SBT issue 445

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SUSSEX BUSINESS TIMES

THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS NETWORKING WE CHAT TO BRADLEY HATCHETT, FOUNDER OF NETWORK MY CLUB

COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS VIRTUAL AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

THE ACUMEN TOP 50 FATEST-GROWING BUSINESSES IN SUSSEX REVEALED

S E RVI NG TH E SUSSE X BUS I N ES S COM MUN ITYwww.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk S I NCE 197 5

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SBTWelcome

WELCOM E

Welcome to the latest, packed issue of SBT

Spring has definitely sprung and slowly we start the road to recovery and some normality (whatever the new normal is these days).

This month we had great pleasure in speaking with my good friend and our event Partners, the founder of Network My Club, Bradley Hatchett. In this month’s cover feature we discuss the future of business networking.

We also have an exciting announcement as the Acumen Business Law Top 50 fastest growing businesses in Sussex are revealed.

County Business Clubs New Platform launches is its beta form and are really excited to share it with our members and the community. We also launch County Business TALKS, as we look to humanise the webinar experience as we once again partner with Network My Club to bring you another great event.

The Nominees for the second Virtual Business Awards for the Sussex have been announced and you can VOTE NOW for your winners for the event later this month!

As always this issue is packed with insights, advice and great content across a variety of sectors, written by the Sussex business community for the Sussex business community.

Thank you all as always for your continued support and we look forward to an exciting Spring - Summer. I hope you enjoy the issue,

Sam Thomas, Managing Director

VALUE ADDED PARTNERS

4 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

BRAND NEW County Business Clubs Sussex Community Platform

NOW LIVE

Content Hub

Community

Marketplace

Growth Services

Your Business | Your Community | Your Platform www.countybusinessclubs.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 5

Issue 445

Cover 445

Managing Director/Publisher Sam Thomas sam@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 012 Production & Design Kim Butler Accounts Clare Fermor accounts@thebusinessgroup.co.uk 01323 819 016 Published by The Business Group Sussex Ltd. Unit 1a Swan Barn Business Centre, Swan Barn Road, Hailsham, BN27 2BY Printed by L&S Printing Limited Hazelwood Close Worthing BN14 8NP 01903 821005 www.ls-printing.com

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 The Business Group Sussex 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 The Business Group Sussex Ltd. 2020 ©

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Monthly News

Acumen Business Law Fast Growth 50 Revealed

SBT Finance

How much Money do you need for the rest of your life? - By Servo Private Wealth

SBT Legal

Outside seating for hospitality customers: points to consider – Mayo Wynne Baxter

SBT Property

What is the state of the Mortgage Market a year after Covid? - Mortgage Medics

SBT People Management & Recruitment

Flexibility Matters: leading best practice in hybrid and flexible working past COVID-19

SBT Sales & Marketing

Freedom of Social Activism & Social Media - By Stephanie Prior Revisiting Whitespace Meet Agency 53 Are you Chasing Money? - By Ben Bennett

41

SBT Cover Feature

47

SBT Tech

53 59 65 71

The Future of Business Networking - We chat to the founder of Network My Club, Bradley Hatchett

Adapting to our new remote working reality – New World Tech Extech Cloud’s ongoing investment in training and staff development proves a success

SBT Charity Special

Homeless Crisis emerging with local charity, Turning Tides Rockinghorse reaches fundraising milestone

SBT Motoring

Electric Commercial Vehicles out now and coming What is Caz? - By Rivervale

SBT Networking & Events

An interview with Beau & Bell tent hire

Chamber News

We hear from Sussex Chamber, Brighton Chamber and Worthing & Adur Chamber

77

SBT Lifestyle

83

SBT Ask The Expert

We hear from Orange Beach Bars Bodywaves Mind Body Soul County Business Clubs Wine of the Month

This months Ask the Experts are Helen Buckingham: Keyword Copywriting, Adam Banstock: small 99 and Chris Mansfield: Fusion, The Business Catalyst

SBT MONTHLY NEWS SPECIAL

THE ACUMEN TOP 50 FATEST-GROWING BUSINESSES IN SUSSEX REVEALED

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 7

MO NT H LY N E WS

The Acumen Top 50 Fastest-Growing Businesses in Sussex revealed!

Brighton & Gatwick

Monthly News

based business

specialist law firm, Acumen Business Law, has today

revealed the Top 50 Fastest-Growing

Businesses in Sussex, powered by data

business world, Acumen Business

deal-flow search engine for the private

successes too and the purpose of

from mnAI (the world’s first AI-powered investment markets).

After one of the toughest years in the

Law is delighted to celebrate some the initiative is to identify and provide

recognition to local businesses for their outstanding growth year on year.

The Top 50 Fastest-Growing Businesses in Sussex revealed today are: • Asset Plus Financial Ltd

• Minton Young Ltd

• Avanti (Abi) Ltd

• Mjh Tax Ltd

• Bare Biology Ltd

• Nio Comm Ltd

• Bgl Wealth Ltd

• Numbers Studio Ltd

• Bozboz Ltd

• Organic Zoo Ltd

• Brightec Ltd

• Ozum Ltd

• Casgo Connections Ltd

• Pathway Healthcare Ltd

• Class Cover (Surrey) Ltd

• Phonicsplay Ltd

• Clearstone Business Services Ltd

• Premier Gt Ltd

• Cleghorn Lighting Ltd

• Projects Abroad Ltd

• Clifford Osborne Ltd

• Prosper Home Loans Ltd

• Curtis Building Solutions Ltd

• Ramjam Ltd

• Dyer Technology Ltd

• Rotamac Energy Solutions Ltd

• Gbvi Ltd

• Sketch Events Ltd

• Goodman Lantern Ltd

• South Downs Safety Ltd

• Green Lemon Company Ltd

• Stratospherec Ltd

• Houseen Lettings & Property Services Ltd

• Streetpave Groundworks Ltd

• Insa-Rend Ltd

• Sure Property Solutions Ltd

• Insure For Travel Ltd

• Technology Box Ltd

• Its Cycling Ltd

• The Fabulous Collective Ltd

• Lease Group Ltd

• Tnk Engineering Ltd

• Lyons Finance Ltd

• Tradestar Glazing Systems Ltd

• Marketing Edge Pharma Ltd

• Trenchline Utilities Ltd

• Meridian Finance Partners Ltd

• Tuff-Trek Ltd

• Middleton Heating & Plumbing Ltd Penina Shepherd, Founder & CEO

of Acumen Business Law said: “As a Founder & CEO of a Sussex based business myself, I know what a

rollercoaster this year has been for

businesses. I’m thrilled that the Top 50

Fastest-Growing Businesses in Sussex

initiative can recognise the success and

efforts of the teams involved, who are all

8 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

making a remarkable difference, especially during such unprecedented times”.

The Acumen Top 50 businesses were

Penina Shepherd

You can follow Acumen Business Law on social media, where each finalist will be announced:

contacted by post with their certification,

Facebook

before meeting digitally or face to face

Instagram

along with recognition on social media,

with Penina, when the national lockdown ends, and it is safe to do so.

Twitter

LinkedIn

MON T H LY N E WS

Latest pictures show progress at Edward Street Quarter Momentum gathers at Brighton’s newest neighbourhood

Two of the buildings

Monthly News

at Brighton’s newest neighbourhood Edward Street

Quarter have reached

their highest point in a major milestone for the development.

A building containing homes and

office space, together with another

accommodating both homes and local amenities have topped out.

Steve Eccles, Project Director at First Base, said: “Topping out two of the buildings was a very exciting step forward for us.

“Brighton’s newest neighbourhood looks set to be completed by early next year and we cannot wait to welcome the

community and tenants to this new area,

which will provide a home to businesses, residents and cafes, as well as gyms, bars and restaurants.”

Developer First Base said work has already begun on the next stages

of Edward Street Quarter, including

building The Clubhouse which will

to boost mental and physical wellbeing,

views stretching out towards the sea

by the sea, along with touchless

Edward Square, a contemporary, high

working in a post-Covid world.

feature a stunning roof space with

adding to the feelgood factor of working

and pier. Work has also started on Two

technology that responds to office

specification workspace.

The development will include three

The developer said it was pleased with

public green spaces, heavily planted

made, despite the challenges posed by

full of herbs, as well as public art.

progress on the site which has been operating during the pandemic.

First Base has included design features

with mature trees and an ‘edible’ garden

For more information, please visit www.edwardstreetquarter.com

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Post-Traumatic Growth: is it possible to emerge from a pandemic year fighting fitter than before?

By Richard Freeman, CEO, always possible It was mid-February

Monthly News

2020. One of my nonexecutive directors

sent me a text: ‘Apart from ensuring the

team are safe and well, what do we

need to do to manage any risks from COVID-19?’. Nothing, I said. We’re a

small and agile consultancy, staff can

work from home if they need to isolate.

We’re cool. As long as our clients are still managing to trade.

Naïve is generous. With people only

starting to get their heads around social

10 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

distancing and the prospect of a few weeks, maybe months, of disruption – I’ll admit I was not even remotely

entertaining the complete shut-down of our clients in the arts or hospitality, or

that our upcoming programme of 1,100 events across summer and autumn would be, um, illegal.

My nonchalance quickly became

anxiety, and I don’t think I have ever worked as hard in my life as I did in

April 2020. But, we know we are one of the lucky ones – we are small enough

to pivot, but big enough to pool expert

brains and the patience of some brilliant clients. For many others, this hasn’t been the case.

In the mid 1996, US psychologists Richard Tedeschi and Lawrence

Calhoun published a paper in the Journal of Traumatic Stress that

detailed a phenomenon that they had

observed in some war veterans and in survivors of major accidents or lifethreatening illnesses. They called it Post-traumatic Growth (PTG).

With instances of Post-traumatic

MON T H LY N E WS

Growth, “…people develop new

understandings of themselves, the

world they live in, how to relate to other people, the kind of future they might

have and a better understanding of how to live life,” says Dr Tedeschi.

There are lots of reports, memes and blogs circulating the internet right

now, about PTG in mental health and

education, families connecting and in other parts of public life.

But what might this look like in business?

Once I had figured out how to stabilise

the always possible team, we put 100% of our time into understanding what the real impact on businesses was going

to be. From April 2020 to Feb 2021, we ended up delivering 1:1 or small group support to over 180 small and micro

businesses across the UK; 25 webinars and 18 engagement sessions around adaptation and innovation in a digital market-place. We’ve published six

insights reports for UK regions on what different sectors need, and why, with recommendations for action.

We’ve helped SMEs to launch online

services, secure grant and innovation funding and pivot their business

plans. We’re managing the South

East Boost grant programme in East Sussex, enabling 157 SMEs to draw down £1.6m in business grants –

and we’ve designed and delivered the Reset. Restart programme for

Brighton Business & IP Centre running workshops on digital pitching, pricing, marketing and resources.

It has given us an aerial view of the

challenges and opportunities affecting all sorts of enterprises, and it is clear that

there are universal trends but it is not a level playing field. Businesses will fold,

but I’m not so sure that the enterprising spirit will. Viable retailers, events

businesses and venues are badly bruised – but

they’re not out. And when you scratch away at tech, engineering, construction

and professional services – you don’t have to go far to

see the impossible become possible, and some radical ideas starting to bear fruit.

It has been so, so exciting.

Sussex businesses are innovating hard.

If we are to distil the path to PTG into a process of five skills or mindsets, it

might look a bit like this:

Richard Freeman

1. T hink big

What you know and what you do right

now, might not be enough for the future 2. Listen hard

Find some space to find out what your customers really need, not what it is convenient for you to sell 3. Plan with clarity

The best thing you can do is give

yourself permission to get rid of the

noise and the baggage – go back to

basics, start simple, and be pragmatic 4. Wing it with style

We’re all in new territory – and you

don’t need all the answers; own your

exploration, be clear that you’re trying

things out and take your customers on a new adventure

5. Collaborate, radically

Businesses that pulled up the

drawbridge are the ones that have failed – you’re surrounded by experience and expertise; find some partners and you can achieve more

By plotting out our own Post-Traumatic

create a transformational approach to our work. And we want to share it.

The always possible team are now

on a mission to help transform one

hundred businesses in 2021. We’re seeking ambitious entrepreneurs,

creatives and business teams to join

The 100, working with each business to create a bespoke, practical, visual

12-month roadmap that clears the fog and nails some big decisions.

Post-Traumatic growth is what some

teams are ready for, emerging from the Brexit and COVID-19 disruption with the energy, ideas and opportunity to do things differently. Better. Bolder.

Grabbing 2021 by the horns.

This might be you. This might be someone you know.

Because we’re trying something new, all the support we’re providing for The 100 will be affordable for most budgets – some will be given away for free.

Interested?

alwayspossible.co.uk/The100

Growth journey, we’ve been able to

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 11

MO NT H LY N E WS

Culture Recovery Fund opens the door to arts this spring Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival (BDBF) has received vital support from the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund today (Friday 2 April 2021).

The registered arts

Monthly News

charity has received

two grants to help the organisation recover and reopen over the

next few months. Brighton Festival will benefit from £296,500 to ensure it can

bring events back to audiences online, outdoors and safely back on stage

with the re-opening of Brighton Dome Concert Hall this May.

The region’s largest music education

service which teaches thousands of school children and young people, receives

£174,000 for Brighton & Hove Music &

Arts and East Sussex Music teachers to resume tuition in person with students.

Andrew Comben, Chief Executive,

Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival

to have such loyal audiences who we

need as the public health advice changed.

beyond the pandemic.”

Council England, as well as Historic

These awards are amongst more than

Fund and the British Film Institute.

England to 2,300 cultural organisations

Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden,

know want the arts to thrive and survive

£300 million allocated by Arts Council

The funding has been awarded by Arts England and National Lottery Heritage

announced by the Culture Secretary today.

added:

“We’re delighted to receive this

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts

Fund has already helped thousands of

announced that Brighton Festival will

“Investing in a thriving cultural sector at

the country survive the biggest crisis

of helping the whole country to recover

their side as they prepare to welcome the

help to re-open theatres, concert halls,

our cultural gems plan for reopening and

commented:

invaluable support in the week we

return safely back to the city in May.

Since last year’s cancellation and with

the continued closure of Brighton Dome, it’s been hard to imagine that we’d be able to look forward to this moment.

This funding will also allow us to support our music services as students return to lessons and to present a Festival

that works with local artists, community organisations and a range of creative

professionals who are all committed to and excited about coming back.

We are enormously proud to be in a city that believes in the value of the arts, both economically and socially, and

12 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Council England said:

“Our record breaking Culture Recovery culture and heritage organisations across

the heart of communities is a vital part

they’ve ever faced. Now we’re staying by

from the pandemic. These grants will

public back through their doors - helping

and museums and will give artists and

thrive in the better times ahead.”

making new work. We are grateful to

Brighton Festival 2021 takes place

recognising the paramount importance

events, performances and installations,

identity as individuals and as a society.”

projects, as livestreams and across

The funding awarded today is from a

extending from Brighton to Worthing. A

companies the opportunity to begin

the Government for this support and for

from 1 May to 31 May and features 94

of culture to our sense of belonging and

both as specially commissioned online multiple outdoor and indoor locations

£400 million pot which was held back last

third of the events will be free to attend.

could continue to help organisations in

www.brightonfestival.org

year to ensure the Culture Recovery Fund

MON T H LY N E WS

Freemasons provide £1M funding and 18 Million hours of community support

Freemasons throughout England came together in 2020 to challenge Covid and support their communities. Donating £1M, as well as their time, to help those in need.

Freemasons also

Monthly News

worked 18 million

hours as volunteers

in a range of different areas, where there

was a need, including driving vulnerable people to hospital, preparing meals,

taking care of people at risk, organising care packages, producing scrubs, PPE and hand sanitiser.

Crawley, East Grinstead, Worthing,

crisis response. Of that £2.1m, £850,000

Battle, Seaford and Newhaven.

people through several charities with

Supplying a four wheel drive car to

homeless individuals are being provided

to help their team of Rehabilitation

help with accessing services such as

Physiotherapists to reach patients in

employment and training opportunities.

Littlehampton, Chichester, Rye, Bexhill,

has been allocated to support homeless

which UGLE partners. More than 40,000

St Wilfrids ‘Hospice at Home’ team

with food and essentials, transport,

Assistants, Occupational Therapists and

counselling and healthcare, as well as

outlying areas.

Dr David Staples, chief executive of the

In Sussex, Freemasons provided wide

Christopher Moore, Head of Sussex

charities across the counties to enable

the way in which Sussex Freemasons

shows what Freemasonry is all about;

communities in so many different ways,

to our communities and volunteering

providing and delivering hot food to

Freemasons have been doing this for

are vulnerable”

time and commitment that our members

In addition to the £1m donated in 2020, the

fight against Covid-19.”

of £2.1m to support the ongoing Covid-19

www.sussexmasons.org.uk

ranging and much needed support to

them to continue their work during the pandemic. These included:

Supplying 50 Samsung Galaxy Android Tablets to hospices in East and West

Sussex to help Covid patients stay in touch with their families.

Helping fund CPR machines for

Chichester and Worthing Hospitals

Freemasons said “I am very proud of

United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE), said “Our response to the Pandemic

have come together to support our

supporting those in need, giving back

from sourcing and producing PPE to

where it can make a real difference.

those in crisis and supporting those who

over 300 years and I am proud of the

Freemasons have committed a further fund

have given to support the nation in its

Providing mobile phones to support

remote working in the NHS, £30,000 to directly support NHS staff working in

the major hospitals across the county (St Richards in Chichester, Worthing Hospital, the Royal Sussex County in Brighton, the Princess Royal in

Haywards Heath, the Eastbourne District General Hospital and the Conquest

Hospital in Hastings) and PPE to a wide range of charities and hospices.

Supporting the work of Domestic Violence charities

Providing £28,000 cash support to food

banks in Brighton and Hove City Mission, Portslade, Burgess Hill, Horsham,

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MO NT H LY N E WS

Kreston Reeves strengthens wills, trusts and probate team with senior solicitor appointment Accountants, business, legal and Monthly financial advisers News Kreston Reeves has strengthened its growing legal services team with the appointment of senior solicitor Catalina Lowe.

than seven years’ experience in advising individuals on their wills, probate, and trusts and estate planning including powers of attorney. She is both a solicitor and member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP).

said: “Kreston Reeves has an enviable reputation across the region for advising both businesses and private individuals.

I am thrilled to be joining the firm and contributing to its continued growth.”

Catalina joined the firm on 18 March from a leading Sussex law firm. Her appointment follows Simon Levine’s arrival as a Legal Services Director in November 2020.

The Kreston Reeves 14-strong legal services team works across offices in Kent, Sussex and London, advising individuals and their families on estate and inheritance planning, wills and probate, trusts, and powers of attorney.

Philip Lansberry, Partner and Head of Legal at Kreston Reeves, said: “The demand for our private client legal services continues to grow across Kent, Sussex and London. We are delighted to welcome Catalina to our expanding team and look forward to working alongside her.”

Catalina brings to Kreston Reeves more

Commenting on her appointment, Catalina

www.krestonreeves.com

Designate launches new LV= Multi Car TV advert revealing how to make life better Brighton strategic creative agency Monthly Designate has News unveiled its latest TV advert for insurance company LV= to showcase the brand’s Multi Car product.

part of the same LV= brand world we all love. It was created with the help of the awesome animation experts at A+C Studios in Margate under director, Dan Richards. We’re also proud that we could champion the British production industry, especially at this particular time.”

The advert is part of LV=’s It’s Our Heart That Sets Us Apart campaign and shows customers that when your family’s cars are on one policy, it makes life easier, simpler and offers a saving too.

One of the main challenges to overcome was producing new TV creative in a very restrictive lockdown period during December and January. Filming live action was possible, but presented significant difficulties. Stop frame gave the agency the solution they needed to bring the idea to life, complement the LV= brand and work around any production limitations.

Designate used familiar, relatable and British pairings to illustrate this concept such as a biscuit dunked in tea or traditional fish and chips and brought this to life using stop frame animation.

Becky Sherriff, Group Account Director at Designate, said: “LV= has never used this style of production before and stop frame animation creates a really charming and magical effect. It already feels like

14 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Sophie Baker, Advertising Manager from LV= said: “The Multi Car TV advert shows that when you bring two things together, they instantly become better, like putting your family’s cars on one Multi Car policy, which could offer a

saving and also means you’ve got one policy and just one renewal date.

“The advert sits perfectly in the LV= brand world with its charm and warmth as well as the green heart branding and the ‘Have Love Will Travel’ music track, which has become synonymous with the company. It’s the first time we have used stop frame animation and it created a magical effect, while also rising to the challenge of lockdown restrictions.”

The advert launched during Saturday Night Takeaway and will be accompanied by further supporting campaign activity.

This latest work builds further on Designate’s long-standing relationship with LV=, having started working with the company in 2006.

For more information please visit www.designate.com

SBT FINANCE

HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU NEED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

BY SERVO PRIVATE WEALTH

A LOOK AT METRO BANK

THE FIRST HIGH STREET BANK TO OPEN IN 100 YEARS

SBT FINANCE SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 15

FI NAN C E

How much money do you need for the rest of your life?

We all know the adage that ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’, so have you planned out how much money you need for the rest of your life?

If the answer is no,

Finance

you’re not alone.

However, James Mallinson, the

Managing Director of

Servo Private Wealth, is encouraging people to take this seriously, noting that financial planning ‘has no minimum age limit’.

So, where does someone start with something like this?

We were lucky enough to sit down with

James to find out a little more about how

16 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

and why we should all be thinking about financial planning for the future:

“First off, we hit you with the big questions in life, such as; what would you be doing

if you weren’t working? How do you have fun outside of work? What would you be doing if money was no object? We then

quantify this and go a level deeper, asking clients questions such as ‘do you want

to leave a legacy behind? Or would you instead want to go out penniless?”

All of this information is used to build up

a framework by the Servo Private Wealth

team, where they conduct a charges, performance and risk analysis of any

existing plans and schemes you might be invested in.

“We then use the analysis to understand your aversion to risk and link it back to your goals. By doing this, we’re able to tell you whether you need more,

whether you have enough or even if you have too much (this leads to a separate

discussion around Wealth Management and potentially discuss methods such

as charitable giving). I’ve also sat across from people and told people they can

FI NA NCE

retire five years earlier than they thought

they could, providing a massive sense of relief and astonishment.”

However, the team are keen to clarify

that this kind of exercise isn’t isolated to just retirement; in fact, far from it:

“Equally, we’ve been able to help young

business owners quantify their business and help them get off the treadmill of running a business and move onto

something enjoyable. Whether that be investing in another business,

consulting, or just having more time for family, however, without being able to

quantify their business and make a plan, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

James Mallinson, Managing Director of Servo Private Wealth, concluded:

“Ultimately, this is about understanding

the top and bottom of where you want to go in life by asking the big questions. It

may seem daunting at first, but this really

helps to build a bigger picture. Even if

start planning how much you need for

you’re already working with a financial

the rest of your life.

your existing investments to see if there

Servo Private Wealth is an Independent

financial journey. Often, people (business

specialising in providing financial advice

full advantage of the tax exemptions

high net worth families.

aware. Ultimately the sooner we start

Find out more about Servo

know what you’re working towards and

servoprivatewealth.com/ You can also

planner, we can still help by looking at are any gaps to help you along your

Chartered Wealth Management practice

owners in particular) aren’t taking

to entrepreneurs, business owners &

available to them because they just aren’t working with people, the sooner you

Private Wealth here: https://www.

the sooner we can achieve it.”

follow them on Instagram & Linkedin.

The economic climate is certainly

Disclaimer: This article is for general information

looking interesting for the foreseeable

future. Slashed interest rates, coupled with tax changes and government

reforms, which are all coming into effect in the not too distant future, means relying on standard cash ISA’s and

and is not intended to address your particular requirements. No individual or company should act upon such information without receiving appropriate professional advice.

Servo Private Wealth is an appointed representative of Best Practice IFA Group Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority

savings accounts for your future isn’t enough. These changes are likely to

hit higher level earners and business

owners, so now is the time to plan and look at different income streams and

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 17

A look at Metro Bank

Metro Bank opened its first store in Holborn, London on 29 July 2010 – the first high street bank to open in the UK in more than 100 years.

The bank has since

Finance

grown to serve more than two million

customer accounts, with 77 stores in

England and Wales including five drivethru stores and over 3,500 colleagues across the UK.

The team in Brighton is headed up by Brian Quinton, Local Director, who is

keen to help business customers excel by fulfilling their banking expectations; making introductions to specialist

lenders, for example in asset and invoice finance; making introductions to other business leaders and professionals

through the teams networks; providing

18 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

easy to use and efficient mobile and

Metro Bank offers very quick account

exceptional customer service.

every business, on the spot card printing

Over the past 10 years, Metro Bank

bank is also recognised for its game-

online banking technology and providing

opening, a relationship manager for

as well as a 24/7 contact centre and the

has expanded its store network and its

changing digital innovations.

it serves. It is the highest rated high

As the UK’s community bank, Metro

for personal and business customers

spend time volunteering within their local

stores in the Competition and Market

it, delivering more than just banking.

February 2021. More recently its was

www.metrobankonline.co.uk

commitment to the local communities street bank for overall service quality

Bank colleagues are encouraged to

and the number one bank for service in

community and helping those who need

Authority’s Service Quality Survey in

recognised as ‘Bank of the Year’ at the 2020 MoneyAge Awards and ‘Banking Brand of The Year’ at the Moneynet Personal Finance Awards 2021.

SBT

LEGA L

LEGAL

OUTSIDE SEATING FOR HOSPITALITY CUSTOMERS

BY MAYO WYNNE BAXTER

SBT LEGAL SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 19

Outside seating for hospitality customers – points to consider The Communities

Legal

Secretary’s recent

announcement that the government is

proposing to extend

existing measures allowing pubs and restaurants to use pavements as

outside seating areas will be warmly received by struggling pubs and

restaurants throughout the country.

However, some legal issues need to be considered by hospitality businesses before making the

application for a pavement permit to the local authority.

20 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

1. C heck the terms of your lease,

particularly the description of the “demised premises”, to identify

the extent of the land within the landlord’s control.

It may be necessary to obtain the

landlord’s permission to use the area for

outside seating, in which case the tenant should seek this in writing to reduce the risk of any issues arising.

In most cases, it would certainly be counterproductive for the landlord

to inhibit the tenant’s ability to trade.

Still, in the case of a significant breach of the lease, the landlord could seek to restrain the tenant from using the outside eating area altogether and/

or they could claim damages for any financial losses that are incurred.

When giving permission, the landlord may wish to impose conditions, for

example, on opening hours, keeping the

area litter-free etc. They may also charge a licence fee.

2. The pavement licence will only provide permission for the placing of furniture

LEGA L

Markika Monaghan

the risk of accidents. It also means that should an accident occur; a

business owner will be better able to demonstrate that they have taken all

reasonable steps to ensure their staff on the highway, so consideration needs to be given as to whether

any other licences are required, for

and customers’ safety.

5. Businesses should also notify their

insurers of their intentions to operate

example, an alcohol licence.

an outside eating area and ensure

pavement licence and make sure the

cover in place.

3. C heck the specific wording of the

arrangements put in place comply

that they have adequate insurance 6. Under the Equality Act 2010, it is

with the terms of the licence. For

unlawful for service providers to

stipulate that any furniture used must

because they are disabled. Adequate

pavement at the end of the day, so

be required to facilitate the needs

of seating that is put in place.

customers, to avoid facing claims of

example, the pavement licence will

treat disabled people less favourably

be capable of being removed from the

access arrangements will therefore

care will need to be given to the type

of all users, including disabled

4. Carry out a risk assessment to ensure that the pavement area being used is a safe environment for staff and customers. This should minimise

disability discrimination.

7. Businesses applying for a licence

litter nuisance and take steps to minimise these.

Taking the steps referred to above

should go a long way to enabling pubs, restaurants and cafes to begin trading again using outside eating areas.

However, this is not an exhaustive

list and businesses with concerns or queries regarding how they may put

this into practice lawfully and safely are recommended to seek legal advice.

If you would like advice on any of the above, then please call us on 0800

8494101 and speak to a member of our Litigation Team.

Marika Monaghan, Associate Solicitor Mayo Wynne Baxter

should consider the potential for

disturbing neighbours or causing

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 21

LEGA L

Does your business need help?

During these unprecedented times, many businesses are struggling so we would like to help.

We are offering free general guidance on: • Unpaid invoices & contract disputes • Commercial landlord & tenant issues • Professional Negligence • Commercial insurance claims

• Trading Standards & consumer complaints • Shareholder & Partnership disputes • Employment claims & compromise agreements • Franchise disputes

Call us on 01273 223290 or visit www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/here-to-help

www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk 22 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT PROPERTY

WHAT IS THE STATE OF THE MORTGAGE MARKET

AFTER A YEAR OF COVID?

THE CHANCELLOR’S MORTGAGE GUARANTEE: A GOOD IDEA? OR A BIG MISTAKE?

SBT PROPERTY SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 23

P RO PE RT Y

What is the state of the mortgage market after a year of Covid?

Like all markets, the mortgage market has not avoided the impact of coronavirus. A year after the start of the pandemic let’s take a look at what we can learn from the last twelve months and what can be expected as we move forward.

Property

The availability and

year later on the 1st March 2021 the

higher risk offerings despite the wider

products saw a fairly

paying your lender’s SVR you may be

indication of confidence in the mortgage

variety of mortgage dramatic decrease

throughout 2020. Many

lenders withdrew deals from the market when the first impacts of the pandemic were felt in the UK, and the hardest hit

were high LTV (loan-to-value) mortgages.

This is because deals that require a 5%

average SVR sits at 4.41%. If you’re

able to reduce these monthly repayments further by switching to a new deal, even if remortgaging is out of reach because

your circumstances have been impacted

by Covid. It’s still worth getting in contact to review your options.

economic uncertainty can be viewed as an sector. With Sunak’s budget outlining a government guarantee scheme for

lenders to offer 95% mortgages, as

well as extending stamp duty holidays, this too should lead to an increase in the availability of high LTV ratio mortgages.

or 10% deposit, known as 95% LTV or

In the last few months, we have seen an

The mortgage market, as ever, boasts

lenders. This left first time buyers with

As of February 2021 there were 3,215

a new deal, are seeking one, are

90% LTV are considered higher risk for little choice, if any (depending on the size of their deposit) and those with plans to remortgage using a small deposit also found themselves with fewer options.

For existing homeowners on their

lender’s standard variable rate, mortgage repayments may well have fallen over

the last year. The average SVR on the 1st of March 2020 was 4.90%. One

24 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

increase in available mortgage products. mortgage deals available. In comparison

to March of 2020 when 5,222 deals were

on the market, it may seem relatively low,

however, it is the highest number since and indicates a trend of expanding options.

This is particularly good news for first time

buyers, as the largest rise in deals of late is on mortgages with a 90% LTV ratio.

This display of willingness to lend out

fluidity. If you are in the process of

looking to become a homeowner, or

just generally interested further in the options available to you, then please

get in touch, we’ll be delighted to help you understand what’s possible. www.mortgage-medics.com

P RO PE RTY

The Chancellor’s Mortgage Guarantee: a Good Idea? Or a Big Mistake?

“Generation Rent,” declared Rishi Sunak in his Budget speech, “will become Generation Buy.” Had the House of

Property

Commons been full, this announcement would no doubt

have been greeted

with loud cheers by Conservative

backbenchers. At last, someone is doing something to help young people get on the housing ladder…

So what did the Chancellor announce?

And is it a good idea? Or is he simply repeating the mistakes we have seen

so many times in the mortgage market

– meaning that, in the long run, we’ll all pay the price?

Rishi Sunak declared two boosts to

the housing market in the Budget. First of all he extended the stamp duty

holiday by three months to June 30th, with tapered relief then applying until September 30th.

More eye-catching, though, was his

introduction of a mortgage guarantee, with some of the country’s largest

lenders offering Government-backed

95% mortgages from next month. “A

policy,” said the Chancellor, “that gives people who can’t afford a big deposit the chance to buy their own home.”

The mortgage industry generally

welcomed the move: first-time buyers

historically make up a large part of the housing market, very often don’t have

a large deposit and have struggled over the last year with high loan-to-value mortgages in very short supply.

So on the face of it the Chancellor’s

scheme is a win/win. It will help first-time buyers and it will stimulate the housing

market – which should be good for the

course, is house price inflation. Will a

home improvements and DIY projects.

with a Government guarantee, push up

offer long-term fixed- rate mortgages –

likely answer – but with the inheritance

know what their mortgage payments will

Budget, rising house prices would also

economy as people spend money on

sudden rush of first-time buyers, armed

Lenders under the scheme will also

prices for everybody? ‘Yes’ seems the

meaning that the first-time buyers will

tax rate frozen for five years in the

be for at least five years and can budget

mean a windfall for the Chancellor.

and plan accordingly.

If you’re thinking of moving or would like

Some commentators, though, have

to discuss anything in this article please

scheme. Those with long experience

to our mailing list to get our monthly

been rather more cautious about the

don’t hesitate to get in touch or sign up

of the mortgage market will remember

newsletter in your inbox.

other schemes to stimulate lending –

self-certified mortgages, for example

– which seemed like a good idea at the time, and later turned out to be rather less so…

There are also doubts about yet another

‘Government guarantee.’

More than £43bn has

been lent to businesses through the ‘Bounce

Back’ loan scheme. The

Financial Times has since dubbed it a ‘giant bonfire

of taxpayers’ money’ and

suggested that more than half the money lent could be lost.

Could the Chancellor’s mortgage guarantee end up costing the

taxpayer more money? By definition 95% lending is

risky – and the Chancellor wouldn’t be the first in his position to misjudge the mortgage market.

The other problem, of

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 25

Our thinking starts with you “They are excellent in every respect and I am absolutely delighted with the service we receive. Everything has been done in a first-class manner.

We know the next period is going to be uncertain, however, with MHA Carpenter Box’s help, I look to the future with confidence.”

Standing still is not an option In today’s environment you need an accountant that does more than just numbers. You need a trusted adviser that helps your business thrive.

With our relationship led service, we look to understand the opportunities and challenges faced by you and your business. Our focus is always on client service, with open and honest relationships.

We’re here to help Audit and assurance Accounts and business consulting Tax planning Digital solutions Financial planning

www.carpenterbox.com Now, for tomorrow

26 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT

COVER FE ATU RE

PEOPLE MANAGEMENT & RECRUITMENT

FLEXIBILITY MATTERS:

LEADING BEST PRECTICE IN HYBRID AND FLEXIBLE WORKING POST COVID-19

KICKSTART SCHEME

WE FIND OUT MORE WITH BUSINESS DOCTORS

SBT PEOPLE MANAGEMENT & RECRUITMENT SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 27

P EOPL E MAN AGE M E NT & R EC R U ITM E N T

Flexibility matters: leading best practice in hybrid and flexible working post Covid-19

Keynote speaker Marisa Williams, from PwC, and five flexible working experts share their practical approaches on how to embed a now crucial, post-pandemic smart working culture.

Our fourth Flexible

HR

Working Action

Learning Group was hosted by

Emma Cleary of

Sussex based recruitment agency

Flexibility Matters who, for the past 7 years, has been helping businesses

build sustainable teams with flexible

workers. Emma explains: “The idea of a hybrid and flexible approach to

work has been propelled forward due to the pandemic, so the discussion now is not whether it’s embraced, but how?”

28 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Leading the way with a set of

actions, based on their own trials,

the Action Learning Group revealed some golden nuggets on smart

working implementation. Testament to the relevancy of the topic, over

70 participants benefited from the

session which included breakout room

discussions for drilling down to the detail.

Keynote speaker Marisa Williams,

PwC’s Talent Acquisition and Flexible Careers Network Lead, began by

sharing their 22,000-employee strong journey. Commencing in 2017 with a

company-wide smart working initiative that empowered employees to decide

when and where they worked best led

to the launch of ‘Everyday Flexibility’ in

2018. The completely inclusive initiative followed key principles as success

drivers: Working differently not less,

communication is key, not one size fits all and personal responsibility.

With 2019 being the catalyst to a

significant rise in people needing to

work differently, ‘The Flexible Talent

Network’ and the ‘Contractor Network’ were initiated. They allowed for the

P EOP L E MAN AGEM EN T & R ECR U ITM E NT business to flex alongside commercial peaks and dips and for workers to

choose a pattern of work that fitted with extra life demands, such as

homeschooling. By 2020, the initiatives saw PwC emerge as a productivity

powerhouse and voted ‘Best Employer for Flexible Working 2021.

Watch Marisa’s presentation here Following Marisa’s success story, all Action Learning Group leaders took participants into separate breakout

rooms to discuss individually how their

own smart working practices have been implemented across one of six key

stakeholder groups, from new starters to senior management teams and

operations. Here are the resulting top three take-aways:

Marissa Williams tackled The Senior Management Team.

• Communication: ask your people: A

policy designed bottom-up that meets the needs of both the business and

team individuals is most likely to work and has the highest self-motivation engagement.

• Analysis & Action: Testing the model with SMTs and analysing it will create a guide that is based on fact and

inclusion not opinion, eradicating fear.

Champions will then lead by example.

• Toolkit: Production of a roadmap for

managers and team members to use

as guidance helps people move from a mindset of needing ‘permission’ to ‘being able to choose flexibility’.

Dagmar Albers, UK Lead on Diversity

& Inclusion (Gender Pay Gap) at Pfizer, alongside Undergraduate Ella Warren, tackled New Starters.

• Duty of Care: Leaders of new starters must be given managerial tools to

be able to offer a consistent duty of

care, remotely and face to face, with regular check-ins.

• Trust: Mutually agree on boundaries

and responsibilities from the very start.

•A ctively Listen: Graduates, for

example, bring a new way of thinking,

specific team charter to be drawn up for guidance.

so to actively listen will both empower

Richard Pollins, Managing Partner of

the business culture.

‘Gatwick Diamond Business Person of

them and help to expand and evolve

David Blackburn, Chief People

Officer at FSCS, recently awarded the

DMH Stallard, recently awarded the

the Year’, led discussions on Teams and Facility Development.

• Real Estate: Configure office space

Chartered CCIPD in recognition of his

and relevant tech, asking what NEEDS

Management, where flexible working

coaching, community and creativity.

pioneering HR work, addressed Middle practices often get stuck.

•L isten, Engage, Act: Listen to what

MM teams need to be able to achieve their individual objectives. Provide

them with, proven to work, flexible

tools and guiding principles, then allow

to be face-to-face: collaboration,

• Future proof: Sustain what has been

achieved in 6 months, accelerated by the pandemic: paper lite processes,

automation, overhead cost reductions, improved efficiencies.

• Being adaptive: Dynamic leadership

them to manage their own progress.

that transforms having to work in a

in practical terms: A two-week

approach that will constantly evolve.

•E mpower MM to make it work

template, based on what’s worked in

flexible way to following a flexible cultural

other teams, a 40/40 rule that means

Liane Richardson, HR Director at

40% of the time, working parameters

Company to work for’ this year,

40% of employees are in the building

Thakeham Group, named ‘Best Small

of 7AM-7PM.

tackled ‘HR Teams’.

•P ilot: Think carefully about the teams

• Sustaining connections: Even if

to pilot, ensuring that it’s with teams

teams are not face-to-face, ensure

different environments per day.

connection, for example, walking and

that have diverse tasks or need to be in

Jessica Hornsby, 10 years Business

time is ringfenced for maintaining talking on headphones.

• Wellbeing: Maintain wellbeing

Psychologist at Thales, who uses data

by injecting play and space to

teams have on productivity, addressed

remote environments: Chair Yoga,

to prove the positive influence diverse

talk about non work topics within

‘Organisational Development’.

Mindfulness, virtual dance classes.

•S trategic Performance Agenda:

• Show vulnerability from the top:

Following evidence-based research

Initiated from Director level, sharing

better, a flexible policy ‘HAS’ to sit

inspires trust and confidence

proving that diverse teams perform

how people are ‘really feeling’

within the DNA of the business, not as

throughout the business.

a HR Agenda.

•G uiding principles, not rules:

Covid-19 has been the biggest test case

Empower teams with a set of

for flexible working, providing us with

own choices that are best for

Watch this space for more actionable

needed for this shift to happen.

this most recent Action Learning Group

to continue their duty of care online as

one. Keep in touch on 07810541599 or

principles, not rules, to make their

clear evidence on how well it can work.

productivity, recognising the support

take-aways based on the finer details of

•R emote Team Charter: For operations well as face to face, a ‘remote working’

discussion and for the date of the next emma@flexmatters.co.uk

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 29

Kickstart Scheme HR

What is the Kickstart

resource. The Government also covers

Although first

Contributions and Employer minimum

July 2020 and

And if that isn’t enough an additional

Scheme?

announced in

associated Employer National Insurance automatic enrolment contributions.

work experience that they get paid for,

unpaid internships are great experience

but only work for those who can afford it, this levels out the playing field.

theoretically launched in October

grant of £1,500 per Kickstart placement

I’d heard it’s a waste of time trying to

remain one of the Government’s best

(equipment, PPE, uniforms), support,

The scheme has had a lot of

2020, The Kickstart Scheme seems to

is provided to help with setup costs

kept secrets. Which is truly strange as

and training.

objective is to provide 6 month work

So why support 18-24 year olds when

a result of the pandemic, are struggling

groups?

it provides businesses with 6 months of

of long term unemployment, impacting

it’s an excellent initiative. It’s primary

placements for young people who, as

unemployment is rising across all age

to find work. But by default this means

This is the age group at greatest risk

FREE resource.

on their life long earning capacity,

How does it work?

homeownership and ultimately their

reducing future possibilities such as

Businesses receive 100% of the

ability to contribute, via personal tax, to

Minimum Wage, 25 hours a week for

incurred throughout the pandemic. The

young person’s salary, at National

paying off the huge national debt we’ve

26 weeks, that’s 600 hours of FREE

scheme gives young, unemployed people

30 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

get involved!

negative publicity as being slow and bureaucratic – both fair criticisms.

However, progress is now being made as the DWP have recruited (perhaps

they took on Kickstarters) for both their Central office where applications from

businesses are screened and the local Job Centres who support potential

Kickstarters. And, to make life easier,

you can use a Gateway Organisation to do the paperwork for you.

Then I heard you had to take on at least 30 people

P EOP L E MAN AGEM EN T & R ECR U ITM E NT

True at the beginning of the scheme,

but not any longer, anyone can apply

directly to the DWP even if they can only take on one person. To be honest the

rules around who’s eligible and how the

scheme works are changing all the time.

If in doubt call me on 07809 909839 and I’ll share what I know about the latest version of events.

I’m still not convinced

Here’s five good reasons for getting involved in the Kickstart scheme:

1. The 12 month period from March 2020 to February 2021 saw the

number of 18-24 year olds claiming unemployment related benefits increase by 124% *

2. 491,000 young people aged 18-

24 were unemployed in November

published 23 March 2021 https://

There’s more info here about how to

research-briefings/sn05871/

universal-credit/eligibility.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/

check eligibility https://www.gov.uk/

2020-January 2021 *

OK, you’ve convinced me, what can

Sandra Murphy and Steve Jebson are

roles on your recruitment ‘wish list’

Do at least one of two things:

both based in Sussex. They decided to

3. It helps you, as a business, try out

that you can’t currently afford. 100

hours per month, for 6 months, fully

funded by the Government, what’s not to like about that?

4. It helps local economies - businesses employ youngsters, who in turn go

out and spend their hard earned cash, probably in pubs and clubs!

5. Businesses grow because they’ve had

600 hours of extra, free, staff resource.

And because people are spending with them again. Everyone wins

* T aken from a Parliamentary briefing paper on Youth Unemployment

I do to help?

1. Take on a Kickstarter, you can apply

part of the Business Doctors network,

get involved with the Kickstart scheme

direct to the DWP or you can ask us to

for three reasons:

pretty much nailed now – unless of

1. B oth have young people in their

so you might find it easier to use a

pandemic, are struggling to find

do it for you. We’ve got the paperwork course they change the system –

networks who, because of the

Gateway Organisation like ours.

suitable employment opportunities

2. PLEASE spread the word around your network. Lots of 18-24 year olds still

don’t know about the scheme or don’t know how to get involved. In brief,

if they’re 18-24, claiming, or eligible to claim, Universal Credit, they can

get access to some of the fabulous

placements businesses are offering.

2. I t enables them to support their clients - local businesses who are looking to grow and need extra resources

3. G rowing businesses and employed

young people can only be good for the local economy

Sandra is based in Brighton and can be

contacted on 07809 909839 or sandra. murphy@businessdoctors.co.uk

Steve is based in Crawley and can be

contacted on 07889 269573 or steve. jebson@businessdoctors.co.uk

Steve Jebson

Sandra Murphy

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 31

JACK NEEDS

YOU We’re looking for ‘Hero’ businesses from across Sussex to help raise the aspirations of our local next generation. Raise your profile and market your business while helping 1,000’s of young people.

Find out more – visit LoveLocalJobsFoundation.com or email Foundation@lovelocaljobs.com

32 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Dare to

Dream

Delivered by

SBT

P RO PE RTY

SALES & MARKETING

FREEDOM OF SOCIAL ACTIVISM & SOCIAL MEDIA

BY STEPHANIE PRIOR

REVISITING WHITESPACE WE CHAT WITH THEM 2 YEARS ON

MEET AGENCY 53

WE FIND OUT MORE

ARE YOU CHASING THE MONEY?

IF SO, YOU’RE RUNNING AFTER THE WRONG THING

SBT SALES & MARKETING SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 33

SA L E S & MARK E T I N G

Freedom of Social Activism & Social Media

Traditionally, businesses have been reluctant to promote or voice political opinions in fear of potentially alienating customers. However in recent times, there has been a shift in social activism not just from the perspective of the business but for the consumer too.

Consumers are

Sales & Marketing

increasingly attracted to brands that stand for something.

There has been a

significant change in marketing trends and consumer behaviour resulting in people not only buying from a

company based on the value of its

product or service, but additionally buying into a brand’s social and

environmental values. Whether it is

food, retail or financial services, there is consideration over principles as

well as products. Brands who uphold ethical standards, transparency and

good business in many ways represent a new brand quality required from many buyers globally.

So why now? What has encouraged this shift?

34 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Standing up & Standing Out

promoted the rising momentum of the

new; it’s been around for a while and

many ways, changed how many people

fortunate to explore through various

Some of the world’s most successful

been keen to work with stakeholders

Jerry’s, L’Oreal and Nike reached out

values that are not only important to

stand in support with protesters and use

In many ways, social activism is nothing

Black Lives Matter movement and in

as a Marketing Manager I have been

and businesses now use social media.

campaigns. Whenever possible, I have

commercial brands including Ben &

and employees to promote and support

via digital platforms to pledge to make a

them, but to our clients as well. From

their platforms to speak about racism.

from a good place and the results can

Social activism has been considered a

Whether it be finance, law, property,

have followed suit. However, some

opportunities for your brand to stand up

and have been accused of hypocrisy.

my experience, these initiatives come

be financially and personally rewarding.

largely positive move and many brands

retail or even politics, there are always

corporations have come under scrutiny

and stand out.

This has been particularly apparent in

There is no doubt that the social

there have been a range of wide of

that took place in the United States last

and unethical standards. Boohoo is an

the retail industry, where for many years

broadcasting of the devastating events

reports regarding the industry’s practices

year has enhanced social activism. It

example of a brand that has supported a

SAL ES & MARKE TI NG range of social campaigns yet in recent times, has come under criticism for its working standards for employees and has been hit financially as a result.

Several businesses that expressed support for the black lives matter movement had

history of having complicated relationships with race, gender and equality. Leading sports brand Nike for example, had

previously reported in 2017 that out of its

353 vice presidents only 10% were black.

But shortly after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis 2020, the corporation was a leading brand to speak to out about violence and racism.

It is also possible that some corporations and institutions engage in social activism

as a means to influence the policymaking process. In addition to Nike, other large

corporations such as Facebook, Amazon, Apple and Coca-Cola, all recently made

pledges to make contributions and work towards racial equality. However not all

forms of corporate activism are embraced by communities and brands must act cautiously when approaching such

campaigns. Last month it was reported that Coca-Cola had been boycotted

by thousands in Georgia after openly

communicating its support for proposed changes in the voting regulations.

It’s not surprising why so many

businesses have embraced social

activism when we explore the results.

Recent research conducted suggests that over 60% of consumers care for what brands are doing to support

environmental and social issues. These trends tend to be higher amongst the

younger demographic with over 70% of millennials considering social activism key in consumer loyalty.

Often, there may be assumption

that brands are making a stand as a

form of marketing. They are branding

themselves as fair, diverse or inclusive

as a performative tactic to attract sales.

There is evidence to suggest that social activism can drive corporate behaviour.

Consumers are aware of the power

many brands hold and know that they

have an opportunity to make an impact.

Businesses are increasingly expected

to use their platform to lead on positive

change. People increasingly navigate their way through today’s politically polarized

landscape, with brand trust playing a key role to consumer accessibility.

Traditionally, social media platforms have offered their own separate purposes

and functions for users. For example,

Twitter originally was the ‘go to’ social

site for seeking news, current affairs as well as engaging with key influencers and celebrities. On the other hand,

Netflix’s Social Media Documentary,

like-minded business professionals and

not only businesses, but politicians pay

are increasingly using all social media

political votes, and support narratives.

and promote social values. In recent

politicians use social media as a means

stumble across an article on LinkedIn

nothing is free. The saying is, if you’re not

LinkedIn was the platform to reach out to

‘The Social Dilemma’ where we see how

networks. However social media users

digital giants millions to attract business,

platforms as a means to explore, discuss,

The documentary suggests that

weeks, it is has not been uncommon to

to win elections. It also reminds us that

questioning Pierce Morgan’s views on

selling the product, you are the product.

Markle is a liar. Although such content can

Increasingly users are becoming aware

be insightful to read and observe others

to fuel more social activism. Although I

Meghan & Harry or whether Meghan

be very uncomfortable for many, it can

of this and in many ways, this is likely

opinions on rather important matters.

do not tend to read some mainstream

Social Media

unavoidable during lockdown. When

accessible communication channels

rather apparent that UK mainstream

to discuss their views and in recent

As society becomes more diverse and

get away from. One of the ways in

more points of view to be represented and

via social media platforms is through

organisations acknowledge this, we are

investment, the larger the reach.

presented by liberal brands, CEOs and

or the pages followed and personal

media platforms including LinkedIn.

depend on what content one will see.

By Stephanie Prior, Marketing Manager

newspapers, their content has been

Social media has given everyone

we pay attention to this content, it is

with direct access to a wider audience

media follows a similar tone or voice.

months, it has been impossible to

interconnected, there is opportunity for

which brands access large audiences

discussed. Until the UK media and other

paid advertisement. The larger the

likely to see more social activism being

Depending on the user’s connections,

other leading professionals on all social

search activity will likely dictate and

This has been recently highlighted in

at Healys LLP

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 35

Revisiting Whitespace

It has been over two years since we celebrated Whitespaces first year in business on the front cover of SBT back in January 2019.

Sales & Marketing

Tell us about the

up with demand so we are now actively

business over the

to help spread the load. Emma and

development of the past few years?

Things have

on the lookout for a full time developer Tony are still part of core the team

and we have recently hired Jo as our

developed a lot for us since we last

Accounts Director. Jo has over 14 years

slightly since we started. We now focus

range of clients from the travel, outdoor

Branding projects and collaborate with

first point of contact these days and is

We haven’t managed to be there as

much as we would have liked due to

restrictions but are very much looking

forward to getting back in and dusting things down. All being well we are

hoping to have a belated moving in party

spoke. Our core services have refined

PR experience and has worked with a

exclusively on Digital, Design and

and sustainable sectors. She’s peoples

The last 12 months have been difficult

some amazing partners for anyone who

already proving invaluable.

found it as a creative agency?

needs marketing support.

Last summer we moved to a larger studio

The big news is that Milly is currently

located at 4 St Georges Place so we

full managing ‘twins’ rather than Steve

building and a fantastic creative space

the business and will be back later this

are located in the basement, Designate

catching up with old friends and contacts.

office mates, Midnight Communications

As ever Steve is working flat out to keep

collaboration and Friday beers.

on maternity leave and has her hands

are nice and central still. It’s an amazing

and I. She is still very much involved in

that gives us everything we need. We

year when she will be looking forward to

are in the middle and our old friends and

36 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

are at the top so there is lots of scope for

once the latest lockdown lifts!

for so many companies, how have you Of course it has been a struggle and

like everyone we have had to adapt and get used to video calls as a way of life.

When we first started the business four years ago we didn’t have a studio so

when the lock-down was announced

we were well set up to switch back to remote working.

We are very fortunate to work in digital and have kept relatively busy. The

SAL ES & MA RKE TI NG pandemic has highlighted the importance of good on-line presence and being able to trade and communicate effectively.

We have tried to help clients who have been hit harder by offering help and

support where possible. Whether that’s advice, a bit of free time or flexible payment plans.

When the first lock-down was

announced we recognised websites would be more important than

ever and play a vital role in helping

businesses’ trade, raise awareness

new projects at the moment?

the last six months in collaboration with

customers. In light of this we offered

range of clients. From start ups to well

due to go live in the next few weeks

businesses invest in a new site or

We recently launched a portfolio site for

busy. It is a huge site and we can’t wait

challenges and help with their cash flow.

site showcased some beautiful artwork

Tell us a bit more about the team and

such as an interactive mood board and

Whitespace?

As a team we have always believed in

with some exciting new start ups to

success of our four years in business.

simply enjoying the process. We all love

for summer launch.

important to us - we love sharing and

the same enjoyment. At the end of the

We have been quite involved in

creative results possible and exceed

the only way to deliver results is to truly

recently and enjoyed collaborating with

and communicate effectively with their

Whitespace work with a wide and varied

the amazing team at Search7. This is

a deferred payment scheme to help

established international companies.

and is currently keeping Steve very

upgrade in order to meet the new market

illustration agent ‘Arena Illustration’. The

for the big reveal.

and included some really clever features

What does the future hold for

culture at Whitespace?

smart search. We are currently working

We plan to grow and build on the

working hard, being approachable and

develop their brands and websites ready

Collaboration continues to be very

what we do and want our clients to get

developing ideas to offer the best

day we deliver a creative service and

designing for the property sector

client expectations.

enjoy the journey.

the Land and New Homes department at

Our own website is always the last

Great design underpins everything we

brochures and hoardings for new and

we are about to launch the revamped

to ensure that love and passion for

Heritage Collection in Buckingham

a number of our own products which

at the heart of the company. We have

and Park Mansions in Preston Park.

such as the upgraded Traffic CMS and

with our clients and believe we are

We have also helped develop a

Mishon Mackay. Specifically branding,

thing to be done but after much delay

do and as the team grows we want

upcoming developments such as The

version. We are also very excited about

delivering a great end product remains

Road, The Old Sorting Office in Keymer

have been in the pipeline for some time

a relaxed collaborative approach

Blend CRM System.

uncomplicated to work with.

number of established estate agent

Finally, we’re looking forward to getting

We understand the need of striking a

Eightfold Property in Brighton and

Zoom subscription and enjoying

us that we create a working environment

currently in the process of helping to

When we hire someone we want them to

a startup agency in Hove. Hoping to

websites and brands - these include

back to a simpler life, cancelling our

good work life balance. It is important to

Richwards in Henfield. We are

spending time together in our new studio.

that is creative, supportive and flexible.

establish a brand identity and site for

James Morrison

stay, love what they do and help us grow.

launch soon so watch this space.

www.whitespace.studio

Can you tell us about some of the

We have been working very hard on a

clients you work with and any exciting

Creative Director

large corporate hospitality website over

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 37

We chat to Agency 53 Sales & Marketing

Tell us about

by researching and forming a thorough

We’re a local digitally

and requirements.

marketing agency

Our strengths are our team - It is their

Agency 53?

integrated creative

with particular focus on the construction

understanding of our clients’ objectives

skills and understanding and the ability

and property sectors.

to take a concept idea through the

Our goal is to help our clients enhance

successful marketing campaign.

utilising our skills in Digital, Content,

The Agency53 leadership team is made

produce cost effective yet exciting

and Creative Director Michael Neligan, a

the performance of their businesses by

design process to the culmination of a

Design and Marketing. We design and

up of our Marketing Director Jamie Pierce

marketing collateral to enable our clients’

friendship and commercial partnership

businesses to reach their full potential.

built from their university days.

Simplicity is always our aim. We start

Jamie is well known across Sussex

38 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

having built numerous relationships

through various networking groups in

the area. He has also chaired a national trade association group and has

spoken at industry conferences both home and abroad.

Michael’s skills have been crafted in design for digital marketing encompassing web,

social and content. He has experienced life with agencies and working in businesses.

Between them Jamie and Michael

have over twenty years commercial experience in this field.

Away from the day job both are keen

SAL ES & MARKE TI NG

runners as well as being frustrated

golfers!! Some may know of Jamie’s

first love Brighton & Hove Albion but not Michael’s who is a rugby man at heart and supports Harlequins.

We are hopefully coming towards

the end of a very tough period for

businesses, why have you decided to launch the company now?

Over the years, we have worked

together on various projects since leaving university and as such the

next logical step was to start their own business.

Michael says, “As an integrated marketing agency, we’ll unravel

the issues, overcome challenges

businesses may face and also help

educate their teams so they have the knowledge for the future.”

Jamie adds “We love to inject new life into businesses of all sizes, whether

that be rebranding, a new website or an advertising campaign. It’s that simple,

we’re here to help and we never forget

that business is about people and trust.

People do business with people and we

have been very fortunate with the support we have received from Richard Beeforth

at Sussex Print Management, Jason Edge

- It’s crucial that people build

at Mayo Wynne Baxter and Sam Thomas

partnerships to learn and develop

their help during the past twelve months.”

Network-Network-Network.

at Sussex Business Times in particular for

How do you differentiate from other creative marketing agencies?

from each other, so our advice is to - Always do your research on your target market.

- Know your audience and understand

Every business needs their own USP

what is driving them to you. If they are

things that automatically come to mind.

get them to share their experiences

and with Agnecy53 there are three

happy customers, ask them why and

1. Agency53 was founded on the

with others. You’re obviously doing

core principle, ‘simplicity’. Our goal

is to make the clients life as easy as possible.

2. Our team has vast knowledge, skill

and experience through working within

something right.

- Only use the social media platforms

that are the right fit for your business.

- If this pandemic has taught us

anything it is that you can work from

many different business sectors.

almost anywhere but also look for

long-term relationship with our clients.

your businesses. Stand still and you’ll

3. F or us its more about developing a

How can you help businesses achieve their marketing goals?

opportunities to diversify and grow only go backwards.

If you would like to discuss how we

It’s simple actually – HONESTY.

could help drive your business, then

We’re confident that our team can

studio@agency53.co.uk or call

deliver results, but it is vitally important

please get in touch with the team 0204 534 2545.

that we understand the clients brief and their business ethos in order to deliver first class results.

Can you give us your 5 top marketing tips?

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 39

SA L E S & MARK E T I N G

Are you chasing the money? If so, you’re running after the wrong thing Winning new clients has always been tricky, and the more tools and gadgets we have at our disposal, the more complex the process seems to be. Let’s face it, selling is actually feared and loathed by many.

But here I am, having ‘fallen’ into Sales & an industry that I am Marketing immensely proud of, trying to help others demystify the art of selling and winning new business.

If you’re older than *cough* 40, you’ll probably remember a business world before the luxuries of social media and lead generation software.

At our disposal, we had an incredible sales tool. It was called the phone.

Novel, I know!

‘Phone-bashing’ scared people, and the telesales role was typically reserved for first jobbers, in a quest to line their pockets with enticing commission cheques.

Having landed myself in a sales role armed with only a directory and a landline, I soon realised that this is not just a smash-and-grab role. There is huge opportunity and responsibility in doing this job.

I was extremely fortunate to start out working with some of the most experienced and capable managers in the industry, and they taught me well.

My training was always geared towards understanding the prospective customer’s business needs and desires.

We were taught to use big open questions, and to encourage organic conversations.

Essentially, we learned to remain curious and satisfy that curiosity

40 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

through information gathering and understanding our customer’s situation.

Just build trust. Quite a simple concept when you think about it.

When you watch films like Boiler Room or Glengarry Glenn Ross, you will see a huge emphasis placed on the sales teams to play the numbers game, and always run at the money.

Do whatever it takes to hit the target.

Eventually someone will buy. Right!?

The targets are typically very large revenue numbers that increases monthon-month to squeeze every last penny out of the prospects and drive sales teams crazy with greed.

Sadly, this tactic works… for a time.

But this will typically lead to poor clientsupplier relationships, low renewal rates, and short-term gain.

Anyone who runs a business knows, these are not the ingredients for longterm success.

While some of those practices still exist in some companies, they actually provide you with an opportunity to stand head and shoulders above them in the quality stakes.

A research paper by Salesforce found that 79% of customers think it is critical that the salesperson doesn’t try to sell them products they don’t need.

Coupled with the fact that 76% believe it is essential that their salesperson is focused on helping achieve their needs, not just on making a quick sale

Ben Bennett

The smash and grab model of selling no longer applies, assuming you want strong long-term relationships with your clients.

If you set your financial targets as the main measure of success, then you will be running at the wrong thing.

Focus on how you can educate and support your prospective customers.

Add value at every stage of the buying cycle. Demonstrate empathy while building credibility.

If you go above and beyond for your customer, they will reciprocate with renewals, referrals and a long-term working relationship.

Revenue is your biproduct of success, not your objective.

Ben Bennett is Managing Partner of Second Voice (secondvoice.co.uk) a Brighton-based company focused on enabling founders of B2B companies to accelerate growth through sales and operations. Ben is also a business growth mentor for the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator in London and Brighton.

If you’re looking to grow your own company and want impartial advice or support, please reach out to Ben at sbt@secondvoice.co.uk

SBT COVER FEATURE

THE FUTURE OF BUSINESS NETWORKING

WE CHAT TO BRADLEY HATCHETT, FOUNDER OF NETWORK MY CLUB

SBT COVER FEATURE SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 41

The future of business networking Cover Feature

Bradley, tell us about

sports clubs to launch business clubs

We are a business

locally in Sussex at the Amex Stadium

membership

Network Albion Business Club many will

Network My Club? networking

to bring businesses together. We do this with Brighton & Hove Albion FC (for the

organisation. There’s a bit of a pre and

know) but do the same across the South

given the circumstances.

Kia Oval Cricket Ground, Twickenham

post pandemic story to the business

Currently running our events online, but

East and London, at the likes of the

Stadium, Madejski Stadium and others.

historically (and we’ll be returning post

But Network My Club are more than

place at iconic sporting stadiums.

Ultimately, as a membership

We partner directly with professional

and serve our business community. It’s

COVID restrictions) our events take

42 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

just networking events is that right? organisation we’re there to support

not just about running quality events, it’s about ensuring our members are

meeting the right people, understanding why they are networking and what

they’re looking to get out of it, then helping them achieve that.

Our business is networking, it’s not just a side-line (although I still get asked what I do for another job).

There are five of us in the company full-time. Meaning when you join

Network My Club, you get a hands-

on team dedicated to supporting and understanding your business.

COVER FE ATU RE

Bradley Hatchett

Too often I see businesses go from

event to event, with no real approach

and thought behind it. They don’t get

anything from it and then bemoan the

fact networking doesn’t work. We want to change that. To help put purpose behind your networking.

We’re on a mission to bring networking

into the 21st century. Using cool venues.

Doing it innovatively online. Making

networking something you want to do,

not something you feel like you have to.

As a networking events and

membership company, tell us

about the last year and how you have adapted?

Where do I start?! To say it’s been the most challenging, stressful, mentally

exhausting and toughest year of my life would be an understatement.

We’ve adapted a lot. Our business

model was primarily based on face-toface events at these venues I mention.

From March 2020 that business model

was completely blown apart. We had to act fast. It really was do or die.

So, we did what everyone else did and got a Zoom account. We started to

run small meetings on there with our members. But learned early on that

they were going to get very samey and

stale, very quickly. There was no way to

differentiate one Zoom call from another!

After 3 or 4 weeks of doing that,

before Zoom fatigue had completely

set in, I started to explore other online event platforms and came across

Remo. For those reading that haven’t

experienced it, it’s probably the closest an online events platform has gotten

to delivering an authentic and as close to real-life experience out there. You can create different event rooms (or

environments as I call them), meaning events look like real events, even with

tables and chairs. Attendees can move freely around the room onto different tables and only see and speak to

people they are on a table with. It’s not cheap, but it’s so clever and you get what you pay for.

As a result, we began aligning the

formats of our online events with that of our live events. With it offering the

ability to have intimate conversations

in a large-scale event, with the control and freedom to move to speak to who

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 43

C OVE R F E AT URE

you want to. Just like you would at a

real event. Our members are saying it’s as good as the real thing, without the travel or the food.

Since June 2020 our online events

have been solely on Remo. We’ve also

added a new online event management arm to our offering, running events for

businesses on the platform to save them the stress of doing it themselves having seen how close to real life it is.

We’re running all kinds of online events for clients, including online exhibitions,

awards ceremonies, charity fundraisers,

live cooking demonstrations, Q&A’s, pub quizzes, company social and team-

building events, webinars, networking and many others.

We even opened our own virtual pub, Network My Pub, last year. Not a

sentence I thought I’d be saying over

a year ago. This has proven extremely

popular on Friday afternoons when we

44 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

open it and has helped people stay

connected socially in a fun way during

We have been fortunate enough to

Landlord’ to my LinkedIn profile?

events, we know we share a similar

lockdowns. Can I add ‘Virtual Pub

Ultimately, we had a duty to serve our

members first and foremost. Therefore, invested in the best online platform to

offer the best online event experience. I

often say there’s a big difference between a video conference (on the likes of Zoom/ Teams) and a virtual experience. You

have to see it for yourself to understand what I mean – I’ve given up trying to

explain it over a call or email, I just tell people to come and try it out!

That’s a snapshot of our last twelve months, it’s been one hell of a ride,

we’ve adapted so much. But, despite the stress, we’ve come out of it with a more robust and future-proofed

business. I owe so much to my team

who have faced every challenge head on with such a brilliant attitude. They are absolute superstars.

attend and work with you on various ethos and passion for ‘collaboration

over competition’, tell us about your views on this, how this year has

impacted people’s ideas around this

subject and what a good partnership, collaboration looks like to you?

Firstly, we are fortunate to operate in a space where our perceived

‘competitors’ can be friends and allies.

A space where businesses choose

to spend their time and budget with

organisations that offer a very similar service. Not all industries have that luxury, but that’s a big factor in my

belief in collaboration over competition.

I often use the analogy that networking

is like fishing. You don’t go fishing from

the same lake every time. You mix it up.

In networking, you attend and join different groups. We see that with

COVER FE ATU RE our members. Many (if

not all) are members of

other networking groups or memberships. Each offering something

slightly different. Be it

different formats, member demographic, structure, benefits, lots of things.

For example, our approach

and events are informal and relaxed. The experience

you’d get attending one of our events compared to

say a BNI event would be drastically different. But

both serve a purpose and

attract and work for many different people.

Therefore, collaborations for us are about bringing two communities together for the benefit of both communities.

A good partnership and collaboration has to work for both parties. If you’re

going into a relationship thinking what

you can get out of it, you’ve already lost.

It’s also important that you collaborate

with an organisation or community that

share the same values and approach to what you do.

We see it as a value add to our members too. Collaborating with another group

that shares the same ethos means new businesses for our members to meet,

and vice versa. That can only be a good thing for all parties.

Not all organisations see it this way.

Some see it more of a conflict. That’s fine. In our case, we believe in our

structure and model enough to be

open to collaboration. If people don’t like our format, that’s absolutely fine.

There’ll be something out there for you.

If people prefer another group to ours,

no problem. If anything, that drives me

and the team on to see how we can

continue to add more value and serve our members further.

The last year has been a year of

‘firsts’ for many of us especially the team at NMC. What do you feel you

and the team have learned the most?

For me, it’s been the importance of

mindset. And the mindset you choose.

This isn’t just for us, but what I’ve

witnessed from meeting hundreds of businesses in the last year.

We had a choice in March 2020. Wait for this virus to ‘blow over’ and get

Ones that are just waiting and hoping for things to return to how they were

before. And others seeing the change

as a positive and adapting their ways of working to make the most of it. It’s no surprise the latter are in a much more

positive frame of mind and optimistic for the future when speaking to them.

Times are changing drastically and will continue to do so. Embracing change and being agile will put you in a good position. Mindset is everything.

back to live events. Or embrace the

What does the future hold for

most of the situation.

My Club?

reality for the foreseeable and make the

Luckily, the former was never even a

consideration of our team, and I couldn’t be prouder how this was their default.

The result of that is what we’ve been

able to achieve, how we’ve adapted and the position we’ve put ourselves in now to move the business forward. I look back on the past year with immense pride, in my team and myself.

I’ve seen a clear difference in mindset

in businesses during the pandemic too.

Typically, on one of two sides.

networking events and Network A lot of people are talking about hybrid

events. That’s becoming the buzz phrase

for the future. The idea of people being at an event in person and also online.

I don’t see this applying to or working with networking events.

Instead, I see a more blended approach to networking. In terms of people

attending some events in person and some events online.

Firstly, the obstacle of adopting video

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 45

C OVE R F E AT URE

conferencing technology has been

overcome by pretty much everyone (thanks to Zoom!). Meaning, the

receptiveness to attending online events has been dramatically increased, as well as the benefits being realised.

Businesses are seeing how much time

and money they’re saving from attending events online but are still meeting the

same number of people (if not more). Not

to mention the impact on the environment

by not driving to and from so many events.

In our annual member survey, 81% of our

members said they will be doing a mixture of online and in-person networking.

Therefore, we will be offering both forms, live and online events.

For us the biggest benefit of online

events to our members has been being

online events. A big factor of this is the experience we’ve been able to offer using the Remo platform.

Typically, those I speak with that are desperate to go back to live events have spent the last year attending networking events on Zoom. I can fully understand this as I was sick of it after about 4 weeks!

Zoom is a great communication tool. But it was not made for networking. Many networking groups are using it as a stop gap until live events return or trying to bend its limited features to work in their favour. Whereas Remo was built for events and specifically networking.

I expect to see many networking groups continue with online alongside their live events too. If not, we’ll be

able to meet other businesses across

there to help people get their fix.

to London to Hampshire to Berkshire,

How do you see people networking

all the regions we work in. From Sussex without leaving their office or home.

effectively moving forward?

If you speak to our members, they’re

this. But in summary, it’ll be about

very eager for us to continue with

46 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

I recently wrote a blog on exactly embracing online and in-person events.

Online events are a great way to meet new people and maintain relationships.

In person is where you solidify and establish that relationship. Making it even more human.

The shake of a hand or a joke over a coffee or glass of wine will not die out.

But people have just found other ways to network. More time and cost-effective ways to do so.

Opportunity will be online and in-person.

Businesses will spread themselves across the two forms whereas before in-person events were the only option.

It’s about putting yourself in the position to welcome that.

I talk about being a networking chameleon and being able to adapt and change to the different forms. If you consider yourself one of those and are open to embracing both, you’re a great fit for Network My Club! www.networkmyclub.co.uk

SBT

COVER FE ATU RE

TECH

ADAPTING TO OUR NEW REMOTE WORKING REALITY

BY NEW WORLD TECH CEO, GLEN BALLARD

EXTECH CLOUD’S ONGOING INVESTMENT

IN TRAINING AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROVES A SUCESS

PLUS X BRIGHTON ARE ON THE LOOKOUT...

SEARCHING FOR INNOVATIVE LOCAL COMPANIES TO JOIN THEIR SEVEN STOREY INNOVATION

SBT TECH SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 47

Adapting to our new remote working reality

A year into the global pandemic and there is near universal agreement that flexible working models, that accommodate different locations and schedules, have proven to be much better than anyone would have imagined possible.

While it might appear

Tech

that the Covid-19 virus precipitated

the work-from-home

movement, for many

knowledge workers the shift to remote working was already well underway.

The pandemic has indisputably

accelerated and amplified the remote working trend and there is no doubt that as we gradually move towards a new more ‘normal’ environment, business as usual will look profoundly different.

48 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Most employees largely welcomed the shift to remote working, but for some

companies and employees alike, there have been and will continue to be

some growing pains. Social connection and bonds between colleagues are foundational to the success of all

organisations and first-time remote workers can feel overwhelmed,

disconnected and distracted initially.

Since the pandemic hit just over twelve

months ago, technology has dominated the conversation about work. A good

day at work depends on the quality of

your Wi-Fi. “Zoom” is now a verb. And

virtual collaboration happens with tools like Slack, G Suite and Box.

After the initial freedom and enjoyment of being able to work the way they

wanted to work, for some the shine quickly faded. As the pandemic

stretched on with no end in sight, many

people found that they sorely missed the social outlet that work once provided.

The need for belonging and connection are core to being human. While

productivity, work-life balance, and

TECH experiences across your

organisation – regardless of the location of your

employees. Our services enable flexible working

practices such as remote working, use of different device types to access

data regardless of location

and enhanced collaboration tools. We provide a suite of Office 365 advisory,

transformation and ongoing management services that overcome the challenges

and complexities of moving workloads to the Cloud.

Glenn Ballard

overall satisfaction with working

arrangements is trending up, the

difficulty of building and maintaining

relationships and staying in sync with colleagues is a persistent struggle.

Digital tools are the indispensable

infrastructure of remote work. But getting plugged into the best technologies will

only take you so far. Thriving in the world of remote and distributed work depends on finding new ways to wire your teams’ social connections.

At NWT we know that remote working has been a steep learning curve for

everyone. But with the right policies and technology, it is possible to ease the

transition and ensure that remote work is both productive and fulfilling.

While there are many things that we do not know about what lies ahead

for remote workers, we do know that siloed communication, fragmented

systems and disconnected employees

simply will not cut it anymore. As we all learn to navigate these times of great

change, we also have an opportunity to reimagine how work is done.

It is clear that remote working will be at

the core of the new ways of working, the

We provide fully managed trend has already picked up pace, with

industry giants such as Google, Twitter, Morgan Stanley, Microsoft, Amazon

and JPMorgan announcing permanent

work from home policies for significant portions of their workforces.

The new normal offers everyone –

employees and staff – an opportunity to reflect about what is important at

a corporate and individual level. The

talent pool no longer has to be within

commuting distance of the office. Work

no longer needs to refer to the workplace but the fundamental operations to

be performed. Technologies such as

cloud computing enables efficient and

sustainable remote working that will free up teams to focus on creativity, problem solving and innovation.

NWT is helping businesses to rethink their remote working strategies and implement an agile work culture

that prioritises results and flexibility over rigid structures. We provide

independent advice on how to set-up

physical and virtual workspaces using

Service Desk solutions that

are designed to encourage

self-help, self-heal and resolve issues on first point of contact. We can

deliver both on and off-site support for your IT infrastructure and applications including Office 365.

As a result of the pandemic the world is a very different place. Over the

last 12 months, many organisations

and individuals have been forced to

adopt austerity measures to survive.

But the new normal is finally here.

Now it is time to recover, instil a

sense of purpose and set bold new

goals. Now is the time to enrich your

digital infrastructure and tap into new talent. Your reward will be a more

resilient company, a more diverse and empowered workforce and a more robust and equitable society.

If you would like to know more about our goals for the new workplace

future of work, please contact info@ newworldtech.io or visit www.newworldtech.io

communication, project management and collaboration tools.

Our services are designed to empower productivity through consumer-like

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 49

Extech Cloud’s ongoing investment in training and staff development proves a success

Extech Cloud, an award-winning IT managed service provider based in Sussex, was recently thrilled to be announced as ‘Edge Partner of the Year’ in the Vuzion Cloud Awards 2021.

Vuzion is an

Tech

innovative Cloud

solutions specialist,

assisting businesses like Extech Cloud,

in order to ensure the team has the

technical skills and expertise to offer

customers the solutions and services to suit their needs.

ensuring the best possible foundation

Investing in knowledge and staff

sustainable and future-proof business

“Part of our ongoing work with Vuzion

for their partners to build and develop a for the 21st Century.

The team at Extech Cloud has partnered with Vuzion’s EDGE Partner Program

50 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

development

involves heavily investing in the training of our team, with the help of Vuzion

Cloud,” says Andrew Hookway, Director of Extech Cloud. “This is so that our

team of experts at Extech Cloud can continue to provide top-level service

and pass this knowledge on to our wide range of clients. We want to ensure that no matter what a client might want to speak to us about, we have the best possible answers and solutions onhand to help”.

“The virtual awards, which took place

via Microsoft Teams, celebrated Vuzion Partners, and their innovative work

TECH to the reluctance to change current

practices. Whether it stems from an IT Manager or an outsourced team,

it results in the same issue…a team that are disengaged with IT and

disheartened by decisions being made.

What’s more, when everyone does return to the office (even if it’s just

for a few days per week), you don’t

want a culture of staff blaming poor IT infrastructure for losing precious time.

Having the right systems in place

ensures that day to day routines can

continue without any spanners being thrown into the works. What’s more,

although it might seem like a move to

Andrew Hookway

within the IT industry,” says Andrew.

“The night was a fantastic way for those in the industry to stay connected during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

It also offered a brilliant opportunity for

Vuzion Cloud partners to promote their hard work during challenging times

and to ensure wider recognition of their successes and achievements.

Continually learning as new innovations arise

As the world of IT is so fast-moving, the

team at Extech Cloud aim to continually

learn as new innovations arise, ensuring that they are always ahead of the curve

and that clients are empowered with the know-how to be in the starting gates

when the business boom hits, and by all accounts later this year.

If your business has a new-found confidence in future business

conditions following the first steps

in the gradual easing of the national lockdown, you may find that

uncertainties are now shifting towards

the cloud is a big change, it results in a thinking about it next month or waiting until later in the year, when it’s already much too late”.

Overcome IT issues before it’s too late The team at Extech Cloud understands that SMEs can’t always afford to be

making investments, especially at the moment in the midst of a pandemic,

and it can be tempting to delay making any changes for as long as possible.

However, now is the perfect time for businesses to decide on the most

optimal way to overcome any IT issues and be better prepared for whatever happens next.

“Businesses have to remember that if

they only ever do what they’ve always

done before, they will only ever get the same results. A miracle won’t occur overnight,” adds Andrew.

Nothing is going to change if your IT

systems and processes don’t change too. Therefore if you limped through lockdown, Extech Cloud can help!

what you are doing with your IT.

Locked down IT due to a reluctance

“If this sounds familiar within your

Over the years, the team has seen time

business operation, NOW is the time to act,” says Andrew. “I don’t mean

lot more than ‘just’ the ability to access

any applications quickly and easily from anywhere in the world. It’s a way to

future-proof the business and ensure

that you’re competing within your sector, otherwise what’s the point?

For example, you wouldn’t enter a

marathon without your running shoes,

would you? therefore why be in the race when you’re at less than your best?

Be at your best with Extech Cloud

“Being at your best works both ways,” says Andrew. “Not only do we want to

ensure that our clients can work smarter and more efficient and effectively be

the best versions of themselves with

our help, we want our team to continue learning and ensure that we have the

best knowledge and support on-hand at all times to pass on to our customers”.

Digital transformation is easier than

you think when you come to Extech

Cloud. Speak to the experts to get the

facts. Contact the team on +44 (0) 1444 443200, email info@extech.co.uk or visit www.extechcloud.com.

to change?

and time again where a business’ IT

systems become ‘locked down’ due

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 51

TEC H

Plus X Brighton are on the look out...

Plus X Brighton are searching for innovative local companies to join their seven storey innovation hub and benefit from fully funded business innovation support. Could that be you? Read on!

The Innovation Hub

Tech

which opened in

June 2020 is home to a like-minded community of

ambitious businesses who want to

grow their business in a productive and creative space. Co-working, resident desks and studio offices for small,

medium and large companies are on

offer but Plus X Brighton offers much

more including state of the art product proto-typing workshops, podcast

studios, media suites and wellbeing

benefits such as the twice weekly yoga classes and a nutritional on site café.

It doesn’t stop there….

Plus X Brighton have partnered with

the University of Brighton to offer you a

unique package of fully funded business

innovation support. This support includes: • Monthly innovation & business growth workshops

52 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

• Monthly drop-in clinics with carefully

selected professional service partners providing advice on topics such as

Intellectual Property, Brand Strategy,

Diversity and Inclusion and much more

• Collaborative social and networking events such as the monthly coffee morning

• Opportunity to access one off or

regular coaching sessions where you can go in depth with your unique business challenges

• Access to world renowned innovation programmes delivered by an expert team at the University of Brighton

• Access to the Plus X Workshop and

team: a maker space with the state of

the art machinery and on site technicians to help you with product prototyping

All the above support is included fully

funded when you sign up to one of the

innovation programmes. And the timing is perfect, as the next programme is accepting applications now.

Inspiring Innovation is a 5 month programme that will help you

differentiate your products or services, explore new revenue streams or prototype new products.

To access the support, you do have to be a member of Plus X Brighton, but

the good news is the memberships start from £150 a month.

If you’d like to find out a bit more,

we’ve got an event coming up where

our Programme Manager Sam will be grabbing a cup of tea and telling you

about how it works. Register for free

here or let me know if you want to book a tour and have a look round.

The project is receiving £5.5m of

funding from the England European

Regional Development Fund as part of

the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

SBT CHARITY

HOMELESS CRISIS EMERGING WITH LOCAL CHARITY, TURNING TIDES

ROCKINGHORSE REACHES FUNDRAISING MILESTONE RAISING AN INCREDIBLE £600,000 SINCE APRIL 2020

CHOSEN CHARITY PARTNER:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 53

C HAR I T Y

Homeless Crisis Emerging – local charity, Turning Tides, are starting to see the real economic impact of COVID Local charity, Turning Tides - the largest provider of support for homeless men and women in West Sussex ended 2020 supporting a record number of men and women.

Turning Tides

Charity

were delighted

to be announced

the winners of the

Community Award

at the inaugural Virtual Business

Awards Sussex in December 2020.

After an incredibly challenging year,

with a near doubling in the number of individuals accessing their services due to the pandemic, the news

brought a real moment of positivity.

54 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

The start of 2021, has been no less

challenging, as the real economic impact

of COVID is now upon us and a homeless crisis is emerging. Many people had been hit hard by the pandemic - losing their

livelihoods and their homes, through no fault of their own.

Simon, now a resident in one of Turning

Tides’ services, shares his story - he is one of many who found themselves without

anywhere to live over this past difficult year.

CHA RITY “Last March (2020) marked the beginning of the worst year of my life, within a

few short days everything completely

fell apart. I was living with my girlfriend and worked as a self-employed

construction worker. But in March, our relationship ended. In just a few days I had the sudden realisation that our

home wasn’t actually ours, but hers.

Not only was I devastated about the

spilt, I had absolutely nowhere to live.

At the same time, the country went into

its first lockdown - a frightening time for

everyone. Worse still, work dried up and I found myself ‘sofa surfing’. I can only

describe that time as feeling completely shell shocked and very afraid that this was happening to me”.

Simon had to live out of his work van,

which he describes as “three months of

absolute hell”. “It was often freezing, my

roof leaked and so everything was damp.

I gradually sold off my work tools in order

to eat. If it rained, I would just sit in my van alone all day long. Living this way took a toll on my mental and physical health.”

Fortunately, Turning Tides were able

to provide Simon with support at their local Community Hub where he could

access hot showers, clean clothes, hot

meals and practical and emotional help from keyworkers which he describes as “a real lifeline”.

Claire Halford-Dale, Worthing’s

Community Hub Manager explains:

“We are seeing rapidly increasing numbers of local men and women seeking our

support for the first time. I have witnessed first-hand how COVID has literally ripped apart the lives of so many people within

our community - people just like you and I - as COVID takes away health, jobs,

relationships – and eventually homes.

Our Community Hubs are the place that

offers someone with nothing - something.

If the Hubs weren’t here, I think life would be unbearable for many.”

At the start of the second lockdown in

time before these short term remedies

‘Everyone In’ initiative, Simon was

streets. With a shortage of temporary

worked round the clock with local

housing and rising numbers of people

rough into emergency accommodation

are painfully aware the homeless crisis

November, as part of the Government’s

end and many are returned to the

offered a room at Butlins. Turning Tides

accommodation, limited affordable

authorities to bring people sleeping

becoming homeless, Turning Tides

to protect them from the virus. For so

brought by COVID has only just begun.

was a very real lifeline.

Turning Tides are committed to finding

Simon describes that time as “feeling

Simon, who just need the chance to

warm bed, I was able to cook hot food

without continued support from the

began to heal.”

for donations to help them meet the extra

many, including Simon, ‘Everyone In’

lasting solutions for local people, like

like I had won the lottery. I had a

rebuild their lives. They cannot do this

every day and my physical pains also

community and are urgently appealing

Simon is now living in Turning Tides

need for their vital services.

accommodation:

A homeless crisis is happening where

and work is not going to be easy,

another person’s story by donating to

“I know that finding my own home

you live - you could be the hero of

especially when so many others are in

Turning Tides today.

has been such a godsend. Without

To donate, to find out about the work of

the charity, I honestly do not know

Simon’s story in full, visit: www.turning-

the same situation. The charity really

their support and those that help fund

Turning Tides’ Community Hubs, or to read

where I would be right now.”

tides.org.uk/homelesscrisis

For the first time ever an estimated

Donate by phone: 01903 680748

1,000 people, including families,

Scan QR Code:

are living in temporary emergency

accommodation across the county.

Unless they are supported into proper

housing and, crucially, given support to rebuild their lives, it is only a matter of

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 55

After a year to remember, Rockinghorse reaches fundraising milestone Despite the enormous challenges of the past year, Rockinghorse has managed to raise an incredible £600,000 since April 2020.

Over the last year the

Charity

world has changed beyond measure.

When 2020 started noone could have seen

the impact that the coronavirus pandemic would have across every aspect of our

society from schools to retail, businesses

to travel, and of course the charity sector.

And Rockinghorse was no exception.

In March 2020 they were suddenly

56 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

faced with the prospect of all their usual

charity events being cancelled, including their single biggest fundraiser of the year, the Rockinghorse Ball.

There was a real possibility that 2020 would be the year that Rockinghorse closed its doors. The team had to

adapt incredibly quickly to ensure

they were able to continue supporting vulnerable children throughout the

county, but nothing was certain, and

no-one really knew how the year would pan out.

Luckily, thanks to careful financial

management during the previous few

years, the small staff team at the charity weren’t furloughed and continued to work throughout the year. They

understood that while the landscape of ‘business as usual’ was shifting

dramatically, babies and children were still getting sick, and they wanted to

CHA RITY with the support they received.

Young people put their time and effort into raising money for their peers with netball challenges, sponsored cycles and marathons and even running

a charity Etsy shop. Runners who

missed out on the usual marathon

season took to the streets to run virtual races and fundraise. And online gamer Matt Cullimore undertook two 24-hour live stream gaming sessions to raise over £6,000.

Local businesses were also a vital part

of fundraising through the year. Search 7, a Brighton based digital marketing agency, have undertaken a range of fundraising events as part of their

target of raising £77,000 for charity

this year, pledging £50,000 of this to

Rockinghorse. And staff from Santander undertook a range of challenges along

with cake sales and a Christmas hamper sacrifice scheme for the charity.

And throughout the year the Trust

Fundraising Manager at Rockinghorse

applied to 115 different trusts, resulting in being awarded over £180,000

in grants during the year, including

£120,000 from The Camelia Botnar Foundation in Horsham.

This all meant that far from being unable to offer much support,

Rockinghorse could not only continue honour their commitment to support them in any way they could.

As Rhian Walsh, Finance and

Operational Director at Rockinghorse

explains: “We realised immediately that

we had to think fast and change the way

we worked almost overnight. This meant engaging our supporters quickly to help them understand that we needed their support more than ever.

“We developed our ‘Rockinghorse

Hero’ campaign and launched it within

a week which really helped galvanise

to fund vital equipment and services

support and kick-start a new world of

but also offer more support related to

virtual fundraising.”

the year’s events.

This initial campaign ended up raising

They funded a range of equipment

By thinking differently, really linking in with

of the virus: a portable lung function

their website and social media platforms

of lung conditions, camp beds for

more people were contacting them to help.

with their children while they are in

From individuals to businesses, children

project looking into how COVID-19 is

over £95,000, but this was just the start.

and projects in response to the impact

the local community and making sure

machine to help children with a range

engaged the public, they found more and

parents to be able to stay overnight

to grandparents, they were overwhelmed

hospital, and an innovative research transmitted by young people.

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 57

C HAR I T Y

In addition, they also funded a range of vital medical equipment including 12

oxygen saturation monitors to monitor

children after operations and those with respiratory conditions, a simulation

manikin to help staff practise their skills

and responses in medical emergencies, and sleep study monitors to support

babies with sleep disordered breathing.

Plus, the charity also supported

several projects in the community

such as funding a new sensory room for children with severe learning

disabilities and autism at Downs View School in Woodingdean and a mobile

interactive video floor system, known as a magic carpet, for Hazel Court School in Eastbourne, offering games and

stimulation to young people with severe complex needs and disabilities.

This means that one of the most beloved Sussex charities has been able to

support around 12,000 children during the last year. Working in partnership with local hospitals, respite centres

and specialist services, their funding

has made a difference to hundreds of

children, often making their experience of visiting hospital more pleasant and much less scary.

58 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

And all this during a pandemic that could

“So, we want to thank all our amazing

have stopped their operation entirely.

supporters for everything they have

As Rhian puts it: “We’re really looking

to the rest of 2021!”

the year goes on but we’re so proud to

For more information about

total during an incredibly challenges 12

visit their website at: www.

the amazing support of everyone

01273 330044.

forward to getting back to normality as

done for us and here’s looking forward

have reached this amazing fundraising

Rockinghorse or to make a donation,

months. But the bottom line is, without

rockinghorse.org.uk or call them on

throughout Sussex who has fundraised for us, we simply wouldn’t be here.

SBT MOTORING NEWS

ELECTRIC COMMERCIAL VEHICLES OUT NOW AND COMING

WHAT IS CAZ?

BROUGHT TO YOU BY RIVERVALE LEASING

SBT MOTORING NEWS SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 59

M OTO RI N G N E WS

Electric commercial vehicles out now and coming

Electric commercial vehicles are coming onto the market by the bucketload. There is, of course, more and more demand for electric vans, as more businesses, both small and large, feel the impetus to drive towards a Greener future.

Motoring News

Both for private and

Best small electric vans

there is a constantly

electric van market as more smaller

commercial vehicles, growing demand for electric vehicles -

ones that are better than their previous incarnation, are cheaper or are kitted

out with everything you expect from an

ICE drive (and more). When they deliver just as an ICE engine does, but without the costly carbon footprint, it’s a nobrainer to go green.

Large city centres often impose clean

air zones, so the business imperative to drive more cleanly in these areas can be a costly error to fall foul of. Due to

pressure from the consumer, business incentives and punitive measures

on carbon-emitting vehicles, green

commercial vehicles are doubtless here

to stay - and well worth early investment.

This is our list of our favourite electric commercial vehicles 2021.

60 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

There’s been movement in the small start-ups and self-employed workers

combine business with everyday driving.

Renault Zoe

Best for small car usability and impressive range

Speaking of small vans to combine

work and daily driving, the Renault Zoe van is a real exemplar of this

trend. Basically, a compact car with the passenger seats removed, the

Zoe van is excellent to drive, quiet, and comfortable. It’s small 387kg

Read more: April 2021 Changes to Electric Company Car Tax Nissan eNV200

Best for carrying capacity at micro size At the other end of the small van,

spec is the Nissan eNV200. It offers a sizable load volume but in a small van category, great for urban deliveries.

With a real-world driving range of just over 100 miles (174 official range),

it can’t compete with more car-like

models such as the Zoe, but it allows for maximum carrying capacity in a small, zero-emission van.

payload, and 0.5m3 of capacity

Renault Kangoo ZE

the range will certainly keep many

The latest Kangoo ZE offers a massive

won’t fit all commercial needs, but happy - an 80kW motor plus 52kWh

battery make for a 245-mile range. For smaller carrying capacities who need a comfortable city car that can adapt

to daily life and longer journeys, this is a winning option.

Europe’s best-selling small electric van 70 miles more range than the previous electric Kangoo due to a new 59bhp electric motor (a variation of the one

used in the Renault Zoe). With a realworld driving range of 120 miles, the

Kangoo combines a car-style drive with

MOTOR I NG N E WS

great small van capacity. It comes as a

for a zippy drive and offers a 93-mile

Mercedes Benz e-Sprinter

wheelbase version) and the ZE crew

capacity of 6m3, it delivers practically

a similar offering to the eVito, but is

standard-length van, the ZE Maxi (longvariant, which can carry up to five.

Best medium electric vans

Medium electric vans are set

to explode in terms of choice, as

exemplified by the imminent arrival

of Ford’s electric variant of the ever-

popular Transit. The PSA Group leads

the way in this sector currently, with its Citroen, Peugeot and Vauxhall brands.

Read more: Green Number Plates Introduced on UK Roads Maxus E Deliver 3

An engaging, zippy drive

The Maxus E Deliver 3 offers two sizes - the standard and the long-

wheelbase - but it’s really the latter

of these choices that offers the best

‘medium van’ spec. The standard comes in at a 4.8m3 capacity, whilst the larger wheelbase affords 6.3m3 of loadspace (with maximum payloads of 905kg and 1020kg, respectively). Capable of 150

miles, this is a ‘get the job done’ electric van to fit the bill.

Mercedes Benz E-Vito

The clever, innovative electric van

The Mercedes E-Vito is class-leading

in medium-sized vans in terms of tech.

Its set of regenerative braking levels

almost emulate a gearbox, allowing you

to slow or coast. Its 85kW motor makes

range. With a payload of 1015kg and a as well as aesthetically - Mercedes always comes up trumps when it

comes to good-looks and reputation.

It does not support quick charging (it

only supports up to 7kW), so this may be a consideration if you’re looking to

undertake longer distances and charge publicly rather than overnight at home/ on business premises.

Best large electric vans

The large electric vans market is quite

new, but there’s already hot competition.

Batteries can eat into payloads, which is a challenge in the large van category, as

they are already quite heavy, nearing the 3.5-tonne maximum weight limit.

Renault Master ZE

Renault’s large zero-emissions option The Renault Master ZE fills in the blank in Renault’s EV van offering.

Dominating the market in EV sales

(claiming 25% of EV sales worldwide), Renault offers the Kangoo ZE as their

small electric van, but this is their first

The Mercedes Benz e-Sprinter is

bigger. Some might even class it as

a better offering, as it supports rapid

charging - the lack of which might be

a deal-breaker for some in the smaller eVito. It only offers one body size, but can transport up to 1045kg, in 11m3.

The real-world range offered hits up to 96 miles. As ever, it comes with that quality level standard to Mercedes Benz, so although it represents a

bigger investment, it can earn its keep relatively quickly and easily.

Eco-consciousness is only going

to grow as the government works

towards its Road to Zero plans for zero emissions by 2050. Some measures

already penalise carbon emissions, and failing to move to a zero-emissions car or fleet may really hit your bottom line.

If going Green is your plan for your next

purchase of a commercial vehicle, take a look at Rivervale’s electric van leasing options, whether you’re in the market for a small, medium or large vehicle.

large electric option. It uses much the

Give our friendly team a call on 01273

similar all-round appeal. The official

request a callback and one of our

same tech as the Kangoo and offers driving range is 124 miles (with real-

world range likely to be nearer 74), so

433480 to discuss your options, or team will be in touch.

it’s a great large van for city deliveries.

Read more: Top 5 Electric Vans for Eco-Conscious Businesses

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 61

What is a CAZ?

A Clean Air Zone (CAZ) is an area where special measures have been implemented to help improve air quality.

This government-

Motoring News

backed initiative is designed to

discourage people from driving older

vehicles which produce more emissions.

There are two different types of CAZ: Non-charging CAZ - Vehicles driving

through these areas will not be required to pay a fee. But you will notice other measures to improve air quality like cycle lanes, better public transport

emission requirements for the CAZ will be required to pay a fee.

Why are CAZ’s being introduced?

In 2010, the UK committed to limiting air pollution, including harmful NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) emissions. The

Government also pledged to create an

Air Quality Plan whenever the limits were found to have been breached.

Read more: How to Get the Most Range From Your Electric Car

services and modified road layouts.

Unfortunately, those limits have been

Charging CAZ - Anyone driving a

introduced. As a result of this and

vehicle that doesn’t meet the minimum

62 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

breached every year since they were subsequent legal challenges, the

Government has produced a number of Air Quality Plans.

The 2017 publication highlighted 29 of

the most polluted local authorities. The

Government asked them to put together plans to reduce NO2 in their area.

Following yet another legal challenge

in 2018, 33 more local authorities were tasked with the same initiative.

CAZ’s were expected to be brought in during 2020, but the global pandemic

has meant this has been pushed back by most local authorities.

Why are CAZ’s different between areas?

Local councillors are responsible for

MOTOR I NG N E WS setting the parameters for their CAZ.

Minimum emissions standards will

introduced in Birmingham on 1 June

NO2 as fast as possible, it is down to

these are based on the vehicles Euro

cost for cars and motorcycles will be £8

Provided that the plan sets out to reduce the local authority to decide whether a CAZ is needed.

If a CAZ is deemed necessary, they will also have the power to set the

boundaries and identify key policies.

They will also decide whether it should

be charging or non-charging. That said, a charging CAZ should only be used

where non-charging measures will not

apply within a charging CAZ, and emissions standard.

Are any CAZ’s already in operation?

Technically, London has been operating

Greater Manchester and Bristol to

had to pay a fee to travel through the LEZ since 2008.

the minimum emission standards to

be different, too, with some areas

charging more than others. In some places, the CAZ will be in place at

all times, whereas others may only operate it within certain hours of

the day. Being aware of the various conditions could be problematic if your fleet travels through several different areas.

Read more: Which Electric Car Is Right For Me?

Which vehicles will be affected by CAZ?

London requires vehicles not meeting

pay a fee. This has been in place since April 2019 and requires drivers of noncompliant vehicles to pay £12.50 per

day. It covers the same parts of Central

London as the Congestion Charge Zone.

Larger vehicles like HGV’s, buses and coaches have to pay £100 per day if

which vehicles will be required to pay a fee for driving through them:

• Class A for buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles

• Class B for Class A + HGV’s

• Class C for Class A + Class B + small vans, large vans, minibuses

• Class D for Class A + Class B + Class C + cars, motorcycles, mopeds

(Source: Department for Transport)

prevent the need for a CAZ. In both cases, the improvements were not enough to retain cleaner air. This

means there is an ongoing risk to public health. Over the next year,

drivers will see CAZ’s being introduced in Greater Manchester and Bristol as well as many other major UK cities,

including Bradford, Cambridge, Oxford and Sheffield.

What is the best way to manage

Arriving in 2021

There are plans to extend the ULEZ to cover other London Boroughs during Autumn/Winter 2021.

Bath City Council on 15 March 2021.

classes of charging CAZ’s to identify

after the pandemic were enough to

Read more: Top 7 Electric Vehicles

within their CAZ. But the Government Air Quality Plan. This outlines the four

explore whether air quality changes

Read more: Government Announces

standards.

Bath

has offered some guidance through its

Further modelling was carried out in

they don’t meet the minimum emission

Local authorities will have the final say

on which vehicles will be charged (if any)

school children will be exempt.

Zone (LEZ). Older vans and lorries have

As a result, different areas of the

structure for charging CAZ’s will

£100 per day. Minibuses transporting

Other major cities

although it’s known as the Low Emission

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in

for improving air quality. The pricing

per day. For larger vehicles, this will be

a type of CAZ for more than ten years,

improve air quality quickly enough.

country will have different strategies

2021. It will apply all year round. The daily

A charging CAZ was introduced by

It applies 24 hours per day throughout the year.

HGV’s, buses and coaches which don’t meet the minimum emission standards

2030 Ban on Petrol and Diesel

non-compliant vehicles in my fleet?

ANPR cameras will be installed in

CAZ zones to ensure compliance.

With a penalty of £120 per day, businesses with more than one

vehicle are encouraged to register for the charging checker before CAZ’s go live. The charging checker will

allow you to register non-compliant vehicles. You will be able to make

the necessary payments either seven days in advance of travel or six days in arrears.

have to pay £100 per day. Taxis, vans

If you’d like to learn more about

Cars and motorcycles are exempt at

questions, give us a call on 01273

and minibuses have to pay £9 per day. the moment.

Which other areas plan to introduce a

low emission leasing or have any

433480 or request a callback at a time that suits you.

CAZ?

Birmingham

A 24-hour charging CAZ is set to be

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 63

Driving your Business Beyond the Forecourt Buying a car will never be the same again.

The world of automotive has evolved and your customers buying habits have changed.

Let us transform your dealership.

Web Design Social Media Management SEO & PPC PR & Content and so much more

The future of automotive marketing starts here. Get in touch today.

01273 007 855 info@67degrees.co.uk 64 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS

AN INTERVIEW WITH BEAU AND BELL TENT HIRE

A SUSSEX BASED BELL TENT AND GIANT TIPI HIRE COMPANY

SBT NETWORKING & EVENTS SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 65

An interview with Beau and Bell Tent Hire

Spring has sprung and outdoor events are being scheduled for the summer in accordance with social distancing measures being relaxed. We caught up with Jade at Beau and Bell, a Sussex based Bell Tent and Giant Tipi Hire company, to discuss their plans….

Networking & Events

Tell us about Beau

400 guests in our beautiful Giant Tipis

We are proudly

glamping village alongside it. We will

successful years in

all you require!

and Bell?

celebrating over 10

business. Beau & Bell came about due

and provide a truly magical Bell Tent

also happily still rent you a tent if that’s

to a collective passion for glamping,

What effect has COVID-19 had on

provide Giant Tipis for reception spaces

Being in events this has really tested our

private events and can set up furnished

businesses will have done, we have

As Beau and Bell has grown so has our

our services whilst looking to the future

and our knowledge. Now a dedicated

spring and summer our teams created

event of our clients dreams for up to

instance, turning them in to havens

festivals and outdoor experiences. We

the business?

at weddings, festivals, corporate and

resolve! On a positive note, as many

Bell Tent Villages for accommodation.

adapted to continue to provide some of

love for the industry, our experience

and bettering our proposition. Last

team of experts, we can create the

outside spaces in clients gardens, for

66 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

for their families to enjoy a holiday at

home. When lockdown loosened up we provided for small receptions and group holidays at campsites, for example,

where our furnished Bell Tents and Giant Tipis were put to good use for group

bookings. In the background we were

working with a lot of brides and grooms who had had their plans put back for

their weddings and helped them with rescheduling and / or downsizing. It

has been really important to pick up the phone and chat any changes through

and stay close to what the client wants, being flexible and reassuring in order to not make our business a problem when they are looking for solutions!

N ET WOR K I N G & E V E NTS

What services have you continued

short space of time and there have

with a manufacturer who can work

It’s been really pleasing to put our Bell

have not survived. We always have

tents and related furnishings. This is

Spring. Ordinarily we would not open

crew to deliver exceptional service.

pride in as we know the benefits will be

and now we forecast that in future years

we have some new faces on board year

know works, making our events a better

Spring months as well, mainly for private

‘mothballing’ over the winter months,

a possibility after this rental season

look to provide our Giant Tipis for large

costs in the absence of ‘normal income’

possibly expand into retail with a niche

and weddings but we have found they

covid scenarios has been highly on our

also want to appeal more to corporates

too. We have also helped venues make

throughout the last 12 months has really

for example, an annual summer drinks

our Giant Tipis in Pub Beer Gardens for

if not for now then in the future. With

Giant Tipis at amazing venues in or

to create pop up campsites for landowners

outdoor events, we have been on a big

site at South Farm in Rodmell. Here we

this year. It has been important for us

and accommodate guests in Furnished

to take bookings and make purchases

with and what have you changed?

been businesses in our industry that

on some impressive modifications to

Tents to good use in lock down in the

the challenge of recruiting likeminded

something that we are taking great

up our business until May at the earliest

Because we are a seasonal business

huge in terms of cost but also what we

it would make sense to work in the earlier

on year. Storage of our equipment and

experience for our clients. There’s

events in clients gardens. We will always

constantly re-evaluating, looking at

that we would further our range and

reception spaces for corporate events

and planning for different covid and non

set of products to offer glampers. We

are popular for smaller scale celebrations

minds. Being in contact with our clients

who might want to work with us on,

use of their outside spaces, by providing

been key in delivering what they need,

receptions - hosting their clients in our

example. This year we have been invited

a surge in interest with staycations and

around Sussex.

and are really excited to set up our flagship

buying programme to satisfy demand for

For information on services Beau and

will have a Giant Tipi for communal space

to appropriately time our commitments

info@beauandbell.co.uk

Bell Tents with woodburners, set in the

whilst thinking about what might or

beautiful backdrop of the Sussex Downs.

might not be possible this year.

What have been your biggest

What does the future hold for Beau

There have been so many in such a

We have built a really good relationship

challenges?

Bell provide please contact Jade on

and Bell?

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 67

68 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

SBT CHAMBER NEWS

CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN PARTNERSHIPS ACROSS THE COUNTY

BY SUSSEX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CONSTRUCTION VOICE: IS THE BRIGHTON AND HOVE CITY PLAN ON TRACK? FLO POWELL, JOINT MD AT MIDNIGHT COMMUNICATIONS, WRITES FOR BRIGHTON CHAMBER

THE CHANGING CHAMBER

REDEFINING THE WAY AHEAD FOR WORTHING AND ADUR CHAMBER

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 69

C HAM B E R N E WS

Sussex Chamber of Commerce continues to strengthen its partnerships across the county

The Sussex Chamber of Commerce has, in the last few months, joined forces with Chichester Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Crawley & Gatwick Chamber of Commerce, Haywards Heath Business Association and Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce.

Sussex Chamber is

Chamber News

the largest business membership

organisation in

Sussex providing a

huge variety of free and discounted services to help drive business

economic growth. We are accredited

by the British Chambers of Commerce.

The new affiliation aims to broaden the Chamber’s partnerships, whilst

still enabling all parties to retain their independence. The town Chambers

and business associations will continue to work at a local level on issues of

concern, whilst the Sussex Chamber

will work with a more strategic role and a wider economic overview.

The initiative was put in place to give county Chambers a louder voice and

platform to represent businesses on a

70 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

local, regional, and national level.

Sussex Chamber, Chief Executive,

Ana Christie, said: “There is a huge opportunity for the whole Chamber

network across Sussex to really come together. The network of business

organisations can be far stronger and far more cohesive than it has been.

It is fantastic that a further three

town Chambers and one business

association have become affiliated with the Sussex Chamber. The

affiliation fosters better collaborations among the business community as

well as creating a stronger voice for Sussex businesses.”

Gareth Sear, Chair, Chichester

Chamber of Commerce & Industry

said: “We are delighted in Chichester to become affiliated to the Sussex

Chamber of Commerce and increase

out network across all of Sussex. We are constantly looking to increase the

offering to our members who will now

benefit from the lobbying power of the British Chamber of Commerce, the

special rates for different products as

well being able to attend events in the Sussex programme. We are definitely all stronger together.”

Chay Took, President, Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to be affiliated with Sussex Chamber of Commerce. It expands

the support and resources available to us and our members. In these times especially, and as we look forward,

the benefits of working together with a powerful shared voice will be a crucial factor to our success.”

Clare Jones, Chair, Haywards Heath Business Association, said: “We

CHAM BE R N E WS Together we all form a respected voice

to attend numerous webinars, training sessions as well

for business and members.”

other benefits which will help

The affiliation brings a wealth of

business. “

include members being able to access

Jose Evans, Acting President,

attend networking events or training

of Commerce, said: “Crawley

member rates, and to have a say in

as take advantage of many

benefits for its members, which

to support and grow their

additional savings and discounts,

Crawley & Gatwick Chamber

courses with the Sussex Chamber at

& Gatwick Chamber of

national polls and surveys.

affiliated with Sussex Chamber

To find out more about the

this affiliation will help firms

and the benefits you can get as a

affiliation will lead Chambers

sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk/

Commerce are delighted to be Ana Christie

are delighted to have signed up to

become an Affiliate member of Sussex

of Commerce. We believe

Sussex Chamber of Commerce

of all sizes achieve more, this

member, please visit https://www.

to achieve goals far bigger than we

Chamber of Commerce and through that affiliation be part of the British Chamber of Commerce network,

which will help support our business GROW

community. Our members will be able

are able to achieve alone. Across

To find out more about Sussex

connect businesses locally, nationally

www.sussexchamberofcommerce.

this network, together we can help

Chamber Affiliates, please visit https://

& internationally with other members,

co.uk/membership/affiliate-members

Events businesses & decision makers.

DISCOVER

Support Services

Sponsorship

CONNECT WITH THE LARGEST BUSINESS International Trade Services

Referrals

ORGANISATION IN THE COUNTY Networking Forums

Events

Networking

Sponsorship

Apprenticeships Young

DISCOVER

Kickstart Scheme

International Trade Services

Networking

Global Markets

Local and National DEVELOP Export

International Representation Documentation Training Trade Services Services Workshops

Forums

Policy

Export Documentation Apprenticeships Global Services Young Chamber

Chamber

Network

Forums

Training

Export Documentation Services

Voice Chamber Customs

Policy Forums

Networking Sponsorship

Referrals

International Trade Services

Referrals

Workshops

Chamber Referrals DISCOVER

Support Services

DISCOVER

INFLUENCE

Training Events

Support Services GROW

Events

Support Global Services Markets Sponsorship

DEVELOP

GROW

GROW

Export Documentation Services

INFLUENCE

INFLUENCE

Voice

Local and National Representation

Global Markets

Workshops

DEVELOP

Voice AS A CHAMBER MEMBERINFLUENCE YOU'RE WELL Policy CONNECTED

Training

WWW.SUSSEXCHAMBEROFCOMMERCE.CO.UK

Apprenticeships

Workshops

Apprenticeships a5 half page 2021.indd 1

Young Chamber

259 Local and National Voice Young 01444 259 Policy Chamber Representation Local and National Representation

01/03/2021 09:56:23

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 71

Construction Voice: Is the Brighton and Hove City Plan on track?

Flo Powell, Joint MD at Midnight Communications, writes for

Brighton Chamber about their latest Construction Voice event.

Chamber News

Five years on from

Joined by Liz Hobden, Head of Planning

Brighton and Hove

Peter Rainier, Principal Director at

the launch of the City Plan, and

Brighton Chamber’s

Construction Voice event, ‘City

Plan: aspirational and achievable?’, the Chamber brought together the

great and good of the property and construction sector, with expert

at Brighton and Hove City Council;

DMH Stallard; and Kelvin MacDonald,

Senior Fellow, Department of Land and Economy at University of Cambridge, and Board Member of Brighton

Housing Trust; with the panel expertly chaired by Ed Allison-Wright.

panelists, to discuss the progress of

The Council’s City Plan was hailed

is the Brighton and Hove City Plan

in 2016, and Liz took us through the

the City Plan at ‘Construction Voice: on track?’

72 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

as ambitious when it was launched

successes and challenges over the last

five years. The plan set out the housing delivery target, retail and employment land requirements to 2030 – including

13,200 homes and 140k sqm additional employment space.

The Plan identified eight development areas, 18 strategic site allocations

and 22 strategic city-wide policies. Of the 18 sites, 12 had made progress including Preston Barracks, the

Edward Street Quarter and Circus

Street developments, and the Hove Gardens site.

CHAM BE R N E WS in multiple occupancy to be bought by families.

In terms of employment space,

the plan’s ambitious target was an

• ‘Windfall’ sites could be identified to

So…is the plan on track? There have

• Introduce more flexibility at retail sites

add to housing target

to allow more pop-ups

To answer the question ‘is the city plan

we’re down on employment space, we

terms of housing delivery, affordable

haven’t achieved the affordable homes target and three of our big projects have all stalled.

Peter Rainier suggested three Rs:

1. Review – a review of the City Plan is due.

2. R eform – significant planning reforms

are on the way, and Brighton has been picked as one of 20 cities to take the brunt of new housing delivery.

3. Resources – the planning system is

key to the city and the council needs to resource it properly.

Liz mentioned some major challenges

Kelvin MacDonald brought a piece of

Centre and Churchill Square, the

Brighton Borough Plan!

and the Brighton Marina. Each site has

Kelvin noted that Brighton and Hove has

history to the discussion – the original

had no real progress.

a huge challenge in terms of affordability

The target of 13,200 homes is over 20

the levels of depravation in the city.

We are not achieving this at the moment,

The council has more than 20 different

The target for 30% affordable housing

therefore needs to tie in to all the other

to buy or rent, and called for a focus on

on average achieving 481 homes a year.

strategies on the go – the City Plan

is quite far off. Over the life of the plan,

objectives the council has.

affordable, and much of that was down

The attendees were then split into groups

to the council’s own delivery rather than

to try and come up with some solutions:

planning application negotiations.

• Affordable housing target could be

Student housing was hailed a success

•B uild more student housing to free up

the life of the plan, freeing up homes

•T he process for dealing with local

story with 4,500 rooms delivered over

local amenities and workspace

Edward St Quarter are all excellent

developments for the city. However,

only 23% of the housing has been

developments

over the last 10 years.

Road, Preston Barracks, Circus St and

years (2020-2030) which is 660 a year.

be carefully considered with new

• Create ‘coherent neighbourhoods’ with

certainly been some successes – Lewes

seafront including the King Alfred Site

should be sped up

• Transport infrastructure needs to

additional 140,000 sqm. However, the city has had a net loss of 28,000 sqm

with three development areas: Brighton

objections on planning applications

on track’ is therefore a difficult one. In

housing and employment space? No, it

isn’t. There’s no doubt that the council’s planning department have made

improvements and is striving to meet its targets, but the city is facing huge challenges and therefore the finding of this discussion is that a review is needed, and quickly.

With thanks to event sponsors DMH Stallard.

Flo Powell is Joint MD at Midnight

Communications and regularly writes for Brighton Chamber. To read Flo’s

full write up, head over to the Brighton Chamber blog here.

Construction Voice is organised by Brighton Chamber in collaboration

with RLF. Graves Jenkins, Lewis & Co Planning and Hayden Consulting.

Find out more about Construction Voice and past events visit the Chamber website.

Stay up to date with the latest

Brighton Chamber events by signing up to our mailing list.

increased

more family homes

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 73

The Changing Chamber Redefining the way ahead for Worthing and Adur Chamber and its members We are all so familiar

Chamber News

with the Government

roadmap for the next few months ahead.

Things are pretty

clear as to when you can meet with

friends and family but how does all this relate to business? How many people

can you have in a small room together?

When will venues be able to lift the 50% capacity rule? When can we have an

event with 100+ people? What happens if this all gets delayed? So many

questions to make sense of and work

74 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

to do to provide a safe … and enjoyable …. experience for our members.

For a business, that pre lockdown, did

all its events, training and meetings face to face there is a lot to consider for this new way ahead. Will people still want to attend training and events online?

I think we will all agree that we have

saved so much time with the efficient

use of zoom to run meetings, no more travelling for an hour’s meeting!

So, when and where will we start

introducing face to face events? We

are going to start with a really informal networking event, outdoors in a large

garden in June, keep a look out for an announcement coming soon! Then, as soon as the situation allows, we

will be back to our formal networking

events with a speaker (and breakfast!).

However, one thing we are going to

look at in depth is what people want.

Do they still want the event to start at 7.30am, like we always have, or is it

time for a change? Many people now working from home are enjoying that

CHAM BE R N E WS

WHAT'S PLANNED FOR THE NEXT 6 MONTHS AT THE CHAMBER?

6 5 4

3 2

28TH MAY 19TH MAY

23RD JULY 21ST JUNE

1

Early Bird stand

23RD

Larger events to

Face to face networking

SEPTEMBER Better Business Show 2021

breakfasts to

9TH JUNE

start taking place

resume with

Informal networking

both indoors and

keynote speakers

outside with limited

outdoors

numbers

bookings for the

Chamber Annual

Better Business

General Meeting, to

Show to close

be held online via Zoom Face to face Peer Mentoring to resume

01903 203484 | info@worthingandadurchamber.co.uk | www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

family time before the school drop

off. We want to make sure we provide something for everyone, so if you are not a fan of early mornings we still have an event that works for you!

What benefits does Membership bring?

Recently we’ve been running some focus group sessions with our

members. We are the changing

Chamber and we want to reflect that in our member benefits. The group was

asked what are the top three member benefits that are important to them.

In no particular order of priority, they all said networking, all desperate to get back to face to face and have

conversations with real people, as we mentioned we have plans in place for this. The next was how much they valued the business support and

advice, being informed of all the grants and funding through lockdown was invaluable, we make sense of it all

and pass the key information on, we were always at the end of the phone to help, as well as offering a pretty

fantastic selection of free expert hours

for our members all through lockdown.

The third was the help we can give

Stand bookings are now open and the

some of them are effectively using

you want to exhibit we’d recommend

stories for the e-news, sharing articles

are a variety of stands available from

expert hour or training session. Some

of information about the show here

use of this. We have some plans in

co.uk/BB2021

members to promote their business,

early bird rate finishes on 28th May. If

the opportunity to submit good news

getting your stand booked early, there

in Connect magazine, offering to run an

just £199 + VAT . You can find lots

admitted they are not making the best

https://worthingandadurchamber.

place to make this bigger and better!

Better Business Show

If you want to find out more about

being part of our amazing business

You’ll see on the infographic the last

community, please look at our website

is for the Better Business Show with

or even better give us a call and see

amazing business community. For

together business is stronger.

the past you will know what a brilliant

Tracie Davey

bottle the buzz in the room we’d be

Worthing and Adur Chamber

will be at a new venue – Worthing

01903 203484

date marked is 23rd September, this

www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

a big fanfare of celebration for our

how we can help you. Remember

those of you that have attended in

and worthwhile day this is, if we could

Operations Manager

onto a winner! This year the show

tracie@worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

Leisure Centre in the main sports

hall. We are going to have much more space with a separate room for the

keynote speakers. We already have 2 keynote speakers booked, you’ll

have to wait to find out who though!

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 75

BEE PART OF THE BIZ BUZZ Worthing Leisure Centre Thurs 23rd Sept • 10am - 4pm

NEW VENUE!

At the show...

BIGGER SHOW FOR 2021

140+

exhibitor stands Explore local opportunities

Enjoy some networking over a hearty breakfast

Meet the buyers

From local larger companies and Adur & Worthing Council

Free business support From business experts in various fields and industries

FREE ENTRY

Packed programme with Keynote Speakers

Lunch Box

New for 2021 Eco Zone Well-being Zone

...network and mingle

#betterbiz2021

www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk SHOW ORGANISER

76 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

HEADLINE SPONSOR

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Breakfast Power Hour

New skills for the digital world

Sponsorship opportunities

SBT LIFESTYLE

ORANGE BEACH BARS

A NEW MOBILE AND FESTIVAL BAR BUSINESS

BODYWAVES MIND BODY SOUL

A SPORTS THERAPIST, YOGA TEACHER WITH A SECRET WEAPON

COUNTY BUSINESS CLUBS WINE OF THE MONTH WITH BRIGHTON AND HOVE WINE CLUB

SBT LIFESTYLE SPONSORED BY:

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 77

Orange Beach Bars Award winning pub owners Sarah and Jamie Davies from The Cleveland Arms in Brighton have launched a new mobile and festival bar business.

We are a husband-

Lifestyle

and-wife team who are in love with the

hospitality industry.

Together we have

over 30 years’ experience.

Having taken over The Cleveland Arms back in 2017, Sarah and I had clear

goals on where we wanted to take the pub. In 2019 we won the Knorr ‘Best

UK Meat Roast’ award for our Sunday Roasts and in the same year Sarah

won the ‘Start Up Business of the Year’ award at the Sussex Businesswomen Excellence Awards.

78 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Prior to the first lock down Sarah and I decided to buy a horse box to convert

in to a mobile bar. This was completed

and launched in 2020 called ‘The Dog & Duck’. With the concentration being on outdoor events Sarah and I expanded the bar offering and introduced two

further bars, ‘The Dog & Partridge’ and ‘The Dog & Swan’. Both of these bars are static bars and ideal for garden events, marque bars or weddings.

In 2021 Orange Beach Bars partnered with the multi award winning Sussex brewery ‘Harvey’s of Lewes’. Having had a very

strong relationship with Harvey’s through

The Cleveland Arms Harvey’s were very

confident in Orange Beach Bars managing their mobile and event bars.

The pub has enabled us to host many weddings, celebrations and events.

Orange Beach Bars is an extension to

this. For us, we are bringing our amazing team, service and exceptionally high

standard of bars to you, whatever you are celebrating.

We are able to supply your wedding,

festival, party or celebration with fully

functional mobile bars. We have several

different bar styles and options available.

L I FE STYLE

We can cater for any event size, ranging from an intimate garden party to a full music, food or drinks festival.

Our hospitality experience enables us to accommodate any size or style of

event and it also means we can access our extensive network of suppliers,

ale and craft brewers and acclaimed

Sommeliers. Our wholesale contracts

mean we can offer competitive prices

and we can build a drinks package that is right for any budget.

And we know how to throw a good party!

Our Bars

The Dog and Duck Mobile Bar is a

vintage working horse box which we have converted to a high standard mobile bar. The inside has been

refurbished with antique wood and

bronze tiles and is an attractive focus point for any event. We pull out a bar

area at the rear of the horse box creating

an open airy space for guests to mingle

about us is that we can offer your guests

and enjoy their drinks. With intimate

draught beer and ale.

which also gives us more serving space,

Having this versatility means we are

lighting it is a beautiful relaxing bar area after all nobody wants an empty glass.

suitable for any venue and if there is

The Dog and Partridge Mobile Bar is

services with the use of a generator.

vintage wood, giving a gorgeous

Our pricing is simple, and every price

indoors or outside.

glassware, arrangement of alcohol licence,

The Dog and Swan is a modern club

to the event theme.

themed event or wedding again ideal for

We have various hire options. Drinks can

a handmade mobile bar carved from rustic look, perfect for any set up

style bar ideal for cocktails or for a

no power supply we can provide our

includes travel, experienced staff,

designing a bespoke drinks menu suited

indoor or outside events.

be purchased from us and we offer a cash

All our bars are fully equipped so if you

The bar alone can be hired fully equipped

bar, pre-paid bar or a combination of both.

want your guests to sip hot chocolate

and we can provide bar staff too.

it happen. The horsebox is kitted out

Planning a party or event coming out

espresso machine, perfect for those

Contact us, Sarah 07766000131 or visit

whilst watching fireworks, we can make with a smoothie maker and professional

of lockdown?

espresso martinis. All our staff are

www.orangebeachbars.co.uk

trained mixologists and what is unique

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 79

LI FEST Y L E

Bodywaves Mind Body Soul Christie is a Sports

Lifestyle

Therapist, Yoga

teacher with a secret weapon. She has thrown out much

of the conventional style of physical therapy over the years and now

concentrates on treating with Muscle Activation using the Be Activated

Method. This works primary on all

complex injuries, pain and dysfunction in the body because, well we are complex systems.

The body needs two things to survive; to move, and to breathe. And if either one isn’t working efficiently, the body will find a way to cheat to continue.

How well do you breathe? Honestly, can you take long, slow steady

breaths, deep into the belly? Do you ever allow your belly to fill up (round

like a little buddha belly?!) or do you

hold it in and breathe into the ribs and the chest? Most of us don’t breathe

deeply, or even if we do on occasion,

we could do more. Babies and animals breathe into their bellies at rest, and therefore we should be able to. But

as adults we tend to feel the effects of stress. Whether it’s emotional,

physical or mental stresses, our body responds. It also holds on to trauma and injuries, which Be Activated is great at figuring out. What we are

interested in is your story. Your body’s story, and figuring out why your body may be over compensating for the

80 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

breath, or movement

and causing muscles to

fatigue or end up in pain or injured because they are working incorrectly.

It is all linked to our

responses to stress. And

this is why this technique can be used on literally anyone. Young, old,

active, sedentary. Before a big business meeting,

or before any sporting performance, be in a friendly game of golf, or a

competitive game of basketball! It works on bringing the body to it’s

most efficient state and allowing it to perform at it’s highest efficacy.

Working by exploding with power,

instead of imploding under stress.

Wouldn’t it be nice to feel powerful.

Feel that power coming from your

body! The very vehicle you have at your disposal 24/7. Be Activated

teaches simple techniques which you can take into your every day

routine to help calm the mind, and

body. Reconnect to these, and the

powerhouse at your very centre. And

bring yourself out of the fight, flight or freeze response stress puts us into.

If you have pain, injuries, unresolved

trauma you feel your body is holding

or just feel your breath needs working on, Be Activated is for you. Christie

also teaches Yoga and meditation, all

her favourite tools for helping train the body, calm the mind and connect to the soul.

Christie works in Offington Osteopath Clinic on Offington Lane, Worthing.

She can be contacted directly and by her own website - www.bodywaves. co.uk for appointments (even during lockdown), Yoga classes (zoom,

outdoors and in person when we can

return) and 1:1 and corporate wellness sessions. Incorporating Be Activated

bringing it to your group, or individual, yoga, meditation and breathwork.

Find her on Instagram and Facebook - Bodywaves Mind Body Soul, and

join her newsletter via the website.

WI N E OF T H E M O NTH

County Business Club Wine of the Month My name is Michael Yeoman, I run Brighton and Hove Wine Club and also create a range of Sussex spirits using the pomace from English wine production called Spirit of the Downs. I have a passion finding small batch producers in and around Sussex. I will suggest a new Sussex wine for you to try each month.

For April’s wine of the month we have chosen Breaky Bottom’s Vintage 2015 Cuvée Jack Pike Varietals: 100% Seyval Blanc.

sparkling wine. Peter comments on the following “this has a fine balance of fruit and acidity, delicate aromas of white flowers and a long fresh finish”.

ABV: 12%

For me this wine has lovely green apples (for some people

For the first wine of the month I have chosen an English

on its own or with seafood.

sparkling wines such as Champagne and Prosecco. One

This wine and more can be purchased from our website

sparkling wine as we are now world beaters against other of my local favourite vineyards is Breaky Bottom just of the

more tropical pineapple notes), overall lovely fruit, great aperitif

www.brightonandhovewineclub.co.uk

South Downs Way near Lewes. Peter Hall has been making wines for over 45 years and so is very much a pioneer of

the English wine scene. I love catching up with Peter, his

wife Christine and his Bengal Cat Toto for visits and also at

harvest time. Breaky Bottom pioneered using Seyval Blanc for

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 81

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summer opening hours

winter opening hours

april - september

october - march

8am - 6pm

* late night opening til 8pm in July & August

82 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

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8am - 4pm

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www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 83

AS K T H E E X PE RT

A (very) simple guide to SEO

By Helen Beckingham, SEO Copywriter www.keywordcopywriting.co.uk This article is about

Ask the Expert

SEO, or search

engine optimisation.

No, don’t make that face. It’s a simple

guide with no technical gibberish, just straightforward information.

OK, let’s dive straight in with

keywords. When potential customers search online for your services, which words do they use?

The easiest way to find out is to ask

your existing customers. Seriously, it

works. And it’s free. What’s more, they’ll probably surprise you with the answers.

• You think: Business solutions facilitator

• Your customers think: Coach for small business

Or you can download a keyword

research tool. The most basic (and

cheapest) is Keywords Everywhere at $10 per year.

Top tip: Google likes larger websites with 300-400 words per page. Don’t squeeze everything onto a few pages. Cast

your keyword net wider by giving each service a separate page with its own keyword term.

Where to put keywords The correct placement of keywords tells Google’s robots what your website is

`about’, thus making it easier to rank.

What do they look at, and in what order?

First, your domain name. If it contains

84 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

a keyword, that’s ideal but… (big `but’)

if your domain name has history, leave it be. Google rewards domain longevity.

After that, your SEO title - the

clickable 60-character headline on a

results page. Write unique SEO titles for each page and put the keyword term at the beginning.

Don’t forget the meta-description the paragraph under the SEO title.

It’s irrelevant to the robots, but

humans always read it. If you don’t

write one, Google picks content from the page and you’ll get… random words… and ellipses.

The robots then read the website itself

- your page names, main headings (H1), subheadings and page content.

Top tip: Google is aware that online

readers have the attention span of a gnat. Put your keyword in the main

heading and within the first 100 words

- preferably the first sentence - as instant

confirmation that the page delivers on the

Helen Beckingham

Or write a guest blog. Do a Google

search for a related service and pick

companies which appear on page 1. If

they have good quality blog content plus an active social media presence, they are ideal.

First, earn brownie points by posting

appreciative blog comments and sharing their content. When emailing them,

include links to your best content, i.e., the posts that have attracted lots of attention.

reader’s search term. After that, sprinkle

In conclusion…

throughout the page.

SEO isn’t’ rocket science, but there’s

the keyword (and its synonyms) sparingly

Backlinks When other websites link to yours, it

sends a trust signal to Google and your ranking improves. Ideally, you want

backlinks from high authority websites

linked to your own industry. How do you get these gold standard links?

Offer a testimonial for a company you’ve worked with. Bingo! An instant backlink.

lots of detail. At the last count, Google

had over 200 ranking signals so I’ve had to leave stuff out. Obviously.

For more advice (or to get your on-page SEO sorted out) send me an email.

helen@keywordcopywriting.co.uk

ASK T H E E XPE RT

Getting to grips with Net Zero

As we emerge from the COVID19 pandemic, questions have been raised about the way we live, work and what we prioritise in our lives.

In November the UK

Ask the Expert

hosts the UN Climate Change Conference,

COP26, further raising questions on how we

move on from the pandemic.

As businesses and business owners, we all have an impact on the world.

Increasingly consumers (and

governments) are requiring that our impact is a positive one.

“Net Zero” is a term that dominates

discussions as part of this, yet seemingly came out of nowhere. Searches are

up 3,000% in the past 2 years alone.

However, there is still little clarity on what it means for small businesses.

So what is Net Zero?

Net Zero refers to the balance of

greenhouse gas emissions. At a national level, it is the total amount of emissions emitted vs the amount of emissions

captured (e.g. through tree planting). Net Zero refers to all greenhouse gases such as Methane and Nitrous Oxide, as well as Carbon Dioxide.

As a business, achieving Net Zero

requires you to be responsible for your “carbon budget” - i.e. how much you

emit. If you emit 100 tonnes of CO2 in a year, and do no carbon offsetting, then you are a way off from net zero.

If however, you reduce your emissions

to just 10 tonnes a year,

and offset the remaining 10

tonnes through tree planting

or similar schemes, you have achieved net zero.

It is beneficial for companies to begin thinking about their

carbon emissions as soon as possible, and thinking about

them like you would a financial transaction. Too much

financial debt and a business

risks becoming unsustainable, unprofitable and risks

collapse. Equally, failing to

reduce your emissions and leaving too much carbon

Adam Bastock

debt in your business and

regulations in the future may pose a

significant threat to your operations.

It’s important to note that different

regions have different Net Zero targets.

The UK wide target is 2050, though for Scotland it is 2045. Brighton, Bournemouth, Bristol, London,

Glasgow and Edinburgh are all aiming

for 2030. Other UK cities fall in between these dates.

With such an appetite for change,

expect Net Zero dates to become more ambitious, not less.

on the COP26 Agenda and it’s a matter of when, not if.

Getting on top of your emissions now and achieving net zero ahead of time,

aside from the environmental benefits,

will help your business be more prepared for uncertainties the future holds.

The sooner you get started on your journey, the sooner you’ll arrive at a more sustainable, resilient and positive business.

www.small99.co.uk

The earlier you get to terms with it, the better. While carbon taxes or carbon

accounting are not yet in place, they are

www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk 85

AS K T H E E X PE RT

Putting the right business people together!

By Chris Mansfield – Fusion - The Business Catalyst www.fusion-business.co.uk I started network-

Ask the Expert

ing in 1999 when

I attended my first

BNI meeting. I had to stand in front of

about 30 people to introduce myself

and my business and ike the majority

of people, I was terrified and spluttered my way through the worst explanation of what I did.

working which have become the foundations of my business.

Start networking before you need it.

If you start networking because you’ve

run out of customers and are desperate for new ones, seasoned networkers

will smell your desperation from across the room. People can always tell when

someone is only out to help themselves.

Chris Mansfield

21 years later, I’m now paid to generate new business leads and strategic

connections for a variety of top-quality, non-conflicting businesses based on a reputation for building trusted relationships through networking.

True networking occurs when you

understand that everyone in the room has equal value. It’s about people

enjoying other people, communicating their interests and connecting with others who share them. It’s about listening to what others need and connecting them with people you

think can help, without any designs for personal gain. The most successful

networkers build genuine relationships and give more than they receive.

We have two ears and one mouth so try

to use them in those proportions, as the Dalai Lama once said, “When you talk

you are only repeating what you already know, if you listen, you might learn something new!”

Here are 4 key components of net-

86 www.sussexbusinessgroup.co.uk

Proper networking is a slow burn but

when you have no ulterior motive, you can begin to build relationships and a reputation for being generous rather than self-serving.

Have a plan.

Before attending any networking event,

be clear on what talents, strengths, skill sets and connections you can bring to

the table. Decide who you want to talk

to and what you want to talk about, particularly how you can help other people.

Incidentally, a large number of people

I meet while networking really struggle to simply communicate what it is they

actually do so you might want to work on that first!

If there’s an attendee list look at it before you go along and decide who you really want to connect with, and if you don’t

know them, ask the organisers to intro-

duce you. I tend to focus on 4 – 5 people

with a view to organising 121s over coffee.

Follow up and follow through.

If you tell someone you’ll get in touch

with them, do it and if you promise to introduce someone to a person you know, take the time to do that too. Everyone is busy these days with jobs, families,

events, etc but it takes no more than a

minute to shoot off an email to introduce two people you want to connect. They

can take it from there and you can just

enjoy being the bridge. Little things like that mean a lot to people and just one

introduction can end up changing someone’s life for the better. ….and finally,

Believe in the power of networking.

When you believe that the true value of networking lies in helping others and

you do your part, you’ll soon discover magic happening all around you. The beauty of this approach is that you

never know when that karma is going to happen, but it will!

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