Sussex Business Times - Issue 391 2015

SBT

ISSUE 391

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

THE WHOLE OFFICE PACKAGE

PAUL KOLLNIG FROM M2 COMPUTING DISCUSSES HOW BUSINESSES ARE MAKING THE MOVE TO OFFICE 365

POP UP BUSINESS BOOM

DAISY WHITE, LOCAL AUTHOR CONSULTS BUSINESSES ON THE POTENTIAL OF POP UPS

CHANGING FLIGHT PLAN

THE FIGHT FOR GATWICK’S SECOND RUNWAY GOES ON

DEFINING LEADERSHIP

RICHARD BRANSON SHARES AND DISTILS HIS SECRETS OF LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS

YOUR NEW FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS NOW OPEN IN EASTBOURNE 8 BOLTON RD, EASTBOURNE, BN21 3JX 01323 723023

BAR BISTRO

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

2 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT Welcome MEET THE TEAM

Lee Mansfield, Managing Director/ Publisher

Simon Skinner, Group Director

Clare Fermor, Operation Director

Jenny Ardagh, Editor

Jon Goodwin, Title Manager

Patrick McCreanor, Commercial Manager

Harriet Weston, Amy Watson, Production Manager Production Designer

Amelia Wellings, Financial Controller

CONTRIBUTORS

Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Group

Jim Duffy, Entrepreneurial Spark CEO

Frederick St. George, Executive Advisor, Managing Director of Rita Trehan Mojo Publishing Ltd

Tim Boag, NatWest’s Regional Managing Director Commercial & Private Banking

Christina Ewbank ACES Facilitator

This month, we see a large impact of the Summer Budget on local and national businesses alike. George Osborne’s announcements have struck fear into some of us, and delight into others. We look at the key information, who wins, and who loses in the National News section this month (page 6 – 9).

Certainly bad news for the south east, the Airport Commission has made their recommendation for an expansion at Heathrow over Gatwick. SBT reveals our opinion on the matter, and consult local and Gatwick based businesses what they think about it. (page 20-21).

The economy is looking up, and new bright ventures are beginning here in Sussex. NatWest support entrepreneurs on their dreams of becoming successful businessmen and women, and offices are regenerated across the region, whilst law firm, Coffin Mew embarks on a new start in Brighton, adding to their four other office premises. Perhaps any budding entrepreneurs reading SBT this month can get some inspiration from the man himself, Richard Branson on pages 24-26.

Learn the ‘Virgin Way!’ Be introduced to Kooks in Brighton with my review of the modern and ‘kooky’ style restaurant, and add to your ever-growing local business knowledge that we at SBT endeavour to give you.

Enjoy your read!

Editor Jenny Ardagh

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 3

Contents SBT Issue 391

SBT

ISSUE 391

FREE

SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

THE WHOLE OFFICE PACKAGE

PAUL KOLLNIG FROM M2 COMPUTING DISCUSSES HOW BUSINESSES ARE MAKING THE MOVE TO OFFICE 365

POP UP BUSINESS BOOM

DAISY WHITE, LOCAL AUTHOR CONSULTS BUSINESSES ON THE POTENTIAL OF POP UPS

CHANGING FLIGHT PLAN

THE FIGHT FOR GATWICK’S SECOND RUNWAY GOES ON

DEFINING LEADERSHIP

RICHARD BRANSON SHARES AND DISTILS HIS SECRETS OF LEADERSHIP AND SUCCESS IN ASSOCIATION WITH

YOUR NEW FAVOURITE RESTAURANT IS NOW OPEN IN EASTBOURNE 8 BOLTON RD, EASTBOURNE, BN21 3JX 01323 723023

BAR BISTRO

SERVING THE SUSSEX BUSINESS COMMUNITY SINCE 1975

Cover: Richard Branson

Managing Director/Publisher: Lee Mansfield lee@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 007 Group Director: Simon Skinner simon@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 017 Operations Director: Clare Fermor clare@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 007 Title Manager: Jon Goodwin jon@sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Commercial Manager Patrick McCreanor patrick@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 014 Editorial: Jenny Ardagh jenny@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 011 Production Manager: Harriet Weston harriet@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 010 Production Designer: Amy Watson amy@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 018 Subscriptions: Linda Grace linda@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 015 Accounts: Amelia Wellings amelia@lifemediagroup.co.uk 01323 819 007 Published by Life Media Group, Unit1, Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by Berforts 17 Burgess Road, Ivyhouse Lane Hastings, East Sussex, TN35 4NR 01424 722733 www.berforts.co.uk All material in this publication is strictly copyright and all rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in Sussex Business Times Magazine do not necessarily represent the view of Life Media Group LTD. Every care is taken in compiling the contents but the publishers of Sussex Business Times Magazine assume no responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from the participation in any offers, competitions or advertisement contained within Sussex Business Times Magazine. All prices featured in Sussex Business Times Magazine are correct at the time of going to press.

Copyright Life Media Group LTD 2015 ©

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News

View the latest local and national business headlines.

Spending it

SBT’s top pick of travel essential to keep you connected, productive and organised on your travels.

Events

The twenty seventh Sussex Business Awards are now open for business.

Money Matters

NatWest open Brighton’s first Entrepreneurial Spark hatchery for business start-ups in Sussex and the South East.

Changing Flight Plan

After the Airports Commission recommends Heathrow, local businesses are left disappointed, but the fight for Gatwick’s second runway goes on.

Cover Feature - Richard Branson

In The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead, Richard shares and distils his secrets of leadership and success.

Creating Value

Kevin Byrne, Founder & CEO of Checkatrade.com offers advice on creating value to succeed in business.

Chamber News

All the latest news and events from ACES.

Motoring

SBT’s Simon Skinner reviews two new cars: Nissan X-Trail Tekna dCi 130, and the Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDI KX4 Auto AWD.

Tried and Tested in Sussex

Recently opened restaurant, Kooks opened its doors to Editor, Jenny Ardagh for her review.

Ask the Experts

Local Sussex business experts advise on relevant issues.

Social

Law firm, Coffin Mew has spread its influence across the south of England, now opening it’s fifth branch in Brighton.

Made in Sussex

This month’s home grown hero is Adams & Remers.

For top designer paint brands, the finest and widest selection of wallpapers and a great range of furniture, lighting, blinds, shutters and soft furnishings, visit brewershome.co.uk You can also come to our new Eastbourne showroom and discuss your ideas with our experienced advisors.

Online at: brewershome.co.uk • In store at: Brewers, Birch Road, Eastbourne BN21 6PL www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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SBTLocal News South East Business Showing Confidence and Willingness to Invest Businesses in the South East have grown more confident in the UK economy and are actively investing, according to a survey by leading asset finance provider Lombard.

When asked about levels of confidence in the economy, 70% of the region’s firms say they are more confident than they were 12 months ago, compared with a national average of 67%.

The South East’s appetite for investment is evident in the survey results, with 51% of businesses saying they are investing to secure future growth. A further 20% are investing to replace aging equipment, while only 10% of businesses currently have no plans to invest.

A willingness to embrace technology and innovation is also revealed in the survey, with 67% of South East firms believing they would benefit from further innovation and nearly three-quarters (74%) wanting the Government to do more to encourage investment in technology.

Launch of Windows 10

Ecological Land Co-operative named leading social enterprise in South East by NatWest SE100

The Ecological Land Co-operative (ELC), a social enterprise based in Lewes that aims to increase sustainable land use, has been recognised as the leading social enterprise in the South East by the NatWest SE100.

The NatWest SE100 Index is an online listing of social ventures, ranked and scored according to their growth and social impact. Ecological Land Co-operative has achieved 2,294% growth in turnover and an increase of 138% in profit, between the financial years 2012/13 and 2013/14.

ELC have an impact measurement

score of 8/10 on the SE100 Index.

Cate Chapman, Executive Director, said: “It is incredibly heartening to gain recognition for what we are doing.

The index helps to raise our profile and credibility with potential funders, investors and other interested parties.”

Sue Quinn, Director of South East Social Enterprise (SE2), said: “ELC is a perfect example of social enterprise, providing innovation addressing multiple issues within communities.

Their commitment to social impact is an example to other social enterprises, raising awareness of its importance to funders and investors.”

Business Matters Award Winners Microsoft Windows 10 is out, with much-missed features from Windows 7. But the decision as to whether to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro for SME owners will depend on many different factors. Paull Kollnig, Business Development Manager at M2 Computing, comments: “With any new operating system launch, we always advise small-to-medium size businesses to sit tight with their current Windows version for a few months.

New operating systems will always require software fixes shortly after launch and it makes sense to wait a couple of months until it is stable.”

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On Friday 3rd July, hundreds of people attended the Business Matters Awards at Gatwick Hilton Hotel, hosted by Nick Wallis, BBC One show reporter and Channel 5 presenter.

The big winner of the night was Horsham’s Little Barn Owls Nursery and Farm School, which was named overall business of the year.

Happyscamps won start-up business of the year, Juno Wealth Management won small business of the year, Sussex Uniforms won medium business, and Hilton London Gatwick Airport won large business of the year. Business Personality was won by Paul Bate of Permanent Success Ltd. Susie Marshall, of JP South Events, said: “It was a fantastic night where the best of local business was celebrated. It was a pleasure to be part of it.”

1st Central Insurance was awarded for their training and education, whilst Dark Star Brewery was awarded Outstanding Contribution to the Community. C&T Radmall Funeral Services were awarded Best Customer Service, with Juno Wealth Management achieving recognition for theirs.

For more information on the event, please contact Susie Marshall on 01403 751292 or email susie.marshall@jpress.co.uk

SBTLocal News Business In Sussex That Owns Residential Property Warned: Don’t Be Caught Out By Altered Tax Rules Changes to the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED), which concerns UK residential properties owned by a company or a mixed partnership with a corporate member, are now in place.

In the past, this tax did not kick in until the property was worth £2m. However, this financial year, the annual tax charge applies to properties with a value of more than £1m.

Tax reliefs are available on: • Property rental businesses where the property is not occupied by

anyone connected with the owner of the Company • Farmhouses • Property developers where the property is acquired to develop, then sell on and the property is not occupied by anyone connected with the owner of the Company • Dwellings open to the public for at least 28 days a year • Property provided for the use of employees of the Company where the employees do not own more than 10% of the share capital or more than 10% of the partnership.

50 Years of The Queen’s Awards The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the UK’s most prestigious business award for British companies, is celebrating its 50th year of driving growth and innovation, and promoting exports in 2015. On Wednesday 15 July, winners from across the South East attended a special event in London to celebrate their Queen’s Awards.

Of the 26 South East Queen’s Awards winners, 18 attended the event, organised by the UKTI to help companies celebrate their award and find out how they can further boost their exports with the help of UKTI’s services.

The Queen’s Awards recognise outstanding achievements by companies across the UK, focusing on international trade, innovation and sustainable

development. Companies from the South East represented at the event included Crawley-based Acro Aircraft Seating Ltd, which designs and manufactures aircraft passenger seats, and Oxford PharmaGenesis Ltd, which provides marketing and writing services to pharmaceutical companies.

Two new faces at Baker Tilly in Gatwick

Baker Tilly has welcomed Richard Heap as an audit partner and Sarah Nichols as corporate finance manager in its Gatwick office.

Richard will focus on growing the client base for the Gatwick office and the wider southern region, working across service lines, with a particular focus on the Technology, Media and Telecoms sector.

Sarah, with eight years of corporate finance experience will lead on deals in the region, whilst working closely to support the business development activities of the office in the wider southern region.

Kirsty Sandwell, managing partner at Baker Tilly’s Gatwick office said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Richard and Sarah to the team. This is a further demonstration of our investment in the Gatwick Office and the Gatwick Diamond. We will continue to invest in key hires to broaden the strength and depth of our leadership team.’

Law Firm Urges Young Businesses to Enter Regional Awards Scheme Sussex Business Awards Leading law firm Thomas Eggar LLP is the latest business to show support for the Sussex Business Awards by sponsoring the award for Most Promising New Business. Others includes HSBC, Domestic & General, Sussex Innovation Centre, Checkaprofessional, Sussex Business Times and Sussex Chamber of Commerce.

With nearly 500 employees across six offices, Thomas Eggar LLP offers legal advice to private clients and

businesses and provides specialist services in the technology, media, retail, manufacturing, financial services and leisure industries.

Lee Harding, Business Development Manager, said: “We are delighted to be a sponsor of this year’s Sussex Business Awards.

Sussex is becoming

known as a hub for innovation in the UK, and new businesses are springing up seemingly every day in the area.

“We would like to urge all new businesses in Sussex that have been trading for at least six months and for no longer than three years to visit www. sbawards.org.uk and enter! We can’t wait to get started on the judging!”

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SBTLocal News New Arrival At Vail Williams’ Crawley Office Injects Planning Expertise From Private And Public Sector A fresh injection of planning expertise into both the private and public sectors is boosting the Crawley office Vail Williams, the commercial property specialist.

James Williams joins the regional team as a new Senior Planner in the company’s Property Planning Consultancy, bolstering the range of services and advice available to support local businesses.

A Chartered Town Planner, James cut his teeth in the private sector, primarily representing telecommunication companies and advising on the roll-out of mobile networks.

His CV also features significant

Lewes District Business Awards Winners Revealed

The winners of the 2015 Lewes District Business Awards were announced on Thursday 9th July, at Pelham House in Lewes, with Richard Soan Roofing Services named Business of the Year. The Lewes District Council event was attended by 150 people, including 30 finalists, with trophies presented by BBC news reporter Ben Brown.

The Lewes District Business Awards were launched to highlight

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experience in planning policy for local authorities. High profile projects have included monitoring and advising a local authority on Gatwick Airport’s potential expansion.

James’ arrival in Crawley is among

a number of new appointments made by Vail Williams around the country, including Louise Cutts as Senior Planner at the company’s Southampton office and new Associate Jane Terry in Guildford.

Tsg Appoint New Managing Director For The South National IT solutions specialists, Technology Services Group (TSG), has appointed Andy Hayward as its new Managing Director for the Southern Region.

Andy joins TSG having been Managing Director of Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner m-hance Ltd, formally Calyx Software, since 2009. He will hold overall responsibility for the region from Derbyshire and further south, steering the business towards fulfilling TSG’s strategy with mid-market-sized customers in the UK. Further jobs have also been created in TSG’s southern regions, with three excellence in the district’s business community – and to provide a fantastic opportunity for companies of all types to join together and celebrate the success of the area’s business talent.

The Charleston Trust collected Best Visitor Attraction, Gerri Ori of Brooklyn Hyundai was named as the District’s Businessperson of the Year and Union Music Store clinched the Best Independent Retailer title.

account directors joining Andy’s team and a number of Business Development Manager positions being recruited for the London office.

Hugh Burnett OBE DL FCA, chair of the judges, commented: “The Awards give our local businesses the chance to demonstrate great performance and excellence in their field. It was a very special evening showcasing some of the most outstandingly successful individuals and businesses in the District.” www.lewesdistrictbusiness awards.co.uk

SBTNational News The 2015 Summer Budget • Low wage earners Introducing a new National Living Wage of over £9 per hour by 2020 following the initial increase to £7.20 per hour from April 2016 for all over 25s. Increasing the tax-free personal Allowance from £10,600 to £11,000 in April 2016 means a typical taxpayer will be £905 a year better off in 2016-17.

George Osbourne has announced the first budget since the election and it’s not all win-win for everyone. The budget plan includes major changes to the national living wage, inheritance tax, personal allowance, welfare claims, non-doms, income tax and childcare.

The chancellor sees a promising future for everyone, despite seeming negative impacts, but others don’t see it that way.

• Inheritors From April 2017 it will be possible for someone to pass on their home to their children or grandchildren tax free after their death.

Positive Impact: • Investors and savers Lifting of the rate of income tax so you don’t have to start paying income tax until you are earning £11,000 per year and for middle earners until you are earning £43,000 per year you don’t qualify for the 40p high rate.

• People with lodgers Mike Chapman, Senior Manager, Knill James comments that the increase to £7,500 for annual ‘Rent a Room Relief’ will be: “welcome news to many people in the South East who take in lodgers.”

• Dividend reform on 85% of investors George Osborne has announced that the current dividend tax system will be replaced by a tax-free dividend allowance of £5,000. It means all dividends earned outside of pensions and ISAs will be tax free up to £5,000, then taxed at 7.5% for basic

• High income earners The amount that people ill have to earn before they begin to pay tax at 40% will increase from £42,385 to £43,000 in 2016-17. rate taxpayers, 32.5% for higher rate taxpayers and 38.1% for additional rate taxpayers.

• Fixing the Annual investment allowance at £200k Andrew Stanley, Managing Director of Stax comments that this is ‘good news on many fronts’ due to incentivising investment by business. “It will also stop smaller firms receiving shock tax bills due to a lack of understanding about revenue and capital expenditure (they are out there),” says Stanley.

A new National Living Wage of over £9 per hour by 2020

Negative Impact: • Landlords There has been a loss of higher rate tax relief on interest payments for landlords.

• Dividend reforms on 15% of investors The new allowance means that the 15% of investors who receive significant dividend income on shareholdings worth £140,000 plus will pay more.

• Non-domiciled individuals Non-doms will only be treated as such for 15 years thus ending their permanent status. By to let landlords are facing restrictions of the amount of mortgage tax relief they can claim. There will also be changes in taxing of pensions.

• Welfare claimers The household benefit cap will be reduced to £20,000. Support through Child Tax Credit will be limited to 2 children for children born from April 2017. People aged between 18 and 21 who are on Universal Credit will have to apply for an apprenticeship or traineeship, gain work based skills or go on a work placement for 6 months after the start of their claim.

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Business Travel Essentials

SBT’s top pick of travel essential to keep you connected, productive and organised on your travels

TRIPLE CARD HOLDER YELLOW This Triple Card Holder is handmade in the UK with genuine decomissioned Fire Hose & features a striking reclaimed parachute silk lining. £47.37. www.upcyclestudio.com.au

KINDLE VOYAGE 6” High-Resolution Display (300 ppi) with Adaptive Built-in Light, PagePress Sensors, Wi-Fi. £169.99. www.amazon.co.uk

PILLO INDIGO, BLACK & MULBERRY CABIN A contemporary and lightweight design, easy-to-store. This collection moulds perfectly to fit your travel needs and fits within the 50 x 40 x 20 restrictions. £49.99. www.debenhams.com

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GILLAN FASHION COSMETIC BAG PHONE CHARGER There are few things in life more frustrating than a dead phone and they always seem to die when we need them most. Coming to the rescue is the Gillan Cosmetic Bag. £54.95. www.cuckooland.com

ITALIAN ROLLING LEATHER TRAVEL BAG

BY PELLE TRADIZIONALE Made in Italy for the Pelle Tradizionale collection, this beautiful piece of luggage will be the star of the concourse. £280. www.theleathertravelbag.co.uk

SEYVR PHONE CHARGING MENS WALLET FOR IPHONE 5/6/6 PLUS Have you ever left the house and not realised you haven’t charged your phone? Maybe your phone often runs out of battery when you’re out and about or on the go? The Seyvr chargeable wallet is here to rescue you! £59.95. www.cuckooland.com

LUXURY LEATHER TRAVEL SHAVING KIT An ideal shaving companion for any leisure or business trip, this neat kit is compact and small enough to fit into a briefcase. Needs to be packed into checked in luggage when flying. £114. www.annabeljames.co.uk

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27 Years of Sussex Business Awards The twenty seventh Sussex Business Awards are now open for business

The Sussex Business Awards are the longest EVENTS established awards scheme of its kind in the UK, celebrating business excellence across Sussex.

There are fifteen trophies to be won this year including the prestigious Sussex Company of the Year, Best International Company, Small Business of the Year, The Professional Services Award, Innovation and Best Customer Service.

For the second year, Mike Herd, the Executive Director of Sussex Innovation Centre and the Sussex Businessperson of the Year 2000, will be taking his place as Chairman of the Judges. Mike was also recently awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion.

Mike commented: “I am delighted to have been asked to take up the Chair of the Sussex Business Awards once again.

“This year no doubt there will be many other businesses across the region hoping they can follow in the footsteps of 16 winners across all categories. But the real beauty of these Awards is that,

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no matter who takes the accolades, we Four new companies join this year’s can all join together to celebrate business scheme: success in this remarkable county.”

Thomas Eggar will be sponsoring the Awards organiser Caraline Brown, from search for the county’s Most Promising Midnight Communications, commented: New Business – always one of the most “I am proud to hotly contested be involved in of all the these established categories. awards, which have Vantage carved a vital place Professional in the business Risks will community. sponsor a brand “The Awards new award for demonstrate what a the Professional terrific place Sussex Services, is for creating and Checkatrade. doing business. com will sponsor Twenty seven years the award for since they were Best Customer first launched, Service as well - Mike Herd, Executive Director, the Awards have as support Sussex Innovation Centre become an from Basepoint unmissable date in Business our business diaries Centres. and I am delighted that they continue Returning sponsors include Morgan to give local businesses the chance to Sindall, HSBC, Domestic & General, demonstrate outstanding performance Mazars, Sussex Innovation Centre, and excellence in their field.”

Checkaprofessional.com, Wealden

“No matter who takes the accolades, we can all join together to celebrate business success in this remarkable county”

Sussex Events & Networking

District Council, Sussex Chamber of Commerce. The Argus, Heart FM, Title Sussex and Sussex Business Times will be media partners.

Sussex companies have Wednesday 9 September 2015 to prepare their submissions and entries are flooding in.

It is essential that companies effectively showcase their achievements to stand out from the crowd, so what do you need to do to win?

Sussex Business Awards organisers offer some vital tips to succeed: • Consider carefully the categories you wish to enter, and be honest with yourself. Focus on the business arenas in which you shine.

• Allow yourself plenty of time. Great entries are in the editing, not the writing.

Scheduling in the time to tackle this will ensure your entry is not left to the last minute.

• Be clear and concise. Concentrate on delivering the exact reasons why you deserve to win the award.

• Give proof. Don’t simply explain that

you are the best; illustrate your entry with credible examples to show us why.

• Avoid technical language and jargon.

Assume you are writing for somebody completely new to the industry you work in.

• Use the spell checker. An excellent entry can be ruined by typos.

• Back up your claims. Provide a robust evaluation, including statistics, turnover and a competitor analysis to prove your place in the market.

• Don’t hide your best material in the supporting notes. The entry itself is where the impact is made, and additional material is only referenced in cases where the judges have identified more than one strong candidate.

• Cover all criteria. It is important to answer all the questions the judges have asked.

• Get everyone on board. Recruiting your fellow staff members to help you gather information, edit your work and read through the final presentation will make your entry more sound.

There is a small admin fee of £50 (ex vat)

to enter one award or £100 (ex vat) for up to three entries. You can also make nominations for the Healthiest Workplace, Best Boss and Outstanding Contribution to Sussex Charity free of charge.

Winners will be announced at The Grand Brighton on 3 December 2015.

For further information, visit www. sbawards.org.uk and follow all the latest news @SussexBizAwards

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Money Matters

Igniting Brighton’s Entrepreneurial Spark NatWest open Brighton’s first Entrepreneurial Spark hatchery for business start-ups in Sussex and the South East

h

y, me o nd our

In 2014, 8,344 businesses started Financial up in Brighton, fourth most of any UK city Matters despite Brighton only being the county’s 18th largest. However, according to Fiona Anderson, NatWest’s Entrepreneurial Development Manager for Brighton, it also had the highest failure rate of any major British city. “Nationally, 87% of businesses fail in their first year of start-up, and the percentage is even higher in Brighton.”

That makes it especially timely that this month welcomes the opening of the Entrepreneurial Spark “hatchery” in NatWest’s Preston Park offices. Founded by entrepreneur Jim Duffy three years ago in Scotland, Entrepreneurial Spark has an enviable success rate with 84%

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of the more than 350 businesses it has supported still trading.

Entrepreneurial Spark is the world’s largest free business accelerator for early stage and growing ventures and RBS/NatWest has been a partner from the start, providing financial support, premises, mentoring and access to networks. In Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland is supporting hubs in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ayrshire, while this year sees the programme expanding into in the rest of the UK, with hubs opening in NatWest sites. The first opened in Birmingham in February 2015, and hubs in Leeds and Bristol are launching at the same time as Brighton. Further hubs will be opened in Manchester, Cardiff, London and Belfast next year.

“Entrepreneurial Spark’s success

rate is phenomenal,” says Fiona, who’s supported Brighton businesses of all sizes during her 13 years with the bank, and will be managing the hub in Brighton.

“The programme focuses on the entrepreneur and how they can become a great business person. That way, entrepreneurs who successfully complete the programme are well-prepared for the challenges of business and armed with a depth of knowledge to help them achieve their goals.”

Jim Duffy, Entrepreneurial Spark’s CEO, explained how the programme came to be. “Our journey started because we didn’t believe there was support out there which truly put the entrepreneur at the centre. That’s what we are about - delivering world class support to our Chiclets (Entrepreneurial Spark’s term for the entrepreneurs that go through the

Money Matters

programme) - but we know that we can’t stand still or become complacent.

We need to constantly learn and improve.

“Our three Scottish business incubators have so far supported 350 fledging entrepreneurs and created more than 1,000 jobs. Building on our relationship with RBS and NatWest has allowed us to expand into eight new cities, including Birmingham earlier this year and now Brighton.”

Fiona said: “We’re the first hub in the South East, which is great, as is the bank’s commitment to supporting start-ups and the programme, having recently signed a five-year contract with Entrepreneurial Spark.”

“Launching in Sussex is very exciting,” added Jim. “Brighton is a city with a growing entrepreneurial culture, and we want to help nurture that and allow start-up businesses to reach their full potential.”

So why is NatWest putting so much support behind this venture.

“Our ambition is to be the number one bank for service, advocacy and trust for our customers, and supporting local communities in this way will help us get there,” commented Tim Boag, NatWest’s Regional Managing Director Commercial & Private Banking in London & the South East. “NatWest has long been the UK’s largest supporter of start-ups and as the leading UK bank we have a unique role to play in helping businesses grow. Running a business can be a lonely place, especially in the early days, and we believe the advice, infrastructure and general support provided through the hub will be extremely valuable.

“You don’t have to spend long in the city to get a sense of the high level of entrepreneurism in Brighton. This area has long been a breeding ground for entrepreneurs and it’s been exciting to see the varied nature of the businesses applying for the programme, which reflects the diversity and vibrancy that Brighton is famous for.

“Since we announced the opening of the Brighton hub, there has been a huge influx of applications for the programme. I think the biggest challenge for the Brighton Entrepreneurial Spark team was only being able to choose 80 businesses for the initial intake.”

StartUp Britain On 23 July, the national enterprise campaign StartUp Britain bus tour stopped in Brighton. Hundreds of entrepreneurs and businesspeople came out to Jubilee Square to take advantage of the free business and support provided by StartUp Britain and its partners including NatWest, Sage, UpWork, Start Up Loans and UKTI. Lee Perkins, MD at Sage UK and Ireland commented on the importance of StartUp Britain and it’s Brighton stop: “The South West is home to a wide talent pool of skilled businesspeople and entrepreneurs, hundreds of whom we’ve had the pleasure of meeting aboard the StartUp Britain bus. We’ve seen firsthand that this region is not only a great place to start a business but how the right ingredients can create amazing businesses with the right support.

“Our research reaffirms that the region’s start-up scene is soaring, with the South West cited as a top area outside of London for entrepreneurial spirit. The area has world-class universities, people and ideas, and we’ve seen first-hand how those ingredients can create amazing businesses with the right support.

However with many still unsure where to go for advice on starting a business,

it’s clear that local budding entrepreneurs will benefit hugely from initiatives like the StartUp Britain bus. We’re encouraging people to take advantage and get on board!”

Jim Duffy, Entrepreneurial Spark CEO

Tim Boag, NatWest’s Regional Managing Director Commercial & Private Banking in London & the South East

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15

Pop Up Business Boom Daisy White, local author consults businesses on the potential of pop ups

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Pop up shops are the new black for both start ups and global Develop entities, and with numbers to back up the hype and a viable proposition for both business owners looking to add physical presence to a successful web setup, and landlords looking to cash in on this trend.

Of course, the other side of pop up is that it is now playing a major role in colonising the local high streets with independent business, thus making shoppers more likely to come calling.

According to recent figures, a third of all new UK start ups in 2015 will be pop ups and wannabe entrepreneurs will launch up to 3.4 million pop up shops across the UK in the next 2 years.

Retail

started three years ago with a pop up bookshop, and even now I am holding a pop up book launch for my new release (Taming Tigers) in the Pop Up Horsham store. It works both financially and as part of a marketing strategy and I was delighted to be invited to join the Pop Up Horsham team.”

Top 10 Author Pop Up Tips

Creative Commons - Shinichi Higashi ©

1 So what is pop up? A pop up is classed as any temporary retail unit, which could be anything from a burger van through to a Covent Garden shop space, to a gallery, to (congratulations to pop up giants, Appear Here on this one) the London Underground.

It is now possible to promote your brand via a pop up using either local community support groups, or market players such as We Are Pop Up. The aim of everyone in the pop up business is to make the legals, the insurance, and the finance as smooth and easy as possible.

This process also reassures landlords, and helps first-timers onto the high street ladder.

Pop Up Horsham is a new Sussex community project run by a group of local entrepreneurs and backed by Horsham &

District Council and Enterprise Nation. It aims to provide a high street unit for up to seven entrepreneurs per month to dip a toe in high street trading and launched in Swan Walk Shopping Centre on August 3rd. Showcasing high quality fashion/ homewares/beauty products and foodie delights the pop up shop helps small business go from ‘Start Up to Stay Up’.

Co-Director Mick Oakey, founder of local business, The Aviation Historian explains why he is keen to support the venture: “It is essential to give not only affordable space on the high street to entrepreneurs, but also to provide the public with a shopping destination – something special and a bit unique.”

Daisy White, a local author and pop up shop consultant, who also organised Pop Up Gatwick earlier this year, adds: “I

Location, location, location. Wherever you pop up make sure you are somewhere that is full of your potential customers.

Research is essential and don’t rely on footfall counters – traffic can be high but if people aren’t stopping because you have chosen the thoroughfare to the car park based on high footfall then don’t expect sales. There are exceptions – if you are selling a recipe book and giving away free burgers/gold bullion people may risk a late charge on their parking but otherwise not a good option. Markets, community areas, empty shops, galleries are all better ones. If you don’t do DIY pop up then use We Are Pop Up or Appear Here – they are the best.

2 3

Insurance. Most markets/ landlords insist on it, but wherever you are, make sure you have public liability insurance. Think business – still books, but business too.

Card readers. There are loads of these now on the market and include stalwarts such as PayPal and i-zettle. Most people don’t carry cash so you can tempt those spur-ofthe-moment purchases with a smart sign/banner displaying the cards that you take. Research fees and get one.

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Retail

4

Tell your potential customers where you are going to be and when and don’t rely on social media as a one-channel marketing campaign.

Unless you are already a bona fide A-list celeb OR have been on TOWIE nobody is interested (and even semi-famous doesn’t work – trust me, we’ve tried).

5

Press releases. Do several leading up to your pop up.

Most local press are very supportive of independent local business and happy to publish a well-written press release.

Include details of you, your book(s) and of course the goodie bags/ balloons/i-tunes vouchers that you will be giving away. If you will be dressing as a sea-faring Barbie doll because your book features such characters then by all means add an exciting photo to tempt potential customers. We once had a runaway bride hurtling up the shopping centre which worked a treat.

6

Be organised – be there on time, set up and be prepared to sit/ stand there smiling in your Barbie costume for a long time before you get any customers.

If you are realistic/pessimistic about expectations the sudden rush of customers will be all the sweeter. Oh, and make sure your pop up looks the business. A banner, some professional business cards, a smart cloth on the table and you are sorted.

7

Retail is tough – you will get days when you sell a couple of hundred books, and days when you sell nothing at all.

Smile, take photos, network, learn from any other businesses around you, do a little dance...

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“Oh, and make sure your pop up looks the business. A banner, some professional business cards, a smart cloth on the table and you are sorted”

8

Keep promises. If you have announced in the local media you will be giving away goodie bags/a racehorse etc then you must do so. Ask customers if they would mind being photographed clutching their newly purchased copy of your book, and the shiny pink goodie bag. Most are happy to help out.

9

No hard selling. It annoys people. Use your customer service skills and get feedback from people who stop.

Customers are savvy to the ways of us retailers and will only be drawn in if they are actually interested in either your product, or you. Have a chat, ask them questions, and don’t bore them silly by reciting your plot from start to finish – think elevator pitch.

10

Have a good time! Even if nobody turns up and your pitch is flooded out, turn it into the best day ever for all your previously mentioned social media friends. Your real (i.e. ‘non-virtual’) friends will understand and pop by with a bottle of wine later when you are collapsed on the sofa, pink pirate hat askew. www.popuphorsham.co.uk www.daisywhiteauthor.co.uk

We’ve always got

your back covered... when

buying,

selling leasing or

commercial property.

www.coffinmew.co.uk

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 19

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29/05/2015 14:36

Changing Flight Plan After the Airports Commission recommends Heathrow, local businesses are left disappointed, but the fight for Gatwick’s second runway goes on At the beginning of July, the Airports INSIGHT Commission published its Final Report, setting out its recommendations to the Government for expanding aviation capacity in the UK. As our regular readers will know, the arguments surrounding the decision seemed fairly clear-cut: a second runway at Gatwick would have hugely beneficial and far-reaching prospects, improving not only local business, but business across the South East and internationally too. An additional argument was over Heathrow’s problematic pollution levels: the flight increases that will incur with another runway would exceed the recommended limit.

The Commission’s analysis showed that expanded airport capacity is crucial for the UK’s long-term prosperity, but whilst all three schemes shortlisted were considered credible options for

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expansion, it was unanimously concluded that the proposal for a new Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport presents the strongest case. Their reasoning was based on the less costly nature of an extension at Heathrow, and the economic benefits surrounding it, namely the provision of around 40 new destinations from the airport and more than 70,000 new jobs by 2050.

Sir Howard Davies commented: “Heathrow is best-placed to provide the type of capacity which is most urgently required: long haul destinations to new markets. It provides the greatest benefits for business passengers, freight operators and the broader economy.”

However, in SBT’s opinion, what the Commission don’t seem to have acknowledged is both the short-term disruption an expansion at Heathrow will cause, and the long-term impact on Gatwick Airport as a result. The South East is an ever-growing business region with needs that correspond

to what a growing, well connected, international airport can provide. A second runway at Gatwick would not only have little negative impact on surrounding businesses and residents – a remarkable number of which are hugely supportive of a second runway and expansion – but would also allow for the implementation of a long-term plan to grow the air freight and international business links to Gatwick that can benefit business owners across the South East.

Despite the prospect of being greatly affected by more overhead flights from Gatwick due to living in Horsham, Nick Broom, Managing Director of Burgess Hill based PVL UK Limited, sees the overriding benefits of an expanded Gatwick not only for his business but for all businesses in need of international connections and convenient business travel: “An expanded Gatwick should mean an expanded business flight option from Gatwick and we would then be able to use the airport that is on our

doorstep.The business traveller brings more than just an overnight stay in an economy hotel and would help support a blossoming business community that is uniquely placed – taking travel pressure off the crowded M25, reducing travel pollution and stimulating further export growth for businesses in the south of London. I still feel that the right decision is Gatwick – obviously.”

Jeremy Taylor, CEO of Gatwick Diamond Business, is ‘mystified’ by the recommendation, “Especially with the political opposition from Government ‘heavyweights’ such as Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith.” Although he believes Sir Howard’s delivered recommendation to be ‘politically and economically astute’, he comments: “He seems to have taken no regard for the cost to Public Finance as £6bn will be needed to dig a tunnel for the M25, and the conditions he has set around air quality and night flights are undeliverable.”

The Commission’s report highlighted Heathrow as a Hub Airport, leading the way in the future of aviation. But Jeremy points out that this isn’t necessarily the case: “The UK is a destination, and with London as the financial capital of the world, as well as being one of the key global tourism destinations, point-to-point travel is the future,” says Jeremy.

The future still seems to hold Gatwick’s

expansion in its wake, despite the final decision. Rosemary French, Executive Director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, isn’t giving up hope: “We continue to believe that this is the most financially, politically, physically and environmentally deliverable solution for growth in UK aviation capacity over the next 30 years. While we await with interest the government’s final decision, our world class airport, Gatwick, will continue to grow and benefit the UK economy.” In addition, Ian Woodland, Head of Business Services at Assurity Consulting, agrees: “We still feel that Gatwick’s expansion plans are more achievable, can be delivered in a much quicker timescale, and will result in more benefits for our business and to our customers.”

However, a decision such as this takes a long time to be made, and it’s already been a long process thus far. The arduous wait for the South East business community continues. Steve Sawyer, Executive Director of the Manor Royal Business Improvement District, which lies adjacent to Gatwick Airport and is home to more than 500 companies and 30,000 employees, said: “There are some big question marks about how deliverable and politically acceptable the Heathrow option is, and we urge the Government to get on and make a decision as soon as

possible. Businesses have already been kept in a holding pattern for too long.”

The business community is keen to make it clear that the benefits of a second runway at Gatwick outweigh the plans for Heathrow, and wants to work with local, regional and national politicians to get the message across. The fight is not over, but the tactics must change.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

The Imitation Game

The Dynamic Systems Group helps businesses to stay protected and secure against counterfeit products with their leading label, product and document security Making a trusted name for your company is one thing, Advice keeping it is another.

There are a number of things that you need to consider in business, and security is one of them: how are you going to keep your own products, and your customer documents unique and secure? something that’s key to brand integrity and customer trust within the marketplace.

Counterfeiting is a widespread issue that affects all prolific businesses and brands at some point in their development, and the Internet has made the threat of counterfeit even more prevalent. The web, and particularly some e-retail sites can be a breeding ground for counterfeit products, with products misssold to unknowing customers.

Product identification , especially in industries within healthcare and pharma, is essential to not only the protection of the company or business but also of its

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in accordance with their company customers. Packaging can be replicated, brand or product, and offer consultation insecurely and illegally. In order to protect throughout the process on applications, a company’s reputation and efficiency, materials (suitable papers and adhesives) authenticity needs to be at its highest and printing. level, plus it needs to be something Labels may sound like an overly simple that counterfeiters cannot replicate. solution to your security problems, but This is particularly important for the product identification pharmaceutical industry designed specifically for where counterfeits have “Product customer or to the product the potential to cause faridentification that can be highly complex and reaching negative health can be designed therefore highly secure. consequences. specifically for Many security features are Lotus Labels, customer or to the available for labels that partnered with their sister product can be protect against forgery and/ companies, Dynamic highly complex and or inappropriate opening, Systems GmbH and therefore highly and support unique Schwarz Druck GmbH, secure” recognition. allows your business Schwarz Druck GmbH, a to be completely sister company of Lotus Labels based in security protected by individual product Germany, is a specialised security printing identification features, ending your fight company, working in the development, with potential counterfeits. production and supply of highly Lotus Labels in Eastbourne are the customized, secure and sustainable go-to in initial labelling services for any solutions for industries globally. Lotus business. They help all customers in Labels works closely with them, providing setting up their individual label design

Business Security

“The secure tag is readable with optical tools that are based on Smartphone technology” any customer or business who uses their labeling service to also gain advice and use the services that Schwarz Druck offer – a highly technological security addition to your labels or packaging.

The technology includes the likes of hologram labels, security inks, tamperproof materials and more recently Digital Magneto-Optical Security Features (DMOS).

Schwarz Druck is active in the markets of public transportation ticket printing, event tickets, value and security printing, certificates and ID documents.

The company uses diverse printing technologies (offset, flex, silk screen and digital printing) and provides measures to fit a company’s desired security features (e.g. hologram film application). Novel combinations and developments are always applied to fulfill the individual needs of their customers.

The company applies the latest technology for their customers’ security label and printing needs, for example, using DMOS technology, developed

by Schwarz Druck. This allows for the

combination of a special digital print technology and a downstream film application, which enables the individual formation of security film on a label. This means that, for example, every label could be equipped with a film in the form of serial numbering or a bar code. DMOS supplies labels with a security film in the form of the individual information on top of the unique inscription. The film that lies on top provides the copy protection for printed data. Furthermore, the DMOS process enables real-time checks later on, as it can be read with a bespoke configured measuring technology that only responds to DMOS technology.

The secure tag is readable with optical tools that are based on Smartphone technology. Hence, the aforementioned coupling of the security features with Smartphone apps.

For serial reading of security labels with DMOS, the optical way, Schwarz Druck offers support and consultancy.

The special technology restricts the range of devices suitable for this purpose; for example, regular bar code scanners do not work for these any more due to the film’s diverted reflection. This consultancy rounds off the overall package, from the client-specific configuration of security labels, the individualisation of the data for the printing with DMOS technology, to reading the data in circulation.

Stay one step ahead of the counterfeiters, and keep your reputation, your documents and your overall product secure with Dynamic Systems Group.

www.lotuslabels.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23

Essential Reading

Defining Leadership And its multiple myths ‘Leadership is the Insight ability to hide your panic from others.’Lao Tzu (sixth-century Chinese philosopher), Based on the above, it seems that some key leadership skills haven’t changed much at all in fifteen centuries. I can defi nitely relate to this one but in the early days of Virgin, at least, I might have been more specific and tweaked it to read: ‘Leadership is the ability to hide one’s panic from your bank manager!’

Something I apparently failed to achieve immediately after the launch of Virgin Atlantic when, fearing we were getting in way over our heads, Coutts Bank pulled the plug on our account. Needless to say we quickly found other sources of more imaginative funding, but Lao Tzu would presumably have been less than impressed with my performance.

‘The Answer’s Yes. Now What Was The Question?’

In the early days of Virgin, one of our people nicknamed me ‘Dr Yes’. It was a friendly (I hope) dig at my perpetual eagerness to go along with trying new ideas. Only I knew that in part it might also have something to do with my inherent dislike of confrontation. I also mused on whether my new nickname was possibly driven by my strong resemblance to Sean Connery in his portrayal of James Bond in the 1962 movie Dr. No, but I fear that was just wishful thinking. Anyway I did have to laugh many years later when I read somewhere that then British prime minister, Tony Blair, had said: ‘The art of leadership is saying no. It is always very easy to say yes.’ Hmm, looks like I lost out on that leadership trait as well!

One very positive and rapidly spreading development in the modern definition of leadership is how it is becoming

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Richard Branson meeting a group of entrepreneurs

Essential Reading

What is good leadership? And who can achieve it? Richard Branson book divulges some of the myths and realities of leadership, the ‘Virgin Way’

“It always irks me to hear references to things like ‘our leadership team’.

Such exclusionary terminology is a big mistake” much less about power vested in a single person or role, and more about a collective process in which the authority and power is shared by a group with a shared interest. The way in which the Elders tackle major conflicts and other serious global issues is a perfect example of this mode of operation. The team is comprised of elder statesmen (and women) from all over the world like Kofi Annan, Graça Machel, former US president Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson and Fernando Cardoso, who have come together with the singleminded goal of working together for peace and human rights. In a world of overinflated corporate egos and boardroom skirmishes it is truly humbling to see these amazing people’s work ethic and dedication to simply getting it done.

This expansive networking of the leadership role means that it is no longer the exclusive domain of just those folks with a ‘C’ in their titles. It always irks me to hear references to things like ‘our leadership team’. Such exclusionary terminology is a big mistake, not only because of its deification of the illustrious chosen few with Cs in their titles, but more importantly the implication that by default everyone else is not a leader! In fact, the only meaningful thing on your business card is your name and your contact information.

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Essential Reading

The title beneath it says nothing about the level of respect you deserve from the person you hand it to – that’s all down to what you say and do, or in some cases don’t say and do from that point on.

Just as seniority is usually just a measure of tenure and has specifi c linkage to contribution, unfortunately titles have no true bearing on anyone’s true ability to lead.

The fact is that one way or another and to varying degrees, we are all leaders in our own orbits, be it in our families, our communities, among our peer groups or in the office. You can be well below ‘C level’ and still be a valuable leader. Th e really good news about the spreading of authority through a more collective approach is that it gives a much bigger stage on which a wider set of cast members get a chance to show how well they can perform.

I’m not at all keen on printed corporate organisation structures.You know, the ones that start with the CEO or President sitting in splendid isolation in the little box on the top row and then fans out line by line in a perceived descending order of importance. I actually once heard a Senior Executive complain that his position on such a chart was an insult as it had his box positioned a fraction of an inch lower than that of someone he considered to be his peer. My rather curt response to this utterly childish comment is not something I’d want to put in print, but suffice it to say I think he

London Pride

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Richard Brason at the London Marathon 2014

got the point. If you really feel such charts are necessary, I much prefer the orbital variety. That’s the type where the CEO sits in a circle in the centre of the page and all of his direct reports are in smaller globes that encircle the CEO – almost as if he or she were the centre of his or her own little solar system. It might sound odd but try it – at least nobody has a beef about their respective levels as they are all in an equidistant orbit from the Sun God in the centre.

In my experience, any culture with an over-emphasis on ‘knowing your position’ creates problems that get in the way of relationships, causes resentment and, as a direct result of this, can interfere with progress and innovation. Th e demarcation lines that any form of elitism creates can only serve to harden the walls of departmental silos that need to be softened not reinforced. Also, I’ve found that hierarchies based upon strictly observed pecking orders are usually denied the multiple layers of leadership that one finds in healthy results-oriented rather than status-conscious structures.

Call it the ‘Don’t ask me, I just work here’ syndrome if you will, but when there is an authoritarian ruler at the top of the heap, almost every layer beneath them is much less likely to make timely decisions based on their own instincts, preferring instead to push everything ‘upstairs’ and thereby reducing the chances of either getting it wrong and/or overstepping their corporate marks.

The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead by Sir Richard Branson.

Publishing by Virgin Books. £8.99 www.virgin.com

A Deeper Understanding of Business MD, Gary Jeffries has applied the deep understanding gained from his MBA at Portsmouth University to facing his own business challenges Gary Jeffries, It was a real mix and because there were Chairman of the students from the business, charity and Solent Local public sectors, it opened your eyes to the Advertorial Enterprise Partnership challenges other sectors face. and Managing Director “Working with clients is what excites of professional me professionally and I really enjoy doing services company, a good job for my clients. The MBA gave Hughes Ellard, was me a more rounded awarded an MBA understanding “The MBA gave me by the University of of business as a Portsmouth. whole and this now a more rounded “Studying for underpins much the Portsmouth of my client-facing understanding MBA was certainly work. of business as a challenging on a “I wanted to number of levels, study for my MBA whole and this now but what I learned because I thought if and the different underpins much of my I’m going to work at people and ideas I senior management client-facing work” was exposed to at level to help University has been regenerate this of immense benefit. region then I want to “I studied part-time and my cohort make sure I’m doing it properly.” included people who had not been near a university for years and others who For further details about the had already studied to Master’s level and Portsmouth MBA, contact us on had masses of academic qualifications. mba.admissions@port.ac.uk

“Doing it properly”: Gary Jeffries

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To find out more about our wide range of degrees, come along to one of our regular open evenings – details of which can be found at www.showyoumeanbusiness.com.

‘The MBA is a key to unlocking the doors to senior and executive level management roles.

The pace of the course allows me to carry out a full time international sales role at the same time as studying.’

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For more information or to apply: T: +44 (0)23 9284 4888 E: mba.admissions@ port.ac.uk W: www.port.ac.uk/mba www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 27

05/05/2015 11:04

The Whole Office Package

Paul Kollnig answers our questions about how businesses can make the most of a move to Office 365 Many SMEs are beginning to move to Office 365 as Advertorial an alternative to purchasing individual Microsoft Office software licenses for employees. Business owners often see this move as simply changing the way Microsoft software is purchased within the business and reducing cost, when in fact subscribing to Office 365 comes with a wealth of additional features designed to significantly increase productivity. We interviewed Paul Kollnig, Business Development Manager from M2 Computing, to find out how to use your Office 365 subscription to its full potential.

example Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Word, however its capability goes far beyond this. All of the subscriptions offer a complete set of tools that allow you to communicate and collaborate with colleagues online from anywhere and on any device. Some of the additional benefits you may not have heard of include OneDrive, SharePoint, Skype for Business and Delve.

What does Office 365 offer?

Office 365 offers the Microsoft software packages you will be familiar with, for

How can small and medium sized businesses in particular benefit from Office 365?

Office 365 allows businesses to manage their costs, with a simple per-user subscription model, starting from £3.10 per user, per month for Office 365 Business Essentials, which offers business class email, calendar, and contacts with a 50 GB inbox as well as 1TB online storage per user with OneDrive. OneDrive allows each employee to access their files from

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Call us on: 01293 871971

any device using their Office 365 login, something that’s particularly useful if you don’t yet have a remote access feature on your own network.

Microsoft Office 365 essentials negates the need for costly onpremise file and email servers, with the associated overheads of management, support and backups.

Security is fundamental to the efficiency and trustworthiness of a business, particularly SMEs – how is security protected in Office 365?

Office 365 provides 99.9% enterprise availability and with enterprise level security, including built in anti-virus and anti-spam protection. Employees can access their emails and work on their documents safely at any time and from anywhere, making it easier and quicker to respond to customer queries and demands.

How can Office 365 improve efficiency within the workplace for SMEs? A service called ‘Delve’ is the unsung hero of Office 365. It can improve worker efficiency by acting as your personal online assistant, sifting through the information stored on your system and bringing you a summary of the latest updates and document edits that are most likely to be of immediate importance. The selection is based on numerous factors including how widely a document has been shared, your office and project hierarchy, and which related documents you have been viewing recently.

Communication is key in business, large and small. How does Office 365 improve this? Are there comprehensive sharing facilities?

Office 365 includes the collaboration and sharing tool SharePoint. SharePoint has always been an application where the full potential has gone unrealised because of confusion over what it is and how it works. The easiest way to think of it is a central file repository that enables your staff to effortlessly work and collaborate from anywhere on any device. If you’ve ever tried to get staff working together over your network and thought “there must be an easier way to do this” then SharePoint may be that way. With Office 365 your organisation gets 20 GB of SharePoint Online storage plus 500MB per subscription. If you require further capacity each additional GB is just £0.13 per month offering flexibility and great value compared to alternative cloud storage providers.

More and more communication is now via digital devices/online instead of face-to-face. How does Office 365 facilitate this change?

With the rise of flexible and remote working practises, face-to-face communication often suffers. Office 365 comes with dedicated Skype for Business application which brings several key benefits over the standard Skype setup or the original Microsoft Lync communication tool. For example, it makes it simple to split the screen so that you and a colleague can see each other and also view a document for real time collaboration. Skype for Business also includes enhanced conferencing management tools and lifts the maximum number of participants from 25 to

already subscribed to Office 365, it is worthwhile checking you are on the right package and making the most of all the applications provided.

Microsoft have recently updated the Office 365 packages available. If your business employs less than 300 people and you are currently signed up to an Office 365 Enterprise 1 or 3 subscription, “Microsoft Office 365 you could make essentials negates substantial savings by moving the need for costly across to one of on-premise file and the revised Office 365 Business email servers, with the packages, without associated overheads losing essential features. of management,

250, making it a viable company-wide presentation tool. What’s more Skype for Business is fully integrated with Microsoft Outlook, making it easy to schedule and host online meetings, even if the other party doesn’t have Skype for Business, in which case they can join the meeting via a web browser.

What will employees/ employers have to do to make the most of Office 365?

How can M2 Computing help with this?

If you have not already done so, at M2 Computing support and we recommend migrating to Office 365.

As an accredited Microsoft Silver Partner, we can help clients choose the most appropriate subscription to fit their business and a dedicated project manager will ensure minimum disruption to your business. If you are

backups”

To check if you are on the right Office 365 subscription for your business needs or to learn more about making the most of Office 365, visit www. m2computing.co.uk/microsoftoffice-365 or get in touch with the team on 01293 871971.

Visit www.m2computing.co.ukwww.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

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Career Prospects

Better Career Prospects New programmes, apprenticeship schemes and internships are the way forward for young people. How can you help to Gear their Career?

G

A b a to s A o th

© BMW Apprenticeship

For some young people, it is a frightening prospect Careers to have to think about a future career. Students are encouraged to decide what they would like to do with their life at such an early age. But is there the help in place for them to make that decision?

This generation of young people have been fed a notion that the future is less than promising, with job opportunities seemingly scarce and securing a job becoming harder. However, this isn’t the case – as long as options are there and opportunities are given.

Giving students a better chance of securing a job is key not only to the economy, but also to the children themselves, and their families. The National Audit Office has estimated that for every pound of government investment in apprenticeships, the economy gets £18 back, and wider benefits in 2014 included a contribution of £34 billion to the UK economy by apprenticeships.

Since 2010, there have been over 2 million apprenticeship start-ups across England, and they are now available in

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over 170 industries with over 1500 roles available.

Despite the all too often negative view of the millennial generation, young people are motivated, hard working and willing to make their mark on the world.

Apprenticeships give them this chance - a chance that may not be available to them through the standard education system of exams and grades. The time put into apprentices pays off too with 90% of apprentices staying in employment after they finish and 70% staying with the same employer.

Additionally, and good news for all, there has never been a better time to employ an apprentice, or start an apprenticeship. Over 1,000 businesses are now involved in designing the new apprenticeship standards, with businesses reporting an average increase in productivity by £214 a week when they hire apprentices.

The government recently announced their goal to create 3 million apprenticeships by 2020, which will now also be enshrined in law. With apprenticeships starting at age 16 and with more than 3 million young people reaching this age in the next five years, this is a challenging, but reachable goal.

As of June, apprenticeships have been given equal legal treatment as degrees, giving increased hope and opportunity to more young people, as well as helping all types and sizes of businesses.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said: “If university graduates have their moment in the sun so should people who undertake apprenticeships. Businesses know their value so it’s high time they were recognised both by the public and in law as being equal to degrees.

We want far more employers to get involved in apprenticeships. This means making sure that we practise what we preach in government, so we’re going to require all public sector bodies – schools, hospitals, prisons and police forces – to employ apprentices.”

Schools and businesses across the country are giving young people the chance to expand their skill set, selfimprove and to the gain experience they need to excel in their chosen field. The government is encouraging apprenticeships more now than ever before, and small, medium and large businesses should take advantage of the schemes available, in order to gain loyal and well-trained employees and help potentially skilled workers.

A S A

C to

Intermediate Apprenticeship Leading to nationally recognised Level 2 vocational qualifications Advanced Apprenticeship Leading to nationally recognised Level 3 vocational qualifications

Grow your Own Talent Apprenticeships are designed by employers for employers, and as such are tailored to meet the needs of each specific industry sector.

A mixture of on and off-the-job learning means that Apprentices learn the

skills that work best for your business. And because Apprentices receive relevant training, they have an immediate effect and make a more meaningful contribution to your organisation.

As one of the largest Apprenticeship training providers in Sussex, we provide support to both the employer and the Apprentice across over 28 subject areas.

Advantages for business

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Apprentices are trained to industry standards They gain nationally recognised qualifications specific to your business/industry Over half the companies recruiting Apprentices believe they offer better value than university graduate (source: City & Guilds)

With a £1,500 grant available for eligible employers taking on an Apprentice aged 16-24, there’s never been a better time to take on new talent

Higher Apprenticeship Leading to nationally recognised Level 4 or Level 5 vocational qualifications Accounting

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Health and Social Care

• • •

Hospitality and Catering

• •

Human Resource Management

•

Fabrication and Welding

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Since turning to Central Sussex College to help develop the skills of our staff members, we have seen a number of benefits to our business.

Information Technology

• •

Logistics

•

Management and Team Leading

• •

The College applies a refreshing and welcome approach to supporting our business, and by working as a team we are now celebrating a pass rate close to 100% for our staff members who have been enrolled on training programmes to date.

Motor Vehicle Engineering

• •

Plumbing and Heating

• •

Overall, we are very happy with the support provided by the College and believe that the relationship that we have built with them will help us going forward.

—

Gerry McCorriston, Culinary Manager

Call 0845 155 0043 (press 4) or email employers@centralsussex.ac.uk to find out about our FREE recruitment service.

Procurement

•

Professional Cookery

•

Retail

• •

Sign Making

•

Supply Chain

•

Supporting Teaching and Learning

• •

Trade Business Counters

•

Warehousing and Storage

• •

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 31

Let’s Do Business!

Apprenticeship opportunities can help young people develop their working skills and help your business too She has been promoted to Customer Service and Quality Supervisor since completing her apprenticeship in Team Leading last year. Victoria is now responsible for managing customer enquiries and orders, as well as supervising two apprentices.

Ian McGlashan, Commercial Office Manager at TSL, commented: “Apprentices develop with the company and can be moulded to fit the company ethos.

“Upon completion, Torr Scientific has a trained member of staff who is already familiar with the company, its products and its procedures – something which cannot be achieved via direct recruitment.”

Apprenticeships prove good for business Advertorial With the Government committed to creating 3 million apprenticeships in the next five years, the work-based training schemes have been credited in aiding the recovery of the UK economy by slashing unemployment and providing opportunities for young people.

They have also enabled businesses, from sole traders to multinational corporations, to thrive.

Leading manufacturer within the vacuum industry Torr Scientific (TSL) has certainly reaped the rewards from hiring apprentices.

Developing staff for the future Working with the Let’s Do Business Group (LDBG), TSL hired Victoria Champion as an apprentice in 2013 through the group’s Business Skills Academy.

Almost two years on and Victoria is now an integral part of the team.

Good for business Apprenticeships combine work with studying for a work-based qualification, for young people aged between 16 and 24.

They offer companies a way to boost productivity, increase morale and retain staff, as well as recruit, invest in and develop staff cost-effectively.

Ian explained: “The apprenticeship scheme allows growing businesses to take on additional staff sooner, due to the initial lower cost, which in turn aids growth and job creation.

“Hiring local young people through apprenticeship roles is good for the local economy too.”

whilst gaining hands on experience and earning a salary.

Victoria said: “I liked the idea of being able to gain employment experience whilst also studying towards a qualification.

“My apprenticeship helped me to gain insight into the way that businesses are run and how to manage my time effectively.”

Business Skills Academy The LDBG is the leading provider of business advice, training, access to finance, and business events in the South East.

Through their Business Skills Academy, the group offer companies a way to recruit and develop talented staff through an employer-based training programme.

For small businesses, there may be grant funding of £1,500 available to help cover the cost of employing a new apprentice.

“The apprenticeship scheme allows growing businesses to take on additional staff sooner due to the initial lower cost, which in turn aids growth and job creation”

Find out more about hiring an apprentice through the Let’s Do Business Group on 01424 205 500 or by emailing info@ldbgroup.co.uk. Alternatively, visit www.letsdobusinessgroup.co.uk.

Opportunities for young people The year-long scheme gives young people an opportunity to study towards a recognised qualification

www.letsdobusinessgroup.co.uk

32 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

Creating Value

Kevin Byrne, Founder & CEO of Checkatrade.com offers advice on creating value to succeed in business

We all know that generating new INSIGHT business is not easy in this economic climate. We also understand that it’s far more practical and tremendously cheaper to keep our existing customers and develop them into higher yield customers than finding new ones.

I’ve experienced calling my solicitor to ask them if they could recommend a professional in debt collecting only to find out that they offer that very service. They just hadn’t taken the time to offer me that service during the years I had been with them. A sad situation and I’m sure many of you reading this will have had my same experience and many of you are failing in the same way my solicitor did.

This has everything to do with creating value (they never asked me if I was having an issue with debt collection), not just for you and your bottom line but also for your

customer. My solicitor had something of value to offer me but only by chance did I find out about it. In this article I want to focus on creating value for your customer.

Let’s pitch this in the sales arena; I really dislike the commonly used phrase ‘I’ve made a sale’. No one can ‘make a sale’, all we can do is present what we do and how we can benefit customers and hope they make a purchase from us. This is not a play on words; it is the basis on which I have built a company that generates £1.2b a year for my member trades and services.

Offer people the truth, politely, and allow them to purchase. If you haven’t got anything that’s worth purchasing and you can only ‘sell’ then you’re in trouble. Our job is not to make a sale but to create value. Value can be described as something that has worth, which generates desirability. The key to success is making this your goal. If you can create value your customers

will purchase. The great thing about this is it often costs nothing or very little to achieve.

Imagine 80% of achieving a sale is in the creation of generating value and only 20% involves the sale patter itself - how easy would it be to find customers that wish to purchase from you? Pretty easy in my opinion. Now switch this, 20% is of value and 80% is in the sales patter; this paints a very realistic picture of how hard it can be or if you generate value how easy it can be. A question for you, what are your percentages today and what can you do to move the figures in the right direction?

So, your goal should be to generate value for new and existing customers.

How do you do that? Well there are hundreds if not thousands of ways. Of course, these will change from company to company depending on what you offer. There are some that span across all businesses; I’d like to share a few with you.

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 33

The first are freebies or items that don’t cost you much. Many years ago I was a humble carpet cleaner and I was often asked to clean three piece suites. At the time I’d charge in the region of thirty five pounds. What I’d have to do is move the suite, cover the carpet and place the suite back on, all taking time. So before I’d start, if the carpet looked like it needed a clean I’d offer this free. It would only take 15 minutes longer and I had a very happy customer who would often share my generosity with their friends. What can you offer to your customer that doesn’t cost you much but has great value to them?

Appreciation is another way to create value. Notice the things your customers do and say and point them out. Make them feel special, say thank you for their business or time listening to you.

When was the last time you received a handwritten thank you note for your business? If you did this to your customers, what impact do you think this would have? The average company loses 32% of their customers each year.

Would it be worth spending some time appreciating your existing customers if it meant you kept them all?

Excellence creates value, make sure to do everything better than your competition. When you change from seeing your work as an hourly paid job to a job that is delivering excellence and creating value, something inside you will shift. How do you greet people on the phone? Do you say at the end of a conversation, “that’s fine, goodbye” or do you say “it’s been my pleasure to help you”. Little things mean the difference between ordinary and excellent.

Consistency is also important. Imagine you have a local pub where the food and landlord is sometimes great on both accounts but sometimes the food is not quite up to standard and the landlord is sometimes grumpy. Then there’s the pub a few miles away, a bit of a trek but the food is always excellent and the landlord always has a topical conversation. Which one would you go to? Be consistent in everything you do and if you have a large team make sure that it is well-acquainted with your levels of excellence, it’s fundamental.

Another way to create value is attention to detail, the customer’s detail. Make sure you listen to them, and respond to what they are saying. It’s very easy to deal with all your customers and

34 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

potential customers in the same manner; after all you’ve been doing this for six years now. Are you in a rut? Probably.

We all suffer from this, especially our sales staff. Constantly remind yourself that customers are individuals with specific needs and wants. The only way you’ll know what these are is if you can empathise with them, which means listening intently and responding accordingly. In my experience all sales teams end up in ruts and even the best of them don’t realise it until you play back the sales conversations. www.checkatrade.com www.checkaprofessional.com

“Be consistent in everything you do and if you have a large team make sure that it is well-acquainted with your levels of excellence, it’s fundamental”

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Ludo’s Bar & Bistro Launches in Eastbourne

BAR BISTRO

The first branch of this brand-new Mediterranean venture opens its doors in Sussex After two years of trading under the New name of La Cantina, Business in the town centre of Eastbourne, the popular restaurant has recently undergone a huge transformation; offering a wide range of food from across the Mediterranean.

The popularity of the small, yet perfectly formed Sussex eatery, gained the attention of an investment group, who now plan to take the formula and expand across the region, with a number of new sites planned over the next five years. Beginning with the re-brand and an extensive refurbishment, the establishment will become the test-bed service, with all Pizzas being cooked for every new concept as the chain rolls from scratch in our new wood-fired out. bread oven and the introduction of an Ludovico Palomba (Ludo), original extensive cocktail menu. You can also owner of La Cantina and now a Director expect to see a whole host of deals and of Ludo’s Bar & Bistro told SBT: “I’m so offers coming through, such as ‘kids pleased to announce the eat free’ and excellent exciting news. We’ve discounts for group worked so hard over the “The service and bookings for businesses last two years, developing and special occasions. standard of food an extensive menu, which We have also developed has always been represents some of the a loyalty scheme for our number one best food from across local businesses to priority, and this will take advantage of. This the Med. The staff here remain the case as means that anybody work tirelessly to make we begin to operate working in the town sure that everyone has a as Ludo’s” warm welcome and the centre of Eastbourne, best dining experience can take advantage of possible, whether they discounted rates for their are popping in for a Panini at lunchtime, lunch on any day of the week”. a business dinner, or a family meal. The SBT had the privilege of having a service and standard of food has always ‘first look’ at the new establishment, been our number one priority, and this will and discovered a menu, which includes remain the case as we begin to operate dishes from Italy including wood as Ludo’s”. fired pizzas and freshly rolled pasta, Ludo continued: “Working as an Portuguese espetadas (a kind of independent restaurant always comes suspended kebab), Greek salads and with its limitations, and now, having mezze, along with Spanish influenced the support and investment in place to ‘hot stone’ (where you are able to cook grow the business and its offerings, we your meat as you like it, on a hot stone have a long list of activities that we will at the table) steak dishes and tapas, to be embarking upon. As well as the rename a few. All of the ingredients used brand, these activities include a delivery are authentic, with suppliers from Sussex,

such as Southern Head Fishing co, Middle Farm along with many suppliers from the regions from which the dishes originate.

During our visit we spoke with a representative from the investment group, who told us: We had been looking for an opportunity to work with an established restaurant in the Eastbourne area for some time, but nothing was jumping out at us. The development of the Arndale Centre has a lot of people very excited and with that comes considerable investment to the town. “We had all but given up, but then we heard about an ‘amazing little place’ just off Terminus Road. The fact that they had recently picked up the town’s Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor, led us to pay a visit. Twenty minutes into that first visit, my business partner and I were convinced that we had found what we were looking for”.

SBT will be covering the menu in greater detail, in our next issue’s review section. Until then, take a look at the menu yourself at www. ludosbistro.com or call Ludo to book your next business lunch or Christmas party (are we too early?) on 01323 723023.

36 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

SBT Op

Windlesham INDEPENDENT BOARDING & DAY SCHOOL FOR BOYS AND GIRLS AGED 4-13 YEARS

Open Morning Saturday 3rd October • A record number of scholarships gained to senior schools this year • Outstanding Ofsted and ISI Reports • Excellent pastoral care & extra curricular programme RSVP - call admissions on 01903 874700 or email whsadmissions@windlesham.com Windlesham House School, Washington, West Sussex, RH20 4AY

windlesham.com SBT Open Morning Oct 2015.indd 1

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 37

21/07/2015 17:48:12

First Aid In The Workplace

Specialist Training Consultants encourage businesses to realise the importance of first aid in the workplace, and to assess their first aid needs In assessing your firstaid needs, you should consider: • The nature of the work you do • Workplace hazards and risks (including specific hazards requiring special arrangements) • The nature and size of your workforce • The work patterns of your staff • Holiday and other absences of those who will be first-aiders and appointed persons • Your organisation’s history of accidents

You may also need to consider: • The needs of travelling, remote and lone workers • The distribution of your workforce • The remoteness of any of your sites from emergency medical services • Whether your employees work on shared or multi-occupancy sites • First-aid provision for nonemployees (e.g. members of the public).

38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Specialist Training Consultants (STC) is a family run Focus business located in Seaford, East Sussex, specialising in technical access and rescue solutions from concept, consultancy, design and delivery.

Founded in 1997 by retired London Firefighter Peter Gwilliam, STC is now the UK’s leading supplier and service agent of Rollgliss rescue systems.

STC’s aim is to spread the word about, and help with training for first aid in the work place. People at work can suffer injuries or be taken ill; an estimated 629,000 workers in Britain had an accident at work in 2013/14. As either a co-worker or employer, it doesn’t matter whether the injury or illness is caused by work directly, but it is important to give the injured individual immediate attention, or call an ambulance in serious cases.

Employers should make arrangements to ensure this happens efficiently as it can save lives, and will prevent minor injuries becoming major ones.

The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require an employer to provide adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment, facilities and staff so your employees can be given immediate help if they are injured or taken ill at work. An employer is best placed to understand the exact nature

of the workplace and to decide what needs to be provided.

However, what is ‘adequate and appropriate’ will depend on the circumstances in your workplace and you should assess what your first-aid needs are as a business. The minimum first-aid provision on any work site is: • A suitably stocked first-aid kit • An appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements • Information for employees about firstaid arrangements In terms of appointing personnel, the roles of this appointed person include looking after the first-aid equipment and facilities and calling the emergency services when required.

The appointed person can also provide emergency cover, within their role and competence, where a first-aider is absent due to unforeseen circumstances. An appointed person is not required to have any formal training.

However, if your workplace has more significant health and safety risks, for example you use machinery, food and the public then you are more likely to need a trained firstaider.

“An estimated 629,000 workers in Britain had an accident at work in 2013/14”

How do you become a trained firstaider?

The QA Level 2 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (QCF) qualification is designed for individuals who wish to act as an emergency first aider in their workplace. Upon successful completion of this qualification, candidates will be

equipped with the essential skills needed to give safe, prompt and effective first aid in emergency situations. What’s more, as a regulated qualification, employers can book this course for their employees and rest assured that they have fulfilled their legal responsibilities for providing quality first aid training, without having to undertake any lengthy due diligence checks introduced in the recent HSE changes.

Simply the minimum requirement, however, may not be ‘adequate’ for your business. In order to decide what provisions you need to make you should undertake a first aid needs assessment.

You do not need to record the findings of your needs assessment, but you may find it useful to do so, as it will demonstrate how you have decided on the first aid provision that you make.

There are no hard and fast rules on exact numbers, and you will need to take into account all the relevant

circumstances of your particular workplace. Specialist Training Consultants offer free first aid needs advice via the telephone or online first aid needs assessment tool.

STC will be hosting a comprehensive range of accredited health and safety courses at Seaford’s brand new golf clubhouse from October this year.

They will use their highly experienced trainers; all with a background in the UK’s emergency services to support businesses in Sussex to be safer and fully compliant with high quality cost effective training in areas such as first aid, fire safety and manual handling. www.specialist-training.com

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39

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Chamber News

The Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex ACES represents 4,000 members across the County and you are automatically a member of ACES if you are a member of one of the Chambers listed overleaf. This entitles you to share your news stories in these SBT Business pages without charge.

Best4Biz Conference 2015 Being a Chamber or FSB member also entitles you to attend the Best4Biz Conference on Friday 16th October at the East Sussex National Hotel off the A22 in Uckfield. 200 business people attended Best4Biz last year and we will be announcing the speakers soon – so keep this date in your diary.

Taking the risk out of staffing your business

Employing staff can be a risky business in these litigious times so wouldn’t it be nice to know that your legal partner is taking the risk out of employing people for you?

Solicitors Gaby Hardwicke offer an affordable “Employment Solutions” service to protect businesses of all sizes.

The service ensures your employment documents are up-to-date legally and includes almost unlimited telephone and email access to an employment specialist. They also offer the option of using their drafting service to write letters when dealing with disciplinary or grievance procedures.

42 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

“Each business we help has different objectives, from being legally compliant to structuring the workforce to be more flexible and efficient or to improve performance and productivity. Unlike some of our competitors we will not sit on the fence. Our advice is not formulaic or

conservative, telling you only what you cannot do and must avoid.

“Whatever commercial outcome you want to achieve, our clear and robust advice will give you a clear plan to achieve those goals.” Paul Maynard Gaby Hardwicke Employment Solutions.

Chamber News

In fact, Gaby Hardwicke are so confident that their employment advice is exactly what you need, their insurers will cover the cost of any tribunal claim up to £250,000 or £1 million aggregate in any one year.

All you have to do to benefit from this level of peace of mind is consult Gaby Hardwicke’s employment team and take their advice.

To find out more about the budgetary certainty this affordable service can provide, contact Paul Maynard at pcm@ gabyhardwicke.co.uk. Full terms and conditions apply.

What their clients say “Your level of communication has been outstanding – a breath of fresh air! ….Thank you for a job well done.” - Chris and Gabby Tofts “With Gaby Hardwicke first-class legal advice is a given; strategic thinking is what sets them apart

from other law firms.” - Ian Casselden, MD, Interface Devices Ltd “As always, brilliant service and delivered in fantastic style.

Thanks.” - Graham Power West End Studios Ltd “Having the best professional advisers is crucial to the success of any business, and Gaby Hardwicke has provided us with excellent legal representation for more than a decade. David Getty and his Commercial team have been a match for any opponent we have encountered, including the New York office of one of the Magic Circle law firms.”

- James King, MD, KHL Group If you would like to know more just Google “Gaby Hardwicke Employment Solutions”

Solicitors Taking CSR Seriously

If you are looking for a top firm of solicitors specialising in legal services for your family or your business, but you also want a firm that takes a full-on roll in your local community, take a look at ACES Member, Gaby Hardwicke.

As one of the longest established law firms in Sussex and a major employer, Gaby Hardwicke demonstrates long-term commitment to the local community by playing a leading role with the business community, local charities, sports clubs, schools and colleges through the Gaby Hardwicke Foundation.

Set up as a charitable foundation for

the benefit of the local community, the partners donate part of their annual profits to the Foundation, a registered charity whose trustees use the funds to support worthy local causes.

Donations have been made to individuals who have particular, often unique and challenging needs.

By working with those individuals closely, the foundation has provided funds and/or support that has greatly enhanced both their day-to-day lives and those of their carers and families.

It is the policy of the trustees to direct funds to deserving causes within the local area when assistance is not available from any other source.

Their focus tends to be on children, the elderly and the disabled, and there are no complicated forms to complete!

Requests for assistance should simply be emailed to the trustees’ chairman, Peter Taylor, at pwt@gabyhardwicke.co.uk For a different perspective visit www.gabyhardwicke.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43

See Change in Sussex The Sea Change programme aims to boost business communities across Sussex with new office developments If you arrived at Hastings station today for the first time in a Develop few years, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d got off at the wrong stop. The town centre has become a dramatically different place.

The station itself is an impressive, glassy structure, next to the imposing new Sussex Coast College. Directly in front of you, Priory Quarter is a smart new

44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

business and education district, rapidly evolving to replace an underutilised section of the town.

This is part of a comprehensive business expansion programme being driven across the county by Sea Change Sussex and its partners, with other projects also under way – so far - in St Leonards, Bexhill and Eastbourne.

Sea Change is a not-for-profit economic development company which is backed by the county’s local authorities, prominent businesses, the

voluntary sector and the University of Brighton.

Its programme, supported by substantial Government investment, aims to boost the business community by developing high-quality premises, sites and road links to help local firms expand and attract new companies to the area.

Priory Quarter In Hastings’ Priory Quarter, over 150,000 sq ft of business and education premises has already been developed. This

See Change in Sussex

has enabled higher education to be brought to the town for the first time: the University of Brighton has established a Hastings campus, with over 1,000 students now enrolled.

A six-storey new office building has been bought by Saga, which chose Hastings as the base for its new insurance business.

And the latest scheme to be developed is Havelock Place - a 24,000 sq ft Grade A office building designed to attract further companies to the town.

Radiology firm, Medica has been the first to move in, with Chancellor George Osborne ceremonially handing its directors their keys on a recent visit to the building.

Additional offices within Havelock Place are now available to let, from small ground floor units - which are also suitable for retail use - up to 20,000 sq ft.

Manufacturing boost Meanwhile, on the outskirts of St Leonards, Sea Change is delivering projects to help expand the area’s manufacturing sector.

It says it is in discussions, for example, with three companies interested in the 13-acre North Queensway Innovation Park, next to the area’s major road links and primary manufacturing district.

New Bexhill business community Four miles along the coast, the Bexhill Innovation Park is fast taking shape.

Surrounded by attractive countryside but just two miles from Bexhill town centre, this scheme helps to deliver the Rother District’s local plan to expand the town to the north, with an extensive new business and residential community.

The first building on the Innovation Park, a business centre called Glovers House, is almost completed. Amongst many enquiries, Sea Change is talking to one company which is potentially interested in occupying the whole building.

Alongside Glovers House, the Innovation Park has sites for further, bespoke developments – ranging from modest plots for small office buildings to land which could support up to 220,000 sq ft of premises. Companies can commission Sea Change to develop properties for them or buy the sites and develop their own.

In addition to this, Sea Change is working on proposals to create a ‘North Bexhill Access Road’ close by - to open

up further business and residential development land and improve local traffic routes.

The Bexhill Innovation Park and future nearby developments will be easily reached from the A21 from London and the A259 from Eastbourne via the soonto-be-completed Bexhill-to-Hastings Link Road.

Sovereign Harbour Innovation Park Further west, Sea Change is developing the Sovereign Harbour Innovation Park, three miles from Eastbourne town centre.

The Innovation Park is in an enviable location, just a five minute walk to the waterside restaurants, cafe’s and boutiques of Sovereign Harbour marina.

In the last three weeks, Sea Change completed the first development there: Pacific House, which stands as a sleek, contemporary building.

The offices within Pacific House range from 627 to 25,000 sq ft and are attracting a great deal of interest.

Sea Change has received 46 enquiries so far and reports that 22 prospective occupiers viewed the building on its first open afternoon in late July. Three reserved offices on the spot and several others booked second viewings.

The Innovation Park also has sites for up to a further 80,000 sq ft of premises.

As in Bexhill, Sea Change can develop properties tailored to companies’ needs, or they can buy sites to build their own.

Ambitious programme Given all this, Sussex is arguably seeing more commercial development than anywhere else in the south east – all focused firmly on helping to expand the business economy.

As we climb steadily out of recession, it will be fascinating to see how these schemes progress - and what comes next in this ambitious economic development programme.

Anyone interested in gaining more information, should contact Chris Broome from agents Cluttons on christopher.broome@cluttons.com or 01273 738 383, or visit: Sea Change: www.seachangesussex.co.uk Priory Quarter: www.prioryquarter.co.uk Bexhill Innovation Park: www.bexhillinnovationpark.co.uk Sovereign Harbour Innovation Park: www.sovereigninnovationpark.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45

Test Drive SBT’s Simon Skinner reviews two new cars: Nissan X-Trail Tekna dCi 130, and the Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDI KX4 Auto AWD

46 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Nissan X-Trail Tekna dCi 130 Nissan’s Bruiser Rolls onto the SBT Forecourt

We have a couple of larger cars being reviewed in Luxury this month’s SBT. Though perhaps not the motorway sluggers that we tend to cover in our pages, and maybe not the first choice when looking for vehicles to join the company fleet, these cars are growing in popularity and number. They are becoming increasingly economical, whilst remaining practical when it comes to space.

We started our month of reviews with the Nissan X-Trail—a monster truck in the Nissan range. It sits beyond the hugely popular and family friendly ‘Juke’ and ‘Qashqai’, both of which have done so well for the Japanese manufacturer in recent years, reaching record sales and achieving plenty of industry accolades along the way.

Let us start with the scale of the thing. It is big. Really big! The X-Trail that we have boasts 7 seats, and yes, all of them are ‘real’ seats—the last two (6 & 7) had seats that needed to be pulled up in the boot space. These ones, however, are leather-coated, comfortable, have drinks holders, and an OK view to the front windscreen from the boot.

The car has plenty of other mod cons to brag about too, with autoboot command, sat-nav, sensors everywhere, and some really clever external viewing/camera technologies on offer (I am still puzzled as to how the bird’s-eye view camera works – it definitely saved me from some unfortunate scrapes along Brighton’s North Laines). Onto the drive then, and unfortunately, this is where things become slightly less positive.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47

Motoring

Nissan X-Trail Tekna dCi 130 Continued...

Technical Spec: Engine size: 1598 cc 0-60mph: 10.5 secs Top speed: 117 mph Fuel Economy: 58 MPG Insurance category group: 20 On the road price (this model): £28,035.00

48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

The handling is generally quite good.

For a bigger car, it handles corners well and has a light (perhaps too light) feel to the controls. My issue is with the engine. The SBT test model had the 1.6 engine aboard, and even with six manual gears on offer, it still felt like there was a considerable lack of constant drive in the machine. I mean, the car was responsive enough sometimes, but all too often, and particularly between gears 1-4, all of the torque was in the middle of the gear. I found this to be quite frustrating when trying to choose the correct gear for a given situation.

Getting onto the open road, though, it cruises surprisingly well and the economy of the 1.6D engine comes into its own. Bumbling along in 5th or 6th gear on a long stretch is where this car really comes into its own. The drive

is smooth and comfortable at speed, which is slightly unfortunate, as it is my belief that this is a car destined for the short distance, school run scenario that will never allow it to gallop, as it really should.

Is this good news for the business user, then? If you are looking for a car that has plenty of space, is very economical, and comes loaded with gadgets and gizmos, at a hard-to-beat price point, then the X-Trail could be just it.

In short, Nissan has a good car in the X-Trail. It is a really practical and economical machine with some very clever technology and the ability to ferry up to seven people around at any one time.

My wish is for a slightly more powerful version, to really show the potential of the car. A 2.0 version of the X-Trail, as we have seen in the past, would be a great addition to the range.

“Getting onto the open road, though, it cruises surprisingly well and the economy of the 1.6D engine comes into its own”

Motoring

Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDI KX4 Auto AWD Kia’s Biggest-Selling Model Clocks Up the Miles for the SBT Review

Next up is Kia’s biggest seller in the UK: the Sportage.

Sporty The car arrived at SBT Towers just in time for my family road trip to Padstow in Cornwall, so plenty of miles were chewed up throughout the week of the review.

It was no coincidence that the Sportage was the car of choice for the trip. I have been keen to try the mid-sized SUV for some time and, happily, one became available ahead of the car’s anticipated upgrade model, which is slated for Autumn of this year.

This top-of–the-range Sportage hosts an impressive 181bhp version of Kia’s 2.0-litre CRDi turbo-diesel engine, and comes with a choice of either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox.

Standard kit includes full leather, 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, a seven-inch touch-screen sat-nav with EU mapping, automatic lights and wipers, panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, heated front and rear seats, cruise control, a colour reversing camera, and a seven-speaker stereo complete with external amplifier and subwoofer—perfect for drowning out the constant and inevitable bleating of ‘are we there yet’.

Having driven a number of cars in this class now, and having watched/ read numerous features from national specialist press providers, I had expected a noisy and fairly uncomfortable ride, with poor steering and, generally, a less-than-value-formoney experience. I have to say (with it being a review and all), that this is quite the opposite of my 700+ mile experience in the car. The Sportage was everything that I had hoped it would be: a solid, comfortable, quick, responsive, and great-looking car, which had the added bonus of feeling extremely safe and solid.

This model had the extra curiosity of an auto-assisted parking function—

something that I have (again) watched on TV on numerous occasions but, until now, had not had the pleasure of trying out for myself. I have always been a strong believer in the fact that these kinds of technology are not released into the public domain without having been tested within an inch of their life beforehand. It is not the sort of thing that these huge manufacturers are likely to test on ‘Joe Public’. Suffice to say then, that it worked. It is incredible technology that will likely become more of a standard feature as we progress, and one that will allow drivers to forget the skills that once separated the good from the not-so-good. Regardless of this, though, auto-assist parking technology still strikes me as witchcraft!

Overall, this is a car that I would buy. I really enjoyed my time in it. The Sportage is a really well-built car, with

all the mod cons, and quality beyond its price tag. This is an area of the market that really deserves a lengthy period of shopping around, to ensure the right buy. Kia, with their current benchmarks and ongoing 7-year warranty, firmly hold their position in it. I am just looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the next version—it cannot come soon enough!

Technical Spec: Engine: 1995cc Diesel 0–60mph: 9.5 secs Top speed: 120 mph Fuel economy: 46.3 MPG (in reality, 30 MPG) On the road price: £28,500

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49

SBTMotoring News UK Auto Trade Announces Record £69.5Bn Turnover As Sector Accelerates To Historic High The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders’ (SMMT) 16th annual Sustainability Report confirmed that the automotive industry sector is breaking new records, with turnover hitting an all time high of £69.5 billion in 2014. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The UK automotive industry can be proud of its achievements as it continues to set new standards. The sector is delivering growth in volumes, turnover and employment, while reducing its environmental impact.”

The latest figures confirm an upward trend for new vehicle demand and

manufacturing output, with almost 1.6 million vehicles built in 2014. Last year, car production alone grew to 1.53 million units – the highest level since 2007. On current trends, UK car output is expected to reach an all-time record level of 1.95 million vehicles in the next two years.

Meanwhile, investment in more efficient, high-tech manufacturing processes has led to huge gains in productivity. In each of the five years to 2014, an average of 11.5 vehicles were produced for every person employed in the industry, compared with 9.3 vehicles for the period from 2005 to 2009.

Large investments are still being committed to new and expanded production facilities in the UK, resulting in significant sector-wide recruitment, with an additional 27,000 jobs created in 2014 – a 3.5% increase on the previous year.

International demand for Britishmade vehicles also continues to increase with total export value rising 1.8% to £34.6 billion – a staggering 103.8% uplift since 2000. It adds up to a considerable increase in the industry’s direct contribution to the British economy, rising 6.2% to £15.5 billion last year.

The figures are further evidence of UK automotive’s renaissance, as the sector continues to innovate and idevelop to meet ever-stricter targets on CO2 emissions and air quality, and capitalise on global megatrends such as connectivity and intelligent mobility.

Caterham Cars Opens New Showroom In Germany Sussex based sportscar manufacturer, Caterham Cars, is partnering with independent dealership Westside Cars, expanding its European dealer network to Hamburg, Germany.

The dealership launch further strengthens Caterham’s presence in a key market, Germany. The Hamburg showroom will display Caterham’s full European range of iconic British sportscars, including the Seven 165 and the brand-new Seven 275. Westside Cars is the latest to open a Caterham dealership in Europe, and

the British sportscar manufacturer now has a growing network of dealerships in Europe. In addition to attending to new customers, Caterham Westside will offer after sales service run by a dedicated team of Caterham technicians.

David Ridley, Caterham Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Our new partnership with Westside Cars marks an exciting development in one of Caterham’s key markets; we’re thrilled to be able to deliver our cars to sportscar enthusiasts in Hamburg.”

Škoda Secures Fleet Contract With South East Coast Ambulance Service ŠKODA UK has announced the beginning of a new contract with South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb).

With 35 Octavias already delivered and 20 more on the way later this month, the ongoing fleet modernisation programme within SECAmb is fully under way.

The ŠKODA Octavia 2.0 TDI 4x4 Estate SE will be incorporated into the SECAmb rapid response fleet, which covers an area of 3,600 square miles and responds

50 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

to more than 800,000 life-threatening incidents every year. The cars will be driven by Clinical Operations Managers and Paramedics.

With space, good tech and 4x4 capability essential for rapid response, SECAmb Head of Fleet Operations, Justin Wand, said: “We saw the ŠKODA Octavia as the perfect match, as it is built to a high specification, is environmentally efficient and is great value for money.”

www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 51

A Berforts Customer Case Study

Sally Hardy, CEO of the Regional Studies Association tells Jenny Ardagh about their strong relationship with Berfort’s printing services Among Berforts’ many long-standing customers is the Advertorial Regional Studies Association. I had the pleasure of talking to their CEO, Sally Hardy about the organisation and how they work with Berforts.

The Regional Studies Association is a learned society for academics in subjects such as geography, economics, politics and planning. They aim to improve the quality of people’s lives at a sub-national, regional level. Their small offices in Seaford, which they have been in since 2000, do not reflect their breadth of influence and global footprint, with the highest number of members recorded in 50 years across 67 countries.

Sally Hardy, and her team work closely with both academics and policy makers - organisations such as the United Nations and the European Commission in Brussels. She also liaises with various parties within Westminster and oversees the running of many international and national conferences, meetings and member gatherings. The RSA holds 40 meetings a year for their

52 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk

members, promoting the key message of communication between academics – conducting the research that underpin regional policies – and the practitioners who set these policies into place.

The Regional Studies Association has a friendly reputation, known as a forward looking and helpful organisation, acting as the mediator between the academics who want their research and data findings heard, and the policy makers who are keen to hear how the legislation can be improved or changed.

As such, their 5 journals, one magazine and book series need to be of a high quality, concise and informative nature.

Sally, having been at the organisation for 28 years – “you get less for murder”, she comments – has built a strong relationship with Berforts who has been their printers for over a decade.

Sally says: “Berforts are a solid and extremely reliable company who, over the ten or so years of working with them, I have never had a problem with.” She continued: “The staff are very helpful and professional. I always think that having a stable set of staff like Berforts have, is the hallmark of a good company. I have met with the team, and seen how they work, and they have such a great

www.berforts.co.uk

understanding of what we need and implement it without hassle.”

The Regional Studies Association uses Berforts for all their leaflets, pamphlets and conference proceeding books.

Sally and her team work closely with the designer, who she says is a delight to work with: “He is intelligent in the way he works and has picked up on our style and branding, incorporating it into everything he designs. He has an active involvement in our company, often giving advice as to what might look best in print. We’re always very pleased with the quality of the printed product, which is important for an organisation like us.”

The Regional Studies Association are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and are currently working on a number of environmental, sustainability and ethical issues to improve regional policies.

Regional Studies Association 25 Clinton Place, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 1NP Telephone: +44 (0)1323 899 698 Berforts 17 Burgess Rd, Hastings TN35 4NR 01424 722733

Berforts Ltd if you’re buying print, please make sure you talk to us

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Fax: 01424 721777 www.sussexbusinesstimes.co.uk 53 Email: sales@berfort.co.uk · www.berforts.co.uk

Review:

Kooks of Brighton Recently opened restaurant, Kooks opened its doors to Editor, Jenny Ardagh for her review

Kooks Restaurant Brighton

Address: 56 Gardner Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1UN Telephone: 01273 673045 Email: bookings@kooksrestaurant.com Web: www.kooksrestaurant.com

54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Every time I go to the Laines in Brighton, I discover something Review new. This area of Brighton is a hub of all things weird and wonderful, from New-Age products, vegetarian shoes, anti-establishment opinions and all kinds of artsy types, making their creative statements. This time, the people of Brighton were not the ‘kooks’ that I discovered, but the restaurant. Kooks, a small restaurant on the corner of Gardner Street, recently opened, brings a bit more novelty to the quirky streets surrounding it.

The owners, Tim Healey and his wife Rebecca focused on the ambience of the area when deciding the name for the restaurant. Tim said: “We chose the name

‘Kooks Restaurant’ because Brighton is a city of kooks – eccentric creative types - like us and like our team. We believe it’s a privilege to be serving food in Brighton’s counter-cultural hub that is the North Laines.”

The outside of the restaurant gives nothing away, with its modern and simplistic banner, proclaiming ‘KOOKS’ in a pattern akin to Hollywood lights.

When walking in, there’s no sense of pompousness, prestige or fussiness. The nicely simple décor and bright lights lift the whole room into an open white space in which to enjoy your food.

My partner and I were promptly sat on a table at the back of the room next to a slightly oddly placed wall, taking our place in stylish seats in front of a sleek, wooden table. The lights were one of the first things we both noticed, hanging

Tried and Tested in Sussex low over our table – they complimented the room fantastically whilst presenting a contrasted, almost medieval feel to the modern room.

The music was the second thing I, almost unconsciously appreciated.

Tim himself is an international DJ and producer, and chooses the soundtrack to their customers’ meals from his own archived music collection. Their mission clear from both the feel and sound of the place - is to create a ‘home-from-home’: “A place where everyone is welcome to come and enjoy our vibe, consistent service and great food at prices that won’t break the bank,” says Co-Owner Rebecca.

We began by ordering a bottle of deep fruity, Argentinean red wine that we planned to go well with the main courses.

We decided to share a starter so not to fill us up too much, and ended up being introduced to one of the favourites: pork cubes. This was a simple bowl of - you guessed it – pork, twiced cooked with a simple yet effective twist: lemon, fennel and cumin. The lemon surprisingly complemented the meat perfectly, and my appetite was appropriately put on hold just until the main course. This was in the ‘nibbles’ section rather than a starter, with other choices such as haddock, olives and nuts.

For main course, I had the grilled chicken breast, avocado, egg, cherry tomato and mixed leaves salad, finished off with a delicious blue cheese dressing.

I have to say, I’m not usually one to order a salad at a restaurant, but this was certainly no ordinary salad, with a lovely combination of flavours and just the right sized portion to fill me up. It was light yet filling and the blue cheese dressing made it especially tasty. My partner had a similar dish, but with steak slices instead and a tomato and basil sauce to accompany it.

I simply had to steal a bit, so I can vouch for its tastiness.

Dessert was the hardest decision of all, with the whole menu of sweets making my mouth water. The menu of ‘Puds’ included a choice of: Brazilian crème caramel, key lime pie, Eaton mess, chocolate brownie or a selection of ice creams. After much debate, we each had, respectively, the Eaton mess and the chocolate brownie, the latter of which came with a shot of their delicacy cocktail: The Toblerone.

Although a simple idea, the Eaton mess incorporated enough slight differences to its traditional twin to make it a unique and

exciting pudding. The cream was buttery and thick, setting the soft and fluffy meringue inside it, with fresh strawberries and a wonderfully subtle tasting strawberry sorbet.

The brownie was equally nice, and extremely rich with the added indulgence of the Toblerone cocktail in a shot; a luscious combination of Kahlua and Baileys.

The ambience, overall, was more reminiscent of an up-market café, with the décor of a British and music-influenced diner. This,

however it might sound, is not an insult by any means. I felt right at home, just as Rebecca had meant her customers to, yet it also had the extra pleasure of a delightfully elegant meal – one that hit a balance that’s hard to find elsewhere. I recommend a visit for anyone wanting good food, good music and friendly company.

Kooks is open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 10am until 10pm, and 10am until 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

“The menu of ‘Puds’ included a Brazilian crème caramel, key lime pie, Eaton mess, chocolate brownie or a selection of ice creams”

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55

Go Potty For Corporate Afternoon Tea

Swap the grubby office kettle for a posh teapot and a belt-busting cake spread at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Afternoon tea is making a comeback.

Over the last few Review years we’ve seen a resurgence of British patriotism and, thanks to a succession of national events over the year (the Queen’s Jubilee, the 2012 London Olympics, a creche-full of Royal babies and no doubt the ever-popular Bake Off), it feels like we’ve well and truly got our British mojo back.

There are few traditions that epitomise our nation quite like afternoon tea. There’s something about fine china teacups, miniature cakes and finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off that just oozes Great Britishness. It’s our portal into period dramas and Jane Austen novels; a chance to dress up, be civilised and eat copious amounts of cake and pastry.

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It’s also, as I recently discovered on a entertain business clients, named after the visit to the Brighton Hilton Metropole, a Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse – the great alternative to the office. And I’m not very same man who designed London’s suggesting you skive off work to pig-out Natural History Museum. It pairs nineteenthon clotted cream scones. century gentleman’s I’m simply saying: take club elegance (think “If you’re worried your work to tea. quilted leather chairs and about leaving your Corporate afternoon wooden panelling) with tea is becoming a ‘thing’.

21st century style – chic guests hungry It’s a step up from your lighting and modern art. don’t. The casual average working lunch The dress code is pick-and-choose and it’s a way to impress smart-casual but I got clients without the usual away with jeans and a nature of the method of taking them afternoon tea is ideal blazer (this is Brighton, to the pub and getting after all) – the great thing for large groups” them drunk (although if about the Hilton is that Champagne and Prosecco it’s upmarket without is your thing, you’ll be being in the slightest glad to hear it’s an option at the Hilton’s bit snobby. Afternoon tea is served here afternoon tea). between 3 and 5pm Monday to Sunday.

The Waterhouse Bar at the Hilton Upon our arrival, my client and I Brighton Metropole is a fine place to were treated to a glass of Prosecco –

Tried and Tested in Sussex

a nice way to take the edge off any pre-meeting nerves. There’s a choice of two afternoon teas, one cheaper than the other. We chose both the £17 classic ‘Afternoon Tea’ and the £22 ‘Tea by the Sea, Seaside Delights’, which included additional sweet and savoury treats all locally sourced.

We had a window-seat so we could see over the terrace and the iconic skeleton of the West Pier beyond which, had it not been drizzly and grey, would have made for a beautiful view.

Our seaside themed tea came in an unusual but undoubtedly theatrical shelving unit, while the classic tea came on a traditional tiered cake stand.

Treats in our Tea by the Sea selection included (deep breath): a trio of neatly cut sandwiches (with the crusts cut off, of course), two mini mushroom flans, two dainty ‘Hailsham lamb burgers’, two scones with clotted cream and jam, two mini jam doughnuts, two popcorn cheesecake bites, two vanilla macaroons, two strawberry and custard tarts and two slices of red velvet cake.

The classic Afternoon Tea consisted of: sandwiches (including a delicious humous and roasted pepper filling), two plain and two current scones with clotted cream and jam, a selection of sponge cakes and two macaroons.

The tea selection was impressive too: our waiter came over with a draw full of Twinings including fruit, herbal and classic English breakfast tea (which of course I opted for).

It was, in a word, filling. If you’re worried about leaving your guests hungry - don’t. The casual pick-andchoose nature of the afternoon tea is ideal for large groups and there’s more than enough to eat on each platter for two people. Everything is laid out at once so you don’t need to hang around waiting for courses to be served, and you don’t have to worry about buying mains and desserts.

Because there’s no need for knives and forks (everything is conveniently bitesized), you can even lay out folders and notebooks and laptops on the table if necessary.

Service at the Hilton is always excellent. Our waiter was polite and tentative, and even insisted on fetching me a new serviette when mine fell on the floor. It’s service like this that makes the afternoon tea what it is. It was after

all traditionally a mark of the upper classes.

I left the Hilton feeling a few pounds heavier, but nonetheless proud of our little country for producing something as simple and yet delightful as the afternoon tea. And it’s amazing what a few scones can do for team morale!

If you would like to book an afternoon tea at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, whether for corporate or personal purposes, please call the hotel directly to make your booking: 01273 775432.

Hilton Brighton Metropole Address: King’s Rd, Brighton BN1 2FU Phone: 01273 775432

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 57

Advertorial

Stretch and Flex

Chickalates offers classes and fitness training for everyone to boost their self esteem and health Chickalates is a business based on achieving a high Health level of fitness and good health through Pilates, an exercise method focused on strengthening your muscles, improving your flexibility and posture whilst also burning off fat to achieve better muscle tone. Dorina Papai, who is an ACSM Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist and a fully qualified Mat Pilates and POP Pilates Instructor, runs Chickalates.

Her Ethos is based on boosting her customers’ self esteem through exercise: “I strongly believe in encouraging a fit and healthy body image for all women and men as well as boosting confidence and self-esteem. I encourage my clients to live a healthy and happy lifestyle. I believe in you and your ability to achieve your goals whether these are to start a healthy lifestyle, lose weight, tone up or increase your general strength and fitness,” says Dorina Activities available include small Pilates group classes for all levels, active and fun POP Pilates classes, personal training and one-to-one or one-to-two classes.

Pop Pilates is a fun and intense infusion of Pilates and Cardio, all accompanied with up-beat music. The Personal Training involves various programs “to suit all your needs with an experienced trainer, at your choice of location whether in the comfort of your own home or at a well equipped gym.” These cost £35 per session but they are aimed directly at achieving the goals of the individual in the way that’s right for them.

Classes are scheduled every day except Friday, predominantly evening classes on weekdays and the pay-asyou-go classes are £7 per session with unlimited monthly class membership costing £35. In addition to Pilates, Chickalates also offers Ashtanga yoga and Zumba as well as specified postnatal Pilates programs, aimed at getting women back into shape after giving

58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

I L

F A E

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birth should they wish to. Anyone can start these classes 8-12 weeks after giving birth and they provide the perfect preparation for regular classes so Dorina promises mothers will ‘soon look and feel your best after having a baby!’

Chickalates is a business that hopes to inspire healthy living. It recently held a ‘Diet Talk’ event, which covered topics including confusion about diet trends, how to direct eating habits towards weight loss, the diet of a professional athlete and treatment for eating disorders.

Clinical Pilates is also a way of improving an individual’s fitness and strength, aiding their durability through rehabilitation for sport injuries. They work alongside several physiotherapists to provide their clients with a complex and effective program. Specific issues, which Pilates may be used to target include:

returning or ongoing back pain, postural problems, injured muscle recovery, joint muscle recovery, endurance training and flexibility.

Come and visit us at: 32 Pevensey Road, Eastbourne, BN21 3HP Or for more information contact us: 07583486168 or chickalates@gmail.com

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Chickalates Fitness

We offer a variety of Pilates classes and private sessions catering for everyone from beginners to advanced practitioners.

These include: • Classic Pilates classes for all abilities including older people.

• Pop Pilates classes for weight loss.

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• Personal training and weight loss programs are also available.

• Yoga, Zumba and Aerobic classes are also available for our members.

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Brewers

Brewers Through the Ages The Brewers philosophy still holds strong after over 110 years in the decorating industry

Above: Brewers Head Quarters in Eastbourne, East Sussex Above right: Opposite: Redhill Showroom in the 1960s

60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Brewers, the country’s largest independent decorators’ centre, History stocks and supplies a vast range of decorating products to help customers across the country create beautiful spaces.

Since the business was founded, Brewers has aimed to be the decorator’s first choice, supplying all the decorating materials they need to get the job done.

This was Clement Brewer’s dream when opening his first shop in 1904 in Eastbourne.

Clement’s paint stock included white lead, a pigment that was mixed with linseed oil to make paint. Colours were supplied both dry and ground in oil; you could choose from 16 different coach varnishes, 22 kinds of decorative varnishes, 14 stains and polishes – and others specially to order. However, wallpapers were the core wall covering sold in that time as the plaster used was rough and needed covering and so Clement decided to supply a good selection of patterns to rival competitors.

In the early days, wallpapers were hand-trimmed to size by Brewers, a process calling for some skill, where the odd mistake could prove expensive. A ‘piece’ of wallpaper was made by joining 12 sheets of ‘Double Demy’ (22” x 35”) which measured a length of 11 yards.

A milestone of those early years was the arrival in 1908 of the first supplies of Halls Distemper, the revolutionary wall treatment in pre-determined colours.

Clement was proud to add this to Brewers’ product range keeping his customers up to date with the latest innovations – nothing has changed!

Brewers’ exclusive brand, Albany Paints and Wallcoverings has grown considerably since its introduction in 1920, when Clement chose its name to

Advertorial

reflect the highest standards of interior décor and wallpaper found in London’s Albany Mansion flats. Today, the brand continues to offer consistent quality with the paints available in a multitude of finishes including gloss, vinyl matt, eggshell, and masonry paint. Plus, being tintable in over 700 shades and the addition of bespoke colour matching capability means you can create almost any colour imaginable in Albany paint!

Looking further, Chairman Mark Brewer says, “By retaining our status as an independent family business, we have been able to grow at our own natural pace. This has enabled us to build teams of knowledgeable and helpful people at each branch and to ensure that new outlets are always launched with competent staff ready to give our customers all the decorating help and advice they need.”

The family has carried on Clement’s philosophy through the generations and its growth. Before and after World War One, five of Clement’s sons came into the business which allowed for branch expansion through places such as Redhill, Tunbridge Wells, Guildford, Horsham and Bexhill. During the third generation branches were opened throughout the South of England including South London. Whilst the fourth generation has seen even further growth into new territory of West England, North London, East Anglia, the Midlands and most recently North England.

Q&A

How has the process of manufacturing wallpaper changed since the first, second and even third generation of Brewers families?

Over the years the decorating industry has experienced many innovations in wallpapers and their production.

Printing machines have become faster and now use water based inks. The edge trimming that used to be done by hand is now all automated with subtle mitred edges so that joins are less visible. Paper stock has changed significantly, becoming thicker and of far superior quality to that of the early days. Papers are far more stable and no longer require soaking before hanging, and paste can be applied direct to the wall.

As the purpose of wallpaper has shifted from necessary wallcovering to fashion statement, the industry is constantly looking to create something new and exciting. This has led to new methods of surface treatment such as embossing and gravure; adding flocks and beads, hologram effects, glitters and foils. It’s also interesting to note that although the purpose and production of wallpaper has evolved, most of the wallpaper machines used around the world are made in England.

How has Clement’s philosophy from Brewers’ early years become part of the Brewers heritage and modern day running?

Clement Brewer’s belief and aim was to treat people with decency and fairness and to help our customers get the best results. This has remained a cornerstone of the Company’s values and aims today.

We pride ourselves in having customers who have been trading with us for many years, and it is our belief that they do so because we have remained true to Clement’s original aim to give service to the decorator.

Has staff training and expertise always been an important aspect of what Brewers does?

We pride ourselves on our level of service, which we believe is second to none in the industry. But it is our product knowledge and expertise that underpins this. In order to maintain this we have to ensure that we understand new and existing products and methods fully and staff training is how we fulfill this.

Our staff attend regular training courses relating to products and service to ensure that our advice enables the decorator to get the best results.

When and how did the in-house brand develop?

By about 1920 the number of wallpapers chosen to go in to the stock collections had risen to a hundred or more. To give this collection of papers a sense of presence, Clement and his sons wanted to find a name that epitomised quality interiors. Clement knew from his time in London of the Albany mansions off Piccadilly where the interior decoration was said to be of the highest standard.

The name was chosen and over time the product range expanded to include a range of pre-coloured paint as well as brushes and rollers. In the mid 1990s tintable Albany paint was developed allowing Albany to be available in any conceivable colour.

We have strived to ensure that the Albany brand stands for quality, whether it be quality design of wallcoverings or quality of paint finish. It has come to be trusted by many of our customers as a credible alternative to the more familiar names. www.brewers.co.uk www.wallpaperdirect.com www.brewershome.co.uk

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Frederick St. George, Managing Director of Mojo Publishing Ltd, offers the positives of franchising a business Here are a few of the main reasons why, in my opinion, buying into a franchise can be a great move: 1. Track Record A good franchise has developed its modus operandi and it works well, producing successful results. When you start looking at a franchise the franchisor will be required to share with you a great deal of information called ‘disclosure’ so you can check with existing franchisees before making a final decision.

Franchise businesses are attractive to first-time business owners as they offer a tried and tested way of doing business that removes a lot (but not all) of the start-up risks. Many of us are would-be entrepreneurs but most of us are also risk averse. This is why a business format franchise can be a great move for some. For the majority of us, a franchise offers a neat, streamlined route into business ownership where much of the risk has been absorbed by others before you.

In exchange for the tried, tested and proven formula which will have been fine tuned and improved since day one, you will pay an upfront fee for the right to operate the franchise for a determined period of time. You will also pay a Management Service Fee (MSF), which is typically a percentage of turnover. Much of the heavyweight decision-making in your business is done for you but a good franchisor will do this in consultation with franchisees. This means the franchisee can do what they really should be working and generating revenue!

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2. Training A good franchise offers incoming franchisees training which it has fine-tuned over the years. They will also give you an operations manual to guide you along the way and offer you support for every aspect of running your business.

3. Established Brand You will walk into a business with a presence in the market. The franchise will have built a local, regional and national brand that is valued and highly regarded by its audience.

4. Ongoing Support There will be a head office team whose sole function is to offer you ongoing guidance and support. Being a franchisee means being in business for yourself but NOT by yourself.

5. Marketing support The franchise will have established local and regional marketing strategies in place to ensure you hit the ground running and get off to the best possible start. This will typically be built into the purchase of the franchise so no surprises for you.

6. Buying Power A good franchise, like ours for

example at Raring2go! takes advantage of our buying power for an entire network. We negotiate pricing for print for our franchisees and ensure we get great value for money.

Every good franchise will do the same for its franchisees.

7. Risk Awareness and Avoidance We all think we would make great bosses and many of us like the idea of being called an entrepreneur.

The reality though is that the road is littered with danger and risks. A Natwest survey carried out each year for the British Franchise Association found that franchise businesses have a far higher probability of succeeding and staying operating than conventional start ups. Even so, there are still risks (but they should be less) which is why doing your due diligence is so crucial. Do it properly and you will establish with a fair amount of accuracy and certainty what would happen if you were to become a new franchisee.

Being in business can be a roller coaster ride but being in business in an established franchise brand less so. Do your homework properly, ask your questions clearly and identify your expectations. Then roll your sleeves up and be ready to work hard and enjoy the benefits of being your own boss.

For more information contact us at: Mojo Publishing Limited, Unit 84, Mackley industrial Estate, Small Dole, West Sussex, BN5 9XE Tel: 01273 494631 info@mojopublishing.co.uk

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Strategist, problem solver and executive advisor, Rita Trehan answers our questions on leadership brands

What is a leadership brand?

I came up with this concept of leadership brand as I was reflecting back on what made some companies/ people more successful than others.

For me, a leadership brand is how you operate the business. You can have the best products, a great vision and business plan. However, if you do not have the leadership capacity to excite, engage and foster belief in what you are trying to do, you find few people willing to follow you.

The leadership brand is the organisation determining the character with which those top-line agenda items are delivered, and it sets forth a precedent of behaviour and manner of thinking with which all decisions must be made.

What are the key strategies in becoming a leadership brand?

1. You have to hire the right kind of leadership (and have enough of it) that is motivated and engaged to deliver on the mission of the company.

2. You must have leaders that put the organisation and its welfare above individual pursuits, keeping in mind that all individual egos are never as important as the centralised, shared demand for corporate success.

3. This is what I like to call ‘organisational ego’. Successful leaders can derail when their success starts to impact their self-perception. Leaders with a great leadership brand do not let that happen, they stay the course committed to doing the right things for the company, not just what makes them look good.

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4. You have to emulate internally external high expectations of corporate performance; you need to be as driven for results as the market would demand and should be prepared and comfortable to evaluate yourself against these principles.

5. Ensure you have a focus on the development of the breadth and depth of skills that guarantee well-rounded, critical and creative thinkers. Never assume you know it all, you must have a thirst and desire to learn.

How do start-up businesses and SMEs make sure they have the right leadership brand and make sure they follow that through?

It is a tough situation for start-ups. I have worked with several where we have talked about what this means. In the early days of a start-up, every decision matters.

You do not have the luxury of time on your hands in many cases, so you have to start being clear on what you stand for as a firm.

Knowing what the essence of your company is about and how you plan on approaching everything, from the decisions you make to people you hire, to the stakeholders you attract.

How do you make your leadership brand ideas a true identity?

This is about credibility, consistency and candidness. Many people would probably say honesty rather than candidness, but I believe that candidness encompasses much more; it is about truth, trust and being real.

If people, see you act in the ways that you espouse and that you genuinely seek to make everyone around you successful, you will create follow-ship and from that comes leadership brand.

I have had teams take on tasks that seemed impossible at the outset and yet pull them off.

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Society

ReviewMew Brighton Opening Coffin Event

From left Maribel Coles from Coles VA, Chris Langley from RBS and Wilfred Gomez from Search Acumen

Law firm, Coffin Mew has spread its influence across the south of England, now opening it’s fifth branch in Brighton Having already made its mark on three major city locations in the South of England, Coffin Mew is now opening its doors in Brighton. Their south coast influence, with offices in Portsmouth, Southampton, Gosport and also London is widespread, with a reputation that goes back through its 125 year long heritage as a committed, innovative and quality law firm.

The law firm celebrated the opening of its Brighton office in style on 15th July, with a party at a venue known much less for its legal prominence for its ‘fishy’ presence: The Sea Life Centre. The subterranean party was attended by 275 guests from the East Sussex business community, with music performances, champagne flowing and canapés in abundance. This was a very unique venue for an opening event such as this, but certainly reflected the exciting vibe of new beginnings for the law firm – plus it made for interesting conversation too!

The Brighton office opened in May this year, offering a full range of services to a fast growing and vibrant business community, and individuals and families living in the city. Nick Leavey, Partner and Head of the Coffin Mew’s Commercial Property team commented: “Brighton is home to some 1,500 young entrepreneurial businesses in the creative, digital, IT, green tech, financial services and life sciences sectors, being named ‘silicon beach’. These businesses are looking for a like-minded law firm on their doorstep.”

Miles Brown, Managing Partner at Coffin Mew, said: “Coffin Mew is an entrepreneurial firm with an entrepreneurial client base. We have had strong connections with Brighton for a number of years and the opening of an office in the centre of town is part of our commitment to Brighton, our clients and to the future of the firm.”

Miles added: “We were thrilled to see so many people at the official launch of our new Brighton office opening.

It was lovely to see so many old friends and to have the opportunity to make some new ones. Brighton is a vibrant and exciting city – and that was on show at our launch party.

There is a real demand for high quality legal services in Brighton and we’re well placed to deliver that.”

Coffin Mew’s 140 lawyers, professional advisors and

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From left Mark O’Halloran and Mike Ellis from Coffin Mew with Peter Rooke

From left Nick Gross from Coffin Mew and Bryan Elkins from Spofforth

business staff are spread across the five offices, and the firm is growing each year. In 2014, it grew by 18 per cent and completed some 850 separate commercial property transaction. The firm has a bold vision, already making an impact in the city by advising the Brighton West Pier Trust on the £45m i360 development that will feature a 138-metre observation tower, restaurant, retail and exhibition space. It plans to double its turnover over the next 24 months.

The new Brighton office address: 3rd Floor, Queensberry House 106 Queens Road Brighton, BN1 3XF T: 0333 000 0122 Email: info@coffinmew.co.uk www.coffinmew.co.uk

From left Sarah Trigg and Lucy Tammar from Act Legal with Annabelle Vaughan from Coffin Mew

From left Jenny Young, Liz Scotney from Brain Injury and Dorlee Monschau from Coffin Mew

From left Emily Bell, Joe Attridge and Kirsty Hughes from Coffin Mew

From left Nick Leavey , Elizabeth Gibbons , Mirren McGinley , Amy Richardson and Mark O’Halloran from the new Brighton office of Coffin Mew

From left Miles Brown Managing Partner of Coffin Mew with actress Carol Cleveland from Monty Python

From left Sam Nash from Pretty Clever Events , Amanda Harlington from Fusion Marketing and Matt Henry

From left Rachel Evans from Coffin Mew, Jon Goodwin and Jenny Ardagh from Sussex Business Times and Sally Pike from Coffin Mew.

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Made In Sussex

Made In Sussex:

Adams & Remers

Adams & Remers is a long established law firm based in Sussex and London - with commercial and high net worth private clients throughout the South East, London and UK wide – dedicated to protecting their clients’ interests in the UK and internationally

Adams & Remers is a modern law firm with Brand a long history. Their head office at Trinity Focus House in Lewes has been home to Sussex lawyers since 1791 and the line of the current practice can be traced back to 1925. In 2010 the firm also opened a London office at Dukes Court in James’s.

This niche specialist firm is recognised and recommended by the leading independently researched legal directories in fifteen different specialist areas of law – a remarkable achievement for this size of firm – also an indication of the high quality of work undertaken. Putting clients first is the firm’s most important objective.

Adams & Remers has fourteen partners and a 90-strong team of individuals from many different backgrounds. The business has an entrepreneurial, resultsoriented style and strong ambition for the future.

For commercial clients Adams & Remers specialises in corporate and commercial, commercial property, dispute resolution, employment, insurance, insolvency, agricultural and rural estates, listed and historic property, leasehold enfranchisement, environmental issues, health & safety and environmental law.

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“A solid and reliable law firm that gives quality advice to clients at good value”

- Chambers UK independent legal directory

Sectors where the firm has indepth working knowledge are energy, agriculture & rural estates, healthcare (including pharmacies, dentists and pharmaceuticals), service industries (including retail, fashion, hotels and restaurants), institutions (including schools, care homes and charities).

Commercial clients turn to Adams & Remers for advice in all manner of situations; when they seek AIM listing or capital market entry; when they want to grow, merge or divest of a business; or when they’re setting up a new business, a partnership, or trading agreements with organisations in the UK or

overseas. They may also need guidance on how to protect their commercial and intellectual property interests.

For private individual clients Adams & Remers specialises in personal tax, trusts and probate, contested probate and trust litigation, prime residential property, insolvency, notarial services, employment, matrimonial and family law. The firm’s private clients value legal advice at key moments in their lives – when selling a home, starting or ending a marriage or civil partnership. When making a will, aiming to reduce tax burdens, protecting assets for future generations – or dealing with disputes over probate, trusts, employment or property.

Robin Illingworth, Senior Partner, says that clients can expect: “a combination of technical excellence, urgency and professional service. Each client is given an individual partner as their central point of contact – who can call upon the knowledge and support of other specialist teams in the firm when required. Clients and visitors often remark that the Adams & Remers team are friendly, straightforward and unstuffy - and not what they might expect from a law firm.”

To find out more about Adams & Remers head to their website: adamsandremers.com or get in touch lewes@adamsandremers.com Tel: 01273 480616.

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WELCOME TO MY WORLD

In the lead role: John Travolta, movie legend and aviation aficionado.

Guest star: the legendary North American X-15 that has smashed all speed and altitude records and opened the gateway to space. Production: Breitling, the privileged partner of aviation thanks to its reliable, accurate and innovative instruments – such as the famous Chronomat, the ultimate chronograph. Welcome to a world of legends, feats and performance.

11-13 Cornfield Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 3NA Telephone 01323 725452

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CHRONOMAT 44