Bmb magazine nov14 8

means Entrepreneurs - Enterprise

Great British Entrepreneur Awards We chat with one of the judges and look back on previous events

INSIDE Breakthrough Moments with Santander | Freshest co-working spaces in London | Digital Marketing Show | Great British Entrepreneur Awards | Britain means Business | Craig Goldblatt talks charity and business | The Entrepreneur Revolution | The Rise of the Sharing Economy | Get an athlete to put your team on track |

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Contents

means Entrepreneurs - Enterprise growing. We look at the rise of the sharing economy, how to maximise the value of your business, how athletes can keep your team on track, how you can achieve your breakthrough moment and much more.

When the first issue of Britain means Business was released, I said that Great Britain really is a great nation for business.

And I stand by that. The recession is over. Now it’s time to grow!

Here at Britain means Business, we believe in two key ideas; ‘collaboration is the new competition’ and ‘resilience rules’. And the country has been doing just that in recent months.

Stagnant growth in the eurozone has caused concerns over economic growth, but you, the people reading this magazine, the business owners and entrepreneurs have been resilient. You’ve kept the economy going as one of the fastest growing in the developed world.

In this edition, we’ve got plenty of advice and information to keep you

We also take a look at three of this year’s mustsee events; the first ever Britain means Business, the Digital Marketing Show and The Great British Entrepreneur Awards. In September, The Great British Entrepreneur Awards hosted the Nominees’ VIP Evening at Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) headquarters in London. We’ve got some brilliant images from the event and last year’s awards.

Something I’m particularly excited about is the Fresh Business Thinking Power 100. In October, Fresh Business Thinking began revealing its list of movers, shakers and influencers who are driving entrepreneurship in the UK. We’ve got the first 60 names, but you’ll have to head to freshbusinessthinking.com to see the top 40!

Enjoy reading!

Britain means Business.

Do you?

Jonathan Davies Editor johnathan@freshcontentcreation.com

Managing Editor Francesca James, Editor Jonathan Davies, Features Editor, Marcus Leach, Marketing Manager Alex Shea, Marketing Executive Piers Thompson, Advertising Manager Jonathan Walker, Art Director Suzanne Ault, Design and Layout Design with Home www.designwithhome.co.uk A Freshly Made Content publication www.freshlymadecontent.com

2 The Rise of the Sharing Economy Matt Ayres takes a look at what the ‘sharing economy’ is and how you can use it to your advantage.

4 Get an athlete to put your team on track Steve Moore, Director of Athlete Career Transition explains the huge benefits an athlete can bring to your business.

6 Introducing...HIRO There is a new type of talent platform that connects people with sporting heroes.

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Maximising the value of your business Experienced and highly successful entrepreneur Lara Morgan gives her tips on how you can maximise the value of your business ahead of an exit.

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Breakthrough Moments Every business has one, whether it’s good or bad. We chat to the Managing Director of Santander’s SME business in the UK about what the bank is doing to help businesses achieve their very own breakthrough moment.

12 Perfectly Attired Marcus Leach talks to Lydia Foulkes about setting up on her own after seven years with one of the most respected high-end clothing specialists.

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Fresh Business Thinking Power 100 We reveal 100-41 of the Fresh Business Thinking Power 100 list. You’ll have to head to freshbusinessthinking.com for the top 40!

20 Digital Marketing Show Now in its second year, we look at what the Digital Marketing Show can do for you and your business. There are also some handy tips for 2015 from some of this year’s expert speakers.

24 Britain means Business Collaboration is the new competition. Resilience rules.

28 From South Africa with Love Daniel Hunter talks to Craig Goldblatt about his charity, Giving Africa and the crossovers with his business world.

30 10 Freshest Co-Working Spaces in London Adam Jon Stacey delves into the world of co-working spaces in London. He’s got the top 10 lined up for you.

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Great British Entrepreneur Awards We chat with Nadhim Zahawi, MP for Stratford-uponAvon, about how he became a judge for the Great British Entrepreneur Awards and why he loves it so much.

38 Flexibility to Invest and Grow Just Cash Flow explain how financial support can help your business grow.

40 The Entrepreneur Revolution Smith & Williamson bring you the biggest talking points from their white paper ‘Unleashing British Business’.

42 What are you doing for Supper? Claire West chats to the Managing Director of The Supper Club, the membership club exclusively for experienced and inspiring founders and CEOs. 44

013 was the year of the start-up. What 2 next? Ade Potts from Experian Business Express looks at what comes next after the BIG idea.

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The rise of the sharing economy Sharing feels good.

Psychologically, we humans enjoy systems of trust and cooperation in our communities – they appeal to our social instincts and contribute to our personal well-being.

Rikke Rosenlund Co-Founder, BorrowMyDoggy

by Matt Ayres

In the world of business, a new economy is growing around the powerful concept of sharing. It’s making waves, mainly thanks to forward thinking startups who strive to make the most of the world’s most powerful sharing platform: the internet.

So what is the sharing economy? A brief definition is that it’s a socio-economic ecosystem built around the sharing of human and physical resources. A few examples of building blocks that have come to shape the modern sharing economy are collective purchasing, crowd funding, social media, upcycling, trading used goods, open source and user generated content.

The difference between the sharing economy and traditional business models is 2

Here’s an example: imagine the potential of a dog-sitting service where any owner in the country has access to an extensive online database of local canine enthusiasts, happy and willing to look after their pups for free when they’re away from home. That’s what Borrow My Doggy offers – a clever 21st century twist on useful walk-in-thepark interactions between dog lovers.

a fundamental emphasis on people. It goes without saying that people are necessary in any company, but here the key focus is peer-to-peer (P2P) interaction: communities of people who are deeply embedded in an efficient sharing system, contributing and benefiting from the results. Owners, employees and customers are all highly valued, their ideas respected and integrated into business at all levels of the supply chain.

One successful company that’s benefitted from a shared economy is Uber. This ridesharing service uses a smartphone application to

connect passengers with drivers of vehicles to hire, leveraging opportunities that come with widespread modern technology to offer a valuable service to both customers and business owners.

Valued at $15 billion, Uber is living proof of the potential that the sharing economy encompasses. But traditional taxi cab services have taken a negative stance towards the service, due to its sudden and unexpected encroachment on the traditional transportation market. Business owners used to operating on more tried-and-tested models might worry about the potential

detriment that sharing-focused competitors might have on their future prospects.

It is better to see the new ecosystem as an opportunity rather than a threat. Any business can benefit from this increasing focus on human interaction – all it takes is a bit of clever thinking about how to use the modern tools at your disposal.

Other everyday wants and needs can be similarly answered by considering the sharing economy. It really is an exciting time to focus your business on fellow humans and enjoy the benefits that they can bring to your company.

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Get an athlete Steve Moore, Director, Athlete Career Transition

to put your team on track

Athletes have something special that makes them stand out from a crowd; their will to win and multitude of talents are magic ingredients which every businessperson wants to harness. The athlete, whether literal or metaphorical, has a mentality which can act as a catalysing force within your business.

Here are six reasons why you want these people on your team.

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Born to win

The athletic psyche wants to win, and those who possess it won’t stop applying themselves until their goals are achieved. When a target has been defined, athletes instinctively draw up realistic, time-framed objectives to take the most direct route possible to success. They are not discouraged by setbacks but stay focused on the solution.

Athletes are a natural source of clarity and productivity, and their can-do mentalities are contagious.

Athletes always find a way When faced with obstacles, champions adapt. Like a fox getting into the hen-house, athletes always find a way through; they know what’s going on, what needs to be done and approach problems dynamically. An awareness that they’re always learning means athletes do not persist with ineffective methods but keep amending their approach to make progress.

Directness without compromise An athlete knows there’s no cheating the system, that being professional doesn’t start and end with wearing a suit to work. What you give your attention to is what thrives and athletes are living proof that taking care of the small things - diet, sleep, fitness - pays dividends in the quality of dayto-day performance at work.

About Athlete Career Transition Steve Moore, along with his brother Andy, run Athlete Career Transition which aids professional athletes who are retiring from sport with little to fall back on.

A large number of elite professional athletes, from all sports, enter this new phase of their life often with no qualifications, no experience and no guidance for the future.

As a result, Athlete Career Transition focus on fully preparing elite athletes for their transition into life after sport whist offering huge internal and external value to their business partners.

Efficiency Athletes can kill a whole flock of birds with one stone.

They know how vital it is to work efficiently, which not only helps to optimise their own productivity but that of those around them. Champion performers are skilled in spotting and eliminating sloppiness.

Team player Athletes know great things are achieved by people working together. They know how vital it is to lend support and dwell on the positives in all situations, rather than getting hung up on negatives and shouting people down which impacts on the entire team.

Entrepreneurialism Across the board athletes are big thinkers driven by belief.

The ability to hold the whole picture in mind whilst staying focused on individual pieces of the strategic puzzle marks this breed of professional out from the average employee.

Finally, consider how tricky it is for employers to locate prospective workers who are in possession of the essential skillset: adaptability, team-work skills, determination, commitment, and a whole host of other abstract, hard-to-disprove terms that get diligently thrown on the table at some point in any application process. By default, athletes possess these qualities in spades.

Put them in a different environment and watch latent abilities flower in ways you never expected.

www.actpathway.com

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Andy Moore, Founder, HIRO Talent

introducing...

HIRO

HIRO is a brand new type of talent platform.

A platform that puts the talent at the heart of the experience. A platform that believes that sports personalities, when correctly engaged, create huge value at events and experiences.

HIRO is a unique concept that for the first time allows members of the public and businesses to organise unforgettable experiences for clients, friends and family.

Whether it’s a round of golf with an ex international, a casual pint with a sporting legend, a game watch with someone who has actually been at the centre of attention or a celebrity appearance at a lunch, HIRO makes it easy for fans to connect with their heroes.

Not all sports personalities are content with distant appearances at daunting venues. Many would rather help to entertain your clients during a round of golf, or meet you and your colleagues over drinks to divulge their unique perspective on international success. A celebrity showing up at your corporate lunch could be the perfect ingredient for impressing a new partner. Perhaps watching a game with a legendary goal scorer has always been on your bucket list – we can make it happen.

HIRO connects professionals with their sporting heroes through

truly exceptional events, ensuring that no one forgets the occasion.

Tee Up

Game Watch

Hospitality

Invite a HIRO athlete to join you and your friends, colleagues or clients for a round of golf. Each HIRO selected venue has a championship course and many have hosted esteemed tournaments.

Who could be better company at an international rugby match than one of the iconic athletes who rose to prominence on the field you’re watching?

Providing an inside perspective on what it’s like to scrum against colossal opponents or the victorious feeling of sinking a ball safely over the touch-line, you’ll enjoy some of the best commentary there is: straight from the mouth of a sporting superstar.

Public speaking is a common occurrence at corporate events, but we can provide a more intimate experience with one of our HIROs. In a relaxed setting, these sporting heroes can deliver a personal and memorable discourse to your guests, without the detached feel that might accompany a nerve-wracking speech under the spotlights.

Not only will you get to play on a prestigious course, but our HIROs will keep you amused along the way with their sports star stories and changing room anecdotes.

Visit HIROtalent.com to find the perfect partner for your afternoon outing.

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Visit HIROtalent.com to choose a sports star to take with you to you teams next game.

Got a request that isn’t included on our website?

No problem. We can help you to develop a tailored experience with one of our athletes for an extra personal HIRO encounter.

Get in touch, we’d love to discuss your ideas.

The lessons I would share for maximising the value of any company are the same lessons I had to learn whilst running my company. Although, I would suggest that selling the business is in itself a whole new learning area, so it’s best to prepare well.

Lara Morgan Chairman of Company Shortcuts, who are dedicated to excellence in sales and leadership. companyshortcuts.com

Maximising the of your business 8

Let’s assume, for the purpose of this short piece, that your business has a good track record of growth - a decent order book, a reasonable pipeline of new business potential and you are fully aware that these things need to remain consistently in growth. I’ll also assume that this is not reliant on a few key people, or even a benevolent dictator founder whom likes to be the sales hero.

When did you last take a close and brutally honest, look at everything about the brand you own, the reputation you have and the image of the company?

I will also assume, for the sake of clarity around the many things you need to get right in order to maximise value, that this article is written with an eye on an exit or a change of ownership control.

• Internally

a culture that is open, positive collaborative and helpful – visitors go away feeling good. Frankly, how great does your reception look, are you ship shape and smart looking. There is a lot more to great business performance than a fresh coat of paint but even this adds value.

To maximise the value of your proposition you need to have Key Performance Indicators with a rewards system in place that links directly to strong performance of each individual against clearly defined goals of their role description. (I was appallingly bad at box filling, staff systems and processes.

So I brought in a part-time gem of a HR consultant to put these important documents in place – ensuring I took time out to consistently detail the message and the information linked to the strategy of the business).

value

• M arketing the culture of ‘Customer First’ attitude from every part of the business • “Better and different” ideas and continual improvement from all • Unusual parts of promotional activity cleverly focused on what works - ROI

• P roduct quality and longevity of your service offering will be brought into question. Is your current core product or service offering original, niche and world-class in the way you package and deliver it?

• S ales product awareness that is world-class in knowledge about own and competing products so that the business maintains a momentum of always having the right product for the strategic approach selected • N ew Product Development excellence ensures a pick of the opportunities offered to the market in a timely fashion (you can have cheapest quality or most expensive quality but the value of your proposition must be fit for your strategic purpose.)

Multiple other thoughts come to mind around how well you capture the data that is the ingenuity you need to maximise customer relationship management. How well do you and your teams deliver on your promise, constantly guarding against the competitive threats around you?

Ultimately, a great business will not maximise value without a brilliant and above-average approach to the way the staff are treated, trained, educated, motivated and rewarded.

You can save a fortune AND build great momentum by using internal skills & knowledge. Employees might be skilled and knowledgeable, but shared skills can help build them further.

I don’t think many businesses care about their CSR Policy and delivering additional value as much as they should. But I once led a company that worked harder when we paid attention to the fun and engagement side of being part of a highly dynamic team, delivering shared goals and shared rewards. When that wasn’t the case, I saw work rates visibly drop by 30%.

Don’t disregard important assets, which will devalue your ongoing chances for growth, such as the approach you take to intellectual property. You may wish to review the physical assets; office refurbishment/ factory ownership/ land ownership.

Valuation and potential also have to be measured against market penetration and potential, and your approach to new growth. You will have to have a proven track record to be taken serious on future potential earnings. But the approach as a whole, and the passionate approach you apply to the constant growth of your company, will affect your possible successful outcomes, whatever this might be.

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By Jonathan Davies

Breakthrough Moments An interview with Marcelino Castrillo , Managing Director of Santander’s SME business in the UK

Many business owners will tell you about that one moment that made their company. The business’ defining moment which allowed it to grow and flourish into a success story. You could call these moments ‘breakthrough moments’. That’s exactly what Santander is setting out to help its customers achieve.

Through a series of high profile events and a major new advertising campaign, Santander Commercial & Corporate Bank is making clear its intent to offer something new to businesses in the UK. To find out more, I caught up with Marcelino Castrillo, Managing Director of Santander’s SME business in the UK. Could you explain what ‘Breakthrough Moments’ mean to an ambitious business?

If we think about businesses and individuals, throughout their lives, they come across points in their evolution which make a massive difference in terms of how they achieve their goals and find success.

As a bank we can help to enable those moments for our customers. So a ‘breakthrough moment’ could be something as transformational as starting to expand overseas or moving your product range in a different direction. There are a lot of examples of those types of transformational moments which I feel make or break a business, especially a small one.

We see how we can be there for those breakthrough moments and facilitate and help our customers achieve their ambitions.

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Why do you think it’s important for businesses to identify and act upon critical events in the right way?

Why are ‘Breakthrough Moments’ critical to business success and growth?

‘Breakthrough moments’ sound like is a sort of eureka-type moment, and actually they are rarely like that. Breakthrough moments are often a succession of dots that you have to put in place. It’s a combination of preparation and seizing opportunity.

On one level, we give our customers a financial platform so they can focus their time on running the business. The second level is additional funding. The more we know a company, the more comfortable we will be providing them with additional capital which can allow them to put their plans into action. The third level is how we can use our networks.

We have about five million SME customers across the world, our Trade Club provides our customers with access to those networks and that knowledge to help give business the advantage they need to succeed.

Business owners and entrepreneurs are always thinking about the up-side. But it’s also important for them to reflect on any issues they may have faced and have big ambitions in the long-term. And that’s where we look to help them, in terms of expanding internationally, for instance, we can help not just to facilitate trade and provide financial solutions. We’ll open an account for you, give tax advice, give advice on setting up a subsidiary. Businesses such as Cornish Seasalt have found success by using the advice given through our trade portal which is available to all our corporate and commercial online banking customers.

What breakthrough moments have you seen that have impressed you?

I know the IBM case pretty well [where it turned its focus from hardware to software solutions] because my father worked there for 30 years.

IBM’s clearly one of them in terms of their transformation from making things to become a service company.

One example is a publisher focused on children’s books,

Igloo. Igloo had a breakthrough moment in terms of linking digital e-books with the physical experience of children’s books [where material are used to demonstrate textures of animals, for instance] – it’s something that is absolutely unique. Another company that has impressed me is the Home Grown Hotels Group. Their expanding portfolio of hotels, known as “Pigs”, offers a British garden food dining experience with stylish guest rooms. What they have created in their industry is unique to them – that was another breakthrough moment.

Do you think banks need to take on a bigger role?

Absolutely! We believe that SMEs banking is not just about lending money; it requires a lot of interaction between the bank and the business owner.

It’s a bit like a marriage – you don’t want to switch banks every couple of years. For us, we want to create a genuine connection with SMEs that have a goal and recognise the value of achieving a breakthrough. Banks shouldn’t be just a faceless organisation that is in for the good times and out when the bad times come. Once you’re in, you’re in for the long run and it’s often when the chips are down that the most creative and powerful breakthroughs happen.

To find out how Santander could help businesses like yours visit santandercb.co.uk

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Perfectly

Attired

by Marcus Leach

In an ideal world we would all be able to afford bespoke clothes.

As it is, the world of personally tailored clothing is reserved for those with a greater spending power. It means those who run bespoke tailoring companies deal with some of society’s more affluent individuals, as well as those who are of a build simply not catered for by mainstream fashion brands. One such Britsh company at the forefront of the bespoke tailoring industry is Perfectly Attired. And whilst only established three years ago, it is already holding its own in a highly competitive sector.

The driving force behind Perfectly Attired is Lydia Foulkes, who, having worked for Tom James, the high-end clothing specialists, for several years, knows a thing or two about the world of bespoke tailoring.

Add to that a deep understanding and working experience of the cut-throat world of sales, garnered from time at Courage Brewery and Schweppes, and you can see why the business is going from strength-to-strength. As with many successful entrepreneurs, Foulkes had a choice to make; continue doing what she was doing for someone else or go it alone. Looking back, it is easier for her to see she made the right choice, but at the time it was a risk, a calculated one at that, but a risk nonetheless.

“I had done well with the company I was working with, I had landed some big contracts and helped move the business forward,” she told me. “But it came to a point where there was going to be a management buy-out and I had a choice; put my own money into this business or chance it on my own. I had always had the idea for Perfectly Pitched, which is a sales consultancy business I own, but when the chance to have my own bespoke tailoring company came along, it was an opportunity I didn’t want to pass me by.”

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With her mind made up, and ready to take the plunge, it was a little bit of luck that convinced her she was making the right choice. A heart-toheart with her sister, who works in the movie industry, lead to the chance of making some suits for the guys on set and from there she has never looked back.

“I got the chance to make some clothes for some of the guys on the set and then it was a case of if I can do it for them, why not make it into a business, it’s not like I didn’t know what I am doing,” she said. “I had worked for Tom James at a time when nobody else was offering what they were in Europe, and helped them establish themselves in London, so I had plenty of knowledge and some good contacts. I was used to working with high-end clients, which is what most of my clients are, and knew that at the age of 40 I didn’t want to be consulting anymore.”

Another heart-to-heart, this time with close friend Lisa Hershorn, who was working for Brookes Brothers in New York at the time, and Perfectly Attired was born – a company that now counts some big name sports personalities amongst its clientele.

“My good friend Lisa was working for Brookes Brothers in New York and wasn’t enjoying the change in philosophy there and that got me thinking about the Perfectly name and what I could do with it,” Foulkes explained. “It made sense to me to have an office in London and one in New York, with Lisa running the show over there. We set about branding and gathering ideas on how best to market ourselves. As with all good entrepreneurs there wasn’t a perfect business plan in place as such, but we had the idea and went with it. Three years on and we are going from strength-tostrength.

“I have been lucky with some of my contacts, and due to that have a number of high-profile sportsmen as clients. I work with a lot of rugby players, the likes of Lewis Moody, Trevor Woodman, Jason Leonard and Zinzan Brooke. As well as that, I have worked with boxers David Haye and Audley Harrison, who are not what I call ‘off the peg guys’, so making clothes to truly fit them is a real privilege. I get referred on by my clients and have been lucky they feel I am good at what I do, so it’s snowballed.

“There is nobody else like me, in that there are no women doing what I am doing. My clients like having a female perspective. I would never dress them in anything that I wouldn’t want to go out with them in, so I tend to think ‘what would I like to see him in?’ I do it from a female perspective, and most men don’t seem to know how to put themselves together that well, so welcome the input. For me it’s about working towards a wardrobe that is multi-functional, where you have some smart casual as well as some really cool stuff that you know you can put together and feel really confident in.”

A proud English woman through and through, Foulkes does her utmost to ensure that as many of her products as possible are made with British fabrics. She also has a fairly simple business plan that allows her to very much focus on producing the highest quality clothing possible.

“I’ve really tried to keep it British as much as possible as it’s one thing we, as a nation, do really well,” she said. “You know, we actually make beautiful fabric. The heart of the textile industry was here, we have a heritage there and we still produce beautiful wool. There are some fantastic wools that I work with from Scotland, but they only have small runs which can make it a little tricky at times. In terms of business it is a simple strategy really.

Our overheads are fairly low given that we go to our clients, meaning that our offices in Mayfair and New York aside, we don’t have too many running costs. A lot of what we do is at client’s houses. It is a simple yet highly effective approach that works perfectly for us.”

Sensing the opportunity to expand on her brand, Foulkes has recently begun to explore the possibilities of her own greetings card range under the Perfectly Penned brand. With early interest from several companies, it is an idea that could see her expand her business yet further.

“I am also looking at launching Perfectly Penned where I am doing a series of sports themed greeting cards, which is going well as I have a company who are really interested in what I am doing,” Foulkes said. “Then it will be Perfectly Penned, Perfectly Pitched, Perfectly Attired and at some point I will be perfectly retired.”

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Power 100 Every day entrepreneurs shape our business and personal lives in the UK; driving innovation, creating purpose and disrupting markets. The Fresh Business Thinking Power 100 represents those people who most impact on the lives of entrepreneurs; those who shape policy, create working environments, champion, mentor and promote entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in UK plc.

The Fresh Business Thinking Power 100 ranks these influencers, movers and shakers. It is not a list of entrepreneurs themselves, but of those with the most power to impact on entrepreneurship.

Neither is it an exact science, it represents the thinking of the Fresh Business Thinking editorial team, trusted advisors and conversations with readers at events and through social media.

The ranking is based on multiple components; power and policy, promotion of the entrepreneurial cause, championing and mentoring, social influence and day to day engagement with the entrepreneurial community. For the most part Fresh Business Thinking has not included more than one individual from any organisation, so the individual chosen probably best represents a blend of power, influence, promotion and engagement.

Over the last few weeks, the top 60 has been revealed on the website, and here they are!

You can find the top 40 on freshbusinessthinking.com 100. Edwina Hart, Welsh Assembly Minister for Economy, Science and Transport Edwina Hart is the champion of business and entrepreneurship in Wales. As Minister for Economy, Science and Transport for the Welsh Assembly Government, she is central to driving the Welsh economy through small businesses, in the science sector and through transportation infrastructure.

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99. Paul Briggs, Chief Executive, Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce As chief executive of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce, Paul Briggs is the key figure in promoting small businesses in the outskirts of London. Paul doesn’t just assist companies to grow domestically, he drives their awareness of export opportunities available to them.

98. Chris Fletcher, Director of Policy, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Manchester Chamber of Commerce Director of Policy, Chris Fletcher is responsible for the way the chamber acts to boost entrepreneurship in the one of the country’s biggest economies outside London.

97. Sara Williams, Author Sara Williams dedicates her time to imparting her business experience and wisdom onto other aspiring entrepreneurs — more than two million, in fact!

She authored The FT Guide to Business Start Up (formerly the Lloyds TSB Small Business Guide) which has sold more than two million copies.

96. Oliver Woolley, CEO, Envestors CEO of Envestors, Oliver Woolley is another of the Fresh Business Thinking Power 100 who is helping to lead business growth and entrepreneurship through alternative finance options.

Whereas many focus on start-ups, Oliver is establishing himself as a driving force behind businesses making the next step.

95. Matthew Rock, Editor-in-Chief, DueDil Matthew Rock has been powering entrepreneurship on two fronts.

As the founding editor of Real Business, he helped to create the UK’s first ever magazine for entrepreneurs. He is now Editorin-Chief of DueDil; a company that has compiled data on 10 million companies and 13 million directors, allowing business owners to make an informed decision about who to do business with.

94. Peter Turner, Founder, London Entrepreneur’s Club At Fresh Business Thinking, we think collaboration is the future. And as the founder of the London Entrepreneurs’ Club, Peter is at the centre of that. He is fiercely passionate about entrepreneurs learning from each other and working together to make a difference, which is exactly why he started the London Entrepreneurs’ Club.

93. Darren Shirlaw, Founder, Shirlaw’s Coaching Darren Shirlaw gives entrepreneurs and business owners the vital tools, resources and advice they need to take their business beyond expectations. Through Shirlaw’s Coaching, Darren has aided more than 1000 businesses over a period of more than 15 years.

92. Bonnie Dean, Chief Executive of Bristol and Bath Science Park There are often huge crossovers between science and business. And Bonnie Dean is at the forefront of those crossovers as Chief Executive of Bristol and Bath Science Park. She takes her passion of inspiring others into her spare time, campaigning to promote the undoubtedly crucial role of digital entrepreneurship in the UK. 91. Jonathan Moules, Business Education Correspondent, Financial Times If you read about business and entrepreneurship, you’ve probably come across Jonathan before. He has crafted the written word to tell you everything you need to know about business life for more than a decade at the Financial Times and as author of ‘The Rebel Entrepreneur’.

90. Shalini Khemka, Founder, E2Exchange Shalini is a member of the Fresh Business Thinking Power 100 who believes that several minds are better than one. That’s why she founded E2Exchange in 2011, in an effort to bring together the UK’s best business minds. The 40 networking events held a year give entrepreneurs the chance to meet with like minded people to help them grow their businesses.

89. Lord Young, Small Business Adviser to David Cameron In June 2014, Lord Young delivered the third and final government report on enterprise and education. He led calls for the government to make sure that school leavers are ready for employment, business and entrepreneurship. Lord Young recommended the introduction of a Digital Passport — a record of all extra-curricular and enterprise related activities undertaken by school pupils.

88. Nick Moss, Founder, The Business Show Nick Moss spotted a gap in the market for a business trade show. So he launched The Business Show, dedicated to helping start-ups and those starting their first business with the tools and advice they need to grow in an ever changing climate.

87. Kiki Loizou, Small Business Editor, Sunday Times Towards the end of 2013, The Times and Sunday Times newspapers launched a campaign to boost the number of small businesses on the high street. As the Sunday Times small business editor, Kiki Loizou has been at the forefront of the campaign, bringing news, information, help and advice to small businesses up and down the UK. 86. Brad Burton, Motivational Speaker Brad Burton is the UK’s most in demand self-help guru. His high energy and raw approach to motivational speaking has garnered him countless fans - some of which are also featured on this list — and the highest reviewed business books on Amazon.

85. Andrew B Morris, Chief Executive, Academy for Chief Executives In Andrew’s own words, “growing leaders and transforming businesses is what I do.” As Chief Executive of the Academy for Chief Executives, Andrew’s key focus is helping businesses accelerate their growth through outstanding leadership. He is also the author of Business to Go: Simple Takeaways.

80. James Hurley, Enterprise Editor, The Times James Hurley is Enterprise Editor at The Times. He is one of the most highly regarded journalists on enterprise, small businesses and entrepreneurship in the UK. He was largely responsible for growing the online audience of Growing Business magazine, which focuses on company founders and highgrowth businesses.

84. Alan Lewis CBE, Vice Chairman for Business Relations, Conservative Party As Vice Chairman for Business Relations of the Conservative Party, Alan Lewis CBE is a key member of the influential team behind business policy within the government. But he is first and foremost a successful and experienced businessman and entrepreneur. Mr Lewis also holds a number of roles focused on boosting entrepreneurship and education in Yorkshire.

79. Steve Gilroy, CEO, Vistage As CEO of Vistage, Steve Gilroy has been showing CEOs and managing directors how to manage their business better, leading to greater success. Steve and Vistage dedicate their time to educating and supporting its coaches to create a wider network of highly-skilled business mentors.

83. Luke Lang, Co-Founder, Crowdcube With small businesses finding it increasingly difficult to source finance from the major banks, as co-founder of Crowdcube, Luke Lang is the leader in promoting alternative finance methods like crowdfunding for start-ups.

82. Asa Bennett, Business Reporter, Huffington Post As Huffington Post UK business reporter, Asa Bennett takes a heavy interest in the strong links between business and politics. He cuts through the fluff in Westminster and see what it’s actually like for the city and the high street’. The Huffington Post has become a leading publication in reporting politics and business, largely due to its political neutrality.

81. Daniel Priestly, Co-Founder, Entrevo Daniel Priestly is a successful entrepreneur, international speaker and bestselling author. After cofounding Entrevo in 2010, Daniel was responsible for the concept of the ‘Key Person of Influence’.

He believes that all entrepreneurs should aim to be a KPI within their industry and his book, aptly titled ‘Key Person of Influence’ provides an easy-to-digest guide on how to establish yourself as a KPI.

78. Jenny Tooth, CEO, UK Business Angels Association Since July 2012, Jenny Tooth has taken the role of CEO of the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA). Jenny is an accomplished speaker, in both the UK and Europe, and has over 20 years’ of experience supporting SME’s access to investment both in the UK and internationally. The UKBAA is the national trade association representing angel and early stage investment in the UK. 77. Martyn Dawes, ‘The High- Growth Entrepreneur’s Mentor’ As well as a hugely successful entrepreneur himself, Martyn, the founder of Coffee Nation, is known as ‘The High-Growth Entrepreneur’s Mentor’. He harnesses his own experience in business to help guide entrepreneurs on where to go next, encouraging founders and directors to ‘Think Big’.

76. Neil Cocker, Founder, Ignite and Cardiff Start Neil Cocker is a hugely popular name in the Cardiff startup scene.

The entrepreneur, creative/digital industries consultant, and music industry survivor utilised his experience to found Ignite Cardiff and Cardiff Start. Ignite provides a platform for web wizards and creative minds to share their ideas and experiences to help connect them to one another.

Cardiff Start is a community of startup business owners in Cardiff, connecting each other with help, advice, ideas and inspiration.

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75. Mike Southon, ‘The Beermat Entrepreneur’ In addition to his personal success in business, Mike Southon has dedicated his career to helping others on their entrepreneurial path. He co-authored The Beermat Entrepreneur, a bestselling, concise collection of tips and advice on starting a business. Mike is also an avid face-to-face mentor, speaking at more than 1,000 live events and mentoring over 1,000 budding entrepreneurs.

74. Ben Heald, CEO and Co-founder, Sift Media In a world where digital is already crucial to business success, Ben Heald’s Sift Media is leading the way in which we engage with digital. He set up the company with one clear aim; to help organisations make the most out of their conversations with members, supporters, advocates and customers.

73. Tony Robinson, Co-Founder, Enterprise Rockers Tony Robinson OBE is an award winning author and speaker. Tony is passionate about finding every possible way to help people earn a decent living through starting and running their own microbusiness. He counts himself very lucky to have earned his living out of his own micro businesses for over 27 years. Since 1986 Tony’s enterprise, BAB, the Business Advisory Bureau Limited, has allowed him to guide and coach individuals who want to go it alone as independent professionals.

72. Rebecca Burn Callander, Enterprise Editor, The Telegraph As The Telegraph’s Enterprise Editor, Rebecca Burn Callander is at the forefront of bringing the topics of entrepreneurs, high-growth businesses, start-ups and SMEs into the mainstream news. In addition to bringing the ‘news’, Rebecca takes a huge interest in the stories the UK’s unknown entrepreneurs have to tell.

71. Will Hutton, Chair, Big Innovation Centre As Chair of the Big Innovation Centre, Will Hutton, as you might expect, is a key driver behind big innovation amongst the country’s businesses and entrepreneurs. In addition 18

to the wealth of knowledge and advice, Will and the Big Innovation Centre provide the tools needed by entrepreneurs. Will also holds a number of roles across various academic institutions, including London School of Economics, University on Manchester Business School and University of Bristol, highlighting his passion for supporting the UK’s future entrepreneurs.

70. Hugh Chappell, Entrepreneur and Investor Following a long career in technology, including work with Apple in the UK, Hugh turned his attention to running his own businesses and now, to investing and advising.

He is actively involved in several startups, but also utilises his experiences to provide a wealth of advice on strategy, performance, risk and people in more experienced companies. Hugh is also a member of the board of directors at E2Exchange, a place for entrepreneurs to connect and learn from each other to boost growth.

69. Simon Burton, Founder, Great British Entrepreneur Awards The founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, Simon Burton is leading the way to raise awareness and celebrate the story behind the entrepreneur and the business, not just the balance sheet.

68. Phil Jones, Managing Director, Brother UK As managing director of Brother, Phil Jones runs one of the leading office technology companies in the UK. In his spare time, Phil is passionate about business and entrepreneurship, especially in the North West. He believes everyone has an unlimited potential and his ambition is to change the lives of one million people by passing on his experience and knowledge.

67. Sir Terry Leahy, former Chairman, Tesco Since leaving Tesco after 14 years in charge, Sir Terry Leahy is now an active investor in small businesses.

He spends a great deal of his time promoting entrepreneurship and supporting small businesses, giving speeches at business festivals and events.

66. Shaa Wasmund, Founder, Smarta.com A bestselling author, property developer, former PR boss, and even a one-time personal assistant for former British boxer Chris Eubank, Shaa Wasmund is an all around business powerhouse. Today, Ms Wasmund’s main focus is Smarta. com, the UK small business advisory service she set up in 2009, which is providing resources to small businesses in the UK.

61. Tom Ball, CEO, NearDesk As CEO and founder of NearDesk, Tom Ball is encouraging collaboration and connections amongst the UK’s entrepreneurs.

NearDesk allows business people to rent desk space by the hour at an ever expanding list of locations across the country. It allows business owners to work wherever they are in the country and allows connections to be made with like minded people using the service.

65. Ajaz Ahmed, Author Ajaz Ahmed is the co-author of Velocity: The Seven New Laws for a World Gone Digital. It’s one of the business world’s most revered advice books.

It provides help and advice to business owners in a world where digital technology is taking centre stage, but is changing constantly.

Ajaz, is not to be confused with the highly-esteemed Great British Entrepreneur Awards judge.

60. Guy Rigby, Head of Entrepreneurial Service, Smith & Williamson Guy is a highly regarded and well known personality in the entrepreneurial community, and currently leads the entrepreneurial services group at Smith & Williamson. His diverse career has taken him from chartered accountant to entrepreneur to author and now mentor and advisor to dynamic owner-managed businesses. He regularly contributes content and commentary for national and business press and sits on various judging panels for high profile business awards and growth programmes.

Under Guy’s leadership, Smith & Williamson is fast becoming the ‘go-to accountancy firm’ for entrepreneurs.

64. Charles Cracknell, Founder, Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership Charles is a key figure in entrepreneurship in Hull and East Riding. Having established the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank and the Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership, Charles is driving the entrepreneurs of the future, hoping to position Hull as the most enterprising city in the country.

63. Nick James, Founder, Fresh Business Thinking Nick is the founder of Fresh Business Thinking, the leading resource for UK entrepreneurs, co-founder of Great British Entrepreneur Awards and Britain means Business. Since launching in 2006 Fresh Business Thinking has had over 3 million visitors online and some 25,000 entrepreneurs have visited their events.

62. Rod Banner, Angel Investor Having spent a number of years in a successful technology and marketing career, Rod Banner turned his attention to investing in wide ranging technology companies as an Angel investor. He favours really early-stage businesses and is passionate about helping them to flourish with startup investment.

59. Andrew Mullinger, CoFounder, Funding Circle Andrew Mullinger is the co-founder of Funding Circle, which was set up with one big idea; to revolutionise what it calls the “outdated banking system to secure a better deal for everyone”.

Funding Circle has provided over £400 million of loans to thousands of small businesses, allowing them to flourish. Andrew is responsible for risk management, having worked extensively in this area previously.

58. Lord Digby Jones, Business Ambassador, UK Trade & Investment Formerly Director General of the CBI, Lord Digby Jones now serves as a Business Ambassador for UK Trade & Investment. UKTI is the government department tasked with the challenge of more than doubling the value of UK exports to £1 trillion by 2020.

57. Jason Oakley, Managing Director, Metro Bank Jason Oakley is a champion for entrepreneurship; he is the “Entrepreneurs’ Bank” Managing Director of Commercial Banking after all. At Metro bank, Jason Oakley is responsible for growing the reputation of the bank as a trusted adviser and lender to Greater London’s small and medium sized companies.

56. Matt Smith, Director, Centre for Entrepreneurs Matt Smith is driving entrepreneurship through his work as Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurs. The Think Tank promotes the vital role of entrepreneurs in economic growth and social well-being.

55. Sherry Coutu, Entrepreneur and Angel Investor Sherry is an Angel Investor, and serves on the board of multiple universities and charities. Sherry is an established entrepreneur, public speaker and advocate for entrepreneurship, which is evidenced by her role as a national judge of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards.

54. Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive, Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) Matthew Taylor has led the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) for almost eight years.

The RSA is an “enlightenment organisation” which aims to close the gap between people’s hopes and reality — particularly important considering the number of people who want to start their own business.

53. Steve Pateman, Head of UK Banking, Santander Steve Patemen, Head of UK Banking at Santander, can often be found at schools across the country, championing entrepreneurship and its importance to the young business minds of the UK. Santander also offers scholarships, working in partnership with some of the UK’s universities. It is also establishing itself as one of the leading banks in supporting and driving SME and entrepreneurial growth.

52. Nick Giles, Co-Founder, Seven Hills Co-founder of PR firm Seven Hills alongside Michael Hayman, Nick Giles also co-founded MADE: The Entrepreneur Festival. Nick is also an avid writer who is often found writing for City AM, Director and Management Today on entrepreneurship, communications and the tech sector.

51. Mark Dixon, CEO and Founder, Regus Mark Dixon is one of the UK’s bestknown entrepreneurs. As CEO and founder of Regus, he has achieved a formidable reputation for leadership and innovation. Mark is a prevalent figure in the world of entrepreneurialism, and is often championing business growth and innovation in Britain by providing office space for businesses.

50. Rachel Bridge, Author While some look to help business owners and entrepreneurs by partnerships, programmes or political debate, Rachel Bridge aims to teach with her words. She is the author of five books based on entrepreneurship support, including ‘How to Start a Business without any Money’.

The book does what it says on the tin and hopes to allay the fears of aspiring entrepreneurs who are afraid to start their own business.

49. Doug Scott, Mentor and Investor Doug Scott is a real driving force behind ‘loads of tech startups in the UK’.

As a mentor and investor, Doug passes on the knowledge and experience he’s built up over the years to a new wave of “stupidly smart people who are mad to work with” in the country’s growing, buzzing tech industry.

48. Ian King, Business Presenter, Sky News Ian King has become a lead voice in Sky’s business coverage since joining the broadcaster in March 2014.

Having worked as The Times business & city editor for three years, Ian has cemented his place as one of the most influential journalists in the business and entrepreneurship worlds.

47. Steve Moore, Senior Advisor, CrowdShed With a career in public affairs, marketing, social and mainstream media and social enterprise spanning 20 years firmly in the bank, Steve now spends his days as a senior advisor to CrowdShed, a new UK based crowdfunding platform launching in Autumn 2014. In his spare time, Steve is currently penning his own book and is a regular mentor to businesses.

46. Mike Cherry, National Policy Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) As National Policy Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Mike Cherry is key in deciding the areas on which the FSB campaigns. The FSB is actively involved in campaigning for government policy to positively impact small businesses and is one of the leading organisations in promoting the UK’s small firms.

45. Mike Butcher, Co-Founder, Tech Hub Mike Butcher is a well known name in the UK’s tech sector. In addition to his role as editor of TechCrunch, Mike co-founded Tech Hub, a community and workspace for tech entrepreneurs. He has also founded the Coalition for a Digital Economy and is a London Technology Ambassador. Mike has been named as one of the most influential people in the tech industry by a number of publications.

43. Kamal Ahmed, Business Editor, BBC As BBC Business Editor, Kamal Ahmed is responsible for bringing the latest business news to one of the biggest news audiences in the UK. Kamal is at the forefront of tackling politicians on what their policies mean for British businesses.

42. Robert Craven, Consultant, The Directors’ Centre Known as “The Entrepreneurship Guru”, Robert Craven is one of the country’s most authoritative voices on entrepreneurship and businesses, releasing a number of books and speaking at countless events. Even Sir Richard Branson has praised Robert’s books; saying it covers all of the key aspects of running a business and transforming it into a powerhouse.

41. Ian Merricks, Managing Partner, White Horse Capital “Educating Emerging Entrepreneurs” — that’s the mission of Accelerator Academy, set up by Ian Merricks in 2011. Since then, Ian has overseen the graduation of 74 high growth businesses, preparing them for life after the startup stage; helping them to raise tens of millions of pounds worth of investment.

44. Karen Darby, Founder, CrowdMission In a successful career spanning 30 years, Karen Darby has launched a number of successful businesses.

But her latest big venture is the reason for her place on the Fresh Business Thinking Power 100.

She founded CrowdMission, the world’s first crowdfunding platform exclusively for mission-driven businesses. She also plays an active role in mentoring young entrepreneurs.

Head to freshbusinessthinking.com to see the top 40 19

After an immensely successful first show in 2013, the Digital Marketing Show is back for a second year in November, coming to Excel Campus, London on 19th and 20th November.

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It is the essential resource for the marketing professional looking to boost sales using search, social and email, to learn how to ‘go mobile’, to gain access to the experts, to find the best in class suppliers and get digital marketing advice & tips.

We now live in a world where digital is an absolute necessity for businesses of all shapes and sizes. According to research by Oracle in October 2014, organisations that embrace modern marketing processes outperform their non-modern marketing peers and competitors on key business performance indicators.

The study spoke to nearly 500 decision makers across the US, UK, Germany and France. It found that 44% of modern, digital marketers saw revenues grow by 10% more than forecast. Only 23% of those not employing digital marketing strategies saw revenues 10% above forecasts.

Ninety-four percent even said the company had some sort of leadership position, with half (50%) claiming they are the sole market leader.

And there are even benefits in attracting and keeping the best talent. Seven in 10 of those modern marketers said they’d received “best place to work” recognition in the last three years, compared to just 38% of their counterparts. Reacting to the research, Andrea Ward, VP of Marketing, Oracle Marketing Cloud, said: “The survey results indicate that most marketers understand the need to adopt modern marketing technology and best practices in order to meet these demands. While it is clear that many organisations have quite a way to go in their journey to modern marketing, the strong correlation between marketing maturity and business success clearly demonstrates how modern marketers can take on a more strategic and impactful role within their organisations.”

What are your top tips for digital marketing in 2015?

If you think the business world changes at a fast pace, you’re in for a shock when it comes to digital marketing. That’s exactly why we spoke to some of the speakers from the Digital Marketing Show in November, to ask them what trends they think we’ll see and what tips they have for digital marketing in 2015.

I think in 2015 we’ll see more brand movement toward visual apps - Snapchat particularly, as few have yet to master messaging in that market. I think that visual narrative will also take a forefront in social and content strategies.

Hannah Mahony, Virgin

The Content Our world is changing rapidly and every marketer needs to keep up with this rate of change. Accelerated growth in mobile devices, smartphones and tablets, means that digital opportunities will present themselves in every industry sector. That’s why the Digital Marketing Show has every angle covered; social, content, local, mobile, data, cloud and email.

Using case-studies from the world’s leading organisations to explain what has worked and what hasn’t, the show provides up-to-the minute advice on the ‘NOW’ and a glimpse into the future and beyond.

Focusing on; affiliate marketing, internet advertising, web analytics, social media, search marketing, mobile, email marketing, e-commerce, customer experience & content, the Digital Marketing Show is an educational experience for marketers at every level.

2015 will likely see a surge in the trend of mixing paid media with owned media to accelerate content distribution, but it will be the companies that stop treating digital marketing as a set of disparate tactics and embrace a value based approach in satisfying the all-knowing consumer that succeed online; getting back to basics, identifying the values that consumers hold dear; determine what works and prioritising budgets to deliver more of what your target market care about.

Andrew Isidoro, Go Compare

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My key focus in 2015 will continue to be narrowing the gap between fragmented channels to deliver a seamless, consistent customer experience.

With mobile and social media consumption continuing to rise, offering customers value & consistency has never been more challenging...or rewarding.

Rachael Pollard, JUST EAT

Empowered organisations will win. While not without its challenges, widespread employee advocacy is the surest, most-effective (and cheapest) way to scale up a company’s social media reach. Instead of achieving linear growth in customer advocacy through incremental investments in social media teams, an enterprise can magnify its reach at very little cost by activating a broad cross-section of its existing workforce.

Dan Spicer, Hootsuite

“The Digital Marketing Show was really great for us: incredible leads and mind-blowing speakers. I’d highly recommend you go next year!”

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The online resource for business owners, directors and entrepreneurs

For business ideas, information and inspiration, follow us: @freshbusiness or visit: www.freshbusinessthinking.com 23

means

Collaboration is the New Competition.

Resilience Rules.

Britain means Business is the living resource for any savvy business looking to grow, coming to you every November and April, starting at Excel in London on 19-20 November.

With key themes of collaboration and resilience – Britain means Business is designed especially for business owners, directors and entrepreneurs.

According to Prime Minister, David Cameron, the UK economy is enjoying “a great British revival”, Mr Cameron said: “Britain is coming back. We came through the great recession together. We are building the great British revival together.”

Britain means Business is the place that decision makers from UK businesses visit to give themselves the ‘edge’. Running a growing business is hard work and our editorial team, expert speakers and thought leaders understand these challenges and will offer practical and timely solutions.

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To the outside world, being an entrepreneur is sexy - flashy events, fancy offices, executive perks. But you and I know that isn’t always the case. Anyone on the inside recognises that, despite its many benefits, it’s a demanding, high pressure, time consuming line of work.

Britain means Business is specifically designed to deliver advice and support to entrepreneurs, business owners and directors.

The events will hand you the inspiration and insight you need from a line-up of successful entrepreneurs who have ‘been there and done it’. Britain means Business gives you the chance to engage with companies that pride themselves on delivering the tools and platforms dedicated to driving business growth. For Britain means Business, our crucial themes for 2014 and as we head into 2015, are resilience & collaboration.

Why Resilience?

The recession and the financial crisis that followed was a torrid time. Any business that survived the recession knows resilience.

This strategic mind set embraces preparedness, integrity and opportunity, through times of change and crisis – and is an essential quality for every entrepreneur or business owner.

Britain means Business is the event that helps you to learn from a wealth of experienced entrepreneurs, key sporting celebrities and political leaders – who have harnessed the resilient mentality to achieve their goals and will deliver case-studies on the relationship between resilience and business success.

Why Collaboration?

Collaboration is the new competition. That’s the foundation of Britain means Business in 2014; our campaign slogan, our party manifesto if you will. To be successful, now more than ever, every business needs to be identifying potential partners, rather than rivals. Why tear lumps out of each other when you can stay ahead of the game by teaming up and working together towards achieving shared objectives.

Increasingly, organisations and companies are acknowledging that their best individual efforts cannot compete with the astounding results that collaboration can provide. This collective impact is facilitated by today’s digital channels – which provides a variety of channels to reach new audiences.

Britain means Business provides the platform allowing you to learn how to identify relevant partners, how to clearly define what your shared objectives are, and how to work together successfully?

Who is Britain means Business for?

If you own a business or consider yourself an entrepreneur, Britain means Business is for you. The content has been tailored to specifically address the needs and requirements of businesses with a turnover of more than £1 million, employ more than 10 people, are at least three years old, fast-growth businesses growing more than 20% a year and start-up potential explosive growth (PEG) businesses. But even the owners of Britain’s smallest micro-businesses, with the most modest of revenues will find plenty to help them grow at Britain means Business.

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What’s going to be big in 2015?

My top tip for business will be around preserving time for quality thinking. In an information rich age, the stream of sources we are now managing leads us to be in a state of absorption which reduces our capability to be creative or problem solve.

Taking time out and away from devices gives our brain the environment it needs to come up with our next big idea, the ‘aha’ solution to a pressing problem or the release needed to retain situational awareness from a stressful situation.

Successful people engage their clutches regularly, by engaging their clutch, they go up a gear and zoom past everyone else.

Phil Jones Managing Director Brother

There are without a doubt in my mind, two worlds in which we live – our external and our internal world. In order to make the most positive impact for ourselves and our teams in 2015 I believe we should look within on a much more regular basis. As leaders, we must focus first on our internal world and ask ourselves the following questions: What is our deepest intention for ourselves and our team? What is our emotional reason for growing the business? What are our core values and are we living them at our highest level and if so how are we demonstrating our values to those around us?

In a world of mass media stimulation we must trust ourselves enough to follow our hearts rather than just our heads.

Craig Goldblatt Speaker, Trainer & Coach

Business is a fast-paced, changing environment. That’s why we asked some of the speakers from the Britain means Business event in November to give their top tips or trends for businesses looking to grow in 2015. And let’s face it, what business doesn’t want to grow?

The big 5 trends in 2015 are likely to be connected with the following: 1) businesses get to grips with what Big Data actually is and more importantly how it could be of value to their business..

2) that the marketing people take ownership of Big Data after all we know what to do with it!

3) the continued rise in emotive consumption - things that make us feel better about ourselves and that we can think independently...think re-purposed, craft made and up-cycled, 4) post Scottish referendum, a growing voice for the other devolved nations and English regions and who knows even the development of RDA’s!

5) the importance of professionalism in Marketing Practice.

Jonathan Deacon Director Making Business Happen

I think 2015 will see a trend back towards the use of traditional communication channels as customer and business realise automation is no replacement for the ‘human’ touch and small businesses use this fact to their advantage. If you are not quite ready to have (as a growing number of entrepreneurs are doing and abandoning email communication all together) an email free day, which allows you to focus on old school methods of communication and actually avoiding email ‘prison’, focusing on creatively and strategically growing your business rather than responding to communication is high recommended.

Jessica Huie MBE Founder JHPR

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Giving Africa is a small charity. But Craig and his team recognise the vast task of tackling the many issues in Africa. It “exists to empower children through education” and works with local communities in some of Africa’s poorest countries to improve access to quality education and skills training.

“We strive to help them achieve financial independence and self-sufficiency,” Craig told me.

Meet Craig Goldblatt

From South Africa with love...

by Daniel Hunter

Business has many overlaps.

Craig Goldblatt is someone who believes that business and charity overlap; and not in the ‘businesses should give generously to charity’ kind of way you might expect.

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I caught up with Craig to find out more about how the two contrasting worlds overlap.

Tell me a bit about yourself Craig, what do you do? I am a leadership speaker trainer. I believe that every single one of us are meant to shine. My biggest gift is seeing people empower themselves to uncover what makes them truly amazing – to inspire people to be better than they ever thought possible. I also launched the Giving Africa charity.

So I jumped on a plane and flew to Burkina and met a man named Phillippe Ouedraogo, a native Burkinabe who, against a myriad of hurdles and in a situation of extreme poverty, had educated himself to a really high standard. He’d taken it upon himself to form a charity in Burkina called AEAD through which he lived his desire to see other Burkinabe children, also in poverty, gain an education. By the end of my week there I knew I wanted to raise funds to build a school.

What inspired you to launch Giving Africa?

I was born in South Africa and so as my earliest home and with many members of my family still in Africa, it has always had a special place in my heart. About 5 years ago I decided I wanted to give back something to the world and I wanted Africa as a focus. I asked a very good friend of mine where he felt I should go to make the most impact and he said that without a shadow of doubt in his mind it should be Burkina Faso.

It sounds like a wonderful cause! But does your role as a leadership coach overlap with Giving Africa at all? Yes it absolutely does on many different levels! In my work as a coach I love seeing clients reach their best potential. In Africa, I see countless examples of people with very little materially who live the most fulfilling purpose driven lives, it‘s great bringing aspects of what I see there to my work as a coach.

I love the concept that we have so much to give to Africa here in the West, but Africa has so much to give to us in return. We often have material wealth but spiritual poverty, whereas they have material poverty and spiritual wealth. I love taking people to remote communities and observing how they return with a different mindset.

What would your one leadership tip be to any manager or owner in a business of any size?

Understand why you are doing what you do – and make it something that you love! To truly know what is in your heart, the why you do what you do is a real focus for success. I believe that true motivation comes from knowing who you are and that everyday you are being true to your values and beliefs. And once you know what is important for you, the why you do what you do, you will be more fulfilled and successful.

By Adam Jon Stacey

TEN freshest

Co-Working Spaces in LONDON

In this world of freelancers, independent professionals and start-ups, the need for an office space of your own is at the top of most people’s checklists. However, it is not always a viable option to go out, sign a lease and commit to a yearlong contract for a multitude of reasons.

This is where the most en-vogue trend in the business world comes in, co-working. These office spaces, rife with open floor plans and open cultures, offer workers a place to grow their businesses while collaborating with like-minded individuals, in a cool and sophisticated setting.

Without the need for miles of data cables, chunky desktop computers and the introduction of the cloud, the need for a permanent office space has become obsolete, and that is where these ‘hubs’ come in - giving anyone and everyone the opportunity to be part of a vibrant and energetic community of business professionals, at a fraction of the price of renting in London.

With opportunities to rent long term, or hot desk for as short a stay as an hour, co-working really is the best of both worlds.

So, that is why we have decided to compile our list of the freshest co-working spaces in London...

The Clubhouse London The Clubhouse offers a luxurious, professional space with complimentary high speed and secure WiFi, refreshments, tea and Nespresso coffee in a Mayfair location. This is a creative environment where business gets done and professional relationships can grow and flourish, designed around the needs of today’s business people and entrepreneurs. They have recently opened their second Clubhouse, at 50 Grosvenor Hill, as well as The Clubhouse on Grafton Street.

Cost: Prices start from £1875 per annum for their Club Membership.

Website: www.theclubhouselondon.com Contact: 0207 183 7210

Central Working – Shoreditch Central Working provides the ideal environment for growing businesses. They offer you the support, infrastructure and tools needed, to create the connections, momentum and recognition that will help you grow your businesses and develop your skills and team. Whether you need a place to drop in, a permanent office for you and your team, or to be part of the co-working revolution then Central Working is for you.

Cost: Prices range from £99 for their ‘Club’ membership, to £499 for their ‘Resident’ membership.

Website: centralworking.com/shoreditch Contact: 02030 956 449

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The Trampery – London Field The Trampery London Field is the perfect location for anyone in a fashionrelated business such as photography, supply chain management or magazine publishing. Equally it’s an inspiring place for anyone working in graphic design, media production, software, a social enterprise or another creative discipline.

Cost: Desks cost £200 a month, with discounts if you sign up long term Website: thetrampery.com Contact: 020 7253 6959

Great for Innovators Le Bureau Le Bureau is a beautifully designed office in Battersea, providing shared workspace for independent professionals, startups and small businesses. Offering state-of-the-art facilities in an environment of ultimate comfort and style, Le Bureau is truly unique. There is one monthly rate, which includes the use of all the office facilities and a fantastic range of benefits Cost: £79 per week for a small desk, or £99 a week for a large one.

Website: www.lebu.co.uk Contact: 020 7100 5666

The HUB Kings Cross This is a space for innovators based in London - a global community of social enterprises, environmental companies and sustainable businesses. The HUB King’s Cross in London offers a versatile event space for arts, corporate and private events as well as a unique location for TV/film shoots.

Cost: Prices start from as little as £15, up to £450 Website: kingscross.impacthub.net Contact: 020 7841 3450

ClubRooms – Paddington Station Innovation at 90 Main Yard Innovation at 90 Main Yard offers an environment that not only provides support therefore enabling the natural emergence of innovation but also proactively encourages it. The space is for organisations with up to four employees and a mixture of new and already established organisations and freelancers.

ClubRooms are a smart, innovative response to the way that work is changing, where companies and individuals can work, meet and base their businesses in whatever way suits them best. Featuring open workspaces, lounge-style rooms or private areas; Club Rooms is designed to allow you to work the way you need.

Cost: Prices start from as low as £100 a month, up to £200 Website: 90mainyard.co.uk Contact: 020 8986 0090

Cost: Prices start at £250 a month Website: Search: Club Rooms Paddington Station Contact: 0203 626 0100

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Central location

Club Workspace – Clerkenwell Workshops Clerkenwell Workshops is home to a diverse base of young and growing businesses. The centre incorporates a charming central courtyard and cafe/bar, which provides the focal point for interaction and activity. Club Workspace aims to bring entrepreneurs and start-up communities together, creating more productive working relationships and Clerkenwell Workshops central location offers entrepreneurs easy access to the City.

Cost: Prices start at £200, and go up to £400 Website: club.workspacegroup.co.uk Contact: 0203 393 1142

Techspace – Underwood Street Techspace premises are unbranded so that businesses can be as at home and independent as possible, with the advantages of being part of a community. Techspace has private meeting rooms, a conference room, kitchen facilities, breakout areas and a 1000 sq.ft. events room to help create a vibrant, friendly and professional place to work.

Cost: £325 per month Website: www.techspace.co Contact: 020 3095 2964

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WimbleTech Campus The Wimble Tech Campus offers a flexible co-working environment for start-ups and other professionals.

There is Wi-Fi, power sources, Free tea, coffee, drinks, and fruit, all while being situated in an awesome location in Wimbledon. It is an ideal alternative space for homeworkers, freelancers, mobile workers and those who want an informal meeting space or to reduce their daily commute.

Cost: £150 per month Website: www.wimbletech.com Contact: 07446 873754

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After a hugely successful first year in 2013, The Great British Entrepreneur Awards are regarded as the new benchmark for entrepreneurial success in the UK, and these Awards celebrate the contributions and innovations of British entrepreneurs and their impact on the economy.

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards The Great British Entrepreneur Awards has collected a strong group of judges from across the business spectrum. Ahead of this year’s awards, we caught up with one of them - Nadhim Zahawi, Co-Founder of YouGov and MP for Stratford-upon-Avon.

What attracted you to become involved with The Great British Entrepreneur Awards?

I fell upon it really by accident.

Last year I was the standin for one of my Ministerial colleagues, to give one of the awards and I didn’t know what I was letting myself in to. Of course I walked in and it was extraordinary. It was so impressive, because not only of the people in the room and the organisation, how professional it all looked and felt, but also the award winners, the people who had actually put their names forward for an award.

Every table I talked to had businesses that I would happily work for or invest in.

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What do you think are the main attributes of an entrepreneur?

Perseverance – it’s got to be.

There are a thousand good ideas; I went to the University College, London, I sometimes go back and do an enterprise class there. And I remind the students that there a thousand good ideas but the winners are the ones who can actually turn that idea into reality – who can execute and deliver a two-way plan on time, on budget. That makes a massive, massive difference.

And the other thing which is incredibly important is that if you’re going to set up a business, set it up because you’re passionate about what you want to do, not because you want to make money. Most entrepreneurs actually, if you profile them, certainly the ones I’ve spoken to, they’re people who are absolutely passionate almost to the level of madness to the particular thing they think they can change the world with.

That level of passion is what correlates with success. If you start up a business because you think you want to make money, I suspect you’ll almost certainly fail.

Do you think The Great British Entrepreneur Awards has created a good platform for entrepreneurs to connect with like minded people?

Very much so! From what I’ve seen of it and the team that runs it, they are themselves passionate about what they do – pushy (he laughs), they came to see me in Parliament and said ‘Right, we want you this year, we want you back and we want you to judge the awards’, and I just admired their chutzpah (Hebrew word meaning the quality of one’s audacity) in saying ‘we want to do this’ and I think that level of commitment and passion is what will make them successful.

To find out who won, head to: greatbritishentrepreneurawards.com Twitter: @Entrepreneursgb

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The Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Michael Jacobsen, GBEA 2014 Judge and Zoe Jackson, Living the Dream Company

Isabel Oswell, Head of Business & Research Audiences, The British Library

Nish and Sach Kukadia, Founders of SecretSales.com

Chris Lane, Partner, Kingston Smith and Oli Barrett, GBEA 2014 Judge and Host

Nick James, Founder, Fresh Business Thinking 36

Elizabeth Adeniran, EN Campaigns

The Great British Entrepreneur Awards Nominees’ VIP Evening on 18 September at RBS Headquarters, London

Left to Right – Oli Barrett, Steve Moore, Eric Newnham (Serial Entrepreneur of the Year 2013 winner), Sir Steve Redgrave, Andy Moore, Ian Moore (host of GBEA / comedian)

Ross Kemp, Founder ASAP Water Crafts

Ed Bussey, Founder of Quill

Timothy Barnes, UCL, Ian Cowie - Chairman of Small Business Banking RBS / NatWest, Michelle Wright - Founder of Cause4 and Ry Morgan, Founder of Yomp

Marc D’Azzo and Madeleine Johnson, Great British Entrepreneur Awards VIPs

Simon Burton, Founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards

Ian Cowie, Chairman, SME Banking, NatWest / RBS 37

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The entrepreneur revolution

Unleashing British business

Key recommendations to oil the wheels of innovation for UK entrepreneurship

Earlier this year Smith & Williamson hosted a forum on “Unleashing British Business”. The objective of the forum was to discuss the current landscape for entrepreneurs and their businesses and to consider what issues the political and business communities need to address in order to encourage the future entrepreneurial activity and growth which is vital to Britain’s success in the global economy; essentially to formulate strategic recommendations to facilitate the SME agenda in the UK. As a result of this forum, we produced a white paper and wrote an open letter to Dr Vince Cable MP. This paper considered just some of these complex factors in order to encourage Government to pursue policies that actively promote the SME cause.

Plugging the equity gap Key recommendations: Plug the information gap to improve awareness of equity options Remove hostile or restrictive regulations and tax policies for families Encourage equity providers to educate entrepreneurs The UK needs to create a culture that doesn’t inhibit entrepreneurs seeking equity. According to our expert panel, there is plenty of funding available to SMEs, but not enough information to help them understand their options. Education is key to understanding core business concepts and the Government should play its part by promoting basic business knowledge in schools and universities.

Private equity and venture capital firms should also take a more proactive role in mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs.

A strong network of peers is another way to fill the information void. The Government should aim to ensure that those seeking equity are aware of investor networks and how to utilise them.

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS, SEIS) is helping to increase business angel investment in earlier stage businesses, but the benefits need to be communicated more effectively. The regulations surrounding these schemes can be complex and onerous, and should be simplified.

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Family investment is a key source of equity for early-stage ventures and is often denied the benefits enjoyed by individuals who are ‘unconnected’ investors. More should be done to encourage this. At the same time, many established companies are now backing incubators and accelerators and making direct investment into early-stage businesses. The reintroduction of a Corporate Venturing Scheme by the Government would encourage this important form of investment, bringing wider benefits such as market access, back office services and mentoring.

“It seems complicated and serious to get involved with private equity and you shrink away from it because you don’t want to be wrong.”

Rupert Collingwood, Founder, The London Management Company

Making debt markets work Key recommendations: The UK must tackle a culture of risk aversion Improve information channels between lenders and SMEs Increase access to mentoring Banks claim that while funding is available to strong businesses, many solid candidates are unwilling to take on debt and only a tiny proportion meet stringent lending criteria.

The UK needs to return to a more local and relationship-based form of banking in order to support entrepreneurs. Local savings banks in Germany – where rewards for managers are based on the economic performance of defined regions – may provide a good model for lending to SMEs in the UK. Government schemes such as the Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) and the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme have been poorly communicated. SMEs simply don’t know where to find unbiased advice and guidance.

“The UK banks that used to service British companies have now been gobbled up by global players, stripping banks of their expertise in relationship management and leaving entrepreneurs without access to mentoring.” - Director, leading family wealth office.

The red tape challenge Key recommendations: Communicate Government successes more effectively ‘Name and shame’ regarding company payment terms Ease the burden of the public procurement process The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill is a welcome initiative to ease the burden of red tape, but it’s vital that channels of communication between the Government and SMEs are

improved. Recent reports suggest that MPs, even at the highest level, understand too little about entrepreneur-friendly policies.

A further recommendation is that public companies should be forced to publish payment terms and average payment times so that SMEs understand the level of risk involved. Payment periods of more than 60 days should be abolished as they create an unsustainable environment for SMEs. ‘Lighter touch’ regulation of hiring and firing by SMEs, allowing them to flexibly downsize in difficult times, would be a major benefit and keep many more businesses going. More supportive policies would encourage SMEs to take on more staff and self-employed people, in particular, should be encouraged to hire.

“The Government needs to focus on creating better red tape rather than more red tape.”

Dale Murray, CBE, tech entrepreneur and angel investor.

Tax policies for growth Key recommendations: Introduce low, simple, consistent tax rates to foster long-term commitment Set long-term goals for tax policy to support SMEs Champion the contribution of entrepreneurship to GDP and employment The consensus of our forum was that low and stable tax rates and simple reliefs are essential to promote enterprise and innovation, benefiting society as a whole. Given the current Government deficit, it is suggested that the best way forward is to cut expenditure and raise indirect taxes, rather than direct taxes. The concept of a flat tax rate for entrepreneurs should also be considered to counter the issue of ‘double taxation’ of both the business and the individual and the rates for SMEs should be lowered in order to help them grow.

There is a growing need for international collaboration to ensure that the cross-border tax system doesn’t impede the growth of small businesses across territories. The Government needs to find a way to ease the burden of European VAT on small businesses looking to expand and consider implementing a tax policy to aid exports. Tax policies should encourage SMEs to employ more people so that they can contribute to UK economic growth.

“The starting point should be that whatever a business spends on its business should be tax deductible” John Whiting, tax director, Office of Tax Simplification

Priming the next generation Key recommendations: Balance creative, academic and business-oriented education Commit more support to the entrepreneurial agenda in schools Promote corporate projects which encourage entrepreneurship One of the key trends identified by the forum as vitally important for the success of SMEs and the UK economy is encouraging the next generation to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

Head teachers need greater flexibility to shape the agenda of their schools, with more input from parents and students. Inspiration can be taken from revolutionary ‘Gazelle Colleges’ and ‘Entrepreneur Academies’, committed to facilitating entrepreneurship.

Fear of failure is a major deterrent to many young people today.

The next generation of entrepreneurs needs to understand what defines success and what’s required to create viable, sustainable businesses – and have strong role models to inspire them. Schools

and universities can provide a safe environment to start a business, with access to mentors and funding.

Larger corporates should be encouraged to be more supportive of SMEs and champion the benefits of ‘David and Goliath’ working together.

“Practical entrepreneur-focused programmes teaching foundation business skills would be really beneficial to many young people” Stuart Nicol, founder, Reboot Ventures

Drivers of growth Key recommendations: Increased investment in digital infrastructure Role models in business and entrepreneurial ambition Simpler access to funding Investment in mobile and broadband networks yields economic and social benefits. It’s essential that the UK extends the reach of secure and robust networks. If future application technologies are to become accessible to businesses of all sizes, personal data, financial information and personal privacy must be protected at all times.

LEPs – partnerships between regional authorities and businesses – localise decision-making and minimise the bureaucracy that often frustrates small business owners. Investing in and getting the best from these partnerships should be a priority.

Finally, the panel cautions against the stifling effect on the growth potential of early-stage businesses of an over- emphasis on exit planning. The adoption of a different mindset, akin to that which is more common in the US, would significantly enhance the potential to create larger and stronger UK businesses from start-ups over the long term.

“In the US, when a company is worth $100m it is seen as a good start.” Roger Parry CBE, chairman at MSQ Partners A comprehensive ‘white paper’ resulting from the Unleashing British Business Forum is available at www.smith.williamson.co.uk/ entrepreneurs-unleashing-british-business

About Smith & Williamson Smith & Williamson is one of the UK’s leading accountancy and investment management groups, with 11 principal offices in the UK and Ireland and 1,500 people. The entrepreneurial and growth business sector is one of the firm’s key areas of focus, with clients including private and quoted businesses, as well as their owners and investors.

For earlier stage and growth businesses a dedicated entrepreneurs team offers a range of specialist services. These include advising on the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS/SEIS), R&D tax credits and the Enterprise Management Incentive (EMI) scheme. A full range of accountancy, audit, tax, M&A and financial services is also offered.

For busy entrepreneurs and executives, the firm also offers a private client service. ‘MyPersonalFD’ looks after the individual, providing tax, financial planning and investment management, as well as advising on the individual’s ownership interests.

The firm has an international capability in over 100 countries which comes through its memberships of Nexia International, one of the longest established global networks of independent accounting and consulting firms, and M&A International, a leading mid-market M&A network.

To find out more about Smith & Williamson visit www.ukentrepreneurs. com, or alternatively call Guy Rigby, head of the entrepreneurial services group, on 020 7131 8213 or email guy.rigby@smith.williamson.co.uk.

Smith & Williamson LLP Regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for a range of investment business activities. A member of Nexia International 41

An Interview with Jane Gomez, Managing Director of The Supper Club

By Claire West

What are you doing for Supper?

It’s often said that ‘two minds are better than one’. And that’s certainly the mantra of The Supper Club. But rather than tell you what it’s all about myself, why don’t we just get stuck into it. I caught up with Jane Gomez, Managing Director of The Supper Club to find it all about it.

In a nutshell, what is The Supper Club?

The Supper Club is a membership club exclusively for high growth entrepreneurs.

Since starting in 2003, we have built a wide network of experienced and inspiring founders and CEOs. Is there a typical The Supper Club member?

There’s no such thing as a typical member but all our 330 members are primarily 42

passionate about growing businesses and willing to share their own experiences. The Club is all about give and get – we strongly believe that the more you give to others the more you get back in advice, trust and business connections.

So how does it work?

The origins of The Supper Club are in bringing curated groups of people together at intimate dinners to discuss the most pressing issues to

their businesses. This is still a fundamental part of what we do today. These dynamic discussions are intended to offer a unique opportunity for members to share knowledge and experience.

What inspired the launch of The Supper Club?

The Supper Club was founded

by Duncan Cheatle in 2003, when he and a group of peers became fed up with the networking events on offer.

Instead of meeting genuinely experienced entrepreneurs at these events, they were often left talking to someone who wanted to sell to them or were too early stage to offer any real value.

So, Duncan arranged a dinner for eight entrepreneurial friends in a private dining room, where he hosted an open discussion.

They were all blown away by what they learnt in just one evening and insisted they meet again the following month.

From there, the Club has grown into a very active membership network but is still based on the same principles of peer-to-peer learning.

What sets it apart from other entrepreneurs clubs?

We select members based not just on turnover, but on their willingness to be open, humble and honest. We have a strict rule of ‘No Selling’ in our Club, and if we come across it, we explain to that member that it is not acceptable behaviour at our events. That’s not to say that business between members doesn’t happen

naturally, but we provide a safe ‘sales free’ zone for members to be confident in sharing their challenges and opportunities confidentially with peers.

I’ve heard of the ‘Speaker Boutique’. What’s that?

Speaker Boutique is a series of events where successful entrepreneurs share real-life experiences around scaling a business, warts and all. As innovation is one of our values, we decided to do something different to the run of the mill speaker events.

Three entrepreneurs speak for 20 minutes each, sharing their hard learnt lessons so that business owners at slightly earlier stage and can avoid all of their pitfalls.

Finish the sentence: Britain means Business to The Supper Club because... …there has been a lot of change in recent years to encourage people to start a business, and it’s never been easier to get started.

Social media has been a total game changer and the number of organisations out there to support start-ups is a phenomenal resource.

Our belief is that, in Britain, we produce some of the best inventors and innovators in the world, we have an entrepreneurial spirit running through us and the world looks to us for our creativity and innovations. We want to look after the best entrepreneurs within the Club and work with them and the learnings from them to support business as a whole in this country.

WE CREATE...

Social Campaigns Shareable Blog Posts Videos Social Media Profiles Whitepapers Research Websites Infographics Digital Media We create fresh content for businesses.

Fresh Content Creation delivers companies and brands engagement with prospects, customers and partners through relevant content creation and social media. www.freshcontentcreation.com @freshcontentteam 43

2013 was the year of the start-up but after the BIG idea – what next?

The number of startups registered in 2013 was the highest since records began – over 531,000 new businesses created.

Coupled with a recent study from Experian revealing that one in ten Brits are currently looking to create their own business – it is safe to say the UK has a love affair with entrepreneurialism.

Alongside the success stories, however, is the reality that many of these new companies will fail within the first two years - 24 per cent to be precise. So what can tomorrow’s entrepreneurs do to ensure they succeed?

At Experian, we’ve done a great deal of research into the characteristics of successful start-ups. The things commonly forgotten once the ‘Big Idea’ has been launched are the

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more practical yet essential steps needed to give a business the best chance of not only survival, but also success and growth.

Today’s savvy business owner needs to research the best location for their venture, identify reliable suppliers, recruit skilled employees and ensure personal finances are in order so they can secure the best finance partner.

Addressing steps to achieve a good credit profile should feature highly on the list of key priorities as this important score can improve a company’s chance of success. Here are some more essential tips to consider for the best start.

Make some noise Regardless of where your business is in its development, the more information there is in the public domain that can be provided to credit reference agencies, the better. Register with a directory, but also approach CRAs proactively and register directly. Many suppliers will check out your business through a CRA, so making sure your business is portrayed in the best light possible before you start making purchases can help secure the best terms with these suppliers.

Sometimes it’s personal By the very nature of a start-up business, the detail available will be limited so information

about you, the director, and your personal credit history will be taken into account when a credit check is performed on your business.

Two’s company Experian data shows that businesses started by two people or more have a greater chance of survival so it might be worth finding a partnering director, especially one that has previously experienced business success.

Avoid the domino effect Checking out potential and existing customers and suppliers from a credit perspective, regardless of how big they are, is essential.

Remember large businesses aren’t immune to insolvency and the bigger they are, the harder they fall leaving in their wake countless suppliers that relied on their business with unpaid bills and cash flow issues.

Mind your own business Once you’re on top of your own credit score, you will be able to spot any problems early on, as opposed to being taken by surprise and jeopardising future business opportunities.

Ongoing monitoring of clients and suppliers will also ensure you are alerted to any changes and credit or payment terms can be addressed accordingly.

Ade Potts Experian Business Express

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BRITAIN MEANS BUSINESS

means Business

Every eight minutes we help a business take on the world

Whether building your local network or a global presence, we can help your business achieve its next breakthrough.

Visit santandercb.co.uk Simple Personal Fair | What a bank should be

Source: Internal data 2014.

Santander Corporate & Commercial is a brand name of Santander UK plc, Abbey National Treasury Services plc (which also uses the brand name Santander Global Banking and Markets) and Santander Asset Finance plc, all (with the exception of Santander Asset Finance plc) authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Our Financial Services Register numbers are 106054 and 146003 respectively. Credit cards are provided by Santander UK plc. In Jersey, Santander UK plc is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to carry on deposit-taking business under the Banking Business (Jersey) Law 1991. Registered office: 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, London NW1 3AN. Company numbers: 2294747, 2338548 and 1533123 respectively. Registered in England. Santander and the flame logo are registered trademarks. Santander UK plc is a participant in the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Scheme. The Scheme offers protection for eligible deposits of up to £50,000. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered are available on the States of Jersey website (www.gov.je/dcs) or on request.