

Year of Engineering The University of Brighton asks you to step up and get involved Bronagh Liddicoat SE-E Employer Support Manager, Engineering UK

The engineering industry with its four million workers is a major employer in the South East. That represents 23.4% of the regional workforce - higher than the UK proportion which sits at just under 19%. Yet here, as elsewhere in the country, businesses know they need to boost the numbers coming into the industry as engineering skills remain in short supply.

Almost half of engineering employers report recruitment difficulties and the UK shortfall of engineering graduates and technicians is estimated at up to 59,000 annually. The South East stands second only to London in its demand for engineering skills, with a total annual requirement of over 98,950 workers.

If we are to have any chance of meeting that demand, we need to attract the best talent to UK engineering roles and that means widening the talent pool and offering more opportunities to enter the industry. As an industry, engineering needs to help young people understand what roles might be available and indeed to show that apprenticeships and university courses both offer credible and rewarding routes into engineering.

EngineeringUK’s ambition is to address that challenge, inspiring tomorrow’s engineers and increasing the talent pipeline into engineering. Working with employers, education and the wider community, the aim is to showcase 21st century engineering careers, giving young people the chance to meet industry professionals and really get hands-on with engineering.

We want to engage more employers in this effort to close the engineering skills gap, to encourage entrants from more diverse backgrounds and to drive continuous improvement. Because of their pivotal role in supporting young people in subject and career decisions, it is also vital to make it as simple as possible for teachers to engage with engineering focused outreach activity and to give them accurate, up-to-date careers information.

In a UK workforce comprising 47% women, only 12% of those working as engineers are female. We need to do more to show girls, at the earliest age possible, what modern engineering is all about. We know that participating in hands-on activities and speaking to an engineer have a positive impact on young people’s knowledge of

engineering jobs and that is particularly true for girls. We want to build on that with sustained outreach and engagement activity, together with supporting communications campaigns to inspire the next generation of girls to become engineers.

Tomorrow’s Engineers Week, 5-9 November is an opportunity for the whole industry, from individual engineers and microbusinesses to large corporates, to shine a spotlight on engineering. This year the campaign forms part of the Year of Engineering and engineers featured will focus on topics young people care about including the environment, animal welfare, staying safe, health and entertainment. The whole engineering community is invited to get involved to help inspire the next generation. A toolkit of ideas is available – including details of how to take part in the ‘engineers on a mission’ campaign, encouragement for schools to take part in a nationwide Big Assembly and showcasing the vital role of engineers and engineering.

The South East hosts the Big Bang Fair South East, the largest regional Big Bang Fair in the UK - organised and managed by STEM Sussex, the STEM outreach department of the University of Brighton. Part of a UK-wide programme led by EngineeringUK, the event showcases innovation and enables young people, through engaging with scientists and engineers, to discover the exciting and rewarding careers in science and engineering that their STEM subjects can lead to.

This year, the Big Bang Fair South East was held over two days in June, engaging 10,000 students and their teachers with over 200 employers and educational institutions. Caroline Duffy, HR Advisor at Ricardo PLC in Shoreham says: “Ricardo is a proud supporter of STEM events and EngineeringUK activity. Both the Big Bang Fair South East and Coastal STEMfest enable Ricardo to excite young people about the opportunities available to them within STEM. It is also important to us that we are able to inform and inspire parents and teachers, who are key influencers for the next generation.”

Next year’s Big Bang Fair South East will be held on 26-27 June 2019. You can get involved with the event by judging the Big Bang Competition, showcasing your business, volunteering or sponsporing and donating prizes.

The EngineeringUK Employer Network provides support in your engagement with your future workforce.

For further details of the EngineeringUK Employer Network, please contact: Bronagh Liddicoat e: bliddicoat@

engineeringuk.com For further details of how to become involved in the Big Bang Fair South East, please contact: Estelle Whewell e: bigbangse@brighton.

ac.uk

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october/november 2018 business edge

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Tel: 01273 492233 info@doubledot.co.uk It’s the final quarter!

Are you recruitment ready?

As we approach the final business quarter of the calendar year, this is the ideal time to think about your recruitment options.

Here at Ten2Two, we provide flexible professionals who can hit the ground running to help you march successfully into this busy period. These employees provide excellent quality, often at less than the price of a full-time permanent member of staff. Ignore reports of a talent squeeze. By offering a little bit of flexibility, you can find the professionals you’re looking for. Talk to us today.

We’d be happy to hear about your requirements and see if we can match your recruitment needs.

TTT! n Are you on track to achieve your business targets? n Do you need additional resources to help you do this? n Could flexible workers be a way to find the skills you need at less of an initial outlay? n Have you considered how long the recruitment process takes?

If you are thinking about bolstering your workforce this quarter, bear in mind the dreaded notice period. If someone has to give three months’ notice, they won’t be able to start with you until January.

Ready to consider your recruitment options? Get in touch with Ten2Two today to find professional, flexible candidates for your business. They could be just what you need to make this the best business quarter yet.

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good health focus

october/november 2018 business edge

Taking a healthy approach to the workplace The importance of health in the workplace is increasingly being recognised and more and more employers are acknowledging that they have a role to play.

A study published several years ago underlined that point, produced by the Work Foundation in partnership with RAND Europe and Aston Business School.

Mental health training Mental health training

Me Me

According to the report, an estimated 27.6 million working days were lost in a single twelve month period in Great Britain due to work-related illness. This represented 1.15 days lost on average per worker.

The report suggested that help offered in the workplace can be effective to address poor health and well-being. It said that the idea of health and well-being at work should go beyond the mere absence of illness or disability. It should be understood as a “state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing” as identified by the World Health Organization.

Evidence reported in the study showed that that workplace ‘health interventions’, including targeting problems due to workrelated factors such as low back pain, musculoskeletal disorders and mental health disorders, can have positive health outcomes.

The study also suggested that interventions aimed at improving damaging lifestyle behaviours such as poor diet, smoking, alcohol abuse and lack of physical activity can be be effective.

The result of such thinking has been a growing awareness of the issues surrounding workplace health.

Over the past few years, many employers have understood the business case for supporting staff health and well-being programmes. By improving staff health and well being you increase staff engagement and satisfaction, productivity and corporate image and reduce the cost of sickness absence, staff recruitment, retention and turnover, and any health related liability and legal costs.

There are lots of things employers can do. Ask your HR department what programmes they have in place to support staff health and well being.

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Developing Developing knowledge knowledge in in the the workplace workplace

De De

We believe no-one should have to faceina mental health issue alone Developing knowledge the workplace We believe no-one should have to face a mental health issue alone

We believ De We believ

We can deliver training in your workplace or you can attend an We can believe no-one shouldinhave face a mental health alone We deliver training yourtoworkplace or you canissue attend an open event at venues around West Sussex. open event at venues around West Sussex.

Reduced rates for charities.

Reduced ratesworkplace for charities.

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The Gateway, 8-10 Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG The Gateway, 8-10 | Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG 01903 277000 info@coastalwestsussexmind.org 01903 277000 | info@coastalwestsussexmind.org www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 funded We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently funded The Gateway, 8-10 Durrington Lane, Worthing, BN13 2QG 01903 277000 | info@coastalwestsussexmind.org www.coastalwestsussexmind.org | Charity no: 1155918 We are affiliated to National Mind but separate and independently funded

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good health advertorial focus

august/september april/may 2018 2018business business edge edgeedge august/september 2018 business

Employee well-being is crucial to your business n Better skills retention n Improved staff morale n Better employee engagement n Improved employee commitment

When it comes to looking after the health of your employees, mental health is just as important as physical health. Every year, over 91 million working days are lost in the UK due to mental ill health. More people are reporting mental health issues than ever before, in fact, statistics show that 1 in 6 employees suffer from anxiety, stress or depression – which is why good mental health is good for your business.

Looking after the mental, as well as the physical well-being of your employees has many benefits including: n Improved productivity n Fewer sickness absences

Mental ill health costs UK employers a staggering £34.9 billion each year, so creating mentally healthy workplaces makes good business sense and there are simple, practical steps you can take to make your workplace healthier. These include raising awareness of stress and mental health issues and training managers to be alert to signs of stress or mental ill health and to have the confidence to have open conversations and signpost employees towards support.

Alex Langridge, the founder of consultancy and training provider Mental Health and Safety, has been assisting employers since 2012 across Sussex, London and further afield in supporting their employees’ mental well-being.

Alex is a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Instructor, having completed training accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health. She can offer half day, one day and two day MHFA courses which can enhance the knowledge and skills around mental health in your workplace. Alex is also part of the MHFA National Training Team which can train up instructors in your organisation if you want to deliver your own MHFA courses.

With calls for the government to update health and safety regulations to include mental health considerations in first aid – it has never been more important to understand your responsibilities as an employer.

For more information about how to support your employees’ mental health and wellbeing please contact: alex@mentalhealthandsafety.com 07939002047

Building on a background in health and safety compliance, plus a decade of experience working with mental health organisations, Alex assists employers across the private, public and third sectors, providing consultancy and training services tailored specifically to their needs.

Bluestone Corporate Retreats ‘Improving Mental Health In The Workplace’ We offer dynamic and professional services that are vital to the health, wellbeing and productivity of your staff.

As an employer, you will be aware that your company’s success depends on the emotional, psychological and social wellbeing of your employees.

At Bluestone, we make it easy to ensure you are doing your absolute best to provide all that is necessary for a happy, healthy work force that will enable your company to run at its absolute peak performance.

Our bespoke seminars and retreats, which are run throughout the UK, incorporate programmes to: n Improve work performance. n Increase creativity and innovation. n Reduce workplace stress and anxiety. n Increase mental well-being for staff. n Reduce conflict in teams. n Empower staff with effective communication skills.

Bluestone Corporate Retreat Centre, Eastbourne Road, Halland, Lewes, E Sussex, BN8 6PT www.bluestonecorporateretreats.co.uk | info@bluestonecorporateretreats.co.uk Tel: 01825 841 041 | Mob: 07900 492 529 Sussex Chamber of Commerce

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23

manufacturing and engineering

october/november 2018 business edge

A post-Brexit manufacturing landscape The voice of business hit headlines in late June and July when Airbus, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and auto-parts manufacturer Unipart offered stark warnings over the impact of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. Businesses crave certainty and that, says Kreston Reeves’ Allan Pinner, is in short supply.

Allan Pinner Senior Partner Kreston Reeves

UK manufacturing contributes some £6.7 trillion to the global economy and, contrary to widespread belief, the UK is the world’s eighth largest industrial nation.

The EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, reports that the UK manufacturing sector currently accounts for 44% of all UK exports, 70% of business research and development, and employs some 2.26m people.

British manufacturing is broad and includes aerospace, automotive, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, defence, construction, energy, food and drink, plastics, textiles, nuclear and space. In the past 12 months, 52% of all manufacturing exports headed to the EU. The sector’s relationship with Europe is incredibly tight. Supply chains are inextricably linked, with ‘just-in-time’ and ‘in-sequence’ production methods seeing, for example, car components moving across the English Channel many times before completed vehicles roll off the production line.

Border delays, Honda has said, could increase production times by up to nine days. To hold the two million components needed every day for its Swindon production lines, Honda has said it would need a 300,000 sq m warehouse, making it the largest building on the planet.

It goes without saying that the shape of our departure from the EU matters enormously to UK businesses.

Large manufacturers, like BMW and Airbus, are unlikely to immediately pack-up and move operations outside of the UK manufacturing businesses have invested considerable amounts in our economy and that creates a sticky relationship.

But politicians would be wrong to take too much comfort from that position. It is the investment into new products that is easy to divert along with future production plans.

Take, for example, the development in hybrid and electric cars. Jaguar Land Rover is developing its first electric car in Austria.

Will the company retool its Midlands plant from diesel to electric? With the current oversupply, a global slow down and with the increasing Brexit uncertainties, nobody would be surprised if future manufacturing were within EU member states.

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This is, on the face of it, a rather gloomy picture, and becomes perhaps even more so when looking to recent High Street collapses and the yet-felt knock-on effect on manufacturing.

But UK manufacturing needs to be contrasted with manufacturing countries in the EU, where both France and Germany have also shown decreased manufacturing outputs. The US too is following a similar trend, which may be at the root of President Trump’s recent tariffs.

So, what can manufacturing businesses do?

The shape of the UK’s exit from the EU should become clearer towards the end the July. It may be that the UK remains in the customs union and we continue to enjoy frictionless trade. Businesses with European suppliers and markets will breathe an enormous sigh of relief.

But, if that agreement is not reached, manufacturers should start, if they have not already done so, to develop strategies to manage this transition.

Measures to consider will include: n Mapping and auditing supply chains. the UK have been guaranteed, but businesses who employ people that do not have the right to work in the UK can face large fines.

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n Prepare for customs checks. Is the software currently used able to address changes to our relationship with the EU? n Understand future tariffs and how they will affect your business. n VAT. Check and review contracts with suppliers, paying particular attention to VAT treatment. n Cash flow buffers. Delays at borders may create cash flow issues for businesses. Consider building reserves now. n Delays at Dover? What impact will that have on your business and are there countermeasures that could be considered? n IP rights. The UK government has said that European wide protections will remain after Brexit, but businesses should review and update protections accordingly.

At Kreston Reeves, we are working with businesses to scenario plan the many different outcomes and helping businesses to prepare.

If your business needs support and advice, contact Allan Pinner or a member of the Manufacturing team here at Kreston Reeves Allan Pinner is Senior Partner at accountants, business and financial advisers Kreston Reeves.

tel: 01444 259 259

october/november 2018 business edge

manufacturing and engineering

Local Source of Supply - A Key to the Brexit Future?

Greg Templeman Marketing Manager, TFC Europe Ltd

With our HQ based in Sussex, TFC Europe Ltd is one of the leading suppliers of technical fastener components to industry.

We have an unrivaled reputation for delivering innovative products, flexible supply chain solutions, and exemplary service, to help our customers achieve breakthroughs in product development and new standards of manufacturing efficiency.

It’s no secret that many of today’s businesses maintain global supply chains.

However, with a UK Brexit imminent, what may be a secret is just how much procurement professionals would prefer to source locally instead.

According to a recent buyer survey conducted by THOMASNET, it was found that 72 percent of buyers "always or generally" prefer to source locally. In comparison, just 11 percent of respondents "always or generally" prefer to source globally. In fact, nearly half of suppliers actually "rarely or never" prefer to source globally at all.

At first site the term 'local' may be defined simply in terms of geographical distance, but the issue is not quite that straight forward. For example, whilst a supplier located a couple of miles away is clearly local, how far do we have to go before the term 'local' ceases to be valid? We might also consider the ease of contacting the supplier as a factor, so to the basic criterion of distance we might add 'time taken'. As an example the time taken to meet with a supplier 10 miles up a congested motorway can often take longer than the time taken to travel 60 miles on less congested roads.

Clearly, most buyers prefer to keep the supply chain as close to home as possible. Here’s why:

More Reactive You never know when an opportunity will strike or a challenge will arise. For instance, you can receive a highly lucrative bid from a major customer, or an existing client may need you to ramp up in order to meet demand. Will you be ready?

If you source locally, the answer will probably be yes. That’s because local suppliers are typically more reactive than suppliers who are further away. They are able to deliver products quicker, and it is much easier for a supplier to coordinate a shipment across the neighbourhood than around the world.

Greater Control The further away you are from elements of your supply chain, the less control you have over them. Suppliers may say that they treat all of their customers and purchase orders the same, but if they anticipate a site visit or a drop-in meeting from you, the chances are they will keep you top of mind.

Face-to-face visits will allow you to address any concerns and ensure all products meet your standards. There’s also less chance of things being “lost in translation,” which often occurs when working with far-flung teams of people, many of whom aren’t actually on the floor and touching your products Many of these costs can be reduced by localising your supply chain. And, with less money being sunk into logistics, there will be less weighing down your bottom line.

With shorter supply chains, greater certainty and predictability of delivery times is much enhanced and this is particularly attractive to companies operating on a JIT basis.

Better For Business Local sourcing doesn’t just help save money; it can also help you generate more of it.

That’s because companies in your area may be impressed by your efforts to keep a tight and fast-paced supply chain, which can help you attract new customers.

Promoting the use of local suppliers can result in good PR for an organisation (particularly if it is a large employer in an area) and demonstrate investment in the

community whilst the local supplierwould place considerable value on serving their local community and the benefits associated with it.

Good For The Community It stands to reason that if sourcing locally increases your bottom line, it would do the same for other suppliers and manufacturers in your area, which can be a big boost to the local economy and the people who live there.

Happy, well-paid employees are more likely to invest in local businesses and respected, well-off businesses are in a position to contribute to communities through fundraising, volunteering, and sponsored activities.

Helps The Environment Localising your supply chain represents a tremendous opportunity to help the environment. When you reduce shipping and storage, you also reduce emissions and energy usage. Pressure groups, such as the Countryside Alliance here in the UK, lobby organisations to source locally and to give greater consideration to economic, social and environmental well-being during the pre-procurement stage of purchasing a service or product.

With six locations spread throughout the UK and, with BREXIT ever closer, TFC can support customers’ supply chain needs, wherever they are based, with the personal relationship of a local supplier.

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25

inspirational leaders

october/november 2018 business edge

Proving her mettle In this issue of Business Edge, we speak to Kelly Sweetman, Director of Stevens Rowsell (Precision) Ltd – a sheet metal fabricator founded in 1967, based in StLeonards-on-Sea. Having gone through a management buyout in late 2017, the firm is now steered by the co-owners; Kelly, Michael and Barry – and it is going from strength to strength - building on its ethos of excellent customer service and the provision of quality products.

The background Put succinctly, the skilled team at Stevens Rowsell take a piece of flat sheet material and turn it into something else. Though many of their customers remain in the Sussex area, such is their expertise that Stevens Rowsell products have made their way into a plethora of industries across the UK.

Breadth of experience The automotive, medical, green energy, food, retail, lighting, heating, ventilation and air conditioning sectors have all benefitted from their prowess. “We work for a wide range of industries,” explains Kelly, “and we bring this breadth of experience to each client.

“I’m a great believer that in business you shouldn’t put all of our eggs in one basket, so we serve as broad a range of customers as possible, which benefits our customers and benefits us as a business too.”

As you may have detected, Kelly’s background is in accountancy rather than engineering. Joining the firm back in 2002 in a part-time financial and accounting role, her remit soon grew and today, she is responsible for the financial, HR and marketing aspects of the business.

Communication and customer service “We are nothing without our customers, everything we do is about them and we do our utmost to provide them with the best possible service. Communication is central to this service - you have to stay in contact

and build good customer relationships to be successful. People buy from people and they want to know there is someone at the end of the phone who understands their needs and can provide solutions.”

Adding value “We manage the whole process for our customers from the inception of a product or component to the point of sale and we add value wherever we can. We’re often involved in component improvement and implementing effective and efficient production, helping customers to bring ideas into fruition or improving an existing product.

We aim to take a lot of the stress out of the production process for our customers.

“As part of our service, we also offer a stock management system which allows our customers to order items in a larger batch at a more cost-effective rate, which we store on our premises in an environmentally protected area. For those customers that don’t have the storage space this service is a bonus, we monitor stock levels and deliver it whenever it is needed or on an agreed scheduled basis. Many of our customers are involved in time critical industries and having their products on hand and ready to ship means never face a shortage.”

Meeting increasing demand “Just last year, we added powder coating to our portfolio of services, bringing in-house a service we had previously outsourced.

When work is sub-contracted out you sometimes lose control of the process and have quality issues too, bringing the painting in-house has worked really well and it has created lots of opportunities too,” explains Kelly.

“In the next few weeks, we will have a new fully automated painting plant installed

“Welding is integral to the service we offer our customers and crucial to numerous industries – yet many colleges no longer offer a welding course. We are doing our bit by training apprentices and although they attend college - they learn almost all of their practical skills here.”

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to meet the growing demand for this service, for which we won part funding from Business Growth and SEBB, allowing us to increase capacity ten-fold. We aim to be a one-stop shop for our customers and by bringing the painting in-house we offer them a better, more seamless, service, with faster lead times and excellent quality.”

Quality is key “Crucially, we don’t have a sales team and we do little in the way of advertising - what we have is a quality manager who is also our nominated salesperson. Quality is what people want, our products are neither the most expensive or the cheapest products – but we place great emphasis on providing quality products along with great customer service.”

Stevens Rowsell commitment to quality and excellent service is reflected in the awards they’ve won at the Sussex Business Awards and the 1066 Business Awards, as well as in their fully accredited and independently audited ISO 9001: 2015 quality management system.

Key achievements When asked about their greatest achievements Kelly observes, “Perhaps our greatest achievement has been managing to survive and expand during the recession at a time when manufacturing was hit very hard. We had to develop, adjust and evolve to a turbulent and ever-changing market place and the business has come through a lot stronger.”

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inspirational leaders

october/november 2018 business edge

“Seeing our team develop is another huge achievement for us, sometimes people begin working here without qualifications or skills and we see them flourish, which is enormously rewarding.”

Training the next generation “We have a team of 25 staff, most of whom work in our factory in hands-on roles and many of whom have been with us for over 20 years. We have some exceptionally skilled staff, some of whom are close to retirement, yet there is a gap, with few people in the next generation - the 30 to 40 year age group - who have the necessary skills. There is a massive skills gap and we need to act now to address this gap or these skills will be lost.

“Welding is integral to the service we offer our customers and crucial to numerous industries – yet many colleges no longer offer a welding course. We are doing our bit by training apprentices and although they attend college - they learn almost all of their practical skills here. We nurture our apprentices, so they can become fully involved in the business. You have to be prepared to invest in people.”

Outreach work “We’ve built up good relationships with local schools too, running workshops for them, to raise awareness of engineering as a career, before their students leave school. We want to grab young people’s attention before they’ve made a decision about their future career.

“I’d also like to have a closer affiliation with local colleges, with students studying for NVQs undertaking a placement with us for a few weeks in order to develop their practical skills. My advice to businesses who face similar challenges with the skills gap is to build good relationships with their local schools and colleges.

more about what can be achieved, how you can take a flat piece of steel and turn it into something beautiful. Engineering is very creative and I want to show young people the opportunities it represents.”

the financial rewards the simple things can make a difference too, we provide fresh fruit for our employees every week and have filtered water taps throughout the premises.”

“It is imperative that we train the next generation as a lot of skills are at risk of dying out. Whilst a lot of jobs are service orientated these days, there is still a demand for the British-made product.”

Employee engagement

Inclusion and teamwork

“Employee engagement is crucial to running a successful business”, observes Kelly. “We want our employees to enjoy being at work - and there are a number of steps we take to help ensure this is the case.

“You are nothing without your team. Our business ethos is all about inclusion, we work closely together, including the team in decision-making. Our team is solution driven and often contribute ideas on how we can achieve the desired outcome for our customers or improve our services. If people feel involved and part of the team, well you can’t put a price on that.”

Engineering and creativity “I don’t come from an engineering background and every day I am learning

Kelly Sweetman

“We’ve always provided a pension and sick pay as standard, we also offer a profit share bonus to our employees but its not all about

Barry Douch

Michael Gough

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27

cover feature

october/november 2018 business edge

High performance engines, higher performance production For over 100 years Ricardo has been at the forefront of innovation in engine design & development, however in more recent times it has achieved an equally impressive reputation for supercar engine production at its headquarters in Shoreham-by-Sea. Martin Starkey Business Development Manager, Performance Products, Ricardo UK

With over 15,000 engines produced since 2014 and numerous engine types in continuous production, this success has all stemmed from the original market demand for a robust yet flexible assembly technology for high performance engines in low volume.

The fundamental challenge in achieving this was developing a solution that balanced the

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rigorous quality requirements of a modern automotive engine with the flexibility required to assemble many different engine derivatives in one plant. In any single day, engines can be produced destined for race specials to production cars and through to development engines destined for the supercars of tomorrow.

methodology was developed, based around combining a multi station production line with skilled technicians and the whole process controlled by the latest HMI or “Human Machine Interface� technology.

Ricardo initially looked to existing solutions, a fully automated assembly line would deliver the repeatable build processes but deliver challenges around flexibility and investment.

Alternatively, a team of skilled engine assembly technicians would give the flexibility required but make highly repeatable assembly and data capture far more challenging.

Each technician and station on the line has a fundamental role in building up and testing the engine however the specific tasks that are undertaken on each engine derivative can vary widely. The HMI system knows which engine type needs assembling at that particular station and selects the correct work instructions from its extensive library.

It then walks the operator through the steps needed to complete before the engine can pass onto the next station on the line.

The solution lay in taking the very best in both approaches. A new assembly

The HMI system monitors which sub components the operator has selected and

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tel: 01444 259 259

cover feature

october/november 2018 business edge

Engine Test Cell

which tools, continuously checking that all steps are being completed to an exacting standard and inside the required specification.

In the event of an error being detected the HMI system can flag an issue and request intervention from specialists to prevent a faulty engine continuing down the production line.

The advantages are obvious but with repetitive tasks and complex data capture being undertaken by the HMI system and the technician free to focus on utilising his skills the results are impressive.

Once an engine reaches the end of the production line it is transferred to one of the end of line test cells where the engine is fired up for the first time. The engine is then automatically taken through a well-defined and developed test cycle that both ensures the engine has been assembled correctly but also “breaks in” the engine ready for installation directly into the final vehicle. The whole process from the very first station to the engine ready to ship takes around 10 hours, with a new engine being completed every 45 minutes. The next time the engine is fired up it will be with Ricardo’s customer, at the end of the vehicle production line.

Every engine has a unique serial number allowing every stage of its creation to be captured and tracked. This perpetually increasing data bank is in itself put to good use, the data being continuously evaluated

Shoreham Technical Centre looking for trends that could identify either developing quality issues or alternatively opportunities for continuous improvement - ensuring the high quality standards achieved in the plant are always maintained.

The success of this unique manufacturing approach is easy to measure, with engine output increasing year on year and the range of products leaving the factory ever increasing, the success for both Ricardo and its clients speak for themselves.

Building on what it has developed in Shoreham, Ricardo is developing this manufacturing technology into other niche volume, complex, automotive systems.

Examples of this are everything from high performance multi speed transmissions to complex high power battery packs for the next generation of hybrid supercars. Ricardo has developed a production approach where both staff and technology continually evolve to support each other’s needs.

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29

energy & environment

october/november 2018 business edge

Getting private investment for your green business Robb Cunningham Communications Manager University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform

service to market and how will you get and As an entrepreneur, you’re retain customers? one of a kind. You’ve got Mark says, “Viewing a business through a the ideas, the vision and prism like this enables all parties to increase common understanding of business issues the drive. But one thing and accelerate the whole process to a can stand in the way of you successful conclusion.” and the big time: securing Approaching investors the right investment for Don’t forget, investors are people too. Each your business. one of them is different, but there are some Investment can play such a crucial role in the growth of a business, but approaching private investors is unchartered territory for lots of entrepreneurs. Some venture capitalists will get 100s of pitches sent to them each year, and it’s estimated that just one percent will get funded.

And with the environment so high up the agenda these days, there are lots of businesses in the same space competing for the attention of investors. In a crowded market place, how do you ensure that your proposal stands out from the crowd?

Mark Riminton, Clean Growth UK Investment Platform Manager at the University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform, identifies 3 broad areas that an investor is looking at – marketability, scalability and capability.

Marketability Is your idea marketable, and do you have the vision, business model, shareholder backing and a plan for increasing the value of the business?

Capability Do you have the necessary resources in place to achieve your vision, including people and capital? If you don’t have the right mix of skills, how do you plan to get them? And do you have an innovation strategy to grow the business?

Scaleability Can your business idea be scaled? How does your plan fit with your target market and what does the competition landscape look like? How will you get your product or

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common rules to follow that will maximise your chances of success.

Get the right fit Each investor will have different interests, so you should make sure that your proposal fits with their portfolio. There’s no point in a clean technology startup approaching an investor who’s only ever invested in established businesses in a completely different sector.

Take the time to research and go for ones with a portfolio that aligns with what you’re doing. Factors to look at when reviewing previous investments include location, industry, amount invested and business stage.

Have more than just a good idea It’s more than likely that someone else will have come up with a similar idea to yours.

But that shouldn’t put you off, because a good idea alone won’t get investment. Good ideas need to be backed up by evidence that they will work, and that they solve a problem that a sufficiently large number of people (your market) want solved.

Before approaching investors, get data that shows your idea makes sense.

Get social proof We’re social creatures, and behavioural science shows us that we value social proof highly. Investors will be much more interested in a proposition that’s backed by other people, especially those with some clout in your field.

You could put together an advisory group of respected people in your sector and get

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them to give your proposal their backing, or gather early customer testimonials that support your product or service.

Gain some traction A proposal that’s already part way down the road is much more attractive than one that hasn’t started yet. It shows investors that you’re serious, that you’ve got what it takes to succeed and that you can do a lot with little. It also shows that you’re likely to use their money wisely.

Traction can mean already having some paying customers, already having recruited talented staff or having an active marketing campaign. You could apply for an award to get some industry-relevant recognition for what you’re doing.

Know your stuff, and be prepared Any investor will want to know that you have the competency to run a business.

You need to know your numbers inside out, and someone on your team (if not you)

tel: 01444 259 259

october/november 2018 business edge

should have a good grasp of profit and loss accounts, margins and growth forecasts.

During the pitch you’ll also need to be able to answer questions about any aspect of your business, so make sure you’re prepared and practised.

Access support where it’s available There’s a lot of business support available, and it makes sense to use it if you can. Your

energy & environment

local Chamber of Commerce and Growth Hub can help you find the right support and make connections.

For green businesses, the Green Growth Platform is a 1,000 strong clean and green business network that offers its members business growth support, events, and access to university R&D expertise and services.

In early 2019, the Green Growth Platform will be launching Clean Growth UK, a national network that will help green business across the UK scale up, grow and secure

investment. It will include a cleantech investor network and business investability and commercialisation programs, as well as providing access to R&D facilities and expertise through university partners.

If you’re a business with an environmental or low carbon focus that wants to grow, innovate or secure investment, stay updated on Clean Growth UK and the Green Growth Platform at www.clean-growth.uk

Any investor will want to know that you have the competency to run a business.

You need to know your numbers inside out, and someone on your team (if not you) should have a good grasp of profit and loss accounts, margins and growth forecasts. During the pitch you’ll also need to be able to answer questions about any aspect of your business, so make sure you’re prepared and practised.

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31

advertorial

october/november 2018 business edge

Energy Savings to Improve your Bottom Line Phil Cottrell Managing Director of GCL Ltd

Those of you who have been in business for a few years may remember the time when the only electrical devices in the office were a couple of golfball typewriters and an electric kettle. It’s quite hard now even to imagine those times, but it wasn’t very long ago, many offices were still like that in the 1980s.

However, recent decades have seen an explosion of power consumption in the workplace, as every desk has a computer, every third has a printer, everyone needs high-speed wifi for their phones and tablets, and even the kettle has been replaced by an enormous drinks machine and a Nespresso coffee maker. Add to that HVAC and security, and you start to see where all the power is going.

Of course, we as a nation are also signed up to the Kyoto Protocol, which commits us to massive reductions in carbon emissions over the next 20 years. So the Government has taken action to reduce power consumption wherever it can, including through the ESOS programme for businesses. But you shouldn’t be alarmed by this; in fact, improving your energy efficiency could be very good for your bottom line as well.

Your business or organisation will already be subject to ESOS regulations if it has 250 or more employees, annual turnover over €50m, or annual balance sheet total over €43m. But even if your business is not subject to ESOS, it makes good business sense to undertake energy audits regularly. Every year, countless Gigawatts are wasted through inefficient plant, poorly insulated heating systems and properties, bad employee practice, redundant timing controls and old light fittings, to name but a few. Every business can benefit financially from improved energy efficiency, and regular energy audits will help you identify where you can make savings. Some of our clients have reduced their energy usage by up to 80%!

Why reduce your building’s energy usage? n Major savings in energy costs n Reduce your carbon footprint n Comply with the relevant environmental regulations n For landlords, it attracts tenants to your building

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energy is being used by the room, and to change heating times for that room.

LED lighting Lighting is one of highest consumers of energy in a commercial building. LED lighting uses significantly less energy than filament, halogen or strip lighting, and has a much longer lifetime. In the last couple of years, the reliability and variety of LED lighting has improved massively, to the point where virtually every lighting application can now be replaced with an LED alternative.

Benefits of an LED lighting system:

n Coordinate the operation of various systems n Complete control over your building environment n Closely monitor building energy efficiency n Reduce energy consumption n Complying with legislation & incentives

n Quick return on investment n Improved luminance n Longer lasting lamps n Lower energy usage n Dimmable, Excellent Color Rendering Index (CRI) n Reduced maintenance costs n Reduction in the emission of heat n Occupancy detection and daylight sensing Detection systems that sense movement and natural light can replace conventional switches to turn lights off automatically in unoccupied spaces – reducing energy use and cost.

Building energy management systems A building energy management system (BMS) measures and manages the performance of building services, including HVAC, lighting and security. This can help to reduce energy usage. For example, a briefing room might be heavily used in the morning, but not much for the rest of the day. A BMS combined with smart heating controls, enables you to see how much

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Benefits of BMS:

ESOS Phase 2 compliance is due by 5th December 2019. Although this may sound like it’s a long way off, you may need to take action right now, as you need 12-months’ worth of energy usage data as part of your compliance.

If you need help with your ESOS compliance, or if you’d like to know more about LED retro-fitting or other energy-saving measures, please do contact me. GCL are specialists in energy saving, electrical and network cabling, BMS and Wifi.

There are grants, low-interest loans and taxbreaks all designed to help you meet your ESOS obligations – GCL can provide you with more information or assist you to obtain funding for energy-saving programs and installations.

Contact me now on 01892 576 950 or email sales@gcl.uk.com for more information.

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october/november 2018 business edge

manufacturing and engineering

Preparing for Brexit Sussex based manufacturer Welland Medical, imports from the EU and exports globally, MD Chris Primett highlights some under-reported issues facing businesses as we approach Brexit.

Chris Primett Managing Director, Welland Medical

2018 marks the 30th anniversary of Welland Medical an award winning medical device company, part of the CliniMed Group of Companies. The company started in 1988 specialising in the design, development and manufacture of innovative stoma care appliances and accessories for people who have had their bowel removed or diverted due to cancer or disease. Key to the company’s success has been the close work with health professionals, patients and care organisations to become pioneers in innovation to introduce in 1996 the world’s first flushable colostomy pouch, Impact®, which received a Millennium Product Award. The company continues to bring to market revolutionary products, including in 2013 the Aura® range of pouches with the inclusion of Manuka Honey and in 2017 the world’s most conformable and discrete flange extender, UltraFrame®.

All Welland Medical’s products are researched, designed and manufactured in the new state of the art facility in Manor Royal, Crawley. Over 20 million products are manufactured annually. 65% of these are exported to 43 countries across the globe. Selling medical devices into Europe

is quite challenging as each product needs to meet all of the requirements for the numerous EU directives plus local country regulations for sale and reimbursement. This is despite most countries being members of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA).

Brexit presents wide ranging implications for all businesses, whether they export or import goods and services or buy products from a UK supplier that sources products from within the EU. So far it remains unclear what agreement will be reached between the UK government and the EU. The only certainty is the UK will be leaving the EU on 29 March 2019. A transition period, where all current agreements would remain, has been proposed to run until 31 December 2020. But this has not been agreed and as indicated by Michel Barnier EU Chief Negotiator “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”. So how do businesses plan and what should businesses be considering during this uncertain period?

From my perspective there are practical areas that should be considered whilst we wait for clarity from the negotiations. Most of my concern is around movement of goods. We import raw materials from the EU and we export finished product across the world. Both parts will be subject to border controls, including increased levels of documentation and potentially tariffs or customs duties. As a company that trades across the world we have knowledge and

capability for the extra documentation that could be required and we are planning extra resource to be able to process this.

The key here is to be clear about what is required, talk to your freight forwarder or customer. Potential tariffs goods could be subjected to is indicated by the commodity classification code which is based on the International Harmonisation System. In many cases the tariffs are low or zero.

For example, in Welland Medical’s case our products are listed as “appliances identifiable for ostomy use” and generally have a zero tariff. In many cases this is the biggest worry for businesses – concerned that goods could be priced out of a potential market. However, in many situations I feel that Euro exchange rates can have a bigger effect on prices and profit than tariffs – so no need to despair.

Rules of origin can likewise have an effect on the level of tariff paid. These can be complex based on the type of product and the level of components/manufacture in third (non-EU) countries. Sometimes there can be preferential tariff rates so if you have this type of product you may need to seek help or advice.

Goods traded between the UK and EU are not subject to VAT as the UK is part of the EU VAT area. Despatches and Acquisitions for VAT registered businesses are accounted for on the next VAT return. However, as a country outside the EU, VAT will have to be paid before the goods cross the border and reclaimed on the next VAT return. Naturally, this has implications for cash flow that will need to be examined as part of a normal cash flow planning process. In addition to VAT, certain goods crossing the border will need to meet EU product regulations.

There are many product areas but for medical devices the manufacturer must meet all of the relevant EU requirements for performance and safety. Products are CE marked and market authorisation is required which can be obtained in the UK through the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). This will end on exit from the EU and authorisation will need to be transferred to a country within the European Economic Area (EEA) along with the appointment of an Authorised Representative located within the EU. There are many product areas which are “registered” in the UK and receive EU wide approval, but moving forward new registration may be required in another EU country. This is something to research now.

There are many other things to consider including people, intellectual property and services. But I believe there is no need to panic and there are some simple practical steps you can take to prepare for life after Brexit including useful first step tools on the Sussex Chamber of Commerce website.

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33

01797 222 455 construction electrical flooring gas engineers glazing joinery metal fabrication upholstery water hygiene

construction focus

october/november 2018 business edge

Beard – building better schools in West Sussex Guildford-based construction specialist Beard – one of the region’s leading providers of education facilities – is working with West Sussex County Council on three key new school expansions to help meet rising pupil numbers across the county.

In January 2019, it is planned for Beard to commence the expansion of Bourne Community College in Southbourne, with the construction of a five-classroom teaching block. The scheme, due for completion in December next year, will enable the college to move from a five- to a six-form entry secondary school, creating many more academic places for students in the area.

Beard will be constructing a state-of-theart learning facility providing two general classrooms, a food technology room and a flexible teaching space – supporting digital manufacturing systems such as 3D printers – bringing Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects to life. It will also build a five-a-side 3G football pitch.

More good school places for children Beard is in negotiations with West Sussex County Council to further expand learning facilities at Crawley Down Village Church of England Primary School in Crawley Down, and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Bognor Regis. The two schemes, which could start later this year or in early 2019, will enable both schools to accept more pupils.

“We’re delighted to be working with West Sussex County Council on these vitally important expansion projects that will help three great schools in the county improve and extend their teaching facilities to give children the very best education possible,” says Guy Hannell, Beard’s regional director. “Our team is particularly excited to be providing Bourne Community College with a high-spec new STEM classroom which will be a fantastic practical learning space for students interested in STEM-related careers like construction and engineering. We’re looking forward to getting started on the project.”

In Crawley Down, Beard is set to build a single-storey school extension that will provide a new main hall, flexible classroom spaces, a Key Stage 1 learning facility and a kitchen, changing room and Special Education Needs (SEN) office. Beard will also create a new netball court and refurbish the current school building to increase library space and provide new offices and a music studio.

Main Image: An artist’s impression of the completed project at Bourne Community College, which Beard will be starting this month.

Second Image: An artist’s impression of Beard’s expansion project at Crawley Down School.

Third Image: An artist’s impression of the completed expansion project Beard will start around the new year at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Bognor Regis.

About Beard Founded in 1892, Beard has grown from a small family-owned building business to a professionally-managed, £144 million turnover construction company which operates across the South of England.

With specialist expertise in building for the education sector, the company undertakes new build and refurbishment projects, including complex schemes, up to £16 million in value. Beard also provides a property repair and maintenance service.

Beard Guildford Office Stonemasons Court, Cemetery Pales, Brookwood, Surrey, GU24 0BL Tel: 01483 485180 E: guildford.enquiries@beardconstruction.co.uk Website: www.beardconstruction.co.uk Twitter: @Beard_Construct

The St Mary’s scheme will create an extra three new classrooms over two storeys, a new library, a group room, two offices and an extension to the current school hall.

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35

training and development

BRIGHTON MBA DEVELOPING INDEPENDENT THINKERS

TRANSFORM YOUR THINKING

At Brighton we cultivate entrepreneurial thinkers.

Designed for professionals who want to change their career or to pursue their own business ideas, our MBA gives you the tools to turn business challenges into opportunities.

• Internationally recognised MBA programmes in fulltime, part-time, block and apprenticeship formats • Accredited by the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Directors • A career focused environment committed to supporting students and alumni

october/november 2018 business edge

REALISE YOUR POTENTIAL

Our optional modules and flexible study routes allow you to tailor your qualification to your ambitions. Workbased projects will enable you to practically apply your new skills to the benefit of your career.

DUAL QUALIFICATIONS

The Brighton MBA is accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Institute of Directors.

You will graduate with an MBA as well as the CMI’s Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership.

FIND OUT MORE

To find out more visit www.brighton.ac.uk/fcbusiness. If you have any questions about our MBA programme or other postgraduate courses, the course team will be happy to help. Email them at business@brighton.ac.uk.

36

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tel: 01444 259 259

training and development

october/november 2018 business edge

IS YOUR BUSINESS MISSING SOMETHING?

NEED HELP NAVIGATING THE NEW APPRENTICESHIP LEVY? Contact our dedicated levy hotline to find out how we can help.

Contact us on 01243 812948

LET US HELP YOU FIND YOUR PERFECT FIT WITH A CHICHESTER COLLEGE APPRENTICE

Apprenticeships are a great way for you to develop your business and invest in its future – and they are available for new team members or for upskilling your existing staff!

From micro businesses to multi-nationals, apprentices can fill your skills gaps, bring new ideas and innovations, motivate your teams and help your business fulfil its potential.

CONTACT US business@chichester.ac.uk 01243 812948 chichester.ac.uk/apprenticeships MRN: CC1436_07.18

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Funded Training for YOUR business The Skills Support for the Workforce programme provides fully funded workforce development to upskill your existing staff through workplace training.

We can support your business in reviewing your workforce development plans, identifying staff skills gaps and delivering training to boost your bottom line.

This fully funded programme offers your business: Training Needs Analysis Opportunities for your staff to achieve qualifications

We can offer fully funded City and Guilds qualifications including: Hospitality Supervision and Leadership Principles of Social Media within a Business

Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Lewes and the Gatwick Diamond.

We can even deliver training at your own premises. For further information please contact 01273 281981 or e-mail workforceskills@wrecltd.co.uk

Emergency First Aid at Work Digital Marketing and Sales ILM Leadership and Management Maths and English for Business To be eligible your business must be a SME (2 – 250 staff) and based in West

The programme is funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency through the European Social Fund

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37

advertorial

october/november 2018 business edge

Placements as a means for alternative recruitment – link up with talented Sussex students Your business could benefit from taking on a University of Sussex Business School placement student in 2018/19.

Why recruit a placement student?

Placements are a great way to complement your recruitment activity, supporting gradual growth and bringing fresh thinking into your business.

A placement year benefits both students and employers, providing a chance for students to gain real world experience whilst helping you achieve your business goals and try out staff in new roles.

Recruitment of placement students has become increasingly competitive, as it gives employers the chance to really try out a person in a new role before committing to creating a permanent position.

What makes for a good placement role?

Students are keen to find roles in marketing, PR, finance, accounting, consultancy and HR to begin in summer 2019 for a minimum of 40 weeks.

benefits if you have a new role you’re thinking of introducing or if you have a specific project that the student can be responsible for.

Our placement students bring learning from two years of study and hands on project work. We brief students fully before they begin their placement and our Placement Tutors are on hand to provide support to students and employers throughout the year.

Contact us to find out more business-placements@sussex.ac.uk www.sussex.ac.uk/business-school/business-connections

Work should be of graduate level and will often bring the best

MODERN PRACTICE. TRADITIONAL VALUES. Staying ahead of change and offering a professional and jargon-free service.

Wills & Trusts

Company Sale & Purchases

Residential Property

Powers of Attorney

Commercial Contracts

Property Disputes

Probate & Estate Administration

Commercial Property

Clinical Negligence & Personal Injury

Inheritance Tax Planning

Leasehold Enfranchisement

Families: Property, Children & Divorce

Contesting Wills & Trusts

& Lease Extensions

Charities

47 Old Steyne, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1NW T: 01273 324041 Croft House, High Street, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9DJ T: 01273 492045 32 Keymer Road, Hassocks, West Sussex BN6 8AL T: 01273 843405

www.griffithsmith.co.uk Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority

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october/november 2018 business edge edge october/november 2018 business

manufacturingbusiness and engineering matters

Challenges and opportunities of ERP systems Rob Little Director Hillingar & MyTeamSafe

Your Business System = Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The typical definition is software that integrates various functions that are essential to running a business into one complete system that streamlines processes and information across the entire organisation. Depending on your business this can include Sales & Purchasing management, Planning, Stock Control, Finance, even Marketing, HR and customer relationship management (CRM). One System – One set of Numbers/Information.

ERP systems aren’t better than experts, experience and knowledge. For small businesses where everything is in people’s heads and all decisions are informed … the cost and formality of an ERP system is daunting. BUT we frequently see, as a business grows, the exponential pain as you need more & more “experts” and everyone can’t know everything that’s going on all of the time. So there are more and more spreadsheets, mistakes, stress and pain.

“Informed” silos slowly build as each area only has time and the information for what they need to do, not synchronised understanding across the business.

This is when the structure and formality of an ERP system really comes into its own. They aren’t agile or creative, they store and process information. They do what they are told, they never forget or go on holiday and they are there available 24/7 (well almost). The bottom line is do you need your whole business to be more informed and do things more effectively … together? This is when you should get a ROI on an improved or even new system If you have a formal ERP system or not HILLINGAR constantly see the same “growing” pains… where business needs slowly diverge with the business processes, so People are fighting against

the system, which leads to people not believing the system, so they do their own thing, which makes the system even worse for everyone. This is where getting to the route cause is necessary to bring the people, system and processes in sync again. Just replacing a system for something else won’t solve the problem.

So just a few tips from working with numerous businesses over the last 10 years; n Your business system is your “base” to support & inform. It doesn’t “fix” your procedural problems. It can’t guess what you actually meant, it can only process what you tell it. n Don’t believe the Hype - Software suppliers don’t talk the same language as Organisations. Their job is to get you to buy their solution but it’s the detail that kills a project, not the core functionality or pretty charts. Ensure you always have a good “translation” of what you need and what they provide. n “Set in concrete” & Customisation approach is always tough. It can be brilliant, but you need to know exactly what you need, and define in “their”

language. It will only do what you scope not what you might need in the future. n Really Understand, define and Challenge business processes / workflows. Define what you have now and what you envisage in the future.

Is it actually what you need, best practice or just you’ve always done it that way. n If you start a project – it needs to be structured, realistic, have buy-in and commitment at ALL levels. Create a team that’s given the time, recourses and opportunity to succeed. n Change is always tough. Some bits will go well but sometimes you need to be creative. Success is getting the balance between the live Business, Change & Project Management. “Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential” Winston Churchill.

For 10 years HILLINGAR have been supporting businesses, not with empty reports, but their refreshing on-theground action and real solutions to help businesses get the most out of their People, Systems, Processes and Stock.

For 10 years HILLINGAR have been supporting businesses, not with empty reports, but their refreshing on-the-ground action and real solutions to help businesses get the most out of their People, Systems, Processes and Stock.

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finance focus

october/november 2018 business edge edge october/november august/september 2018 business

Capital Allowances for Commercial Property Owners Denny Carr Director Honey Barrett Chartered Accountants

If you own commercial property there is a good chance you might be unaware that you could be eligible for tax relief on your building, by way of Capital Allowances.

This tax incentive is designed to stimulate investment in such types of property. Of these, by far the most important category is plant and machinery, allowing you to deduct some or all of the value of the capital items from your profits before you pay tax.

Whether you already own a commercial property or are in the process of purchasing one, Capital Allowances can be claimed in the current year of purchase or retrospectively with no time limit.

There are a number of existing embedded items within every building which attract Capital Allowances, but they can be difficult to quantify, as they lie behind walls or under the floor boards. Wiring, pipe work, lighting, heating, sanitation, fire and security systems are just a few but the list is endless.

These items of plant and machinery can account for quite a large percentage of the purchase price of the property.

In order to find these items you will require a specialist Capital Allowances surveyor to visit your property and ascertain the embedded items on which tax relief can be claimed.

If you own commercial property you should act as soon as possible to identify if you can benefit from any of these tax reliefs, which can reduce tax liabilities and assist with cash flow.

For further advice call 01892 784321 or visit www.honeybarrett.co.uk

There are a number of existing embedded items within every building which attract Capital Allowances, but they can be difficult to quantify, as they lie behind walls or under the floor boards. Wiring, pipe work, lighting, heating, sanitation, fire and security systems are just a few but the list is endless.

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Want to receive tax relief on your Commercial Property?

If you own commercial property Honey Barrett can help you discover if you are eligible for tax relief by way of Capital Allowances.

Our services include: Accountancy and Audit BACS Payroll Bureau You may not be aware that tax incentives Bookkeeping have been created to help with investment Business Planning in commercial property, but with advice Cloud Accounting from a specialist surveyor you may be able Company Secretarial to take advantage of these benefits.

Management Accounts Medical Specialists For further advice call Denny Carr on Personal Tax 01892 784321 or any of our other offices PRISM - KPI Reports local to you: R&D Tax Relief Tax Planning Bexhill – 01424 730345 Trusts and Estates Eastbourne – 01323 412277 10 Steps to Success System Wadhurst – 01892 784321

www.honeybarrett.co.uk

Helping you get from where you are now to where you want to be...

Registered to carry out audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institure of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales

tel: 01444 259 259

finance advertorial focus

october/november august/september february/march 2018 2018business business edge edge edge october/november 2018 business

How to Make Your Business Plan Stand Out Caroline Milton Partner Menzies LLP

Whether you’re just starting out or an established business owner, having a clear and concise business plan is essential to help you define your direction, achieve your goals and galvanise internal and external support for your business. But with around 30 per cent of small business likely to experience difficulties or failure in their first 12 months, what makes a business plan stand out and succeed?

Here are three of my key tips for making your business plan stand out:

MAKE IT STAND OUT To grab the interest of lenders and strategic partners, a business plan must stand out from the crowd. This increasingly means ensuring it makes a strong visual impact, which includes the use of interactive graphics allowing prospective stakeholders to zoom in and out of the detail.

Some of the best examples of business plans make clever use of branding to

communicate what the business is about and demonstrate its uniqueness.

BACK IT UP As well as making a strong visual impact, business plans must contain robust research and well-evidenced financials. Lenders and investors will expect to see this level of detail and plans that leave them wanting more will probably be an opportunity missed. There is nothing more off-putting to a potential investor than a lack of hard data to back up business or market forecasts.

enthusiastic about their big idea, they should avoid over embellishment and stick to clear, well-evidenced statements backed up by solid and impactful facts and figures.

By defining your objectives and mapping out strategies, you’ll be able to plan ahead, stand out against the competition and manage the inevitable bumps on your business journey.

To find out more about writing a impactful business plan, please contact Menzies Partner, Caroline Milton at cmilton@ menzies.co.uk or call +44 (0)1372 366173

DON’T LET ENTHUSIASM GET THE BETTER OF YOU Business plans must be concise. While it’s natural for business owners to be

Are you a Small or Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) developing an innovative new product or service?

Are you looking for funding for academic expertise, specialist equipment purchases or consultancy to help commercialise your innovation?

KEEP+ is a £9.3m European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) supported programme, offering 50% match funded grants to help develop and commercialise your innovation. The programme is a partnership of six universities across the South East.

Contact your local KEEP+ partner on 01273 642426 or email knowledgeexchange@brighton.ac.uk

KEEPPLUS.CO.UK

KEEPPLUS

@KEEPPLUS

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41

your guide to R&D tax credits

october/november 2018 business edge

Timing can be essential when making a claim for R&D Tax Relief

It’s not only because there is a very strict 2-year time limit on making a claim.

HMRC have a stated aim of trying to process claims under the SME scheme in 4-6 weeks, sometimes it can be a little quicker, but that’s the normal time frame. These limits normally extend to 6-8 weeks between December and May due to the high volume of claims submitted around this time.

Principally the reason is that the majority of companies either have a December year end (for the end of the calendar year) or a March year end (for the end of the tax year).

HMRC have a stated aim of trying to process claims under the SME scheme in 4-6 weeks, sometimes it can be a little quicker, but that’s the normal time frame.

These limits normally extend to 6-8 weeks between December and May due to the high volume of claims submitted around this time.

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However, this year those time limits have extended up to and probably beyond 3 months as the teams responsible for reviewing the claims have been unable to cope with the increasing number of claimants. They have also taken the additional step of contacting specialist consultants, like Cooden Tax Consulting, and asking them not to chase claims after 6 weeks as it will only continue to slow the entire process down.

(yes you can do that if your performing R&D).

So whilst the increasing number of claims is good for those businesses across Sussex, it will have no doubt led to a few concerning moments about cashflow when the refund didn’t arrive at the time it was expected!

Taking things to the extreme

Relief is at hand and it’s really quite simple If your company has a December year end and you made a profit in December 2017, you’ve got a tax bill to pay in a month, why not see if we can help you reduce it with a claim for R&D Tax Relief.

It’s not just for December year ends, it rolls around the calendar year, If we can work with you before your accounts are completed and your tax bill is paid 9 months and a day after your year end, we can reduce your tax bill accordingly and you won’t have to pay more to HMRC and then wait for them to repay you, the cash stays in your bank account. Obviously this only works if you are a profitable company, but there are still things you can do if you are loss making and will be due an R&D Tax Credit for surrendering your losses for cash

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

For instance, we are already working with a client who have just finished their July 2018 accounting period, they had spent a lot of money on R&D and wanted to get cash back into the business as quickly as possible, so we completed their claim by the end of August together so it could be filed early!

A slightly more extreme way of handling things for a company that is on top of its finances and making a loss for tax might be to shorten or extend their year-end to finish immediately after an intensive period of R&D. There are two benefits to this: n the R&D project is fresh in everyone’s mind and this will help significantly in the preparation of the technical report; and n it will allow you to bring forward the claim for R&D Tax Credits You can only extend your accounting period once in every 5 but you can shorten it as often as you like, you will however have to balance the cashflow benefits with the increased cost of preparing more than one annual set of accounts and tax returns.

If you’re not a client, why not contact our expert Simon Bulteel and find out how we can help you boost your cashflow from your innovation efforts and see if we can do it in a way that means you don’t have to wait too long. Get in touch now on 01424 225345 to start your claim before you pay the tax man!

tel: 01444 259 259

advertorial

february/march 2018 business edge edge october/november 2018 business

www.parkerpartnership.co.uk | reception@parkerpartnership.co.uk

www.parkerpartnership.co.uk | reception@parkerpartnership.co.uk

www.parkerpartnership.co.uk | reception@parkerpartnership.co.uk

Accountants, tax and business

Accountants, and business adviserstax to owner-managed Accountants, tax andthroughout businessSussex advisersbusinesses to owner-managed businesses throughout Sussex advisers to owner-managed

businesses throughout Sussex We provide a wide range of business advisory services which go accounting compliance matters.

Webeyond are trained tax not toand only in compliance matters, but a wide range of areas. =PZP[ WHYRLYWHY[ULYZOPW JV \R [V SLHYU TVYL VM [OL ZLY]PJLZ ^L WYV]PKL Visit www.parkerpartnership.co.uk to find out more about us and HUK [V ZLL ZVTL VM [OL MLLKIHJR ^L OH]L YLJLP]LK MYVT JSPLU[Z the services we provide or follow our popular twitter account @Parkers_Hove.

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EMW’s Legal Insights: Digital Startups - Inception through Growth

For a freeon initial consultation us on startup’.

So, you’re embarking a journey as acall ‘digital Perhaps you’re going it alone or working with other people. Maybe this is a new venture for your existing business.

Whatever the circumstances, there’s a lot to consider. This is the first in a three-part series on Digital Startups – Inception through Growth providing insights and guidance into key areas to help safeguard your business and put you in the best position to grow. licensed as SaaS, or developed a new website or app to enhance UX for a product or service you’re already selling. Your ‘brand’ will be an asset. So, you’ll probably give your offering a catchy name and striking logo to distinguish it from others in the market. Obviously, you wouldn’t copy a competitor, right?

Tariq Sayfoo, Senior Solicitor

Being a digital startup, naturally you will have developed a digital offering. Maybe you’ve created industry-specific software to be

Don’t fall at the first hurdle by not doing your due diligence – brand names and logos can be registered as trade marks. You should check the Intellectual Property Office’s register for any identical or similar marks that are already registered. Otherwise, you might infringe someone’s trade mark rights. It’s worth pointing out, because this is frequently overlooked, that a competitor need not have registered its brand name and logo to stop you from using them.

Guard against this risk by conducting robust internet searches for your proposed brand name and logo, to try and identify any potential threats early on. Once settled on your name and

logo, consider trade mark registration to ward off others from profiting from your hard work.

Exercise caution when collaborating with or using other people to help create your digital offering (e.g. developers). The risk is that integral elements of your offering are either jointly owned or not owned by you at all! Under copyright law, if a work is jointly owned then you need all the joint owners to consent before you can use it. If the work isn’t owned by you and you use it without permission, then you run the risk of copyright infringement. Beware: just because you paid someone for their work, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll own it. These risks can be avoided by clearly documenting the position at the outset.

We can help protect your digital offering and brand. For more information, please call 0345 070 6000 or visit our website at www.emwllp.com

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43

hospitality & events

october/november 2018 business edge

When being hospitable pays off 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

Teambuilding 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.

A multi-purpose venue in the heart of Portslade Eight different spaces Rooms available f rom 10 to 900 capacity Free parking onsite Modern, industry standard A/V facilities Great public transport links 10 minute drive f rom the centre of Brighton Catering facilities available Free WIFI If you would like anymore information please visit our website: www.citycoastcentre.co.uk Or get in touch: 01273 433 433 hello@citycoastcentre.co.uk

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tel: 01444 259 259

hospitality advertorial & events

february/march 2018 business edge edge october/november 2018 business

H AV E YO U R S E L F A M E R R Y

Christmas Party WITH MISTLE TOE, MUSIC & MINGLING

Selected Dates 30 November – 19 December with Tribute Acts, DJ’s + Dancing Book before August 31 and pay only £45pp* *from September 1, tickets from £49.50pp

For further information Call: 01243 543335 Email: dtilbury@fontwellpark.co.uk d dgear@fontwellpark.co.uk

FontwellParkRacecourse

FontwellPark

FontwellPark

#FontwellRaces

The ideal venue for conferences, corporate events and away days in the heart of beautiful Sussex

For details call 01444 894024 or email wakehurstbooking@chandcogroup.com

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45

events business events matters

august/september 2018 business edge edge october/november 2018 business october/november 2018 business edge edge october/november august/september 2018 business

Events Events & &Training TrainingDiary Diary A A lot lot of of business business people people simply simply want want to to meet meet new clients directly and a cost-effective new clients directly and a cost-effective way way of of generating generating new new business business is is networking. networking. Networking Networking is is a a great great way way of of building building your your connections connections quickly quickly at at a very low-cost. a very low-cost.

Our will bring bring you you face face to to face face with with Our networking networking events events will some some of of the the brightest brightest business business minds minds this this county county has has to will give give you you the the chance chance to to grow grow your your to offer. offer. They They will contacts through our 100+ annual events and get contacts through our 100+ annual events and get you you shaking shaking hands hands with with the the right right people. people.

Training isn’t isn’t just just important important to to your your company, company, it’s it’s Training vital.

Training across your workforce can improve vital. Training across your workforce can improve competitiveness, morale, morale, profitability, profitability, market market share, share, competitiveness, customer satisfaction satisfaction and and company company reputation. reputation. In In customer these uncertain times training increases your ability these uncertain times training increases your ability to respond respond effectively effectively to to change. change. to We are are proud proud to to announce announce the the expansion expansion of of our our We training programme, please see the next page for a a training programme, please see the next page for selection of current and new courses which are now selection of current and new courses which are now available for for bookings. bookings. available

Please a selection selection of of events events which which are are now now Please see see below below a available for bookings. available for bookings.

Networking Breakfasts 9th Oct Responsible Business Events

Random Hall, Slinfold

08.00 - 10:30

20th Nov

Sussex County Cricket Ground, Hove

08.00 - 10.30

Artifical Intelligence

Networking Lunches 18th Oct

Updates from the British Chamber of Commerce

Sandman Signature London Gatwick Hotel, Gatwick

12.00 - 14.30

6th Nov

Overview and Outlook for the UK Economy

Hydro Gotel, Eastbourne

12.00 - 14.30

11th Dec

Festive Networking

Buxted Park Hotel, Uckfield

12.00 - 14.30

General Networking 3rd Oct

Business Leaders Conference - Mental Toughness

Crowne Plaza, Felbridge, East Grinstead

12.00 - 18.00

9th Nov

Better Business for All Regulations

Field Place Manor, Worthing

08.00 - 12.30

28th Nov

Networking in Style - MEMBERS ONLY

Goodwood Hotel, Chichester

14.30 - 16.30

Non-Members Only 3rd Oct

Connect with Sussex Chamber

Horsham Library, Horsham

08.00 - 10:30

23rd Oct

Connect with Sussex Chamber

The Sportsman, Brighton

09.00 - 11.00

9th Nov

Connect with Sussex Chamber

Sussex Chamber of Commerce, Burgess Hill

08.00 - 10.30

27th Nov

Connect with Sussex Chamber

Grant Thornton UK LLP, Crawley

09.00 - 11.00

27th Nov

Connect with Sussex Chamber

Rathbone Investment Management, Chichester

09.00 - 11.00

4th Dec

Connect with Sussex Chamber

Jubilee Community Centre, East Grinstead

09.00 - 11.00

5th Dec

Connect with Sussex Chamber

Freedom Works, Hove

09.00 - 11.00

11th Dec

Connect with Sussex Chamber

Sussex Chamber of Commerce, Burgess Hill

09.00 - 11.00

Forums - Cyber Security 16th Oct

Clicking, Phishing and Fooling

The White Swan, Arundel

08.00 - 10:30

24th Jan

Encryption and Protection

The Jury’s Inn Waterfront, Brighton

08.00 - 10.30

2nd April

GDPR a year on

Holiday Inn, Gatwick

08.00 - 10.30

East Sussex National Resort, Uckfield

18.00 - 23.55

Premier Event 6th Dec

46 46

Exclusive Premier Member Gala Dinner

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259 tel: 01444 259 259

training business matters

october/november august/september 2018 2018 business business edge edgeedge october/november 2018 business business edge october/november 2018 business edge august/september 2018

Business Courses

Tailored Group Training

Sussex Chamber of Commerce will unleash your business potential by developing employers’ staff to perform effectively, efficiently and with pride to deliver excellent customer service.

Sussex Chamber Chamberof ofCommerce Commercecan can provide on-site Sussex provide on-site bespoke training courses this is a fantastic way bespoke training courses this is a fantastic way of of designing of our training courses toyour suit designing oneone of our training courses to suit your business is a cost-effective way business needs.needs.

This is This a cost-effective way of training ofgroup training a group of youratemployees at the a of your employees the same time, onsame a date time,suits on ayou date that suits you and thechoice. premises that and at the premises ofat your of your choice.

A variety of short courses are available to all throughout the year. Typically, 1/2 day, one day and 2 days in duration, sessions are interactive and lively to ensure real benefits that contribute to the success of you and your business.

Scheduled Scheduled Training Training Courses Courses All scheduled courses are held at the King’s Church, 33-35 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9LR All scheduled courses are held at the King’s Church, 33-35 Victoria Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9LR

Computer Skills

Management & Leadership Skills

20th Nov

1st Oct & 2nd Oct

Essentials of Supervision & Team Leadership - 2 Day Course

1st Nov

Stepping Up to Senior Management

13th Nov

Introduction to Supervision and Team Leadership

27th Nov

Time Management and Personal Effectiveness

Media Training

Business Skills 11th Oct

Writing to Win Business - Session One of Two

16th Oct

From Concept to Delivery - Setting up a New Business

17th Oct

Are You Being Heard? PR Training

23rd Oct

Ten Steps to Successful Business Growth

24th Oct

Developing a Saleable Business - Even if you don’t want to sell!

25th Oct

Protecting Your Intellectual Property - Session Two of Two

29th Oct

Effective Negotiation Skills

2nd Nov

Train the Trainer

8th Nov

Writing to Win Business - Session Two of Two

15th Nov

Networking for Business Growth

Sales & Customer Service 4th Oct

Great Customer Service

4th Dec

Selling Skills for Results

Human Resources & Development 11th Oct

Introduction to Emotional Intelligence

International Trade 1st Oct

An Introduction to Export Procedures

8th Oct

A Foundation Course in Importing

5th Nov

Using Documentary Letters of Credit, Drafts & Bills

16th Nov

Classification of Goods Using Commodity & Tarriff Codes

26th Nov

Exporting - Understanding the Paperwork

29th Nov

Inward Procesing Relief (IPR)

29th Nov

Revised Incoterms Rules 2010 for Import Export

Personal Development 5th Oct

Building Resilience for Wellbeing and Performance

9th Oct

Coaching for Performance

6th Nov

Presentation Skills

For more more information information or or to to see see our our 2018 2018 Calender Calander visit For visit our our website website www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk to book please call us on 01444 259 259 259. www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk to book please call us on 01444 259.

AS A A CHAMBER CHAMBER MEMBER MEMBER YOU’RE YOU’RE WELL WELL CONNECTED CONNECTED AS

47

business matters manufacturing and engineering

october/november 2018 business edge edge october/november august/september 2018 business

Industry 4.0 - how to awaken your inner rebel

Chris O’Hare Managing Director, Hare Digital

Revolution… What comes to mind? Rebels with flags in the centre of a cosmopolitan city fighting their dictatorial leadership?

But the undercurrent of the manufacturing industry is going through a relative quiet revolution in comparison.

Say Industry 4.0 to most manufacturers and they have a vision of fully automated robotics, no humans in sight and data streaming from every corner of the factory into a cloud based artificial intelligence.

Well yes, you can actually do that today, see Ocado for example. It’s awe inspiring to witness and must give their owners that tingling sense of satisfaction of what they have achieved. But most manufacturers will unashamedly find that overwhelming. For the majority, industry 4.0 is living their own small piece of revolution through gradual iteration and innovation.

The industry 4.0 initiative was formalised in Germany in 2013 after receiving financial support from the government to encourage advancements in high-tech manufacturing, which in turn has enabled them to automate their factories and consistently reduce errors far earlier than their competitors. You can see this by the sheer domination of the luxury car market.

You would think the original industrialists like Isambard Kingdom Brunel would be up in arms that Great Britain relinquished their industrial crown. But all is not lost.

Locate East Sussex business coach and former successful manufacturing director,

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Jim Fletcher, highlighted that while mass production maybe moving further afield, the British have been particularly great at technical and innovative applications of manufacturing, or in other words ‘Advanced Manufacturing’, which is on the rise. What will allow us to truly shine is Industry 4.0. A recent government report states industry 4.0 could benefit the nation’s manufacturing sector by £445 billion and create 175,000 jobs. This movement and the shift in the global market from globalised to hyper-local manufacturing, favouring the agile, dynamic and highly customisable manufacturing companies, will allow the UK to be a manufacturing powerhouse once again.

What is Industry 4.0? You’ll hear buzzwords such as, Cybersecurity, Cloud, Big Data, Ai, IoT, AR/VR, Additive Manufacturing, Autonomous Robotics. But when you look at what Industry 4.0 really is, you’ll see it’s the culmination of existing technology becoming digitized, which in turn is enabling a higher level of inter-connectivity to provide a dynamic smart-factory that adapts upon changing requirements and environment stimuli. Data of the process is analysed in real-time to further improve upon the process autonomously. What technologies are involved are not what we are trying to achieve here and it may sound expensive but it doesn’t have to be cost prohibitive.

How can you awaken your inner industrial rebel? Here is a quick run-down of what you can do today. n Start to identify your weaknesses and inefficiencies, most manufacturers will recognise these by nagging problems they can’t seem to deal with. Then think “how can I improve that process?” The Japanese Kaizen ‘5 whys’ analysis is a good example of how you can do this.

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

n Can any of these be solved with digital technologies? Turn that identification into an actionable digital strategy and roadmap. Simple is always better, lots of simpler iterative improvements is far better than sweeping changes that are not guaranteed to improve anything. n Once you know where you want to go, you’ll need to measure those improvements. Getting all the data out of your ‘data silos’ (disparate systems) using API’s to pull real-time information into a cloud-based data warehouse, enables you to analyse the data across your company and somewhere to benchmark.

This Big Data stage that aggregates data from sales, marketing, purchasing, production etc. is a fundamental step to digital transformation. n To further enhance analysis, start by integrating IoT (internet of things) sensors for temperatures, vibrations, movement, anything that will severely affect your output and help you understand operational inefficiencies.

You can even apply Artificial Intelligence to start tracking patterns within the data and predict the next breakdown.

Now with this data to hand, you can start to plan effectively on how you can spend money on new machinery and technology to get the most bang for your buck whilst knowing the revolution inside you is still burning.

HARE.digital is a Digital Transformation & Software Development company, we are a Coast to Capital certified Growth Champion who can provide a full funded day of consultancy along with a bespoke digital strategy and roadmap for free. Get in touch for further information

tel: 01444 259 259

manufacturingbusiness and engineering matters

october/november august/september 2018 2018 business business edge edge edge october/november 2018 business

The March of Robots and processing hubs. We are talking the forward capacity, forecast bottlenecks Internet of Things where internet connected and problem identification. All of this is sensors are installed in just about everything fed ‘live’ to a data monitoring system. We through the production process, your understand that unless we adjust to this supply chain and your customer. By forming digital transformation we will become Cyber-Physical Systems manufacturing relatively inefficient and will be disrupted. and resource management capacities are We need to continue that investment not optimised and feedback and data, including only in hardware but in staff skills. In a Eyebrows were raised when in 2016 customer responses, are monitored and recent survey conducted by Deloite Touche Taiwanese Manufacturer Foxconn, who optimised. Take a look at a You Tube clip only 25% of 1600 surveyed said they have build the iPhone, confirmed that they were of a Siemens Smart Factory. There is not the right workforce composition and skills replacing 60,000 workers with robots. The an operative in site with all the machines sets needed for the future. If we are to International Federation of Robotics (IFR) ‘talking’ to each other through the internet, believe what we are being told by the tech has forecasthas thatgone there through will be an additional self learning and adjusting to what is gurus within the next 15 years or so we Industry three previous technological transformations, each with 1.4 million robots installed in factories happening in the factory. It is estimated that are heading to a new era of “singularity”. aaround profound effect on its and productivity.

Steam power was the transforthe world by 2019, andpractices according to there will be 1 trillion internet connected Singularity is defined as ‘The hypothesis PWC 10 million are at high century risk sensors in operationof by much 2022 allowing that the invention of artificial intelligence mative force UK of workers the nineteenth and electricity of the twentieth, of being replaced by robots within 15 years. us, and particularly artificial intelligent will abruptly trigger runaway technological before large-scale computerisation began the third significant shift in the 1970s.

The fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry growth resulting in unfathomable changes machines, to automate complex decisions 4.0) is changing the face of manufacturing to human civilisation’. In manufacturing using big data. It is estimated that 41 trillion as physical, digital and biological areas are we know that we need to adapt or risk dollars will be spent worldwide in the next The term “Industry 4.0” may have originated in IOT Germany, but the phenomenon transformed by technology breakthroughs being disrupted. So ask yourself, do you 20 years on infrastructure upgrades. such as Internet of Things, Cloud haveas a digital transformation strategy to and itsthe impact will be worldwide.

Manufacturing practices will be transformed, But is the UK ready for Industry 4.0. A Computing, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, ensure you stay competitive or will you be information technology,3D mobile and have already recent report by thee-commerce Boston Consulting Blockchain, Nanotechnology, Printingcommunications disrupted!?

Group claimed that the UK is 20%industry behind and Quantum The of IFRdigital estimates been, by theComputing. application technologies.

It will transform as proDavid Shore is CEO of Contract China and 12% behind Europe in our automation will improve productivity by foundly and irreversibly as each of its preparation three predecessors, muchdigital more quickly Manufacturer Time 24 and for this worldand changing 30% in the next 10 years. transformation. At Time 24 we have invested than any of them.

Chairman of Sussex Chamber The Shop Floor has been computerised heavily in Manufacturing Data Capture Manufacturing Forum for many years but the serious revolution Systems enabling us to tell instantly what here isBoston the joining of it all together by has identified jobs are eight being worked The Consulting Group driverson,oftheir thisstatus, technological a series of sensors, computer modules time spent on the job, available capacity,

David Shore

CEO of Contract Manufacturer Time 24

What is Industry 4.0?

change, illustrated in the graphic below:

Exhibit 2 | Eight technology drivers impact upon future production

Advanced Robots

Additive Manufacturing, e.g. 3D printing

• Autonomous, cooperating industrial robots • Numerous integrated sensors • Standardised interfaces

• 3D printing particularly for spare parts and prototypes • Decentralised 3D facilities to reduce transport distances and inventory

Augmented Reality

Industrial Internet • Network of machines and products • Multidirectional communication between networked objects

Simulation • Simulation and optimisation of value networks based on real-time data from intelligent systems

Cloud and Cyber-security • Manage huge data volume in open systems • High level of networking between intelligent machines, products and systems leads to especially high security requirement

Industry 4.0

• Augmenting reality for maintenance, logistics and all kinds of SOP • Supporting information displayed, e.g. in glasses

Horizontal/Vertical Integration • Cross-company data integration based on data transfer standards • Pre-condition for fully automated value chain (supplier to customer, from mgmt. to shop floor)

Big Data and Analytics • Comprehensive evaluation of available data (e.g. from ERP, SCM, MES, CRM, and machine data) • Real-time decision-making support and optimisation

Source:Boston BCG Source: Consulting Group

These changes will have the potential to create Factories of the Future which will move towards fully and automated production flows. WELL Systems will be ASintegrated A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE CONNECTED able to interact with each other, to analyse data to predict failures and to create

49

business matters

october/november 2018 business edge edge october/november august/september 2018 business

Crawley Town FC and The People’s Pension kick off ‘Shirts4Schools’ Initiative As part of a new initiative, Crawley Town FC and its main sponsor The People’s Pension are giving away new home shirts to 1000 children from schools across Crawley.

The club, its players and Reggie the Red have been delivering shirts to children under five at 29 primary schools across the town since July.

Previous Head coach, Harry Kewell, The People’s Pension Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Patrick Heath-Lay, and members of Crawley Town launched ‘Shirts for Schools’ on Wednesday 4th July at an assembly with excited reception class pupils at St Margaret’s School in Ifield, Crawley.

“As a company deeply rooted in the local community in Crawley, we’re proud to back this fantastic initiative, encouraging young fans to support their local team and bringing the town together.”

50

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Commenting on the new initiative, Crawley Town Operations Director Kelly Derham said: “This is an initiative we’ve been keen to roll out in the town for some time and I’m delighted that The People’s Pension share our vision to increase interest in the club among youngsters.

“Initially this is a one-year contract, but we hope that it’ll be a success and we can continue this on an annual basis.

“We are always looking at ideas to increase awareness of the club and our partners in Crawley. We know that traditionally a lot of football fans in the town follow the big London clubs so we’re concentrating on engaging young fans, boys and girls.”

The People’s Pension, CEO, Patrick HeathLay said: “As a company deeply rooted in the local community in Crawley, we’re proud to back this fantastic initiative, encouraging young fans to support their local team and bringing the town together.”

tel: 01444 259 259

business advertorial matters

august/september 2018 business edge edge october/november 2018 business

09:25 - We engage to build audiences that last a lifetime!

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51

new members

october/november 2018 business edge edge october/november august/september 2018 business

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.

52

Coast to Capital

Fandango Digital

Insight Security

Arun House, Hurst Road, Horsham West Sussex, RH12 2DN

145 St Pancras, Chichester West Sussex, PO19 7SH

Unit 1-2, Cliffe Industrial Estate, South Street Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 GJL

01403 333840 www.coast2capital.org.uk

01243 20044 www.fandangodigital.co.uk

01273 475500 www.insight-security.com

Cow Corner Group

HJB Solutions

John Witherden and Associates

Grouselands, Woodland Lane, Colgate, Horsham, West Sussex, RH13 6HU

International House, 12 Constance Street London, E16 2DQ

Firsland Studios, Henfield Road, Albourne West Sussex, BN6 9JJ

07930 695638 www.cow-corner.com

0330 042 4316 www.hjbsolutions.co.uk

01273 956120 www.sussexairportcars.co.uk

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

tel: 01444 259 259

new members

october/november august/september 2018 2018 business business edge edge edge october/november 2018 business

Keenlight Limited

RES Management

The Lodges at New House Farm

Oak Lodge, 3 Buchan Country Park, Horsham Road, Crawley, West Sussex, RH11 9HQ

15 Belmont Business Centre East Hoathly, East Sussex, BN8 6QL

New House Farm, Sheepstreet Lane Etchingham, East Sussex, TN19 7AY

01293 511699 www.keenlight.com

01825 840910 www.resmanagement.co.uk

07544 489698 www.thelodgesnhf.com

Open Door Digital

Sussex iTech

Todd Safety Consultants

Redgate Studio, 41 West Beeches Road Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 2AQ

43 Crowhurst Crescent, Storrington West Sussex, RH20 4QU

Oak Cottage, Friars Gate, Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 1XF

01892 800410 www.opendoor.digital

07777 890311 www.sussexitech.co.uk

07855 781635 www.toddsafetyconsultants.co.uk

Phoenix Medical Services

Testimoniate Ltd

VIVAT online

Unit 23 North Ridge Park, Haywood Way Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4PP

21 The Landmark, 70 Sackville Road Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, TN39 3FA

Nile House, Nile Street, Brighton East Sussex, BN1 1HW

0800 999 2447 www.phoenixmedicalservices.co.uk

07541 772078 www.datacompliancespecialists.co.uk

01273 325000 www.vivatonline.com

Quest Graphics

The Christmas Decorators

Whitehead-Ross Education & Consulting Ltd

33a High Street, Heathfield East Sussex, TN21 8HU

Suite 7 Rauter House, 1 Sybron Way Crowborough, East Sussex, TN6 3DZ

Lower Ground, 7 Marlborough Place, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1UB

01435 868911 www.questgraphics.co.uk

07504 854125 www.thechristmasdecorators.co.uk

01273 281981 www.wrecltd.co.uk

AS A CHAMBER MEMBER YOU’RE WELL CONNECTED

53

five minutes with

october/november 2018 business edge edge october/november august/september 2018 business

Roffey Park announces the appointment of a new Chief Executive Alison Ritchie and the Board of Trustees are delighted to announce that the Board have recruited a new Chief Executive for Roffey Park.

Robert Coles is Founder and Director of the Centre for Alternative Leadership and Management. He has had a distinguished career in Learning and Development; Executive Education; and Organisational Development (OD) Consulting. He has been a Learning and Development Practitioner, Organisational Coach, and Board Mentor.

Recent roles have been as Director of Research and Learning Solutions at Optima HRC and as European Executive Director for RSM International.

Ian Cadlock Consultant, Quantuma LLP

5 minutes with...

Quantuma is a fully accredited, innovative and discreet advisory firm which aids people and businesses at key milestones, delivering partner-led bespoke strategies for taking advantage of opportunities and surmounting operational or financial challenges.

What can you see from your office window?

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

Understanding, discretion and positivity

In 1964 I joined a London firm of Chartered Accountants as a junior on £4 per week intending to take articles.

I found it was one of the then very few insolvency specialists and I became hooked on the practical and technical challenges of helping businesses and people in financial distress.

What do you always carry with you to work?

My ears to listen, my eyes to look, my heart to sympathise, my brain to analyse, my voice to advise and, metaphorically, my hands to act.

What is the biggest challenge facing your business?

Trying to reduce and repair the negative effects of indecisiveness and unwillingness on the part of business owners to seek our help before problems mushroom.

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

In a word, complexity. I feel strongly that over-prescriptive rule-making discourages the talented and driven while being ineffectual in stopping the unscrupulous and incompetent.

54

Sunshine just occasionally but all the more welcome.

If you could do another job what would it be?

I’d love to be an astronaut, but putting a realistic hat on I’d enjoy Archaeology

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

What was your biggest mistake in business?

A fairly short experiment in joining a large corporate. I have always valued flexibility in thinking and found it hard to conform to policies with which I disagreed

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?

Where there’s a will there’s a way. Every business will meet difficulties from time to time but these are rarely terminal if spotted and acted upon early.

He has also recently completed a PhD, researching dialogic and Confucian mechanisms for encouraging emergent, collaborative leadership practice. This has led to post-doctoral Research and Development into the integration of Artificial Intelligence and collaborative behavioural mechanisms to enhance team dialogue.

“I am delighted that Robert Coles is joining Roffey Park as our new Chief Executive,” said Alison Ritchie, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Robert’s extensive expertise and track-record is hugely relevant to our organisation and its long-term strategy.

I’m very much looking forward to Robert leading the Institute in the next Chapter of its 70 year history.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead Roffey Park,” said Robert Coles. “I’m passionate about the role of leadership and management in making work a better, more humane place, and I’m excited to be able to help contribute to the valuable work of the Institute, as it seeks to lead the debate for change, creating a positive and lasting impact for all.”

Who do you admire most in business?

The list is endless. I especially admire the many astute accountants, solicitors and lenders with whom we regularly work, as well as my Quantuma colleagues, local partners Sean Bucknall and Maxine Reid with our high-quality team here and across the firm. Historically I’d choose Titus Salt and Nathan Mayer Rothschild or in the present day Sir James Dyson, Bill Gates and Elon Musk though each for very different reasons.

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tel: 01444 259 259

october/november 2018 business edge

Choose an MBA that recognises your ambitions and goals, and a university that supports, inspires and challenges you.

Choose the Sussex MBA.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SUSSEX MBA www.sussexmba.com mba@ sussex.ac.uk +44 (0)1273 873522

october/november 2018 business edge

jamestodd&co more than just accountants

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Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors in the South, South East and London

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Our clients…

Enjoy peace of mind. We guarantee to turn around your accounts in six weeks or less.

Treasure our traditional values in this technology-driven world.

We answer calls and emails the same day.

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Having James Todd & Co on board has transformed our business. Michelle and her team drilled down into our accounts to show us where our business was doing well – and which bits needed fine tuning to work better.

In the past three years, our turnover has doubled. That would never have been possible without the clear financial information James Todd & Co provided for me, in a way I could really understand and use.

James Todd & Co do things different to other accountants – in a good way. They take the time to listen to you and find out what you really need. They don’t just understand the numbers – they understand business.

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Lavant Office

Chichester Office

Lewes Office

1&2 The Barn, Oldwick West Stoke Road Chichester PO18 9AA T: 01243 776938

16 Northgate Chichester West Sussex PO19 1BJ T: 01243 776938

The Mews St Nicholas Lane Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2JZ T: 01273 470123