Bristol Life Professional Services Guide 2023

EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS INTO LOCAL BUSINESSES

NETWORK THE CITY AT WORK

WELCOME M

eet the shining stars of Bristol’s professional services community, from creative directors to financial experts who can help your wealth grow, and myriad other professions in between.

Work hard, play hard, so the mantra goes. ut how do you make sure all your hard work pays off, allowing you to reap the rewards of your labours Talk to an expert, of course and to make the choice easier, over the following pages you’ll find a cross-section of the cr me de la cr me of the city’s professionals, who can help you get your life in order . . .

EXCLUSIVE INSIGHTS INTO LOCAL BUSINESSES

FINANCIAL

CLOSE BROTHERS ASSET MANAGEMENT

Ben Staniforth, Managing Director

Tell us a little about your business...

At Close Brothers Asset Management, we believe in the importance of relationships. We like to put a face to a name for our clients and are pleased to introduce Managing Director, Ben Staniforth. Ben looks after a team of financial planners working across the Midlands and South West offering advice on mortgages, retirement and estate planning, to name but a few.

How have the last 12 months been for you?

I joined the Close Brothers Asset Management team just over a year ago and it’s been an enjoyable - albeit busy - year! The culture and ethos of the business is very much aligned with my own values; we want to sustainably grow as a company, keep challenging ourselves to be better and most importantly, ensure both our clients and colleagues are at the heart of everything we do.

What challenges are your clients facing?

This past year has seen a lot of uncertainty in the investments markets and with the cost of living crisis and our clients have faced various challenges during these times. I have spoken with

many of our clients and it has been brilliant to hear how we’ve been able to provide them with the support and reassurance they need to navigate through these turbulent times.

What are you most proud of?

We pride ourselves on ensuring we are proactive and innovative in tailoring the right solutions to the changing needs of all of our clients.

Over the past year, I have been lucky to meet many of our long standing clients to ensure we are delivering on our promises and understanding where we can improve. Our clients come from all different walks of life, from business owners, to those wishing to maximise savings for retirements, or those wishing to carefully pass money through their families.

Everyone has their own individual needs and I am proud that our financial advice continues to contribute to making a positive difference to people’s lives.

For more: ben.staniforth@closebrothers.com; closebrothersam.com

DIGBY ASSOCIATES WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Digby Player, Chairman

Tell us a little about your business...

Digby Associates is a Wealth Management Firm based in the heart of Bristol city centre with an additional o ce in Cheltenham, founded in 2007, we have built our business on a reputation of being the caring advisers.

What makes Digby Associates different?

The average age of a advisers in the UK is mid to late 50s, our average is 38 meaning that we can look after you and the future generations for as long as you need us without the worry of having to change firms.

What makes you proud ? When I set the business up, I did not imagine how quickly it would grow. What makes me incredibly proud is a great deal of the team have been with the firm for many years developing through the ranks to become

caring and professional advisers. Their loyalty to Digby Associates is very humbling and it is in their DNA to do the best job possible for the client whilst maintaining the integrity of the firm.

What has fuelled your rapid growth?

Our growth has been created by acquisitions of business looking to exit the industry however the greatest compliment we can receive are referrals from existing clients, this is a wonderful way to grow the business and is an indication that we are doing things right. We recognise that we are not perfect and will always look to be better.

What does it cost to have a meeting?

The initial meetings are at our expense and often we will have clients that may want a second opinion or a full financial MOT. We are just a phone call or email away.

For more:

info@digby-associates.co.uk; 0117 933 5544; digby-associates.co.uk

BEN STANIFORTH, Managing Director, Midlands and South West region

*Approver Quilter Financial Planning Solutions Limited. 19 September 2023

“I AM PROUD THAT OUR FINANCIAL ADVICE CONTINUES TO CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO PEOPLE’S LIVES”

fantastic team of accountants, tax & payroll advisors and client managers to help us achieve our goals and deliver outstanding client service.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

EVANS ENTWISTLE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS & TAX ADVISORS

Damian Evans, Partner

Tell us a little about your business...

Evans Entwistle is a practice of Chartered Accountants & Tax Advisors delivering accounting, tax, payroll, corporate finance & business advisory services from four o ces in Cardiff, ewport and Bristol.

DID YOU KNOW…

We have just acquired a 4th practice! In September 2023, we acquired Blenheim Accounting, a long established accountancy practice in Bradley Stoke.

Established in 2013, the team has broad experience across diverse industry sectors, including public, private and not-forprofit/charitable organisations, and across all business sizes, from FTSE 100 companies to SMEs.

When was your firm founded and who by?

The firm was founded by Damian and Lisa, the “Evans” and the “Entwistle” respectively!

Prior to setting up the practice a decade ago, Damian worked in investment banking and Lisa was a management consultant who worked internationally for blue chip organisations but also acted as a business consultant for the (then) Welsh Development Agency on behalf of Welsh Government – so between us both, we felt we had the right mix of skills to advise clients on both sides of the Severn Bridge.

As we’ve grown, we have been fortunate to assemble a

Lisa is an ex Big 4 management consultant & CIM Chartered Marketer meaning that we are able to broaden our advisory services beyond what one would typically expect from a regional accountancy firm, including market analysis, feasibility studies, commercial due diligence, strategy development, business process improvement, M&A advisory and the development of business plans to access finance and growth advice – effectively we have the skillset to assist any client start, strengthen or grow their business.

What challenges are your clients facing?

There is an old adage “turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, cash is king” – a sound statement that we absolutely stand by…so if a client is facing adversity in their business, we always advocate focusing on collecting cash first and foremost to keep the business going, and then working towards reducing costs to maximise the bottom line – only then should they think about strategies to increasing revenues. That’s the difference with management accountants - it is our remit to look at our clients’ businesses holistically and advise on all areas of operations, and not just the finances.

For more:

mail@evansentwistle.co.uk; 0845 680 0947; evansentwistle.co.uk

LUCRA MORTGAGES

Ben Tadd, Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Lucra are a local, independent whole of market mortgage broker, with access to over 90 different lenders and more than 12,000 products to choose from. Based on the outskirts of Bristol we can advise you of the best mortgage for your circumstances and we are available to talk over the phone, on a oom/teams call or even face to face at any point to discuss your options.

Lucra have hundreds of loyal clients across the Bristol area, and we are already partnered with multiple local businesses too, including: estate agents, house builders, accountants, solicitors, IFA’s and even schools and universities.

Lucra are a strong advocate of key workers and we have partnered with over 100 separate H trusts nationwide to provide mortgage advice to all H staff.

What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

Lucra were Finalists at The Mortgage Strategy Awards 2023 – the biggest awards in the UK mortgage industry.

What areas do you specialise in?

As a team, we have over 175 years industry experience. We don’t specialise in one specific area, as our brokers are experts across all fields!

Did you know…

ucra are an employee benefits specialist mortgage broker and we work with a number of large and small firms nationally, to provide free mortgage advice for employees, sitting on a number of employer’s employee benefit platforms. Get in touch if you would like your staff to benefit from our free service.

For more: 01225 970830; hello@lucramortgages.co.uk; lucramortgages.co.uk

MORTGAGE STYLE

Marcus Robinson, Managing Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Mortgage Style are a friendly team of experienced mortgage advisors in Bristol. We help clients from all walks of life, whether they’re buying for the first time, looking to remortgage or invest in a buy-to-let. We’re known for our ability to place complex cases like self-employed mortgages, contractors, elderly clients or unusual properties.

We may also be able to help with development finance or commercial mortgages by referring to our sister company, Brunel Bridging.

What areas do you specialise in?

Many of our clients are property developers in the Southwest. In answer to the UK’s housing shortage, over recent years there’s been an increase in the number of investors bringing Houses for Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to the market.

Financing these projects can be di cult so we’ve used our industry connections and mortgage knowledge to source the right deals, helping clients get spades in the ground quickly.

What is coming up in the next 12 months?

Mortgage Style is delighted to welcome our new sister

company, Brunel Bridging. Our specialist bridging and commercial arm, Brunel Bridging allows us to be more innovative in our support of property investors looking for speedy and effective solutions to their funding issues.

We’re excited to see how those more challenging borrowing scenarios evolve and the ways we’ll help clients achieve the next phase of growth.

Did you know…

Most of our advisors are landlords themselves so when they give advice, it comes with real-world experience.

For more:

contact@mortgage-style.co.uk; 01275 370360 or; 0117 907 0818; mortgage-style.co.uk

MILSTED LANGDON

Guy

Armitage-Norton, Audit and Accounts Partner

Tell us a little about your business...

Milsted Langdon is an independent firm of Chartered Accountants and business advisers with o ces in ath, Bristol, London, Taunton and eovil. y thinking differently and challenging the ordinary, our main focus is to help our clients to thrive. We have built an excellent reputation in delivering trusted advice for businesses and individuals since 1988.

What areas do you specialise in?

As a firm we’re fortunate to have an incredible breadth of services for our clients – from the usual services that you’d expect like Audit, Accountancy and Tax Compliance, to a range of advisory and specialist services such as VAT and Tax Planning, Forensic Accounting, Restructuring and Insolvency, and Business Innovation. Personally, I specialise in high growth and global businesses across a wide range of sectors from manufacturing to AI formed tech companies (and everything in between).

What do you love most about working in Accountancy?

Getting out and meeting my clients to get a true understanding of their business. This enables me to become a long-term trusted adviser to my clients and getting to know and understand not just the business, but also the business owners and what their drivers are. I enjoy giving practical and

understandable advice which adds value to the relationship.

Did you know…

Milsted Langdon is part of MGI Worldwide, a major international accounting network and association of independent audit, accounting, tax, legal and consulting firms, with a position in the top 20 global rankings of networks and associations. This means we have access to teams of accountancy professionals around the globe, so that we can offer creative and pragmatic solutions in jurisdictions around the world. This services our clients well as they expand and grow.

For more: advice@milstedlangdon.co.uk; 0117 945 2500; milstedlangdon.co.uk

MARCUS ROBINSON Managing Director

“WE’RE EXCITED TO SEE HOW THOSE MORE CHALLENGING BORROWING SCENARIOS EVOLVE AND THE WAYS WE’LL HELP CLIENTS ACHIEVE THE NEXT PHASE OF GROWTH”

UNIVIDUAL

Cherie-Anne Baxter, Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Established in 2000, Unividual is a Chartered Financial Planning like no other. Familyrun, women and LGBTQIA led, we offer financial advice for everyone - not just the rich and famous. Our foundations have always been about treating people as unique individuals. In a non-inclusive industry, Unividual have become trailblazers for bespoke financial advice instead of a one-si e fits all service.

Unividual has progressed from being a small family-run company to one of the largest, privately owned Chartered inancial Planning firms in the U , with eight financial advisers spread across the country, from Bath to London and up to Edinburgh, and around members of staff.

How does the firm ensure equality, diversity and inclusion?

In 2021 the Financial Conduct Authority reported only 7% of U adults received financial advice. Why? Because people can’t find a finance expert they can relate to. So, Unividual are on a mission to build a business reflective of today’s world that can educate people on their finances. We want every person and business in our local communities, to have the opportunity to improve their financial situation, safeguard themselves against their fears

and overcome challenges. This year we are applying to become an Includability Employer which recognises firms that prioritise the wellbeing of staff and inclusive workplaces. Unividual have worked hard to change our marketing and our recruitment processes and as a result the business now has a diverse workforce with 47% of employees from an ethnic minority group, 57% are women and 43% of our leadership team are women. Our efforts in building a diverse business was recognised in 2021 when we were awarded a space on the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter, something we have held for 3 years.

How does the firm look after employee’s mental health?

In 2022 Unividual spent £2,000 per employee on wellbeing for the second year in a row. We believe that employers have a duty to support colleagues with wellbeing because of the commitment they show within their roles that creates stress in their lives. In 2021 Unividual employee’s average wellbeing score was 5 and this moved to . after our most recent staff survey in January 2023.

For more: 01225 427474; unividual.co.uk

SALUS WEALTH MANAGEMENT

Ben Vicary, Senior Financial Advisor Dip PFS

Tell us a little about your business...

Salus Wealth Management were formed to provide our clients with the highest quality financial and wealth management advice. Based in both Bristol and Reading, we have a team of qualified advisors, that deliver face to face personalised financial planning. I have been in the team for 5 years, and am currently a Senior Financial Advisor, and have recently moved to Bristol where we are now looking to help new clients.

What areas do you specialise in?

protection; and our aim is to build a clear understanding of your individual circumstances, needs and wider financial goals to deliver a tailored financial plan, for both now and throughout the most important stages of life.

What challenges are your clients facing?

DID YOU KNOW…

As a business we are a key contributor to the Openwork Foundation, a nationwide charity that has raised over £21 million in its charitable works.

With rules regularly changing, the world of pensions and investments can be very di cult to understand, which is something we look to guide clients through as part of our ongoing relationship. With global events over the past 5 years, our clients have felt it is more important than ever to have a professional on hand to navigate these periods of time.

We specialise in investments, pensions and financial

For more: ben@salus-wm.uk; 07508 983085; saluswealthmanagement.uk

CHERIE-ANNE BAXTER, Director

“UNIVIDUAL IS A CHARTERED FINANCIAL PLANNING LIKE NO OTHER”

LEGAL

AMD SOLICITORS

Grant McCall, Director and Company

Commercial Solicitor

Tell us a little about your business...

We are an independent Bristol law firm providing a broad range of legal services for private clients and business owners. Our core services are split between private client (wills, powers of attorney and probate), family law, property law (residential and commercial) and company and commercial law. This balance allows us to provide our services to meet a client’s first need for a solicitor right through to advising corporate clients on larger transactional work.

When was your firm founded and who by?

We are proud to celebrate our history as one of the first firms of Bristol Solicitors operating outside of the City Centre. Originally A T Elliot & Co since 1953, we are the longest standing independent firm of solicitors in Henleaze. We have since grown to o ces in Bristol and now provide a full range of legal services to businesses and individuals in Bristol, London and nationwide.

Tell us about your community/charity involvement

Every year we ask staff to nominate their charity of the year, after nominations have been received we ask staff to vote on which charity they wish to support. This year our charity of the year is, BAKPA (Bristol Area Kidney Patients Association). They are a small ristol based charity who provide essential care for renal patients and their families going through di cult times. All proceeds raised goes directly to the Richard Bright enal Unit at outhmead Hospital.

Did you know…

We have team of highly competitive bakers in our ranks. The AMD Halloween bake off is coming soon where all proceeds raised go to our charity of the year. Stay tuned to our website for photos of the spooky treats!

For more: info@ amdsolicitors. com; 0117 962 1205; amdsolicitors. com

HUMPHREYS & CO.

Robert Humphreys

Tell us a little about your business...

Humphreys & Co. offer high-quality, cost-effective commercial law representation & advice in litigation (London & UK regional courts), arbitration, commercial transactions, company purchase & sale, partnerships, corporate compliance, intellectual property (trademark registration, infringement, copyrights, patents, designs), employment law, commercial property, leases, planning permission applications & appeals, company law and commercial contract work. We represent commercial clients worldwide in UK legal business transactions and proceedings with costs-discipline, issuefocus, transparency & determination to get the job done right at sustainable expense.

appeals) is a specialist strength. Our highlyregarded claimant occupational disease compensation section has a formidable track-record representing clients with UK asbestos exposure (asbestosis and mesothelioma), respiratory diseases and other conditions. Contesting wills, probate & inheritance disputes litigation is a core practice area. rom ristol o ces our solicitors pursue & defend property, building disputes, professional negligence litigation (London & UK regional courts), unfair dismissal, employment & contract claims for personal clients.

DID YOU KNOW…

Humphreys & Co.’s sister firm with offices in London and Bristol works in the private equity, investment, growth capital and debt finance space.

The firm is not a legal factory turning out a mass-produced legal product. It offers, and we find that many clients prefer, an independent approach. Personal casehandling by lawyers working in a financiallydisciplined way is the aim. We try always to be transparent about the legal process, giving advice and explaining options to clients in a concise and straightforward way, identifying clear courses of action, whatever the technical or legal complexities of the subject.

In personal legal affairs, Humphreys & Co.’s residential property lawyers offer private clients high-calibre, streamlined, cost-competitive conveyancing (including particularly shared ownership) work. With The Planning Inspectorate for England & Wales based here in Bristol, advising & representing nationally in planning (permission applications &

Our costs approach is competitive, particularly by reference to the charging rates of larger firms. Costs are generally by reference to time & materials used, but we often agree fixed fees for specific stages of work or in some cases, risk-adjusted funding structures.

For more: lawyers@humphreys.co.uk; 0117 929 2662; humphreys.co.uk

ROSKILLY & MILLS Emily

Roskilly & Lucia Mills, Partners

Tell us a little about your business...

Roskilly & Mills is a newly launched, niche, forwardthinking law firm. We aim to transform the approach we take in providing specialist legal advice and support given to unmarried couples, for those who are not in a relationship but co-own property, and for anyone with a will or inheritance dispute.

What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

Our collaborative approach. We have recently launched a podcast series “A journey through separation” to provide our clients with specialist advice from a range of professionals including a financial advisor, a separation coach and a child play therapist.

What sets us apart from others in our sector?

We only specialise in advising unmarried couples and on

will and inheritance disputes. We are able to solely focus on our clients as we do not have the pressure of internal fee targets and we also work collaboratively with other professionals. We are uniquely placed to empower our clients.

Did you know..

The common law spouse is a myth. Currently in this country there are no automatic rights for cohabitees /unmarried couples. There is no access to a family pot, no right to spousal maintenance, assets held in sole names or to a pension. Instead, those who are unmarried have to rely on civil law to try and prove some sort of interest under the Trust of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996 (“ToLATA”).There is also no automatic inheritance should your partner die without having made a will.

For more:

Lucia: 07485 635827 lucia@roskillyandmills.co.uk

Emily: 07940 984777 emily@roskillyandmills.co.uk www.roskillyandmills.co.uk

CONSULTANCY

RAPPOR CONSULTANTS LTD

Neil Thorne, Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Rappor are infrastructure and environmental consultants who provide consultancy services throughout the development process. We will take problems and challenges and deliver timely solutions and successful outcomes. Rock solid technical proficiency underpins all we do, twinned with regulatory and legislative awareness gained over the years and from being ‘plugged in’ to councils, authorities and industry bodies. Our life would be easier if any two projects were the same, but we tailor our response accordingly as they never are. We take things personally and our responsibility seriously – focusing on the details and bending over backwards to find a way. Responsiveness is also a valuable weapon in our arsenal, answering queries quickly but never in haste.

We’ve also learnt that planning is never black and white. So we balance that expertise with nous and creativity. It is very much crucial to the rapport we always seek to build.

And, yes, we realise many consultants in our field and others talk this talk. However, we have so many long-term client relationships, so many ‘lifers’ in our team, and even some of our competitors’ trust in our services suggests we also walk the walk.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

DID YOU KNOW…

Rappor was only established in 2014; founded by Managing Director Adam Padmore. Since then, the company has grown to approximately 70 people, providing multi-disciplinary consultancy services in the UK Nationwide.

Whether our clients use one of our services or a suite of them, our commitment won’t change. We’ll help the project flow, keep our clients in the loop and bring our expertise to bear. It’s about rigour plus vigour.

The key indicators of our team’s success are our staff’s wellbeing and work/life balance. From this, we know that if our staff are happy, they will keep our clients happy. We work in an industry that has some complex challenges at times, and we work to support our staff as they navigate both themselves and our clients through these challenges so that both come out the other side better as a result. We then take the time to recognise these successes and have an internal company award system that encourages our staff to nominate others where they feel our core values have been demonstrated. As the company grows, the key thing for us is maintaining the excellent culture which has got us to this point so that we continue replicating what we have done so successfully in the last nine years into the future.

For more: neil.thorne@rappor.co.uk; 07493 390269; rappor.co.uk

RECRUITMENT

ALEXANDER MAE RECRUITMENT

Sam Notley, Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Alexander Mae Recruitment is a Bristol based independent recruitment agency, I work alongside Kim Richens and Sarah Malley and we have always worked in recruitment, in Bristol. We are passionate about getting it right for both our clients who are recruiting and our candidates who are seeking job. It’s ensuring we know exactly what both parties are looking for to create that perfect match.

What makes working in Bristol special?

Bristol is a fantastic city, there is a lot to love about working here. We interview candidates regularly who are moving here as they have visited and

fallen in love with Bristol. The architecture, the creativity and the restaurants are fantastic. There is an array of different companies in Bristol, always looking for great people.

What challenges are your clients facing?

Whilst the candidate market isn’t as busy has it has been post Covid ockdown it’s very much still a competitive candidate market. ob seekers are moving quickly and salaries are still being increased to keep talent. That’s were we can help – constantly seeking the best talent for our clients and the best jobs for our candidates.

Did you know?

Sam’s a regular on Radio Bristol when they need an expert on recruitment new items.

For more: sam@alexandermae.co.uk; 0117 905 5035; alexandermae.co.uk

SOMERSET EDUCATION ALLIANCE LTD

Emma Woodhall, Director Marie Cleave, Director Ellie Connor, Bristol Consultant

Tell us a little about your business...

Somerset Education alliance are an independent supply teaching agency that provide supply teachers and teaching assistants with a personalised service offering work opportunities in schools and education settings that align with anyones preferences.

Directors, Emma and Marie and Consultant Ellie, come from a teaching background and over 15 years experience in the recruitment industry, 10 of which being within the education sector.

Somerset education alliance are actively recruiting throughout Bristol and Bath to serve the busy requirements from schools for an array of roles including, long term supply cover and more flexible ad-hoc supply cover. They are recruiting for teachers, teaching assistants, learning support assistants (LSAs), HLTAs and cover supervisors.

People are our priority – we strive to provide exceptional, personalised and knowledgeable services to both clients and candidates, founded on over 15 years of expertise in the education sector.

Somerset Education alliance take on experienced, new and returning teachers and TA’s and would love to hear from you.

Name a rising star in your company?

In June 2023

Marie and Emma took a leap of faith and took on their first employee, Ellie ready for their second academic year in business. Although she is new to the world of recruitment, she is a qualified primary school teacher and has been teaching for over 7 years. Ellie has already demonstrated passion, drive and an eagerness to succeed in her brand new career path and is doing exceptionally. She has already beaten by almost double the previous years bookings and is so excited about taking Somerset Education Alliance up many more levels and recruiting across the entirety of Bristol expanding on the everexpanding existing client base.

When was your firm founded and who by?

Somerset Education Alliance was founded in 2022 and was born from the successful education recruitment agency, Educated Recruitment Limited, Devon. Inspired by the values of Educated Recruitment, Directors and founders, Emma and Marie wanted to start an agency that was transparent, honest, straightforward and trustworthy comprising of a sta ng team with expertise in teaching and recruitment spanning over 15 years.

For more: ellie@somerseteducationalliance. co.uk; 01225 970370; somerset-education-alliance.co.uk

RESOLVE RECRUITMENT SERVICES LIMITED

Samantha Shearing & Jon Shearing, Directors

Tell us a little about your business...

Resolve Recruitment Services

in Bristol, Dudley and St Helens are a reputable and well-established recruitment agency bringing together a collection of over 30 years’ experience within the recruitment industry. We have cultivated a database of over 140 thousand quality candidates across a variety of sectors throughout the UK.

What areas do you specialise in?

We focus on providing businesses nationwide with both permanent and temporary recruitment solutions across varied sectors including Sales, O ce upport, riving and Industrial.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

At Resolve we pride ourselves on providing a quality service to our client base and we believe that trust is fundamental from any supplier. We are diverse in our coverage and always dynamic to our client’s needs. Our extensive reach across the UK gives us a major advantage over our competition meaning we will provide accurate and suitable shortlists for our clients’ career opportunities.

Our recruitment processes are thorough to ensure no stone

is unturned in our mission to find a solid shortlist for our clients from mainstream recruitment through to executive search.

Did you know...

In addition to recruitment, we also offer a range of training services, including eLearning and classroom-based training; both in house and at customer premises, covering varied subjects such as recognised transport qualifications, first aid, health and safety, mental health awareness, employment law and marketing principles.

A little-known fact is that we also cater to tailor made courses and bespoke online induction courses giving a unique opportunity for clients to obtain a one stop shop for all recruitment and training solutions.

For more: jon@resolveithere.co.uk; sam@resolveithere.co.uk; 0117 973 3155; resolveithere.co.uk

YOUR PEOPLE PARTNERS

Helen Sanders, Managing Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Your People Partners is here to give smaller businesses a competitive hiring advantage. We integrate ourselves within founder-led companies as trusted partners to ensure they, and their growing team, receive vital support during the recruitment and successful onboarding of new employees.

How have the last 12 months been for you?

and the word is getting out that we provide a better way of recruitment for Bristol’s small businesses. Traditional recruiters have their place, and we offer an alternative service which we’re really proud of.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

DID YOU KNOW…

We’ve been exceptionally busy helping many more new and existing business owners. We have found small businesses, whilst impacted by the economy, need to keep momentum up. So when they need to hire for business growth or to replace an employee, they need to hire. We’re grateful that more business owners know about Your People Partners

What’s unique about us is that we have two core market-leading guarantees. The first is our 12-month Peace of Mind Free Replacement Guarantee. After all, every business owner wants to reduce the risk when hiring. The second guarantee is our Lifetime Likefor-Like Vacancy Guarantee. If the employee in this role leaves any time after 12 months or is promoted and you need to replace them, you can engage us again at 70% of our normal recruitment fee.

For more: helen@yourpeoplepartners.com; 0117 290 0208; yourpeoplepartners.com

SAMANTHA SHEARING, Director

“WE HAVE CULTIVATED A DATABASE OF OVER 140 THOUSAND QUALITY CANDIDATES ACROSS A VARIETY OF SECTORS THROUGHOUT THE UK”

Our MD, Helen, was the BBC’s first female football commentator in the 1990s.

PR & CREATIVE

ADMIRE PR

Andrea Bristol, Founder

Tell us a little about your business...

Admire PR are sports, tech and charity PR specialists - we are the backing singers behind our clients star act. We work tirelessly to promote and project our clients reputations.

Tell us about your community/charity involvement…

We love working with charities on their PR campaigns and have won awards for our work in the third sector. Each quarter we offer a number of hours to charities pro bono as well as offering a charity rate for our work.

What challenges are your clients facing?

Most of our clients come to us when they need to increase their

brand awareness and give their sales a boost. There is a lot of ‘noise’ in the media world and we help them cut through this and get their message to the right audience.

Did you know...

Our team is fully remote and we offer complete flexibility to our staff so that they can work around parenting and caring commitments.

For more: andrea@admire-pr.com; 078879 97922; admire-pr.com

EPISODE TWO CREATIVE

Rikki Payne, Owner/Creative Strategist

Tell us a little about your business...

Episode Two are a strategic design agency who create and evolve brands. We believe a strong brand identity and engaging packaging design has the power to elevate your brand and build stronger connections with consumers, ensuring YOU are the brand they engage with. We love collaborating directly with founders whose passion for their products is contagious and where our expertise can make a huge difference.

What makes working in Bristol special?

Championing Creativity is one of our values and the Bristol street art scene absolutely embodies this. We’ve captured that spirit in our studio with a gra ti wall painted by one of the Upfest artists.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

It’s all about the people and the passion. We have a small but perfectly formed team of strategic thinkers, brilliant

creatives, and exceptional client managers, all passionate about bringing the WOW factor to your brand.

Did you know...

In 2022, after 20yrs in the industry, we took our own advice and rebranded ourselves from the ground up. Experiencing all the challenges and all the excitement and showcasing the powerful impact of a full rebrand. There is no better way to truly understand what our clients go through than to do it for ourselves!

For more: rikki@episodetwo.co.uk; 0117 933 9400; episodetwo.co.uk

ANDREA BRISTOL, Founder

“WE WORK TIRELESSLY TO PROMOTE AND PROJECT OUR CLIENTS REPUTATIONS”

RIKKI

PAYNE, Owner / Creative Strategist

“WE LOVE COLLABORATING DIRECTLY WITH FOUNDERS WHOSE PASSION FOR THEIR PRODUCTS IS CONTAGIOUS”

MARLIN COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Brad Snow, Head of Engineering

Tell us a little about your business...

Marlin Communications is a leading provider of state-of-theart business communications technology. Our goal is to help organisations connect, collaborate, and grow. With a wide range of solutions across voice, video, connectivity, security and mobile, we draw upon our extensive network of trusted partners and decades of in-house knowledge & expertise to tailor the perfect combination of technologies that meet our clients’ unique needs.

What areas do you specialise in?

Marlin Communications

is the go-to partner for all Unified Communications & Collaboration technology. We offer full-service expertise in video conferencing, enterprisegrade phone and contact centre systems, infrastructure networking & connectivity, cyber-security and business mobiles. Every client’s needs are unique so all our solutions

- from initial consults to proofof-concept trials through to deployment - are bespoke.

What challenges are your clients facing?

In today’s hybrid/flexible working environment, our clients often face the challenge of having too many platforms and too many different suppliers. This can cause significant overheads and, left unchecked, can affect productivity. Our comprehensive portfolio of products & services enables our customers to source all their requirements from us and in so-doing, benefit from our innovative financial packaging, consolidate platforms and reduce the number of suppliers they have to deal with.

Did you know..

This Autumn, we celebrate our 25th year in business! In that time we’ve witnessed countless tech milestones - everything from iPhones to AI! Through it all, we’ve stayed focused on the needs of our clients and helped them achieve their goals.

For more:

info@marlincomms.co.uk; 0800 032 8274; marlincomms.co.uk

ADVENTURE BRISTOL

Chris Ireson, Founder

Tell us a little about your business...

Adventure Bristol is an experienced outdoor activity provider that offers a range of corporate team-building adventures that help bring teams together. With half-day and full-day options available and wide range of activities to choose from, we have something for everyone!. After running one of our sessions, it’s always great to get feedback and to hear about improved teamworking and camaraderie amongst the attendees –it’s what makes the job so rewarding.

What makes working in Bristol special?

We are very lucky to have our main site on the Ashton Court estate, which is close enough to the city but also offers a stunning outdoor space for our corporate activities.

How have the last 12 months been for you?

It’s been a really exciting time for Adventure Bristol, as we

opened our fantastic new high ropes course in the beautiful Ashton Court woodland in early summer. Having worked closely with Bristol City Council to develop an ecofriendly course that blended seamlessly into its environment, it was great to see the course in action and to receive fantastic feedback on not only the course but our wonderful instructors.

Did you know...

As well as corporate teambuilding adventures, we also cater for other groups including stags and hens, schools and kids (and big kids!) parties.

For more:

info@adventurebristol.co.uk; 07891 637993; adventurebristol.co.uk

CORPORATE PARTIES

CHRIS IRESON, Founder

“WITH HALFDAY AND FULLDAY OPTIONS AVAILABLE AND WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES TO CHOOSE FROM, WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE”

Bristol O ce (Head O ce) T: 0117 9733 155

E: bristol@resolveithere.co.uk

www.resolveithere.co.uk

We specialise in providing bespoke financial advice and services to clients on investments, mortgages & retirement options as well as other financial matters.

With exclusive whole of market access for mortgages, our experienced brokers can remove the stress from your house purchase whether you are a first time buyers or looking to remortgage.

Get in touch for a free initial consultation: 01179 33 55 44 | info@digby-associates.co.uk | www.digby-associates.co.uk *Your

UK wide recruitment specialists for businesses and individuals

BLACK & WHITE BRIDGING

Martyn Smith, Managing Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Black & White Bridging operates in the bridging and development finance space. We provide short-term loans to enable property professionals to seize investment opportunities which traditional forms of finance may not support. The loan is secured against property or land and is typically provided for twelve to eighteen months, enabling projects to start.

I started the business in 2013 after building and selling a successful bridging company, our aim is to combine competitive and flexible products underpinned by the highest levels of service, innovative technology, and our time-served industry experience, allowing our broker partners to fulfil their client’s needs. Black & White Bridging is a business with traditional values that respect and value the marketplace, our introducers, and their borrowers. Built on robust foundations and regarded as a lender of integrity, we will deliver on our promises. We are a leading bridging company with a reputation for delivering excellence to brokers, borrowers, and investors, built on the foundations of our collective expertise.

Work/life balance – how do you get it right for you and your staff?

We now have team members based in various parts of the country, we even have a colleague in Lithuania, so while headquartered between Bath and Bristol, we are a national company. Earlier this year, we introduced hybrid working, so we now have the balance of collegial o ce time and home working for our staff. With the o ce set in the beautiful countryside of Wick, it provides a peaceful and picturesque environment to work in. That said, we are a tenacious business with a strong work ethic, and we are unapologetic about having fun at work. We encourage our team to get involved in local events such as Bath Boules, we have team socials regularly, normally monthly, and ten-pin bowling in Longwell Green. We have a laid-back attitude to dress code and encourage banter in the o ce which is often plentiful. There is often a dog or two around the place, we play music, and we have a Wednesday Lunch Club where the team take turns cooking a meal of their choice for everyone else. B&W is a fun and engaging place to be where we want people to be themselves and to make the most of their time with us, balanced with feeling like and being an important and valued member of the teamevery person brings something to the table.

What areas do you specialise in?

Black & White Bridging are a nationwide lender dedicated to intermediaries and their borrowers. We specialise in short-term property finance, and we cover all the main aspects of that: auction, commercial, refurbishment, residential and sales period bridging.

For more: enquiries@ blackandwhitebridging.co.uk; blackandwhitebridging.co.uk

JAS BUILDING SERVICES

Andrew

Sperring, CEO

Tell us a little about your business...

JAS Building Services is a family run multi-award-wining company who specialise in Home Renovation in Bristol and Bath.

What achievement as a firm are you most proud of?

As part of our mission to build trust in the construction industry, we set a goal to win the Bristol Life Awards. It took us years of hard work, development, and growth to get to a position to compete with the fantastic businesses of all sizes within the property sector. As a small family business, becoming a finalist was a huge step but unexpectedly we won! Not once, but twice! Winning the award means so much to us because it validates that we are doing what’s right.

What challenges are your clients facing?

Homeowners who are looking to create their dream home need to renovate or buy a new property that needs work too. The challenge in today’s market is knowing who to trust. Forming a relationship with your builder cements the success of the project. All projects have risks whether that be cost or unforeseen challenges but by having the right, collaborative approach, the project can deliver the results set out.

At JAS we have an app whereby our clients can see their project progress in real time, including financial forecasts with tracked changes so your costs don’t spiral out of control, project schedule with actions points, all documentation and communication in one place. Our clients have fed back that this is incredibly helpful for having visibility, a sense of control and feeling safe.

For more:

sales@jasbuildingservices.co.uk; 01454506108; jasbuildingservices.co.uk

MISSIATO DESIGN AND BUILD

Adamo Missiato, Managing Director

Tell us a little about your business...

Missiato Design and Build aims to offer a complete, bespoke service for all types of renovation projects. Our dedicated team consists of expertly skilled tradesmen with the experience and knowledge to make our clients’ dream home a reality.

Describe your offices?

We’ve moved into a bigger o ce and currently renovating this to become a hub for our staff and clients.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

We are very proud of our brand, and proudly display it on staff uniforms and on our fleet of vehicles, along with a prominent high street o ce. Our staff consciously conduct

themselves in a manner that reflects the company’s high standards at all times.

Did you know...

We opened a etting Agent, issiato Estates, in late 2 2 to complement our esign and uild business.

For more:

adamo@missiatodesignandbuild. com; 0117 956 9257; missiatodesignandbuild.com

STRANG & CO PROPERTY SEARCH

Charlotte Strang, Founder & Director

Tell us a little about your business...

We act exclusively on behalf of purchasers looking to buy or rent in ristol, ath, orth omerset and outh loucestershire. As a buying and investor agent, this means we search the entire market including off market opportunities, advise with regards to offer levels, negotiate on a client’s behalf and oversee the transaction through to completion, thus saving our buyers’ time, often money, costly mistakes and stress, in what is often a complex and lengthy process.

What makes working in Bristol special?

I love that it’s such a diverse city – a jigsaw of individual neighbourhoods each with their own character, charm and architectural styles. ristol is a city which continually changes and has so much to offer. The strong sense of community stands out for me, with people and businesses all trying to help each other succeed, with the common goal of providing an excellent service for clients.

What challenges are your clients facing?

lack of good quality houses on the open market, clients not having the time to invest in their property search and being cautious of either overpaying for a property, or losing out if their offer is too low. This is where I am able to assist by unlocking off market’ opportunities, previewing all potential properties in advance and using my fifteen years’ experience in valuation and negotiation to search, advise and secure a property on the best possible terms.

Did you know...

I grew up in ristol and as a Chartered urveyor by background, I specialised in valuations and residential development before setting up trang & Co.

For more: charlotte@strangandco.com; 07816 891660; strangandco.com

The main challenges are a CHARLOTTE

ADAMO MISSIATO, Managing Director

“OUR STAFF CONSCIOUSLY CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A MANNER THAT REFLECTS THE COMPANY’S HIGH STANDARDS AT ALL TIMES”

STRANG, Founder & Director

“BRISTOL IS A CITY WHICH CONTINUALLY CHANGES AND HAS SO MUCH TO OFFER”

CO-WORKING

DESKLODGE

Tom Ball, Founder

Tell us a little about your business...

esk odge offers serviced o ces, hot desks and meeting rooms for teams and freelancers across 2 locations in ristol. Our flagship workspace is in edcliffe and our newly launched space is in eacon Tower on the harbourside (Phase 2 opens in October).

Describe your offices?

We’re one-of-a-kind with playful decor designed to boost productivity and creativity. The variety of workspace means that whatever your working style, you’ll thrive. rom silent rooms for solo working to breakout booths for collaborative teamwork. Private o ces, co-working space, meeting rooms and call pods. People underestimate the impact of where you work - it can be the difference between a positive, productive day and an energy-sapping, soul-destroying time-sap.

What challenges are your clients facing?

One of the most significant challenges for businesses right now is employee engagement.

Organisations that can keep a dispersed team motivated and productive are the ones that are going to thrive and grow.

We’re committed to providing exceptional customer experience and service ensuring that the teams in our spaces are as well looked after as our own.

We were recently awarded The unday Times est Places to Work 2 2 .

Did you know...

esk odge is the flexiest workspace in ristol. Providing o ces on-demand for teams passionate about productivity. ou can grab a one-off ay o ce’ or sign up for an o ce for , 2 or days every week. ou can even grab a full-time o ce and create your own private hot-desking space for your team.

For more: sales@desklodge.com; 0117 325 8259; desklodge.com

BUSINESS SERVICES

ROYALE CHAUFFEUR GROUP

Rob Dickenson, Director

Tell us a little about your business...

oyale Chauffeurs have been providing executive transport solutions to businesses and individuals in ristol and the outh West for over 2 years.

What areas do you specialise in?

We provide a corporate and private chauffeur service, (not a taxi service!). We have a range of executive and prestige to suit all requirements and we cover the whole of the U . rom business travel or

airport transfers to sporting and music events, you can rely on oyale to get you to your destination safely and on time.

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

oyale have the capacity to cope with multiple daily bookings whilst maintaining a high level of service. Our reputation stands and falls on the quality of the service we provide so we ensure that we always go the extra mile’ so to speak.

Did you know...

We have driven many stars over the years including Ed heeran, ichael ubl and even onny epp!

For more: bookings@royalechauffeurgroup. co.uk; 01179 696 688; royalechauffeurgroup.co.uk

TOM BALL, Founder

“WE’RE ONEOF-A-KIND WITH PLAYFUL DECOR DESIGNED TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY AND CREATIVITY”

FINALISTS REVEALED OCT 11, 2pm

Region’s biggest property awards: sponsorships and tables available

• Connect with all leading Bristol property businesses, across all sectors

• Benefit from multiple channel marketing campaign

• Stand out amongst peers at sector-leading event

For details: bristollifecommercial@mediaclash.co.uk

Category sponsors:

Winner of Winners sponsor:

THE HAPPY BUSINESS SCHOOL

Carly Cannings, Founder

Tell us a little about your business...

The Happy Business School helps organisations create people-centric cultures, where happy people can thrive. Happy people perform better, so it makes sense for leaders to invest in their people. However, this is often easier said than done. Through workshops and talks, I equip people with the knowledge and skills to invest in their own happiness, and work with leaders to create cultures which encourage thriving, not just surviving.

wellbeing sector, but my focus is more on happiness as a driver of success and how creating the right culture helps people thrive. I must be doing something right as I’ve recently been listed as one of the top 100 UK small businesses by Small Business Britain.

DID YOU KNOW…

Previously, I was an in-house solicitor and senior leader. Whilst what I’m doing now might seem quite removed from that, I draw a lot on my experience of the corporate world and use this to help my clients find practical ways to increase their happiness at work.

What challenges are your clients facing?

It’s an employee’s market so organisations need to work hard to attract and retain the best people. Throw in navigating the challenges of remote working and other fallout from the pandemic and there’s a lot for businesses to contend with when it comes to keeping their people happy and engaged, but thankfully that’s where The Happy Business School can help.

TOBY PINN CHARTERED ARTS & ANTIQUES SURVEYORS

What sets you apart from others in your sector?

There aren’t many people doing what I’m doing. There are people in the mental health and

For more:

carly@thehappybusinessschool.co.uk; 07837 148873; thehappybusinessschool.co.uk

Toby

Pinn, MRICS Director

Tell us a little about your business...

We provide RICS valuations of art & antiques and personal property for a variety of purposes in our ‘Home Contents Valuation Report’. These include inheritance tax, insurance, family division, capital gains tax and increasingly for deputyship and attorneyship purposes.

Describe your offices?

We recently moved to Channel Court Business Centre on Clevedon’s Hill Road which provides an ideal location to meet clients and discuss their requirements in a relaxed and stylish environment.

How have the last 12 months been for you

Now in our third year as an RICS regulated valuation firm, the last twelve months have seen a rise in the volume of work and instructions increasingly from further afield. ost of our work comes from probate solicitors and lay-executors requiring a contents valuation as part of

the application for a grant of probate. Earlier this year we completed a four-day valuation of contents at a Shropshire property and arranged the subsequent consignment to specialist auctions. At the other end of the spectrum, we routinely value a single item left to a beneficiary in a will.

Did you know...

any people mistakenly assume that we only value art & antiques. Through a network of specialist consultants, we can value most items or collections that are not fixed to the ground. Recent examples include classic cars and motorcycles, a university research/study collection, and artifacts due to be lent to from one to another institution.

For more: toby@tobypinn.co.uk; 0117 251 7251; tobypinn.co.uk

TOBY PINN, Director

“MANY PEOPLE MISTAKENLY ASSUME THAT WE ONLY VALUE ART & ANTIQUES”

TRULY TRANSPARENT LENDING

BLACK & WHITE BRIDGING is here to support sustainable projects in the South West

There is currently some disruption going on in the Bristol property market, which takes its shape in the form of Black & White Bridging. Formerly known as Bath & West Finance, set up by local property entrepreneur Martyn Smith roughly 10 years ago, the fintech company is now enjoying regional and national growth through its short-term lending model focusing mostly on bridging finance.

The short-term property lending sector is generally performing quite well at the moment, having experienced a downturn due to the Covid pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout. That said, Martyn is extremely positive about the future for Black & White Bridging. “We have got to a place, after a turbulent couple of years, where the company is poised for substantial growth.

We have recruited heavily in all areas – sales, marketing and lending – so that we are perfectly placed

to serve brokers and their borrowers with our speedy short-term solutions. We already have a healthy pipeline, and we look forward to growing that even more in the coming months.”

Just one recent example of what Black & White Bridging can offer is the acquisition of land and build cost for an eco home in the fashionable Clifton neighbourhood in Bristol. Borrowing £800k, the clients – a husband and wife team – were able to purchase the land for the site which originally had been a small car park, and used some of the remaining funds to build a large four-bedroom eco home.

The vision was to build a home that included the latest green technologies such as solar panels, rain collection, lower water-flow taps and a flat ‘living roof’ designed to provide a habitat for insects and wildlife. The property aims to make a 20% reduction in its total CO2 emissions as detailed within Bristol’s Climate Change and Sustainability Practice Note and was fully completed in September.

One of Black & White’s USPs is speed, the ability to fund projects quickly, while also working to strict credit and lending parameters, makes them stand out in a crowded market. The lender currently averages just 28 days to complete a loan from when an enquiry is received, which is over half the industry average of 58 days.

The technology aspect is also important, as the company operates nimbly by using advances such as an AVM (automated valuation model), saving clients considerable amounts of time and money to get the security property valued speeding up the process significantly. At a time when there is still some uncertainty with property and lending, Martyn is bullish at what his company can do. “We have always remained consistent in our market; we are the architects of truly transparent lending with no grey areas and we don’t ever deviate from that. You only have to look at what we have achieved so far, but this is just the start. If you need short- term funding which you can completely rely on, you need to speak to us." n

For more information: 0117 937 4333 enquiries@blackandwhitebridging.co.uk www.blackandwhitebridging.co.uk

“ WE ARE THE ARCHITECTS OF TRULY TRANSPARENT LENDING WITH NO GREY AREAS”

SPACE TO WORK

Oli is the marketing lead at Runway East. “I look after our marketing strategy, and work closely with all areas of the business, to spread the word about Runway East and also to engage with all of the exciting teams already in our spaces,” he says.

You have two spaces in Bristol, six in London and one in Brighton– how did it all begin?

We were founded nine years ago by our (still) CEO Natasha who was busy launching another of her start ups from a very dull o ce, which is where the idea for Runway East started.

Originally aimed at start-ups who wanted somewhere a bit more exciting to take off’ from, we’ve grown from one pop-up o ce space to nine permanent sites across three cities in the UK, with plenty more to come. There are now over 50 of us working together at Runway East, all aligned on the fact that traditional o ce space is really quite dull!

What trends have you seen in coworking spaces since Covid?

Post-pandemic working patterns have been really interesting – off the bat there was a surge of people going back to the o ce, then the opposite happened and lots of people went home again, but over the last 2 to months it’s really settled down.

ore recently, we’ve seen working patterns shift into a hybrid set-up, with more and more people opting to come into the o ce two to three days a week, working from home the rest of the time. For employees it helps to maintain a nice work-life balance, and for employers, it’s a benefit they can

use to attract top talent – especially when the pull of a nice o ce at unway East is also on the cards.

What do your Bristol workspaces offer in terms of space?

As ristol’s largest coworking operator, we cover pretty much all the bases. Freelancers and remote workers love our dedicated desk product, where they can set themselves up around other creatives, while our serviced private o ces cater for teams from six people right up to 350. All our members get access to free meeting rooms, tonnes of breakout space, and can use our other locations, too.

And what kind of spaces do you offer?

Our members can customise their space however they want some opt for open-plan o ces for their team, while some chop their space up into smaller spaces and executive o ces – most keep them open-plan, as it’s what we’ve found to be best for collaborative work.

Do you offer any special facilities, services, USPs or other perks?

Our core USPs are designed to make moving into an o ce and using your new space as easy and as fun as possible. Endless customisation options mean you can really put your mark on your o ce – we’ve seen beer taps, plant walls, neon signs, retro arcade setups – there really are endless options.

On a more practical sense, we also offer our members free meeting rooms (which other operators typically charge for), 2 / access, flexible contracts and a whole host of social events organised by our amazing community teams who are on site between Monday and Friday.

What kind of costs are involved, and how flexible are the packages?

Whether you’re a freelancer or a team of , we’ve got you covered. Our contracts are supersimple and your monthly rent covers pretty much anything you can think of – we pay your business rates, utilities, cleaning etc, so you don’t have to worry about it, and you just receive one bill which makes it very straightforward operationally.

Is there any particular sector that works out of your offices?

While we have a huge range of sectors working from our spaces, in Bristol we have way more creative businesses with us; digital marketing agencies, designers and innovative tech startups to name just a few. Our spaces are laidback, colourful and social, so for some industries we might not be the best fit – but we do our best to accommodate as many kinds of people as we can.

How important is after-hours socialising, and how do you encourage this?

The social calendar at Runway East is always thriving, and a great perk that members can offer their employees. It’s a great way to bond as a team and to meet new people.

Everyone has their own preferences as to the types of events they attend, and how involved they get, so the breadth of options we organise is huge; ranging from business seminars and workshops through to charity cooking demonstrations and popup music festivals, there’s something for everyone and they’re all free for members to come along to.

Have you seen any other workspaces that have inspired you?

The flex space market across the U is getting really exciting, and there are so many brands creating beautiful spaces. One of my favourites is The isheries in East ondon – they’ve created a stunning place with a lot of emphasis on creating spaces that benefit your mental health and wellness.

I also love the spaces that Great Portland Estates are creating they’re killing it at the moment with their larger spaces, catering for big teams with big budgets – my favourite of theirs is The Woolyard in ondon’s ermondsey.

Anything else you’d like to tell us?

If you’ve never tried a coworking or serviced o ce space like unway East, then I’d encourage you to check it out – drop us a line if you’d like to spend the day working from one of our spaces, be it in ristol, righton or ondon – we’d love to show you what we’re all about.

For more www.runwayea.st

Oliver Ring of Runway East knows what people really want from coworking spaces right now

OLIVER RING, Runway East

“AS BRISTOL’S LARGEST COWORKING OPERATOR, WE COVER PRETTY MUCH ALL THE BASES”

ENTER THE ENTRECONF

At Bristol’s waterside arts venue Watershed, MediaClash hosted its first inperson EntreConf event – a day of keynote speeches, interviews, panels and interactive sessions aimed directly at entrepreneurs, following two virtual versions launched during the lockdowns of recent years. To say it was a triumph would actually be to undersell it, as unlike so many business conferences this was all thriller, no filler – honestly, even the dullest of the sessions was not dull at all – and thankfully free both of marketing

By Matt Bielby

jargon and out-of-control egos.

Instead, a range of confident, capable people from local businesses of all si es, and those outfits that seek to support them, talked about successes earned, lessons learned, business philosophies and real-world disasters to a rapt, engaged audience of peers, hosted almost entirely by MediaClash chief exec Greg Ingham.

The event began with a new take on that hardy perennial: the experiences, challenges and successes of women in business. Sahar

Hashemi OBE, founder of Buy Women Built – an initiative designed to get us all proactively supporting female created companies – certainly

got many present thinking, not least through some telling stats: we have 30 per cent fewer female entrepreneurs than comparable economies like the United States and the Netherlands, which is costing our economy around £200BN a year.

Next up, a piece on Funding the Dream with Graham MacVoy of Wake the Tiger, the award-winning ristol-based ama ement park’, was full of intriguing visuals and some equally striking opinions: “I dress up for no-one any more, he told us. His Saturday afternoon sartorial stylings haven’t stopped him attracting admirable levels of backing, however.

On a similar theme, Graham was

followed by Alex Lloyd, a Partner at law firm urges almon, who gave us The Entrepreneur’s Playbook, subtitled Lessons Learned on the Path from Inception to Exit

THESE TALKS ALL took place in a large, airy, slightly greenhouse-like room called Waterside 3, but we now retired to the happily air-conditioned cinema for a talk from David aulkner- ryant of The isa O ce on helping start-ups get crucial staff into the country, before the first of the main events a keynote conversation between Greg and Nigel Toon, founder of Graphcore, the ristol-based international builder

The first real-life, in-person incarnation of the fastgrowing entrepreneurs’ conference EntreConf 2023 took place at Watershed this year

of the hardware needed to run AI programs, and now a genuine ‘unicorn’ business (a term describing private startups valued at over $1bn).

Graphcore sees itself as a feisty disruptor, albeit a giant one, and Nigel’s thoughts on AI and the future it will usher in were, perhaps inevitably, exciting, frightening and confusing all at once. Not bad for a business idea hatched over dinner at a gastropub a few years ago. At least one fear was put to bed, though: there will be no Singularity any time soon. “That’s bollocks,” said Nigel, emphatically.

Next, a panel of four from Link Stone Advisory, British Business Bank, Growth Lending and Unividual talking about funding entrepreneurs in Seed to Scale

PHEW. TIME FOR LUNCH

– perhaps inevitably, somewhat rushed – and a little bit of networking before the afternoon sessions began. They did so with Ebba Lepage and Dylan Samuel from Lombard Odier

talking B Corps: what they are, and whether it might be a good idea to become one. The consensus was ‘probably yes’, and though it’s highly rewarding, and not necessarily easy, “it’s not as arduous as it may seem”.

Giving Greg a short rest, Elly Rowley of NatWest hosted a sister piece to the session that had kicked off the day, but this time looking at the barriers of entry to entrepreneurship for ethnic minorities rather than women.

Intriguing examples were given by Latoya Adlam of Kitchen Cosmetics, a beauty brand, and Poku

Osei of Babbasa (a Bristol social enterprise designed to support underrepresented young people) in Meet the Trailblazers, where we learned of the need for broad shoulders, and the dangers of assuming too much: black-fronted, with a black workforce, and using ancient African remedies for inspiration, Latoya nevertheless found herself with a 72 per cent white audience, and so in a quandary. Should she subtly reposition the brand accordingly?

NOW CAME THE CENTREPIECE

of the afternoon, Greg’s talk with Zillah Byng-Thorne, ex-CEO of international media giant Future –magazine specialists that had been suffering badly on her arrival, but which she grew from a market cap of around 2 m, with no profit being made, into a £2bn company.

Honest about her failings – “what I think of as straight-talking can be seen as blunt,” she said, while one tale of a management bonding session gone dramatically wrong

was eye-opening – and clear about her strategies, in which the power of a clear message repeated regularly loomed large, Zillah cut both a more impressive and more vulnerable figure than many expected, with her insights and experiences truly a highlight of the day.

Following Zillah, David Kelly of Storm Consultancy hosted a panel with the likes of Meshii WiFi and Farleigh Performance, to talk about the power of collaboration, a free-wheeling chat that took in the different types of personality you get in businesses, and how they can complement each other: one risk-averse, the other a risk-taker, for example, is a good combo.

Finally, Stay Hungry by Dimo Dimov of the University of Bath –the professor being a star of previous virtual EntreConfs – rounded things off on a refreshingly different note – less in-the-trenches and more freethinking and intellectual.

The experiences of Ernest Shackleton, long a favourite of motivational speakers, made an appearance – but then so did eff Bezos and Marcel Proust.

A pleasantly unexpected end to a jam-packed day, one heaving with roadmaps and ideas, and sure to establish this event as a valued staple of the local business scene. For more: www.entreconf.com

THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN…

EntreConf: all talks are available for free at www.entreconf.com

EntreConf dinners: autumn and spring, details on website

ZILLAH BYNGTHORNE

“WHAT I THINK OF AS STRAIGHTTALKING CAN BE SEEN AS BLUNT”

CLOCKWISEFROMTOPLEFT: speakers Dimo Dimov; Dylan Samuel; Sahar Hashemi; Zilla Byng-Thorne; Latoya Adlam, Poku Osei and Elly Rowley; Graham MacVoy

FORWARD THINKING

Exploring the future of our cities at the Bristol Property Symposium

By Sarah Moolla Photos by Jon Craig

Signage, students, and scooters were just a few of the wide-ranging, visionary and thought-provoking subjects discussed at the 2023 Property Symposium.

Held at Bristol’s M Shed, and attended by 160 people, the event, hosted by MediaClash’s CEO Greg Ingham, was centred around the topic ‘City of the Future’. Along with keynote speakers, expert panels, and city planning representatives from ath, ristol, Cardiff and Exeter, the Symposium was also designed to facilitate networking opportunities and included lunch supplied by the M Shed catering team.

THE HIERARCHY OF WAY-FINDING

The first keynote speaker was Tim endley, founder, CEO and creative director of worldrenowned Applied Information Group, and his insights as a leading authority on cities and wayfinding made for a fascinating opener.

The clutter of, and often contradictory signage, from different organisations on lampposts, on the pavement, on street corners, can result in confusion. Left, right, backwards, forwards – which way do we go? It can leave many of us wanting to go home – but there is another way, as Tim explained. It is a system created by considering the hierarchy of way-finding needs – these are emotional connection, awareness, and predictability.

Tim’s work with major projects such as Legible London (and similar projects in Vancouver, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid) have been based on this hierarchy, seeing as many as 36 separate systems in one city brought together for a more cohesive direction scheme.

He also noted how big events attracting large numbers of visitors, such the Olympics and Eurovision, can help focus the collective mind, highlighting how creating clear signage can actually be achieved relatively swiftly.

A DEMOCRATIC ENVIRONMENT

What makes a city worth visiting, investing in, living in, in the first place r Hooman Foroughmand Araabi, senior lecturer in urban planning at the UWE, believes this to be “an amazing culture, diversity, and a celebration of that diversity, along with being culturally sensitive.” So how do we work to help ensure that in our cities r Araabi referred to the famous Winston Churchill quote: “First we shape the cities, then they shape us.” He went on to state that it is a democratic environment that helps create this, key areas of focus being “housing, retail, public spaces, and aesthetics.”

URBAN TRENDS

Next up was a Visionary Panel made up of George Cardale, UK board director with Savills; Nicholas Stubbs, founding director of Arc Global; Nick James, Futureground’s sustainable place strategist; Pepper Barney, director of BiBO; and Rachel Holmes, business development manager with Colliers, who discussed urban trends, the long-term impact of high numbers of student population, and how the working-from-home revolution has affected city centres.

INVESTMENT

This was followed by four presentations outlining brief histories, current stats, future hopes, and long term visions for Bristol, ath, Cardiff, and Exeter. irst was ristol City Council chief executive o cer tephen Peacock. He spoke of Bristol’s positioning as one of the largest cities in the UK, and how it is currently thriving. Stephen also addressed the negative impression given by the empty units and dereliction in the Temple Quarter area that surrounds Temple Meads station, which is an important gateway to the city. He revealed the situation is hoped to be addressed with a £95 million investment to help create jobs, new homes, and a campus for University of Bristol in the area.

REGENERATION

Simon Martin, director of regeneration and housing for Bath & North East Somerset Council, talked of Bath’s strong identity as a globally recognised city but also how the city is more than just gorgeous Georgian buildings. Recognised problems for Bath’s long-term future included the less economically active population, which is due to an older demographic, and Bath being the third most expensive city in the UK in which to buy a home. Simon noted, “There is competition for space in a constrained city.” Going some way to help solve this is the regenerating of old O sites and brownfield land”, along with the repurposing of large spaces over city centre shop units for housing.

CELEBRATION

Principal o cer for Invest in Cardiff, uliet Gamlin, delivered an inspiring long-term vision for the Welsh capital for 2030 and beyond. Cardiff is one of the fastest growing cities in the UK, and transport links between the suburbs, their surrounding spaces, the Bay and the centre are an integral part of its future.

Juliet also spoke of the priority given to affordable housing ringing residential homes back in the cities is key to surviving. We need to attract and keep young people.”

Along with looking after residents’ needs, there is the continued and amplified celebration of Cardiff’s Celtic heritage to attract both visitors and investment. Projects include a new business park, regeneration of Atlantic Wharf, an international sports village, and a cycle superhighway.

SUSTAINABILITY

Exeter City Council’s director of city development Ian Collinson believes the key to a successful future for the city is “adding to what is unique to your area – that’s what will help a city a prosper and grow.”

He also highlighted the role sustainability plays in city planning now, and how it’s about “working with what you’ve got, using imagination and creativity.” This is what the council-led project Liveable Exeter hopes to deliver – to strengthen neighbourhoods, create new communities, invest in sustainable transport, and deliver the infrastructure needed to attract investment and improve quality of life in Exeter and the surrounding region. pecific end goals of Exeter council’s strategy includes becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030 and 12,000 new homes by 2040.

For more: www.bristolpropertyawards.co.uk

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recording of the Property Symposium made by Life Media by visiting the Bristol Property Awards website. The event was organised by MediaClash, partnered by Interaction, Futureground, Mode Consult, and was in association with the Bath Office Company, JAS Building Services, and Vickery Holman.

Ian Collinson Simon Martin

Dr Hooman Foroughmand Araabi

Juliet Gamlin

Tim Fendley

Stephen Peacock

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