Platinum Business Magazine issue 45

PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE ISSUE 45. 2018

The Largest Circulation Regional Business Publication in the UK.

BRIGHTON ROCKS

ELON MUSK

Can we live on Mars?

Celebrating business in the city

Doing business in

HOW TO…

• Improve cash flow • Stop IT disasters

THE ALGARVE Introducing

PLATINUM SPORT

NEW WEBSITE: WWW.PLATINUMPUBLISHING.CO.UK

2

Welcome

16

THE BIG STORY ELON MUSK The man who is serious about colonising Mars

22

THE FINALISTS

24

IMPROVE YOUR CASHFLOW

37

BRIGHTON ROCKS

80

BUSINESS TRAVEL - ALGARVE

90

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards shortlist

Kreston Reeves offer advice on getting paid on time

A celebration of business in the city of Brighton & Hove

Portugal is peaceful and welcoming for businesses

At a Glance 6 Local & National News 16 Big Story - Elon Musk 22 Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2018 24 Kreston Reeves - Cash Flow 26 DMH Stallard - Awards Success 28 LMS - GDPR & IT 30 The Posturite Story - Part 3 34 Sussex Growth Awards 32 Si Conroy - Creativity in Business 36 Launching PLATINUM SPORT 37 Focus on Brighton & Hove (B&H) 45 B&H - Guide to Co-Working 48 B&H - Steve Bax, British Airways i360 52 B&H - Gary Chown, NatWest 54 B&H - Brighton & Hove Business Awards 56 B&H - Starbox - Tips for Start-Ups 59 B&H - The Float Spa 60 B&H - Green Growth Platform 62 B&H - Martlets Snail Space 64 B&H - Let’s do Business 67 B&H - Drakes 67 B&H - Viisana 68 B&H - Paxton Access 70 B&H - Ed Joyce’s Testimonial 73 B&H - Laughton & Co. 74 B&H - Food & Drink Awards 78 B&H - Maxwell Grant 78 B&H - Cloud 9 80 Business Travel - Algarve 86 Education News - Dyslexia School 89 Education - Hurst College 90 Motoring - Tesla X 93 Motoring - Nissan X-Trail 94 Net XP Expo 95 Lewes District Business Awards 96 Charity News 97 Chambers of Commerce 104 Anger Management 106 Institute of Directors

Are we ready for the Tesla X?

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

GROUP

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit. Platinum Business Magazine is owned and published by The Platinum Publishing Group.

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2018 2018 1 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y

1 0 TH A N N I V E R S A R Y

DISTINCTIVE CREDIBLE PRESTIGIOUS Join us on 15th March 2018 to celebrate the 10th Annual Gatwick Diamond Business Awards in the Millennium Suite of the Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick.

Our presenter for the evening will be Comedy Legend

6.30pm

Evening starts with Pre-Dinner Reception

& Star of Strictly, Brian Conley, before he embarks on

7.15pm

Take your seats for Dinner

9.30pm

Brian Conley

his UK Tour.

This Strictly Black Tie event starts with a Pre-Dinner Reception followed by a sumptuous three course dinner

10.00pm Presentation of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

with wine, and will see the very best of the Gatwick

11.00pm After-Show Party

Diamond Business community come together in

01.00am Carriages

celebration of the World-Class businesses operating in this World-Class destination.

For more information and to book your table, please call 01293 440088 or visit:

WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESSAWARDS.COM

@gdbizawards

Issue 45 - 2018

A word from the Editors What a busy month - the New Year seems like an age away. Here at the expanded Platinum Towers we are run off our feet with an array of the largest circulation publications, growing every quarter and now Platinum Event Management. We are deep in the planning process of cunning adventures that will see the awards scene change forever. An array of high profile businesses have signed as sponsors and we will be producing the events starting with the Brighton & Hove Business Awards (BAHBAs) on July 12th. The City will not have seen anything like it. Then on to the Lewes Business Awards on July 19th at the American Express Stadium, the Surrey Business Awards on October 4th at Epsom Racecourse and then the 30th year of the Sussex Business Awards at the Grand Hotel, Brighton.

This month we have a new cover masthead, present an absorbing City Focus on Brighton & Hove and announce our new section, Platinum Sport. Oh, and our new Head of Sport and former Juice Radio Managing Director, Laurence Elphick who we are delighted to say has joined the best team in Sussex and will be getting to grips with his first love sport. Welcome Laurence it’s going to be a ride.

Maarten has been ripping around in a Tesla and found an elephant in the car - odd boy! Ian has been everywhere interviewing half the planet, Rose popped over to the Algarve, Amanda took a good look at the Brighton Food Festival (tough gig) and we have all been busy with a great Platinum Club event.

Elon Musk is explored, as is his car, and quite what his odd brain has in store for mankind. Not sure if we should be worried.

Enjoy this issue and get in touch - if your company wants to be involved with our stable of magazines or with the regions finest and most prestigious Business Awards... get in touch. We reach 90% of the businesses in the South East and there is no other way to reach this market, bar none.

Maarten & Ian Platinum Business Magazine March 2018

The Team

Maarten Hoffmann – Director maarten@platinumpublishing.co.uk

07966 244046

Ian Trevett – Director ian@platinumpublishing.co.uk

07989 970804

Lesley Alcock

Fiona Graves

Laurence Elphick

Kate Morton

Rose Dykins

Business Development Director

Events Director

Head of Sport

Copy Editor

Travel Editor

Amanda Harrington

Beth Nash

Amanda Menahem

Steve Elford

James Morrison

Head of Design

Digital Manager

Food & Drink Editor

Head of Web Development

Head of Web Design

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News

LOCAL NEWS GATWICK’S RECORDBREAKING JANUARY London Gatwick has just experienced the busiest January in its history, with 2.8 million passengers – an increase of 1.4% year-on-year, marking the airport’s 59th consecutive month of growth.

US routes saw the biggest percentage increase in passenger numbers. Fort Lauderdale was the North American destination with the highest passenger growth rate, up 92.6% on January 2017.

New York and Boston also saw significant year-on-year growth – up 51.1% and 31.4% respectively – while the US West Coast proved popular too, with Oakland, San Francisco increasing by 76.6% and Los Angeles 38.6%.

The airport’s Asia routes soared too, with Hong Kong up 42.4% year-on-year.

Elsewhere, Gatwick’s growing global connectivity is having a positive effect on the volume of cargo handled by the airport. Tonnage rose by 29.6% in January as a direct result of Gatwick’s booming long-haul network, which currently comprises over 60 worldwide connections, with a new route to Buenos Aires the latest new route.

Gatwick Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate said: “We’ve started 2018 as we mean to go on at Gatwick, with record January passenger numbers and considerable year-on-year growth across our long-haul route network.

“January’s traffic shows that US destinations are increasingly popular and next month we’ll be providing even more options for passengers travelling Stateside with the launch of new routes to Austin and Chicago. These new connections will be joined this summer by British Airways’ biggest summer schedule at the airport in almost ten years – a 15% increase in weekly flights compared to last year.

“As we approach five consecutive years of growth, Gatwick continues to play an increased role for Britain on the global stage and we stand ready to build our financeable and deliverable second runway scheme for the country.”

SUSAN FLEET IS BHBPA CHAIRMAN Sussex businesswoman Susan Fleet has been announced as the new chairman of the Burgess Hill Business Parks Association (BHBPA).

Susan, who has run her own PR, marketing and entertainment agency Lea Graham Associates for more than thirty years, has been a director of the BHBPA as well as a member of the Steering Group for more than a decade.

She replaces Paul Shearing, who stepped down in January after three years at the helm.

Susan said, “Burgess Hill and the surrounding area is full of vibrant, friendly and talented businessmen and women, and I’m excited to continue the work the BHBPA does to bring people together.

“I’m particularly looking forward to Burgess Hill Means Business. We have so much to be proud of in Mid Sussex, and I encourage people to come along to see what makes our local community tick.”

Peter Liddell, coordinator of the BHBPA, added: “As Chair, Susan could hardly do more than she already does on a regular basis for the Association. No one has a greater knowledge and experience of the organisation and I feel sure everyone will wish her the best as she takes on this role.”

Burgess Hill Means Business (the association’s biennial event showcasing products and services from across Mid Sussex) takes place at the King’s Centre, Burgess Hill on Friday May 4th between 11am and 3pm. Entrance is free on presentation of a business card.

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Jogging is for people not intelligent enough watch television

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News

PAXTON IN SUNDAY TIMES TOP 100 Brighton-based global technology company, Paxton, is celebrating being named as one of the UK’s top employers with its 49th placed ranking in The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For 2018 list.

The company, who design and manufacture security systems, was also the only Brighton based company that made it onto the prestigious list.

Employing over 300 people globally, Paxton has its headquarters in the Home Farm Road Business Centre, located just off the Lewes Road in Brighton and manufactures all its products locally at its facility in Eastbourne.

The ranking was achieved following direct feedback provided by Paxton employees covering eight key areas of leadership; my manager, my company, personal growth, my team, wellbeing, fair deal and giving something back.

Highlights from the employee survey included: • 96% of staff believe they can make a valuable contribution to the success of the company • 95% agree the organisation is run on strong values & principles • 90% of people feel proud to work for Paxton Adam Stroud, Paxton’s Chief Executive said: “We’ve worked hard to develop a positive company culture and to support our staff on each step of their career with us. Hard work, focus, investment and a good strategy are essential to the success of the company, but most important by a long way are the people that work for Paxton. I’d like to thank all the Paxton team, they have been responsible for our success to date, and will continue to determine the extent of our future successes.”

For further information about the company and job opportunities go to http://paxton.info/3146

COUNTYCLEAN HOSTS CHARITY FILM PREMIERE In February, CountyClean Group, one of the South Easts’ fastest growing environmental support services company, hosted a fundraising film premiere at Eastbourne’s Birley Centre to launch the company’s corporate short film.

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Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America.

If I’m not there, I go to work.

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Created by Smokescreen Visuals Ltd at a variety of locations throughout Sussex, Surrey, Kent and London, the cinematic film was exclusively presented to over 120 guests including the Mayor of Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd MP and the leader of Eastbourne Borough Council Cllr David Tutt.

Smokescreen Visuals used their expertise and drone resources to produce a film capturing the vital environmental work undertaken by CountyClean.

CountyClean Group founders Mike and Debbie Walker said, “We are so proud and absolutely thrilled with the finished film and wish to commend everyone involved on their professionalism and hard work to produce it, which we believe showcases our capabilities and customer service ethos.”

Daniel Hough from Channel 4 said, “What CountyClean has achieved here tonight will surely inspire local business communities to follow their lead in showcasing their capabilities through the medium of film.”

Mike and Debbie Walker at the CountyClean Group Fundraising Film Premiere

The evening raised £940 for St Wilfrid’s Hospice, which CountyClean Group has matched, meaning that the total donation is £1,880.

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News

LOCAL NEWS LAW FIRM’S DONATION TO LOCAL CHILDREN’S CHARITY Award-winning law firm, DMH Stallard, has handed over a cheque for £10,000 to Brighton-based children’s charity, Rockinghorse.

Having expanded their office in the city last year, DMH Stallard have been actively supporting Rockinghorse over the past 12 months. The charity’s CEO, Ryan Heal, joined the firm’s Managing Partner, Richard Pollins, and Partners Tim Ashdown and Robert Ganpatsingh, for an official cheque presentation.

Funds have been raised throughout the year by DMH Stallard employees at various (L-R) Robert Ganpatsingh, Richard Pollins and Tim Ashdown fundraising events. The money will be donated to the charity’s ongoing projects from DMH Stallard, with Ryan Heal from Rockinghorse at the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, and the neighbouring Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton.

Mr Ganpatsingh, said: “We have witnessed first-hand the fantastic facilities, equipment and support that they bring to children’s hospitals. We recognise that, at a time when the NHS is under unimaginable financial pressure, support from Rockinghorse means that sick children receive better care and suffer less than they otherwise would.”

Mr Heal, added: “This donation comes just as it has been confirmed that DMH Stallard will once again be sponsoring the Rockinghorse Ball this year, and for that we are very grateful. The event will be a black tie, gala dinner with a Hollywood theme, and will take place on Saturday 13 October at The Grand Hotel in Brighton.”

Those interested in attending the Rockinghorse Ball can book a table of 10 for £800, including an early-bird incentive of a free bottle of champagne for every table booked before the end of March. Call the Rockinghorse office on 01273 330044 or email hannah.seltzer@rockinghorse.org.uk.

MANOR ROYAL DELIVERS

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Formal education will make you a living. Self education will make you a fortune.

A new study reveals the growing importance of Manor Royal and its impact in terms of jobs, business and its contribution to the economy. The Economic Impact Study, jointly commissioned by the Manor Royal BID and Crawley Borough Council, was conducted by leading economic and regeneration consultants, Lichfields, to assess how well the Business District is performing and what it needs to do to remain competitive.

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The study revealed that since 2010, Manor Royal has grown in a number of important ways. It is now home to over 600 businesses and provides 25% of all Crawley jobs – a whopping 32,800 jobs in total. On top of that it contributes £34m in rates each, about a third of all rates generated by Crawley that includes Gatwick Airport, and provides over 9m square feet of commercial floorspace. Not bad for a place that accounts for less than 6% of Crawley’s overall landmass. This shows a notable change from the last study when there was over 90 acres of land available for development and about 20% of all the buildings were empty.

The last study was carried out almost ten years ago and led to many changes, including the creation of the UK’s largest “industrial” Business Improvement District (BID) – the Manor Royal BID. Since then the environment in which Manor Royal operates has been radically altered by large macro-economic events as well as changes closer to home. The study aimed to capture this and make recommendations for future improvements.

The report also highlights a number of ways Manor Royal needs to improve looking ahead. This includes provision of facilities, wider promotion, enhancements to the public realm and continued efforts by the Manor Royal BID to represent and coordinate activities across the Business District.

The report is available to view at www.manorroyal.org

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News

HELP LRA PROVIDE BEDS TO CHILDREN Liam Russell Architects, the multi award winning Charted practice with offices in Brighton and Manchester, recently pledged to donate a proportion of every residential project fee to the charity Buttle Uk.

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Not a single person whose name is worth remembering lived a life of ease.

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Buttle UK helps children and young people who seriously need even the most basic items, such as their own bed to sleep in. The charity makes grants to meet the critical needs of individual children and youngsters whose safety, health or development are at risk.

The minimum pledge per residential project by LRA is £150 - this amount can mean a child gains a bed and all the bedding, for a child previously sleeping on the floor or having to share a bed with parents. Approximately 400,000 children in the UK do not have a bed of their own to sleep in - a problem that can have such serious risks for the children.

Managing Director Liam Russell said, “The team and our clients are very proud to support Buttle UK - the big hard working charity that so few people have actually heard of (unless they pay close attention to BBC Children in Need) as they focus so hard on their mission ‘the maintenance, education and advancement of life of children and young people who through poverty and family circumstances are in need of, and will benefit significantly from Buttle UK’s mission.

To find out more about the charity go to www.buttleuk.org

DARK STAR’S HASTINGS GOLDEN PIER? GLASS IS FULLER West London brewer Fuller’s has taken over the acclaimed Dark Star brewery, based in the tiny West Sussex village of Partridge Green.

After extensive renovations, Hastings Pier is now up for sale. The historic pier was virtually destroyed by fire in 2010, but thanks to a Heritage Lottery grant the pier was saved. In 2017 it won the RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture, but the charity which oversaw the rebuilt went under as costs got out of control.

Now the administrators have commissioned GVA, a commercial property agency to find a buyer.

Richard Baldwin of GVA said: "Hastings Pier has undergone a remarkable transformation. The pier is unique, and offers a custodian the opportunity to acquire a piece of Britain's seaside heritage, with great potential as a leisure destination."

One buyer who has expressed an interest is Sheikh Abid Gulzaro, who caused controversy after painting Eastbourne Pier gold. Will Hastings have the county’s second golden pier?

The deal will allow Dark Star access to funding to expand into new markets, as it continues to operate as a standalone business.

Dark Star’s managing director James Cuthbertson said: “The deal means we will continue to do what we do, but gives us huge opportunities to brew more one-off small batch beers hand-in-hand with exploring the export market and expanded bottle and can formats.”

Fuller’s portfolio of beers includes London Pride and the company took over the cider makers Cornish Orchards for £3.8m in 2013.

Fuller’s managing director Simon Dodd said the company had “been looking at similar opportunities to invest in and work with young, exciting companies that have a similar ethos and commitment to quality as Fuller’s”.

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News

NATIONAL NEWS THE LAST STRAW… ?

Environment Secretary Michael Gove has suggested that plastic straws could be banned in Britain. When asked if he would back a ban on the estimated 8.5 billion singleuse plastic straws thrown away each year, Mr Gove replied “watch this space”. He added that a balanced approach would be needed but said: “If it is bad, then banning it is a good thing.”

Michael Gove also argued that outlawing plastic straws would be easier post-Brexit. He said that being in the EU meant there were “some steps we might want to take environmentally that we can’t yet.”

The Marine Conservation Society estimates the UK uses 8.5 billion straws every year which are among the top 10 items found in beach clean-ups. According to the campaign group, Refuse The Straw, plastic straws take up to 500 years to break down. Data from the House of Commons Commission showed the number of straws bought had gone up from 6,000 in 2014/15 to 12,250 in 2016/17.

PIZZA CHAIN GOES LIVE Pizza Express is converting up to 50 restaurants into live entertainment venues after appearances from artists such as Goldie and Spandau Ballet’s Martin Kemp at existing outlets proved successful with diners.

The chain is fighting back against competition from the likes of Franco Manca as well as the switch to takeaways via the likes of Deliveroo.

Zoe Bowley, managing director of Pizza Express, said the company has already tested customers’ appetite for live music by revamping a site in central Birmingham in late 2016 and investing in an outlet in Holborn, central London. Holborn hosted “Audience with” events with Goldie and Martin Kemp in 2017, while jazz funk band Shakatak plays the Birmingham venue this month.

Pizza Express Live also plans to expand its current music offering, now ranging from arty Americana acts, to lively funk and salsa collectives as well as comedy acts.

Pizza Express is rolling out its ‘Live’ music plans at a time of a chain restaurant slump - Jamie’s Italian is closing 12 branches, whilst the Italian eatery Strada recently shut a third of its restaurants.

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An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than he can chew hoping he’ll quickly learn how to chew it.

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SLEEP TIGHT AirBnB is offering a new service aimed at wealthier travellers as it seeks to compete in the luxury travel market. The accommodation site will offer a dedicated section for boutique hotels, bed and breakfasts and more unusual locations such as tree houses and boats.

The firm also announced ‘AirBnB Plus’, a stamp of approval for locations it has inspected. The moves follow more stringent regulations being imposed on the company in a number of countries.

Recent data published by the San Francisco Chronicle suggested AirBnB lost more than half its listings in the city as stricter regulations took hold. These latest announcements continue AirBnB’s gradual shift from a company that was created to help those who could not afford hotel rooms into a more traditional travel company.

AirBnB Plus is the firm’s attempt to bring some quality assurance to its listings, removing some of the uncertainty travellers may have about the state of a property. “Airbnb Plus homes have been inspected and verified in person against a 100+ point checklist covering cleanliness, comfort and design,” the company said.

AirBnB Collections will also group certain types of accommodation for specific trips, such as a honeymoon.

SKY HIGH Millions of Sky TV and broadband customers are set to pay more from April as the telecoms giant introduces a hike in prices, but can avoid doing so if they leave outside of the minimum term of their contracts – penalty free.

Last month, Sky announced bills for out-of-contract customers will increase by £2.50 per month, a sum of £30 more every year. TV customers with original, variety or box set packages will pay £1.50 extra every month, while Sky Sports customers will pay an extra 50p per month. However, the company said those on its new TV packages launched in December will not see an increase in price. Sky broadband customers could see bills rise by £1.01 per month.

“Not all customers will see their bills increase with many Sky products remaining at their current price and, for some products, this will be the first increase in two years,” said a Sky spokesperson.

“We continue to invest in content, products and services that our customers love, offering both new and existing customers great value and more choice through flexible packages.”

LEVIS’ LASER QUEST Levi Strauss is ramping up its use of lasers to automate the way its jeans are made.

The firm says the new techniques will reduce chemical use and make the way in which jeans are faded, distressed and ripped more efficient. By replacing manual labour with lasers, Levi's will be able to finish a pair of jeans every 90 seconds, instead of just two to three pairs an hour. It expects the new finishing method to be fully in place by 2020.

Levi's said the new process is less "labour intensive" and will help the company be more responsive to local markets.

Chip Bergh, president and CEO of Levi Strauss & Co, called the process "the future of jeans manufacturing."

Levi's new method involves taking a picture of the clothing, and using computer software that Levi's developed in house to design the colouring, rips and other details. Upgraded lasers then interpret the design, firing slits and other details into the denim.

The previous process could take more than six months from the start of the design cycle - that will be reduced to weeks, even days in some cases, Levi's said.

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I think it’s wrong that only one company makes the game Monopoly.

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News

NATIONAL NEWS GOING DUTCH Eurostar has finally launched its direct service to Amsterdam. Tickets went on sale last month for the company’s brand new route from London St Pancras to the Dutch capital.

It will be open for business from Wednesday 4th April, but the highspeed train made its maiden voyage at the end of last month. Fares start from

❝

Love is very funny business.

And sex - well, let’s face it, sex is hysterical.

an attractive £35 each way and finally went on sale after a delay due to an IT glitch.

The new service will include two trains a day, departing at 08.31 and 17.31 respectively. Passengers in standard class will be able to buy Dutch treats including Stroopwaffle biscuits, beer and gin from the buffet car.

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ON THE UP?

THE NEED FOR SPEED

The number of mortgage approvals for UK homebuyers bounced back from a four-year low in January, according to the latest data from UK Finance. The body, which collects data from British high street banks, reported that there were 40,117 approvals for house purchase in the month, following the slump to just 36,085 in December, which had been the lowest since April 2013.

Last month, at the Mobile World Congress, Google announced two new tools and an in-depth study designed to improve the way businesses interact with customers on their mobile device.

These tools work for companies of any size and can be compared to the top performing brands. Today, 92% of people in the UK use a mobile device, meaning we expect content to load instantly and be easy to explore. However, research shows that 53% of visits are abandoned if a mobile site loads in more than three seconds. Mobile sites have not historically not been prioritised by businesses, but it is critical to success in today’s mobile world.

UK Finance said this 11% monthly jump reflected people taking advantage of mortgage deals on offer at the end of last year.

The data is likely to settle nerves about the sustainability of the UK housing market by presenting December’s decline as a blip rather than a trend, possibly reflecting a knee-jerk response from buyers to the Bank of England’s first interest rate rise in a decade in November.

But some analysts said its outlook was still weak, pointing to falls in new buyer enquiries reported by surveyors.

Google has conducted a Mobile Site Benchmark Study, ranking the top mobile sits in retail, travel and financial verticals; the results of which showed that Etsy came out top in retail, booking.com beat fellow travel brands, and confused. com came out as the top financial brand.

Google is launching a Speed Scorecard so that businesses can measure how their mobile site speed ranks against top brands; and an Impact Calculator so that companies can work out how much more revenue would be available to them if they improved mobile site speed.

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News

NATIONAL NEWS THE CREAM OF THE CROP The vault storing the world’s most precious seeds has taken delivery of donations that will take it to the one million mark. More than 70,000 crops will be added to frozen storage chambers buried deep within a mountain in the Arctic Circle.

Cereal staples, unusual crops like the Estonian onion potato, and barley used to brew Irish beer are among the consignments. One of three chambers is now almost full of packets of seeds, each a variety of an important food crop.The vault opens about twice a year for deposits and last month’s additions included unique varieties of rice, wheat and maize; black-eyed pea - a major protein source in Africa and South Asia; and Bambara groundnut, which is being developed as a drought tolerant crop in Africa. The resurgence of craft brewing and distilling in Ireland has led to requests from breweries for seeds of malting barley to be added to the collections.

Crop diversity is regarded as essential for safeguarding the future of the world’s food supply amid pressures such as drought and climate change.

The reinforced vault is designed to hold back-ups of samples stored elsewhere in seed banks around the world.

SPACE SAVERS The Moon will have a 4G mobile network installed next year, according to plans set out by Vodafone and Nokia.

The mission, organised by space exploration company PTScientists, will be the first ever privately-funded Moon landing. Nokia masts will be launched on a SpaceX rocket in 2019 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, USA. The network will enable Audi lunar exploration vehicles to communicate with each other, and the 4G signal, provided

by Vodafone, will also be able to transmit high-definition video streaming of the Moon’s surface.

The vehicles are exploring the Moon as a potential human habitat. The introduction of a 4G network is hoped to be the first step to creating a communications infrastructure for future lunar missions.

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We owe a lot to Thomas Edison - if it wasn’t for him, we’d be watching television by candlelight.

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“The great thing about this LTE solution is that it saves so much power, and the less energy we use sending data, the more we have to do science”, said Robert Böhme, CEO of PTScientists.

The launch of the network may mean the Moon will have 4G signal while people in many parts of the UK still struggle to connect.

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The Big Story

THE ROCKET MAN FLIES HIGHER An Electric Car in Space, Mars colonisation, super high-speed travel on earth, solar banks to power the world and a nifty line in personal flame-throwers. Is there any stopping Elon Musk? Words by Ian Trevett Only once before has the subject of a PBM cover been featured twice. Back in early 2016, we ran a light-hearted feature on the absurd idea that Donald Trump might run for the White House. An unforeseen and dramatic change of circumstances prompted a revision piece on President Trump.

In 2015, 31 issues ago, Maarten Hoffmann profiled a man who was not particularly well-known in the UK at the time, but was causing quite a stir in the US (see www. platinumpublishing.co.uk/ blog/2015/07/rocket-man/).

The founder and former owner of Paypal was sending rockets into space, building futuristic electric cars, revolutionising solar energy and devising all manner of madcap ideas.

After less than three years, a revisit to the world of Elon Musk is already long overdue - this is a man on a mission.

Over the following pages we profile some of his big projects which are changing the world as we know it…

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Man on Mars At the 2017 World Government Summit in Dubai, His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of the UAE Cabinet Affairs & The Future asked Elon Musk, “What is your mission in life? Why you do whatever you do?”

Musk replied: “When I was a kid, I was wondering what’s the meaning of life? Why are we here? What’s it all about? I came to the conclusion that what really matters is trying to

understand the right questions to ask. And, the more we can increase the scope and scale of human consciousness, the better we are able to ask these questions.

“I think there are certain things that are necessary to insure the future is good and some of those things are having long-term sustainable transport and sustainable energy generation.

And to be a space-faring civilisation, and for humanity to be out there among the stars, and to be a multi-planetary species.”

The Big Story SpaceX: for instance, the way it has challenged accepted rocket manufacture by making rockets for a fraction of the cost; the way it has become the first private entity—rather than a country—to successfully launch spacecraft into orbit and then return; the way it went from an idea in Musk’s head to a company that resupplies the International Space Station and that hopes to soon ferry astronauts back and forth.

For anyone who has watched Star Trek or Star Wars or other Sci-Fi epics this all sounds like a wonderful fantasy. But Musk, along with a select band of inquisitive billionaires, is already making plans.

Space exploration used to be something that nations did - and not always for the right reasons. During the Cold War, the two superpowers from the East and West pointed their vast arsenals of nuclear missiles at each other, fought nasty proxy wars (well away from their own borders) and killed each other’s spies. They also sought to be seen as superior to the other - and the best way to do this was to win The Race for Space.

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We should aim to be a space-faring civilisation, and for humanity to be out there among the stars, and to be a multi-planetary species

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Space exploration was prestigious but highly expensive. Now the ‘friendly’ superpowers smile insincerely at each other across the halls of the UN and invest in covert methods of subverting each other digitally.

Although astronauts are still sent to the space station and probes are dispatched into the ether, the only ones that look skywards with any ambition are Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and other rich men such as Richard Branson.

Musk always goes that bit further. With full sincerity he says that he hopes to send cargo ships to the Red Planet within the next five

years, and see humans settling by 2024.

Just after our last profile of Musk in 2015, GQ’s Chris Heath was allowed extended access to Musk’s day-to-day schedule. Heath wrote: “Musk starts most workweeks at his rocket company, SpaceX and each Monday, there is a brainstorm about ‘Mars colonial transport architecture’. He says these words as though most people could look through their Monday schedule and find something similar.

“There are many remarkable aspects to

“But the most remarkable fact about SpaceX is that—right from the start, before the first rocket had lifted an inch off the ground— it was explicitly intended as the means to another, far more grandiose and idealistic end: colonising Mars. Musk has said that he feels this is imperative for two reasons. One is that it would be an inspiring adventure and we need such goals. The other is the long-term survival of humankind. If a calamity, self-made or otherwise, destroyed life on Earth, as long as a human colony was established elsewhere, the species could endure. “… Musk and his colleagues aren’t vaguely hypothesising about what people might like to do in some distant future generation—he believes the first manned Mars mission will be possible by the time he’s in his fifties. He is now 44.”

SPACE X IN BRIEF Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, in May 2002. He is currently the CEO and chief technology officer (CTO) and owns about 50% of the company.

In September 2008, SpaceX’s Falcon 1 rocket became the first privately funded liquid-fuelled vehicle to put a satellite into Earth orbit.

On May 25th 2012, the SpaceX Dragon vehicle berthed with the ISS, making history as the first commercial company to launch and berth a vehicle to the International Space Station.

In 2006, SpaceX was awarded a contract from NASA to continue the development and test of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft in order to transport cargo to the International Space Station.

On December 22nd 2015, SpaceX successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon rocket back at the launch pad. This was the first time in history such a feat had been achieved by an orbital rocket and is a significant step towards rocket reusability lowering the costs of access to space.

In 2016, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket suffered a dramatic explosion on the Cape Canaveral launch pad In 2017, SpaceX launched 18 successful Falcon 9 flights, more than doubling their highest previous year of 8.

On February 6, 2018, SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon Heavy, the fourth-highest capacity rocket ever built, on a billion year journey. Its cargo included a Tesla Roadster with a dummy driver. Musk explained why: “Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring. Of course, anything boring is terrible, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel.

The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.”

Also it wasn’t a bad advert for his Tesla cars!

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The Big Story Heath also reported that Musk was not just thinking about how to get safely to Mars, but also how to adapt its habitat for our needs.

He recalled how Musk advocated the use of nuclear weapons, during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: “One possible strategy for making Mars habitable over the long term is to ‘terraform’ it— manipulate its environment so, in the simplest terms, the planet warms up, ice turns into water, and plants can be introduced, which will convert the atmospheric carbon dioxide into oxygen, with the goal of creating a stable and breathable atmosphere.

“There are slower and faster ways to do this.

A fast way is to drop thermonuclear weapons over the poles.”

Heath noted that Musk has downgraded this idea to the prospect (currently impossible, as if that’s ever bothered him) of having a small repeatedly detonating fusion bomb at each pole.”

That was 2015. By now, Musk has probably come up with the answer of how to sustain life on Mars.

A World Powered by Batteries Sometimes a throwaway comment on

Twitter from Elon Musk can have spectacular consequences. When Hurricane Maria savaged Puerto Rico, and took down 88% of its electricity, Musk was asked on Instagram if he could help. He replied: “The Tesla team has done this for many smaller islands around the world, but there is no scalability limit, so it can be done for Puerto Rico too. Such a decision would be in the hands of the PR govt, PUC, any commercial stakeholders and, most importantly, the people of PR.”

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The amount of energy that reaches us from the sun is tremendous. It’s the 99 percent-plus of all energy that Earth has.

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According to Musk, the solution for the world’s energy needs is quite simply, the sun.

When you listen to Musk it makes perfect sense: “The Earth is almost entirely solarpowered today, in the sense that the sun is the only thing that keeps us from being at the temperature of cosmic background radiation, which is 3 degrees above absolute-zero. If it wasn’t for the sun, we’d be a frozen, dark ice ball. The amount of energy that reaches us from the sun is tremendous. It’s the 99 percent-plus of all energy that Earth has.”

“People talk about fusion and all that, but the sun is a giant fusion reactor in the sky. It’s really reliable. It comes up every day. If it doesn’t, we’ve got bigger problems.”

Tesla, which has incorporated the SolarCity business, is building its Gigafactory 1 battery factory in the middle of the Nevada desert, with the ambitious objectives of becoming the largest building in the world by footprint, at 540,000 sq m. Named the “alien dreadnought” by Musk, it will produce almost the equivalent of the world’s entire current output of lithium-ion batteries.

“If you wanted to power the entire United States with solar panels, it would take a fairly small corner of Nevada or Texas or Utah,” says Musk. “You only need about 100 miles by 100 miles of solar panels to power the entire United States. The batteries you need to store the

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energy, so you have 24/7 power, is 1 mile by 1 mile. One square-mile.”

However, there is the problem of unsightly distribution lines transporting the generated power, which is why Musk remains a huge advocate of roof panels.

He recently agreed to build the “world’s largest virtual power plant”, by rolling out free solar roof panels and Tesla batteries to 50,000 homes in South Australia. The scheme, which will be completed over the next four years, will see any excess energy stored in each battery fed back into the grid to provide power to the rest of the state whenever required. Musk has already set up the world’s largest lithium-ion battery in the state.

Cars that drive themselves With the aim of providing electric cars at prices affordable to the average consumer, over 250,000 Tesla cars have been sold to date.

Anyone who has driven a Tesla cannot fail to be impressed by the advanced technology, the speed and the quality of the ride, although as far as the UK is concerned there is still an elephant in the room (see Maarten Hoffmann’s review and analysis of Tesla X on page 90).

I will leave our driving correspondent to deliver his verdict on the current Tesla offering, but I’m afraid that Maarten may soon become completely redundant as a motoring writer.

Wired’s Jimmy Wales fully expects Musk to have launched his driverless car by the end of the year.

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It may be a surprise to learn that in January 2016, Elon Musk won the annual Luddite Award

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He writes, “Elon Musk has promised the world that a completely automated Tesla will be available by the end of 2018. Although other companies revise their estimates for self-driving vehicles in the consumer market Waymo has pushed its date back to 2020, for instance - Musk is being coy. He’ll have it ready even sooner.

“The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) has established five widelyaccepted steps to vehicular autonomy. Level five equates to true driverlessness, where cars can drive as competently as humans (or, hopefully, more so). The preceding four are

The Big Story colloquially known as ‘feet off, hands off, eyes off and brain off’ - and I believe Tesla will unveil a consumer-class level-four vehicle long before 2018 is over.”

But if you are worried that all the fun may go out of travel, fear not as Elon Musk has plans to move you around faster than seems humanly possible…

The Human Hyperloop The Hyperloop high-speed train system has been dubbed a “cross between a Concorde, a railgun, and an air hockey table” by Musk, and will allow passengers to travel at over 700mph.

Musk expects that the two routes he has so far proposed, Los Angeles to San Francisco and New York City to Washington DC, should take no longer than 30 minutes on a Hyperloop train.

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If you wanted to power the entire United States with solar panels, it would take a fairly small corner of Nevada or Texas or Utah

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So what exactly is a hyperloop? Max Langridge and Elyse Betters give an easy-tounderstand explanation of the system at www.pocket-lint.com, but in brief the hyperloop uses tunnels, with pods or capsules to move from place to place. One of the biggest problems with anything moving is friction, both against surfaces and the environment the pod is moving through.

Hyperloop proposes to move away from traditional wheels by using air bearings for pods instead. This will have the pod floating on air. It’s similar to maglev trains used in Japan, in which the electromagnetic levitation of the train means there is no friction unlike a traditional train that runs on tracks.

Hyperloop will be built in tunnels that have had some of the air sucked out to lower the pressure. So, like high-altitude flying, there’s less resistance against the pod moving through the tunnel, meaning it can be much more energy efficient.

Inevitably, Musk has suggested that solar panels running on the top of the tunnels could generate enough electricity to power the system. It could run as an underground system, too.

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Cloud

Managed IT Services

Telephony

Cyber Security

Connectivity

IT Consultancy

The Big Story profile doom-mongers of the dangers of artificial intelligence. He is not alone. Stephen Hawking has said that, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Writing in Vanity Fair, Maureen Dowd writes a chilling piece about the dangers of A.I and how Musk is leading the warning calls.

Peter Thiel and Elon Musk in the early days of PayPal Musk tweeted in July 2017 that his Boring Company tunnel project has received “verbal government approval” to build a Hyperloop that would connect the cities of New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, DC.

Linking Brains and Computers

He doesn’t have this space to himself though. Virgin are also developing plans and the Chinese are also interested in this technology.

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Flamethrowers, Freeze Guns and Lots of fun If everything Musk does seems to be a bit righteous in its bid to improve the human condition, it is reassuring that sometimes he creates products for the sheer hell of it. Despite widespread condemnation, Elon Musk’s Boring Company sold 20,000 flamethrowers at $500 each on pre-order in January.

The Boring Co. flamethrower appears to have been inspired by a joke between Musk and his Twitter followers, when he promised that if he manages to sell 50,000 Boring Company hats, he will start selling flamethrowers like those seen in sci-fi parody film Spaceballs, one of Musk’s favourite movies. Musk also hinted at a The Boring Co. freeze gun, which the CEO joked might follow the fiery device.

Not everyone was impressed. One Californian politician complained that it is a highly irresponsible product that has the capability to hurt a lot of people and cause multiple problems for the state’s fire department and law enforcement.

Meanwhile another $10 million was added to the company’s coffers.

In 2016, Musk co-founded Neuralink, a company aiming to make devices to treat serious brain diseases in the short-term, with the eventual goal of human enhancement.

We are summoning the devil.

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The company intends to be a merger of biological intelligence and machine intelligence in developing technology to connect computers to our brains. The braincomputer interface (BCI) technology could be used for cognitive enhancement, ranging from improving memory and decision-making abilities to staving off the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

Musk the Luddite With all the futuristic and incredible plans, it is easy to portray Musk as an exciting yet dangerous madcap inventor straight out of a Marvel movie. There were rumours that Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man character was based on Musk. So it may be a surprise to learn that in January 2016, Elon Musk won the annual Luddite Award, which was conferred on him by a Washington tech-policy think tank.

She writes about the debate between Musk and Demis Hassibis, co-founder of DeepMind Technologies, seen as the world leader in artificial intelligence research. So worried was Musk about A.I. that he invested in DeepMind, before it was swallowed up by Google, just so he could keep abreast of A.I. developments.

The speed of its advance alarmed him. Musk is genuinely worried: “We are summoning the devil,” he says. “The thing about A.I. is that it’s not the robot; it’s the computer algorithm in the Net. So the robot would just be an end effector, just a series of sensors and actuators.

A.I. is in the Net. “The important thing is that if we do get some sort of runaway algorithm, then the human A.I. collective can stop the runaway algorithm. But if there’s large, centralised A.I. that decides, then there’s no stopping it.”

Maybe his fears are as far-fetched as his Martian dreams. But then again, his plans for colonising Mars may actually happen. We should certainly heed Musk’s fears. He has co-founded Open AI, a billion-dollar nonprofit company to work for safer artificial intelligence.

Maureen Dowd writes, “Musk is not going gently. He plans on fighting this [unchecked A.I.] with every fibre of his carbon-based being.”

Who knows, perhaps Musk’s greatest contribution to humankind may not be his innovation and entrepreneurship, but instead his fight against advancement - of the catastrophic kind.

Calling Musk a Luddite is undoubtedly a ludicrous statement, so what prompted such a barb?

Surprisingly Musk is one of highest

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Business Awards

Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2018

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED So, who are the best businesses in the Gatwick Diamond Region?

Well, you’ll need to wait until the 15th March to find out but the Finalists in each of the categories for the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 2018 have been announced.

The Gatwick Diamond is home to a vast range of businesses, which span all sectors of the economy, from household names to niche companies, and from multinationals to sole traders. The Business Award Winners are those businesses or people who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, and have demonstrated a real commitment to this world-class region.

The Winners will be presented by the well-known TV comedian, Brian Conley, at the 10th Anniversary of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards Dinner, on the 15th March at the Effingham Park Hotel. The Headline Sponsors are; B&CE, the People’s Pension; Extech.co.uk; Gatwick Airport Ltd & NatWest.

The Evening starts with a Pre-Dinner Reception, and the evening is rounded off with the now highly anticipated After-Show Party.

To find out more on this year’s finalists or buy tickets, visit www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com

2018 FINALISTS Green Business of the Year Sponsored by Crawley Borough Council The winner will have exhibited best overall environmental management, including carbon and sustainability performance; and/or provided the most outstanding eco-service, delivering real improvements in client environmental and sustainability performance; and/or produced the best eco-product contributing to environmental protection, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions or sustainable development.

The Award for Developing People for Business Success Sponsored by Crawley College

• 3FEV

The winner of this award will have shown that they have a firm commitment to developing their people. They will have systematic and effective processes for identifying their workforce development needs and linking these to their business objectives, and will evaluate the success and impact of the training and development activities undertaken by employees.

• Hilton Hotel London Gatwick

• Ashdown Park Hotel

• Mid Sussex Wood Recycling Project

• Hilton Hotel London Gatwick • JACE Training

Responsible Business of the Year Sponsored by University of Sussex, School of Business, Management & Economics

International Business of the Year Sponsored by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative

The winner of this award will be the entrant that can demonstrate how their management, staff, suppliers and clients embrace and engage in bringing to life a Responsible Business strategy which benefits and enhances the wider community that it operates in.

International growth has enormous benefits for the Gatwick Diamond economy. This Award will go to the organisation that best demonstrates an international growth strategy that has achieved outstanding levels of sales, profit and market share improvement.

• Cleankill Pest Control

• Acro Aircraft Seating

• Future Proof CIC

• Frontier Pitts

• WeFiFo

• PVL UK

The Award for Customer Delight

Employer of the Year

Sponsored by Thakeham

Sponsored by Search Consultancy

The winner must demonstrate experience of consistently exceeding customer expectations in order to deliver world class customer service and delight.

The winner of this award will be able to demonstrate that they ensure their employees are at the heart of their business, involving them in all aspects to improve performance.

• Cleankill Pest Control

• Assurity Consulting

• Driver Hire Gatwick

• Eightspace LLP

• stevensdrake Solicitors

• Jellyfish Group

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Business Awards Manufacturing Business of the Year

Business Person of the Year

Sponsored by asb Law

Sponsored by KPMG

The winner of this award will demonstrate how they confront many challenges, but continues to remain competitive, sustainable and futurefocused.

The winner of this category will show that they have a clear vision / strategy for their organisation and are committed to growing their Gatwick Diamond based business.

• Acro Aircraft Seating

• Christopher White, Denbies Wine Estate

• Denbies Wine Estate

• Rob Pierre, Jellyfish Group

• PVL UK

• Seni Glaister, WeFiFo

Apprentice of the Year Sponsored by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council The winner of this award will have shown outstanding progress and commitment to their own personal development, and their progression on a recognised learning scheme.

• James Seden-Smith, Red River Software • Jordan Williams, Merranti Group • Robert Wiles, Cloud9 Insight

Business of the Year (Up to £1m) Sponsored by The Platinum Publishing Group The winner of this category will demonstrate an exceptional trackrecord of achievement. We are looking for high performing and innovative small businesses that do the right thing for their clients, people and the Gatwick Diamond Community.

• The Creative Group • Juno Wealth Management • ViiSana

New Business of the Year

Business of the Year (Over £1m)

Sponsored by Basepoint Business Centres

Sponsored by NatWest

The winner of this award has demonstrated their determination, drive and passion to start and grow a successful business during tough financial times. The winner will have also demonstrated their vision to succeed and overcome many hurdles along the way.

The winner of this category will demonstrate an exceptional trackrecord of achievement. We are looking for high performing and innovative organisations that do the right thing for their clients, people and the Gatwick Diamond Community.

• Growth by Design

• Jellyfish Group

• We are ECHO

• MHA Carpenter Box

• WeFiFo

• PVL UK

The Award for Supply Chain Excellence

Business of the Decade

Sponsored by University of Brighton

Sponsored by NatWest

The winner of this award will demonstrate the establishment and development of the very best relationships between supplier and client.

The winners from the past 9 years of Business of the Decade have gone head to head so we can identify the Business of the Decade. We would like to acknowledge and thank Malcolm Hyde, Regional Director of the CBI, for his independent oversight of the judging of this category.

• Eezehaul Logistics • Eightspace LLP • PVL UK

• B&CE, The People’s Pension • Denbies Wine Estate • ILG

Last year’s awards ceremony

Find out what is happening by visiting www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com or follow @gdbizawards on Twitter for real-time updates on the night

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Finance

KEEPING CASHFLOW SMOOTH Jake Standing, Business Advisory Senior Manager at Kreston Reeves discusses the top five ways to improve your business cash flow.

M

anaging business cashflow is a key aspect of ensuring that you have enough money to pay staff and suppliers, in addition to building up cash reserves to invest in the growth of your business. Cashflow forecasting also allows management boards to identify and action issues on the horizon so that they do not pose a threat to an entity’s existence. Despite recent high profile cases in the press, it would be naïve to think that detailed forecasting is something only large companies can execute, or have the correct expertise to consider.

There are many products on the market that integrate with accounting software to provide a semi-automated forecasting solution, and this is something that a business of any size should investigate.

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But is recording and forecasting your cashflow enough? You may have weekly meetings to discuss the forecasts, and understand where the pinch points are, but how do you actually go about improving the position? Here are five main areas you should look at in the first instance.

Agree price and service level up front The best way to ensure that you are paid on time is to close the expectation gap between yourselves and your customer. If you agree on the goods or service and the value up front, then there is less chance of a disgruntled customer through price, and more chance of getting paid within terms. This will also allow the customer to ensure that the correct

amount is placed on their internal purchase order, so when the invoice comes through it will be matched and approved “seamlessly”.

Make it easy to get paid Ensure that your invoices are sent promptly, and directly to the person or department responsible for approving/paying you. Often, the first time you will know that a customer is not going to keep to terms is when the due date passes, which elongates the payment process further. Some businesses make use of an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), which not only saves money in operational efficiency, but also enhances the quality of data and improves cash turnaround time. Worth asking the question of your customers?

Finance

Explore the potential for on account payments If a contract spans a number of months, then on account payments are essential.

However, many businesses wait until the contract or service is complete before invoicing, and this puts a large amount of strain on cashflow as payments for consumables and staff will have already been paid out. It is not unreasonable to negotiate stage payments, and indeed if it is service provided on a recurring basis, why not consider monthly payments?

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Improving your cash flow management is just one aspect of you running your business that can lead to significant benefits and greater peace of mind.

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Make use of supplier payment terms… but don’t be late In some cases it can be tempting to pay suppliers early, whether that be to gain an early payment discount or just so that it is one less item on the ‘to do list’ to worry about.

However, it may transpire that the small discount you receive stops you investing in a higher yielding activity, or hinders you when

making a payment to other suppliers resulting in a late payment. Furthermore, as we are able to rely on the processes accounting products utilise to automate management and payment of supplier invoices, it does not make sense to pay an invoice early to get it off of the to do list. Supplier terms are an agreed length of time of further financing for your business – just do not be late!

Avoid unnecessary spending My final point is one which could invariably be seen as the most obvious, and in some cases it is. Unnecessary spending on office consumables, travel and subsistence and other sundry expenses can be avoided by utilising modern working practices. Consider cutting down on paper, embracing video conferencing for meetings with customers and suppliers, and generally being less wasteful with consumables.

However, in a distribution or manufacturing business one of the most unmonitored costs is the cost to carry inventory. The main area to look at here is to ensure that your ERP software can link your customer and supplier demand to enable purchases of inventory at the right time. Investment in this area, as well as the expertise of a good analyst can really improve not only your cashflow, but also profitability of the business.

It is very easy to get so involved with the day-to-day running of your business, that you don’t make the time to look at the bigger picture and the positive impact relatively small changes can have. Improving your cash flow management is just one aspect of you running your business that can lead

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Despite recent high profile cases in the press, it would be naïve to think that detailed forecasting is something only large companies can execute

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to significant benefits and greater peace of mind. Don’t keep putting this task off, review the difference it could make for your business today.

Jake Standing is a Business Advisory Senior Manager at Kreston Reeves and can be contacted at jake. standing@krestonreeves.com www. krestonreeves.com or call 0330 124 1399.

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Legal

DMH STALLARD PARTNER WINS LAWYER OF THE YEAR

Jonathan Grant (left) receiving his award from Paul Gresham (right)

J

onathan Grant, Partner and Head of Corporate at DMH Stallard, has been named Corporate Lawyer of the Year 2018 at a top industry event.

This is the second time Jonathan has received the top accolade at the Insider South East Dealmakers Awards, having also walked away with the title in 2015.

Jonathan heads up the firm’s corporate team and was recognised for leading on many of the most complex deals and overseeing the integration of Rawlison Butler lawyers following their recent merger with DMH Stallard.

Jonathan said: “I am fortunate to work for a great law firm in DMH Stallard and have many of the most talented corporate lawyers in the sector as part of my team.”

In addition to Jonathan’s individual success,

DMH Stallard also received top honours for the Deal of the Year under £10 million. Abigail Owen, Corporate Partner, advised on the sale of a minority stake in Posturite to the US-based Fellowes Group.

DMH Stallard has reported a 110% growth in regional mergers and acquisitions (M&A) revenues for the period July to December 2017, compared with the same period the previous year. The merger with Rawlison Butler increased the Sussex and Surrey-based team to 15 lawyers.

Jonathan added: “The continued ambition of the firm, coupled with the quality of the M&A partner team of Abigail Owen, Danos Athanasi and Kate Norgett, is proving decisive for us.

“The regional M&A market is buoyant, and this sustained period of growth is clear evidence of that.”

Other notable deals include the sale of Chichester publisher Summersdale to Octopus, the private equity investment by Palatine into Trade Skills4U, the sale of Morton Michel to PIB group and the sale of BuzzSumo to Brandwatch.

Abigail Owen, Partner at DMH Stallard, holds the Deal of the Year trophy with Nik Askaroff of EMC Corporate Finance. With them is David Moran, Head of Corporate at Shawbrook Bank, the category sponsors.

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DMH Stallard was named Corporate Law Firm of the Year in 2017 and 2016.

Legal

CELEBRATING MERGER SUCCESS FOR REGIONAL LAW FIRM

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ver a hundred clients, contacts and friends of DMH Stallard and Rawlison Butler joined with the firm’s partners and teams in Crawley and Horsham to celebrate their successful merger.

Richard Pollins, Managing Partner at DMH Stallard, said: “DMH Stallard and Rawlison Butler share many values, not least a belief in nurturing really strong and close client relationships.

“Having welcomed so many long-standing clients to our merger celebrations it is clear that this conviction is being fulfilled.”

The recent merger brought the overall team strength to 350, including over 70 partners, and increased the number of offices in Sussex, Surrey and London to six.

Back row left-right: Digby Armstrong and Rustom Tata. Front row leftright: Richard Pollins, Lorna Fairbairn and Robert Knight

NO SLOWING CITY EXPANSION

W

ith a little over 12 months since DMH Stallard announced its expansion in Brighton, the leading regional law firm has reported significant growth across each area of the business in the city.

The TMT, dispute resolution, private client, corporate, employment, family and real estate teams have all been active with an overall 50% increase in people, including three new partners and a number of lawyers.

Tim Ashdown (pictured), Senior Litigation Partner at DMH Stallard, said: “Our decision to invest in a major expansion of our Brighton office has proved hugely positive, not just in terms of new business, but also from a connectivity perspective.

“The city has become an internationally recognised hub across a range of sectors, not

least in those areas of business where DMH Stallard has always been very strong.

“Telecoms, digital media and other emerging technologies are thriving in Brighton and it’s been really exciting to be in that space, sharing knowledge and expertise, and establishing new relationships with renowned industry influencers and opinion formers.

“And from a purely social and well-being perspective, I know my colleagues are enjoying being based in such a vibrant and culturally diverse environment.”

Camilla Bishop joined the private client team as a senior associate in the Brighton office at the start of 2017.

Camilla said: “Brighton radiates an energy that rubs off on the people working in the city.

“It’s a great office location for clients and

colleagues, and I’ve no doubt more people will be making the same move as I did to DMH Stallard in 2018.”

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Technology

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME IT STOPPED YOUR BUSINESS WORKING? What value do you put on your businesses reputation? Make sure you have all your IT security and protection in place to avoid any catastrophic problems, says Luke Mead, Managing Director of LMS Group.

M

ay 2017, it wasn’t a good month

for continuity or business as usual! Prince Philip announced his retirement, British Airways cancelled all flights for one day from both Heathrow and Gatwick amid a “major IT system failure”, and then there was the ‘biggest ransomware’ offensive in history; more than 300,000 computers in 150 countries were infected with a strain of ransomware dubbed WannaCry. There was international havoc, parts of the NHS were crippled and parcels in the FedEx network were delayed.

“Ransomware: A type of malware (malicious software) that threatens to publish the victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.”

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It’s not just ransomware that can stop businesses from operating, lack of management and being on the back-foot can cause catastrophic problems

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At the time of the May 2017 cyber-breaches, ransomware was no new thing. It had in fact been around for years. From an exposure and awareness point of view, the attack that hit the NHS was a good thing - it put ransomware on the radar, and made a lot of people sit up straight. If a relatively simple and noncomplex malware infection could spread that quickly across the NHS and cause that much

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disruption, how vulnerable were small to medium size businesses? Unfortunately, very vulnerable.

It was a few days after the initial WannaCry outbreak when out of the blue we had a lady come into our office. We’d never met before, she was a local photographer. In a state of despair, she proceeded to explain how she’d lost all her photos - everything that she had ever taken going back years, and she’d even lost her backups. The whole lot, gone. Unfortunately, she was right, absolutely everything had been encrypted. Had she had a more comprehensive backup solution (more than occasionally selecting photos and copy and pasting these to an external hard drive) it would have been a different story.

It’s not just ransomware that can stop businesses from operating, lack of management and being on the back-foot

can cause catastrophic problems. We started working with a logistics company back in 2015, they moved their IT support to ourselves as they were constantly being let down by their previous provider. As part of our engagement and on-boarding with any new company or client, we always carry out an in-depth audit and review of their current and pre-existing IT systems, cyber security and network.

In this case, we flagged at our initial meeting that a hard drive had failed in their server and expressed the urgency that this required immediate attention and resolving as a priority. Having raised the issue with their IT provider on the day that we met (something their previous provider should have known about and sorted without bothering the client for anything other than access), just shy of two weeks later the server crashed. Another drive failed, resulting in the loss of three

Technology working days and 24 hours of data; and a lot of money... Safe to say they moved their IT support to ourselves and have been a client ever since.

There’s a common theme here, and that’s business continuity. All of the above situations

❝

An IT disaster should never be ‘just a matter of time’

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could have been avoided. Had the NHS invested in their IT security, the WannaCry ransomware outbreak wouldn’t have brought hospitals to their knees. Had the photographer invested in a proper and more robust backup solution, she wouldn’t have lost her data.

Had the previous IT company used an RMM (Remote Management and Monitoring) tool, the business wouldn’t have lost time, data or money. As for Prince Philip retiring, I can’t think of a way that that could have been avoided I’m afraid.

IT is critical for businesses of all sizes, so any outage can have catastrophic effects. And it’s not just the loss of time, data or money either,

it’s the loss of reputation that can have a longlasting damaging effect that’s unaccountable.

Unlike the retirement of Prince Philip being something that was ultimately unavoidable and just a matter of time, an IT disaster should never be ‘just a matter of time’. Frankly, it need not be a matter at all. At the front end, it’s all about making sure you have adequate IT security, IT protection and cyber breach mitigation in place; things that are more important than ever when you consider the implications of Article 32 of the GDPR. At the other end, you need more than just backup.

Backup is not the be all and end all, it’s just one element that should be considered as part of your continuousness IT strategy, the others being Disaster Recovery (DR) and System Continuity. For instance: Backup: A single user has accidentally deleted a file and needs to recover this from the backup. The rest of the business is nonethe-wiser, everyone else is working and within a few minutes, the file is restored.

Disaster Recovery: The office has burnt down.

The complete IT system needs to be recovered from an offsite image and within a few hours, there is access to data and systems.

System Continuity: A server has crashed and the software that runs the business is not accessible. Within a few minutes, everyone can switch over to the secondary server whilst the primary server is restored.

At LMS Group, we provide bespoke business continuity solutions that keep our clients fully operational and safe from IT disaster. For more information and to book a FREE IT Assessment visit: www.lms.group/ continuity

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Interview

SHARE TO SUCCEED In the final interview with Ian Fletcher-Price (Fletch), MD of Posturite, Fletch explains why he sold 20% of his shares to his Employees and the reason behind his decision to sell 20% of the company to an American office furniture company a decade later.

PART 3: Selling Shares to Maintain Growth When a company is in a rapid growth phase, the priorities are fairly straightforward - bring in the business and ensure the orders can by efficiently fulfilled. But what happens when a company reaches a mature stage of its lifecycle. How do you keep staff motivated to keep pushing for growth, and how can a business expand once it becomes market leader?

Once you prove a business idea can be successful, it is inevitable that others will try to mimic your model. In the early 2000s, Fletch lost a few of his key staff, who either left to join competitors or decided to start their own companies. In his own words Fletch found this to be “extremely irritating”. But it raised the question, how can you keep your team onside?

For Fletch, the answer was to make shares in the company available to key staff.

Offering shares wasn’t immediately an option, as Fletch actually only owned half of the company, as he recalls: “This was a good time to offer to buy out my business partner, Simon Petrides. Simon wasn’t really getting any return on his investment because we were just investing every penny back into the business, and fortunately he saw it in a favourable way.

I said to him ‘I’d like these guys to buy in but I don’t want to be a minority shareholder in

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the business I’m running. Are you ready to let me make you an offer?’ And he was, so it was great.

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By offering up the shares, it retained the family business atmosphere.

Everybody cares. I don’t have to look over my back as we’ve got 22 people looking out for us.

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“So in 2005 I sold 20% of the business to 22 key members of staff in the company: divisional heads, regional heads, account managers and key members across the business. At that point I owned 80% and

22 people owned 20%, and that gave them ownership and a sense of belonging. They had to pay for them and some went to their friends and families to borrow the money. By offering up the shares, it retained the family business atmosphere that we still have to this day.

Everybody cares. I don’t have to look over my shoulder as we’ve got 22 people looking out for us. And they’re all still with us 13 years on.

“I am a big preacher of the benefits of such a move to any other small business owners. It’s

worked for both me and the company.”

Having everyone on board was the correct move, but there was still the difficulty of continuing with high growth, when the business had sales teams already operating round the country.

“We had the brand, our own product range and a direct B2B route to market. But how were we going to scale the business in terms of exports around the globe and give the shareholders a better return on their investment?

“Last year we sold 20% of the business to Fellowes Office Furniture. Fellowes are a $1 billion corporation from Chicago who have recently entered the ergonomic market. They have a retro fit sit-stand solution called Lotus, which is their first truly ergonomic product, but they recognised that they are new to this field. They wanted to acquire the expertise to diversify away from paper-based products.

“Fellows are privately owned, their current CEO John Fellowes is fourth generation and just 39. His vision is to diversify his product portfolio, but they want do it gently. They come in with 20% and work to scale it together.”

“They had some easy gains by putting our products through their distribution channel (which represents 100% of their route to market). Direct sales fascinate them and we’re

Interview

hopefully teaching them something about that. At the same time we have added some of their products to our product range. New product development is a key area for future excitement together. Fellowes have their own factories in China, so I have been with John to tour the factories and see what opportunities we can create in new product development together.”

Diluting shares can feel quite risky, especially for a founder of a company, but Fletch is convinced that the rewards far outweigh the negatives: “For the last 12 years I felt the value has increased much faster because I invited people within the company to join in and go on the journey together. For me 80% was worth more as a successful business than 100% would have been had I not done that.

“I think we’re at the same phase again.

By inviting Fellowes in we’re going to create even greater value for the business by having what I regard as an engagement with them and having a ‘big brother’ – these are the two expressions I keep hearing myself using when I’m talking about the relationship. It is like having a big brother that you look up to.

“Fellowes are a far bigger company than

us. They’re very grown up and they’ve been very profitable. Also they’re a lovely family. For the final sealing of the deal the father Jamie Fellowes, who’s 72, flew over with his son John to come and see the business for themselves, just to rubber stamp that they’re making the right decision. And whatever they saw they obviously liked because it got concluded straight after that visit.

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Google and Apple believe, quite rightly in my view, that in order to attract the best talent they have to have the best working environments.

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“America is a good market for the ergonomic products. They don’t have the legislation to force business owners to improve the wellbeing of their staff, but the example has been set by the Silicon Valley companies like Google and Apple. They made it cool to have an ergonomic workplace. They believe, quite rightly in my view, that in order to attract the best talent they have to have the best

working environments.

“I think over the next 10-15 years it will be a great export market and the cost of ergonomics will reduce as it becomes more mainstream. The immediate focus is America, Australia, Japan, France and Germany.”

The Fellowes deal has created a new excitement in the business and Fletch is as motivated as ever. So what’s next for the business?

“I’ve seen so much change. I’ve been selling a sit-stand desk for the best part of 22 years and at the start it was like pushing water uphill. I knew it was the right thing, I knew the benefits of it, I knew you’d burn 50 calories more standing up working at a desk, I knew that exercising yourself with your peripheral heart, which is your calf muscles pumping your blood back up through the veins to the heart, rather than static posture was healthier. It is the right thing to do and makes sense to do at work. It’s taken a few high profile campaigns by people to actually put it on the mainstream map.

“Having created Posturite it is important for me to see that legacy carrying on.”

www.posturite.co.uk

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CEO Fight Club

CEO

USING CREATIVITY IN BUSINESS

By Si Conroy, owner of Scarlet Monday

“Creativity is the use of imagination or original ideas to create something” – Oxford Dictionaries

I

f you have ideas but don’t act on them, you are imaginative, not creative. So if creativity is the act of turning new ideas into reality, why does it feel like such an intangible aspect of running a business? Going back to our common theme in these articles: it’s all your fault… Let me explain.

Linda Naiman of www.creativityatwork. com highlights that creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. She continues: “Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions”.

It is useful to look at the similarities between that, and my view of the primary role of the CEO; to have the insights and

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develop the perceptions/abilities to detect patterns of change and then relate them to your landscape, industries, competition and business.

So, I propose that the heart of the problem most leaders have with creativity in business is that they are the lead creative but don’t realise it. This is probably then compounded by a pattern failure to turn ideas into a reality the rest of your business can deliver on. I believe these two issues drive the boxing of creativity into something to be done in large meetings called brainstorming, with big sheets of paper, post-its and zero outcomes that mean anything to anyone a few weeks later. Worst still is the allocation of the ‘creativity’ role into a job title or outsourced consultant or agency.

The solution? Start by taking the thickrimmed glasses, hipster beards and cats on beanbags out of the equation and have a chat with your equivalent of Daphne or Dave in the post room. Say something like, ‘if this was your business – from your perspective, what would you change?’. Assuming you’re not an ogre who your team are petrified to talk to, in most cases you’ll get a flow of practical ideas. Yes, there will be some silly, uninformed

outliers, but from their perception of their world there will be nuggets in there that just require execution to become a reality. Why doesn’t this just happen? Mainly because you’ve not structured your business to permit it. Process, efficiency and lack of trust (or poor capability as a result of poor hiring) normally force people to do what has always been done without question.

In one business we gave the team their fifth day back to do whatever they wanted as long as they shared their experiences with others. For about two years – when they could have been stroking their thick-rimmed glass-wearing cats – they actually spent every Friday changing how they did their Monday to Thursday job. Nothing earth-shattering, but they found new solutions which came from perceptions they had about the hidden, new ways of doing things whilst undertaking their ‘day’ jobs.

This is where you have to lead by example.

Because it’s all about your ability as a leader to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to then generate solutions; if you don’t, they won’t.

CEO Fight Club

How do you lead this change in a world where brainstorming is banned?

1. Break out: of your office, your industry, your country… whatever it is, start by looking outside where you are and what you do.

2. Be quiet: breakthroughs are rarely Big Bang moments. It’s about subtle shifts in perception. Small insights that indicate a new way of doing something. If you’re focused on earth-shattering revelations, you’ll totally miss the important stuff.

3. Ignore what’s expected: some of the most worrying creativity constraints are self imposed. How does your industry group your consumers, your product, service, categories etc? As soon as you start to get creative here you’ll have your equivalent of the auto industry’s compact cross-over SUV…

4. Mix it up: if Amazon were going to run a business in your industry, what would change? Choose an alternative industry and imagine what the lovechild of the two industries would be. Even if it’s as simplistic as something like, ‘imagine an accountants run by ad agency people’, your brain will quickly start to suggest some radical alternatives that may not be so unrealistic.

5. Spend time with your consumers: don’t pay others, do it yourself and insist your team do too. P&G’s Febreze $1bn annual sales came after a relaunch failure led executives to review customer interviews and notice that heavy users used it as a reward not a solution.

6. Feed your hidden polymath: defined

by Wikipedia as a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas, stop just reading your industry journals or attending your

industry conferences. Select a new business sector each month and try and have lunch with someone in it to learn more about it. Flick through their journals and attend a conference in a parallel industry. Your brain loves to work with fuzzy in this mode.

With my consultancy/mentoring hat on, I force myself to work across as many industries as possible. The patterns across industries mean the fundamentals of how to grow businesses are the same, but the differences when applied to an alternative industry are where the hidden magic happens.Whether it’s an AirbnB, an Uber or Instagram they started from taking what already exists and then doing it differently.

Si Conroy specialises in helping business owners remove their blockers to profitable business growth; be they strategy, marketing & sales, people, finance or systems/process. Trained at PwC and owner of www.ScarletMonday.com and www.ConstantMentor.com, Si practices what he preaches across a number of businesses in which he has invested. si@scarletmonday.com @siconroy

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Business Awards

SUSSEX SUPER GROWTH AWARDS 2018 Congratulations to this year’s finalists, representing the fastest-growing private companies in Sussex.

T

he Sussex region is a significant and growing contributor to the national economy with sector strengths including construction, information technology, manufacturing, retailing, advanced engineering and logistics, to name a few. With such a diverse economy, the Sussex Super Growth Awards return for a 4th year to recognise the county’s high-growth, wealthcreating, job-generating businesses.

This year’s Awards will take place on Thursday 8th March at the Amex Stadium in Falmer, hosted by well-known local businessman and broadcaster, Simon Fanshawe OBE. A list of this year’s finalists has been released by the organisers. It’s an exciting time for these companies who will shortly find out where their business growth ranks within this prestigious peer group.

Sponsored by asb law, Lloyds Bank and Kreston Reeves, in collaboration with The Argus and Platinum Business Magazine as media partners, these awards recognise and celebrate business success. The Sussex Super Growth finalists are assessed over a four-year accounting period using filed information at Companies House. Their growth rankings will be revealed on March 8th when the fastest-growing company will be announced.

Inclusion in the Sussex Super Growth Awards is a real testament to success. Whether that is down to innovation or evolution, improved market conditions or diversification, each and every finalist should be proud to be part of such a fantastic gathering of Sussex businesses.

Sussex Super Growth Finalists 2018 – listed in alphabetical order • A World of Books • Airtech Air Conditioning Services • Ampito Group • Arden Grange • BD Foods • Buxted Construction • C J Thorne & Co • Chandlers Building Supplies • Cheesmur Building Contractors • Coppard Plant Hire • Cordek • Cox Skips • Dinnages Garages

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• DNP Restaurants • Dual Energy Direct • Edwards & Ward • Elite Fine Foods • Envision Pharma • Ferrabyrne • First Central Insurance Management • First People Recruitment • Focus Group • Gardner & Scardifield • Harwoods • Hill Brothers • Industrial Construction Sussex

• International Logistics Group • J W Stratton • John Jempson & Son • K & S Construction • KEW Electrical Distributors • Littlewood Fencing • Madgex • Mecmesin • Melrob Group • OCSL • Owen Contractors • Paine Manwaring • Paladone

Business Awards • Parker Building Supplies • Paxton Access • Penfold Verrall • Pets Corner • Phase Electrical Distributors • Posturite • PSI - Pay

• Pureprint Group • Roffey Homes • Rydon Construction • SAS Global Communications • Southern Cranes & Access • Stamco • Thakeham Homes

Russell Bell, Senior Consultant at asb law,

• Tomsetts Distribution • VW Heritage Parts Centre • Whiteline Manufacturing • Wilmoths Group • Wilson Process Systems • Woolovers • Zenith Insurance Management

Strong growth by Sussex construction companies

said: “Sussex has major business strengths across many sectors, and the Sussex Super Growth Awards provide a welcome opportunity to celebrate the success of companies that are creating wealth and generating jobs across the region.”

When you review this year’s finalists, 42% of them represent the construction industry or its associated supply chain. Sussex has strong businesses in this sector and growth is coming from two areas. The first is new residential property including the conversion of under-used office buildings into new homes under permitted development rights.

Housebuilding has also been boosted by the government’s help-to-buy equity loan programme. The second is bespoke commercial development, despite a number of existing big infrastructure projects having come to an

Gavin Potter, Growth Relationship Director for Lloyds Commercial Banking,

end. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) recently reported that national construction output peaked in March last year, reaching a level that was 31% higher than the lowest point of the last five years. Headwinds do remain around Brexit uncertainty but for now, it’s great to see Sussex-based construction businesses enjoying a sustained period of growth.

said: “With the Sussex Super Growth Awards now an established fixture on the Sussex business calendar, we look forward to recognising and celebrating the achievements of our most successful fast growth companies.”

Paul Roe, Partner at Kreston Reeves, said: “It’s always great to see Sussex businesses doing so well, and these awards are unique in their ability to pick up fantastic success stories. We are delighted to be supporting great businesses in getting the recognition they so deserve, and making Sussex such a great place to do business.”

SUSSEX SUPER GROWTH AWARDS CRITERIA • Privately-owned business, trading with headquarters in Sussex.

• Profitable growth in turnover measured over a 4-year accounting period based on latest full accounts information filed at Companies House.

• Minimum turnover of £2m in base year.

For further information about the Sussex Super Growth Awards, please contact: neil.gardner@asb-law.com

In the next issue of Platinum Business Magazine, we will provide full coverage of the Sussex Super Growth Awards event, including a full list of the growth rankings of the finalists.

Simon Fanshawe OBE will host of the Sussex Super Growth Awards 2018

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PLATINUM SPORT We are delighted to announce that we are launching a brand new section entitled Platinum Sport in our April issue.

This new section will feature all the sport taking place in our region from football, rugby and cricket to paddle boarding, hockey and golf and everything in between. We will be bringing you fascinating profiles, in-depth reviews and sport fixture listings across Sussex

We are also delighted to announce that the former Managing Director of Juice Radio, Laurence Elphick, will be joining Platinum as our new Head of Sport and all press releases, fixture announcements and sponsorship opportunities should be sent to laurence@platinumpublishing.co.uk.

If your company would like to get involved with this exciting new section, contact Laurence without delay.

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BRIGHTON

@ copyright: Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove

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B.RIGHT.ON

Gloriously quirky, Brighton isn’t all about fish and chips and deckchairs; this booming city is home to big businesses, exciting development opportunities and abundant character with visitors flocking by the millions. Kate Morton explores this much-loved seaside resort.

F

ollowing his stage production of Richard III in 1944, English actor, Laurence Olivier, proclaimed: “There is a phrase: ‘the sweet smell of success’. And I can only tell you, I’ve only ever had two experiences of that and it smells like Brighton and oyster bars and things like that.”

And wasn’t he right. Brighton is a success. From its electric and energetic lifestyle, to its hedonistic ways and certain London sophistication that its acquired over the years, Brighton as a city is booming.

It’s colourful, it’s vibrant and it’s ‘green’ - becoming the world’s first planned ‘One Planet City’ a few years ago. Brighton is the only place in Britain where you will rub shoulders with celebrities, drag queens, business people and hippies all within the same vicinity. Alongside its bohemian roots, it has a touch of gentrification about it as it splits off into various village-style communities - this of course has not come at a price; many have said that the transformation of Brighton over the years has pushed many of the artistic souls away from their home town due to property prices and increased costs (Brighton property prices rose by 9% in mid-2017 equating to £29k). However, you have a city for all tastes and as a seaside destination, its been thriving for years.

HAVE YOU TRIED… The Brighton Zip? At 300 metre long, it’s the longest zip wire on the South coast that can reach impressive speeds, offering a 24 metre drop for an extra free fall experience.

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NEW ARRIVALS Soho House Private members’ club Soho House (pictured above), which boasts eateries, bars, hotels, farmhouse getaways and even cinemas in their portfolio, is set to arrive in Brighton. With works planned to start this year, the celebrity hotspot will set up home at Aquarium Terraces on Madeira Drive, where guests can expect to enjoy a new members’ club, an open air plunge pool and new sun deck. Boasting views across the sea, Soho House’s exclusive arrival will certainly breathe a new kind of life into the eastern side of the seafront and with tourism at the heart of the city, this exciting new addition will add yet another string to Brighton’s bow.

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE The Ivy in the Lanes Opening this spring, London stalwart The Ivy, is coming to Brighton - Ship Street to be precise. The Ivy has been a celebrity haunt for more than 100 years, serving up British cuisine and classic cocktails all set against the backdrop of glamour and decadence. The Ivy in the Lanes will offer guests a modern dining experience set within beautiful plush surroundings. (Pictured right: The Ivy Collection Espresso Martini and Infusions).

GAY PRIDE Brighton’s reputation as the UK’s capital of LGBT is certainly a status the city’s residents are proud of. First taking place in 1973 as a small affair, Brighton Pride has raised approximately £410,000 for the local LGBT community groups over recent years, and welcomes over 400,000 people to the city with an estimated £18million boost to the city’s economy. Celebrated in August every year, Brighton Pride is a glittering three day affair, the biggest event in the city’s calendar and welcomes a host of sensational performers, musicians and artists. The main event sees a carnival style parade through the streets of Brighton; with no holds barred. There’s even a Pride dog show, a campsite and Pride Pleasure Gardens where dancing bears and disco bunnies are the norm.

VETERAN CAR RUN With eccentricity at its heart, the Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is the world’s longest running motoring event. The first run was in 1896 and has taken place most years since, with a revival in 1927. In order to qualify, cars must have been built before 1905. The original run marked the passing into law of the Locomotives on the Highway Act which raised the speed limit from 4mph to 14mph, however this was reduced to 12mph before the act came into force. At the start line, you’ll usually find a group of people dressed in period costume, ceremoniously waving a red flag on the banks of the Serpentine in Hyde Park to start the run - participants will finish on Madeira Drive, Brighton. The next run takes place on Sunday 4th November 2018.

THE ROYAL PAVILION It was the glitzy Oriental party pad for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811; and described by Queen Victoria as ‘a strange, odd Chinese place’. The Royal Pavilion - or Brighton Pavilion as it is known - with its Indian turrets, eye-popping cake-like domes, intricate detailing and Chinese neo-classical interior, attracts over 1.2 million visitors to the city per year. Standing proud on the Steine, it forms part of Brighton’s heritage along with a bold nod towards the city’s eccentricity.

It was said that Brighton had become fashionable through the residence of George’s uncle, Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland, whose taste for cuisine, gaming, theatre and fast living was shared with the young prince George.

And as a result of this royal hedonistic lifestyle, the Pavilion was born. It was George’s seaside retreat where he could be truly indulgent - he purchased land surrounding the property on which a grand Indian-style riding school and stables to house 60 horses was built and which subsequently dwarfed the main residence itself. The palace was also a way for him and his lover, Brighton’s original cougar, Mrs Fitzherbert, to enjoy liaisons together in privacy.

Moving on to the 20th century, during World War 2, it was reported that Hitler instructed his army not to bomb the Pavilion as he wanted the palace to be his seaside home…

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www.starboxaccountants.com StarBox is part of MHA Carpenter Box, an award-winning independent firm of Chartered Accountants, Auditors, Tax and Wealth Advisers based in the South East.

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE THE MODS AND ROCKERS So called the Battle of Brighton, 50 years ago the nation was shocked by the violence of the notorious Brighton brawl that took place between the mods and the rockers.

Over the May and August bank holidays, the gangs swept across the South coast causing chaos amongst these quiet seaside towns. The press and the ‘establishment’ soon cottoned onto this new wave of violence, blaming the ‘youth culture of today’ and creating moral panic; but some say that these ‘gangs’ were no different then mere football hooligans.

The events of that summer of 1964 inspired The Who’s Pete Townsend to write his rock opera Quadrophenia, which was later made into a film in 1979. Many scenes are filmed in Brighton including the narrow alley just off East Street where Jimmy finally manages to get his wicked way with Steph. Every year in Brighton, the mods make their ceremonial trip to their ‘spiritual home’ of Brighton for their big reunion. The Mod Weekender sees scores of mods on their Vespas and Lambrettas ride into the city and park up on Madeira Drive.

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW • The oldest surviving “blue” movie was filmed in a garden in Hove in 1896.

What happened to the West Pier?

Its become one of the most photographed landmarks in Brighton, but perhaps not for the right reasons. In March 2003, the West Pier Pavilion was victim to an arson attack which completely destroyed this part of the pier. A few months later, the Concert Hall (already destroyed by a storm the previous year), was victim to yet another arson attack, of which the burnt out remains were removed due to safety reasons. What remains today is a skeleton of • There are more the Pavilion, now beyond repair. It’s hard to imagine that the beautiful bones of this structure once played host restaurants in Brighton to the ballet, pantomimes, the pier’s resident orchestra, military bands, tea dances and a fun fair. However, and Hove than anywhere more recently, an area dedicated to the heritage of the West Pier has been created on the boardwalk, where else in the country, with a 24 cast-iron columns, originally part of the substructure of the pier, and called The Golden Spiral, stand as ratio of one restaurant for light installations, illuminating the area around the West Pier. every 250 people.

• Britain’s first ever ‘land’ casino opened in Brighton’s Metropole Hotel.

DON’T MISS… Brighton Festival One of Europe’s leading multi-arts festival taking place on 4th May - 3rd June 2018.

A celebration of music, theatre, dance, circus, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and family events, Brighton Festival takes place in various venues across the city during the month of May, and highlights the city’s distinct and cultural atmosphere.

• Sir Winston Churchill went to school in Hove in 1883.

• After the success of the Volks Electric Railway, local inventor Magnus Volk hatched a slightly bonkers plan to allow rail passengers to travel as far as Rottingdean.

‘The Daddy Long Legs’ (pictured below) was a raised tramcar on stilts that ran along on rails underneath shallow waters for about 100 yards.

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE BLACK ROCK WATERFRONT Hailed as one of the largest development projects in the city’s history, Black Rock’s Waterfront is a regeneration project which would see the current Brighton Centre, along with the cinema complex next door, demolished and redeveloped with a larger replacement conference centre and world-class entertainment venue built at Black Rock. Plans also include the redevelopment of the Brighton Centre site, including extending Churchill Square Shopping Centre.

Black Rock is currently an undeveloped site located near Brighton Marina, previously the site of an old swimming pool, which has been derelict for over 30 years. With £12million of government funding awarded to the project last February, the £540million planned project is still at an ‘early stage’ due to it being a ‘long-term project and large scale site’. With remaining funding needed, legalities to be agreed with all parties involved and of course, development plans approved, is Black Rocks’ Waterfront really just a drop in the ocean?

Black Rock

PRESTON BARRACKS Once a military installation formally owned by the Ministry of Defence and designed to accommodate artillery and cavalry units, Preston Barracks’ regeneration project is a £150million scheme set to radically transform Brighton and further establish the University of Brighton. Under the working title of Momentum: Lewes Road, the scheme was given an unanimous approval at planning committee back in September 2017. The scheme is one of the biggest developments in Brighton in recent decades and covers the regeneration of three adjacent sites along Lewes Road, including Preston Barracks and the current car parks of the University of Brighton’s Watts House and Mithras House.

The £300m scheme is expected to bring in a total of £500m international investment to the city’s economy over 10 years. Key features that the developer U+I will evolve include 369 new homes, incorporating affordable housing, and 1,338 purpose built student bedrooms in managed halls of residence, alongside a new home for the University’s Business School, dubbed the ‘Central Research Laboratory’.

Proposed visual for the Preston Barracks

THE BRIGHTON MARINA ‘SKYSCRAPER’ With a vow to improve Brighton’s seafront with investments totalling over £1billion, the Brighton Marina development is currently in Phase II. The Brighton Marina scheme accounts for £250million of that sum and will provide 853 flats, retail, commercial and community spaces and the development of 11 luxury towers ranging from 6 to 40 storeys high. The 40-storey Dubai-esque tower, dubbed the ‘roaring forties’, will provide panoramic seafront views from its top-floor viewing gallery.

Phase I of the development created an additional 300 jobs for the local area and Phase II is expected to create even more. Construction will soon begin on the foundations for the 40 storey tower as well as the two adjacent nine and six storey blocks. Works will also include the demolishment of the concrete multi-storey carpark, in favour of more appealing underground parking.

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The Bighton Marina Tower

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE A ‘NEW LANE’ IN THE LANES Once known as the ‘Harrods of Brighton’, the former site of Hanningtons department store - The Hanningtons Estate - is set to be transformed into a new retail and leisure destination. The Hanningtons Lane project is set to redevelop buildings at the end of North Street, creating a new shopping lane from a previously unused access road as well as new retail and leisure outlets, and residential units. This high-end regeneration project sees the area being returned to its former glory, revealing Brighton’s oldest building, Pugets Cottage, as part of the transformation.

KING ALFRED

The proposed ‘new lane’ within the Hannington Estate

With much controversy surrounding it, the King Alfred project has finally got the green light. A competition was originally held to design a mix-use development site to include residential units and a leisure centre. Won by world-famous Frank Ghery Partners (work includes the Guggenheim in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Downtown LA), the winning entry - which stirred up much controversy about how it would fit in with the rest of Hove - was subsequently ‘canned’ due to funding issues.

A further extensive competition process was then held back in 2016, from which winners Crest Nicholson in partnership with Starr Trust were chosen.

The proposed sports centre, which will cost around £40million, will include two swimming pools, sports hall, gymnastics centre, indoor bowls hall, martial arts dojo, eight badminton courts, a cafe, a creche, and a 200 space car park.

The site will also include 560 flats.

King Alfred development proposal

A £15.2million government grant was announced in February - the second highest in the country - aimed at kickstarting major housing projects where financial viability is in question. But there is a long way to go… with a completion date being put back from 2019 to 2023, will this long-suffering opportunity ever get its new lease of life?

CIRCUS STREET

Circus Street, Brighton redevelopment

Labelled as a ‘new social, cultural and economic quarter’, Circus Street, Brighton is currently under construction, and is believed will bring more than £200million of income into the city over the next ten years and create more than 600 jobs. The former municipal fruit and vegetable market, which has been left derelict for years, will be transformed into a new landmark public building, The Dance Space, and will include a theatre and various studios. Flexible office space and workshop space for artists and local independent businesses will also be included along with managed accommodation for up to 450 students, restaurants, boutiques and a new ‘green’ public square.

AND FINALLY… One development that really has changed the face of Brighton and the ‘view’ forever is the Rampion Wind Farm.

Eight miles offshore, 116 turbines, 80 metres tall, dominate the landscape; many have come to accept these new arrivals that have popped up along the horizon over the last year or so, many have not. With all 116 turbines now in full swing, Rampion is one of the biggest wind farms in the UK and will provide enough sustainable energy to supply almost 347,000 homes.

Rampion Windfarm

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE Photo by Shoot Me Now Ltd.

JOINING THE COWORKING REVOLUTION

By Amy Lishman, Membership Manager at Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce

Cafe Werks

A

s membership manager at Brighton Chamber I spend a lot of my time out and about in Brighton, meeting with members and new contacts. I usually visit businesses at their offices or at one of the numerous coffee establishments in the city, but there are some new options springing up across Brighton and Hove in the form of co-working and shared office spaces. As is the case across the UK, coworking and shared office space is growing in demand. Brighton’s lack of affordable, good quality office space is still an issue for businesses based in the city so the popularity of co-working in the city is of no surprise. It’s now seen as one of the most productive ways to work, as it focuses on collaboration and making connections. Last month I decided to find out what all the fuss was about, and visited a few of Brighton and Hove’s latest additions to the co-working scene.

funky artwork, indoor plants and free beer Fridays, with a mixture of co-working and self-contained offices. I hung around after my talk and chatted with a few businesses and then smashed through my ‘to-do’ list! It was great to have the space to be sociable and network when I wanted, and then have time to follow up after all my meetings.

First stop was PLATF9RM in Brighton. With views of the sea and beautiful décor, it’s a space that inspires. I started the day by catching up on emails in the quiet zone - a tranquil glass-fronted room where you can switch off from the buzz and chatter of the co-working areas.

Mid-morning I chatted to some people I knew (and some I didn’t) over a cup of coffee in the informal communal areas. I left with some new contacts and ideas and felt energised. PLATF9RM have also opened in Hove Town Hall - it’s a very different space but still retains the cool, stylish community vibe.

Next up I was invited to give a short talk about Brighton Chamber to businesses at Freedom Works in Hove. It’s a creative hub based in the iconic Dubarry building behind Hove station. It’s evolving space with

Freedom Works, Hove

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EMC is the leading independent provider of corporate finance advice, interim management and operational support to SMEs across all business sectors in the South East TRAINING TEAM

Sale of business to Freight Transport Association Logistic Training Services EMC provided corporate finance services

PELHAM INTERNATIONAL

COLE JARMAN

SUMMERSDALE

Sale of business to Octopus Publishing Group

Share Buy-Back

Sale of business to RSK Group

International Executive Search

Acoustics Consultancy

EMC provided corporate finance services

EMC provided corporate finance services

POWERLASE

POSTURITE

Sale of majority stake to Andritz Industrial Laser Manufacturer

Book Publisher EMC provided corporate finance services

STARSPEED

BIRD STUDIOS

Sale of 20% stake to Fellowes

Sale of business to Luxaviation

Sale of business to BRICTT

Office Furniture

Helicopter Charter and Training

Performing Arts Academy

EMC provided corporate finance services

EMC provided corporate finance services

EMC provided corporate finance services

EMC provided corporate finance services

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Sale of business to Danske Laegers Vaccinations Service

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Management Buy-Out

Sale of business to Optima Defence & Security Group Ltd

Merger of business into Michael Bell Ltd

Travel Clinic

Financial Services

Munitions Location & Disposal

Digital Media

EMC provided corporate finance services

EMC provided corporate finance services

EMC provided corporate finance services

EMC provided corporate finance services

CARLYON GREEN

GENIE CARE

BOLNEY WINE ESTATE

COBB DIGITAL

Sale of business to ACRx LLC

Sale of business to Frontier Medical Group

Raising Funds

Acquisition of business division from Leapfrogg

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Winery

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Eastbourne | Brighton | Maidstone | Epsom | London

www.emcltd.co.uk

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE My last day was mainly an office day. The Chamber is based at Entrepreneurial Spark, a business accelerator for early stage and growing businesses, so we’re permanently coworking come to think about it. Entrepreneurs on the programme get to use the shared office. It’s a dynamic place to be where businesses share ideas, support each other to solve business problems and have fun whilst doing it. Having chatted to the entrepreneurs based at E Spark, they say that having a shared space to work with peers has been invaluable in growing their business.

A friend said to me recently that he thought all I did was drink coffee and talk to people for a living. He does have a point. I did spend a lot of this week meeting people and knocking back a coffee or two. Lucky for me, it’s a big part of my job and I’m pleased to say that co-working helped my productivity. It allowed me to get most of the admin work on my to-do list complete, and gave me the space to meet people and make new connections.

I’m bought into the co-working revolution, so it will become a permanent fixture in my diary. So if you so see me around come and say hello, I love to chat about all things business in Brighton!

business. Be open-minded!

fun and thought-provoking events from ‘walkshops’ in the downs to themed socials.

The Werks facilitate peer mentoring and even have an innovation café! These events are all designed to help you collaborate, connect and expand your business possibilities. Get involved!

Manage your time carefully: Co-working can offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with others, however there are times when you need to get your head down. The beauty of co-working is that you can choose when you want to interact with others and when you need some serious quiet time. You are there to work after all.

If you’re interested in finding out more about co-working and other work space and how it could work for you, visit www. businessinbrighton.org.uk/businesssupport/work-space

Take advantage of what’s on offer: I’m not just talking about the endless supply of tea, coffee and biscuits. Freedom Works hold workshops and talks aimed at supporting businesses; PLATF9RM have an array of

Thinking about co-working? Here are my top tips to make it work for you.

Don’t be shy: If you’re in a communal area, say hello and engage with people around you.

You never know what kind of insights they might have on that business problem you’ve been trying to tackle, or whether they have an interesting contact that can help you with the

PLATF9RM

CO-WORKING DIRECTORY Basepoint Shoreham

Bizspace, Hove 01273 467500 shoreham@basepoint.co.uk

01273 410 789 hove@bizspace.co.uk

Brighton Eagle Lab, Brighton brightoneaglelabs@barclays.com

Freedom Works, Hove

O N C A, Brighton

PLATF9RM, Brighton and Hove

01273 977220 jo@freedomworks.space

lulu@onca.org.uk 01273 607101 Rodhus, Brighton

01273 437090 info@platf9rm.com Sussex Innovation Centre, Falmer

info@rodhus.co.uk The Dock Hub, Brighton

01273 704400 The Werks Group , Brighton & Hove

emma@thedockhub.co.uk 01273 830330 The Vine Club

01273 201 100 info@werksgroup.org.uk.

Spaces, Brighton

info@vine-club.co.uk

0800 260 5600 reception.trafalgarplace@spacesworks.com

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

FROM HERITAGE TO FUTURISTIC HEIGHTS Before moving to Brighton last year, Steve Bax had spent the previous decade at English Heritage. Now he is the Executive Director at British Airways i360, the striking, glistening viewing tower that boldly stands in front of the traditional seaside architecture. Ian Trevett asked Steve about his dramatic switch from the preserved world of historic stately homes to the modern and shiny i360.

M

eeting Steve Bax in the stylish, new-look West Beach Bar & Kitchen, overlooking the sea, he appears to be very happy with life at the BA i360, and I start by asking him how it contrasts from his previous life at English Heritage. “You could say it is a move from something old and a bit crumbly to something new and shiny,” says Steve. “Part of my role at English Heritage was conservation, ensuring our heritage assets are handed on to future generations. The challenge was to maintain those buildings and when you’ve got ruins they naturally don’t want to stand up. They are in a ruinous state,

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so it costs a lot of money to keep them in that way.

“Even here there is respect for the past, as the architects and engineers worked hard to copy the original West Pier toll booths. It’s fantastic that they did, and they used the same kind of building materials as used in Victorian times.

“I think that British Airways i360 fits in well, and it carries on that grandeur of Victorian seaside towns and of the West Pier itself.”

One thing for sure is that BA i360 has already become an instantly recognisable

landmark for Brighton, just as the Shard and the London Eye have become icons for the capital. “We are the must-see attraction in Brighton. When you come to Brighton the best place to see it is from above. And then once you’ve seen it from above, go and explore all the fantastic other attractions: the Pier, the Lanes, the Pavilion – there is so much to do in Brighton. But you have to see it from above to really appreciate it, both in the day and in the evening.

“It’s a completely different experience at night, absolutely stunning and beautiful. And

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE the business plan had to be very robust.

“There was a backlash from people who thought it was inappropriate. They didn’t like the aesthetics of it, they didn’t like where it was. They would much rather have the pier rebuilt. But this always happens when there is change.”

Another battle for Steve is getting local people to revisit the bar and restaurant.

“Initially, the public spaces did not look as welcoming as they could have been. Now the rest of the venue is complete and we have a beautiful space. The West Beach Bar & Kitchen probably has one of the best views in Brighton; it is literally on the beach.

standing at 450’ up in the air with a glass of

the council to benefit from the return on that

Nyetimber in your hand, with your loved one or whoever you choose to be with that night, is an absolutely fantastic experience. We are probably one of the most unique venues in Brighton.”

investment. We paid over £2m to the council during the first year, and that is money that is reinvested. We can see it around us. We’re very fortunate that they’ve chosen to use the areas around us for that initial investment to make the whole area look fantastic – and it really does.

Perhaps part of the attraction for Steve is the opportunity to get hands-on. At English Heritage Steve started out selling tickets in a little wooden hut at the gate of Framlingham Castle in Suffolk, and he progressed up the organisation. He took on the Devon, Somerset and Gloucestershire region, then managed the West Midlands region, before being promoted to Director for the East and London. His remit was to look after 96 properties. But you get the feeling that Steve missed the day-to-day active involvement in a bustling attraction.

Steve says, “What attracted me to British Airways i360 was that it is new, and that I could help to shape it. And part of the attraction was that it had a slightly bumpy start because that just makes it more interesting. You think: ‘How do I make it better? How do I get over those hurdles? How do I get the people of Brighton to appreciate what it brings to the city?’ I needed that fresh challenge, and this was a big challenge to take on.”

“Around British Airways i360, there are the little boutique shops, the pier columns that have been used as public art; on the other side of them is a fantastic event space that can be leased out and used for public exhibitions.

Again, that’s money that’s going back into the council.”

But still there’s the nagging question - what if the BA i360 becomes a commercial failure would there not be liabilities for the council?

Steve fends off such suggestions: “Visitor numbers would have to drop to such a low level for there to be any risk. To get the plans through,

“Last summer, it was really, really popular with people sitting outside with a beer or a glass of wine, watching the sunset go down over the West Pier ruin – it’s just stunning. The first year to 18 months was all about the ride experience. Part of our marketing plan going forward is to concentrate on all the other areas and the benefits that this site gives to people.

“We have flexible event spaces for up to 1,100 people, we have a private beach terrace overlooking the West Pier, and you will not find a nicer, more attractive, stunning place to entertain your guests. And you can even get married here.”

Now Steve has had time to settle into the job, I asked him what was his vision for the coming years? “The most important priority is to ensure it remains commercially sound and viable - and for it to grow and become even more popular in Brighton – and that’s happening - it’s fantastic to hear people talk fondly about it, whether that’s tongue-incheek because they don’t like the style of it or whether that’s because they actually love it.

As Steve quite rightly reports, the BA i360 has not been without controversy. Even before it was built there were rumours of precious public money being thrown at the project.

Steve counters these rumours firmly: “The biggest misconception was about the funding.

It was a commercial loan from the Public Works Loan Board that was brokered by the local council. It’s a fantastic opportunity for

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE DELEGATE DAYS Elevate your corporate event or private dining experience by hosting it on a futuristic glass viewing pod, which can accommodate up to 175 people for an exclusive drinks reception.

The Nyetimber Sky Bar on board the pod serves a range of locally produced drinks, including Nyetimber, an award-winning English sparkling wine. A flight on the pod is the perfect way to end your event or conference, and is included in all Day Delegate Rates.

West Beach Bar & Kitchen “We all appreciate that we brought something new to Brighton which is going to continue to help Brighton thrive. I come from Margate a seaside town which used to be a thriving place and the most brilliant place to live, but then slowly it declined to a point where it was a ghost town. That made me really sad because the B&Bs and hotels went, and the amusements and theme park closed; it really was desperate. Then the Turner Gallery opened because somebody had that vision to say, ‘I can invest here and bring something completely modern and different in.’ Now Margate is on its way back up. And it’s great to go back there.

“Brighton didn’t suffer in the same way, but you need new things to keep the interest, to get people to say, ‘Actually, Brighton’s cool and we need to come back here more often’.

Interestingly I can remember the Turner Centre being built and all the controversy locally, with people saying: ‘What the hell are you doing, building that monstrosity on our seafront?’

“The BA i360 is another reason to come to Brighton, especially for conferences, which are really competitive now – there are conference centres popping up all over the place. Conference organisers and delegates want something a bit different, something memorable, and that’s what we offer.”

The credit for creating a new Brighton icon lies firmly with the vision of architects and visionaries, David Marks and Julia Barfield.

Sadly David passed away last year, but Steve feels lucky that he had a chance to meet him and work with him: “David was my boss. When I first came for an interview it was David who

50

I met. I was so thrilled that he managed to see the attraction’s first birthday. I’ve been sent his first ever sketch, his first thought of what it would look like. It’s just a line drawing but it literally is what’s here.

“He was an amazing man – gentle, intelligent, brave. Even when you look at the London Eye, that was a temporary millennium project which was too good to remove. It was originally rejected. I think David and Julia were such a powerful and supportive couple that even with the London Eye they believed in it 110% and just said ‘That’s fine, we’ll do it ourselves. We will go out there and we’ll do it’.

This was David’s vision and it’s the legacy of his incredible mind and vision.”

As well as meeting David and Julia, Steve has had time to meet the business community in Brighton, and he has thoroughly enjoyed the experience. “I’ve never been to so many balls in my life!” says Steve. “I have even bought a dinner suit because there is so much charitable work that goes on and it’s just wonderful. They’re lavish events and they’re special and they make you feel great but they also raise absolutely incredible amounts of money. I want for us to play our part and help raise money, and really be involved.

“Business people here are also generous with their time. They are always happy to introduce you to their contacts and go out of their way to help. It has been a fantastic experience and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop our local business relationships and to working together to promote our wonderful city to the world!”

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

A SNAPSHOT OF THE CITY As NatWest’s Director of Commercial Banking for Brighton and East Sussex, Gary Chown is perfectly positioned to assess the state of the economy in Brighton and Hove. Interview by Ian Trevett What types of businesses come under your remit?

We look after established SMEs in a territory which runs from Shoreham to Rye along the coast and up to towns such as Uckfield, Burgess Hill and Heathfield. In the north of the county, businesses are looked after by the team in our Gatwick office, and to the West by our Worthing office. Every 30 miles or so we’ve got a Commercial Banking team so that we’re close to our customers and we can understand the local environment. We’re committed to providing support and relationship management for our customers across the UK. My marketplace is businesses with annual turnovers between £2 and £50 million, which is quite a wide spectrum. In the city, a lot of our business customers sit within the £2m - £15 million brackets, though we have customers that have grown beyond that level of revenue and are well known contributors to the local economy.

The make-up of businesses in Brighton includes long-established names that we will all be familiar with, growing leisure and servicerelated operators plus numerous professional practices. In addition there is the dynamic and fast paced world of the media and tech

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sector. It’s quite an eclectic mix of different types of business, which is makes our job very interesting.

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The tech and media sectors will keep growing as we are a centre of excellence

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The bank has gone through considerable changes since the Banking Crisis of 2008. Has your role changed as a result?

No, it hasn’t. A lot of things are changing around us but my role hasn’t really changed.

We continue to work hard to look after our existing customers and to win new customers - that’s our mantra – delivering best in class service and support. We are very focused on being proactive and innovative and my role is to help and support my team to do that really well.

We have ten people in the team all with significant experience in the roles they undertake, and we’ve got an apprentice on board, which is good to see. It’s nice to see youth coming through as well.

Could you give us a snapshot of which sectors are strong in Brighton in 2018?

There are some strong and stable sectors where our team specialise due to the demand.

Claire Jackman looks after the education sector and charities, Rupert Kirby looks after the professional practices such as lawyers, accountants, estate agents, valuers etc., and Doug Balaam specialises in the leisure sector.

The leisure sector is a key element locally with plenty of hotels, B&Bs, pubs, clubs and restaurants. Then we have the media, tech and recruitment companies – a growing segment with some really exciting and vibrant companies based in the City.

Do you find Brighton has a large number of ‘lifestyle’ businesses i.e. company owners who are quite content to not grow too much to

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

preserve their work/life balance?

There are certainly many micro businesses in Brighton, which are defined as sub-10 staff, sub-€2 million turnover. There are hundreds of businesses of that size and out of those some grow and are acquired and some continue to build their businesses to become established SMEs. We do see some that get to a certain size and they’re comfortable with that and they don’t want to grow further. They still make a valuable contribution to the UK economy whilst fulfilling their work/life balance preference.

People love the environment here so the way of life is,perhaps, an influence.

However, there are plenty of businesses that have a growth strategy. Certainly we see ambitious businesses within our customer base and in our Entrepreneurial Accelerator programme with the hub based in Preston Road.

One of the reasons we have so many startups is because we have two great universities here. Many graduates take to the area and stay. Some go into employment, some evolve their entrepreneurial skills and develop their business ideas. The media and tech is very vibrant down here as mentioned.

As a bank, we’re committed to supporting our business customers of all shapes and sizes and that will continue. We continue to develop new technology to help our customers, so it’s going to be a good mix of face to face contact between customers and the bank staff with close working relationships, supported by some really top quality technology that helps to continuously improve the customer experience.

How hands-on is the commercial banking department?

In a word – ‘very’ . We work tirelessly to build mutually rewarding business relationships with our customers that really add value for them.

With regards to the businesses we look after (over £2m turnover), we sit down with the customer and go through a full business review with them which is an in-depth review to enable us to fully understand their business operations and strategy. What do they want to do with the business, where do they want to go, what’s on their agenda? We produce a summary of the discussion which we call a shared relationship plan, which includes the customer’s strategic summary and a synopsis on next steps and on how we can help them.

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Everyone is going to be affected by Brexit, but from a Brighton perspective maybe not quite as much as other areas of the UK.

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For instance if they seek bank funding then we review the various options and discuss what’s the right solution for them. That may be, for example, invoice finance, asset finance for a piece of equipment or a loan for equipment or premises. It’s just making sure we come up with the right solution for them and understand how we can help them with their current and future strategy.

How robust is the Brighton economy - and how will the city be affected by Brexit?

There have been hard times coming out of the recession in 2007/2008, but now it’s on a stable footing. Being a service/leisure led city, it suffers in a recession as disposable incomes are hit and that quickly impacts on the sector but they can bounce back quickly as well.

Everyone is going to be affected by Brexit, but from a Brighton perspective perhaps not quite as much as other areas of the country.

There are a lot of SME businesses that are well established and not necessarily reliant on Europe. However, we all await clarity on the exact terms of the exit so as to fully understand the likely impact.

Why should somebody start or move their business to Brighton?

There is a very good infrastructure to help businesses. Brighton is a city with one of the highest business start up rates in the UK so that is a pretty good indicator of the benefits of choosing Brighton. The costs of your premises are probably going to be higher and maybe the cost of employing staff too because Brighton is a pretty vibrant area with strong demand for premises and high levels of employment. There are excellent support networks in the city from Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, Sussex Chamber of Commerce, Coast to Capital, and NatWest’s Entrepreneur Accelerator to name but a few.

What does the future hold for our city in the next five years?

I don’t see any dramatic change. I think the tech and the media sectors will keep growing as we are a centre of excellence. I can see the Brighton population growing further with new housing provided along the coast. People want to live here whether they have been here all their life or moved here for their education or job opportunities. A strong and vibrant SME base bodes well for the future economic wealth of the area. Personally, I enjoy working here. I’m from Sussex originally, so it’s always nice to be on home territory and there’s always a lot going on here.

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ROLL UP ROLL UP The Brighton & Hove Business Awards will be held on July 12th and it will be a show like no other the City has ever seen.

Since Platinum took over all the business awards in the South East, we have been beavering away to ensure that the very first one of our tenure is the Event of the Year - and boy oh boy have we come up with a cunning plan. We haven�t released the ticket sales yet but we have had over 350 applications already. We haven�t released the entry date yet and we have had over 400 applications to enter already.

The wait is over - any business in the City can now enter these prestigious awards and become an award winning company, that can change the future of your business. Large or small, new or old - all are welcome to celebrate the very best this amazing City has to offer.

Go to www.bahba.co.uk and download your entry form once you have viewed all the award categories - and you can enter more than one of course but you only have until April 25th before entries are closed.

If you don’t enter these awards you might live to regret it as Platinum are offering the finalists a stupendous package including coverage for the finalists in the largest circulation business magazines in the UK, inclusion on our digital platforms which are currently hit by over 468,800 people every month and the chance to be involved in the Spectacular Event of the Year.

SNOOZE YOU LOOZE

ENTER NOW 55

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

AIMING FOR THE STARS IN DIGITAL AND CREATIVE BUSINESS Despite the Brighton digital boom, getting a job in the creative and tech industries can be notoriously difficult which is why an increasing number of intrepid entrepreneurs are taking the decision to start their own business. In this article, Sam Uwins, an expert in digital business, shares some top tips for creative start-ups.

Be creative – write a detailed business plan A good business plan will help you to test your idea, identify any weak points and is a real must if you want to secure finance. A business plan will also help you to define your ‘why’ – why you are going into business and what you are trying to achieve.

Your plan should serve as a guide but it’s important to be flexible and agile when necessary – it is one of the main advantages of being a small business. Think of your plan as a roadmap which is designed to point the way to your destination, but knowing that when you get there (or preferably before), there is another plan to be made as your business grows.

Things are constantly changing in a thriving business. Changing trends, competitor behaviour or your sales figures may nudge you in a direction you wouldn’t have previously

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dreamed of. These can require new goals and strategies to achieve them.

Of course, a change in plans may also require refinancing – another important reason to keep your business plan up-todate. These tips will help you revise your plan painlessly, so you’re in the best position to stay on course and impress a potential lender when you are looking for funding from a lender or investor.

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Think of your plan as a roadmap which is designed to point the way to your destination

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Most importantly and above all else, a business plan is for YOU – the owner of the business. It’s your vision and defines where

your business is now and where you want it to go to – it’s the route map of how you get there. Use your plan as a working document to keep you on track and keep you accountable for what you set out to achieve.

Set up your structure You’re ready to start your new business, but have you considered how the choices you make now will affect its growth? One of the earliest decisions is your business structure: should you set up as a sole trader, partnership or as a limited company? All of these have different tax issues to consider, as well as different liabilities. While it’s possible to change your business structure, it’s much easier to set up correctly from the beginning.

Our team can help you look at the pros, cons, ongoing filing and tax associated with the main start-up structures, to help you decide which is right for you.

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

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Most people who start up in business have a strong business proposition, great ideas, enterprise and commitment. But you can’t be an expert in everything!

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Get professional help We would say that wouldn’t we? Most people who start up in business have a strong business proposition, great ideas, enterprise and commitment. But you can’t be an expert in everything! The next step is to find a business adviser who can help you on your way to achieving those goals.

We have the expertise to help with the financial and legal aspects of starting and running a new business, and the advice to help your business grow. Some of the things you need to think about can seem daunting and even off-putting to the budding entrepreneur. The good news is that you don’t need to be an expert in these fields to succeed in business. All you need is the support of a good professional to guide you along the way.

Find some funds Raising finance for a start-up is never easy and very often involves an element of ‘bootstrapping’ or ‘sweat equity’. This means founding and building a company from personal resources, operating revenues and hard work! Availability of debt funding from banks is limited, and attracting equity investment at this stage can often mean having to give away too much of a stake in what should be your business.

A different avenue you can take is a start-up business grant. These are extremely popular, and very competitive. There are new ones

popping up all the time, so keep a look out for funds such as the Skills Investment Funds, a match funding scheme for training in games and other creative sectors.

Technology companies should also be aware of Research and Development (R&D) tax credits. This tax relief is a government incentive to encourage innovation, and if you can demonstrate technological advancement, you may qualify. Don’t worry though, lab coats aren’t a requirement! You’ll just need a tax adviser who can give you chapter and verse.

Profitable companies can deduct up to 230% of eligible costs, and help reduce their tax bill. Loss making companies can claim

a tax rebate of up to 33.25% of qualifying expenditure. Eligible costs include staff, subcontractors and consumables. You should, however, be aware of the impact of receiving other grant support on R&D tax claims so do take advice.

Sam Uwins is an Associate at StarBox (part of MHA Carpenter Box). For further advice on starting your own creative or tech business, or on taking one to the next level, call Sam on 01903 234094 or email him at sam@starboxaccountants.com

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For pleasure For business For fun

ONE APP DOES IT ALL

01273 55 55 55 58

www.citycarsbrighton.co.uk

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

THE FLOAT SPA Please describe what your business does…

‘A haven in Hove’ is how one regular visitor described the Float Spa because we offer a chance for people to escape the clamour and stress of daily life and take time out to focus on their physical and mental wellbeing. As well as offering floatation therapy in state of the art float pods, we also host an extensive range of yoga classes, offer a variety of massage therapies and have a resident chiropractor and nutritionist.

Floatation allows people to float free from gravity and external stimulation to encourage mind and body to completely relax relieving pain and stress in their whole being.

Why is Brighton and Hove a good place to do business?

People in Brighton and Hove are very open to new experiences and there’s a real culture of people looking after themselves so it’s a great place for us to introduce people to new ways to feel good. For business in general, there is a very active and supportive network of small businesses who are happy to work together and help each other.

www.thefloatspa.co.uk Tel 01273 933 680.

What makes your business special?

Exceptional service, a welcoming atmosphere and an immaculate but relaxing environment are what set the Float Spa apart. Our dedicated close-knit team take great pride in helping people undergo a transformation from stressed and achy to relaxed with reduced or no pain. We only offer tried and tested ways to improve people’s wellbeing and would never offer a fashionable type of class or therapy if we weren’t 100% convinced it would do our clients good.

How long have you been in Brighton and Hove?

Our spa in Hove has been open for nearly three years now.

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

GREEN BUSINESS IS THRIVING Robb Cunningham on the city’s green sector

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ot long ago, a business that focussed on reducing carbon, recycling or protecting the environment was in a niche that just a few pioneers had carved.

But nowadays, ‘green business’ has become mainstream, and it’s quickly becoming the standard that all businesses need to follow.

Neilson’s Global Corporate Sustainability Report 2015 showed that 73% of millennial consumers are willing to spend more on a product if it comes from a sustainable brand, and 81% expect their favourite brands to promote their sustainability credentials.

And of course it’s not just about business.

We all have a responsibility to ensure the planet is in good health for generations to come.

As a young and vibrant city, Brighton has a thriving green business community that includes businesses from traditional green sectors, such as renewable energy, waste management and water efficiency as well as businesses from any sector that are mixing things up and adding a sustainable angle to what they are doing - retail, construction and food to name but a few.

Nigel Bamford of Waterblade processes and products and to innovate to develop the low carbon/cleantech products and services of the future.

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Each company has its unique needs, but at the Green Growth Platform, there’s a shared focus on the environment: members are either in the business of developing green-focused products and services, or they’ve joined up as part of efforts to improve the environmental impact of their work

Supporting green growth

Of the 950 members, about a third are based in Brighton and Hove, with the remainder spread across East and West Sussex.

Businesses benefit from bespoke coaching, support with funding, training and technical expertise to develop new products and services.

As a young and vibrant city, Brighton has a thriving green business community

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At the hub of the sector is the University of Brighton’s Green Growth Platform, a thriving network of 950 green businesses from across Sussex.

Based at the Moulsecoomb campus, the Green Growth Platform is the University’s contribution to uncoupling carbon emissions from economic growth. The team provides vital information, encouragement and support to businesses wanting to green up their

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Amongst a diverse membership made up of approximately 80% small or micro businesses, the most in-demand areas of support are marketing, business planning, finance and innovation support.

Members have access to an array of workshops, courses and consultants to provide business and commercialisation support, brought in to help build complete business capability.

Innovation With the University’s breadth of technical expertise and high tech facilities, some of the most exciting Green Growth Platform projects involve university-business collaborations to develop new products or services.

One such example is Brighton based water efficiency company Waterblade. Owner Nigel Bamford invented, developed and commercialised a water saving device that fits onto cloakroom taps. He worked with the University’s Product Design team to develop his prototype, and also took advantage of the commercialisation support on offer.

The Waterblade device, which - as the name suggests - creates a blade of water, uses on average a quarter of the water a standard tap nozzle does, and half the water an aerator nozzle does.

Nigel has braved the BBC’s Dragons’ Den with his invention, and has secured deals with global companies such as Royal Bank of Scotland and Unilever.

A diverse green economy Brighton and Hove’s green economy is made up of a diverse range of dynamic and

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE innovative businesses that are paving the way to a greener future.

Like any thriving city, road congestion and air quality is high on the agenda. And that’s where a trio of the Green Growth Platform’s transport-focussed members comes in.

Recharge Cargo are a zero-emissions freight company based in the centre of Brighton. They run a delivery network around the city using electrically assisted cargo bicycles. Their bikes shift food, office supplies, wine, coffee, print media, textiles and documents across the city.

Much of their work is best described as a ‘lastminute logistics provider’.

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The Waterblade device, that creates a blade of water, uses on average a quarter of the water a standard tap does, and half the water an aerator nozzle does.

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Staying on the theme of bikes, Brighton E-bikes are on a mission to see more electric bikes on the road, and provide a low cost way for people to adopt the new technology.

They convert standard bicycles into electric

assisted bicycles using converter kits. They can either fit the kit for you, or sell kits for DIY fitting.

Zoe Osmond, Director of the Green Growth Platform team

Brighton is also home to The Big Lemon, a ground-breaking bus company that launched the UK’s first solar powered electric bus last year, and has an ambition to provide zero emissions buses across the entire city. Their buses operate solely on electricity and are charged by solar panels at the company’s depot in East Brighton.

Community owned energy The Community Energy sector is another Brighton and Hove success story. Community Energy involves energy projects where local people group together to take control of their energy needs. It often involves communityowned renewable electricity projects such as solar panels or wind turbines.

Brighton Energy Cooperative, who raise funds through community share offers, have installed £1.5 million worth of solar panels since their inception. And fellow community energy pioneers Brighton and Hove Energy Services have led renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in schools, community centres, business premises and homes around the city.

Green buildings The built environment, building design and construction are other areas where green is quickly becoming the standard, and Brighton and Hove has some leading examples.

Hove-based Koru Architects are the creators of the Passiv Pod, a garden building that is built to Passivhaus standards, which means it requires minimal energy to heat or cool. Also in Hove, Cityzen Architects last year designed the UK’s largest temporary accommodation development that re-used shipping containers as emergency homes for people over Christmas.

And a local business well-known for re-using construction industry waste is the Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project. They’re based in the New England Quarter and take waste timber directly from the industry and sell it to the public to use in their own DIY projects. They also make furniture from their vast stock of timber, and sell it in their showroom in Elder Place.

A connected platform for the green economy Added to this mix of thriving businesses is a range of events, collaborations and networking opportunities that really combine into a supportive environment for Sussex’s thriving eco-business scene.

Effective networking is important for any business, but for companies with a green purpose, there’s huge value in meeting counterparts in other businesses entrepreneurs with whom members can share their experiences of disrupting the status quo and driving new ways to do business.

The Green Growth Platform runs a calendar of events aimed at the green business community. Coming up this spring/summer is a boat trip to the Rampion offshore wind farm, regular networking events on Brighton seafront and an MBA-style one day business workshop at the i360.

Sam Keam of Recharge Cargo

More information on the Green Growth Platform and some of the great businesses they work with can be found at www.greengrowthplatform.co.uk

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We’re at the of Brighton & Hove

THANK YOU You make a difference We are Martlets Our life-changing hospice care gives people living with terminal illness hope, purpose and possibility.

MartletsHospice martletshospice Martlets Hospice, Wayfield Avenue, Hove BN3 7LW www.themartlets.org.uk

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Registered charity number 802145

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

BE MORE SNAIL

The new art trail from Martlets, the Charity at the heart of its community

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he UK’s need for high quality, compassionate hospice care is growing fast as it keeps up with our ever-aging population. As charities, existing in a competitive environment, funding is becoming ever more important for these essential service providers. Imelda Glackin, the CEO of Brighton & Hove hospice Martlets, explains more about its services and how your business can get involved: “Our life-changing hospice care gives people living with terminal illness hope, purpose and possibility.

We provide the very best care and support to people within our community who have been affected by terminal illness – whether that’s the patients themselves or their families and loved ones.

“In short, we help people to do the things they love with the time that they have.

“We support the majority of patients in their own homes; if we can reach people early on in their diagnosis then we can improve their quality of life with our Outpatient care and Family and Patient Support teams.

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There will be up to fifty huge snails located across our city. They’ll be a constant and colourful reminder to slow down and take a moment to appreciate the people and things in our lives that make us smile.

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“We focus on what is best for each person and their family, so we shape their care around their needs – which may mean Christmas in August or bringing in pets to visit.

“This life-changing care is made possible only by the generosity of our supporters and partners.

“In 2016, our Snowdogs-by-the-Sea art trail raised an incredible £310,000 for Martlets, through sponsorship and community fundraising. The funds raised have made an enormous difference to the people who use our services.

SUSSEX BUSINESSES BACK #BEMORESNAIL Sussex based businesses have heeded Norman Cook’s advice to ‘get in quick’ as almost 70% of the giant snail sculptures have already been snapped up by sponsors keen to ensure their brands are associated with Brighton’s ‘must see’ event of 2018.

Many of those already signed up were sponsors of Snowdogs by the Sea, so understand the unique commercial benefits of being involved; whilst also supporting Martlets Hospice. Nadia Cowdrey, Head of Tax Trusts & Estates at Griffith Smith Farrington Webb said: “Businesses have to spend budgets wisely and actually it’s the best £5,000 we could ever spend as a business.”

There are also many first-time sponsors keen to be associated with ‘feel-good factor’ that this unique art trail will generate in the city and beyond. They come from a wide range of sectors and include; Graves Son & Pilcher, The Grand Hotel, Greenacre Recycling Ltd, Ideal, Pilbeam Construction, Legal and General and Punktured, Brighton’s premier piercing studio!

For businesses or organisations wanting to be involved, the clear message is: don’t hang about if you intend to #BeMoreSnail!

To download a sponsorship pack, visit www.snailspacebrighton.co.uk or contact Sarah Harvey, Project Manager sarah.harvey@martlets.org.uk

www.themartlets.org.uk

“This year’s Snail art installation resonates perfectly with the work we do at Martlets. Later this year there will be up to fifty huge snails, that have been vibrantly painted by local artists, located across our city. They’ll be a constant and colourful reminder to slow down and take a moment to appreciate the people and things in our lives that make us smile.

“Join us in September 2018 to enjoy our city’s sights at a snail’s pace and #BeMoreSnail.”

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In association with

New Venue New Team New Event Join us at the AMEX Stadium, June 14th

STANDS ON SALE MARCH 1ST BOOK NOW To find out more about the exhibition or sponsorship opportunities visit www.letsdobusiness.org • info@ldbgroup.co.uk • 01323 411044

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

LET’S DO BUSINESS IN BRIGHTON

L-R Sean Dennis, Deputy Chief Executive at the Let’s Do Business Group and Simon Groves, Managing Director at PRG Marketing Communications

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he popular business to business exhibition, Let’s Do Business Brighton, is this year returning to the city at a brand new venue.

The exhibition, loved by local start-ups and larger corporations alike, will now be held at The AMEX Stadium, home to Premier League club BHAFC.

over the coming weeks, supporter packages are filling up fast. Past speakers at the Sussex exhibitions have included food maestro Levi Roots and Dragon’s Den star and Trunki founder Rob Law. There are plenty of opportunities to be involved with the expo however, including sponsorship packages and a wide range of stands available.

The exhibition is undergoing a makeover, with the Let’s Do Business Group collaborating with Sussex-based full service marketing agency, PRG Marketing Communications. The exhibition will boast fresh branding, a new events team as well as innovative networking opportunities and will take place on Thursday June 14th. Exhibitors are invited to book stands from March 1st, and entry for visitors is free.

The exhibition aims to attract businesses from around the region as well as those based in Gatwick and the surrounding areas, bringing more companies in to Brighton and Hove. There will also be exciting opportunities for networking and meeting key business decision makers announced in the lead up to the event.

Sean Dennis, Deputy Chief Executive at the Let’s Do Business Group says: “Brighton is the perfect place to relaunch the exhibition. The exhibition has always been popular in the Brighton area, but this year is an especially exciting one for the event. The expo will be truly reflective of the innovation and enterprise demonstrated by businesses across the city and the South East as a whole. Despite reports of tough economic conditions for the country of late, business in Brighton and the South East continues to thrive, and we believe the exhibition will offer valuable opportunities to build lasting relationships and generate new leads.”

With further details of guest speakers and seminars to be released

Simon Groves, Managing Director at PRG Marketing Communications says: “PRG have worked with a number of clients from Brighton and the South East over the years, and we’ve always found the area to be a hub for entrepreneurs and business talent. Given that we’ve had a long standing relationship with our client the Let’s Do Business Group for many years now, it seemed like a fitting next step for us to be involved with the exhibition on a larger scale this year. It’s an exciting time for business in the Brighton and Sussex regions.”

If you would like to find out more about the exhibition and how your business can get involved please visit letsdobusiness.org.

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Style & Substance Why Compromise?

EST. 1864 Make your next conference or event a Grand one...

01273 224300 • conference@grandbrighton.co.uk • www.grandbrighton.co.uk

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TheGrandHotelBrighton

@GrandBrighton

@thegrandbrighton

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

Indulge a little…

AT DRAKES OF BRIGHTON

W

hen the two grand listed townhouses in Brighton’s Regency mile were beautifully renovated over a decade ago, the fabulous designer hotel, Drakes was created and immediately set new standards of excellence in the city.

Their ethos has always been to provide the best of everything by offering exceptional levels of service, impeccable dining and stunning design, which still holds true today.

Most guest rooms boast impressive sea views and feature fabulous free-standing baths as well as monsoon wet rooms and a host of other features.

Expect hand-made beds draped in velvet throws and Egyptian cotton bedding and crafted European elm furnishing and feature walls in every room. White Company toiletries, waffle robes, complimentary slippers, flat screen televisions with full Sky Package, free wi-fi, a discrete concierge and 24 hour room service are offered as standard. Be sure to book the Super-king Feature Room for real romantic indulgence… and soak up the sea views from the free-standing bath (big enough for two) set in front of floor-to-ceiling windows and complete with a brass telescope.

Reflecting the same quality, style and exceptional standards as the hotel,

the calm, comfortable décor and warm, welcoming restaurant team.

Reserve the Private Dining Room if you’re looking to add that special touch to any occasion. Including the services of a dedicated waiter, it is ideally suited for 8 to 12 guests.

During the day this room is perfect for Meetings of the same number.

Drakes Hotel, 43-44 Marine Parade, Brighton BN2 1PE www.drakesofbrighton.com info@drakesofbrighton.com 01273 696934

The Restaurant at Drakes has also received several accolades over the years. Offering accomplished, creative menus, The Restaurant has a solid reputation for excellent fine dining and does not disappoint the gastronomes of Sussex. The ambiance is one of relaxed, sophisticated refinement, yet without an ounce of stuffiness, which is ensured by

An award-winning workplace wellbeing solution Create a healthy, happy workforce with rewards and benefits

Benefit from awardwinning life and health insurance from Vitality

Embed a culture of financial and physical wellness

Secure an appropriate level of business protection

To find out more CALL TODAY ON 0333 7720761 and quote PLATINUM After all, a healthier, happier workforce is good for business. www.viisana.com ViiSana Ltd is an appointed representative of HL Partnership Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ViiSana is an Exclusive Associate of Vitality Life and Health and do not form part of the same group as Vitality Life and Health.

ViiSana | Hangar 4 | Cecil Pashley Way | Shoreham Airport | East Sussex | BN43 5FF | Code: VIIS060

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We are an ambitious, global, Brighton-based technology company specialising in security systems for smart buildings.

With over 30 years’ experience, we put our core values of simplicity, quality and honesty at the heart of everything we do.

We develop systems for a wide range of sectors including education, healthcare, retail, leisure, commercial, public sector and provide solutions suitable for a wide range of sites and requirements.

To find out more, visit

paxton.info/3133

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

NEW CENTRE FOR TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION Brighton Based Paxton Opens R&D Centre

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axton, the globally expanding manufacturer of security systems for smart buildings, has opened a new state-ofthe-art centre for technology and innovation alongside its current Brighton Head Office, located just off the Lewes Road.

The 29,000-sq. ft. Paxton Technology Centre will be home to the company’s product research and development departments and means that Paxton can continue to be at the cutting edge of design and technology within the security industry.

Adam Stroud, Paxton’s Group Chief Executive says: “We are delighted with our new facility and feel it’s a real statement of intent showing the direction the company is moving. It’s far from an ordinary working space and that’s because Paxton’s growth journey is also far from ordinary.

We’ve enjoyed a period of impressive growth with turnover doubling over the last four years.”

“We love being based in Brighton and for over 30 years we have been proud of our Sussex roots, having first established the business in Lewes before moving to Brighton in 2004. We are continually investing in local talent to help us grow the business and we hope the opening of the Paxton Technology Centre will continue to attract the brightest and the best to work with us.

“Our goal is to be an employer of choice in the city and integral to this has been to create a great company culture and a working environment that encourages flexibility, creativity and teamwork and I truly believe we’ve achieved that with our new Technology Centre.”

The building has been designed to create a dynamic and collaborative working environment. This includes the Paxton Café, a large social area which provides a comfortable space for staff to eat, relax and recharge.

The open plan working space creates the perfect environment to support thousands of decisions being made every day, to progress the company towards further global expansion and the diversification of its extensive product range. The large atrium also includes two trees which each stand at seven metres tall. They help with the acoustics in a large open space and are a striking design addition to the office environment.

Find out more about the company and job opportunities visit http://paxton.info/2989 A time-lapse video charting the construction of the new Technology Centre is at http://paxton. info/3005

PAXTON ACCESS LTD Paxton designs and manufactures market leading IP access control, door entry and building intelligence systems for smart buildings.

With over 30 years of experience, their products harness the latest technology to provide powerful, yet easy to install and use solutions. They provide world class technical support and free training to ensure they consistently exceed our customers’ expectations, supporting them and their businesses.

Paxton develops systems for the mid-market (such as education, healthcare, retail, leisure, commercial and public sector) and provide solutions suitable for a wide range of sites and requirements. At present, around 25,000 buildings are secured by Paxton globally each year.

Based in Brighton, Paxton manufactures locally and exports to over 60 countries worldwide. The team is constantly expanding internationally and they currently have over 300 employees located at locations across the globe with offices in the UK, US, France, Germany, South Africa, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Benelux.

Paxton has been listed in the FT1000 List of Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies, named as one of the London Stock Exchange’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain and twice featured in the Sunday Times International Track 200 list.

Paxton projects include Manchester United, graze, Michelin, Cherbourg Airport, Boucheries Nivernaises, Sky Deutschland and Foyles.

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

TESTIMONIAL YEAR FOR ED Ed Joyce has been awarded a testimonial year in 2018 in recognition of his outstanding service to Sussex Cricket.

E

d Joyce is widely regarded as one of the best batsmen to play County Cricket in recent years, alongside his successful domestic career he has also been involved with both England and Ireland at international level. Ed’s international career has taken a unique route from playing for his native country, Ireland, before switching to England to try and realise his ambition of playing test cricket. He made the switch back to Ireland for the World Cup in 2011 and has been integral to the side since then. In all Ed has played 74 ODI’s for England and Ireland scoring 2,496 runs at an average of 38.40. He is still playing for Ireland during the 2018 season and with Ireland gaining test status recently, he hopes to be able to finally play a test match after nearly 20 years as a professional cricketer.

Ed made his debut in county cricket for Middlesex in 1999 and played 227 games across all formats for the club making over 12,000 runs in the process, before moving to Sussex for the 2009 season. In 8 seasons at Sussex, Ed made 8,348 runs from 113 first class matches and 3,105 runs in 79 list A matches.

He also made 529 runs in 20/20 cricket for the club and was part of the squad that won both the 20/20 and NatWest 40 over league in 2009. Ed captained the club with distinction for three seasons from 2012-2015 with a best finish in the first division of the County Championship of 3rd in both 2013 and 2014.

Following the announcement of his testimonial year, Ed said: “It is an honour to have been awarded a

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE testimonial year by Sussex in 2018. I had 8 unforgettable seasons at the club and realised a cricketing ambition of mine by captaining Sussex for 3 seasons between 2012-2015.

“I definitely played my best cricket at Sussex and am very grateful to all the players, coaches and supporters who firstly welcomed me to the club, and then also helped bring the best out of my game.

“While my family and I now live in Dublin, Hove is a second home to us and we love coming down to the south coast to catch up with friends, and of course watch some cricket at The 1st Central County Ground.”

Throughout the year Ed will be holding various testimonial events at which he will be hoping to raise as much money as possible for his two chosen charities – Sussex Cricket Foundation and PCA Benevolent Fund.

“I have chosen to support the Sussex Cricket Foundation and the PCA Benevolent Fund, which provides vital support networks to help past players prepare for and readjust in the world beyond cricket. Both are brilliant causes and I feel extremely proud to be able to support both during my testimonial.

The Opening Lunch Ed’s opening lunch, sponsored by Oliver & Graimes, will take place at The Grand Hotel, Brighton on Friday 6th April. Places are available from £65 and a table of 10 is £600.

The legendary former Sussex captain will be joined by his old team mates and special guests for an event which is not to be missed. Any testimonial launch is an opportunity to entertain, network and support local charities, Ed’s opening lunch is no exception! As usual there will be “Heads and Tails” with one of the current Sussex CCC players providing you an insight into the secrets and rumours of the changing room, an auction and a raffle with fabulous prizes to be won including holidays, golf days and sporting memorabilia.

The lunch will be hosted by one of the best UK comedians, Stephen Grant. Stephen will entertain Ed’s guests throughout the afternoon in addition to being joined by cricketing royalty in Jason Gillespie, Eoin Morgan and Ian Gould.

Jason Gillespie (right) has recently joined Sussex Cricket as Head Coach and has enjoyed a successful winter down under with Adelaide Strikers, winning the KFC Big Bash for the first time in their history. Jason will provide an insight into what drew him to Sussex Cricket and his hopes and aspirations for the upcoming season when talking with Ed at the opening lunch.

“Thank you to everyone that has helped and supported me in my career at Sussex. I hope to get around to as many of you as possible to say thanks in person at one of the events in the calendar.”

England Captain, fellow Irishman and former Middlesex teammate Eoin Morgan (left) will also be at the opening lunch having a chat with Ed, Jason and Ian. Following missing out on an IPL contract Eoin will be able to talk about what is was like to share a dressing room with Ed and give an insight into his unique route from playing for Ireland to being captain of England’s ODI and T20 sides.

Ed has entertained us for many years with his majestic stroke making at Hove, so let’s make sure we give something back and support his testimonial, helping ensure he can raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities.

Calendar of Events • Friday 6th April - Opening Lunch - The Grand Hotel, Brighton • Thursday 28th June - Dublin Lunch - Guinness Brewery, Dublin* • Monday 6th August - Golf Day - The Dyke Golf Club, Brighton • TBC - Lord’s Dinner - Lord’s Cricket Ground, London • Friday 7th December - Closing Lunch - The Grand Hotel, Brighton

www.edjoyce2018.co.uk

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Focus on MANOR ROYAL & CRAWLEY

Focus on Manor Royal & Crawley Don’t miss out on our in-depth feature on the business heartland of the county.

For details contact Lesley Alcock on 07767 613707 or email lesley@platinumpublishing.co.uk

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“Platinum Business Magazine is really quite exceptional as a regional business publication. It seems to have something for every serious business reader. After reading it, it is a must to leave it out on every business reception and coffee table in the region as the presentation and content is so professional.”

Chris Lowsley, UK Trade and Industry, South East

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

GROUP

In the May issue of Platinum Business Magazine

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

THE INSPIRATION PROGRAMME Neil Laughton on the importance of personal and professional development What is it that identifies exceptional individuals, leaders & companies?

It is their capacity to adapt and inspire.

They are all inspired people who have adapted and in turn inspire others.

Effort is crucial, but without an ability to change and be inspired, hard work is rendered ultimately fruitless. Success belongs to those who build their ongoing efforts upon inspired ideas and strategies.

Many seek life-changing inspiration, but few know how or where to find it.

Even fewer know how to harness it or how to translate it into reality.

Neil Laughton and John Richards, the founders of The Inspiration Programme have been privileged to work with businesses and individuals around the world, providing them with the tools to adapt, to become inspired and be transformed.

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he Inspiration programme has been developed out of their personal journeys and experiences as leaders in business, crisis-management and holistic development.

During many diverse challenges and projects, they have experienced fundamental human lessons and implemented strategies that have made the difference between success and failure, understanding and confusion, order and chaos.

This personal and professional developmental programme provides the context, challenge and opportunity that allows individuals to change, grow and achieve by attaining the wisdom, confidence and selfawareness necessary to be inspired and then to be able to lead others.

Neil Laughton is a former Royal Marine Commando and Special Forces Officer turned multi award-winning business coach and entrepreneur. He founded a group of company's which grew to £40m turnover before being sold to a FTSE 100 company in 2011. Neil is highly adventurous and has led over 50 expeditions on 7 continents - by land, sea and air. He has summited Mt Everest with Bear Grylls, circumnavigated the UK & Ireland on a jet ski and piloted a flying car across the Sahara Desert. Neil received the Ness Award for “inspirational leadership” from the Royal Geographical Society and he works with his clients including B&Q, Virgin Atlantic and BP delivering his philosophy of “Ordinary to Extraordinary”.

John Richards has spent the last 20 years working in Crisis Intervention with a vast range of clients and organisations in senior management roles, as an author and consultant specialising in awareness and holistic development. He now collaborates with some of the UK's leading business experts to deliver opportunities for exponential personal growth. John’s work utilises a unique and revolutionary framework developed over thousands of hours of practical

experience that connects his clients with their all-powerful subconscious. He delivers bespoke workshops for UK businesses, organisations and individuals focused on maximising growth and transformative personal inspiration.

Neil and John have combined their remarkable experiences to provide a unique opportunity for ambitious leaders to explore their individual stories and careers with a view to unlocking understanding and releasing potential.

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

A City of Food

by Amanda Menahem Those of you who are passionate about Sussex food and drink will have heard of Nick Mosley, founder of the Tourism Alliance, MD of the Brighton and Hove Food Festival, and food writer for the Argus. It’s an exciting time for the Brighton and Sussex food and drink scene, so I caught up with Nick to get his insights.

Nick you’ve been MD of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival CIC (community interest company) for eight years now. When you look back, how has the Sussex and Brighton food scene changed in that time?

In my tenure-ship of the festival organisation, without doubt in Brighton and Hove we’ve had one of the most exciting explosions of eateries in the UK in the past decade. Without wanting to bore you with a sectorial analysis, I’d say this is reflective of the creativity of the city and those who are attracted to live and work here.

I say time and time again: for a city of Brighton’s size, we punch well above our weight when it comes to great restaurants, pubs, cafés, food retailers, cocktail bars, hotels and pop-up activities. Whether cutting edge small plate dining or a la carte fine dining; barrel aged cocktails or craft beers; budget international street food or fun and friendly boozers, we have it all in the city.

Looking out into the county, there has always been some great destination restaurants – Tristan’s in Horsham has held one Michelin star for years – and also pubs, but I guess the main shift has been around our food production. Sussex can quite rightly claim to be the heart of the English wine industry with more growers than any other region. We have also seen a swath of new distilleries and breweries open, alongside rare breed farmers.

Lewes even boasts a farm specialising in Oriental vegetables.

Looking further back, to when the festival was founded at the turn of the 21st century by our chairman Roger Marlowe, probably the biggest shift has been around the use of local food not only in the hospitality industry but also its availability on supermarkets shelves.

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Nick Mosley Go back 15 years and only a handful of quality independent restaurants would be giving a nod to locally grown, reared and caught food.

As consumer awareness has grown, you’d be hard-pressed to find a pub that doesn’t now have local food on its menu.

What are you particularly proud of?

First and foremost, I’m proud that the organisation is still here after 15 years. It’s been a tumultuous ride so it’s very much testament to the efforts and sheer hard work of directors past and present, and our many industry partners, patrons and supporters, that we are still here fulfilling a year-round

function in the city and surrounding county.

Secondly, I’m proud of our many achievements. Of course that’s mainly our consumer events – outdoor festivals, food safaris, chef collaborations, themed restaurant dinners, wine bus tours – but also our less wellknown business activity. I think we’ve brought together the food and hospitality industries of the area in a way that no one before or since has achieved; trust me, go back a few years and most hospitality businesses didn’t know who their neighbours were, never mind actually consider working with them.

We’ve also given a platform for new chefs, restaurants and producers to showcase

CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

themselves; we’ve championed good eating for children; talked about sustainability issues; and we’ve raised many thousands of pounds for local charities.

What are your frustrations?

It’s unfortunate but a fact of life that if someone thinks they can get something for free then they will certainly try. Whilst the core of Brighton & Hove’s hospitality scene - and many producers in Sussex - support us, there are many more who I think should do but don’t. I could give you a list of our partners but I’d basically say to your readers, if you’ve heard of them then they probably work with us. I’ve no doubt this is because we’ve not only helped them get their own message out to the wider world, but also because they realise the importance of collective working to promote ‘Brand Brighton and Sussex’ as a gastronomic destination and great producing region. That’s a function that the festival organisation fulfils

across the calendar year, not just within our consumer periods.

If you could change one thing about Sussex what would it be?

Compared to other regions and countries where I’ve worked in gastronomic tourism and wider food marketing, Sussex is an incredibly fractured operating environment. When the two administrative halves of the historic county of Sussex are combined - which is the way we look at it - yes, we are a huge area.

But, compared to the unified message of other food destinations, we don’t have an agreed voice for food tourism or indeed wider tourism, which is a shame.

I’ve sat on more public and public-private tourism and food and drink consultations and meetings than I’ve had hot dinners (well maybe not, but you get the idea), and they tend to be box-ticking exercises. There is a

fundamental lack of understanding about food and drink, and food tourism, so we get knocked into the long grass. This isn’t just a regional problem; national government is also at fault. When tourism is the fourth largest global industry the paltry support and engagement from the state sector is shocking. On my last reading of the Coast to Capital LEP strategic document, tourism in our region wasn’t even one of the core industries to support. With the National Park, Gatwick airport and Brighton within their operational area, I find that truly astounding.

Another on-going frustration is definitely what some might term ‘healthy’ competition in the marketplace. For example, in terms of food and drink awards, originally we ran those for Brighton & Hove whilst Natural PR ran a similar Sussex-wide awards for the county.

That worked seamlessly. Now food and drink awards are popping up ten to the dozen not only in the city but also the county. That both

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE confuses consumers and gives the public what I’d term ‘award fatigue’. It also completely undermines the sponsorship market that is so important to support the delivery of these kind of events and activities.

The food festival organisation is a not-for-profit social enterprise with 15 years of delivery under our belts and reportable objectives, and it does concern me greatly that the erosion of elements of our income stream will mean we can achieve less whilst others aspire to private short term financial gain or simply want to feel important.

Blunt perhaps, but when some of these other enterprises are up against the wall my suspicion is that they’d cut and run. That’s simply not an option for us. Our reason d’etre is promoting the hospitality and food economy, and we’ll do so as long as we have the support of the constituent industry sectors.

What do you think the future holds for the Sussex food scene both in the coming year and beyond?

Across the county our wine industry is becoming an unstoppable force. Give it another 20 years and there will be vineyards as far as the eye can see. That’s going to be great for our economy in so many ways.

Within Brighton, I think we’ll see more pocket-friendly creative and street food-type cafés and restaurants open, but I think the top end of the restaurant scene will plateau. Within the current climate, I just don’t see the addition of much more premium dining as being sustainable. We need to encourage more high spend visitors but whether our wider destination offering can compete with other UK and European cities is questionable. Also, average wages in Brighton are pretty low so many locals aren’t in a position to dine regularly in higher bracket restaurants. This is all tied up to many factors including transport infrastructure, inward investment, our ability to maintain and grow our tourism economy… I could go on!

I also fear that the City Council will, through financial necessity, be allowing more commercial space to be developed that is suitable for multiples to operate from. Keep an eye on the Shelter Hall, the King Alfred development, a future Churchill Square and particularly the Madeira Drive Terraces. Currently the city centre doesn’t really have that many sites large enough for multiples – the existing prevalence of independents wasn’t designed or by accident, there are very particular structural reasons for it – so this will be a game changer and could see a significant diversion of spend and footfall from North Laine and other recently gentrified areas such as Kemp Town Village, Church Road and London Road. Without wanting to sound doom-and-gloom, this is something we should be genuinely concerned about as an industry.

You eat out a lot, what would be your last meal?

I’d get my favourite Indian restaurants - The Chilli Pickle, Curry Leaf Cafe and Manju’s - to bring me my favourite dishes. And, as I won’t see the morning, then bring on the chilli!

What’s your guilty food pleasure?

Marks & Spencer breaded sole with new potatoes and peas.

Contrary to popular belief, I’m a simple man at heart.

Brighton Wine Week runs 5th-15th April. For more information visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com

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CITY FOCUS BRIGHTON & HOVE

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Travel - The Algarve

Shake hands in...

THE ALGARVE

Faro - the capital of the region

The Portuguese region’s popularity with travellers is rocketing, and there are plenty of reasons why. Rose Dykins reports on some of its big openings

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n endless expanse of sea hugs windwhipped Sagres Point – where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic.

The water before the horizon urges your eye to explore its limits, the same sapphire siren that called out to curious minds during the Age of Discovery, luring them to sail into the unknown.

The ocean is the backbone of life along the Algarvian coast – from its brisker-paced port cities of Faro, Albufeira and Portimao, to its sleepy, unspoilt fishing villages. The region’s salt mining farms produce 90% of the nation’s sea salt, and its oyster and clam production also accounts for 90% of Portugal’s total output. And, despite toughening EU regulations and the pressures of modernity, its traditional fishing industry is holding fast.

However, the Algarve’s rolling waves – and the golden beaches they crash upon – profit the most from the international visitors they

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attract. Regarded as Portugal’s largest and most important tourist region, the Algarve contributed €15 million to the national travel and tourism industry last year, and hosted more than 4.2 million tourists out of Portugal’s 7.1 million total.

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The Algarve’s rolling waves – and the golden beaches they crash upon – profit the most from the international visitors they attract

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The average hotel occupancy in the Algarve grew to record levels of 65.5% in 2017, thanks in part to the rising number of corporate events it hosted. The trend for staging conferences and events outside of city centres has perhaps played a part in the region’s success. Aside from its year-round sun and enticing activities for groups, the Algarve offers peace of mind in terms of traveller safety. Portugal was recently crowned the third most-peaceful country in the world by the 2017 Global Peace Index, which ranked 163 countries according to their domestic and international conflicts, safety and security, and degree of militarisation (it was beaten only by Iceland and New Zealand).

In addition, compared with more established European event destinations, the Algarve is a relative newcomer. There is the space to build things from the ground-up and, as a result, the region’s offering feels

Travel - The Algarve fresh and modern. Alongside the Algarve’s well-preserved traditions and culture, event organisers have their pick of slick, high-tech places to hold their events for reasonable prices (see box below). And the options just keep on coming.

The Quinta dos Vales wine estate

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Portugal was recently crowned the third most-peaceful country in the world by the 2017 Global Peace Index

❞ Last summer, the Algarve gained its largest conference venue to date. With 7,600 sqm of meeting space, and the ability to welcome

The rustic coastline of the Algarve

3,800 delegates at once, the Congress Centre of the Algarve Vilamoura has raised the bar for European meeting facilities. Located next to Vilamoura Marina, this cutting-edge building is airy and open. Its 19 meeting spaces are flooded with natural light, while its many terraces and 2,300 sqm rooftop space give the option for coffee breaks, dinners or receptions that make the most of the fresh ocean air and Portuguese sun.

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The diversity and quality of its offering can satisfy a range of delegates – from wellbeing fanatics to adrenalin junkies

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Away from the meeting rooms, the Algarve’s beach club scene is hotting up.

Blanco Beach Club opened with a bang last summer just outside the port city of Portimao.

Inspired by “organic European living” – though its all-white, polished feel suggests something more blingy – the venue focuses on entertainment and experiences for its clientele.

Its open-air nightclub welcomes international DJs, there’s an al fresco Atlantic grill dining concept and a sashimi menu, and the sunken beds, fire pits, private jacuzzis and the white sandy beach set the scene for an upscale private party.

In addition, last June, Purobeach Vilamoura Poolside – part of Tivoli Marina Vilamoura

resort – underwent a major revamp. Now able to welcome 350 people, with a new stylish pool area and garden two minutes from the beach, the facility offers 13 Balinese beds for sunbathers, and there’s a 100-seater restaurant serving superfood salads as well as classic Algarvian seafood dishes.

with TAP, Portugal’s national carrier tend to involve a stopover in Lisbon (not ideal for time-pressed corporate travellers), and the loss of Monarch has reduced options to the region from the UK.

One dent in the Algarve’s potential as a European events hub is its flight connectivity, which could be better. Faro airport is reasonably well-served from London – Easyjet flies there directly from Gatwick – but flights

the new kinds of travellers it is receiving. The diversity and quality of its offering can satisfy a range of delegates – from wellbeing fanatics to adrenalin junkies – and some of its latest resorts are truly destinations in themselves.

Portugal has been bang on trend for a while now, and the Algarve is changing to serve

Purobeach Vilamoura Poolside

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Travel - The Algarve

ALGARVIAN INCENTIVES Reward your team with one of these local experiences

CATAPLANA COOKING CLASSES Learn how to cook this delectable local seafood dish, named after the spherical copper pot it is stewed in.

SWIMMING WITH PORTUGUESE WATER DOGS These curly-haired pooches herd fish into fishermen’s nets. Take a dip with them and see how they throw themselves into their work.

HIKING AROUND RIA FORMOSA NATURAL PARK

Ria Formosa Natural Park

Formed by five islands that create a barrier against the ocean, this 60km lagoon area is home to incredible wildlife.

Guided ecotours can be arranged for groups.

SURF SCHOOL Take on some of the world’s best barrel waves as a team – it’s possible to arrange lessons for groups of up to 50 people with the Algarve Surf School Association.

SEA CAVE TOURS Board a boat from Vilamoura or Albufeira to get a closer look at the Algarvian coast’s dramatic rock formations.

JEEP SAFARIS A cultural safari along the Algarvian coast, guests can visit villages that seem frozen in time. Learn traditional methods for making honey, and stop off at secluded coves. (portitours.pt)

THALASSOTHERAPY TREATMENTS The Algarve is home to some highly reputable medical spas that specialise in thalassotherapy – where the healing properties of seawater are used to rebalance the body.

The Quinta dos Vales wine estate

FARM AND WINERY VISITS Visit an artisanal spirulina farm in Serra de Monchique, or the beautiful wine estate of Quinta dos Vales for a taste of the Algarve’s high-quality produce.

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More destinations than any other UK airport

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Source: OAG schedules 2016

Travel - The Algarve

TOP PLACES FOR A MEETING/EVENT Check out the slew of first-class resorts for corporate gatherings

ANANTARA VILAMOURA ALGARVE ➠ Opened last April, this is the first European outpost of the five-star Anantara brand, known for its decadent resorts in Asia and the Middle East. A five-minute drive from the swanky marina of Vilamoura, the property’s modern artwork, fine dining and overall sleek feel makes it ideal for upscale events. Facilities include five swimming pools (one of them adults-only), tennis courts, a beautiful spa, and the Arnold Palmer-designed Victoria championship golf course is on the resort’s doorstep. It’s possible to host congresses here for 950 people. vilamoura.anantara.com

CONRAD ALGARVE

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Surrounded by Ria Formosa Natural Park, close to the sandy beaches of Quinta do Lago, this modern luxury resort has its own beach club, five minutes away from the main site. Its wellbeing and sports facilities are excellent, and there three restaurants - one of them headed by a Michelinstar chef. There’s a ballroom for up to 300 guests offering panoramic views, and the resort can arrange a range of unforgettable incentives, such as horse riding, visiting the region’s vineyards and paragliding. conradalgarve.com

VILA VITA PARK RESORT AND SPA

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Set amid 22 hectares of subtropical gardens, this grand, ocean-facing five-star resort feels enormous. There are sixteen food and beverage options to choose from – including a brilliant blue Moorish-inspired restaurant and a Bavarian beer garden – and it’s possible to arrange spa days, yacht trips and golf incentives for delegates. Meeting spaces include a modern boardroom within the resort’s library, and a pavilion that can hold 400 people. The property also boasts the largest high-resolution LED screen in Portugal, (12m x 3m with a resolution of P2.5). vilavitaparc.com

MACDONALD MONCHIQUE RESORT AND SPA

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The woodland setting of this five-star property is a huge selling point – the smell of the pine trees warming in the sun compels you to relax. Wellbeing is a strong focus, and the hotel’s spa incorporates the mineral-rich spring water from nearby Caldas de Monchique into its treatments. Rather than hosting large events, the hotel makes a great base for team-building and incentives and, despite being up a mountain, it is only a 15-minute drive from some of the Algarve’s best beaches. macdonaldmonchique.com

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Education

GIVING DYSLEXIC CHILDREN A FIGHTING CHANCE Grace Lawless felt her daughter had been so badly let down by the education system, she took matters into her own hands and decided to set up a school for dyslexic children. Grace explains why she believed this was the only option to give her daughter a fair chance…

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any people with dyslexia have gone on to be high-achievers. Famous dyslexics include Albert Einstein, Richard Branson, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Jamie Oliver. Penny Lancaster has just been diagnosed at the age of 46. Many adults don’t find out they’re dyslexic until their child is diagnosed, and they then recognise the symptoms in themselves.

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Despite Dyslexia being called a learning difficulty, there is no impact on intelligence.

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Dyslexia is not a new condition, the first reported case was in 1896, by Doctor William Morgan who was living in Seaford, Sussex at the time. He published his findings in the British Medical Journal on 7th November 1896 under the title “Congenital Word Blindness”.

And even earlier than that in the 1870’s,

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German doctors were studying people with reading difficulties.

Research continued in the 1920’s that proved that Dyslexia wasn’t an eye problem, rather it was to do with specific skills used for reading in the brain. Despite Dyslexia being called a learning difficulty, there is no impact on intelligence.

For all the research on dyslexia, the needs of children with the condition are still not being met.

I know this through the experience of my own 11 year old daughter. I’m a mum and

a business owner who hasn’t been able to find a suitable school for my severely dyslexic daughter. She’s now five years behind her peers and I can’t watch her be failed any longer. So I’m taking matters into my own hands and embarking on an exciting mission to create a fantastic school that will use a specialist teaching approach to give her and other dyslexic children like her the same chances as their non-dyslexic friends.

The Sussex Dyslexia College will be changing the future prospects of dyslexic children. Removing their barriers to learning

Education using technology and personalised specialist teaching. Making the most of the way dyslexic minds process information. Encouraging the divergent, lateral big picture thinking that has created some of the world’s greatest inventions, brands and art. And giving them the problem solving, creativity and innovation skills that will help them thrive in the ever changing business world.

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I’m a mum and a business owner who hasn’t been able to find a suitable school for my severely dyslexic daughter. She’s now five years behind her peers and I can’t watch her fail any longer.

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Schools around the world are using these specialist teaching approaches and the children they teach are achieving fantastic results. Sadly for my daughter, these teaching approaches are not available in mainstream schools, as most teachers are not trained in dyslexia. The

Government says 1 in 10 people are dyslexic, so of the 30,000 school children in Brighton and Hove, that means there are 3,000 dyslexic school children. Their medium term prospects include being six to ten times more likely to be excluded from secondary school. Without qualifications, it is of course much harder to find a job and has a long term impact on the economy. Imagine the improvement in GDP if 10% of the population were more highly skilled!

Teaching approaches were designed way back in the 1930’s to match the way dyslexic people learn. These mean each child is assessed and a personalised approach is used.

Removing the barriers that make reading so difficult, and enabling them to get on with learning.

The highly experienced specialist dyslexia teachers at Sussex Dyslexia College will work with each individual child to identify their interests, build their self-esteem, and encourage them to be curious about the world. Dyslexia will not be seen as a disadvantage, instead it will be valued!

We’re opening in September with one class of year seven children aged 11, and plan to grow the College to eventually support children from age seven through to 16. We’re

setting up a charity and going through the registration process with the Department for Education and Ofsted. And we have a strong team of Governors including retired Head Teachers and extensive Ofsted experience.

We’ve got a lot to do before September, we need to get our venue decorated and stock it with specialist furniture, computers and learning resources. We need donations of learning resources, computers and furniture.

If you would like to help change children’s futures, please get in touch at Grace@ SussexDyslexiaCollege.co.uk

You can follow our journey by signing up for our newsletter at www.SussexDyslexiaCollege.co.uk/ newsletter • 1 in 6 adults have the reading age of an 11 year old • Only 18% of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) reached the expected primary school levels in 2017, compared with 70% of their peers • The attainment gap between children with and without SEN is widening.

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HURSTPIER POINT COLLEGE

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Education News

HURST SPORTING HIGHLIGHTS HURST STUDENT JOINS SUSSEX SQUAD IN SOUTH AFRICA

MORE SPORTING SUCCESS…

Golfer George selected for British Swifts team (third from left in image)

Hurst U12 and U11 netballers take runners-up spots

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urst College Lower Sixth student and member of the Sussex Cricket Boys’ Academy, Jack Carson will join the Sussex professional squad on their two-week pre-season tour to Cape Town, South Africa in March.

An off-spinning all-rounder in his first year with the Academy, Jack was raised in Ireland, previously played age-group cricket for Ireland, but has been part of the Sussex set-up since he was an under-12 and is now working towards England qualification.

As part of his on-going development, the tour will provide Jack with the opportunity to fully immerse himself in the culture of the first team, train and play alongside the likes of Jofra Archer, Ben Brown, Luke Wells and develop a relationship with Sussex’s new Head Coach, Jason Gillespie. Ten of the current Sussex professionals on the tour are Academy graduates, including former Hurst students George Garton and Tom Haines.

Hurst cross-country runners on course for success Hurst hockey boys win plate final at Royal Russell tournament

Slalom success for Hurst skiers

Hurst College has close links with Sussex Cricket, sponsoring their Blackstone Academy Ground, where many of the county’s junior, 2nd XI and disability matches are played.

Academy Director, Carl Hopkinson, said: “Joining the squad’s pre-season tour will be an invaluable experience for Jack. He has developed really well so far this winter, and inclusion in the tour party is deserved recognition of the progress he is making. The trip will give him a further taste of the demands on a professional cricketer and an indication of where he is in comparison to our first team squad.”

Hurst’s first VII and U16 teams make national schools netball finals again

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Motoring

SPOT THE ELEPHANT

By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

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ver since l reviewed the Tesla S l have been a great fan of this new technology and, although it goes against every petrol head fibre in my body, l accept that this is the future of motoring.

The Tesla X is a new (ish) model and launched in advance of the awaited Tesla 3 that, if it is under £30,000, will likely sweep the board. The Tesla models are akin to Stephenson’s Rocket and the Wright Brothers in revolutionising the transport industry really, these new electric cars are remarkable.

No engine, gearbox, mechanical moving parts, tail pipes or fuel tank and yet it can hit 60mph in under 3 seconds. Not only in total silence but the acceleration is utterly linear and therefore even more impressive. When l visited the Nurburgring last summer with three supercars, l was somewhat aghast to find out that the lap record is held by a Tesla, beating all Ferrari’s, Lambo’s and Astons and every other madcap track car - remarkable.

It takes a mo to get used to with its giant

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Motoring lightbulbs. You can have the 75D, 90D or the monster P100D and all this relates to the battery power. The P100D will hit 60mph is 2.9 seconds and offers, if you believe it, a range of 336 miles - this motor translates to 611bhp. The car l was delivered of is the 100D offering a 100 kWh battery, and a range, if you can believe it, of 351 miles and 60mph is around 5 seconds. Even though there is a huge elephant overleaf, that is mightily impressive.

TECH STUFF Model tested: Tesla X Engine: lol Power: 450 bhp approx.

Performance: 0-60 mph 5 seconds Top: 130 mph Economy: see elephant Price from: £76,500 - £121,800

One thing that is revolutionary are the upgrades. Remember ye old days when you would pop down to Demon Tweeks or Halfords to get that new bit for the engine of your Mk. 2 Escort - well, that really does make you/me sound old as this thing will simply send the update to the computer in the car and ask you to update it - just as your i-Phone does.

17” tablet screen offering everything from web surfing, Spotify and directions to anywhere on the planet using Google maps. The dash differs in that you don’t have a rev counter, temp gauge or oil levels as it has none of that but you do get a momentarily confusing array of power gauges, battery usage and the like. You also have a windscreen that goes way past your head which is great for letting light into the cabin but when the sun shines, you are left with a tiny sun visor that you pull across that manages to keep out 000.1% of the sun assaulting your eyes.

❝

The Tesla models are akin to Stephenson’s Rocket and the Wright Brothers in revolutionising the transport industry

❞

The drive is superb and although the steering is a tad lifeless, it corners well as all the battery weight is low down in the floor and therefore the centre of gravity is exactly where you would want it. It drives as well as any normal car and to be frank, any idiot could drive it.

It’s only when you bury the accelerator into the Axminster that things get a tad hairy as it literally flies away and you had better be holding on. This thing is fast and, dare l say it, a little weird in that all that speed comes with zero noise, zero gear changes and with the use of zero fossil fuel. The technology is staggering.

There are other things that will change habits too such as not using the rear windscreen for reversing as it is all but useless anyway. Rather, you start relying on the screen inside the car for such things. Slowing

Of course, it has auto pilot that will drive the car for you, park the car for you and make the tea (probably), an advance air filtration system that keeps all the horrible emissions from those old oil burners out of the cabin and you get four-wheel drive with a motor running each wheel. And of course, it has falcon doors. Now this is undeniably a piece of theatre as they majestically rise and attract a crowd every time and, contrary to the mischievous rumours, you cannot park so close in a car park that they will not open. Indeed, yet another marvel is that they sense the car next door and then canter lever in so as not to touch anything that might be obstructing them. Brilliant and, once you get over them, a pain in the arse as they are slow to rise but that’s the price of theatre l guess.

Now we are used to Elon Musk making grand statements and the industry has indeed learnt to listen but no amount of wizard electrics will detract from the handling deficiencies when put against the Porsche Cayenne or Range Rover Sport SVR as the enemy of the Tesla will always be weight. The X weighs in at 2508kg or 2.5-tonne and that is heavy. As the enemy of performance is weight, the battery power required to shift this thing up the road takes a toll on the range (see the elephant overleaf) In conclusion, the Tesla is a history making, ground breaking piece of kit that will, in time, utterly alter the way we drive and, if Mr Musk has his way, the same will happen to buses, trucks and vans and probably trains eventually. Unless, hydrogen fuel cells or nuclear power get there first as there is still the question of the true carbon footprint of such electric cars.

But l shall stop being an old dinosaur and state that l have just spent a week with a car that will change the world.

down is also new as the car effectively brakes for you as it tries to recover battery power from the breaking process along the lines of Formula1 KERS - kinetic energy recovery system, that reaps some power from the energy that goes into braking and this means the car slows down for you as soon as you take your foot of the pedal. Then there is the ordering process which is akin to buying

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Motoring

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

N

ot withstanding the technological leap that this car represents, l feel it has come too early due to the lack of a charging network.

Needless to say, when the first Model T Ford rolled off the line, there were few petrol stations and therefore the owners might have had the same complaint - ‘How can you sell me a car and l can’t fill it up”? But then you could always get a gallon of petrol and chuck it in the back of your Model T whereby trying to get a bucket of electricity proves slightly more difficult.

I did not have a great time with the Tesla X for this very reason.

Accepting that all owners would have a charger at home, l ensured that l started each day with a full battery. Whilst in Surrey, l realised towards the end of the day that l did not have enough charge to get

❝

It’s more the type of charge that we need to talk about and the attitude of the people driving EVs. The speed at which they charge is the issue in most places, because if you’re going to run a pure EV, you need the superfast chargers

❞

Martin Reeves, head of sales, Lombard Vehicle Solutions

home so, using the impressive Zap Map on the tablet, l searched for a super charger (SC) that would fully charge me in around 40 minutes. I was a tad shocked to find out that the closest SC to me was in Canary Wharf!!! So, l called the Tesla store at Gatwick, where the car came from, and mentioned that l could just make it there to use their charger only to find out they don’t have one!! How on earth the Tesla store does not have an SC is beyond me. I managed to find a garage with a slow charger and once plugged in found out it would take 2.5 hours to charge. This meant l missed my last two meetings, picking the girls up from school and dinner at the i360.

The following day l had to travel to Somerset. Having located the SCs, l set off only to find they were all out of service and l had 3 miles

left in the battery. I grabbed 30 minutes from a slow charger and got to another service station to find another Tesla just pugged in and that meant l had a doubly long wait for a charge. A journey that should have taken 3 hours took 8 and a fair amount of stress. To cap it all off l have now received a £100 parking charge for overstaying my time at the service station!

And there’s the problem - not enough chargers around the UK and even if there were, what on earth will happen to the national grid if we all started using electric cars.

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the UK is the largest market for electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) with 47,263 last year. This means that the total market share for these vehicles is just 4.7%. The likes of Volvo, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Ford, BMW and Volkswagen all state they have EVs scheduled for launch in the next few years, so consumers will have a lot more models to choose from.

There are 15,065 charging-point connections at 5,269 locations in the UK, an increase of 509 on the previous month. The government is playing its part in helping the proliferation of charging points, with chancellor Philip Hammond announcing in the Autumn Budget a £400m fund to develop electric-car charging infrastructure, along with an extra £100m for the Plug-In Car Grant, which subsidises purchases of electric and hybrid vehicles, and £40m for charging R&D. The National Grid is also getting in on the act and is in talks with BP, Shell, Ford, BMW, Tesla and other companies about building infrastructure for the next generation of rapid chargers at motorway service stations. It’s identified 50 sites across the UK that would mean 96% of British motorists could drive in any direction from anywhere and be within 50 miles of a rapid charger. This network would cost between £0.5bn and £1bn, which works out at about 60p a driver per year if all drivers assume the cost.

So, we have a stunning electric car but with a charging network that cannot cope and that old chestnut “range anxiety” raises its ugly head once more.

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Motoring

NISSAN X-TRAIL

By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

P

reviously a boxy, quite serious off-roader, the Nissan X-Trail is now essentially a beefed-up Qashqai. They share a platform, but the X-Trail is noticeably higher and longer than the Qashqai, and there’s an optional third row of seats.

This SUV is efficient and easy to drive and whips around town without any hassle, has plenty of room and a high driving position that leaves you slightly above most other cars. The engine range is carried over unchanged. There’s a 128bhp 1.6-litre dCi diesel and 161bhp 1.6-litre DIG-T petrol, but pick of the range is the 175bhp 2.0-litre dCi that is available with two-or four-wheel drive and six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmissions. There is plenty of poke although the gears do run out of puff quite early on and you do need to use the full box to get up and go.

❝

There is plenty of poke although the gears do run out of puff quite early on and you do need to use the full box to get up and go.

❞

Nissan prides itself on tech, so naturally there’s much of it on offer.

Next year, the X-Trail will be offered with Nissan’s ProPilot autonomous driving tech that controls the “steering, acceleration and braking in a single lane on highways during heavy traffic congestion and high-speed cruising”. New tech available now includes rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if there’s a car coming when you’re reversing out of a parking space) and upgraded autonomous emergency braking. So there is a good package here and being a Nissan, it will likely go for 200,000 miles with barely a cough.

Inside affords you plenty of space and with the optional third row of seats, it has all the space you would ever need. I am not a great fan of miles of black plastic that can look rather drab but what you are buying with a Nissan is reliability and rugged usability so perhaps this moan is a tad out of order. The navigation is worthy of particular praise, with good resolution and easy-to-follow directional prompts. You can also programme it in advance via Google’s Send To Car app. At a starting price of £23,000, this is a lot of car for the money. Order it in 4x4 and

you will have a fairly decent off-roader with good ground clearance.

Outside, this is not the best looking car in the world and the Japanese seem keen these days to produce cars with some quite odd lines - take the front wings of this car. They rise and fall over the front wheels is an odd fashion which could be called stylistic - or odd dependant on your taste. Take a look at the new Toyota C-HR - that things got more angles than Arthur Daley.

I do approve of the cars electromechanical power steering. The wheel is perfectly weighted and although there is not a lot of feedback through your hands it is generally terrific and makes town driving a breeze.

There are various options such as the Accent, N-Vision and Tekna trims although those upgrading from a Qashqai will need an extra £1,750 and a further £700 for the third row of seats and that might be a barrier.

All in all, this is a good solid car with plenty of space, enough get up and go and comfortable enough that long journeys will produce few complaints.

TECH STUFF Model tested: X-Trail Tekna Engine: 1.6-litre Power: 163 bhp Performance: 0-62mph 9.7 seconds Top: 124 mph Economy: 44.1mpg combined Price from: £32,095

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Business Awards

THE LEWES DISTRICT BUSINESS AWARDS ARE BACK – WITH A NEW VENUE! Amex Stadium to host prestigious awards night in July

www.lewesdistrictbusinessawards.co.uk

T

he fifth Lewes District Business Awards will be launched on Tuesday 13 March with a new venue announced for awards night.

Thursday 19 July but also a growing list of sponsors and a wide range of categories.

Lewes District Council has revealed the prestigious ceremony, celebrating local business success, excellence and innovation, will be held at the Amex Stadium in Falmer this summer.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for many different types of businesses to come together and celebrate the District’s business talent and achievement.”

The official launch will take place at The Depot in Lewes with all awards free to enter and open to companies of all sizes across all sectors within Lewes district.

To view a full list this year’s categories and to enter visit www.lewesdistrictbusinessawards.co.uk. Businesses can enter up to three categories and the deadline for submissions is 30 April 2018.

David Sheppard, Chairman of Sussex Chamber of Commerce and Chair of Judges, said: “It is fantastic to see the Awards go from strength to strength and we hope as many people as possible will enter.

To be added to the mailing list, book tickets or discuss sponsorship packages email fiona@platinumpublishing.co.uk

“Not only do we have an exciting new venue for finals night on

Last year’s winers

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Business Awards

ENTER

NOW!

ENTRY DEADLINE 30THAPRIL 2018

RECOGNISING REWARDING & CELEBRATING LOCAL BUSINESSES

SAVE THE DATE!

AWARDS CEREMONY

JULY 19TH

2018

SUBMIT FREE ENTRY ONLINE WWW.LEWESDISTRICTBUSINESSAWARDS.CO.UK

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Charity News

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CHILDREN’S HOSPICE IN 2018?

First opened in 2003, Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice will celebrate its 15th birthday this November. The charity’s action-packed events calendar includes something for everyone, from an off-road cycling challenge and muddy obstacle course, to a Midsummer Ball.

So make Chestnut Tree House’s 15th birthday the year for taking a leap; for crossing the finish line and for doing something you never thought you could do. Take on a challenge for yourself, for your company, for local families.

Register for the Littlehampton 10k in September, and take part in Chestnut Tree House’s original event, which has been running as long as the hospice! The 15th Littlehampton 10k will take place on Sunday 9th September and is suitable for both experienced and first-time runners.

Those who prefer a challenge on two wheels can sign up for Chestnut Tree House’s second annual Hit the Downs MTB cycling event in May. Cyclists can choose between a 30km and 60km route, which takes in the stunning scenery and views of the South Downs National Park.

Or get muddy for Chestnut Tree House by signing up for Operation: MUD – a 5km military-style mud run taking place in July at the award-winning Nuts Challenge course at Henfold Lakes near Dorking.

For details of all upcoming events, visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/events

MIDSUMMER BALL Preparations are underway for this year’s Midsummer Ball, ‘A Night of Nashville’, in partnership with the DM Thomas Foundation for Young People. Taking place on Saturday 23rd June at the Hilton Brighton Metropole, the event will be raising money to help young people in Sussex, supporting DM Thomas Foundation, Action Medical Research, Chailey Heritage Foundation, Chestnut Tree House and The Starr Trust.

The evening’s entertainment includes a dance and singing competition that reflects the Nashville theme. Chestnut Tree House would like to say a special thank you to Gavin Graimes from Oliver & Graimes and Fran Woolley, who have kindly agreed to represent the charity in the dance competition on the night.

Early bird ticket offer: Tables of 10 can be booked for £850 before 31st March (standard price £950), or individual tickets cost £95. This includes a three-course meal and half a bottle of wine per person.

DRINKS RECEPTION: 6:30PM Table of 10: £850

Tables of 10: £950

(after 31st March 2018)

Individual Tickets: £95

(Earlybird offer before 31st March 2018)

Other opportunities: If you can help by providing good quality auction lots for the Midsummer Ball then Chestnut Tree House would love to hear from you. There are also some fantastic sponsorship opportunities available.

Event sponsors & Charities

For more information on the Midsummer Ball, please contact Vicky Norman on 01903 871847 or email corporate@chestnut-treehouse.org.uk.

First opened in 2003, Chestnut Tree House is the children’s hospice for Sussex and South East Hampshire, caring for children with life-shortening conditions, giving them the chance to do all the sorts of things that kids love doing. It costs Chestnut Tree House over £3.5 million each year to provide all their specialist care services - both at the hospice and in families’ own homes - and with less than 7% funding from central government, the charity relies on the generosity of the local community to help raise the money needed.

Feeling inspired? Talk to Chestnut Tree House today and find out how you can support them during 2018.

Tel: 01903 871846 / 01323 725095

www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

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•

Email: corporate@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

CHICHESTER

CONNECTIVITY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES

By Shelagh Legrave, Vice-Chair of Chichester Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Chief Executive of Chichester College Group

A

s the country delves more deeply into the messy divorce from the European Union, the importance of building our economy through organic growth is even more vital. Those of us living in more rural areas appreciate the significance of the small business. Of the 7,300 businesses in Chichester, 85.7% employ less than 10 people according to West Sussex Life 2017-19.

Good knowledgeable people are essential to successful businesses, as is their ability to build relationships and network effectively. The Chichester Chamber of Commerce exists to support businesses to prosper and it does this through some really beneficial networking events.

Once a month, on the second Monday, the Chamber runs a business meeting. It moves around to different business and charity venues each time, giving the host the opportunity to speak about what they do. It also includes a chance to hear a short talk on a business pertinent subject - a recent subject being the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Together with Chichester College, the Chamber also runs a business breakfast once a month which includes time to network, followed by a delicious breakfast cooked by the College’s students. A keynote speech is incorporated and recent speakers have included the Bank of England Agent and Fishbourne Roman Palace.

Of course, network events are only an effective tool if those attending plan what they want to achieve. In her excellent short article on six keys to effective networking, Susan Rittscher describes using the ‘hostess principle’ - imagining yourself as the hostess, greeting all the guests and ensuring they are comfortable. This allows you to feel more

relaxed and able to deal with the inevitable nervousness in a roomful of strangers.

Chichester Chamber also provides a range of business support activities and training, along with some fun events too. If we are to build a successful local economy, the connectivity of businesses is one of the vital ingredients. We are more effective as a group than we are as individual companies, and together we can work to remove some of the barriers to business growth.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

OF COMMERCE AND

Thursday 8th March - Behind the Scenes – Spirit FM

INDUSTRY FROM JUST

£99

Membership benefits include:

Monday 12th March - Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting in association with Chichester BID

Wednesday 14th March - The Chichester Business Breakfast in conjunction with

• Events and networking

Chichester College

• Policy and public affairs

Wednesday 28th March - Customer Seduction – A Business Knowledge Network

• Workshops and training • Business advice and services • New business opportunities

Event in partnership with Coast to Capital Growth Hub and CCCI

Monday 9th April - Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting Friday 13th April - Private luncheon and Networking Event with Gillian Keegan MP Friday 20th April - Observer & Gazette Business Awards

Join us now at

Wednesday 25th April - Cocktail Tasting Masterclass Networking Event

www.chichestercci.org.uk/join

For more details visit www.chichestercci.org.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

JOIN CHICHESTER CHAMBER

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ACES

WHEN IS PLASTIC GREENER THAN WOOD?

U

nless you work in logistics, you may not have heard of Goplasticpallets. com, however it’s a name you should remember. Not only is Goplasticpallets. com the UK’s leading independent supplier of plastic pallets, it’s a great example of a company that produces a lasting product that customers recycle rather than replace.

CHAMBER NEWS

The ubiquitous wooden pallet is more likely to be burnt or dumped after use than a purpose made plastic pallet. For this reason, major supermarkets and food producers have chosen to use purpose made plastic pallets. All too often wooden pallets are seen as disposable; they are not returned to the originating distribution centre because they

are too easily damaged and destroyed.

Plastic pallets can be made for a specific job in a variety of designs, and they last much longer than wood. They are tough and resilient, and it is easier to return them to the originating branch rather than dump them.

Whether you are transporting fragile goods, engine parts, food, glassware, electronics or pharmaceuticals, you can specify the precise pallet box to protect your valuable products; safe in the knowledge you will get them back to use again and again.

Managing Director, Jim Hardisty said: “As clients have realised that our products last, and can put thousands of pounds on their bottom line, we have seen unprecedented

growth. So much so, we’ve had to double our sales force to cope with demand.

“I’m also delighted that our staff retention is incredible high. We value our team and invest in their training and coaching, so our customer satisfaction levels remain high, despite our growth.”

After 18 years working in the logistics sector and six years in the pallet industry, Jim co-founded Goplasticpallets.com in 2001 with business partner Chris Adam. Seventeen years on, Chris and Jim have successfully secured sole distribution agreements with five of Europe’s largest plastic pallet and box manufacturers, putting the company in an enviable position to be able to offer from

The Goplasticpallets.com sales team (from left to right) Robbie, Dan, Gavin, Ben, Tom and James

Battle Chamber of Commerce www.battlechamber.org.uk

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Bexhill Chamber of Commerce 01424 842892 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk

Crowborough Chamber of Commerce www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk

Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of Commerce 01323 641144 www.eastbournechamber.co.uk

East Sussex County Council 01273 481570 www.eastsussex.gov.uk

Federation of Small Businesses 01424 754686 Reg Office: 01323 482018 www.fsb.org.uk/eastsussex

Hailsham Chamber of Commerce 01323 310531 www.hailshamchamberofcommerce.co.uk

Hastings Chamber of Commerce 01424 205500 www.hastingschamber.co.uk

Heathfield Chamber of Commerce 01435 865858 www.heathfieldchamber.co.uk

ACES a very large and competitive range of products, most of which are available from stock, while bespoke designs can be created too.

Located in East Sussex, the company has two large warehouses which stock some 12,000 plastic pallets and pallet boxes with 340 different varieties to choose from. Adjoining one of the warehouses is an impressive open-plan office space, which is home to the Goplasticpallets.com team of eight product experts who have over 100 years of experience within the logistics industry.

The last couple of years have seen Goplasticpallets.com pick up some significant orders from major retailers, including the top five UK supermarkets. The company has also fulfilled a number of large orders overseas including exporting to Kenya, Dubai, Australia and Qatar where Hamad International Airport is using them to safely transport duty free stock from its cargo warehouse to its duty free facility. In addition, Goplasticpallets.com continues to invest in new equipment - a state-of-the-art thermal printing machine was recently installed in response to growing customer demand for branded totes and trays.

You can find out more about Goplasticpallets.com by visiting www.goplasticpallets.com or calling the team on 01323 744057.

Jim Hardisty Co-Founder and Managing Director of Goplasticpallets.com

YOU’RE HIRED!

N

ational Apprenticeship Week this year will see the roll out of two valuable Parent & Employer Roadshows in March, and we recommend you come along to find the latest bright young thing for your workforce.

These dynamic events will bring together employers, training providers, young people and their parents while providing up-to-date information on traineeships and apprenticeships, from pre-employment to higher and degree apprenticeships.

The events will take place at: Eastbourne Town Hall on Thursday 15th March 2018, 5-7pm and at Stade Hall in Hastings on Wednesday 21st March 2018, 5-7pm.

Both events will host a marketplace and panel discussion for employers and providers, supported by Apprentice Ambassadors and independent advice organisations.

ACES The official magazine for the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex

ussex

Issue 7. 2018

Launch of the

LEWES DISTRICT BUSINESS AWARDS

We are very proud of our new magazines for ACES. The new magazine will be distributed all over East Sussex. Make sure you pick up your copy.

Raise a Glass to

EAST SUSSEX BEER

SMITH & OUZMAN Document storage with added security

EASTBOURNE CHAMBER Helping out in Kenya

RANGE ROVER VELAR Reviewed

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

The Institute of Directors 0207 766 8866 www.iod.com

Focus on

LEWES ACES

Lewes Chamber of Commerce 07919 382316 www.leweschamber.org.uk

For more information about advertising and editorial sponsorship, contact info@platinumbusinessmagazine.com or call 07966 244046 and we have discounted members rates. The second issue is out now and in general distribution right around the region

Locate East Sussex 0844 415 9255 www.locateeastsussex.org.uk

Newhaven Chamber of Commerce 0800 107 0709 www.newhavenchamber.co.uk

Peacehaven Chamber of Commerce 01273 586222 www.peacehavenchamber.co.uk

Seaford Chamber of Commerce 0800 881 5331 www.seafordchamber.co.uk

South East Local Enterprise Partnership 01245 431469 www.southeastlep.com

Uckfield Chamber of Commerce 01825 722607 www.uckfieldchamber.co.uk

Wealden District Council 01323 443322 www.wealden.gov.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

Participation in the event is free. If you would like to take part or find out more, please contact trish.varndall@apprenticeships-in-sussex. com, indicating which event you would like to attend. If you would like to have a stand at either event, just let Trish know.

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SUSSEX CHAMBER

SKILLS SHORTAGE THE BIGGEST RISK FOR BUSINESS

by Ana Christie Chief Executive, Sussex Chamber of Commerce

T

he findings of the latest quarterly economic survey, conducted by the British Chambers of Commerce and with over 7,000 business responses, indicate skills shortages are reaching critical levels. Of the service sector firms hiring, the percentage of firms reporting recruitment difficulties rose to 71%. In manufacturing, the percentage of recruiting firms reporting greater difficulties is at its highest since Q4 2016.

In the manufacturing sector, the proportion of firms reporting improved export sales and orders fell slightly compared to the

The latest results also confirm that inflation remains a concern with a significant spike in inflation expectations in the quarter. While inflation is likely to peak in the coming months, it is likely to remain stubbornly above the Bank of England’s 2% inflation target for a prolonged period, maintaining the cost pressures on both consumers and businesses.

Looking forward, the UK economy is set to continue on an underwhelming growth trajectory over the near term with uncertainty over the impact of Brexit, coupled with high inflation and

previous quarter. The indicators for domestic sales, employment weak productivity, likely to dampen overall economic activity. expectations, recruitment and confidence in turnover are also lower than in the previous BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE quarter.

In the service sector - a key driver of the UK economy - growth remains muted and relatively unchanged from the previous three months and is below historic averages.

RECRUITMENT DIFFICULTIES

In Q4 2017, 50% of service sector firms reported that they had attempted to recruit employees. Of these firms, 71% said they faced recruitment difficulties, the highest proportion since records began.

Professional/managerial staff were the most difficult category of employee to recruit. The below heat map shows the breakdown of this indicator by UK nation and region:

CHAMBER NEWS

Both sectors have seen considerable rises in the proportion of businesses expecting prices to increase in the next three months.

The results emphasise the need to kickstart the economy by addressing the barriers to growth, in particular the growing skills gap, which is hindering the ability of companies to find the workers they need to develop. The percentage of businesses attempting to recruit fell slightly from 52% to 50%. Of those, the percentage of services firms reporting greater recruitment difficulties rose from 67% to 71%, the highest since records began.

Labour and skills shortages are set to be the biggest potential drag anchor on business in 2018, since ultimately it is people that make businesses work. Business itself must do more by training and investing in people, wherever possible, but government must also give firms the confidence to put their livelihoods on the line and go for growth.

These results suggest that GDP growth remained underwhelming in the fourth quarter of 2017. Services sector activity remains subdued with most indicators still below their pre-EU referendum levels. Consumer-facing firms, in particular, are facing an uphill struggle due to negative real wage growth, which is continuing to stifle consumer spending.

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Scotland

45%

North East

62%

Yorks & Humber

North West

64%

77%

Northern Ire

East Midlands

71%

70%

East of England

Wales

88%

82%

London

57%

West Midlands

67%

South West

76%

South East

80%

The regions and nations which saw the largest percentage of service sector firms facing recruitment difficulties were Wales (88%), East of England (82%) and the South West (80%). The regions and nations which saw the fewest service firms report difficulties were Scotland (45%), London (57%) and the North East (62%).

www.britishchambers.org.uk | @britishchambers

BRIGHTON AND HOVE

GOOD NEWS AND A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN

By Bee Nicholls

I

n 2012 a cross-party commission decided that Brighton & Hove should have their own Living Wage campaign. The project was launched as a business-led initiative led by the Brighton Chamber, and today six years on we have over 370 sign-ups.

Every year in November, the Resolution Foundation and the Living Wage Commission calculate the true cost of living in the UK and London. The calculations take into account what it means to have a good quality of life instead of a basic survival. The rate is currently set at £8.75 per hour for the whole of the UK excluding London. This equates to £17,062.50 per annum.

There is often confusion over the difference between the real Living Wage and the National Living Wage. The National Living Wage is what used to be known as the minimum wage. This is currently only £7.50 per hour and is set by the government.

Over 370 employers in Brighton & Hove have made the pledge to pay their employees the real Living Wage and as a result of this local campaign, 3064 salaries have been elevated so far. It’s a great campaign to run and it’s a great example of the diversity of the businesses that make up our city. Recently, we launched the #GoodNewsBrighton social media campaign, inviting Living Wage employers to share their good news stories with us. We had some great responses, including:

“This January we welcomed Psychology graduate Natasha Rodrigues for 10 weeks, as part of the Sussex Graduate Internship Programme. Natasha said: “I’m excited to be working for a local charity who help people in ways I feel passionate about. It’s a fantastic opportunity for my own learning and development and for a worthwhile cause, connecting people to reduce isolation and improve wellbeing.” – Brighton & Hove Impetus “Cityzen was part of the design team for the UK’s largest emergency accommodation site, delivered by local developer QED Sustainable Urban Developments, for Ealing Council. Up to 288 homeless people will now be housed in converted shipping container apartments that just 10-months ago were initial concept sketches in our office. There is a mix of studio, one and two bed apartments.” – Cityzen The more employers we have, the more influential the campaign will be. It is particularly important for the economy here where Brighton has a lower than average wage. It’s free to sign up and takes less than a minute. The hourly rate applies to all staff who regularly work at the business, with the exceptions of apprentices and interns.

Visit https://www.livingwagebrighton.co.uk for more information.

CHAMBER NEWS

“Just 21 months ago we served our first amazing coffee, knocked up a few dishes and hosted the odd party, but now we are delighted to make the epic announcement of our new partnership with local micro brewery ‘Good Things Brewing’. Led by the talented Christopher Drummond, Good Things Brewing produce an excellent range of craft ales and an incredible lager. Good Things Brewing are

on a mission to become the first ever off grid, completely sustainable brewery in 2018. To mark the opening of the new tap bar, we are hosting a launch party on Friday 16th February from 6pm to 11pm to welcome all of Brighton to the newest tap bar in town, supporting all things Sussex.” – Café Plenty

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WORTHING & ADUR

BETTER THAN EVER THE BETTER BUSINESS SHOW 2018 success, and not just the highs, but the challenges they have overcome on their continuing journey. We have some amazing companies locally and should celebrate these more often.

Business is constantly meeting new challenges and change is part of the normal process, but we hope that the information on the new GDPR from Acumen Law was helpful. There was the opportunity to have one-to-one sessions with the Growth Hub Advisors and to listen to local experts on current topics of interest.

We challenge anyone to come out of the show and not feel excited about our local business community. Hopefully everyone received some great contacts, information and inspiration from the day both as

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hat an amazing day! The Better Business Show 2018 exceeded all of our expectations.

attendees and exhibitors. We certainly did!

With over 90 exhibitors, and in excess of 600 people in attendance on the day, it was no surprise that there was the most amazing buzz in the room. This all goes to show what a great business community we have on our doorstep.

CHAMBER NEWS

We are always impressed by the imagination and effort that goes into the stands. The variety and quality of the stands has improved year on year with the addition of sofas, oil drums, interactive games, carpet displays and engine parts. The motoring theme continued this year and was enhanced by the outside display of electric cars courtesy of sponsors Chandlers BMW & Mini Worthing, with the sleek BMW i8 catching the eye of Worthing Mayor Alex Harman, who took to the driving seat for a photo opportunity.

One thing that makes the show unique is the presence of the larger businesses - including Ricardo, ETI, Sussex Transport and Southern Water - who exhibit alongside the smaller local companies and professional service providers. Some amazing business has resulted from connections made at the show - who knows what partnerships may develop in the future!

The speakers were local success stories with Adam Stafford from Fresh Egg, and Matt Hunt from Protein Ball talking of their path to

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FORTHCOMING EVENTS 7th March – Chamber Chat Networking 16th March – Chamber Hub FREE Networking 21st March – Afternoon tea at the Hilton with Chichester Chamber

23rd March – Networking breakfast: Planning update with Adur & Worthing Council

28th March – Members Event ‘Gear Up For Success’: FREE three hour Business Planning Workshop

2nd May – Annual General Meeting Find more information at www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

EASTBOURNE

VIDEO MARKETING

Cultivating trust or just another sales pitch? Mike Page, Company Director of Megatrend Media Ltd discusses.

Consumers and executives now expect to see video content when they visit a website. But for video to be an effective marketing tool, it must communicate the right message to the right audience. The internet is awash with “Buy our stuff” videos, rather like the majority of TV advertising, however, if the record £6bn spent on Christmas TV ads is anything to go by, something must be working for big brands, with equally large budgets.

However, while these types of videos evidently work for established household brands, small, lesser-known businesses with smaller pockets must work harder to build a comparable level of trust and confidence with prospective customers. So, how can this be achieved?

Video has become a vital part of the marketing mix for businesses of all sizes. More companies are launching video marketing campaigns and many are achieving some success as a result. However, the common misconception that a single promotional video will suffice, is like expecting a poster on a tree in the middle of a forest to

instantly generate a rush of enquiries.

Successful video marketing takes time, plus a more subtle approach than the archetypal sales video. Rather than focusing on the sale, the primary goal should be to demonstrate knowledge and expertise within your particular profession, industry, or niche. You see, the internet has empowered people to ask questions. So, your video content needs to provide answers to the questions your target market is ‘asking’ when searching online. If your video content fails to appear based on the search terms being used, then it’s unlikely it will ever be seen by prospective buyers.

As more of your videos are consumed by people searching for information relating to your product or service, you are effectively demonstrating credibility and values. People begin to recognise your company as an authority - the “Go-To” people within your marketplace.

Businesses that embrace video as part of their marketing strategy stand to gain a significant competitive edge. By taking a strategic approach with intelligently planned content and selective distribution, you can build confidence and trust in your product, your people and your brand, which leads to profitable customer action.

For more information visit megatrendmedia.com

CHAMBER NEWS

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e live in a world where information is dominated by video. And, with attention spans decreasing, consumers now prefer to watch a video, than read a page or text.

This phenomenon represents a radical shift in our information consumption habits.

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Anger Management

ANGER MANAGEMENT

ONE RULE FOR THE RICH

by Maarten Hoffmann

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m l the only one that was shocked by the recent news that billionaire Russian, and Putin’s judo partner, Arkady Rotenberg convinced the UK Supreme Court to grant him anonymity in the divorce battle with his wife?

Yes, that is the supposedly ‘beyond reproach’ Supreme Court of these British Isles that are tasked with treating all citizens without fear or favour. I guess we now know that if you have bundles of cash to buy top lawyers, you can be treated with fear and favour. Last week after a two-year battle, the Sunday Times managed to get this draconian order overturned although we are still not allowed to know final details of any settlement.

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The fact that he is able to bend the rule of law for his purposes in Britain should worry anyone who values either

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Rotenburg is not simply rich. He is one of Putins closest and oldest friends. He is subject to international sanctions for his association with the illegal annexation of Crimea and a personification of the oligarchy that Putin has tamed and repurposed as his personal Pretorian Guard. The fact that he is able to bend the rule of law for his purposes in Britain should worry anyone who values either.

Rotenburg is a major part of this personal Pretorian Guard - those lucky men that have been made into overnight billionaires by the

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grace and favour of Tzar Putin, who hands out state contracts like sweeties to his mates. Mr Rotenburg runs a construction company that made a pile from the £51 billion Sochi Olympics and is now working on the £5 billion bridge that will connect Russia to the illegally annexed Crimea.

Boris Nemtsov, the late pro-democracy activist, complied a dossier of what he alleged were corrupt deals linked to the Sochi Games.

The Rotenburg brothers denied cronyism but featured headily in the dossier. Two years later Mr Nemtsov was gunned down in front of the Kremlin by unknown hitmen.

My Rotenburg, who is 66, is said to be worth £2.35 billion (10% of his true wealth

apparently) was a childhood friend of Putin in St Petersburg. His rapid accumulation of wealth coincides with Putins time in power and his largest client is the Russian state.

It is because of this that he is on the list of Russians barred from travelling to, or doing business with, any EU country. Yet he is able to convince a senior UK judge to draft a draconian order demanding that the British press be muzzled regarding his divorce.

The grounds for hearing the divorce case here are clear. Mrs Rotenburg, 37, has lived in a £35 million Surrey mansion since 2013. Even so, the case raises questions as to whether secret litigation in London or any subsequent transfer of funds to London might have violated the

Anger Management

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This whole thing stinks of the British establishment being in thrall, or fear, of Russia.

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sanctions Mr Rotenburg is under. It has also shown utter contempt for the British press,

British society that we have little power to do anything about it.

which has been barred from reporting on it while the Russian media has not.

That my friends, is even more frightening.

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PS: My thoughts turn to money when l think of all the Rich Lists that are compiled

obsessively by the British and American press. The top of the pile this year is Bill Gates with £86 billion. Really? If Putin were to show his hand, you can be assured that he could buy Gates ten times over. Gates might have a company at his finger tips but Putin has an entire country at his and if his mates are all billionaires due to his largesse. What’s the bet that he is the real richest man on the planet? £100/200 billion - who would bet against it?

Oligarchs already enjoy all the privacy money can buy - should the British Courts be bought and paid for by wealthy individuals who have powerful friends?

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Oligarchs already enjoy all the privacy money can buy - should the British Courts be bought and paid for by wealthy individuals who have powerful friends?

We all know how this goes - wealthy individuals buying friends, MPs, judges and the like as, with enough cash on the table, there would sadly appear to be few people on power that cannot be purchased. But the British Supreme Court is surely the last bastion of fairness, propriety and common sense yet they granted the gagging order on the basis that Rotenburg’s vast wealth would make him a target of physical threats and kidnapping.

Really - no one knew this guy was a billionaire already? And who on earth is going to try to kidnap Putins best mate?

This whole thing stinks of the British establishment being in thrall, or fear, of Russia.

Perhaps it is time we grew a pair and stood up to the dictator in the Kremlin once and for all. Or are the financial tentacles of the Kremlin so inextricably intwined throughout

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Institute of Directors

EDUCATION – could do better?

By Dean Orgill, Chair of Sussex IoD and Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk • www.iod.com

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t the beginning of this month’s thoughts, I ought to declare an interest. The person I admire most in the world is a teacher with an ability to inspire young minds and help them learn that I find awesome. I have also had the benefit, as I am sure many of you have, of being inspired by enthusiastic teachers along my own academic career. To that I also add a disclaimer. I have no political affiliations or allegiances, or even a philosophy aligned to any particular party or group.

I have, however, spent many years as a school governor (in more than one school) and have been an employer for many years.

Through the IoD, and other organisations and bodies that I belong to, I also hear the views of many other employers.

In no way would I claim to be an expert in education. Through the various experiences I have mentioned that has been abundantly clear to me. I have seen the experts in action, and all I have tried to do is my part in providing logistical experience and assistance, as I am sure many of you have too.

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Yet despite the undoubted expertise that we have in the teaching profession, the refrain from employers still seems to remain the same, that young people are coming to employment without the requisite skills so far as employers are concerned. Yet those young people have worked hard at their schooling, and frequently have impressive qualifications.

place there does not seem to be any conflict between them. Educators recognise what it is that business is likely to need from its people in the future, and also what people will need for themselves in terms of flexibility and the skills to be able to adapt and retrain as our technology and requirements as a society change at an ever-increasing pace.

It is therefore hard not to feel that our system is benefiting no-one. Statistics seem to show that the teaching profession is becoming less attractive to the talented educators that we need, both in terms of retaining the experience that exists and in attracting new talent. Employers repeat their concerns that have changed little for many years. Young people appear to be working in an increasingly pressured environment where the emphasis is very clearly on certain results. Time on the curriculum for innovative and creative aspects seems to have reduced and reduced over recent years, irrespective of the hue of the government.

Perhaps our governments, and we as a society, need to take a longer term view.

Should we not be thinking in terms of how education helps not only productivity but also personal skills, health and well-being, rather than focussing on short term test results and comparisons? As I said, I am no expert, but it seems to me that the potential benefits are such that it must be worth a try.

In the forums where I have seen discussions between employers and educators take

JUST A THOUGHT Who has inspired you the most, and how?

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