Platinum Business Magazine - issue 62

THE LARGEST CIRCULATION REGIONAL BUSINESS PUBLICATION IN THE UK

ISSUE 62. AUGUST 2019

THE WINNERS

Creating a healthy working environment

Tim Cook

Apple’s greatest CEO?

GATWICK GOES GREEN

Should a

manager be a coach?

SUSSEX AWARDS CEREMONY DECEMBER 5th 2019 | THE GRAND BRIGHTON

RECOGNISING THE MOST OUTSTANDING BUSINESSES IN SUSSEX DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES

SEPTEMBER 11th 2019 THE AWARDS ARE SPONSORED BY

2

BUSINESS SURVEY

Celebrating 31 years in 2019, the Sussex Business Awards are the most sought-after accolade by organisations of all sizes across the region

2019 CATEGORIES COMPANY OF THE YEAR LARGE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR SME BUSINESS OF THE YEAR INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR BUSINESS INNOVATION OF THE YEAR THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AWARD PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AWARD BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD NOT FOR PROFIT BUSINESS OF THE YEAR TOURIST ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR E-COMMERCE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR START-UP OF THE YEAR CSR EXCELLENCE AWARD

HOW TO ENTER • Visit www.sbawards.org.uk and review the categories • Download an entry form and answer the questions as fully as possible • Entries should not be more than four pages of A4 and less than 11pt size font • Save the entry as a PDF and upload online • Businesses can enter up to three categories and deadline for submissions is September 11th 2019

To discuss sponsorship opportunities, email sussex@platinumpublishing.co.uk

3

Knowing you.

We work alongside businesses and understand the challenges that they have to navigate in order to attain and sustain growth.

We can help you to thrive and achieve your growth goals through; • Business advice and growth strategies • International expansion support • Corporate and international tax advice • Corporate finance support In addition to dynamic businesses we also advise not for profit organisations, private individuals and their families, on their tax and financial planning needs.

For further information, or to find out how we could help you, please contact us using the details below.

For all your business, tax and wealth needs.

Call: +44 (0)330 124 1399 Email: enquiries@krestonreeves.com Visit: www.krestonreeves.com

CONTENTS 58

9

HILTON BRIGHTON METROPOLE Behind the scenes at the Midsummer Ball

NEWS National, international and local news

14

THE BIG STORY Is Tim Cook the best man for the job? Ian Trevett profiles the Apple CEO

18 rights

DMH STALLARD Get the most out of your IP

20

KRESTON REEVES How to address business growth barriers

22 24

MHA CARPENTER BOX Financial planning for a family

PARTRIDGE MUIR & WARREN The pitfalls of technology

26

GATWICK DIAMOND ECONOMIC SUMMIT The challenges facing our economic development

38-44

HEALTH & WELLBEING Platinum focuses on improving mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace, including ViiSana advice on avoiding workplace stress, plus a focus on mental health and agile working

SUSSEX INNOVATION CENTRE Funding for future innovations

49

NATWEST ACCELERATOR Founder of the Month - Chris Painter

MOVERS & SHAKERS Who’s going where... Harvey John Recruitment tells us who is moving on in the world of Sussex commerce

52

BRIGHTON SUMMIT ‘Crack On’ at Brighton Chamber’s annual gathering

THE BAHBAS The winners of the 14th Brighton & Hove Business Awards are revealed

32 35

55

CHARITY NEWS Run for Chestnut Tree House

NATWEST The latest survey of business confidence

37

68

PLATINUM MOTORING Maarten Hoffmann takes us to The Edge with Ford’s latest motor and had high hopes for the Honda HR-V

70

ANGER MANAGEMENT Maarten on those ‘dastardly’ foreigners

72-82

KEN BLANCHARD Coaching skills for managers

INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS Carrying out a SWOT analysis

TRAVEL Kate Morton heads to Los Cabos - the exclusive Mexican destination on the Baja California peninsula, plus Gatwick’s quest to go green

46 50

28

60-65

57

THE PLATINUM CLUB The region’s leading networking club

PLATINUM SPORT Laurence Elphick runs the rule over the latest sports news in Sussex and across the world, including part eight of the Platinum Challenge - Speedee Boarding Race, the greatest Grand Slam golfers of all time, hailing the World Cup cricket champions, and why Noel Preston loves sport

5

Prestige Watches & Exquisite Jewellery

Specialists in Vintage & Pre-Cherished Watches service, repair, & restoration. gold, silver & prestige watches purchased

29 Station Road, Portslade, East Sussex BN41 1GB Tel: 01273 239763 www.jamesrossjewellers.co.uk

20% OFF

All jewellery and Citizen watches (with this advert)

WELCOME

Welcome W

e always say that the Brighton & Hove Business Awards is the hottest night of the year – and this year it was, literally! On the day in July when temperature records were broken, 500 businesspeople gathered to celebrate the city’s innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Our congratulations go to all the winners – see page 28 for the roll call of success.

Now entries are open for the Sussex Business Awards. You can find the entry form at www.sbawards.org.uk. If you want to become an award-winning business, send your entry in by September 11th.

And while you’re here...

Not only do we have the largest number of print readers on planet Earth but you can also join our 468,000 online readers. If you can’t wait for the next issue then jump onto our social media platforms and join the conversation.

We are well into the holiday season, so there is plenty of time to sit down and read the UK’s leading business magazine.

This month Ian profiles Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, who had the unenviable task of succeeding the legend that was Steve Jobs. Maarten tackles the problem of the lack of essential foreign workers who are moving to the UK. Kreston Reeves give advice on how to address business growth barriers, Madeleine Blanchard explains why a manager should also be a coach, and ViiSana offer tips on how to create a healthy workplace.

Also in this issue, Gatwick Airport outlines its sustainability policies and we review the Gatwick Diamond Economic Summit.

If you are going on your holidays, we wish you a restful break.

@platbusmag Platinum Publishing Group

The Platinum Team

www.platinumpublishing.co.uk

The Team

Maarten Hoffmann – Director

Lesley Alcock

Fiona Graves

maarten@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07966 244046

Business Development Director

Events Director

Ian Trevett – Director ian@platinumpublishing.co.uk 07989 970804

Rose Dykins Travel Editor

Lydia Bunyard

Laurence Elphick

Events Executive

Head of Sport

Alan Wares

Kate Morton

Steve Elford

Head of Design

Copy Editor

Head of Web Development

7

Now, for tomorrow

Invest in your future

Our thinking starts with you You may be seeking reassurance during these uncertain times, looking for specialist advice on a new investment opportunity, or concerned about your plans for retirement.

MHA Carpenter Box Wealth Management will offer a fresh approach to all of your financial planning requirements, providing guidance and advice that is suitable for your personal circumstances.

Our services include: Investment advice and planning // Portfolio management Estate planning // Retirement planning // Corporate tax planning

Call: 01903 534587 • Email: wealth@carpenterbox.com

www.carpenterbox.com/wealth

Sussex

news

A Better Business Summit

W

orthing & Adur Chamber is hosting a summit focused on ‘making your business FIT for the future’. The summit will look at futuristic, innovative trends and delegates will leave with ‘takeaways’ from each session to action in their business.

The sessions are designed to inspire, develop, train and push you out of your comfort zone.

BUSINESS WISDOM

Contemporary Hastings

The keynote speakers are Gill Fielding (Fielding Financial & Chamber Patron) and Elena Kerrigan (Think Productive), as well as Jo Hunter from Piglets Pantry The subjects of the masterclass sessions include: Wellbeing in the workplace, Future-proofing your brand, Marketing masterclass, How to make your business purpose-led, Work / Life balance: scorching a path or just burning out, and Digital Masterclass: Creating a digital centre of excellence.

The event kicks off with a network-

That awful moment where you are wearing Nike and you can’t do it

ing lunch at Field Place Manor House & Barns, Worthing.

The summit is on Wednesday 11th September 2019, from 12pm to 6pm.

The cost for chamber members is £49+VAT, or £99+VAT for non-members

H

astings Contemporary, a new, independent art gallery opened to the public in July.

Set on the historic Stade on the seafront in Hastings, the gallery brings a dynamic programme of modern and contemporary art to the South East, exploring and interrogating works by national, international and local artists.

www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

Singing in the shower is all fun and games until you get shampoo in your mouth, then it just becomes a soap opera BUSINESS WISDOM

Hastings Contemporary opens with two major exhibitions which champion the medium of painting: Tal R: eventually all museums will be ships and Roy Oxlade: Shine Out Fair Sun. hastingscontemporary.org #hastingscontemporary

An apprenticeship to an MBA

A

spiring senior leaders can now achieve an MBA through an apprenticeship route, which combines work with on and off-the-job learning.

The University of Brighton’s long-standing Leadership MBA is offered as a masters degree apprenticeship, with entry points in both September and January each year.

Levy-paying businesses can draw

down Apprenticeship Levy funds to pay for the learning programme.

The programme is designed for experienced professionals and those aspiring to senior management in public, private or third sector organisations. Apprentices must be working in a relevant role and have the sponsorship of their employer.

New or existing staff can join the

programme, subject to meeting entry criteria, so employers can offer this apprenticeship to recruit new talent, upskill and motivate existing employees and develop expertise within their organisations. Applications are still open for September 2019.

Contact apprenticeships@brighton. ac.uk for more information, or visit www.brighton.ac.uk/apprenticeships

9

“Friendly, patient, professional and highly efficient service, as always, from Extech Cloud�

Humanising IT

96% of people said they had a positive experience with Extech Cloud, based on over 3,000 IT support calls.

Sussex

news

Life was much easier when Apple and Blackberry were just fruits BUSINESS WISDOM

Perry steps down

Freedom of the Board

S

ussex-based co-working and flexible office business, Freedom Works, have added Rosemary French OBE, to their board.

Rosemary, who has been at the forefront of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative for the past decade, will be joining the Freedom Works board on

the August 1st 2019. A veteran campaigner for local investment and local business, Rosemary was Sussex Business Woman of the Year in 2017 and was awarded an OBE in 2014 for her commitment to women in business.

“We’re extremely pleased and honoured to have someone of Rosemary’s calibre joining the board”, said Jon Trigg, Founder and MD of Freedom Works. “The idea behind the business and our whole ethos is about creating community work spaces in regional areas to enable local businesses to work together, collaborate and grow - keeping business local. Rosemary’s passion in retaining businesses and skillset in local areas is for all to see.”

Having rolled out four spaces across Sussex in a little over two years, Freedom Works are now in the process of raising investment monies to take their successful model further afield.

Kreston Reeves raises a massive £10,000 for charity

S

taff at accountants, business and financial advisers Kreston Reeves have raised over £10,000 for charities across Sussex, Kent and London over the past 12 months. Staff across its nine offices chose their own local charities to benefit.

James Peach, Head of the CSR committee at Kreston Reeves said: “We are committed to being socially responsible employers, good neighbours and supporting charities, not for profit organisations and schools through the insights and expertise we can offer.”

No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness BUSINESS WISDOM

B

righton & Hove Albion has announced that Martin Perry, a member of the club’s board for 22 years, will step down as a director in September 2020, at which point he will take on the role of honorary vice president whilst also remaining as chairman of Albion in the Community, the club’s charity.

Albion chairman, Tony Bloom, said: “Martin’s status as a true legend of our club is assured. His skill, hard work and sheer determination to help save the club and ultimately deliver a new stadium, as well as a world class training and academy facility, for our club will forever be remembered by Albion fans, who supported and encouraged him every step of the way.

“It is typical of Martin that he is ensuring a smooth transition of his executive responsibilities over the next 12 months, and entirely fitting that Martin will assume the new role of honorary vice president of the club in September 2020. With his diplomacy skills and political connections, Martin will continue to be a great ambassador for us.

“As an architect of our original football in the community scheme, I’m also delighted that Martin will continue as chairman of Albion in the Community.

Our charity and its great work means a huge amount to Martin.”

national

news

Bright and happy people

B

righton has topped the list of the UK’s happiest cities to live and work in. Data from a study by the independent job board CV-Library revealed 86.4% of professionals living and working in the seaside city felt happy on a daily basis, whilst 74.3% of professionals said they have a good work-life balance. The research, which was carried out on 2,000 people by

psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall, found the top happiest cities alongside Brighton were Swansea, Glasgow, York and Lincoln.

The cities that recorded happiness percentages below the national average were Cambridge (47.5%), Liverpool (47.1%), Cardiff (44.8%), Bristol (44.4%) and Nottingham (40%).

EU boost for ‘Silicon Beach’ tech companies

L

eading Brighton-based hosting provider, Hyve, has launched a recruitment drive to help counter Brexit uncertainty that company founders believe could threaten the growth of Brighton’s ‘Silicon Beach’ tech companies.

Having seen a drop in applications from EU citizens since the begin-

ning of the Brexit process, the North Laine-based business is currently recruiting for a variety of roles, including sales, legal specialists, content writers, video production assistants, and technical engineers and apprentices to help add to its approaching £9 million global turnover and support its growth in the UK, US, Central America and Europe.

Don’t play victim to the circumstances you created BUSINESS WISDOM

Pub chain ditches paper receipts

Major British brand to invest in Chinese market

B

ritish outfitter, Burberry Group, has said it’s investing heavily to add stores in China, as mainland consumers have taken a liking to the luxury brand’s redesigned look.

China’s middle class led the Asia-Pacific region’s revenue increase in the first quarter ended June, outpacing Burberry’s worldwide sales growth of 4% said chief operating and financial officer Julie Brown.

“This [growth] was driven by mainland China where customers responded particularly positively to the new product lines,” Brown said.

W

etherspoons has become the first large business to stop using receipts after customers complained of mess and the waste of paper. Customers can still request them but will not be given them as a matter of course.

British retailers hand out 11.2 billion

12

receipts every year at a cost of £32m and most end up in landfill. Many shopping receipts also cannot be recycled because they are printed on shiny paper and contain other substances.

Andrew Cregan, Payments Policy Advisor at the British Retail Consortium, welcomed Wetherspoons going receipt-free.

The success of Burberry’s new look is a coup for Chief Creative Officer Riccardo Tisci, who joined Burberry from the French brand Givenchy in March 2018.

I don’t trust children. They’re here to replace us BUSINESS WISDOM

Twitter announces head of global business marketing

T

witter has named Gap Kim as head of global business marketing. Kim had been at Facebook for nearly four years previously, spending the last 10 months as WhatsApp’s platform lead. Prior to joining Facebook, Kim spent more than five years

in Singapore working in various roles for Google, ultimately as the search giant’s head of ads product marketing for Asia Pacific. Kim will be based in San Francisco and report to Twitter’s vice-president of marketing, Brad Ramsey.

Has Fever-Tree lost its fizz?

S

hares in drinks mixer FeverTree have fallen sharply after gloomy UK weather in the first half of the year. Revenues in its biggest market rose by just 5% in the first six months of the year, compared with 73% first-half growth a year ago.

However, booming global markets – including the US – lifted the group’s overall sales by 13% to £117.3m.

Fever-Tree said it had expected

to see some slowing in the UK after “several years of exceptional growth”.

Founder to step back into fashion chain

S

hares in Ted Baker have jumped after reports that the fashion retailer’s founder, Ray Kelvin, is considering teaming up with investors to buy the company.

Kelvin quit as Chief Executive in March, however reports state that Kelvin, who owns 35% of Ted Baker, was

prepared to support a buyout to take the company private and work with its existing management.

In March 2018 the shares traded at £32.14, valuing Ted Baker at £1.4bn.

The company is now valued at about £424m with Kelvin’s stake worth £148m.

It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane BUSINESS WISDOM

Closures planned for nation’s favourite supermarket

W

aitrose will close three shops and sell another four, putting 677 jobs at risk, in a sign that even the nation’s favourite supermarket is not immune to the current financial downturn. The biggest store set for closure is in Stevenage. The other two are in Marlow, Buckinghamshire and at the British Airways headquarters near Heathrow. Waitrose will sell its stores in Bromley, Oadby in Leicestershire and Wollaton in Nottinghamshire to Lidl.

Director of shop trade at Waitrose Mark Gifford said: “Waitrose & Partners is on track for profit growth this year but, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, we haven’t been able to find a way to make these shops profitable in the long term.”

Life is short, smile while you still have teeth BUSINESS WISDOM

America is great again

A

ccording to data published in April by the International Monetary Fund’s World Economic Outlook Database, the country with the greatest GDP is the US, followed by China, Japan, Germany, India, and the UK. The financial news magazine, Global Finance has used purchasing power

parity (PPP) – which takes into account inflation rates and the cost of local goods and services – to adjust GDP per capita figures to rank the richest countries in the world.

Judging with this method, the richest nation is Qatar; Macao, an autonomous region on the south coast of

China, and Luxembourg are in second and third place respectively, with Singapore and Brunei rounding off the top five.

Meanwhile, the US falls to 12th place while the UK is 29th, just below France and above Oman.

13

The

Cook report The Apple CEO has a plan which doesn’t need glamorous new product launches.

By Ian Trevett

14

BUSINESS THE BIGSURVEY STORY “Apple is the world’s first trillion-dollar company, a milestone reached under Cook’s watch. Over the past eight years he’s proven them wrong.

If so, how will he tackle the challenge of keeping Apple ahead of its hungry rivals?

W

henever Steve Jobs took to the stage to launch a new Apple product, the world watched on in keen anticipation, waiting to discover what thrilling new invention was about to be revealed.

Consumers across the globe raced to be the first to buy iMacs, iPods, iPhones and iPads - but with Jobs’ untimely death in 2011, the innovation conveyor belt stuttered and shuddered to a halt. Apple had seemingly lost its magic and the critics have circled like vultures.

But have tales of Apple’s demise been exaggerated? The company has seen a massive growth surge under the stewardship of Tim Cook, who may lack the extrovert showmanship of Jobs, but his tenure as CEO has been effective and hugely profitable.

In April of this year, an editorial in Wired by Leander Kahney made the bold claim that Cook is the best CEO that Apple has ever had, exceeding even Steve Jobs himself. So can Cook claim to be Apple’s greatest leader?

The Cook years The timing of Kahney’s homage to Tim Cook was probably designed to offer a robust affirmation of his record as Apple CEO. Questions were being asked about the future direction of Apple and in January of this year, after a rare profit warning, the share price plummeted (although it has since regained momentum). Many observers worry about the over-dependence on iPhone. The iPhone accounted for 59.1% of Apple’s revenue in quarter four of 2018, but sales of the iPhone fell by approximately 15% compared to quarter four of 2017.

New iPhone releases have been expensive (the Apple Xs costs a whopping £999 on the Apple site), especially in countries struggling against the strong dollar, and many smart phone markets are saturated, with cheaper alternatives improving all the time. Added to this are the fears of a potential Trump-China trade war, which would leave Apple frighteningly exposed.

Peter Cohan at Forbes went as far as asking ‘Is Apple Becoming The Next IBM?’, which is a byword for faded glory.

If all is not well in the Apple orchard,

why the Wired tribute to Cook? Kahney makes a convincing case: “Apple is the world’s first trillion-dollar company, a milestone reached under Cook’s watch. Cook has almost tripled Apple’s revenue. When he was appointed, industry analysts worried that Cook wouldn’t be able to increase revenue significantly because of the so-called ‘law of large numbers’, meaning that it’s one thing to add a few million to Apple’s bottom line, but billions would be near impossible. Over the past eight years he’s proven them wrong.

“Apple is thriving in every arena in which it competes – although demand for iPhones is slowing, 2018 sales were still an all-time record of 216 million units. The same year, it sold 43.5 million iPads and 18 million Macs.

“The Apple Watch is a big sleeper hit.

It’s estimated to have sold more than 50 million to date which means that its unit sales are greater than the entire Swiss watch industry combined. And it will only become more dominant as Apple increases the number of health features.

“And, in terms of brand value, Cook is transforming Apple into a company with progressive values around inclusion, diversity and privacy, and is championing the company’s environmental initiative.”

15

shifted to services and subscriptions, and Apple is using its vast reach of its devices to leverage into these profitable markets.

“For us, Apple TV is just a hobby.”

Steve Jobs Cook’s skill has been in expanding the reach of Apple and securing efficient supply chains, vastly reducing the operating costs for the business.

The Economist’s Schumpeter recounts a story which captures Cook’s forensic style: “Long before Tim Cook became Apple’s boss, when his job was to wring costs out of the company’s supply chain, he learned of a problem with a supplier in China. ‘This is really bad,’ he told his staff. ‘Someone should be in China driving this.’ Thirty minutes later he saw one of his executives sitting at a table. ‘Why are you still here?’ he asked quietly. The executive stood up, drove directly to San Francisco’s airport and bought a ticket to China.

“While Jobs, the irascible creative genius behind Apple’s bestselling products, stole the show, Mr Cook, who is both courtly and deeply private, plugged away behind the scenes to cement a relationship crucial to Apple’s soaring success: that with China.”

The worry now is whether the China relationship is too important for Apple.

Do new products matter?

There is an argument that Steve Jobs would have been more aptly described as Apple’s Chief Product Officer; an innovative genius who disrupted the world. He didn’t work alone - his prime creative partner was a fame-spurning Englishman, Sir Jonathan Paul Ive, better known simply as Jony Ive.

16

Pete Cohan describes their chemistry: “Mr. Ive and Mr. Jobs often ate together, feeding off each other’s ideas. Mr. Ive could translate futuristic concepts into physical objects with simplicity and sophistication. Mr. Jobs was the inspiration and the editor needed to bring these ideas to life.”

Now Ive has also departed. On June 27th he announced he was to leave the company to set up his own luxury design company, yet on the same day, the Apple share price actually in-

Your money, your TV, your health Tim Cook took to the stage in March for the biggest Apple event in recent years, but there was no new gadget on offer. The emphasis was focussed almost entirely on the big plans for Apple TV, wheeling out a host of American A-Listers in the process. Not everyone was impressed.

The Guardian’s Mark Lawson was scathing: “If the shows on Apple’s new TV service turn out to be as smugly evangelistic, self-indulgent and editorially undisciplined as the launch, then it will be very bad news for Apple subscribers and very good news for Netflix, the current market leader.

“The boring, sprawling 100-minute broadcast ended with Apple CEO Tim Cook tearing up as he delivered a namaste to Oprah Winfrey, the last of a string of A-list contributors, also including Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Aniston, who previewed shows they are making for the new Apple TV app.

“Apple TV is not a new innovation, but up to now it has been a neglected product” creased. Not that this was a reflection of Ive’s undoubted ability - the shares rose because the markets detected a thawing in US-China relations at the G20 summit in Japan. However, the conclusion was clear. Losing a design guru mattered less than the state of global trading environment.

“Apple has often seemed at risk of mutating from technology company to quasi-religious cult, and its full-scale entry to the TV content market went very close to full Media Moonie.

“… Not since the severe Scottish presbyterian John Reith tried to shape the BBC as a broadcaster that would be a moral force in Britain has a TV provider sounded so like a church.”

For years, Apple was all about exciting new must-have gadgets; physical items that were beautifully designed and packed with genuinely useful attributes. The problem is how do you keep creating revolutionary products that, most importantly, people will want to pay for?

Apple TV is not a new innovation, but up to now it has been a neglected product. In 2007, when it was first unveiled, Steve Jobs, described Apple’s three core businesses as a the three legs of a stool, and he predicted Apple TV would become the fourth leg.

Three years later, when reminded of this by journalist Nick Bilton, he denied ever saying it, and declared, “For us, Apple TV is just a hobby.”

The growth in the current market has

Writing for Vanity Fair, after this year’s

THE BIG STORY big launch, Bilton wondered if anything had really changed: “Apple [TV] still doesn’t appear to have a clear business strategy. While Apple is taking bigger bets and throwing more money at the problem—about $1 billion a year on original content, according to reports—that’s still about an eighth of what Netflix will spend this year, and about a fifth what Amazon plans to spend. If you’re Apple, with $250 billion in the bank, and you’re really truly trying to go after this space, why not spend ten times that on content?

Why not buy Netflix? Why stick your toe in the water when you could jump in and make the biggest f***ing splash imaginable? It’s almost as if Apple is still treating the TV business like a hobby.”

where customers pay a flat monthly fee for some combination of news, games, cloud storage, music and video, and which could possibly connect with the company’s iPhone subscriptions.

“Mr Cook stopped short of announcing a unique subscription service, promising instead to roll out five separate offerings, some of which are merely older services in nicer packaging. Together, they nevertheless threaten fel-

and buy than their predecessors, should accelerate that trend. Analysts at Goldman Sachs reckon that Apple may convert 10% of the 85m monthly users of its free News app into paying subscribers. “… Apple has hundreds of millions of customer relationships. With that comes the power to get more of their time and money, and to cut out competitors.”

“‘Why not buy Netflix? Why stick your toe in the water when you could jump in and make the biggest f***ing splash imaginable?’”

The critics may be right. When Apple launched its iconic products, the market was there for the taking. The TV market is highly competitive, and NetFlix has already claimed a big chunk of the market. However the business model was described as “compelling” in the Economist, summising that: “Apple’s 900m iPhones worldwide, more than six times as many as Netflix has subscribers, grant it access to a massive potential audience. Analysts speculate that Apple will eventually offer them a variant of Amazon Prime,

low tech giants, Hollywood and banks.

“Apple’s high-profile shows are for now meant chiefly to lure customers into its universe of apps and services.

That includes subscription services for games, magazines newspapers, and pay-TV networks such as HBO. You can pay for it all using your new Apple Card, developed with bankers at Goldman Sachs” “… Although Apple continues to earn most of its money from devices, its business in services is growing quickly, accounting for nearly $40bn of revenues in 2018. The new subscription offerings, which are easier to click

Bilton asserts, “Now, everyone is competing for something more precious: time. As Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said recently, Netflix’s biggest competition isn’t necessarily YouTube or Disney or Amazon.

It’s the video game Fortnite, which some 250 million people play. Tim Cook, too, is now fighting for our attention. In the digital age, that’s the only economic unit that matters.”

The vast army of iPhone/iPad users can consume their entertainment, news, education, health checks and music at the touch of button, saving on that elusive, and lucrative, time.

It seems that maybe Apple has a plan after all. As the Economist concludes: “Mr Cook may put on a lacklustre show, but his rivals had better watch him regardless.”

‘The Spaceship’ – Apple’s headquarters in California

17

7

things it pays to know about intellectual property

Robert Ganpatsingh recommends a simple approach that every business should adopt to get the most out of its intellectual property rights (IP)

T

he basics of IP protection are routinely overlooked in the commercial world, even by businesses whose inventions, designs, symbols and names are critical to their survival. A little knowledge goes a long way, however, when it comes to protecting your rights.

1

Know your IP Carry out a full audit of any IP rights you own. You might find that you already own a substantial amount of IP including rights which arise automatically such as copyright protected material, unregistered designs, confidential information and unregistered trade marks.

You may also have registered rights such as patents (protecting the technical features of processes and products), designs (protecting the appearance of an object) and trade marks (commonly a distinguishing sign or symbol). Action must be taken to acquire these rights by registering them.

2

Know who owns the IP To get full value from the IP that’s important to your business, you must understand who owns it. Even big name brands sometimes make mistakes: the Innocent smoothies brand, for example, had no assignment of the copyright in the Dude – its smiley face trade mark – from its creative agency.

The copyright ended up in the hands of a third party which bought the assets of the agency in liquidation, and lengthy litigation followed with the Judge, in a very close call, deciding that Innocent should have a licence to use the Dude.

“Even big name brands sometimes make mistakes: the Innocent smoothies brand, for example, had no assignment of the copyright in the Dude – its smiley face trade mark”

18

BUSINESS SURVEY LEGAL

Many do not appreciate that copyright in marketing materials commissioned from a third party automatically belongs to that party. Contracts should therefore contain clear provisions to ensure that anything that they create is formally assigned to you.

3

Know how to protect it Any copyright protected material should be clearly identified as such, particularly if it is going into the public domain.

able to obtain patent protection.

I saw a client recently who did everything right, he brought his new invention into the office concealed in a box, and only those of us in the meeting saw the contents. A third party engaged to assist in product development had signed a Non Disclosure Agreement, and the technical features of the new product were kept out of the public domain entirely.

Clear restrictions and confidentiality

Seek to register as many designs and trade marks as possible, especially your trading name, logos and the design of your key products.

The cost of registration (hundreds of pounds) is drastically less than the cost of a subsequent dispute.

6

Have a plan for enforcing your IP Some clients have the resources to come down hard on all infringers, no matter what damage is caused; others have to choose their battles more carefully.

With as many IP rights as possible registered and appropriate contractual provisions with employees and agents, you will have an easier path to successful enforcement.

Insurance to cover the legal costs of enforcement is also an option.

“Some clients have the resources to come down hard on all infringers, no matter what damage is caused; others have to choose their battles more carefully”

Patents are more expensive to register (typically several thousand pounds) and maintain but provide much more robust protection. The makers of the ‘Trunki’ ride-on suitcase, for example, relied on registered design rights to fight a long court battle with a copycat manufacturer. The design was not considered novel enough compared to the designs of pre-existing ride-on suitcases (prior art), but had the manufacturers sought patent protection for some of its features, they would likely have been more successful at keeping copiers at bay.

Avoiding the cost, particularly in a start-up situation, is understandable but could prove a false economy.

4

IP rights come in many shapes and sizes, and significant additional benefits are to be had by registering the most suitable rights.

Keep it confidential A key feature of most IP rights is novelty; for a new product to qualify for patent protection it must be new and there must be an inventive step to it. If the technical features are disclosed to the public, it is unlikely that you will be

obligations are as important in employment contracts as they are in respect of third parties. Contractual obligations can deter infringers, and they certainly make it much easier for us as lawyers to prevent further disclosure, limit the damage and ensure the wrong-doer is held to account if those restrictions are broken.

5

If in doubt, register Registration of IP rights increases your protection in terms of time, scope and ease of enforcement, but knowing which right to register can also make a considerable difference.

Lego, for example, secured a 3D trade mark for its famous Lego man which provides indefinite protection for as long as renewal fees continue to be paid, rather than the 25 years’ protection offered by registered design rights.

7

Make the most of financial incentives R&D tax credits allow companies that spend on research and development to recover some of that expenditure.

Patent Box is a tax incentive which allows companies that generate income from patent protected items to qualify for a significantly reduced rate of corporation tax on revenue derived from those products. Some proactively seek to register as many patents as possible in order to make the most of this incentive.

Partner Robert Ganpatsingh is a commercial litigation specialist with 15 years’ experience dealing with IP disputes; for advice on any commercial dispute, contact him at robert. ganpatsingh@dmhstallard.com, or call 03333 231580. dmhstallard.com

19

How to address

business growth barriers It’s important to recognise the challenges that UK businesses continue to face, says Jake Standing, Partner at Kreston Reeves

M

any business owners talk about ambitions for their company to grow, yet there are many barriers to growth. My own firm Kreston Reeves recently conducted a survey – Going for Growth – suggesting that the main barriers to growth plans are access to skills and labour, access to funding, increased competitor activity, and business uncertainty.

However, the business landscape is ever changing. In order to address barriers to business growth plans, first we must define and understand them.

Only then can we start addressing the most pressing challenges and look to thrive.

What is ‘growth’?

I doubt anyone will argue that companies like Tesla or WeWork are anything

20

FINANCE

but growing, however their results could suggest to some that with continued losses they are not sustainable.

These are not isolated cases – many ‘unicorns’ (privately held startups valued at over $1bn) are not profitable, but still highly sought after by investors. One of the drivers for these lofty valuations is because the business has clear purpose and direction – a vision under which the brand is being invested in and grown.

Even in businesses that are not ‘Blitzscaling’, growth must be well defined and aligned with the vision of the company. Why does your business exist, and what is the business aiming to build for the future?

With access to skills and labour being a key barrier, it would be worth investigating what your business has done to integrate with local universities and colleges. This can help students identify what career opportunities are available, as well as enhancing business teams with bright, innovative ideas and designs. It can also help with innovating to stay ahead of your competitors, with various R&D and Intellectual Property incentives available to assist with funding.

as an opportunity to gain insight into new markets, or even to share risk of growing in these new jurisdictions.

Projections – Alongside any business plan will be a set of financial projections, which should be measured against to ascertain progress and adjustment when off course. These should also focus on funding gaps expected within a high growth business, not just for tomorrow, but for the future (say 3-5 year plan).

Access to funding is often cited as a major barrier to business growth but can often be a bit misleading. One of the key issues is that applications are not accompanied by a robust plan on how the growth is going to materialise and the building blocks that have been put in place already to facilitate this. There are a variety of funding options in the market, from PE fundraising to Regional Growth Funds, grants and traditional bank lending, however the most beneficial for your business will depend heavily on your future goals.

“Even in businesses that are not ‘Blitzscaling’, growth must be well defined and aligned with the vision of the company”

There may also be other growth areas which have not been considered – perhaps your business is more focussed on how many happy customers you have, or how much resource has been donated to charitable and community activities? Growth needs to be defined in the context of your business before it can truly be assessed as to what constitutes a barrier.

Business planning Once a vision for growth has been determined, it should be embedded in the ethos of your business. This should be accompanied by a fluid business plan, which looks at the future state of the business, not just the business today. Barriers to growth are likely to be highlighted within various questions raised across the ‘5 P’s’ – People, Process, Product, Place and Projections.

People – Most barriers to growth occur where a business does not have the right people, structure or training in place, and you spend more time working in your business rather than on it. This can strangle growth and may compromise the ability to spot gaps in the skillset of your team.

Process – Growing businesses can easily become too big for the management processes and systems initially set up. New business growth then runs the risk of being delivered with poor quality and at a high cost. Ensuring that your process is lean and effi cient gives your business a foundation to grow whilst maintaining great customer service and approval ratings. It will also help with timely and accurate management information which will be crucial for external funders.

Product – Product saturation can be a ceiling for growth, and if your business is not able to differentiate to grab market share from competitors, then a complimentary product may be the answer. Developing the end to end value proposition and the problem you solve for your customers is a good driver to kickstart growth with different revenue streams, potentially in different industries.

Place – Expanding overseas can be attractive for businesses looking to grow, but careful planning should be undertaken as the risks of trading overseas are unknown for most. Strategic partnerships can assist here, acting

So how do you address business growth barriers? Get your leadership team together and revisit your vision for the business, identify your main barriers, and focus on ensuring that you have the best people around you motivated to find the optimal solution.

It may be that those barriers to growth for your business, may not be barriers after all.

Jake Standing is a Partner at accountants, business and financial advisers Kreston Reeves. He can be reached by email: jake.standing@krestonreeves.com.

Visit www.krestonreeves.com.

21

Financial Planning a case study Roy Thompson, Partner and Head of MHA Carpenter Box Wealth Management, takes a look at a family’s current financial landscape and offers some advice

The Jones Family

S

ay hello to the Jones family.

Mr Alan Jones is 41, and married with two children, aged 10 and 12. He is in good health and is working for a local electronics business earning £58,500 per annum. He is part of the workplace group pension scheme paying 3.5% of his own salary and would love to retire at 60. His current pension is valued at £112,000.

Alan’s wife Sue, also 41, works part time with an annual salary of £9,000 and no additional staff benefits.

Alan and Sue live in a three-bedroom

house with a capital repayment mortgage of £133,000. Their monthly repayment is £729, with 21 years remaining of their mortgage term. They have just finished a fixed rate period and the loan interest rate has reverted to the lender’s standard variable rate of 3.25%.

Alan and Sue have a joint credit card.

At 17.9% the interest rate is fairly high, and they have an outstanding balance of £6,200. They are paying the credit card off at £150 per month and it will take them five years to clear the debt (including £3,053 of interest).

Finally, Alan has recently inherited £40,000 and wants to understand what he should do with this money. He is considering paying down the mortgage but is not sure whether this is the best course of action.

What could they do?

Plan with a budget A key for Mr and Mrs Jones would be to complete a budget plan. Having a clear understanding of what comes in each month and how this money is spent allows you to plan clearly on your financial goals. Many people underestimate the importance of completing what is a fairly simple exercise.

Priorities The first action I would recommend with the lump sum is repayment of the credit card debt. This is high interest debt and repayment will save the couple £150 per month which is a valuable resource to help towards other financial priorities. They would of course also save a substantial amount of interest that they would accrue if the debt was reduced slowly.

Planning for the unforeseen I would also look to create an emergency fund of around £20,000. An emergency fund should be invested in a high street instant access deposit account. It is not aiming to make good levels of interest; it is simply trying to create a buffer in the event of something unexpected happening such as the boiler breaking down or a car calamity. It will avoid such an expense going on a credit card. As a rule of thumb, we would usually recommend our clients hold 3-6 months outgoings as an emergency fund.

Become more tax-efficient Having repaid the credit card and created the emergency fund, I would

22

FINANCE

suggest that Alan pays £5,161.60 into his pension. This is the most signifi cant action he can take from a tax saving perspective.

A personal payment of £5,161.60 to his pension will first receive basic rate tax relief at source. This will have the effect of increasing the contribution to £6,452. When combined with his existing pension payments, this will mean that Mr and Mrs Jones escape the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

Review your mortgage rate Mr and Mrs Jones should consider reviewing their mortgage. Some attractive rates are on the market with little or no booking fee. A simple online search revealed a 1.94% fixed rate can be signed up to until July 2021.

With no booking fee, this would save the couple £86 per month. The couple could take the lower rate and contin-

ue to pay £729 per month – their current mortgage payment. This would reduce the term from 21 years to approximately 18 years, meaning the loan is fully repaid ahead of their intended retirement.

Invest your surplus Lastly, having made a lump sum pension payment and created a suitable emergency fund, Alan and Sue would have just short of £9,000 of cash left available.

I would look to recommend this is invested in an ISA product, preferably one that invests in stocks and shares.

Given the emergency fund, they should have money available if a financial shock occurs, meaning that any money invested could be left to grow over the medium to long term.

When investing in stocks and shares,

it is important to understand that money can go down as well as up.

However, being able to leave your money over a longer period to ride out these ups and downs may well be rewarded with greater returns than those available from cash deposits.

How we can help Our dedicated Independent Financial Advisers have significant experience in financial planning advice.

We work closely with our clients to understand and define their goals, and help them to meet their needs.

As well as helping families like Alan’s, we also specialise is advising those with significant wealth and those looking for planning solutions for later life.

This article does not represent personalised advice, and independent advice should always be sought before any action is taken. This is our understanding of HM Revenue & Customs practice as of June 30th 2019.

How we can help If you have any questions about your financial situation, please contact Roy Thompson on 01903 534587 or visit www.carpenterbox. com/wealth

23

Technology ISN’T ALWAYS ON YOUR SIDE Simon Lewis, CEO of Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd, talks us through the pitfalls of using technology to assist in your investment choices Well, just like the example above, technology has enabled convenient and apparently credible solutions to help everyone to plan their finances and manage their investments. These solutions have become popular and incredibly lucrative for those that own them, but they are not without their pitfalls for those who use them.

M

ost of us are probably guilty of typing our symptoms into an internet search engine to find out what might be wrong with us.

Why do we instinctively feel that what is served up, which often includes a myriad of ‘sponsored’ links to potential remedies, is of any real value? It takes 10 years of training to become a fully qualified general practitioner in the UK, so how can we fool ourselves that 20 minutes on Google will give us an insight into what might be wrong with us?

It is human nature to want to have some power over our lives so the misapprehension that technology will provide us with such power is seductive.

The reality of course is that far from guaranteeing that we are all better informed, technology makes it easier for those who control it to influence our views and behaviour; and our best interests are often not well served. We are all in danger of acting with unconscious incompetence.

What has all of this got to do with financial planning and investment?

24

A timely reminder of how investors can be taken for a ride is provided by the sorry tale of Woodford’s investment funds, that have trapped billions of pounds of investors’ money with no clear end in sight. At least not one that doesn’t involve the permanent destruction of a big chunk of their hard earned savings. Although others are also guilty, the online investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown (HL) was by far the largest promoter of Woodford funds, which attracted well over £10 billion of investors money.

The platform provides access to thousands of funds but most investors are herded towards a narrow list of funds, referred to as the ‘Wealth 50’. To quote from HL’s website, “The Wealth 50 is a shortlist of our experts’ favourite funds. We’ve spent decades and thousands of hours crunching the numbers, and meeting fund managers, to uncover funds we believe have the most potential in each sector. To date, we’ve had an enviable track record.”

Really? Woodford’s investment strategy was causing eyebrows to be raised throughout the investment management sector a long time ago. We spotted the warning signs early last year and methodically pulled our clients out by the year end. We identified

FINANCE “There will always be ‘snake oil salesman’ peddling a solution for your problems or needs and technology lets them in through your front door” that Woodford’s funds were following an increasingly risky investment approach by allocating an escalating proportion of their funds to shares in companies that were not listed on the stock market. Although the objective was to enhance returns, there was a corresponding acceptance that risk for the investors would be increased.

Whilst there is nothing wrong with making long term investments, they have no place in an open-ended investment fund.

This is because such funds must be able to meet redemption requests and therefore need to be able to easily dispose of the investments that have been made. Investments in companies that are not stock market listed are not liquid. They are also more difficult to value.

“It is human nature to want to have some power over our lives so the misapprehension that technology will provide us with such power is seductive”

We took this change in approach as a sign of overconfidence because the manager assumed that new money from investors would keep flowing in and did not legislate for a reversal of this trend. Overconfidence is not something that we tolerate when allocating our clients’ money to investments.

Sadly, when investment stories end sourly it is usually because those managing the money have lost sight of whose money it really is.

HL also has some explaining to do because, whilst Woodford’s flagship fund remained on the ‘Wealth 50’ until its suspension, HL had been quietly pulling out its own money for some months before. It is an inescapable truth that it’s easier to get your own money out when you are cheerleading others to put it in. I would hope that this issue will be on the agenda for the regulatory investigation that is now underway.

You might think I am indulging in schadenfreude, but I’m not. I’m angry, firstly because novice investors have been unwittingly steered into a high risk fund and also, because events like this taint everyone involved in investment management.

We should all embrace technology because it can make our lives more productive and enjoyable. But we should not allow our appreciation of these benefits to let technology conceal the fact that service providers want something from us and we all need to be vigilant to understand exactly what this is and make a conscious decision that we are happy with it.

And let’s not forget that, whilst technology evolves quickly, human nature hasn’t really changed in thousands of years. There will always be ‘snake oil salesman’ peddling a solution for your problems or needs and technology lets them in through your front door.

Be on your guard…

To find out more about financial advice and investment options please contact Simon at Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd. Tel: 01372 471550 Email: simon.lewis@pmw.co.uk www.pmw.co.uk

25

Gatwick Diamond The challenges facing our economic development

‘D

o we need almost 5m sq. ft of new business park employment space?’ was one of the questions asked at the 2019 Gatwick Diamond Economic Summit held at the Arora Hotel, Crawley in June.

At the event chaired by Victoria Kerton, Regional Director at NatWest, 165 business leaders and influencers gathered to focus on the opportunity presented by new commercial employment land identified within council Local Plans. After many years of limited new commercial space to accommodate enquires from new investors and from the growing businesses already here wanting to expand, it was agreed that the proposed new business parks will stimulate renewed interest in our vibrant and dynamic economy, but that we need more!

In his presentation, Adam Godfrey, Senior Partner at SHW, said, “Manor Royal is a great example of how business parks attract and retain growing companies providing skilled employment. There are several proposals in local plans for further business parks in Horley, Billingshurst, Horsham and

26

Burgess Hill but this is not enough.

The current allocation is simply not enough to satisfy the demand for warehouse, light industrial and office space. Permitted Development Rights has considerably reduced office space in town centre locations while new housing means more people seeking skilled jobs locally.”

Andrew Osborne, Partner at Vail Williams said, “We are seeing a ‘flight to quality’ by occupiers with a strong and vibrant industrial/warehouse market across the Diamond but there is a shortage of land with either a suitable planning allocation or planning consent. There is a clear need for some large strategic development sites to enable the region to compete with the rest of the South East and nationally” John Atkins, MD of Atkins Property and speaking on behalf of the Wilky Group presented the results of a recent Savills report. He said; “There is strong market evidence to develop a signifi cant employment opportunity adjacent to Gatwick Airport. A new mixed use proposition creating up to 23,000 jobs will attract global occupiers. The Wilky

Group looks forward to working in collaboration with partners to develop the concept of a high quality environment offering 21st century job opportunities, driving regional competitiveness and supporting infrastructure delivery.”

In the keynote video speech from the CEO of Gatwick, Stewart Wingate explained how Vinci, the new owners of the airport with a 50.01% share, would continue to invest in infrastructure and engage with businesses and stakeholders ensuring that its passenger growth would continue to benefit the local economy. Mark Lever, Head of Corporate Affairs, then hosted a lively Q&A session.

Lee Harris, Executive Director Economy, Infrastructure & Environment at West Sussex County Council presented plans for the new Horsham Enterprise Park (also known as the Novartis Enterprise Park) which will provide 250,000 sq. ft of additional commercial space next to the rail station and close to the town centre.

The session after coffee focussed on how employees would reach the new

BUSINESS EVENT

Economic Summit business parks and where would they come from in a region known for its high level of employment.

Paul Harwood, Director Route Business Development & Sponsorship at Network Rail talked about the improved schedule and ease of access for commuters and the business sector. The audience were encouraged to hear that the long awaited redevelopment of the Gatwick Diamond’s key rail station at the airport was about to start following successful planning approval.

Vincent Madden, Director of Hotel Operations of the Arora Group presented plans for the long overdue redevelopment of the infamous Overline House at Crawley station.

ployment land was actually ‘fit for purpose’? She said ‘’Have we really thought about where those 29,000 employees for the new business parks are going to come from, when already our employers cannot get enough staff with the right skills? Our councils and the C2C LEP must promote, encourage and facilitate a ‘live local, work local’ policy to reduce the outflow of commuters every day.’’

She said that while the appropriate infrastructure is inadequate, the answer is not to make it easier to remove working residents by road and rail.

Moving more commuters up to London will not help staff those new business parks and the Gatwick Diamond economic region must not be characterised as a ‘transport corridor’.

John Baker, Founder and Chairman of the Commercial Parks Group talked about the importance of creating “convivial spaces” that were more social, collaborative and supportive of employee wellbeing.

She reminded the audience of the key role that Further Education Colleges play in providing the STEM skills as well as the urgent need for an Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Rosemary French OBE, Executive Director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative asked whether the new em-

Her call to action was that, “we must collaborate and not compete across council boundaries to get the best

business park. We must put planners together to work towards a whole solution which fits future demand. A solution which will deliver tenants for all types of builds and which will drive the Gatwick Diamond economy forward.”

Throughout the event, Victoria Kerton ably managed audience participation using the innovative Sli.do app which enabled the audience to submit and even rate questions before, during and after the presentations. The Q&A panel sessions were interactive and lively, and Victoria was amused by the response to her initial test Sli.do question which asked whether she was Australian or from New Zealand - which the vast majority of the audience got wrong.

The event was kindly sponsored by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative, London Gatwick Airport, Glenbeigh Developments, Horley Business Park, Mayfields Market Towns, the Wilky Group, Tungsten Properties, Vail Williams and NatWest. The event was organised by publishing and events company 3Fox International, in partnership with the Gatwick Diamond Initiative.

27

THE WINNERS! The hottest day of the year welcomed a record crowd for the biggest-ever Brighton & Hove Business Awards

A

round 500 of the city’s leading businesspeople gathered for the annual Brighton & Hove Business Awards (BAHBAs) ceremony at Hilton Brighton Metropole on July 25th.

This year saw a record number of entries for each category, with hundreds of applicants whittled down to just 56 finalists. Judges had an enormously difficult task as the entries were of such a high standard.

Back for the 14th year, the BAHBAs are firmly established as a benchmark for excellence in today’s competitive business environment.

Entries were judged by an experienced panel of business experts and Fiona Shafer, CEO of MDHUB, assumed the role of Chair of Judges.

Fiona commented: “It goes without saying that it is a huge honour to be the Chair of the Brighton & Hove Business Awards. The Awards attracted an excellent mix of applications from all business sizes and sectors, with the standard of applications being very high. Winning a BAHBA brings genuine recognition and acknowledgement amongst peers, so well done to everyone who made this year’s shortlist.”

The glittering evening was brilliantly hosted by comedian Shappi Khorsandi, with additional entertainment provided by Mirabelle – the ‘Mirrored Violinist’.

28

Among the many highlights were RocketMill being named the overall Company of the Year winner, and Gary Peters of LoveLocalJobs.com winning Businessperson of the Year.

Mooncup (Employer of the Year), Phileas Fogg’s World of Adventures (Tourist Attraction of the Year), Search Seven (CSR Excellence Award), Peopleforce Recruitment (International Business of the Year), MacConvilles Surveying (Professional Services Award) and Spabreaks.com (Large Business of the Year) were also celebrating their awards on the night.

The biggest cheer of the night was reserved for the moment Maarten Hoffmann, Managing Director of The Platinum Group, presented the Outstanding Brightonian Award to Imelda Glackin – CEO at The Martlets Hospice.

Visit @platbusmag on Twitter, and Platinum Publishing’s LinkedIn page for all the highlights of a spectacular event.

BUSINESS BUSINESSAWARDS SURVEY

Recipient of the Outstanding Brightonian award, Imelda Glackin, CEO of Martlets Hospice, with The Platinum Group MD, Maarten Hoffmann

TO UR OFIST A TH TTR E Y AC EA TI R ON

SE PROF RV ES ICE SI S A ONA WA L RD

Tourist Attraction of the Year, sponsored by The Gemini Group – Phileas Fogg’s World of Adventures

Professional Services Award, sponsored by Picture Book Films – MacConvilles Surveying

29

BE ST SE CUS RV TO ICE ME R

O F EM P TH LOY E Y ER EA R

Best Customer Service Award, sponsored by Global – Paxton Access

Employer of the Year Award, sponsored

by Mayo Wynne Baxter – Mooncup

BU NO SIN T F ES OR S O PR F T OF HE IT YE AR

IN IN NOV BU AT SI N I O ES N S

Not For Profit Business of the Year Award, sponsored by MDHUB – Brighton & Hove Food Partnership

Innovation In Business Award, sponsored

by University of Sussex – Bailey & French

BE

Best Independent Retailer Award, sponsored

by Churchill Square – Present In The Laine

30

CS

ST I RE NDEP TA EN I LE D R ENT

CSR Excellence Award, sponsored

by Kreston Reeves – Search Seven

RE X AW CEL AR LEN D C

E

BUSINESS AWARDS B U IN SI N T E ES R N A S O TI F T O NA HE L YE AR

OF STA T H RT E Y UP EA R

Start Up of the Year Award, sponsored by Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce – Anything Is Possible

International Business of the Year Award, sponsored

by EMC Corporate Finance – Peopleforce Recruitment

BU S O F IN E S T H SP E Y ER S EA O N R

Businessperson of the Year, sponsored by Carden Accountants – Gary Peters, LoveLocalJobs.com

SM OF E BU TH SIN E Y ES EA S R

SME Business of the Year, sponsored

by The Platinum Group – Clearleft

LA R OF GE B TH US E Y IN E E A SS R

Large Business of the Year, sponsored

by NatWest – Spabreaks.com

CO TH MPA E Y NY EA OF R

Company of the Year, sponsored

by Gatwick Airport – RocketMill

31

Coaching skills for managers The ‘coach approach’ has positive effects on employee development, performance, and productivity, which also benefits the organisation, says business coach Madeleine Homan Blanchard

T

hese days, more and more managers in organisations are being asked to coach— yet many managers aren’t sure what coaching is or how to do it. Although more than 70% of organisations recognise coaching as a necessary leadership competency, only 5% claim to provide training specifically designed to build the needed skills in managers.

Four big challenges stand in the way of managers adopting coaching skills: confusion about what coaching really

is, when to use it, how to do it and the perceived lack of time to do it.

when the employee has majority interest in the outcome.

What is coaching?

The most critical job of a manager is to make sure people are clear on what their job is and what a good job looks like. Managers look through the lens of what is best for the organisation as they set the direction and make sure goals are being achieved.

To conduct a coaching conversation, managers must shift from looking out for the best interests of the organisation to looking out for the best interests of the employee. Coaching conversations promote discovery, generate insights, and clarify purposeful action for the employee. They may very well benefit the organisation, but their primary focus is on the employee. The paradox is that when managers are able to coach their people, that coaching has significant positive effects on employee development, performance, and productivity, which also benefits the organisation.

But what is a manager to do when people need help with things that affect them but aren’t necessarily related to their job or performance? What if people need help with long term goals such as career planning and professional development? That’s where coaching comes in.

We define coaching as a deliberate process that uses focused conversations to create an environment of accelerated performance and development. The coach approach is best used when the problem or the task is unclear, when the manager doesn’t know how to solve the issue, or

32

According to our research, when managers use coaching behaviours appropriately, their employees are more likely to: • Have high levels of trust in their manager • Have positive feelings about their job and the organisation • Remain with the organisation • Create positive buzz about the organisation • Expend discretionary effort • Behave in ways that support the organisation

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Providing effective coaching requires courage and finesse – and can only really be done once that manager has earned the right to coach. No employee is going to let themselves be coached by a manager they don’t trust. Managers earn trust by demonstrating an others-oriented mindset, using a proven process, and learning the right skills.

Devoting time to coaching is another way managers demonstrate they care.

But not having enough time is the primary reason managers give when ask better questions to help their conasked what keeps them from coachagers catch themselves when the versations be more efficient. ing. We know using coaching when apconversation goes off track. Many propriate saves hours down the road standard coaching process models by helping employees achieve rare Our tell your truth skill, which helps don’t work in practice because they clarity and focus. With our approach, managers to give feedback when necare too linear. People do not process managers stop thinking essary, makes it easier for “We define coaching as a they don’t have time to managers to share informacoach — and instead learn tion and challenge employees deliberate process that uses how to coach in the time to achieve their potential in that they have. focused conversations to create an inspiring way. Expressing confidence, the final skill, is an environment of accelerated not to be confused with praise Here are three ways managers can learn to become performance and development” or positive feedback. The manager shares observations more coach-like: about the employee that prove that the their own thoughts and feelings in a manager has been paying attention, relinear way, no matter how analytical Make a conscious shift to an othmembers specific examples of the perthey are. Managers using a coach apers-oriented mindset. Managers son’s success, and has faith in the perproach need to be prepared to move need to stop, breathe, clear their minds, son’s ability to do what is necessary. flexibly through the four elements of a pay attention, and manage their imcoaching conversation—connect, fopulses and natural tendencies. This Get Started Today! cus, activate, and review. Our process requires enormous self-regulation — in Managers who coach will build trust, was achieved through 25 years of exother words, it is hard. For some peoincrease workplace positivity, and perimenting, tweaking, and improving. ple, it is very hard. Without a shift in boost employee work passion. Time It provides critical structure and flexmindset, it is almost impossible. and commitment is required, but with ibility a proven plan and the development Use a foolproof, reproducible of the right skills, organisations can process. Having a simple proCommit to learning the right take advantage of the positive impact cess to follow every time eliminates skills. The four core coaching a coach approach can have on their guesswork and doubts. An easy to skills we teach are listening, inquiring, people. And who can argue against remember process also helps mantelling your truth and expressing contraining to achieve that? fidence. On the surface, these skills may appear basic, but their depth and sophistication become apparent the If you wish to receive a copy of the minute people start practicing them. full white paper please contact Take listening, for example. Most peouk@kenblanchard.com or visit ple think they are good listeners, but www.kenblanchard.com/Resources most really aren’t. Asking open-ended to learn more about The Ken questions, or inquiring, is the second Blanchard Companies’ research. skill — we teach highly applicable methods so that managers will

1

2

3

Training the World’s Best Managers

33

Clients are our business Dedicated to your success DMH Stallard is a full service, award-winning law firm that is passionate about winning and passionate about client care. It’s not by chance that we have one of the highest levels of repeat business in the industry.

For Business

For You

We make it our business to know your business, delivering results and adding value whether you’re an established market leader or an ambitious start-up.

Working for you and with you, our exceptional personal law service will help you plan, protect and achieve the very best outcomes for you and your family.

Award-winning pragmatic advice for businesses and individuals

LONDON

GAT WICK

GUILDFORD

HORSHAM

BRIGHTON

WWW.DMHSTALLARD.COM

BUSINESS SURVEY

Business activity in South East declines for first time since July 2016 Drop in output reflects a downturn in business

P

rivate sector output in the South East declined for the first time in nearly three years in June, according to the latest NatWest PMI® data. The main driver was a sharper fall in new business, the first back-to-back drop since the end of 2012. Manufacturing was a key source of weakness, while services growth was subdued. More positively, private sector jobs were added at the strongest rate in nearly two years and business expectations strengthened.

The headline NatWest South East Business Activity Index – a seasonally adjusted index that measures the combined output of the region’s manufacturing and service sectors – dipped below the no-change mark of 50.0 in June, to 49.7. This was the first negative reading since July 2016, the first month following the EU referendum, and signalled a slight contraction in private sector output. The UK as a whole also registered a marginal decline in activity in June.

The drop in output mainly reflected a sustained downturn in new business.

New work fell for the second month running – the first back-to-back decline since late-2012 – and at the fastest rate since July 2016. Companies mentioned weak domestic demand, partly linked to political uncertainty.

Manufacturing new orders fell at the sharpest pace since mid-2009 during the month, while new business at service providers grew only marginally.

Private sector firms in the South East continued to deplete their existing workloads in June. Backlogs have fallen every month since last October, the longest sequence of decline in six years.

Although the overall contraction was the slowest in four months, manufacturing backlogs continued to drop sharply.

Although output and new business both fell in June, private sector employment in the South East continued to increase. Moreover, the rate of job creation was the fastest since August 2017. This trend was broadly in line with the pattern across the UK as a whole.

Input price inflation picked up slightly in June but was the second-weakest in nearly three years. That said, it remained above its long-run trend level (since 1997), signalling strong overall cost pressures. Wages, fuel and

sterling weakness were all reported as sources of inflationary pressure.

Meanwhile, prices charged for goods and services continued to increase at a solid rate in June, one that was broadly in line with the average for the first half of 2019.

Despite the dip in activity in June, private sector companies in the South East remained confident that output would rise over the next 12 months.

Moreover, sentiment strengthened to the highest since July 2018.

COMMENT

Stuart Johnstone, Managing Director, London & South East, Corporate & Commercial Banking “The latest PMI data provided a downbeat assessment of the current state of the South East private sector economy at the midpoint of 2019, as output fell for the first time since July 2016. Moreover, trend data for the second quarter showed the weakest growth since the final quarter of 2012, if you exclude the short-term disruption during the third quarter of 2016 following the EU referendum result.

and undermining current growth.

But companies’ 12-month output expectations rebounded to the strongest since July 2018, with some firms commenting that pentup demand could be released once

“The trend in new business was even worse, with the sharpest decline since June 2009 after also discounting the July 2016 period.

“Political uncertainty is clearly clouding the short-term outlook

Stuart Johnstone

METHODOLOGY The NatWest South East PMI® is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to South East companies that participate in IHS Markit’s UK manufacturing and services PMI surveys.

35

“Always a pleasure speaking with experienced technicians with a sense of humour�

Humanising IT

96% of people said they had a positive experience with Extech Cloud, based on over 3,000 IT support calls.

INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS

A positive SWOT

By Dean Orgill, Chair of Sussex IoD, and Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxter credit for any positive thoughts that you may pick up from these musings is down to them. Any confusion or misunderstanding will be down to my mangling or misinterpreting the relevant concepts.

Hopefully I have correctly picked up on a basic premise of making the most of the strengths that our organisations, our teams and we ourselves have rather than focussing on our weaknesses.

I

doubt that many people reading this magazine have not (possibly multiple times) carried out a Strength Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats analysis on their business. The number of people who have also completed the exercise in respect of themselves is likely to be a smaller, though probably still a significant number.

The concepts of strategic reviews and personal assessments do seem to result in our focussing on the negative rather than accentuating the positive.

We look at what we are not good at and try to get that to a better standard.

That might mean we get an organisa-

A great deal of skill may be involved in pushing a good performer to excellence. Indeed that might be why some of us shy away from doing it. We might find it easier to help someone up to an average standard of skills, as role models and teachers may be easier to find.

Nevertheless locating that extra skill and expertise may well be worth it.

I would also suggest that such analyses are not made too narrow. Especially for individuals it can be too easy to fall in to the trap of thinking too narrowly for assessment and focussing only on limited basic skills. The damage being done to the skill-set, innovation capacity and resilience of our next generations by the current narrow focus in our primary and secondary education assessment culture

But for those who have carried out these analyses what has tended to be the focus for further action?

I would hazard a guess that the W O T elements of the acronym have seen the most time and effort dedicated to the results of the analyses of the organisations and the W for the more personal assessments. For the business a strategy may focus on Opportunities and Threats taking note of any Weaknesses. For ourselves we may find Personal Improvement Plans being developed to work on our Weaknesses.

But is this the best way forward? Does this sort of analysis help to move us forward most effectively? I suspect not.

I am indebted to Alex Bailey and her excellent team at Bailey and French for pointing in another direction. Any

tion or individual from weak to average, or from average to good. But how often do we focus on good aspects or skills in order to get them to excellent or outstanding?

In reality however are we as organisations and individuals not likely to reap more benefit by focussing more on what we are really good at than on what we are poor at?

If weaknesses relate to, say compliance for an organisation or manners and interpersonal skills for an individual, there may be minimum thresholds to be achieved - but beyond those surely a positive focus will pay greater dividends in both the long and short terms.

should not be carried through into employment. Let us try to encourage innovative and original thinking and if possible support it as a strength. As the pace of change in our business environment continues to increase let us analyse more broadly, and then let us identify, encourage and enable the strengths of our businesses and the people that make them what they are.

Just a thought What Strength could you make the most of? www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk www.iod.com

37

CORPORATE

Health

&WELLBEING It has long been recognised that a healthy workforce has a dramatic effect on productivity, leads to less absent days, increased motivation, company loyalty and overall economic prosperity.

Throughout 2019, this magazine will partner with a selection of major companies in the sector to offer advice on how to deal with the growing crisis of avoidable employee absent days. We intend to lead the way on this subject to aid in the economic prosperity of our region.

38

HEALTH & WELLBEING

v Soho is the unhealthiest place to live in Britain, whilst the healthiest is Great Torrington, a small town in Devon according to a study conducted by the University of Liverpool

The number of adults using e-cigarettes has risen by 70% in two years according to NHS data

A simple change to the sleeping patterns of ‘night owls’ can lead to a decrease in depression and stress, as well as improved eating habits and better performance in the mornings, a new study has revealed

Zzzzz

Zzzzz

By 2030, there will be around

2,000,000

70

69

more adults in the UK with mental health problems

“Walking is the best possible exercise.

Habituate yourself to walk very far” Thomas Jefferson

68

67

Nearly

66 71%

65

of UK based employees plan to work beyond the age of 65

Office for National Statistics

39

Creating a healthy working environment Creating the right working environment will make your employees fly, says Paul Ollerton, Managing Director at ViiSana Ltd creates the backdrop for people to enjoy their work and give their best.

Paul Ollerton

O

ne of the biggest challenges that any business (big or small) has is to create a working environment that brings the best out the people who work there. Pretty obvious really…

I speak to some business owners who say that; ‘it doesn’t matter so much because customers don’t visit the site’. Wrong answer – your biggest (and normally most expensive) asset sits there – the people who are your business. Create the right environment and they fly, but in the wrong environment the same people can flop.

One of the common threads we see in our line of work is that companies will spend time meticulously planning how to support and encourage a healthy productive workforce, but often overlook the four walls in which it happens.

The aim of this month’s article is to highlight some simple areas where you can create a healthy environment,

fatigue and headaches – that means happier, more productive people. If you are lucky enough to have natural light, simple things like keeping the windows clean make a huge difference. If natural light is not an option, natural light bulbs can drastically improve a dark workspace. These are now readily available from most lighting retailers, including Amazon.

Are you sitting comfortably?

‘Sitting all day isn’t the healthiest thing for you, but slouching all day is even worse’.

“The human body is not designed to spend eight hours a day sitting but, unfortunately for many of us, that’s exactly what happens at work”

You might be thinking what this has to do with health and wellness at the office, but actually a healthy working environment does all of the above – it

40

without breaking the bank. Most ideas can be implemented without any, or minimal, cost.

Light up someone’s day

Proper lighting is essential for a healthy work environment. Getting rid of glare and shadows can reduce eye

Put simply, the human body is not designed to spend eight hours a day sitting but, unfortunately for many of us, that’s exactly what happens at work. Sitting for extended periods can lead to muscle loss, weight gain, hypertension, osteoporosis, heart disease, depression, back pain, and many other conditions.

To counter the negative impact of sitting, ergonomically correct chairs and

desks are now available as standard (the adjustable stand up desks would be our choice). However, more so - encourage employees to move around to different sitting areas or meeting areas, or even work outside the office.

Technology can also help - you can also try a gadget like the Lumo Lift, a tiny sensor that pins to your shirt and vibrates when it senses you slouching forward. Equally useful are computer programs like Move for iOS or Big Stretch Reminder for Windows – which can remind you to take breaks at regular intervals.

Clean and organised

Office cleanliness really matters because dust and bacteria can have a negative impact on your health. Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a phenomenon that causes a variety of illnesses and symptoms. SBS can be the result of chemical or biological contaminants, inadequate ventilation, or electromagnetic radiation, just to name a few. It can affect productivity and increase absenteeism.

Bringing nature into your office

Green leafy plants can be a great way to inspire creativity and a feeling of wellness in an office space. Steer clear of cacti though, their spikes can create the opposite of a relaxed feeling, or flowers with a strong scent, which can be distracting or irritating.

Some plants, like the sansevieria, may even improve air quality in your office. If this is out of reach for you, you can let in some fresh air by keeping windows open while you work, or if that’s not an option, consider getting an air purifier with a HEPA filter.

This will improve the air quality.

You are ‘where’ you eat

Clutter is also known to increase feelings of depression and dissatisfaction – try adopting a clear desk policy.

Having a dedicated area where employees can break from their work environment and eat is massively important, to allow interaction with other colleagues and to take a rest from the day’s tasks – allowing you to truly get that break during the day. Eating away from the desk can also encourage healthier food choices. Research has shown that eating while distracted (i.e. surfing the web at your desk) is more likely to result in overeating.

Contact us ViiSana specialises in implementing wellbeing programme through the implementation of company-wide Vitality Life and Health insurance. If you would like to discuss your company’s individual health concerns/challenges, or

if you would just like to discuss ideas for implementing a programme at your business, please get in touch: Email: paul.ollerton@viisana.com Phone: 0333 772 0761 Twitter/Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn

What’s in a wall?

Your corporate colours might look great emblazoned across your walls, but think about the effect of the colour on your people.

“Colours that aren’t very saturated but relatively bright put us in the right sort of relaxed mental state to be doing knowledge work.”

Most roles involve being creative, so we recommend shades of green to enhance creative thinking. To get the most out of your walls, choose a hue that’s quiet and calming. And whatever you do, avoid red – research has shown bright red to negatively affect analytical performance.

41

Are you making

reasonable adjustments?

Removing the barriers employees face in the workplace because of their disability or illness

A

big part of health, safety and wellbeing at work is making sure employees with disabilities have everything they need to feel supported, empowered and wellequipped in the workplace. In this article Posturite answers some of the most frequently asked questions employers ask about making reasonable adjustments.

As many as 7.8 million working-age people in the UK report living with a disability. Of these, an estimated 3.9 million are in employment, which is an increase of 150,000 from last year. Two years ago the Government launched a strategy called ‘Improving Lives: the Future of Work, Health and Disability’ in a bid to get 4.5 million people with disabilities in employment by 2027. This involves policy changes, training programmes, investment in disability services and the creation of a dedicated team to drive and champion the cause.

Ultimately, the power is in the hands of employers. It’s up to us to create an inclusive environment which supports individuals with disabilities. In fact it’s our duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for those who need them. This involves removing barriers people face because of their disability or illness, in order to give them, as far as possible, the same opportunities and means as those who are not disabled.

What reasonable adjustments should you make? Under the law, employers

42

are expected to make the following reasonable adjustments within their business: Changing the way things are done This essentially means that sometimes the way organisations do things makes life harder for people with disabilities. If it is ‘reasonable’ to change this in a way that doesn’t disadvantage anyone, then you must do so.

For example, it is your organisation’s policy for staff to park in a designated car park across the road. Allowing an employee with a mobility impairment to park in the visitor spaces directly outside the office building is likely to be considered a reasonable adjustment.

Changing a physical feature Making changes to the physical features of a building, such as: • Passageways and paths • Entrances and exits • Lighting and ventilation • Steps and stairs • Size of premises Provide extra equipment or services This means that if you can reasonably provide something to enable someone to do their job then you must do so.

Examples include: • Assistive technology products and software • Disability Enablement assessments • Extra staff assistance

When is it necessary to make reasonable adjustments?

The Equality Act 2010 says that you have a duty to make reasonable adjustments when an employee is placed at a ‘substantial disadvantage’ due to a disability when compared with their colleagues.

What counts as a substantial disadvantage?

A substantial disadvantage is defined in the Equality Act as being one that is ‘more than minor or trivial’. In other words, it would likely have a big impact on that person’s ability to carry out a task properly or effectively. The Act also emphasises that the employee would have to be at a substantial disadvantage when compared to a person or group carrying out the same tasks.

Some common examples of disabilities that are likely to put someone at a

HEALTH & WELLBEING

substantial disadvantage include: • Problems with hearing or sight • Conditions that come and go, like ME, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis • Learning disabilities • Dyslexia and dyspraxia • Impairments caused by injury • Conditions that get worse over time, like motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, or forms of dementia • Autistic spectrum disorders What happens if you don’t make reasonable adjustments?

If you don’t make reasonable adjustments for an employee then you are breaking the law. That employee can then complain internally and if the problem isn’t resolved, make a discrimination claim against you under the Equality Act. This can result in:

• A compensation pay out • Aggravated damages • Personal injury • Recommendations such as: • Introducing an equal opportunities policy • Setting up an internal review panel to deal with grievance procedures • Retraining staff in equality matters • Ensure equal opportunities policies are more effectively implemented One of our core services at Posturite is Disability Enablement. We believe in enabling and empowering individuals, helping them to reach their full potential in their roles. We do this in three ways:

the entire enablement process end to end - from drawing up a plan of action, to coordinating with your teams internally to implement the plan, all the while working alongside the end users themselves to make sure the solutions we’ve put in place really are helping them.

You can find out more about reasonable adjustments, enablement and how we can help by visiting our website posturite.co.uk/enablement

• Assessing individuals • Providing assistive technology (AT) • Training in the use of AT We make your lives easier by handling

43

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Self care ideas to help you through difficult times

Jane Cato, a counsellor at Martlets, shares some thoughts and ideas which have been used by people she’s supported over the years

L

ooking after yourself and practicing self-care when you’re at your lowest can be incredibly difficult but it can also help you to process your feelings and help to get you through the dark times.

Remember other difficult times you’ve had and how you managed them. Try to think about what works best for you and what gives you strength and a sense of purpose. While you may not have had control over the situation you are in, try to find a way of taking control of how you cope with your life now and in the future.

Cherish your good memories and keep them alive. Continuing to live your life doesn’t mean forgetting. It can mean keeping the connection to people and places you have loved alongside life now and in the future Rest as feeling low uses a lot of emotional energy and you may well feel very drained and exhausted at times.

Be gentle with yourself, in time your energy will return.

Try to eat. Many people find they lose their appetite and may unintentionally ignore their bodies. If this is the case, eat small, nourishing, easily digested snacks. It’s best to eat regularly even if you don’t feel like it.

Learn ways to distract yourself. On the days you can’t face life distract yourself with a good TV programme, a walk, cooking, meeting a friend for coffee, engrossing yourself in an interest like a movie, reading a book...something enjoyable that will take you out of yourself for a little while.

Be creative in whatever way suits you, whether that’s writing a journal or a long letter or an email. Putting your thoughts on paper or on a computer is a good way of getting things straight in your mind. Or try something new like painting, drawing or gardening - something that helps you express

your feelings or create something to help you remember good times.

Getting some exercise can be very helpful. You can often feel very physically tense and movement helps release this. Movement can also help you feel better by giving positive energy. This can be done by swimming, walking, yoga, the gym or perhaps day-to-day activities like walking to the shops, mowing the lawn, hoovering or walking the dog.

Draw on your spirituality. This can be different for each one of us. For some people it will mean going to religious services, praying or meditating. For others it will be a walk on the beach or in the countryside, listening to birdsong or inspirational music… whatever brings you in touch with a different perspective and offers a bigger picture of life.

Martlets is a charity that cares for people living through a terminal illness in and around Brighton & Hove. www.themartlets.org.uk

44

! w o p a k

you can be a ts e l t r a m r o f superhero

e s r u o c e l c a t s b o e l b a t a l f n i r 1am - 12.30pm e b 5kM giant m e t p e S y 14 When: 1 Satuperndtoaanyone over 1.2m tall

on Park t s e r P : e Wher

O

.themar w w w : TODAY p u n g i S

ow19

/kap k u . g r o . e ts

tl

Headline Sponsor With huge thanks to Media partner

Registered Charity Number 802145

T Matched funding for future innovations

he South East is home to a thriving digital innovation economy, but the region’s large manufacturing and product design base is sometimes less visible.

Patenting or developing a prototype can be expensive hurdles for inexperienced founders, but through a new IP grant, SINC is reducing the financial burden on start-ups, and offering additional consultancy to help turn new product ideas into a commercial reality

46

“We’d love to support more of the SMEs developing product innovations locally,” says Helena Jevons, Sales and Marketing Advisor at Sussex Innovation. “The high-growth business ecosystem that we’re part of includes a lot of app and platform developers, but it seems that hardware is perceived as a more difficult business model to get right. It takes a whole village to deliver a successful physical product, so there are far fewer startups prepared to take the risk – which is a shame.”

Helena is part of the team at Sussex Innovation responsible for delivering the BRAIN project – an EU-funded initiative that offers finance for developing and protecting new products.

SUSSEX INNOVATION CENTRE IP grants under the scheme provide matched funding of up to £10,000 for registered SMEs to spend on third party costs that advance the development of their innovations. This could include IP protection and advice, physical prototyping or technical certification and validation.

“The grants are available to support the commercialisation and protection of almost any type of product aside from software development,” explains Sussex Innovation’s David Porter, who is working to help businesses apply for the scheme. “We’ve funded everything from an app developer who was looking to build a proof of concept for a connected wearable device, to progressing a commercially-ready prototype and obtaining technical certification for a new agricultural technology.

“We’re also supporting two pre-revenue companies – a medical device concept and a packaging solution for FMCG products – to help them better understand their IP position and pursue the appropriate patents and trademarks before they go to market.”

What can I use the IP grant for?

There are a wide variety of situations where the funding can be applied to help bridge the gap to reaching an established business proposition, for example: • Reviewing pre-existing patents for similar market propositions • Researching applications of emerging technology into new sectors • Filing a patent for a new technological innovation or invention • Trademarking brand properties and imagery for consumer goods • Product stability testing, kitemarking and meeting regulatory compliance standards

expert innovation consultancy team.

This can include market research and

• Manufacturing a proof of concept or prototype prior to seeking IP protection Commercialising Academic Research If you’re a knowledge-based SME looking to develop innovative new products and services with an academic research partner, there is additional funding available to you through the programme.

An academic IP grant is intended to help SMEs cover direct cost of commercial and technical evaluation of intellectual property arising from university research. These grants are for a maximum of £25,000 or 40% of the project cost, whichever is the smaller figure.

If you’re a patent lawyer, manufacturer or IP consultant working with new product innovators in the South East, Sussex Innovation want to hear from you. If you think your clients could benefit from an IP grant and would like to refer them, call 01273 704400 and ask to speak with David Porter or Helena Jevons.

“Developing a new product is one thing, but understanding and reaching the market is something else entirely”

Developing a new product is one thing, but understanding and reaching the market is something else entirely. As well as financial support for these crucial first steps, any SME joining the network can also claim up to 12 hours of fully funded mentoring and advice from Sussex Innovation’s

insight, positioning, messaging and branding work, or the opportunity to workshop key questions around the business model.

Ultimately these packages of financial support and consultancy are designed to help introduce the South East’s small businesses to larger organisations and partner with them to develop new products and services.

www.sinc.co.uk

The grants and support schemes mentioned in this article are delivered under the BRAIN project, which is receiving up to £600,000 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (and in London the intermediate body Greater London Authority) is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund.

Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding.

47

Celebrating the very best projects, people, innovations in Construction SUPPORTED BY

Your opportunity to be recognised for your excellent work, your dedicated people, your great projects and wonderful innovations The Awards

Why YOU should enter?

How would you like to have award winning next to the name of your business?

1. FREE marketing – just being shortlisted promotes your busines 2. Increases brand awareness, boosts your business establishing new contacts

• Best Apprentice • Best Architectural Design • Best Construction Project

3. Good for your staff – recognises and rewards their performance 4. Attracts the best talent – more customers will want to work with you

• Best Construction Contractor

5. A great way of growing your business and increasing its value

• Best Supplier • Women in Construction

6. Get exposure for your business online and in print

Awards will be presented at the Willmott Dixon South East Construction Expo Dinner on 26 September 5.30 pm – 10 pm

FREE, quick and easy to apply

www.constructionexpoawards.co.uk 01732 758530/07768 067745 info@constructionexpouk.co.uk PLATINUM SPONSOR

IN PARTNERSHIP

DINNER SPONSOR

VIDEO AND DRONE PARTNER

BUSINESS GROWTH

NatWest Accelerator Founder of the Month – July 2019 Chris Painter, Founder and CEO of Omnitude

O

mnitude was conceived as a flexible integration platform for businesses to adopt blockchain, one of a trifecta of new technologies alongside AI and IOT, often heralded as the fourth industrial revolution. Blockchain’s distributed ledger technology allows for clarity, trust and a permanent record of value transactions, secured cryptographically across an ecosystem that is permanently checking itself to ensure security.

Established in January 2018, Omnitude has grown from four people to a business of 28 within 18 months.

Based near Brighton, and Atlanta and Austin in the US, they offer their solutions to forward facing businesses who seek advantage through technology. Omnitude have grown to be one of the most high-profile blockchain businesses within the UK, establishing partnerships at home and abroad with the likes of Williams/Rockit F1 Racing, The Maltese Government Ministry for Transportation and Cs Cart the global eCommerce platform to name a few.

Omnitude’s platform is vastly different from most other blockchain businesses. Conceived out of the experiences of a previous company Chris founded ten years ago, Pixel by Pixel, a web agency that helped large corporations build complex websites for the distribution of goods and services across the globe, Chris realised that the problem with any business wanting to adopt new technologies is that it is often a long-winded and painful process. From day one, Omnitude was built with the sole purpose of making adoption easy, fast and cost-efficient.

Chris says: “Businesses often know why they need to do something, Omnitude offers them the how. Omni-

tude’s products are already bringing clarity, trust and security to users across Data/Identity, Supply Chain Management and Life Sciences.”

When asked about the impact of blockchain and why everyone should take notice, Chris passionately reminds us that blockchain as a technology will touch all of our lives in the future. It has the potential to help businesses streamline their processes, secure their data, move data more easily and harness its power. It allows individuals to control their digital identity, be directly rewarded for sharing and not have their data pimped out…

(Facebook – we are looking at you.)

It allows for immutable proof of sustainability, provenance and ownership across a broad range of sectors. We are seeing the very early stages of adoption at the moment, but soon we will all be using it, even if we don’t know it!

Chris and the team have a vision for something very different; something a little more human, and a great deal more agile and flexible than most traditional structures. They can add more value than just their technology, they can provide individuals and enterprises the platform to create real opportunity and change. Omnitude are creating a set of tools; the interesting thing is what people will do with them.

If you’re thinking about embracing blockchain technologies to lead rather than follow your industry, reach out to the team at https://omnitude.tech

Each month the leadership team at Brighton’s NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator select a founder of the month to recognise the individuals that have demonstrated a growth mindset and entrepreneurial spirit to overcome challenges and accelerate the growth of their business in a short space of time.

To find out more about the Accelerator hub, email kristina.pereckaite@ NatWest.com

49

DAV ID C RO

MHA Carpen

H ) DAV ID W E LC ssex (A AKSS Kent Surrey Su Air Ambulance

bulance utive of Air Am ed Chief Exec with 25 int r po de ap lea en ed be has perienc David Welch velop ). A highly ex de SS d AK an (A aid l ex ss tiona Kent Surrey Su h and interna alt he e t. th 1s in st nce on Augu years’ experie d his new role , David starte ment sectors ex, as rrey and Suss ts of Kent, Su ea on en ar sid e re th h m ug 4.7 the l thro ed ople that trave AAKS S serves incredibly excit number of pe am ge “I hu id: e th sa as David Surwell bulance Kent ure each year. as Am r ple Ai or lop s ve es busin puta and de an excellent re rtunity to lead nisation with about the oppo .” pirational orga rs ins tee an , lun ex vo d ss rey Su staff an redible team of tion and an inc

DD C H R IS D O

ce to announ delighted ead of the asb law is H d at an am or te e ed Direct ly promot rate Financ as Legal gside new The Corpo ent of Chris Dodd leader in work alon ill tm am w in te is po as hr ap C le the s ro am. ntinue in hi Finance Te ho will co Corporate iel Tozer, w an D , er tn Par ny ce. d Compa irector an the Kent offi t compa of Legal D en le ro em e ag th s man is held ecutive est facilitie ining, Chr the UK ex Prior to jo one of the UK’s larg also sat on ny ’s most he pa e at er m ry th co ta t e th Secre . Whils in one of e- minded Group UK irector role ’s alliance with lik nies, OCS anaging D S M C O a d ld le he d group, ries, an t subsidia Europe. prominen western in es ni compa

asb law

50

W TE R

ter Box

&

Sussex-bas ed char tere d accounta pointed Da nts MHA Ca vid Crow te rpenter Box r as Tax Pa 20 years pr rtner follow has ap oviding tax ing a career ad cialist in pr vice to clie of nearly nt oper ty tax s of ever y an si d tax reliefs ze. He is a businesses speavailable to and current ly oversees young, inno at the Gatw vative all of the w ick office. Da or k of the Tax vid also supp Carpenter Bo Te or ts other fe am x in resolvin e earners at g complex tax issues.

MH A David said: “I feel hono ured to have exciting tim been made e in the firm a Partner at ’s evolution. such an ”

Movers MAYUM I HAW KES

Cognitive Law

Top Sussex consultancy law firm Cognitive Law continues to expand its commercial offering with the appo intment of consultant solicitor Mayumi Hawkes.

Mayumi joins the successful comm ercial team having previously worked in private practices in Lond on. Mayumi advises individuals and businesses in all commercial property transactions, commercia l contracts, business start- ups, share purchase and buy back , GDPR compliance issues as well as empl oyment matters. Mayumi also acts specifically for Japanese and Japan-related business and individuals, and knows how to expla in complicated matters in plain language in English and in Japanese .

MOVERS BUSINESS & SHAKERS SURVEY

&

M B E R L A IN J O N C H Aex

s ap all-Tufflex ha turer Marsh recDi ac uf of an d m ar t en the Bo er ble managem Jon Chamberlain to thanks to ov Leading ca , e, or bl ct ta re e Di th s e to Sale with of experienc sector. Jon has been pointed its lth ea w a ings ring ation tors. Jon br l manufactu e sales oper the electrica ember 2016, leading th 30 years in pt Se e nc si ex Marshall-Tuffl ected in the industry. ality, resp and is well ith high qu company w the company ket leading ith ar w m e a tim is cled ufflex an exciting “Marshall-T ed 80% recy id Jon. “It’s bility. We us oducts,” sa drive change on sustaina to branded pr e ng iv yi dr tr e nt gnifica ar, we ar having a si turing last ye llow suit.” our manufac others to fo e material in ag ur co d en an or ct se in the

Marshall-Tuffl

Shakers

R AC H E L R EG

Gaydio

AN

Rachel Regan has been prom oted to the He Gaydio, with re sponsibility fo ad of Comm ercial at r income at all London and M sites (includin anchester) ac g Brighton, ross the UK . In tinue to lead th her new role sh e sales team, e will conoffering on -air ship opportunit advertising an ies. d sponsorRachel’s role will also expa nd into new inc tunities by pa ome generatio rtnering with core key clien n opporthings differe ts, adding value ntly. As part and doing of her role sh sion of Gaydio’ e will also se s networking e the expanevent, Busines where it curre s Mixer in both ntly runs, and Brighton, across other UK cities.

Welcome to our fourth instalment of the latest business appointments and promotions across the business world; see who’s doing what and where, including those ones to watch How do you cut through the white noise of recruitment? You lower the volume.

At Harvey John, recruitment is far from a transactional service.

It’s about fostering long-term partnerships within our core markets. Quality over quantity.

Specialising in Accountancy, Tax, and Legal since 2004, Harvey John are an international recruitment firm with two offices in the heart of Brighton and a team of 15 individual skill-sets, each united by a shared vision of how recruitment should be.

By immersing ourselves in every corner of these markets, we maintain an incredibly niche expertise, enabling us to simplify the most complex of searches. And whether that assignment takes us across Sussex, London, Europe, Asia, or the Americas, our deep sector knowledge - paired with our multi-faceted methodology means that we provide local solutions on a global scale.

And so, by lowering the volume, we strip ourselves from unnecessary pressures and, in turn, become a trusted partner to companies worldwide.

Contact us Tel: 01273 820808 Email: info@harveyjohn.com www.harveyjohn.com

R IC H A R D

Gatwick D

P O L LIN S

iamond B

usiness Richard P ollins, Man aging Par ed to the Ex tner of ec utive Counc utive Council of Gat DMH S tallard, has been appo wick Diam il is made in ond Busin up of som within the ess. The Ex te of area and w ec orks to prom the most senior bu

siness lead ote the ne ers eds of mem Richard sa bers. id: “I am ho noured to Council. I have been am lookin g forward elected to with my co to sharing th lle my experie e E xecutive businesses agues on the exec nce and sk utive and within the champion ills

Gatwick D ing the ca iamond.” use of Under Ric hard’s lead er three mer gers and dy ship DMH S tallard has succes namic grow excess of sfully achi £30m. th of the fir eved m, with tu rnover no w in

51

BRIGHTON SUMMIT:

Crack On First speakers announced at the Brighton Chamber’s big annual gathering

T

he Brighton Summit will kick off with a keynote talk from Gina Miller. Best known nationwide for successfully challenging the government’s authority to trigger Article 50 in 2016, Gina Miller is a businesswoman who co-runs SCM Direct, a disruptive investment management company, with her husband. Gina is a passionate believer in responsible capitalism, transparency and accountability, and for stepping up to defend what she believes is right. Gina was awarded the Most Influential Person – Powerlist 2017 and has degrees in Marketing and Human Resource Management, and an Honorary Doctorate of Law.

After Gina’s talk, you’ll be choosing an expert workshop, as well as fuelling up with breakfast from Sugardough, YouJuice pick-me-ups and plenty of Red Roaster coffee. The ‘Engine Hour’ follows next, with activities including a brewery tour and Samba drumming, getting your appetite up for a power lunch with Spade and Spoon.

Next on the schedule, our second keynote will take the stage, Kamal Ahmed.

Kamal is Editorial Director of the BBC news and highly respected journalist with a long career in British broadsheet newspapers. In his new book, The Life and Times of a Very British

Man, he shares his experience of growing up as a mixed-race boy in the 1970s. A passionate believer in equal and human rights and an optimist about Britain’s cultural and racial diversity, Kamal brings his personal and political insight to a new conversation about race.

From here, attendees will choose from a selection of speaker sessions.

The first two confirmed are Brighton-based Jason Kirk, MD and founder at Kirk & Kirk and Justin Francis, CEO and founder of Responsible Travel.

Kirk & Kirk provide ‘distinctive eyewear for creative individuals’. When he and his wife Karen moved to Brighton from

52

BUSINESS BUSINESSSURVEY EVENT

Keynote speakers

Gina Miller

France in the early 90s, they decided to shake up the traditionally conservative optics industry.

And so Kirk & Kirk was born, designing frames made of innovative material for independent opticians and fashion houses and selling through their own three retail stores. They also launched an international optical trade fair and a UK manufacturing plant, whilst still maintaining their French plant.

Jason will share how he and Karen have steered the business through the demands of investors and the vagaries of fashion, recession and technological advances over a 30-year career.

From helping people see to sight-see-

ing with a difference – our next speaker is Justin Francis.

Responsible Travel is the world’s first business dedicated entirely to sustainable and responsible tourism. Justin was named one of The Times 50 most influential people in travel and is one of the Courvoisier Future 500.

In 2017 The Guardian described Justin as ‘the great activist traveller.’ In 2018 Justin was invited to join the UK Government’s Council for Sustainable Business, 20 business leaders from different sectors of industry working to help deliver the UK’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

More sessions are being confirmed every week.

Kamal Ahmed

When is it? Friday October 11th, 08:30 – 18:00 Where is the event? The Clarendon Centre, 47 New England Street, Brighton BN1 4GQ To find out more about Brighton Summit: Crack On and get your ticket see www.brightonsummit.com

53

PE

NA SS

W E

N

A SHEPH E IN RD

ELAHEEB AR

S CU O

EY ATKINS

N O

SL

N RAN MO D SI

OUR INVESTORS

Are you a budding entrepreneur? Are you bursting with ideas? Brimming with passion?

But are perhaps lacking investment and funding? What if we told you we could help?

Encouraging the entrepreneurial spark in all of us, Network Xpress recognises the growing number of entrepreneurs – 400 million worldwide – and are committed to supporting the individuals embarking on their ventures.

Net XP are therefore thrilled to be able to announce the ‘Tiger’s Pen’ at the Mid Sussex Business Expo on September 19th in Ardingly.

Four business experts will be in the lair, waiting to see what six new start-ups can bring to the table. If you pitch your business idea right, and the Tigers’ decide they like what they see, they will award you up to £500 cash to help your business grow!

AS A START-UP, MONEY CAN HELP, AS CAN THE ADVICE OF SOME WISE BUSINESS PROS Our Net XP Tigers include the fierce Penina Shepherd of Acumen Business Law, the founder of Business Pulse, the mighty Nassar Elaheebocus... Simon Rand of smarter business and Wes Atkinson of Appiteirre finalise the troop.

BE BRAVE AND MEET THE TIGERS IN ARDINGLY IN SEPTEMBER 2019 Network Xpress is always looking to breathe new life into B2B expos, and the Tiger’s Pen will have you roaring! Bring your A-Game with your best smile, believe in yourself and get pitching.

ENTER THE LAIR! IF YOU DARE Call Sonny Cutting on 01273 833 222

CHARITY NEWS

Chestnut Tree House has care at its heart Vote for Chestnut Tree House in Tesco stores this summer!

T

o celebrate Tesco’s centenary, the supermarket has teamed up with Groundwork to deliver a special voting round of its community funding scheme which will see grants of £25,000, £15,000 and £10,000 awarded to community projects.

Three groups in each Tesco region have been shortlisted to receive the cash award, and shoppers are being invited to head along to Tesco stores to vote for who they think should take away the top grant.

C

hestnut Tree House, the children’s hospice for Sussex and South East Hampshire, recently welcomed 60 guests at their Meet the Care Team event which was held at the Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club in Eastbourne on June 6th.

The evening was hosted by Rosemarie Finley, the CEO of Chestnut Tree House, with Kirstie Gaston, Community Staff Nurse, talking about the care provided in the local community by Chestnut Tree House.

During the evening Loren Charlton from Barclays shared how he and his team completed the Lakeland 3000 challenge to raise money for Chestnut Tree House, something he described as a wonderful experience. He also spoke about his journey with Chestnut Tree House, from volunteering at an open garden to his latest challenge. “Chestnut Tree House does an amazing job supporting numerous families across Sussex and South East Hampshire who are in a situation many of us will hopefully never have to go through,” says Loren. “The challenges we take on feel like the least we can do to raise money for such an important local charity.”

Stephen Lloyd MP finished the evening talking about the work of Chestnut Tree House in Eastbourne and the surrounding areas.

Chestnut Tree House’s next Meet the Care Team event will be held on Tuesday October 22nd 2019 from 5.30pm-7.30pm at Hastings Contemporary Gallery in Hastings. Everyone is welcome to attend, contact corporate@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk to book a free place or for more details.

Chestnut Tree House is one of the charities on the shortlist in East and West Sussex.

Sarah Colbourne, Head of Fundraising at Chestnut Tree House said: “We currently care for around 300 children and young people with life-shortening conditions, and their families, across Sussex and South East Hampshire.

We know how much activities benefit children’s wellbeing and learning, and are keen to evolve our activities programme, both at the House and out in the community.

“This grant will be a real boost to these plans, enabling us to employ an activities coordinator tasked with the development and delivery of an exciting and interactive programme of events and activities. We really hope our supporters get behind us this summer and vote for Chestnut Tree House when they’re next shopping in Tesco!”

Voting is open in all Tesco stores until the end of August and customers can cast their vote using a token given to them at the check-out in store each time they shop.

To find out more about upcoming events, and how you or your business can help Chestnut Tree House support local life-limited children, visit www.chestnut-tree-house. org.uk, or get in touch on corporate@chestnut-treehouse.org.uk or 01903 871846 / 01323 725095.

55

The Platinum Club is the foremost Director level networking forum in the region and meets each month in the luxurious surroundings of the Grand Hotel in Brighton. Now celebrating its tenth year, the Club goes from strength to strength.

Attendance is by invitation only and applications for membership should be sent to: info@platinumpublishing.co.uk

Maarten Hoffmann (MD, The Platinum Group), Daisy Fitzsimmons (Pier Recruitment), Andy Wheeler (MD, Catandra)

David Sheppard (MD, D-Risq) and Harry Sherrard (MD, Sherrards Law) reading the largest circulation business magazine in the UK

Rob Clare (Chairman, Sussex Chamber of Commerce), Amanda Menahem (BAHBAs Judge)

Sonny Cutting (MD, Net Xpress) and Katie Gibson (MD, Pier Recruitment)

Camille Pearson (MD, Float Spa) and Noel Preston (MD, Preston Insurance)

Georgia Pedrick (ViiSana), Maarten Hoffmann (MD, The Platinum Group), Debbie Dycks (ViiSana)

57

A Midsummer’s Night in Paris A behind the scenes look at this year’s Parisianthemed Midsummer Ball at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, in partnership with the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People

T

his year’s Midsummer Ball, sponsored by Skerritts, took guests on a whirlwind trip to Paris. Raising funds to help support the work of Action Medical Research, Chailey Heritage Foundation, Chestnut Tree House and The Starr Trust, there was cabaret, cancan girls, indoor dodgems, a decadent Parisian-inspired menu and a charity auction. Simon Sheehan, Director of the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People and Laura Hogbin, Commercial Director at Hilton Brighton Metropole tell us more.

When would you start planning for the ball?

Simon Sheehan: The Midsummer Ball is an annual event taking place over the summer solstice weekend in June, held in partnership with Chestnut Tree House, Chailey Heritage Foundation, The Starr Trust, Action Medical Research and the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People.

The first planning committee meeting is held in August, where the date and theme are the main actions. Previous themes have included A Night at the Musicals, A Night of Nashville and a Night in the Roaring 20s. Sponsorship of the event is also discussed at an early stage, with charities suggesting a main sponsor/s alongside other areas of the evening from the dodgems, choosing the wines, and the printing.

How involved do the charities get in the planning and production?

SS: The organisation is led by the DM

58

Simon Sheehan, Director of the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People

Thomas Foundation for Young People as they are Hilton’s charity partner across the UK. The committee is made up of representatives from all the charities, sponsors and the hotel, and we meet on a monthly basis to plan, organise and deliver the event.

As a collective, everything from table sales and prizes through to entertainment, menu ideas and most importantly the evening’s performers are discussed and arranged.

How does the management structure work for such an event?

SS: As director of the DM Thomas Foundation I chair the committee and take overall control of the event but then different members of the organising committee lead on different areas. All charities have responsibility for securing table sales and prizes as well as arranging volunteers to help on the night. Volunteer tasks include welcoming guests, collecting funds in the ballroom, selling wish tree prizes and ensuring all guests have a fabulous time.

How is the menu decided upon?

SS: Once the theme has been agreed,

CHARITY BALL BUSINESS SURVEY Kurt Cutajar, the Executive Chef at Hilton Brighton Metropole, will be tasked with designing a menu including all the canapés. The proposed menu is presented to the committee at the annual food tasting in April, tweaks and suggestions are then made before agreeing on the final menu.

For our Parisian theme this year, the menu was peut-être canard à la orange, beef bourguignon revisité, twice baked cheese soufflé and a delicious dessert of Opera gateaux déconstruit.

evening’s canapés and menu, four security personnel, and 10 volunteers to help with fundraising tasks.

How many events of this size would the hotel host in a typical month?

LH: In the last 12 months our biggest ballroom (Oxford Suite) has been the venue for just under 175 events these have ranged from political party speeches for 1000 delegates; 50 decorated snails for the Snailspace auc-

that can accommodate indoor funfair dodgems!

What jobs need to be done that the public may be unaware of?

SS: The evening’s table plan is one of the most challenging tasks! Other behind-the scenes tasks include the dressing of the ballroom, supporting and encouraging the ‘amateur’ performers so they feel comfortable, that they fundraise online and organise their own rehearsal schedule.

Another important element is securing the prizes that go into the auction and on the gift tree.

We also have to make decisions on how many fundraising activities we have, that the event stays on time, and that the judging of the acts is fair and reflects both their commitment to fundraising as well as who performed the best!

“The Hilton Brighton Metropole is the only venue in the South East that can accommodate indoor funfair dodgems!”

How many staff would be involved in such an event?

Laura Hogbin: Staff numbers can differ greatly event by event.

As the Midsummer Ball is heavily themed and the set goes in overnight, we schedule around 50 team members to work during set up and throughout the evening. Before guests arrive, 60 tables need to be laid, the stage and dance floor set, 600 chairs covered, two wish trees built, two bars stocked, the performer area catered for, and pre-dinner drinks poured.

In addition, we would also have a minimum of 10 chefs providing the

tion; an inflatable obstacle course and igloos for team building; tiered seating for the annual Brighton Panto, to 500 school desks for accountancy exams.

It’s great to see just how flexible the event space is, one day it can be opened up to accommodate 3000 delegates for an exhibition and a few days later have a big top built for a product launch. And Hilton Brighton Metropole is the only venue in the South East

To find out more about DM Thomas Foundation for Young People and the work they do across the UK, visit www.dmthomasfoundation.org

59

BUCKET LIST:

Cabo San Lucas Where little America meets the world’s most magnificent aquarium, Kate Morton heads to Los Cabos in Mexico

N

estled at the tip of the Baja California peninsula in the Mexican state of Baja Californian Sur, you’ll find Los Cabos – or Cabo, as it’s more simply known. Perfectly sandwiched between the magnificent Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez with its legendary underwater world, Los Cabos (made up of three communities – Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and The Corridor) is an international beach lovers’ paradise, where spring breakers flock in their thousands to soak up one of the world’s greatest climates, to luxuriate in the glistening crystal waters of the Sea of Cortez, and party by sunset on one of its many private yachts.

Once a network of sleepy fishing villages known for their incredible marine life, word soon spread, the Americans got wind and transformed this idyllic Mexican hideaway into their weekend leisure and water sport destination. In fact, being one of only four Brits in the

Aside from its bevy of A-Listers and jet-setters, I lost count of the number of private jets lined up on the airport’s runway. In its glory days, the Baja California Sur attracted many luminaries including the author Ernest Hemingway and the actor John Wayne, who were both lured in by their love of fishing for black and blue marlin in the 1930s.

“Los Cabos is an international beach lovers paradise, where spring breakers flock in their thousands to soak up one of the world’s greatest climates”

60

long immigration queue in Los Cabo International Airport – the other three being my other half and our two boys – even the Mexicans look out of place here.

The ocean life here also enticed the American author John Steinbeck to Cabo who, after taking a break from fiction, wrote his book The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951), which details a sixweek marine specimen-collection boat expedition he made in 1940 in the Sea of Cortez with his friend, the ma-

BUSINESS LUXURY SURVEY TRAVEL

THE UNDERWATER WORLD WHALE WATCHING Every autumn thousands of gray whales and humpbacks make their annual 6,000 mile migration from the summer feeding grounds of Alaska to the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean to mate and give birth. See this fascinating natural encounter and watch the delightful journey of a new mother and baby take place between January and late-April. For private whale watching excursions to Magdalena Bay, visit audleytravel.com SCUBA DIVING Diving in Cabo San Lucas is easy enough for a true beginner yet offers challenges for the most expert diver. Beginners will enjoy the protected rocky reefs of San Lucas Bay, intermediate and advanced divers can head outwards toward the dramatic walls just offshore, and the submerged pinnacles and deep wrecks located at the join between the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean are reserved for the most advanced divers. Submerge yourself with schools of rays, jacks and butterfly fish.

rine biologist Ed Ricketts. This exclusive destination was also a favoured getaway for the Hollywood set, including 1930s sex symbol and movie star Jean Harlow who soaked up its beauty and took much-needed respite from the limelight.

Some 90 years later and it’s still as breathtakingly beautiful, luring people in with its magnetic charm and wondrous aquarium where you can dive, snorkel, fish, whale watch, swim with sharks and windsurf.

We flew direct with Southwest Airlines from LAX after a ten-day stint in Los Angeles, and just three hours later we were on the road in our A-Team-style van (and yes, we drove with the sides open) heading towards San Jose del Cabo. Approximately 30 minutes from

SHARK DIVING Sharks can be seen at nearly every opportunity in marine park of Cabo San Lucas and the Corridor (the mouth of the Gulf of California and the Sea of Cortez). The currents from the Pacific which clash with those of the Sea of Cortez make this a unique environment for marine life, with deep canyons and nutrient plenty crystal clear waters. You’ll see blue sharks, silky sharks, mako, hammerheads and whale sharks.

DEEP SEA FISHING Cabo is Mexico’s top fishing location and known as the ‘marlin capital of the world’. The upwelling of nutrients brings in enormous shoals of sardines, herring and small bait fish, pursuing these come bonito and skipjacks up to 30 lbs, and hunting them are marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorados and razors. Catch a day’s fishing charter which range from inexpensive pangas to large 50ft+ luxury yachts. A day’s fishing trip package should include the boat, fuel, captain and licensed crew, fishing tackle, bait, fishing license, ice, food and drink.

61

LUXURY TRAVEL WHERE TO STAY

SOLAZ LOS CABOS Offering a world class spa, infinity pools and contemporary architecture, Solaz Los Cabos is a nature-inspired resort and part of the Luxury Collection Hotels and Resorts group. Located midway between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo and nestled between two nature rocks beds, it offers guests one of the only swimmable beaches in the area. Check out its sustainable lush ‘dry jungle’ that features endemic species and flora. www.solazsignaturesuites.com

the main town of Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo is a more low-key colonial style destination, away from the glare of the Cabo cruise ships and Mexican beach sellers, intently playing ping pong with your gaze whilst waving their wares in your face. If you catch their eye, you’re a goner, I’m afraid.

LAS VENTANAS AL PARAISO For a wow factor, check in at Las Ventanas al Paraiso – a chic boutique retreat that embraces the desert environment and offers utter luxury in Baja California. Las Ventanas al Paraiso – a Rosewood Hotel – boasts traditional Mexican decor, butler service and a dramatic desert backdrop.

Sit by the fire pit at sunset and soak up its tranquil surroundings. www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/las-ventanaslos-cabos

It’s here you’ll find true Mexico. Fast becoming a major art district, its laid-back local scene, Spanish architecture and charming side streets herald the more calmer side of Los Cabo, compared to its wilder sister, Cabo San Lucas. Historically, San Jose del Cabo was the only community at the tip of the Baja California peninsula. With its natural fresh water oasis flowing into palm-lined lagoons at the edge of the Sea of Cortez, the area was home to Indian communities and hundreds of species of wildlife before the colonisation by the Spanish.

WHERE TO EAT FLORA FARMS For idyllic Mexican dining head to Flora Farms, a 25-acre organic working farm in the foothills of the Sierra de la Laguna Mountains in San Jose del Cabo – home to Flora’s Field Kitchen, The Farm Bar, Flora Farms Grocery, Farm Spa, homeware stores and coffee shop. All the food featured on their menu is seasonal, grown, and raised on site where possible. With open plan dining complete with cooling mist jets overhead, I highly recommend their cocktail list and shrimp salad. On site is an ice cream parlour and pizzeria for the kids – the perfect day out. www.flora-farms.com

62

You’ll find open galleries, artist walks, a renovated town plaza, culinary seafood delights (fried whole red snapper, stuffed clams and ceviche were a few holiday favourites) and of course, tequila bars a-plenty.

Head 45 minutes west and you’ll reach Cabo San Lucas, where the desert meets the ocean (carry on driving and you’ll hit California)! If you can ignore the high rise resorts en

route, fast food joints, American chains, Day of the Dead decor, and carnival-esque dancers spilling out of nightclubs, then it’s certainly worth a stopover.

A visit to El Arco is one of the most popular things to do here. Known as a gathering area for sea lions, the arch of Cabo San Lucas is a distinctive rock formation at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Gulf of Baja California. However, the popularity of Cabo San Lucas as a resort destination has always been directly tied to its reputation for world-class big game sport fishing. Top tournaments are held during the summer and autumn months, with October traditionally being the best month for blue marlin.

Head to Lover’s and Divorce Beaches for some serious sunbathing and when it’s time to eat, sink your toes firmly in the sand at The Office (with a view out to El Arco), where the likes of George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Aniston have been spotted. Menu favourites include coconut shrimp, garlic lobster tails, and fresh tuna. Even though it’s served many a celeb, the prices are inexpensive, the food is generous and the atmosphere is understated where margaritas and huevos rancheros for breakfast are the norm.

Gatwick Airport connects you directly to over 120 stations

You’d have to go a long way to beat that

We’re more than just an airport

GATWICK AIRPORT and its quest to go green The UK’s second largest airport has the world’s most efficient singlerunway, and is on course to be the country’s most sustainable airport

S

ustainability is a key part of Gatwick’s transformation since it became an independent airport in 2009. Despite passenger numbers growing from 31 million to over 46 million per year, through its ‘Decade of Change’ – a strategy designed to track Gatwick’s progress on a series of sustainability goals – the airport has sig-

nificantly reduced its environmental footprint and developed a strong programme of support for the local economy and community during 2018.

Highlights from 2018 which underpin Gatwick’s energy conservation and efficiency performance include, welcoming the UK’s first commercial flight

with fuel made partly from waste gas emissions – which has the potential to deliver a 65% reduction in greenhouse gasses compared to conventional jet fuel; reducing Gatwick’s noise footprint by 7% through improved operational procedures; and a 64% increase in recycling and reuse.

GATWICK AIRPORT’S VITAL STATISTICS

450+ 50+ daily departures

1 in 5

regular airlines

passengers travel on business

Employs

240+ 60+ destinations

24,000 people on site

long haul routes

Installed

100% LED runway lights 50% more efficient than halogen

‘Best Combined Reduction of Carbon Water & Waste Award’, The Carbon Trust 2018

64

TRAVEL NEWS BUSINESS SURVEY In 2018 Gatwick took their recycling and reuse rate to 64%, and in the first three months of 2019 they averaged 70%

13,772

tonnes of waste was processed and collected in 2018...

25% reused 39% recycled 36% recovered offsite to make electricity

CARBON FOOTPRINT

NOISE

1st

departing aircraft 98% ofON-TRACK

airport to achieve the CARBON TRUST STANDARD

complying with the mandatory noise preferential routes

aircraft 90% ofarearriving performing CDO

Gal Fuels and Energy Emissions 13.5% REDUCTION in 2018

(continuous descent operations allow aircraft to follow a flexible, optimum flight path that delivers major environmental and economic benefits)

(compared to 2017)

On October 3rd, 2018, Gatwick welcomed Virgin Atlantic’s history-making flight VS16 from Orlando, the first commercial flight into the UK with fuel made partly from industrial waste gas emissions

ALL used empty plastic bottles and coffee cups are recycled ALL food scraps collected from retail outlets, offices and EU flights are converted onsite to biomass for heating

TRANSPORT

BIODIVERSITY

using Faxi App

Retained The Wildlife Trust’s Biodiversity Benchmark Accreditation for the fifth time

commuting miles staff 74,000 saved since July 43% ofcommute 2018 by airport staff car-poolers

ENERGY

RENEWABLE 100% ELECTRICITY purchased since 2013

39%

reduction in energy per passenger since 2010

via sustainable modes

AIR QUALITY

OVER 200 airfield charging points for electric ground support equipment

22 biodiversity surveys conducted recording 1,768 species of wildlife at Gatwick

WATER

29% per 52% reduction passenger

REDUCTION in airport water use since 2010

All performance stats have been taken from Gatwick Airport’s Decade of Change Sustainability Report for 2018.

Information correct at time of printing.

65

From charity dinners to annual socials, banquets, private dining and launch parties, our unique spaces and innovative menus offer the perfect backdrop for any event.

For a great value celebration, ask us about Friday nights in The Albert Suite.

grandbrighton.co.uk/meetings

The Edge

By Maarten Hoffmann

T

he Edge is Ford’s effort to attack the premium crossover market and rival the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60, and is based on the same platform as the S-Max and Mondeo – and not an attempt to supplant U2’s guitarist.

It’s big, running to 4.8 metres in length and 1.9 metres in width and weighing in at a hefty two tonnes. I like it. It’s bold, a tad brash and has a significant presence on the road. This SUV segment is evergrowing it would seem, with a 24% year-on-year increase in sales. Ford are grabbing large chunks of this market with their smaller Kuga and the even smaller, EcoSport.

bum. It’s quick enough but will not blow your skirt up; smooth, stable and well-planted on the tarmac. The 178bhp model is way too turgid and even overtaking can be an effort as it is dragging two tonnes around.

ing Panzer-tank solid cars for donkeys’ years, Ford and Volvo have finally caught up, and this car feels German-solid, wellbuilt, rugged and, with all-wheel drive as standard, a go anywhere style. It lacks seven seats, which is a shame as there is plenty of room for the third row, but all in all, this is a very good car – and it needs to be. The competition is fierce with Germans on every side but they have made a very good fist of it.

“It’s bold, a tad brash and has a significant presence on the road”

The Edge is not available with a petrol version (groan), and the choices are a 2.0-litre diesel pumping out 178bhp with a six-speed manual, or a 207bhp variant with a six-speed ‘Powershift’ auto that l currently have under my

68

Inside, it is well equipped with very comfy seats and it is remarkably quiet. We have something here called Active Noise Control. Clever stuff, as it has microphones that pick up undesirable noise and instruct the speakers to send out opposing sound waves to counteract the unwanted racket.

Stand outside though and, like all Ford diesels, it sounds like a black cab or a transit van rattling into life.

Although the Germans have been build-

TECH STUFF Model tested: 2.0-litre EcoBlue Engine: 2.0-litre Power: 207bhp Speed: 0-62 – 9.6 seconds Top: 134mph Economy: 41.5mpg combined Price from: £37,020 As tested: £44,035

MOTORING BUSINESS SURVEY

HONDA HR-V

By Maarten Hoffmann

T

he HR-V has been with us since 1999 and has undergone multiple facelifts since then. I couldn’t resist looking up the meaning of HR-V – believe it or not it stands from Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle. Gotta love those Japs for their very literal description of just about everything.

The interior is pleasant enough but the infotainment system really does need an upgrade. Such a shame to

pleasant. The trouble is, with a price of £29,000, it places it in the range of some seriously good cars like the Seat Ateca, Golf GTl and high-spec Ford Focus.

In that company, the shines dulls a tad.

“So, here is their Sport version of this mass selling car but is it worth the extra dosh?”

So, here is their Sport version of this mass-selling car, but is it worth the extra dosh? It gets a few subtle sporty tweaks but the engine is where the attention lies. They have fitted a turbocharged 1.5-litre VTEC from the Civic Sport, pumping out 180bhp and driven through the front wheels. Honda claims 0-62 in 7.8 seconds. This is hot hatch territory and with some subtle body kit changes and tighter suspension, it is a quick SUV. In the vein of every other manufacturer, Honda are at it with the fancy words – this one has Synaptic Damping Control – a fancy phrase for uprated dampers aimed at sharpening the body roll without ruining the ride.

throw the kitchen sink at this funky new model and then forget about the infotainment.

It is quick, rides well and the interior is

TECH STUFF Model tested: Honda HR-V Sport Engine: 1.5-litre VTEC turbo Power: 220bhp Speed: 0-62 – 7.8 seconds Top: 134mph Economy: 39.2mpg combined Price from: £29,090

And here’s the kicker – l do not like Japanese cars and never have (saying that makes me feel as if l am at an AA meeting). There is something about their lack of flair, their odd shapes under the guise of ‘funky’ and their dull interiors and performance. I wish l could be more erudite on this subject but they just bore the pants off me. It’s like they iron all their cars so that there is little personality, no thrill and the feeling that we are all in some ghastly dystopian world of vanilla. It’s like Birkenstocks and sweat pants - for people who have just given up on life.

I had high hopes for this much-heralded Sport version but it is just quick vanilla.

69

DASTARDLY FOREIGNERS

By Maarten Hoffmann

T

hat seems to be the general view of Brexit backers, that foreigners arriving in this country are the cause of many of our woes. Proof, if proof were needed, that this total nonsense is currently all around us, and not only is it rubbish but the total opposite is actually proven to be the case.

what most have done – go home to where you are welcome. Add to this that your home country is laying out the red carpet to get you to come home just as the fortunes of the UK look to be in jeopardy with a crash out of the EU.

No problem, many readers of the Daily Mail would think – more jobs for the Like it or not, this country desperateBrits. But no, Brits do not want these ly needs foreign workers. Our fruit jobs as they are ‘beneath’ them, and picking industry has almost ground why the hell should they work when the to a halt without them as they are not government just prepared to be insulted by the “In 2016, 9,389 foreign keep throwing likes of Nigel nurses came to the money at them in the form of Farage, along country compared to unemployment with the hospibenefits, houstality, cleaning, 800 last year” ing allowance, healthcare and universal credit, tax credits, Jobseekall low skilled industries, nor wait for er’s Allowance, child benefits, heatBrexit to make them unwelcome; they ing allowance, income support, free have left the UK in their droves. And school, free health and cream cakes would not you and l? delivered to your door every day. OK, l made the last one up but who would Imagine that you have been welcomed bet against that being the next credto this country, given the right to work, it for the work-shy, lazy bastards that made a home for yourself and your occupy the nether regions of this once family, work like a Trojan and pay your great country? taxes. Then, a political earthquake occurs thanks to David ‘where the In 2018, a total of 145,000 European hell are you hiding’ Cameron, and the citizens departed the UK, on top of country decides to leave the EU and 123,000 the year before. In 2016, 9,389 mention that you might be tossed out foreign nurses came to the country of the country unless you are in a ‘percompared to 800 last year. EU workers mitted sector’ – and even then you are quitting the UK at the fastest rate have to re-apply to be here and pay since 1997, leaving us with 845,000 money for the paperwork. I think most unfilled positions. If, as the governof us would feel betrayed, let down, ment do, one takes the figures as a used, abused and utterly failed by the whole, things don’t look too bad but if country we adopted. you take them sector by sector, there is a total nightmare brewing.

And then we would consider doing

70

I have two friends who run a commercial and residential cleaning companies in Brighton.

Both are screaming in pain at the lack of staff. The EU staff who worked diligently for years have left and the only choice now are British staff - and there the nightmare begins and l quote ‘they are lazy, spoilt, work-shy lowlifes who want the money but just don’t want to work for it’. They want to work short hours so their benefits are not jeopardised and come up with a myriad of excuses for not turning up for work – one worker in the space of one year has broken two toes, a finger and an arm, has a child who has been sick for over eight months, has had fourteen car breakdowns and has lost her mother, sister, aunt and father (twice as she forgot she had used that excuse before) and three dogs IN ONE YEAR. That is one unlucky woman – and with a father who died twice! Each time she is threatened with the sack, she refers to employment tribunals and the nightmare she will cause if fired. Both

ANGER MANAGEMENT welcome with little thought of the lowskilled positions that, in effect, drive the UK economy. Stephanie Maurer, the CEO of Concordia, a recruitment company that supplies workers for over 200 British farms, says they have had virtually zero Brits apply for jobs.

‘We’ve had two applications out of 10,000’ she says. ‘It’s statistically quite damning’.

Brexit has already contributed to the weakening of the pound, thus decreasing the financial incentives for foreign workers, at the same time that economies are improving in source countries, such as Romania, Bulgaria and Poland.

As seems to be usual these days, politicians will wake up to this problem too late and then rush through some half-arsed plan to fix it. It won’t work and a year or two later, another halfbaked scheme will arrive

that won’t work. Then there will be a General Election and they will all make fraudulent promises to fix it – and then will not. Meanwhile, countless companies will go bust with families thrown out of their homes and good workers made redundant, we will be forced to import more goods as we are unable to produce them, and costs will rise and the economies of those importing will increase as ours decreases. A dive for the bottom one might think.

I despair. I might also consider joining the foreigners and getting the hell out of this country before it implodes under the weight if its own ignorant, self-serving inefficiency and political stupor. Boris Johnson will fix it – don’t make me laugh.

ANGER MANAGEMENT

companies are on the verge of bankruptcy and, as like most of us who run our own companies, they support their mortgage, family, other staff and children off the back of the company. According to the National Farmers Union, less than 1% of farm staff are British. Already, labour shortages driven by the economic shift of Brexit have left produce rotting in the fields and the prospect for next year is alarming. Hotels are feeling the same problem, and the NHS will all but grind to a halt after Brexit.

“According to the National Farmers Union, less than 1% of farm staff are British”

Skilled labour in the shape of doctors, finance and tech are seen as the ‘best and the brightest’ and are more than

71

SPORT | FOOTBALL

Murray’s 100 milestone Have lunch with Glenn Murray and celebrate his achievements for the Seagulls

L

ast season, Glenn ‘Muzza’ Murray achieved legendary status after scoring his 100th Albion goal, as the Seagulls secured their seat at football’s top table for another season.

Images: Paul Hazlewood, Club Photographer, Brighton & Hove Albion

Murray was signed from Rochdale in January 2008 for £300,000 after netting 26 goals in 60 appearances for the League Two side.

The 6’1” striker

made his mark for the Albion in his second appearance, scoring two goals in the 3-0 win over Crewe Alexandra at the Withdean. He went on to make 136 appearances in his first spell, scoring 56 goals, including 22 in the 2010/11 campaign when Albion clinched the League One championship under Gus Poyet.

Amid rumours that he didn’t fit into Poyet’s plans, Murray rejected a new contract and joined arch rivals Crystal Palace in May 2011. The following season, he scored the third goal at the Amex in Palace’s 3-1 win, but refused to celebrate as Palace became the first team to win at the Amex. He holds the record for the most goals scored in a Championship season with 30 goals for Palace in the 2012–13 season.

After falling out of favour at Selhurst Park, Murray played on loan at Reading before joining Bournemouth.

He re-joined the Seagulls in January 2017.

That season, Murray scored the opening goal in the 2–1 win against Wigan Athletic that sealed Brighton’s promotion to the Premier League for the first time. He fired 14 goals during the 2017/18 season, and continued his goalscoring form the following season, scoring his 100th Albion goal in a 1-0 victory over Wolves in October 2018. He also scored his 100th league goal as the Seagulls won away at Selhurst Park, a result which meant Brighton had done the double over Palace for the first time in 35 years.

Albion fans will be able to celebrate ‘Muzza’s’ achievements and hear from the man himself at a special Curry Club lunch hosted by Sky Sports Pete Graves at the Amex Stadium on October 17th.

Tickets are selling fast in what’s sure to be a sold-out event. Tickets cost £60.00 or £550 for a table of ten. To book your place go to www.thecurryclubuk.com/event/curry-lunch-withglen-murray/

“Last season, he also scored his 100th league goal as the Seagulls won 2-1 away at Selhurst Park”

UPCOMING BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION FIXTURES PREMIER LEAGUE at The Amex Stadium

BARCLAYS WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE at The People’s Pension Stadium, Crawley

Sat 17 Aug – West Ham Sat 24 Aug – Southampton Sat 14 Sep – Burnley Sat 5 Oct – Tottenham Sat 26 Oct – Everton

Sun 15 Sep – Chelsea Sun 13 Oct – West Ham

To book your hospitality at upcoming fi xtures, please visit www.BrightonAndHoveAlbion.com or call the hospitality team on 01273 878 278 or email hospitality@brightonandhovealbion.com

72

SPORT | GOLF

The Grand Slam of golf Last month saw the last of the four ‘majors’ in 2019, but which players have ever won a career Grand Slam?

A

s you read this month’s golf feature, we’ll know who wins the last of the men’s four major tournaments of the year, the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

secured. This was preceded by the first person to ever win all four majors, George Sarazen. He won his first ma-

the Augusta National Invitational Tournament.

At only 29, South African Gary Player completed his one and only slam with victory at the U.S. Open in 1965 to become the third member of the career Grand Slam club, after winning the Open in ’59, the Masters in ’61 and the PGA in 1962. He was the youngest to achieve this at the time and he went on to win five more majors.

“Tiger Woods held all four major trophies at one time, but he didn’t win them in the same year”

The previous major winners of 2019 are Tiger Woods, who won the US Masters back in April, his 15th major title and his first for 11 years, Brooks Koepka, who retained the PGA Championship and secured his fourth major championship, while America’s Gary Woodland won the US Open, his first major title, three shots ahead of Koepka. But has there been a time when one person has won all four majors in the same year?

jor, the U.S. Open, in 1922 and completed the slam 13 years later at the 1935 Masters, which was in its second year of existence and known then as

Winning all four is classed as the Grand Slam of golf and is one of the sport’s greatest feats. It’s been accomplished just five times and a single season Grand Slam, winning all four in a calendar year, has never been accomplished in the post-Masters era.

More recently, in 2001, Tiger Woods held all four trophies at once, but he didn’t win them all in the same year. He won the U.S. and British Opens and the PGA Championship in 2000 and made it four straight major victories by winning the 2001 Masters. This was the first of his three grand slams, with the first breaking Jack Nicklaus’ record of being the youngest to complete the feat, at the age of 25.

Bobby Jones, golf’s greatest amateur, is the only player to have ever won the pre-Masters slam. He won the U.S. Open, British Open, U.S. Amateur and British Amateur championships which in 1930, were considered golf’s four majors.

Back in 1946, Ben Hogan completed the slam after winning the British Open in 1953, a feat he achieved once as part of nine major titles he

At 26, Jack Nicklaus completed the slam in 1966, surpassing Player as the youngest ever to win all four majors.

His first major was the 1962 U.S. Open; he added the Masters and PGA Championship in 1963 and won the British Open at Muirfield in 1966.

Nicklaus went on to win the slam three times in a total of 18 major titles.

Jack Nicklaus, who first completed golf’s Grand Slam in 1966

Platinum Golf

sponsored by Golf-Escapes.com

info@golf-escapes.com • 01342 811 777 Golf Escapes Ltd, St Andrew’s House, Cinder Hill, HORSTED KEYNES, West Sussex RH17 7BA

Nicklaus and Woods are the only golfers of the five to win the career Grand Slam more than once.

LAST MINUTE DEALS ALL-INCLUSIVE PACKAGES

73

EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNTS

Welcome to New Age Business Networking!

Network My Club uses iconic sporting venues to bring together progressive, forward thinking, professional businesses to form a network in an environment where they can thrive...

Thursday 5th September, 8.00am-10.30am Brighton & Hove Albion FC The Amex Stadium, Brighton Tuesday 10th September, 12.00pm-onwards Match Day Networking Lunch Hampshire Cricket, The Ageas Bowl, Southampton Thursday 12th September, 12.00pm-2.30pm Portsmouth FC Fratton Park, Portsmouth Wednesday 18th September, 12.00pm-2.30pm Reading Football Club Madejski Stadium, Reading Wednesday 25th September, 12.00pm-onwards Match Day Networking Lunch Surrey Cricket, The Kia Oval, London

Official Business Club Partners:

01903 898025 | www.networkmyclub.co.uk

SPORT | RYAN FENWICK GOLF ACADEMY

Coaching for all abilities, from beginners to touring pros Ryan Fenwick mentors and coaches several tournament pros and amateurs.

Last month he had two good reasons to be very happy

R

yan Fenwick is the Head PGA Professional at West Hove Golf Club and runs the ‘Ryan Fenwick Golf Academy’. A former England International who turned Professional in 2000, Ryan was in the same England Squad as Justin Rose, Luke Donald and Paul Casey. He also holds five course records, is a twice winner of the Sussex Open and a Sussex PGA Champion. As the former Sussex County Lead Coach and England Regional Coach, Ryan also mentors and coaches several tournament professionals on both the men’s and ladies’ tour and has a great reputation for developing golfers at all levels.

In July, it was announced that one of the players he coaches, Thomas Thurloway, had qualified to play in Thomas Thurloway (left) with Ryan Fenwick The 148th Open Championship later that month. To put this into perspecRyan’s coaching ability. Congratulative, Tom is a former English Amateur golf or you already play and need some tions from everyone here at Platinum Champion and the 2018 Sussex Amatuition to go one step better, get yourBusiness Magazine. teur Champion, who finished one shot self along to West Hove Golf Club. Rybehind the leader to claim an’s Golf Academy can help “A fantastic achievement for an golfers of all abilities with one of the last qualifying places after two rounds amateur golfer and a testament coaching and equipment fitof 69. This meant that the ting and is open seven days a to Ryan’s coaching ability” 21-year-old from Crawley week, from 8am – 7pm.

Last month, another of Ryan’s sucwould be playing at the same major as cess stories, 21 year old George Godthe likes of Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy They use Trackman technology to dard celebrated winning the Sussex and Tiger Woods at Royal Portrush – a help you understand your golf swing Amateur Championship in Worthing. fantastic achievement for an amateur tendencies and recommend improveGoddard, of West Hove Golf Club, won golfer who last year also won the Walments. Plus, the Academy team can by one shot from Ollie Smith of Royal ton Heath Trophy, and a testament to also custom fit Callaway, Titleist, SrixAshdown Forest. on and Ping clubs and help identify the correct equipment for you. It really So then, if you’re thinking of taking up does make a difference!

To find out more about Ryan’s Golf Academy, visit www.ryanfenwickgolf. com - use the code ‘Platinum19’ and get 50% off a custom fitting session.

Or for new clients, get 50% off a 50-minute golf lesson and if you’re a golf novice, why not try a ‘Get into Golf’ session from only £29.00, which includes four lessons!

75

★ THE PLATINUM PAUL (Dev Assist) ADDISON v PART 8 - ‘The Speedee Boarding Race’ My definition of speedee boarding? Paddle boarding… but quickly!

S

aturday June 15th saw the inaugural Speedee Boarding tournament, organised and arranged by intrepid explorer and adventurer Neil Laughton. 15 teams of businesses from Sussex would challenge each other in a 100-metre sprint across a private lake in Chichester and back again, all to raise money for two great charities based in Sussex; LIFECENTRE, and HEART. Individual and team races were planned, with knockout heats where Platinum Publishing Group were repretice with everyone else. The shark the top two from each would qualify sented by two teams, including, I was theme was deliberate, we meant busifor the semi-final, culminating in the delighted to see, our Managing Direcness, especially as Maarten said we’d final to see who’d be crowned chamtor, Maarten ‘Hammerhead’ Hoffman, all be fired if we didn’t win!!? pion. Somewhere in amongst “Heading back to the shore, The idea with paddle boarding what became an exhausting yet thoroughly entertaining I succeeded in falling in and is that you lie on the board, padand fun day, Paul and I would dle out and then elevate yourrequired some assistance have our own separate race. self up onto your knees and Being 5-2 down in the Plati- from one of the Wave Leisure begin paddling, before standnum Challenge, I really needed ing up and paddle boarding team to get me back” to win this one. properly. This is how it should be done! However, whilst everyone Editorial Director, Ian ‘Tiger’ Trevett Over 75 competitors took part, with an else seemed to manage this, I on the and Events Director Fiona ‘Great White’ assorted array of young and old, male other hand, have a rapidly diminishing Graves. Once we donned our compuland female, together with a smattersense of balance. sory life jacket and helmet, complete ing of people you just knew had done with ‘Team Platinum’ t-shirts, we all this sort of thing before!

No sooner had I stood up; I fell in, not made our way out for a spot of praconce but twice and the second time I slammed my rib cage onto the side of the board. Ouch! Only two falls but I was knackered, so much so that I couldn’t even pull myself back on the board! A disastrous start then, something that’s becoming all too familiar for me throughout the Platinum Challenge... and we hadn’t even begun racing! Determined to still take part, I decided I’d be better served by remaining on my knees – at least I could be competitive and stay afloat!

76

SPORT | PLATINUM CHALLENGE

CHALLENGE ★

LAURENCE (Platinum) ELPHICK First up were the individual heats, and out of both the Platinum teams I was the only one who got close to the semi-finals, largely on account of my luck finding a gap in the ensuing chaos as everyone tried to negotiate around the marker buoy at once. Somehow, I finished third out of eight just missing out on progressing further and when people remarked as to how well I’d done, I felt supremely confident going into the team heats.

Sadly though, only one Platinum team made it through to the semi-fi nals (myself, Fiona, Maarten and Paul), whereupon we were soundly thrashed by the physical (and younger) powerhouses of Silver Star Cleaning and Wave Leisure.

Heading back to the shore, I succeeded in falling in again and required some assistance from one of the Wave Leisure team to get me back. A rather sorry sight greeted people at the water’s edge as I was returned to shore, draped across the front of his board, barely able to muster a polite smile, let alone a thank you.

on the after burners and steam into the lead. Unfortunately for me, the standing Paul had his best turn of the day and preceded to leave me trailing as he went flat out towards the finish line. I managed to stay in touch, but I was utterly spent and didn’t have the energy to catch up. Despite closing the gap, Paul crossed the line to move 6-2 ahead. Congratulations to Paul. Well done Sir! Team Platinum celebrating.

Sadly, we didn’t really win

Before the finals of both competitions took place, there was the important matter of the ‘Platinum Challenge’ with Paul. I was reminded that I must stand for this one, but I knew if I fell in, that would probably be game over, so I politely declined, much to the consternation of the umpire!

The banks of the lake were lined with cheering spectators, at least that’s what I imagined, and whilst Paul ‘Alligator’ Addison and myself were neck and neck approaching the marker buoy turn, I held back thinking I’d have the better line, which would allow me to put

Incidentally, Wave Leisure won the team trophy and the individual race.

A fantastic day was had by all, a big thank you to Neil for organising such a fabulous event and thank you to all his volunteers who helped to contribute to a terrific day.

Oh, and my nick name was ‘Electric eel’ Elphick, but after that performance was probably changed to ‘Lumpsucker’ Laurence.

The Platinum Challenge – helping to raise funds for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity. If you can help, all donations will be very much appreciated www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/platinumchallenge10

The day’s winners – Wave Leisure

SCORE SCORE AFTER AFTER EIGHT ONE EVENT: EVENTS: PAUL PAUL 1-06–2 LAURENCE LAURENCE

77

SPORT | CRICKET

England – WORLD CUP WINNERS!

England win their first ever World Cup, amid one of the most amazing conclusions to a final ever witnessed margins. Both teams scored 241 runs in their allotted 50 overs which meant that the game would be decided by a super over. New Zealands’ over was to be bowled by Sussex’s Jofra Archer, who only became eligible to play for England in March.

in bars and back gardens up and down the country.

The gods were certainly smiling on Ben Stokes in 2019; some would simply call it karma for what happened in 2016 in the T20 final. Remember the West Indies needed an improbable 19 off the final over to win? Carlos Braithwaite clubbed four consecutive sixes off Stokes and England lost.

“The gods were certainly smiling on Ben Stokes in 2019”

E

xtraordinary, unbelievable, phenomenal, incredible, amazing, wonderful, tremendous, glorious… none of these words seems able to do justice to the spectacle that was witnessed on Sunday July 14th 2019; England winning cricket’s highest accolade, the World Cup. Spare a thought for Lewis Hamilton and Novak Djokovic whose record-breaking efforts at Silverstone and Wimbledon respectively on the same weekend were unquestionably dwarfed by the achievements of the men in light blue.

In other words, it was cricket’s equivalent of a penalty shoot-out with the winner being determined by whoever scored the most runs after six balls. Amazingly, both sides scored 15, but England won based on the fact they had scored more sixes and fours.

Cue absolute bedlam on the pitch and in the stands. Even the normally composed and reserved Members’ Stand was jumping up and down, hardly believing what they had just witnessed.

There were spectacular scenes at Lord’s which were no doubt repeated

England hadn’t reached a World Cup final for 27 years – and had never won it before either. But then again, neither had New Zealand, and this was their second final in a row having been beaten by Australia four years earlier.

This game had absolutely everything, sublime batting, tight bowling, magnificent catches, controversy and of course, last ball run-outs.

It was an incredibly even game which was only separated by the smallest of

78

Platinum Cricket sponsored by Extech Cloud, Greenacre Court, Burgess Hill RH15 9DS 01444 443200 Email: hello@extech.co.uk www.extechcloud.com

Fast forward three years, and Stokes proved the mainstay of England’s batting with 84 not out, which included being caught on the boundary, only for Boult to tread on the rope, and gift him a six! Add in a two, which then became a six, when a shy at the stumps resulted in the ball deflecting off his outstretched bat to the boundary for four more as he scampered and stretched for his second run. (Cough! – forgetting the question mark over whether the batsmen actually crossed or not...)

This was no doubt one of the most amazing conclusions to a sporting event ever. We’ve witnessed England’s triumph Down Under in 2003 when Martin Johnson lifted the Webb Ellis trophy after Jonny Wilkinson’s last-minute drop goal won the Rugby World Cup against Australia.

Now we’ve witnessed Eoin Morgan lift cricket’s pinnacle of success, making England the first country ever to lift the World Cup for rugby, cricket and football.

SPORT | BOUNDARY CLUB

Sussex networking for Sussex business Where business meets cricket, a perfect way to network this summer

T

he end of June saw another impressive turn out at the highly popular Boundary Club networking lunch held at the home of Sussex Cricket in Hove.

Many other business owners, directors, managers and I, always look forward to this event each month and June’s was no different. It’s one of the best around because it’s always so well attended, the food is exceptional, and each month a celebrity special guest is in attendance to entertain the audience. This month it was comedian and Hove resident, Simon Evans, while the backdrop provided guests with the chance to watch some cricket as Sussex played Durham in the County Championship.

Hosted by the Club’s Business Relationship Manager and former player, Tony Cottey, various guests from across the Sussex business community arrived from 12pm onwards and once registered were greeted with a glass of Pimm’s and given the opportunity to mingle with like-minded people before sitting down to a delicious three-course lunch.

Once everyone had consumed their starter and main course, ‘Cotts’ in-

August 20th will feature BBC South Today news presenter John Young.

If you’re a serial networker, and attend the opening of an envelope, like me, you will be guaranteed to not only catch up with familiar faces and have fun, but you’ll always make new contacts.

troduced the guest speaker, Simon Evans as one of his favourite comedians, whose many performances as a stand-up include Mock the Week, Live at the Apollo and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow.

Despite the fact I can’t remember the jokes (who does?!), Evans delivered quip after hilarious quip in his quick-fire style and regularly had the audience in stitches as the world of news and everyday life was picked apart at will.

July’s event coincided with Sussex Shark’s Vitality Blast T20 match against Hampshire, and attendees were treated to radio presenter, Welsh tenor and the Go Compare Man, Wynne Evans as the guest speaker.

This month’s Boundary Club lunch on

Membership to the Boundary Club includes attending this year’s remaining four events with some taking place whilst a Sussex CCC fixture is played at the same time. The PLUS membership includes two Executive Passes, which allows admission to the SO Legal Executive Suite to watch all home games at The 1st Central County Ground, including the T20 Vitality Blast group matches which get under way this month.

Future events include a range of speakers from the business and entertainment world so make sure you make a note in your diary.

Tuesday August 20th BBC news presenter, John Young Monday September 23rd Double European Cup winning Captain of Nottingham Forest, John McGovern Thursday October 24th Double amputee and Invictus Games athlete, Murray Hambro Wednesday December 11th Boundary Club Christmas Party For more information about how to become a member, call 0844 264 0201 or email the boundaryclub@ sussexcricket.co.uk

79

SPORT | ACTIVE SUSSEX

Youngsters shine at the Specsavers Sussex School Games 2019 Inspirational youngsters stole the show at the exciting ‘mini-Olympics and Paralympics,’ held at K2 Crawley at the end of June.

O

The only event of its size for school children in Sussex, the Specsavers Sussex School Games was backed

by National Lottery funding from Sport England and headline sponsor Specsavers (16 local Specsavers stores across Sussex). A local organising committee made up of Active Sussex, the Sussex School PE and Sport Network (SGOs), National Governing Bodies of Sport, volunteers and head teachers delivered the games.

Inspirational youngsters Athletes, from each area across the county, qualified through local district finals for this year’s Summer flagship event, with more than 200 young volunteers, aged 13-18 years old, providing vital support and assisting with the activities on the day.

Area teams represented were; Brighton & Hove Hawks, Central Sussex Dolphins, Crawley Cougars, Hastings & Rother Leopards, Mid Sussex Panthers, North Wealden Warriors, South Downs Giants, Southern Sharks and West Sussex West Wolverines.

Participants were cheered on by Charles Cousins, 30, the London Olympian and double World Championships medallist, who gave a stirring speech during

Photo credit Stephen Lawrence

ver 1000 young people aged 7-16 years old, from 119 teams across the county, enjoyed the sporting occasion, taking part across 14 different sports including Athletics, Gymnastics and Stoolball.

the opening ceremony, encouraged and supported youngsters throughout the day and presented medals.

“Sport has the power to take you on amazing adventures, meet lots of wonderful people and help your health and mental wellbeing,” said the former GB Rowing Team sculler.

“In our modern climate with children’s health making headlines for a lot of the wrong reason– now more than ever it’s important for kids to get away from the classroom and take part in events like today.”

Spirit of the Games Youngsters were provided with a fun, meaningful experience, whatever their ability, and for the second year the Change4Life programme for non-competing children also ran, with 90 additional participants taking part in climbing sessions, the Activity Zone and personal challenges throughout the day.

Also this year, for the first time, alongside the top three medals – gold, silver and bronze up for grabs in each sport, Spirit of the Games Awards were also presented.

Winners were voted for by their fellow

80

Sussex schools for demonstrating one or more of the six School Games values: determination, honesty, passion, respect, teamwork and self-belief. The awards had the same point’s value as a gold medal, therefore playing in the right spirit was just as important as winning!

Badrinath Mohandas, store director in Hailsham and Uckfield and regional chair for the Specsavers stores in Sussex, speaking about the annual event said: “My colleagues and I were delighted to be able to attend and share in what has been a terrific event. We were especially excited about the Spirit of the Games Awards, as they really represent the values that we have as local businesses.”

Overall results 1. Southern Sharks 2. Mid Sussex Panthers 3. Hastings & Rother Leopards

SPORT | WHEN BUSINESS MEETS SPORT

WHY I

LOVE

SPORT

YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT TO PLAY?

A

As a spectator I like the underdog beating the favourite, the breath-taking quality of the best and the moments of heart-warming sportsmanship (sadly not quite as evident in sport these days).

The immediate rush of blood and exhilaration when the wicket falls, the ball is touched down, the forehand smash wins it, the putt is sunk, or the goal goes in. I just hope that VAR doesn’t spoil the latter, a debate for another day!

I love supporting the nation and those that represent it in the big competitions.

I’m a very passionate supporter of our country and although our national anthem may not be the most exciting of tunes, it’s ours and gets me every time.

In more recent times one of the most inspirational sporting events that always makes me feel extremely proud and at the same time brings a lump to the throat is the Invictus Games. In

2011 a friend of mine lost both legs and his left arm after standing on an IED in Afghanistan. He also sustained nerve and bone damage to his remaining right arm. At the 2014 Invictus Games he won the Silver medal in the 50m ISB swimming final, a proper sporting achievement which puts Neymar’s rolling around the floor into some perspective!

Having a busy business and home life, and two teenage boys into sports and cadets, I watch very little television, but when I do, it’s generally sport. It helps that my wife is also partial to watching sport and not just in the sunshine with a glass of Prosecco at the cricket.

Definitely football. I played from a very young age, had trials at Wimbledon and Fulham but was never good enough, the step up (even to a fairly low professional level) was huge.

Dodgy hamstrings mean no more playing football for me unfortunately.

YOUR MOST MEMORABLE SPORTING ACHIEVEMENT? Other than being picked for the football trials, I scored a goal in a Cup Final at Withdean for Bevendean Barcelona against Patcham (I think it was around 1980/81) – it put us 2-1 up, the final score is unimportant!

The Wimbledon 1984 ball boys team shot. Noel is in there somewhere

Preston Insurance Brokers Tel: 0333 222 1188 Email noel.preston@prestonib.co.uk Web: www.prestoninsurancebrokers. co.uk

Noel Preston with Bevendean Barcelona at Withdean c.1981

82

YOUR FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH? I really enjoy football, but my other favourite sport is cricket.

I enjoy the atmosphere and it’s the perfect sport to spend quality time with friends and family whilst still enjoying a competitive sporting edge.

Noel Preston Cert CII, MInstLM, Managing Partner, Preston Insurance Brokers s a player, it was being part of a team, contributing to its success, and having fun at the same time. The experiences of winning (and losing) together, the emotional highs (made even better by witnessing the lows) and ultimately coming away with a smile on your face is what it’s all about.

Q&A

TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WE DON’T KNOW I was a ball boy at Wimbledon in 1984. That was an amazing experience, the whole set up is steeped in tradition. To be able to play a small part in it was fantastic, even after an extremely embarrassing moment with Sue Barker! I was ball boy on Court 5 when the ball got hit out of the court and just as I was giving a new ball to Sue to serve, someone threw it back over into the court and it hit me on the head. Sue then rubbed me on the head asking if I was alright. It was all very embarrassing and I turned a nice shade of red!

B E S T

O F

B R I T I S H

E V E NBUSINESS T S P R ESURVEY S E N T S SPONSORED BY

EAS T B O U R N E HOSTED BY

12pm Fri 13 Sept 2019 th

At

The Grand Hotel EASTBOURNE

Danny Pike

Featuring Special Guest Speaker:

BBC Sussex & BBC Surrey

ROB

MEDIA SPONSOR

ANDREW

CO-SPONSOR

MBE

England Rugby Union Legend & CEO of Sussex CCC

Tables of 10

available now

RAISING FUNDS FOR

£750

.00

+

+ VAT

83

T O B O O K , C O N TA C T I N F O @ B E S T O F B R I T I S H . O R G . U K

THE PERFECT M A T C H D AY EXPERIENCE S E A S O N A L H O S P I TA L I T Y PA C K A G E S

The only way to guarantee a seat for all the biggest matches at the Amex next season.

• Premium seating • Three-course meal • Inclusive drinks

FROM

£3,600 + VA T

FOR ALL 19 HOME PREMIER LEAGUE M AT C H E S

BrightonAndHoveAlbion.com/hospitality For more information, please call the hospitality team on 01273 878 278 or email commercial@bhafc.co.uk