Platinum Business Magazine issue 36

The Largest Circulation Regional Business Publication in the UK.

ISSUE 36. 2017

JEREMY CORBYN

PLATINUM Can he turn Britain red?

DUBLIN Cashing in on a hard Brexit?

DAVID DIMBLEBY

PLATINUM Mr Dependable

SOFTBALL The ultimate corporate sport?

The addictive sound of a

PORSCHE GT3 READ ALL PAST ISSUES AT WWW.PLATINUMBUSINESSMAGAZINE.COM

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THE NEW BMW 530e iPERFORMANCE SALOON. THE NEW BMW 530e SE iPERFORMANCE SALOON MONTHLY RENTALS FROM £327.99 (Plus £2,951.91 initial rental)* Think creatively. Move with the times. Two essential concepts for automotive sustainability. The new BMW 530e iPerformance implements both approaches perfectly and remains way ahead of its time. It relies on electrifying driving pleasure and thanks to the plug-in hybrid drive, looks forward to a bright future.

The new BMW 530e boasts many benefits: • • • • •

Electric motor combined with a 4-cylinder TwinPower petrol engine Intelligent energy management Convenient charging solutions Range of driving modes Emission free short range driving

For more information on our BMW Business offers please visit www.vinesofgatwickbmw.co.uk/business, or contact your Local Business Development Manager on 0800 915 4700.

Vines of Gatwick

Stephenson Way, Three Bridges Crawley RH10 1TN

BMW Business Partnership Official fuel economy figures for the new BMW 5 Series range: Urban 29.7-64.2mpg (9.7-4.4l/100km). Extra Urban 47.8-78.4mpg (5.9-3.6l/100km). Combined 39.2-141.2mpg (7.2-2 l/100km) incl PHEV. CO2 emissions: 164-46g/km incl PHEV. Figures are obtained in a standardised test cycle. They are intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions. *Business users only. Price shown for a new BMW 530e SE iPerformance Saloon excludes VAT at 20% and is for a 36 month Contract Hire agreement, with a contract mileage of 24,000 miles and an excess mileage charge of 11.59 pence per mile. Applies for new vehicles ordered between 1 April and 30 June 2017 and registered by 30 September 2017 (subject to availability). At the end of your agreement you must return the vehicle and vehicle condition, excess mileage and other charges may be payable. Available subject to status to UK residents aged 18 or over. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. The amount of VAT you can reclaim depends on your business VAT status. Terms and conditions apply. Offer may be varied, withdrawn or extended at any time.

Hire provided by BMW Group Corporate Finance. BMW Group Corporate Finance is a trading style of Alphabet (GB) Limited, Alphabet House, Summit Avenue, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 0FB. We commonly introduce customers to BMW Group Corporate Finance. This introduction does not amount to independent financial advice. BMW (UK) Ltd, Summit ONE, Summit Avenue, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 0FB. Registered in England and Wales 1378137. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for credit broking activities.

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Welcome

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THE BIG STORY COMRADE CORBYN Jeremy Corbyn probably won’t win the election but he will surely keep his firm grip on the Labour Party

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HOW TO BE TAX-EFFICIENT

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HIT THE PITCH

MHA Carpenter Box’s Chris Coopey offers money-saving tips

Why softball is the ultimate sport for team-building

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DAVID DIMBLEBY

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DUBLIN

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PORSCHE GT3

Profile of the unflappable broadcaster who will be anchoring his final Election Night on the BBC

Will Ireland be a big Brexit winner?

At a Glance 6 Local & National News 14 NatWest - Speeding up Lending 16 Acumen Business Convention - Reviewed 18 The Big Story 24 Kreston Reeves - VAT on Imports/Exports 26 Carpenter Box - How to be tax-efficient 28 Rawlison Butler - Protecting your IP 30 DMH Stallard - Import labour rules 33 Si Conroy - CEO Fight Club 35 Softball - Get Involved 36 Yelo Architects - Planning Permission 38 David Dimbleby Profile 42 Gatwick Diamond - Meet the Buyers 44 Destination - Dublin 50 Uniglobe - Travel Stories 53 The Thinking Pod 54 Making it in Hollywood 56 University of Brighton - Great Debate 58 Ten2Two - Flexible working 60 Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum

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Lewes Business Awards Smart Monkey - Why Google Maps matter

65 Charity News 66 Sussex Economic Forum 69 Brighton & Hove Business Awards 70 Motoring - Porsche GT3 72 Motoring - Classic Cars 74 Motoring Maserati Ghibli 76 Table Talk - And so to food 78 Table Talk - The Earl of March 80 Table Talk - Wine from South Africa 83 Adur & Worthing Business Awards 84 Chambers of Commerce 92 Anger Management 94 Institute of Directors

Be entertained by the magnificent roar

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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.

Issue 35 - 2017

A word from the Editors As we write this we are in the midst of a general election and the problem with a monthly magazine is that it is tough to be current. On the cover we feature Jeremy Corbyn who is attempting, with little passion, drive or excitement, to become Prime Minister. The chance of him succeeding is so remote, and frightening, that there is little doubt that Theresa May will still be PM on June 9th. Thank goodness for that as, at this time, there is only one thing that really matters to the economic wellbeing of this country and that is Brexit. We need a strong leader with a clear and substantial majority to lead us through the most difficult time we have ever faced.

Ian profiles Mr Dependable, David Dimbleby who has been hauled out of retirement to present the election and Rose was in Dublin looking at the business travel scene and considering if Ireland will be winners or losers in the Brexit debate. Maarten was charging around in a Porsche GT3 - and then they delivered him a Rolls-Royce black badge Wraith and as it is the fastest Rolls ever produced, there was even more charging around, or wafting as he likes to call it.

We have yet another packed issue for your delight and delectation and we hope you enjoy it.

Maarten & Ian Platinum Business Magazine June 2017

The Team

Maarten Hoffmann – Director maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

07966 244046

Ian Trevett – Director ian@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

07989 970804

Lesley Alcock

Amanda Menahem

Kate Morton

Business Development Director

Food & Drink Editor

Copy Editor

Rose Dykins

Beth Nash

Travel Editor

Digital Manager

Julie Clarke Sales Manager

Sarah Walker-Bennett Amanda Harrington Event Photographer

Head of Design

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News

LOCAL NEWS MANOR ROYAL’S ‘POCKET PARK’ Keith Pordum, Vice-Chair of the Manor Royal BID, joined Patrick Heath-Lay, Chief Executive Officer of B&CE, The People’s Pension to officially open ‘The Terrace’ – a peaceful outdoor ‘pocket park’ located at the end of Manor Royal road at the junction with London Road.

The opening ceremony saw members of the Manor Royal BID Board and local business people gather to announce ‘The Terrace’ officially open. Designed to provide outdoor space for those who work nearby, The Terrace is now an ideal place for al fresco meetings, relaxing lunchtime breaks or simply a breath of fresh air.

Converted from a patch of unused land, the area provides seating, public art, a new planting scheme and even an outdoor table tennis table for local employees to enjoy.

Patrick Heath-Lay said, “We are delighted to support the Manor Royal BID with this new and innovative project. It’s provided us with a great opportunity to improve the natural environment around us, and to give something back to our employees and those that work around here. With the summer months fast approaching, I’m looking forward to seeing people making the most of this new outdoor space.”

Manor Royal Business District is home to more than 500 businesses providing jobs for 30,000 people, 18,000 of whom commute to the area. By itself, Manor Royal accounts for 40 per cent of Crawley’s total employment and provides over 700 individual rateable business units. www.manorroyal.org

D&G TEAM BACKS CHARITY The 900 Staff at Domestic & General’s Brighton contact centre have thrown their support behind Rockinghorse children’s charity, raising almost £8,500.

The Brighton team chose to support Rockinghorse as their Charity of the Year for 2016/2017, organising a variety of fundraising events to raise £8,453. Staff took part in Paddle Round the Pier, Santa Dash, summer fundraising fetes, and a host of other activities to raise funds.

During the two-year charity partnership, staff at Domestic & General have raised over £15,000 for Rockinghorse, as well as donating many hours of time to volunteer at fundraising events and the charity’s partner centres, including the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton.

Analiese Doctrove, Head of Fundraising at Rockinghorse, said: “Our thanks to the entire team who are all helping us make a huge difference to the lives of sick children in Sussex.”

The charity is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary and aim to raise £500,000 this year through their Sussex Giving for Sussex Children appeal. Domestic & General’s Brighton team have chosen to support Rockinghorse again in 2017/2018. www.rockinghorse.org.uk.

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Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die

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News

FROM HERITAGE TO HEIGHTS Steve Bax will be the new Executive Director for British Airways i360 from July 3rd. Steve has worked in the visitor attraction sector for more than ten years and is currently Historic Properties Director, London and the East, for English Heritage.

Steve started his career at English Heritage selling admission tickets from a kiosk, before working his way up through key positions across the country.

He has since led the opening of the Elizabethan Garden at Kenilworth Castle and made improvements to the visitor experience at Bolsover Castle, Eltham Palace, Kenwood House and Audley End House.

Steve said, “I am thrilled to be joining this innovative and record-holding attraction,” he said. “I am also excited about becoming part of the city’s business community and working with other attractions and businesses to promote Brighton and all it has to offer. I look forward to seeing British Airways i360 play its part in ensuring Brighton remains one of Britain’s top seaside destinations.”

Steve takes over from former Chief Executive Eleanor Harris, who stepped down in December 2016 but remains on the board of directors.

BACK OF THE NET!

THE FAST GROWERS OF 2016 Sussex’s fastest growing companies have continued to forge ahead, reporting combined sales growth of 22% in the last year to £280m, according to new research by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP. BDO’s Best in Business report rates the fastest-growing companies with a turnover between £5m - £10m, which are expected to break through the £10m turnover bracket.

The top ten are: 1 Chatsworth Forge Group Ltd 2 E & B Group Limited 3 Onwatch PLC 4 Appcelerate LLP 5 W.T. Lamb Holdings Limited

The son of a former Brighton and Hove Albion manager has joined the rapidly expanding team at Skerritts Wealth Management in Hove.

6 Magic Man Limited 7

Ferrabyrne Limited

New Investment manager Charlie Lloyd is ardent Seagulls fan and his dad Barry is now part of the club’s scouting department.

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Madgex Limited

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Fordingbridge PLC

Charlie, 33, brings with him 12 years’ experience with the investment arm of HSBC, UBS Wealth Management and Brewin Dolphin, where he was an associate director responsible for managing discretionary portfolios on behalf of private clients, financial advisors, charities and trusts.

In his new role, Charlie will be a key investment team member monitoring the sometimes volatile financial markets and ensuring the best returns for Skerritts’ investors.

“We look after more than £900m of assets on behalf of 27,000 individuals, charities, companies and trustees,” Charlie said.

“I will be working with the investment management team at the head office in Hove and am really looking forward to getting stuck in. Skerritts are well established on the south coast, have an excellent reputation and wish to continue their strong growth of recent years.”

10 Amenity Horticultural Services Limited

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They say that religion is the opiate of the masses. Well, l took masses of opiates religiously

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News

LOCAL NEWS DEGREES OF SUCCESS AT PARKER Parker Building Supplies is celebrating the university success of six employees.

Tim Briance has passed a Builders Merchants Federation Foundation Degree with distinction and Jake Feek, Laura Pierce, Lee Church, Jamie Pierce and Dave Clark have received post-graduate diplomas in Independent Merchant Leadership and Strategy with merits. Jamie and Lee also achieved a Multi-Unit Leadership & Strategy Master’s Degree with merits.

The degrees are part of Parker Building Supplies’ Professional and Personal Development Programme which ensures that each employee fulfils their potential.

The firm’s Training & Development Manager, Shelly Hodges, said: “We’re very proud of all the members of our team who have been awarded their degrees.

It’s not easy to juggle a full time job while studying but these employees have managed to do this to an excellent standard and we congratulate them all.”

Parker Building Supplies is one of the largest builders’ merchants in the region and has branches throughout Sussex and Kent. The firm has recently moved its head office from Uckfield to Polegate.

Photo caption: Shelly Hodges, Tim Briance, Jake Feek, Jamie Pierce & Laura Pierce.

Sitting: Lee Church, Stewart Pierce & Dave Clark

THE BATTLE IS OVER Two long-established Battle accountancy businesses have announced they are beginning a new working relationship.

Robert Duffill & Company and Holland Harper LLP have joined forces under the Holland Harper umbrella. Together, they will be offering the same outstanding service and will be able to ensure continuity for their clients.

The announcement comes after David Stedman, proprietor of Robert Duffill & Company, decided to begin planning his retirement. He felt it was important to find a company that he would recommend to his clients; a company that shared the same business ethos and one which would understand the requirements of his customers.

David Stedman explains: “I have known Roy Holland for roughly 25 years and I know we share the same values when it comes to business. Even better, Holland Harper LLP works with a similar range of clientele to Robert Duffill & Company.”

David will continue working part-time at Holland Harper LLP and will be joined by Della and Sarah, who worked full-time at Robert Duffill & Company.

Roy Holland said: “I was delighted David came to me when he was first considering retirement.

I have known David for around 25 years. Our practices cater for a similar client-base and, most importantly for our customers, we share similar values and a commitment to dealing with our clients’ affairs in a professional manner.”

Never laugh

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“Our aim is to provide a smooth transition for Robert Duffill & Company’s clients.” www.hollandharper.co.uk

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at your partners choices. You are one of them

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News

PROMISES, PROMISES After the election we will see big improvements in our local infrastructure - at least that’s what the politician have promised.

The Labour Party has promised to invest more than £25 billion in creating a second rail link between Brighton and London.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling MP has promised to ring fence £3 million for a full offline study into a new A27 north of the railway line between Lewes and Polegate. He made the promise in a meeting with Christina Ewbank, chief executive of Eastbourne unLtd Chamber of Commerce.

Both are very appealing propositions - but will we hear about them again after June 8th?

QUEENS AWARD FOR WORTHING FIRM

THE BIG SUN

Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd has been awarded a Queen’s Award for Enterprise within the category of International Trade in recognition for the manufacturing and supplying of electronic thermometers and temperature probes to worldwide markets.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the UK’s most prestigious awards for business performance which recognise and reward outstanding achievement by UK companies. The Awards are made each year by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister who is assisted by an Advisory Committee that includes representatives of Government, Industry & Commerce, together with the Trade Unions. It is ETI’s third award in five years.

MD Peter Webb MBE, said: “I feel immensely proud and honoured to have received the Queens Award for Enterprise for a third time. I am lucky to have such a dedicated and supportive workforce, who without their hard work and commitment this honour would not have been possible. By keeping our manufacturing and Research & Development in the UK we have been able to support our local economy whilst successfully continuing to grow the business.”

Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd have been trading since 1983 and is the UK’s leader in the manufacture and design of electronic thermometers and temperature probes. www.etiltd.com

THE Big Lemon is launching two new electric buses in Brighton powered by solar energy – a first for the UK. The buses will be charged overnight from newly-installed solar panels at the company’s depot in east Brighton.

The existing coach fleet runs entirely on used cooking oil, making the fleet the greenest in Britain.

Company founder Tom Druitt says: “Transport accounts for a quarter of this country’s carbon emissions and we see this step as the first in a much wider revolution in sustainable transport nationally.”

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I do not advocate violence. I advocate peace. And then just when my opponent believes me, l punch him in the face

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News

NATIONAL NEWS PLASTIC FANTASTIC Unilever, the consumer goods giant behind brands such as Dove, Ben & Jerry’s and Marmite, is making a big push toward more sustainable packaging.

The company sells billions of products in single-use sachets each year, including cosmetics and food products, particularly in developing and emerging markets, but says that it has now developed new technology to recycle them, which will prevent packaging from ending up in our oceans or in landfill.

Through a system called CreaSolv Process, the plastic from the sachets will be recovered and then used to create new ones for Unilever products – creating a full circular economy approach. Unilever will open a pilot plant in Indonesia - a country which produces 64 million tonnes of waste every year of which 1.3 million tonnes end up in the ocean - to test the long-term commercial viability of the technology. The latest announcement is part of Unilever’s pledge to ensure all of its plastic packaging is fully reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

RISKY BUSINESS

SPARKS AT HOME Marks & Spencer is to start delivering food shopping to customers’ homes. A team of executives are said to be drawing up plans to roll the service out to trial this autumn, according to reports. It comes on the back of successful home delivery schemes by supermarket giants including Tesco and Sainsbury’s.

Haiti, Venezuela, Nepal, Ethiopia, Chad and Pakistan are now the riskiest countries in the world to do business due to the high risks of hurricanes, earthquakes, terror and political upheaval, according to a new study.

The report, published by property insurance group FM Global, based on data from the International Monetary Fund, the World Economic Forum and the World Bank, found that Switzerland is the safest destination for business. Luxembourg took second spot, having risen from eighth in 2013, partly as a result of its reduced reliance on oil for economic productivity and continued growth in the importance of its services sector. Overall, the UK ranked 16th, behind Australia, Belgium, Qatar, the Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Germany and Belgium.

China and the US were both subdivided into regions for the ranking, taking into account their vast geographical spreads which encompass very disparate exposures to natural hazards. As a result, the US ranked 9th, 10th and 18th and China ranked 68th, 72nd, 66th.

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Steve Rowe, chief executive of M&S, said: “We continue to review food online carefully. It has not cost us anything over the last five years by not being online with food. Our customers haven’t moved yet, but they will and we need to ensure that we are ready with the right response.There are unanswered questions over what this means for M&S, and we have a team looking at this now with a view to undertaking a soft trial in the autumn.”

M&S already sells a limited selection of party food and alcohol on its website, but this would be the first time its wider grocery offer would be made available online.

❝ Sentimentality is the emotional promiscuity of those who have no sentiment

ROCKET MAN SpaceX has successfully completed a test fire of the centre core of its Falcon Heavy rocket, which will be the world’s most powerful rocket when put into operation.

The Falcon Heavy rocket is key to the company’s plans of sending manned missions to the Moon, and eventually to Mars. Its first launch is one of 27 which SpaceX has planned for this calendar year, more than triple the eight flights it managed in 2016.

SpaceX aims to safely land rockets after launching them for re-use, and estimates the launch cost of the Falcon Heavy, which is capable of lifting 63,000kg into low Earth orbit, at $90m.

The company, which was founded by billionaire Elon Musk, made history in March when it launched a rocket which had successfully returned after a previous launch. SpaceX has claimed that Falcon Heavy “was designed from the outset to carry humans into space and restores the possibility of flying missions with crew to the Moon or Mars”.

The company says the rocket can lift the equivalent of a fully loaded 737 jetliner, complete with passengers, luggage and fuel, into orbit.

FOUR IS POOR

BIG BOX LOSS FOR FOX Profits at 21st Century Fox have fallen due to a lack of a big box-office hits and flat cable advertising. Fox revenues rose almost 5% in the first quarter to $7.56 billion (£5.84 billion), helped by demand for advertising during the Superbowl. But profits soon dropped 5% to $799 million due to the lack of another hit like Deadpool, which was a surprise success for its film studio in the first quarter last year.

Fox is awaiting Ofcom’s green light to take control of the 51% of Sky it does not own and said it was confident the £14 billion deal will close this year.

When it comes to the 4G revoltion, Britain is apparently a mobile phone disaster, even lagging behind Estonia and Latvia in smartphone coverage, says a recent survey.

Mobile users struggle for 35% of the time with limited or broken access, hanging out of windows or heading for the garden to get a decent signal.

Alex Neill, of consumer watchdog Which?, said: “Our mobile phone is central to how we live. It is so frustrating when we can’t access emails or browse the internet on the go.”

South Korea with 95% coverage tops the table — compiled by smartphone analysts OpenSignal — followed by Japan (92%) and Lithuania (84.7%). The UK (65%) is 54th behind Estonia (75%),Kazakhstan (75%), Latvia (73%) and Peru (67%).

And when it comes to regions in Britain, 4G coverage seems to be a postcode lottery.

The OpenSignal data for Which? found Middlesbrough had the best 4G coverage and Bournemouth the worst. Brighton had the slowest speeds of just 17.6 megabits per second (Mbps), behind towns in Latvia (19Mbps) and Slovakia (18Mbps). Stoke was tops for the fastest 4G service with speeds of 26.6Mbps.

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What we know is a drop; what we don’t know is an ocean

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News

NATIONAL NEWS CIDER WITH WHISKEY US drinks giant Jack Daniel’s is expanding its core range with the launch of Tennessee Cider in UK supermarkets. Trade magazine The Grocer, says the cider is going on sale at Londis stores and is set to appear in branches of Morrisons and Asda next month.

Jack Daniel’s said the choice of the UK to launch the cider reflects the “growing trend for innovation” in the British cider industry, which according to analysts Nielsen, is holding more or less steady in value sales - down just 0.8% to £1.031million a year.

The new drink, an apple cider blended with Jack Daniel’s whiskey, is 5.5% alcohol by volume.

Sold in a 330ml bottle with a black and white label closely resembling that of Jack Daniel’s original whiskey, it will be available to shoppers in the UK ahead of a global launch.

Charlotte Ashburner, head of marketing at US drinks firm Brown-Forman, which owns Jack Daniel’s, said that there was a great appetite for cider among British drinkers.

VIRTUAL INSANITY A London-based virtual reality firm has raised $500m (£388m) in one of the biggest investments in an early stage European technology business.

Japan’s Softbank is backing Improbable in a funding round that values the business at more than $1bn. The deal is further evidence that the UK’s technology sector can now compete with the best.

Improbable was founded just five years ago by Herman Narula and Rob Whitehead, who had studied computer science together at Cambridge University.

Their aim was to build large-scale virtual worlds and simulations - mainly for games developers but also for other clients who could use them in applications such as modelling transport systems.

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Be like a postage stamp. Stick to a thing until you get there

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The company believes it has developed revolutionary technology with its Spatial OS operating system. It has partnered with Google to put its system on the search giant’s cloud, allowing small developers to create massive simulations without much infrastructure of their own. Mr Narula’s ambitions for Improbable are of a kind we are more used to hearing from Silicon Valley than in the UK. “Our vision,” he says, “is to create completely new realities, massive virtual worlds that can change the way we live and work and can impact the way we understand some of the hardest problems”.

News

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Life is too short to be serious all the time. So, if you can’t laugh at yourself, call me and I’ll laugh at you

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HE’S GOOD WOOD House of Fraser has hired Goodwood chief executive Alex Williamson as its new boss in a move to improve stores and step up sales growth.

Williamson, who runs the company behind The Festival of Speed car show and Glorious Goodwood horse racing event, will join the department store group at the end of July.

Chairman Frank Slevin said the company looked beyond the retail industry for a candidate who could help deliver “interesting, exciting and engaging experiences for customers”, a key part of a five-year vision for the retailer unveiled in March.

“Adding another retailer would not have given us the breadth in tackling what is a very challenging environment,” Slevin said. “The industry is going through a significant period of transformation and we need to be bold.”

Williamson, formerly finance chief at Goodwood and TUI Travel, said he was joining House of Fraser at a “pivotal time”.

The retailer said that branches could feature spas and champagne bars to attract more shoppers.

JAMES AND THE GIANT BREACH Sir James Dyson has won a shock victory in the European courts over Brussels rules, which the company says unfairly penalised its vacuum cleaners.

Sir James has been fighting an EU ruling which requires vacuums to be labelled showing their energy efficiency and cleaning performance as part of a green drive by Brussels bureaucrats. The billionaire entrepreneur argued that the tests are only relevant to vacuums with their dust bags empty and do not cover them when they are full, as they would typically be in normal use - a full vacuum would typically use more energy.

Dyson’s vacuums use a “cyclonic” design without a bag to collect dust and the company argued that the tests used by the EU unfairly disadvantaged its products.

The European Court of Justice today upheld parts of Dyson’s appeal, backing the company’s claims that tests are available to measure a vacuum’s performance when full.

It also backed the British company’s by saying tests should “measure the performance of vacuum cleaners in conditions as close as possible to actual conditions of use”.

Judges in the higher court also hit out at the previous ruling, saying the “general court distorted the facts and failed to comply in its duty to give reasons”.

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Finance

SPEEDING UP THE LENDING PROCESS Delivering commercial property lending decisions in 45 minutes

by Michelle Andrew, South East Regional Director – Real Estate Finance, NatWest michelle.andrew@natwest.com 07785 956149

A

t its heart, the property industry is quite a traditional one, with many of the processes involved in buying, selling and financing property largely unchanged for many decades. This means that an SME or private investor looking to borrow against an uncomplicated, straightforward development or investment asset has to go through the same process as a corporate investor with far more bespoke and complex requirements.

These customers are hugely important to NatWest, and as a result we are constantly looking at ways to improve our service to them, while keeping pace with technological changes and trying to learn from sectors where the customer experience has been transformed in recent years.

So six months ago we sat down and started stripping out anything in the process that is not vital to delivering an efficient service for customers while providing adequate protections for both parties.

Following a successful pilot in Liverpool and London, we have rolled out our new automated lending process for commercial real estate developers and investors who are looking to borrow up to £2m. Subject to the customer providing the necessary information on the asset or scheme in question as well as the management team’s track record, they will receive a credit-approved decision at the end of a call that should last no longer than 45 minutes.

The new process covers all new applications for customers who want to borrow up to £2m for commercial and residential investment and residential development. As we continue to streamline and simplify the process, we’ll be able to enhance its automated elements and

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eventually enable a fully digital-led process in the future.

To further improve efficiencies in the end to end process, we have appointed a small panel of national surveying firms that have committed to a maximum 10 day turnaround for completing valuations. Additionally, part of the new process will see customers using their own solicitors in certain circumstances.

As a result, customers will be able to draw down their funds in a matter of weeks rather than months, as is the norm in the property industry.

Throughout this process, our guiding principle was to take the pain out of property finance. We believe that by giving our customers a same day, credit-approved decision, they can focus on what they do best – investing in and building the homes we need, the offices we work in and the places where we relax and play.

HOW DOES THE PROCESS WORK? Subject to the customer providing the necessary information on the asset or scheme in question as well as the management team’s track record, they will receive a credit-approved decision at the end of a call that should last no longer than 45 minutes. The type of information that applicants will need to supply includes: • What is the management team’s record and experience of this type of deal?

• What is your knowledge of the local market?

• What are the specifics of the asset?

Including its quality and ability to generate a sustainable cash flow.

• How much would you like to borrow?

Finance

ESTABLISHING EFFICIENCY IN VALUATIONS To help improve efficiencies in the end to end process, NatWest has appointed a small panel of national surveying firms that have committed to a maximum 10 day turnaround for completing valuations. JLL and GVA are two of the surveying firms on NatWest’s valuation panel.

Jeremy Handley, Director - Valuation Advisory at JLL, said: “JLL is delighted to have been able to help NatWest in the early stages of their new lending model.

NatWest has re-imagined the lending process to fit better with its customers’ needs and expectations and in doing so, challenged us to re-visit the valuation process to ensure that it recognises the bank’s needs within its new lending model. The new valuation process does not seek to reduce the level of professionalism we provide or to dumb down the advice, but rather to focus on what NatWest really needs to know to aid its decision making.

“Neither the estate lending process nor the valuation process have changed dramatically in the last 20 years whereas almost every area of our financial lives has changed. The modernisation of these activities is therefore timely and much needed – and ultimately focuses on clients’ needs, recognising that clients always have a choice.

We fully expect that we will see a drive to manage the SME end of real estate lending, and the associated real estate advice, in a different and more streamlined way. NatWest has already spotted this and acted on it. JLL is doing the same.”

Tim Crossley-Smith, National Head of Valuation Consultancy at GVA, said: “This new lending initiative will dramatically reduce both the time and cost for SME customers to access the smaller ticket debt markets, especially in the UK regions where many banks seem unwilling to commit. Many lenders adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when it comes to assessing new loan applications, whereas this model has been designed to specifically address the needs of this particular segment of the market.

“The introduction of approved valuers and bespoke reporting formats will streamline the valuation process and provide borrowers with greater certainty of delivery.”

The new commercial real estate lending process forms part of the bank’s wider innovation and digital agenda. It follows the launch of Esme, a new digital platform that allows small and medium sized businesses to quickly obtain unsecured loans of up to £150,000. NatWest has also introduced a new online lending platform which will allow SMEs to borrow up to £35,000 in a process which takes around three minutes. Last December, the bank launched Nift, a software platform that makes T&Cs easier for customers to read and understand.

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Business Convention

EXCEEDING ALL EXPECTATIONS! The 8th Acumen Business Convention

T

he eighth annual ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION had a sensational impact on its delegates who came from far and wide.

Held in May at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, over 300 delegates experienced a lively high calibre gathering of business experts.

ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW, Penina Shepherd, gave her perspective on the Business of Happiness, showing the factors that do and don’t affect happiness in all aspects of life including business. Everyone was left with five essential ingredients for long term happiness - what could be better!

With guests arriving and being greeted by the Acupellas, and their fantastic uplifting songs set the mood for a buzzing room full of lively networking. After a sumptuous sit down lunch with wine, the main event began with a warm Acumen welcome and special dedicated thanks to the 2017 Sponsors movie with praise from Hollywood’s finest!

Towards the end of the day the time came for the Keynote Speaker.

Jonas Kjellberg Founding Partner of Skype flew in from Sweden to give an amazing talk sharing his business expertise. The room full of delegates gave their full attention as he explained the decade of disruption among large corporate business models. It sparked much interest in the audience and a lively Q&A session.

The audience was truly inspired to hear guest speaker Rob Forkan, Co-founder of Gandys, as he shared his remarkable business story of how he and his brother set up their business after losing their parents in the Tsunami. He told how they were motivated to create a brand that could give back and help others that face similar tribulation via their fantastic mission Orphans for Orphans. His inspiring achievements proved that out of adversity you can make success and positive action.

Their mission to make better lives for children is truly inspiring.

The convention always involves the delegates, which is exactly what Sanderson Jones Co-founder of the unique business Sunday Assembly did by energising the room. Yes 300 delegates up on their feet all clapping along, singing and dancing to Tom Jones’ ‘It’s not Unusual’ (you had to be there!). Sanderson’s insightful and interactive session was thought provoking and certainly gave delegates excellent opportunity to get talking.

Also with the ‘feel good’ theme, best selling Author and Founder of

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The ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION provides a packed day of motivation and business connection. The event has grown in size and status over the years and has now become recognised as the most prestigious and professional business conference south of London.

Delegates come to gain knowledge, get inspiration and insight, see the latest business trends and get perfect opportunities to endorse their business in front of leaders and decision makers of established companies. It’s the place to be to find insightful speakers, invaluable learning, make contacts that really matter and be thoroughly entertained throughout.

Penina Shepherd, MD & Founder of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW said, “It’s been such an amazing day and so fantastic to see so many business experts in one room, all having discussions, making connections and having a great time. That’s what makes us at Acumen so proud to put on this Convention“.

Business Convention

Thank you to the Sponsors of 2017 for their support: Basepoint Centres Providing a wide range of high quality workspaces to let, including serviced and managed offices, workshops, trade counters and studios.

Facemedia Group Business and Promotional Print and Design in Brighton

hiSbe Food A different kind of supermarket! We’re on a mission to break the mould, by putting customers, suppliers and employees first.

Platinum Business Magazine

PLATINUM MAGAZINE

Part of the Platinum Publishing Group and now the largest regional business publisher in the UK. Always informative; always relevant; always irreverent

Sussex Chamber of Commerce As a Chamber member, you’re well connected

Watson Associates A committed team of financial professionals. We share the same enthusiasm for the success of your business as your own.

Woodhart Group

Photos: Opposite - Jonas Kjellberg – Founder, Skype Clockwise from top: Rob Forkan - Founder, Gandys; Ibrahim Mikhail – Head of Gatwick Office, Acumen Business Law; Sanderson Jones – Founder, Sunday Assembly; Penina Shepherd – Founder, Acumen Business Law

Comprising of three divisions including carpentry, lofts and construction. The company was established by brothers Matt and Ben Woodhart over 10 years ago.

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COMRADE CORBYN Jeremy Corbyn has spent his lifetime campaigning against the policies of UK Goverments, whether Conservative or Labour. If he can persuade voters to back him he will swop the loudspeaker for Number Ten. Even if he loses the election, he will surely keep control of the Labour Party. Is the future red?

Profile by Ian Trevett

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riting a profile of a political leader before an election is tricky. How many wrote about how we have embraced Europe or penned glowing tributes to the new president, Hillary Clinton? But still, I will take the plunge. Jeremy Corbyn will believe he is the winner of the 2017 General Election.

He probably won’t get the most votes or seats. He might even get roundly thrashed and long-standing labour MPs may resign en masse, creating a new centrist party.

But he will still consider he has won. For most of us, a general election success is measured in seats won, but Corbyn doesn’t think in such narrow terms. For the true socialist the road is long and suffering is all part of the journey. In 1934, in order to achieve ultimate victory Mao led the ragged Red Army on a brutal 5,600-mile, year-long march of retreat. Trotsky and Lenin stormed the Tzar’s Winter Palace almost 70 years after Marx and Engels crafted the Communist Manifesto (which didn’t even mention tuition fees).

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So why would this election represent a victory for Corbyn? To answer this you have to go back to the mad, bad days of Thatcher, Scargill and Kinnock - back to 1984.

The Workers United will often be defeated After the announcement of the closure of 20 coal mines, two great forces faced up for the ultimate battle, like a epic Tolkien fantasy. On the left were the flag-bearers of the working class - the miners, hardworking tough men who worked in atrocious conditions, which forged their rock-hard solidarity. Leading the right was Mrs Thatcher, determined to tame the out-of-control unions.

The miners’ cause rallied left-leaning activists together as one: socialists, communists, liberals, gays, feminists, pacifist, vicars… They were heady times and change was in the air.

But this confrontation was no accident; the government had been preparing for this for years.

Ms Thatcher won the war with a combination of luck (a mild winter and a windfall of North Sea oil cash) and planning.

The National Coal Board had been stockpiling coal and the police had been meticulously prepared for the battles ahead. Just like the soldiers in the First World War, the miners were lions led by donkeys. Arthur Scargill had led the flying pickets to victory in the strikes of the 1970s but had become far too arrogant.

Unbelievably, he called the strike at the start of spring just when demand for coal was plummeting.

When the final strikers returned to work a year later, defeated but defiant, few on the left pointed the finger at Scargill. The anger was directed at the Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, who was repulsed by the narcissistic Scargill and refused to wholeheartedly support the strikers. Among those who were appalled

by Kinnock’s ‘betrayal’ was an earnest socialist MP who had been elected the year before the strike began, Jeremy Corbyn.

The miners strike was a moment in time when the left was truly unified and LGBT stonewall groups marched with traditional trade unionists. However the bitter divides were never far from the surface. Monty Python’s Life of Brian parodied the left’s absurd in-fighting with their brilliant People’s Front of Judea Sketch. (“The only people we hate more than the Romans are the f***ing Judean People’s Front”).

One of the dominant players on the scene in the 1980s was the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) which believed that the only way forward was a revolution and the complete overthrow of Capitalism. Militant Tendency believed that the way for workers to take control was from the inside and the starting point was to take over the Labour Party.

Jeremy Corbyn was not a member of Militant but he shared the idea that the Labour Party was the vehicle for radical socialism. The politics of the SWP and Militant were as close as the width of a cigarette paper, but no love was lost. When the miners fell, the blame game started in earnest.

The idea of Militant-style entryism in the Labour was snuffed out by Kinnock. At the party’s 1985 conference, he attacked the Militant council in Liverpool shouting, “You end in the grotesque chaos of a Labour council, a Labour council, hiring taxis to scuttle round the city handing out redundancy notices to its own workers.” Within months, the Liverpool District Labour Party was suspended.

The dream was over for the Left, both outside and inside the Labour party.

The purge left Corbyn as one of the only far left-wing MPs in Parliament. The others had almost became part of the establishment.

Tony Benn, amiable and now powerless, became affectionately regarded as the Grandfather of the House. Dennis Skinner, the Beast of Bolsover, became best known for his barbed quips and put downs, which were enjoyed by parties from all sides. Corbyn was younger and driven, becoming virtually a lone voice of the left. He routinely voted against the government even when it was his party (especially when it was his party, as he hated the whole New Labour project). He defied the

Labour whip a total of 428 times during the thirteen years between 1997 and 2010. But no-one took any notice - he was unheard and unnoticed.

No-one really took any notice of Corbyn when he stood as party leader in 2015. They should have. He is no longer the ignored lone voice. He runs the party where Militant failed.

And now the left are united again. Even the SWP are urging their followers to vote Corbyn.

No wonder he thinks he is winning. This is the moment in the sun for him and his beloved socialist vision, and the voters won’t dampen his spirits in the slightest.

Who is the real Jeremy Corbyn?

Modern politicians are moulded and trained to present the right message and to avoid revealing their real personality. Except it doesn’t seem to apply to Corbyn. What you

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He defied the Labour whip a total of 428 times during the thirteen years between 1997 and 2010.

But no-one took any notice

❞ see is what you get. When you delve into the cupboard looking for skeletons, the age-old rule is sex will bring down a moralising Tory and money will do for a rich-bashing Labour MP. Corbyn seems totally unimpressed by money, so maybe it is the sex. He’s now on his third marriage, and it has been revealed that he had a fling with Diane Abbott. A randy philanderer? Hardly. Abbott and Corbyn were young and single and it was no scandal. His string of marriage failures can be ascribed to the fact his wives were bored with his total obsession with politics.

So is it the personal power that drives him?

Again not guilty. When MPs threw their hats into the ring for 2015 Labour Leadership election, Corbyn was a reluctant entrant.

He only entered because his comrade, John McDonnell told Corbyn it was his turn.

Frugal, hard-working and earnest, Corbyn comes across as a man who’d be much happier photo-copying leaflets or sitting through an interminably dull council committee meeting, debating unimportant finer points, whilst everyone is desperate to get to the pub for last orders. In short, he seems to be rather dull.

DJ Taylor, writing for The Independent describes him as follows: “He looks exactly like the sort of man who, 80 years ago, rose to his feet in church halls to address Quaker peace conferences… Mr Corbyn may desire an end to austerity, but he has “puritan” written all over him. The idea that the people’s party owes far more to Methodism than Marx is central to Labour Party history… So far as I can tell he is an example of that very common phenomenon, the Christian Socialist who doesn’t believe in God.” Born in 1949, Corbyn comes from a relatively privileged background, though his parents greatly influenced his politics. Most of his childhood was spent in a seven-bedroom manor house in Shropshire. His parents David and Naomi met in the 1930s at a meeting in support of the republic during the Spanish Civil War. He was educated at Castle House Preparatory School, before attending Adams’ Grammar School as a day student. Ironically an argument over grammar schools was reputed to be a factor in one of his marriages breaking up, as he was against their child attending one.

He has three older brothers, and is particularly close to Piers, who is two years older. The BBC’s Brian Wheeler, writes, “Piers would go on to be a well-known squatters leader in 1960s London and was even further to the left than Jeremy. Piers is now a meteorologist known for denying climate change is a product of human activity. Corbyn disagrees with his brother on climate change but they remain close. They both learned their politics at the family dinner table, where leftwing causes and social justice were a frequent topic of debate.”

Corbyn on an Irish nationalist rally

With Ken Livingstone and Gerry Adams outside Parliament

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Jeremy Corbyn with ex-lover Diane Abbott

While still at school, Corbyn became active in the Young Socialists, his local Labour Party, and the League Against Cruel Sports. He achieved two E-grade A-Levels before leaving school at 18. He joined the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) in 1966 and later became one of its three vice-chairs. After a brief stint as a newspaper reporter, he set of to Jamaica for two years on a Voluntary Services Overseas programme. What he saw on his travels reinforced his ideological stance: Corbin outlined his views succinctly: “Socialism is a natural instinct to me, one that shares wealth and resources, gives opportunities to all and recognises the limits of exploitation of our natural environment. I have many political influences, from my mother and father and also as a late teenager living and working in Jamaica and travelling throughout Latin America, I could see the dreadful levels of inequality there.

“Later as a trade union organiser seeing the way in which we can challenge injustice at the workplace and inequality through trade union membership. Socialism is about including all people and trying to create a world of peace.”

This statement can be seen as a mantra for his whole adult life.

On return he worked as an officer in various trade unions and in 1974 he was elected to Haringey District Council, in North London.

In the same year he married fellow Labour councillor, Jane Chapman, a university lecturer.

Chapman told the Mail on Sunday that she married Corbyn for his “honesty” and “principles” but she soon grew weary of his intense focus on politics: ”Politics became our

life. He was out most evenings because when we weren’t at meetings he would go to the Labour headquarters and do photocopying.”

During their five years together he never once took her dinner, preferring instead to “grab a can of beans and eat it straight from the can” to save time.

it be known that he was in a relationship with a black woman would demonstrate his commitment to radical Left-wing politics. It was the late ’70s, it was still a point of interest, a white man with a black woman, so he was slightly showing off: ‘I’ve got a new girlfriend, and she’s black’.”

His wife grew disillusioned with the relationship and they divorced, but Corbyn found a new love in 1979 - a young worker at the National Council for Civil Liberties called Diane Abbott. According to biographer, Rosa Prince, Corbyn was keen to show off his new conquest.

Abbott and Corbyn stayed together for a year and she is now his Shadow Home Minister.

She quotes an unnamed Labour activist: “One Sunday autumn morning, he had broken up with Jane, and we were out leafleting. And for some reason he called four or five of us and said: ‘Oh, we’ve got to go back to my flat and pick up some leaflets.’

“It seemed a bit odd – ‘Why the hell didn’t you bring them with you, Jeremy?’ So we all bowl along to his bedsit, follow Jeremy into the room; there on the mattress on the floor in the one room is Diane with the duvet up to her neck, saying: ‘What the ****’s going on?’’

“Jeremy may have thought that letting

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In the late ’70s, it was still a point of interest, a white man with a black woman, so he was slightly showing off

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In 1987, Corbyn married Claudia Bracchita, a Chilean exile, with whom he had three sons.

Typically they met at a political meeting, an event where Ken Livingstone was the main speaker. The couple separated in 1999, but remained on good terms. In 2013, Corbyn married his Mexican-born partner Laura Álvarez, who runs a fair-trade coffee import business. She is almost twenty years younger than Corbyn.

A Life on the Backbenches Corbyn has had several wives and lovers, but has never been as promiscuous with his political heroes. Brian Wheeler is in no doubt about who his is main influence: “He became a disciple of Tony Benn, sharing his mentor’s brand of democractic socialism, with its belief in worker controlled industries and state planning of the economy, as well as Benn’s commitment to unilateral nuclear disarmament and a united Ireland.”

The Guardian’s Daniel Boffey reported, “Every Sunday for many years, Corbyn would make a pilgrimage to the Holland Park home of Tony Benn. In cahoots with Ed Miliband’s father, the Marxist author Ralph Miliband,

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Benn would assemble interesting and sympathetic thinkers on the left to talk about matters of the day. Corbyn is said to have been one of the quieter members of the group, but he has referred to his time with these thinkers in Holland Park as his ‘university education’.”

He was elected Member of Parliament for Islington North in 1983 and Wheeler recalls Corbyn’s career on the backbenches: “Corbyn and his comrades - unlike their modernising colleagues they would use the term without irony - routinely attached themselves to any cause that felt like it would strike a blow against British and American “imperialism” or the Israeli state.

“Internationalist in outlook, they would proclaim solidarity with socialist campaigns and governments in places like Cuba, Chile, Nicaragua, El Salvador and attack US policies that, in Corbyn’s view, enslaved the Latin American world.

“He incurred the wrath of the Labour leadership early on his career when he invited two former IRA prisoners to speak at Westminster, two weeks after the Brighton bomb that had nearly killed Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet.”

The left could often claim the moral high ground, opposing monsters like Chile’s General Pinochet, or campaigning against apartheid whilst the government turned a blind eye. But with the passage of time it is clear that many groups supported by the left had their own sinister side. Some were no better than the regimes they so bitterly opposed.

Nick Cohen, writing in The Spectator is scathing about Corbyn’s associations. “Jeremy Corbyn has praised and supported Raed

Salah, an Islamist who has been accused of spreading the Blood Libel (an old antisemitic conspiracy that Jews use the blood of gentile children to make their bread). Salah has also been charged with inciting racial hatred and violence, and has claimed the Jews were behind 9/11.

“Corbyn invited Hamas and Hezbollah to Parliament and called them his ‘friends’. Bear in mind that Hamas’s Charter is explicitly genocidal – it makes it clear its supporters want to kill Jews and repeats Nazi conspiracy

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Corbyn aligned himself to any cause that would strike a blow against British and American “imperialism” or the Israeli state.

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theories. Their founding Charter also rules out any peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestine problem.” And Cohen goes on to list several other associations with grim agendas.

The problem is that the support of the Palestinian cause can easily bring you close to groups that are fundamentally anti-semitic.

One of Corbyn’s justifications for meeting terrorists groups / freedom fighters (depending on your politics) is that the only way a peace can be won is by opening a dialogue. This is disingenuous and misleading.

For instance Corbyn, like McDonnell, is a longtime supporter of a United Ireland and was active in the ‘Troops Out’ movement. By

attending IRA-linked events and inviting Gerry Adams and Martin McGuiness to Parliament, they were showing their support for the nationalist cause, just as they support the cause of Hezbollah (Some Labour MPs call Corbyn Jezbollah).

I am not qualified to comment on the rights or wrong on either debate; but the point is that he is showing support for a cause not reaching out to make peace with an enemy. If Corbyn had embraced a radical Zionist or Ian Paisley, then he would deservedly have been lauded for his selfless pursuit of peace.

Steve Moore, writing for the Belfast Telegraph, believes Corbyn attempted to slow the peace process in Ireland: “Jeremy Corbyn voted against the Anglo Irish Agreement in 1985 and spoke in Parliament against it saying those of us who wish to see a united Ireland oppose the agreement. Corbyn was prepared to put his support for a united Ireland before the peace process and we have no reason to believe he has much changed his mind since.”

The Future is Corbyn’s?

Corbyn has won the battle for the Labour Party but has the Party won? With his controversial stance on foreign policy, the position for many in the Labour Party is now untenable. Surely a split will come? Many were outraged that he tried to blame the actions of radical Jihadists on British policy so soon after the sickening Manchester bomb. Many are frustrated that their efforts to win the election are hampered by the fact that so many voters mistrust Corbyn on defence and the economy.

The real battle will begin after the voting stops.

Labour’s Comrades?

Blair and Corbyn

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Finance

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF GOODS – WHAT CAN GO WRONG?

When was the last time a VAT and Duty specialist reviewed your import and/or export procedures? Paying the right Duty on imports and achieving VAT free exports are not forgone conclusions, says Rupert Moyle, Director of VAT & Duty at Kreston Reeves.

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ur recent experience from working with clients is a reminder that a regular review of procedures is prudent.

Issues we’ve found on imports have included: • Temporary Admissions relief procedures not being precisely followed, with VAT and Duty due on the goods temporarily imported.

• An imprecise approach by agents in the description and thus classification of products, leading to an overpayment of Duty.

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Ensuring your imports and exports procedures and paperwork are correct and in order can be challenging, so it certainly bears fruit to get the right advice…

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• The wrong company’s VAT number quoted on import documentation, meaning that C79 certificates – necessary for the recovery of import VAT by UK registered businesses – were unavailable.

Thankfully, we have resolved most of the above. In the first situation, we persuaded HMRC that procedural errors were not of such significance to deny the admissions relief. In the second instance, we reviewed classifications and made claims for three years’ worth of overpaid Duty, which was certainly a

Finance

positive outcome for our client!

The way to avoid issues here is relatively straightforward. Do challenge the Duty classification every so often, particularly at least every three years, as otherwise claims will fall out of time. Needless to say, to benefit from reliefs or to reclaim VAT on imports, the correct paperwork and procedures must be followed.

Looking at exports, we have seen an unusual frequency of challenges lately from HMRC, largely based on evidence held to support zero-rating of exports, as well as for intra-EU dispatches. Perhaps it is the excitement of Brexit in 2019 that has reinvigorated their focus on procedures and proof? Whatever the reason, ensuring your internal checks are in place is prudent.

In cases where the customer’s forwarding agent has dealt with ‘indirect exports’, we have seen inadequate descriptions of goods on certificates of shipment, or a lack of evidence available within the three months allowed to acquire such proof.

With this in mind, businesses should note that HMRC’s public notice, in describing proof of export, actually does have the force of law.

It states that whether official or commercial evidence of export is retained, this must clearly identify who the supplier is, the consignor (if different), the customer, the specific goods, an accurate value, the export destination, the mode of transport used and the route the goods will take. The public notice continues:

“Vague descriptions of goods, quantities or values are not acceptable…”

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Perhaps it is the excitement of Brexit in 2019 that has reinvigorated their [HMRC] focus on procedures and proof?

Whatever the reason, ensuring your internal checks are in place is prudent

❞ The result of not retaining adequate evidence is that HMRC will assess for 20% VAT even if evidence is subsequently provided to them on request. Their guidance indicates that businesses may reclaim the VAT in the period when evidence is held, but this will not cure the cash flow issue, interest being due and most importantly, penalties which may apply and typically be up to 30% for ‘careless errors’.

If these issues were not enough, we also note the recent Tribunal case of Open Safety Equipment Ltd, which sells and distributes scuba diving apparatus. In this case, HMRC

assessed for VAT due on exports due to a lack of evidence but it was found that there had simply been a misunderstanding. The business had treated its sales of goods, involving shipments to and from countries entirely outside the EU as zero-rated, as though they were exports. Instead, they should have been treated as transactions that were ‘outside the scope of UK VAT’. A potentially easy error to make, but an error all the same.

Ensuring your imports and exports procedures and paperwork are correct and in order can be challenging, so it certainly bears fruit to get the right advice and review regularly in case of an HMRC visit, or any change to HMRC rules or legislation.

Need advice?

For advice and further information on ensuring imports and exports procedures are up to date, please contact Rupert Moyle, Director of VAT & Duty at Kreston Reeves by emailing rupert.moyle@krestonreeves.com or by phoning 0330 124 1399.

business. tax. wealth.

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Finance

MONEY TALKS This month Chris Coopey, Partner at MHA Carpenter Box, provides some helpful tips to businesses to ensure that their finances stay healthy, and that they are operating in a tax-efficient way.

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here’s no time like the present, so now is a great time to stop and reflect on your business and its current position in the market place. You can consider what your business has achieved over the last year, what you’ve learned in readiness for the year ahead, and what strategies you can take advantage of. This is also a great time to make some resolutions – whether that’s cutting out bad business habits, or opening up to new opportunities.

While every business is different in its goals and challenges, here are a few financial and tax tips that all businesses can benefit from.

Review your growth and goals Ask yourself how your revenues and profits compare with previous years, and where you want to drive them over the next year or so.

Given that we’re in a period of wider political instability which impacts on the economic environment, it’s particularly important to review how your business goals fit in with the wider market. The business world is constantly

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changing and your position may not be the same as it was a year ago or indeed, where it will be in a year’s time. Take time to undertake a competitor review and use the analysis to formulate a strategy to stay on top of the market throughout the coming year.

Make a resolution to review your growth and goals more regularly throughout the year, on a quarterly or even monthly basis. You may want to get some professional advice from an accountant on how to realistically plan for the coming year.

Review your bookkeeping habits and internal systems Avoid the disorganised panic at the end of the next tax year by putting robust processes in place now. Include time during each working week to manage your books.

Even one hour a week to sanity-check your transactions and logging your expenses will give you a running idea of how your business is doing, allowing you to nip any problems in the bud.

Good bookkeeping habits don’t just make it easier for you to keep on top of your finances – they also facilitate sensible conversations with your accountant (and funders) based on an up-to-date reflection of how things are going and ensures that everyone’s on the same page.

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Given that we’re in a period of wider political instability which impacts on the economic environment, it’s particularly important to review how your business goals fit in with the wider market.

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It’s not just your overall finances that need reviewing. Updating systems such as payroll and accounting software will help to keep things running smoothly for your employees.

Finance We recommend a number of cloud solutions based on your business needs. Whether its Xero, QuickBooks, Sage or another package, there is plenty of choice, but look for a business adviser who understands all of them to get the best solution for you (and make sure it can grow with you and has a decent eco-system of apps and add-ons). It also makes good business sense to make sure that all of your employees are paid online by direct deposit, saving the company time, money and resources.

Examine staff shares and options for your employees By using tax efficient, flexible employee benefits you can deliver greater actual value to your employees without necessarily increasing costs, enabling you to keep up with the competition in attracting and retaining your top talent.

In addition to considering the usual taxefficient benefits, employers can design benefits packages that provide what employees really want without costing the employer a fortune. These include: • Diversifying the reward structure to include other forms of remuneration such as shares, securities or options • Using salary sacrifice for pension contributions, childcare vouchers and other tax or National Insurance Contributions (NIC) favoured benefits • Introducing voluntary benefits where employers can use their purchasing power to obtain reduced rates for benefits employees want

Research & Development Tax Relief Make sure you’re taking full advantage of the Research & Development (R&D) tax credits available for SMEs. R&D is perhaps one of the least understood reliefs, both amongst the companies that might have a claim and also amongst advisors who might help them to make one. They are a valuable tax relief that rewards businesses for investing in innovation.

Companies that spend money developing new products, processes or services (or enhancing existing ones!) can reduce their tax bill or claim cash credits as a proportion of their R&D spend – and we’re not just talking about manufacturers or engineering businesses either.

Research and Development also has a much wider definition than people think. The following is just a sample of what may qualify for R&D relief:

• Staffing costs related to research and development (including salaries, employers’ NIC and pension costs) • Consumable items • Software • Externally sourced workers • Contributions to independent research The tax relief available on R&D can be generous but claims must meet HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) stringent requirements – so it is important to work with experienced tax advisors to meet the necessary criteria. Talk to us, to find out more.

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Include time during each working week to manage your books.

Even one hour a week to sanity-check your transactions and logging your expenses will give you a running idea of how your business is doing.

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Prepare for Making Tax Digital Major changes are being made to the way in which all taxpayers interact with HMRC. This is known as Making Tax Digital and work has already started. If the government and HMRC stick to their timetable, the first updates will come into effect in April 2018. It is a complete change to the way businesses currently report their income and expenditure to HMRC,

and will have an impact on the majority of individuals and businesses, regardless of size. Keep an eye out on our blogs at www. carpenterbox.com for more.

Under the current system, businesses prepare one set of accounts and report the information on the annual tax return, so there is one submission of information to HMRC. Under the new system, there will be quarterly reporting of profits and then a further annual declaration, making a minimum of five submissions to HMRC each year.

How can you prepare? Make sure your finances are in the cloud! A good online accounting option allows you to access your accounts whenever you need and wherever you are, as well as giving your accountant access to all of your running totals. With powerful encryption and remote backups, cloud accounting is a secure option, allowing only the people you choose to access your important financial information.

As mentioned above, we partner with a number of top cloud accounting software providers and have won a national award that recognised our unique approach and expertise.

Our cloud specialists can help you find a provider that would best suit your business needs and allow yourself some accounting peace of mind.

For more information on reviewing any of the above, please visit www. carpenterbox.com or call me on 01903 234094 and I’ll introduce you to the most appropriate member of our team.

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Legal

PROTECTING YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Creative industries contribute £85billion per annum to the UK economy according to government statistics, indicating the value of creative assets. In this article, Atiq Bhagwan and Liane Simmonds of Rawlison Butler, explain what IPRs you may own and how you can protect them.

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hen you own physical property, you decide who else may use it, and if so, how. Your business has similar property rights in its creative assets (for example your logo or product designs) which allow you to decide how these assets are used and to prevent unauthorised use.

Your rights in these intangible assets are called ‘intellectual property rights’ (IPRs). IPRs cover a range of legal rights which protect ideas once they are expressed in a form which is capable of protection.

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You have the right to prevent anyone from using your registered trade mark, or any similar mark, in relation to goods or services identical to those in your registration.

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Trade marks A trade mark is a graphic sign which indicates the source of goods or services to customers, for example the well-known Nike logo. Trade marks can be used across a variety of goods and services to build your brand’s reputation amongst your customers.

Registration costs depend on the number of marks, the number of classes of goods/ services and the countries designated in your application. If you obtain a registered trade mark, it lasts for a period of 10 years but this

Legal can be extended indefinitely if you pay the renewal fees.

You have the right to prevent anyone from using your registered trade mark, or any similar mark, in relation to goods or services identical to those in your registration. You can also prevent use of your mark in a way which damages or takes advantage of your reputation.

Copyright Copyright exists automatically in certain types of creative works (e.g. software, art) once they are expressed in some way, e.g. by being written down or captured in a photograph. There is no copyright register in the UK. If one of your employees creates a copyright work in the course of their employment (for example an in-house software developer), your business will usually own the copyright automatically. You need to ensure that the copyright in works you have commissioned (for example a new logo developed by an advertising agency) is assigned to your business so that you can control how the work is used.

Copyright lasts for the life of the author, plus 70 years from the year in which the author dies.

Copyright enables you to commercialise works, for example by licensing a publisher to reproduce a work in print or online.

Unauthorised use infringes your copyright, unless one of the exceptions to copyright set out in English law applies, e.g. for private research or reporting of news. It can be complicated to determine whether an exception will apply and so we recommend seeking legal advice.

Design Rights Design rights protect the shapes of both functional and artistic items (e.g. clothing, furniture) against unauthorised copying.

You can register a design in the UK as long as it creates a different overall impression on an informed user, compared to designs which have already been made available to the public. Your registered design right can last for up to 25 years as long as you renew it every five years. It is also possible to register designs at the EU level for protection across all EU member states.

Unregistered design right arises automatically on expression of the design.

In the UK, unregistered design right (UDR) lasts for 10-15 years but only protects the appearance of an item. Community

unregistered design right (CUDR) only lasts for three years, but it protects surface decoration so is useful if you regularly produce designs which may not need protection in the longterm such as clothing.

You can enforce your registered design right by showing that a third party’s design infringes your registered design. However, if you are relying on UDR or CUDR you need to provide evidence (i) that your design is capable of protection under UDR or CUDR, (ii) that you own the design and (iii) that it has been infringed. It is therefore important that you record your design process.

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The advantage of licensing your IPRs is that you retain ownership so you can still monetise the IPR outside the scope of the licence.

Patents

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A patent is a registered IPR which is valuable because it grants a 20 year monopoly right to use new inventions. Successfully registering a patent can be expensive, but the revenue it generates normally exceeds this cost because patents are only granted for new inventions.

You must seek legal advice on whether your invention is patentable before disclosing the invention in any way, e.g. through articles or demonstrations. If you inadvertently disclose your invention you will not be able to patent it.

Commercialisation You can assign ownership of your IPRs in much the same way as you can sell your physical property. However, as assigning an IPR means you will no longer be able to control how it is used in the future, it can be difficult to know what would be a fair price for the assignment at any given time.

You may prefer to license use of the IPR instead. A well-drafted licence will set out how and where the IPR can be used by the licensee as well as how long the licence lasts. You will receive royalty payments as set out in the licence agreement. The advantage of licensing your IPRs is that you retain ownership so you can still monetise the IPR outside the scope of the licence.

Enforcing your IPRs You should regularly monitor potentially infringing use of your IPRs by third parties and be prepared to take action to prevent further infringement. The scope and method of protection provided by IPRs can vary in jurisdictions outside of the UK so you should consider taking legal advice from a local expert before taking enforcement action overseas.

If your IPRs are infringed, you may be able to resolve matters at an early stage by issuing a Cease and Desist letter. Alternatively, if immediate action is needed you may be able to apply to the Court for an urgent injunction to cease the infringing use. You can also make a claim to the Court for damages to compensate you for the infringing use, for delivery up of infringing items or an account of profits in relation to sales of infringing items.

In conclusion, here are the key points to address in order to protect your IPRs: • Review your creative assets to determine what IPRs you own and whether you need to have any IPRs assigned to you.

• Register your IPRs where possible to make enforcement easier.

• Protect your IPRs by regularly checking for infringing use and taking action where necessary.

This is a complex area of law, and so we recommend seeking legal advice to ensure you know what your rights are and how best to protect them.

If you would like any further information on protecting your intellectual property and how we can help your business, please contact Atiq Bhagwan or Liane Simmonds by calling 01293 527744.

This document is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this document.

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Legal

DON’T GET CAUGHT OUT WITH EMPLOYMENT RULE CHANGES

By Adam Williams, Partner at law firm DMH Stallard

B

rexit looms large in the world of business immigration. Many businesses have already started scenario planning in order to better prepare for the impact it may have on the ability to recruit talent from overseas. In the midst of all of the confusion over what Brexit will mean for businesses, it is easy to lose sight of important and fundamental changes that are already being made.

The Home Office has confirmed numerous modifications to the UK business immigration rules which came into effect from 6th April 2017. The changes are part of an ongoing programme of reform ultimately aimed at reducing net migration. Here are some of the most important changes that businesses need to know about.

The immigration skills charge (ISC) The ISC will apply to sponsors of all nonEEA nationals applying for entry clearance or leave to remain in the Tier 2 (General) or Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) categories, unless the individual falls within a limited number of exemptions.

The amount charged will depend on the size of the sponsor, and it can be significant. For medium or large sponsors it will be £1,000 per applicable migrant per year of leave, while for small or charitable sponsors it will be £364 per applicable migrant per year. The charge will be payable by the sponsor upfront (at the time of assigning the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)) and will cover the total period of time covered by the CoS. So, for a typical three year visa application sponsored by a medium/large employer, the ISC will be £3,000.

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Appropriate salary for Tier 2

regular salary.

The minimum salary requirement for experienced hires in the Tier 2 (General) visa category will rise to whichever is the greater of £30,000 and the appropriate rate for the job as stated in Appendix J of the immigration rules. The previous fixed minimum was £25,000. The ‘new entrant’ minimum rate will remain £20,800.

• Business expenses, including those related to training, hotel stays, and business travel within the UK.

The text explaining which payments can and cannot be counted towards the appropriate salary has been reworded ‘to provide greater clarity and consistency’. Amongst the notable changes, it is confirmed that the following will not count towards the appropriate salary:

Tier 2 (intra-company transfer)

• Overtime payments (including where overtime is guaranteed).

• One-off payments (e.g. relocation packages), which do not form part of the

• Medical benefits.

• Payment of tuition fees, or any payments for which the applicant will need to reimburse the sponsor or a linked overseas business.

The ‘Short-term Staff’ sub-category has been closed, which leaves only the ‘Long-term Staff’ and the ‘Graduate Trainee’ sub-categories for intra-company transfers. The big impact of this is that the minimum salary threshold for all Tier 2 (ICT) applications, with the exception of Graduate Trainees, will now be £41,500.

The annual salary threshold, above which an

Legal

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It is clear that in many UK-based businesses, there is concern about the wider implications of Brexit on the ability to recruit and retain workers from Europe

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exemption from the ‘cooling-off’ period and an extended maximum stay of up to nine years is available, has been reduced from £155,300 to £120,000.

Where the applicant will be earning a gross annual salary of more than £73,900, a new exemption applies from the requirement (in the Long-term Staff sub-category) for the applicant to have worked outside the UK for an overseas entity linked to the sponsor for at least 12 months immediately prior to the application.

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a restricted Certificate of Sponsorship.

• The requirement of the sponsor to carry out a resident labour market test (RLMT).

The resident labour market test Changes have been made to the advertising requirements for new graduate jobs and internships.

The salary threshold, above which a sponsor will not be required to advertise a role on Universal Jobmatch/Jobcentre Plus, has risen to £73,900.

Criminal record checks The Home Office A new requirement for overseas criminal has confirmed numerous record certificates to be produced in respect modifications to the UK of entry clearance applications under Tier 2 business immigration rules (General) has been introduced. It applies to which came into effect from applicants who are 18 or over and applying for roles in any of a specified list of Standard 6th April 2017

Tier 2 (General)

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The ‘high earner’ salary threshold will be increased from £155,300 to £159,600.

This threshold is important because, for applicants who will be paid above it, an exemption applies to:

Occupational Classification (SOC) codes in health, social care or education sectors (and their partner dependants).

Overstaying and re-entry bans The period of overstay before a mandatory re-entry ban is triggered has been significantly reduced, from 90 days to 30 days. This could have significant implications, for example for workers who find themselves in a position

where their leave has expired without them having made a valid application for an extension. There is now a much greater risk of them being forced to leave the UK because they have been unable to regularise their position within the shorter overstaying period.

It is clear that in many UK-based businesses, there is concern about the wider implications of Brexit on the ability to recruit and retain workers from Europe. We are increasingly working with businesses to assess their exposure to changes in the rules on free movement of persons, and to scenario plan for the future. However, it is also important to consider the other options, and for many businesses this means exploring and keeping up to date with the current system of sponsorship under the points-based immigration system for non-EEA nationals.

DMH Stallard’s business immigration team is part of the firm’s specialist employment group, which advises employers from a wide range of sectors on contentious and non-contentious strategic issues, including contracts and policies, reorganisations and redundancies, discrimination and dismissal claims, TUPE, and executive recruitment and terminations.

For more information about how DMH Stallard can help your organisation please contact adam.williams@dmhstallard.com

• The 12 month cooling off period.

• The restriction on the applicant owning more than 10% of the shares of their intended sponsor (if it is a limited company).

• The requirement of the sponsor to apply for

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

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CEO Fight Club

CEO COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE AND THEN COMMUNICATE SOME MORE

By Si Conroy, owner of Scarlet Monday

M

y failure to reach director-level at a major supermarket chain was blamed on a chameleon.

No, one of the pesky little lizards hadn’t hitched a ride in a bunch of bananas from sub-Saharan Africa, to scare a little old lady in Milton Keynes. Instead, I was the chameleon.

Or so the very expensive firm of business psychologists, hired by the supermarket, reported back after a full day of testing me.

Let me explain: DISC is one of the leading behaviour assessment tools used within businesses. The ‘I’ personality style stands for ‘Influence’. A person with high ‘I’ places emphasis on influencing or persuading others, openness and relationships. If I showed you my DISC profile you would see that my ‘I’ is pretty much off the chart. And that causes chameleon-like problems for leaders. The very trait that often drives the success of a number of leaders (although they can come from all personality styles), can start to hinder their success at the highest levels of an organisation.

They cannot be chameleon-like ‘all things to all people’, and it’s this individual vs. group dynamic that is hard to master in order to succeed.

CEOs, MDs and other ultimate leaders have to be unambiguously clear in their direction. It’s lonely at the top because you are Chief Strategy Officer taking your people on a journey to a destination you believe in.

There may be times when you are a relatively lone voice with your belief about where the business should go.

How many times have you explained your company strategy to a room of slowly-closing eyelids? How often do you think your strategy is abundantly clear and yet you overhear a codirector getting it slightly wrong? Run the ‘most junior employee’ test: find your most junior employee and ask them to tell you what your business strategy is (good luck with that one)…

So what do leaders need to do when communicating?

• Bang on until their eyes bleed. Gruesome I know, but hopefully a memorable point. You cannot communicate the same point enough. The people who work for your business have their own jobs to do.

Listening to you isn’t a core part of their job description. So if you want a point to stick; say it, say it, then say it again.

• Put your blinkers on. Racehorses will be blinkered in a race to avoid distractions in their peripheral vision. It is your role as leader to be distracted by peripheral changes in the market, by your competitors, in your customers etc. This helps you identify the subtle changes that need to be integrated into your strategic direction.

However, it is not your role as leader to be distracted in the communication of your current strategy vs. your future strategy.

Are you guilty of getting over-excited in front of your team about a new opportunity percolating away in your head? Stop it.

They want to know about where to go and what to do now, not at some as-yetundetermined point in the future.

• Recognise that clear communication is massively motivating. Dan Pink’s book, ‘Drive’ identifies three keys to motivating your people; give them autonomy (within clear accountabilities), enable them to develop mastery (continual development/ progression) in their role and ensure they have purpose. Notice how you can’t provide clear accountabilities or give people purpose without crystal clear communication? So therefore you can’t motivate well without communicating well.

• Clunky beats confused. Have you experienced a charismatic leader, striding around the stage delivering a fantastic speech with no notes? Have you experienced a fantastic speech delivered by someone stood at a podium, reading from a script and looking up occasionally in pauses between sentences? One is a hell of a lot harder to deliver than the other, and arguably risks far more than you should ever risk as a leader of people: confusion and a lack of clarity. If you’ve got something important to communicate, write it down.

Share the script with others and get their input. Then deliver it word by word. Clunkily delivered quality beats smooth but confused mediocre every time.

So don’t be a chameleon leader, and try and be all things to all people. If you’re doing your job right, you know where you’re taking people. Tell them that, and what you want them to do to help get there.

Then tell them again.

Si Conroy specialises in helping business owners set and achieve stretching goals: sales, profit & capital/ dividend value realisation. 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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Looking for the ideal staff wellbeing activity?

COMPANIES ‘HIT THE PITCH’

S

ummer is almost here, and for many companies in the South East and around the country, that means it’s time to get their employees out on the softball field.

A growing list of companies, including HSBC, Carluccio’s, MBNA, SEGRO and many others, have found that softball is an ideal sport for improving staff well-being through physical activity.

Softball (think of it as a recreational version of baseball) is welcoming, fun, easy to play – even for non-sporty types – and it’s one of the few sports where men and women play on equal terms in the same team, making it an ideal social activity.

Age and ability are no barrier -- softball is a sport for anyone who wants to combine exercise and fun.

Softball games take between 45 and 90 minutes, and are played outdoors in parks, ideally on sunny summer evenings or afternoons! While the sport doesn’t demand

a lot of endurance or aerobic activity, it will still give anyone who plays a good workout in the company of their friends and colleagues.

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On behalf of everyone at Carluccio’s, a huge thank you to BSUK for organising us this year! I speak on behalf of everyone in saying that it was a huge success and we couldn’t have achieved it without your help and support.

Regional Operations Director at Carluccio’s

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That’s why so many companies are turning to softball as a way to reduce stress and boost morale among their staff and create a healthier, happier and more committed

workforce – all of which can reduce the mounting costs of sickness and absenteeism.

Surveys have shown that every £1 spent on work-based health promotion programmes provides up to £34 in cost/benefit savings.

So how can companies who have never experienced softball get involved?

The answer is Hit the Pitch, a workplace softball programme created by BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK), the national development agency for those sports in Britain.

Hit the Pitch aims to introduce new players to softball in a fun and engaging way. The programme can be tailored to suit organisational needs, and offers three ways to enjoy the game: • A Day Package that provides a quick and friendly introduction to the sport, including basic instruction followed by the chance to play a game.

• A Team Package or League Package suitable for those looking to play on a more regular basis.

For the Day Package, ideal for a summer social event such as a Family Day or company picnic, BSUK will send an expert coach to lead sessions and will also provide equipment hire, playing guides and insurance. Pitch hire, catering, uniforms and trophies are additional options.

To find out more about Hit the Pitch softball programmes and possibilities, email HitthePitch@bsuk.com or call 020 7453 7055.

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Architecture

THE PROCESS OF ARCHITECTURE Andy Parsons, Founder and Director of Yelo Architects, talks us through planning, the second stage of the architectural process.

L

ast month we discussed the early stages of an architectural project - meeting the client, taking the brief and producing the early design work. This month we move on to what is arguably the most challenging stage obtaining planning permission!

I often advise clients that obtaining planning is much like a game of chess - a series of strategic and reactionary moves that should ultimately prove successful.

Too often we hear stories from new clients where they have been badly advised by a professional and have simply thrown in a planning application, then been surprised when it did not gain consent. It is essential to be much more strategic and engage the planning department and key stake-holders at an early stage.

On this particular project, we decided to make a submission for pre-application advice.

A pre-app is where you seek initial advice from the planning department to cover various fundamentals about the proposal, such as principle of development, density and height.

The pre-app submission is often a document that will include all of the early stages of an architect’s work on the project. This includes site analysis, brief, proposal description, sketches and initial thoughts on design (image 1).

In this case we showed three alternative options for the site (image 2) that proposed a mixture of apartments, and apartments mixed with houses. The idea being that they were all acceptable options for our client but that the planning officer would give a steer to their preference. We submitted the document and then met with the planning officer. We had worked with this planning officer on other projects so we knew he had a keen interest in contemporary architecture, so we showed plenty of examples of designs and details that were similar to what we were proposing.

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By the end of the meeting, we had their support subject to some minor tweaks for option A. With everything being positive and straightforward so far, we commenced to the next stage: the planning submission.

â??

A drawback of the appeal process is the time it takes to get a decision - sometimes up to six months.

â?ž

Planning submissions these days are extremely detailed (image 3). There are a lot of additional documents and mandatory checklists that need to be completed.

Therefore it is important that the architect, or planning consultant, coordinates the various parties and ensures a succinct submission.

For this project we had a planning consultant, an arboricultural consultant, a 3D visualiser, and a sustainability consultant.

We submitted a full plans submission for nine residential units - this application fell under the minor application category so it had a statutory determination period of eight weeks.

The first 21 days is the period where consultees are invited to comment on what we have submitted; they will include parties such as the departments at the council including highways, tree officer, housing department

Architecture made a couple of minor tweaks to satisfy the planning officer and he verbally confirmed that he would be recommending it to be approved, which was great news.

However a week later he informed us that he had been overruled by his line manager and that unless we made major changes, it would be refused. What followed was one of the most bizarre planning situations we had ever been involved in!

The planning officer that we had been working with refused to follow the line managers guidance as he fundamentally disagreed with them, so we then ended up with the line manager running the application.

We met with them and discussed what changes they required, however they were so wide of the mark that we simply couldn’t accept them. We pointed out that we had presented three options at the pre-app and that option A had been accepted (image 2). However the line manager was adamant that the pre-app was just initial advice and therefore not binding - essentially making a mockery of the whole process.

Image 1 - the pre-app and policy team, as well as the local neighbours. During the first 21 days, we tend to leave the planning officer alone as they are waiting for the comments to come in. Three to four weeks in, we will start liaising with them to see if they require any amendments, need any clarifications or have any questions.

Image 3 - the planning submission

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Planning submissions these days are extremely detailed. There are a lot of additional documents and mandatory checklists that need to be completed.

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Towards the latter couple of weeks of the determination period, the officer will be producing their final report and making their recommendation for whether it will be approved or refused. We had Image 2 - the sketched option

The planning consultant quite rightly recommended that we were not to make the major changes and to let them refuse the application as it was. Their view was that the design was appropriate for the location and that it followed the national planning guidance correctly - therefore we should appeal the decision.

Which is exactly what we did! We worked with the planning consultant to submit a written representation appeal. A drawback of the appeal process is the time it takes to get a decision, sometimes up to six months.

During the waiting period we were instructed by the client to prepare a revised scheme that could possibly address the line managers concerns. However this resulted in a much reduced scheme.

The day came when the inspector visited the site, which normally means you receive a decision within two-three weeks. Amazingly we had a decision two days later, we had won the appeal. We were happy, the client was happy, and the original planning officer was also happy.

It was fantastic news that we had won, but it was frustrating that the project had been delayed by six months.

Next month we’ll cover the final stages of the process - getting it built!

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Profile

MR DEPENDABLE Politicians come and go, but there is always one reassuring constant - the calm and professional coverage on BBC’s Election Night, headed up as always by Polegate’s David Dimbleby. Country Life once described Dimbleby as a man who “holds the nation steady when the waters get choppy.” Fortunately he will be keeping us all on a steady keel again on the night of June 8th...

Profile by Ian Trevett

“T

he British people have spoken and the answer is: we’re out!” It was the moment that confirmed that Britain changed forever, and typically it was summed up in a single succinct and authoritative sentence from the most trusted man on TV. Whether it is the Brexit referendum, a general election or the weekly bunfight that is Question Time, few people, if any, are seen as impartial or as fair as David Dimbleby.

This is no accident. This is something that Dimbleby has worked on all of his life. “I never tell anyone how I vote. Not my children.

Nor my wife,” he says, when asked about his

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political leanings.

You can find online debates speculating on the political views of the top political broadcasters and there is a general consensus about most. Nick Robinson - Tory; Andrew Marr - Labour; Jon Snow - Liberal/Labour, Remainer; Andrew Neil - Tory; Laura Kuenssberg - Tory. And so it goes on. All of the mentioned broadcasters are excellent journalists, and these labels could be completely false. But people have formed these opinions, rightly or wrongly. When it comes to Dimbleby I could find only a few lukewarm suggestions that he was a Conservative but with no explanation as to

what informed this opinion - i.e. it was just pure guesswork.

Dimbleby is known to be a gregarious, warm, chatty person - except when it comes to talking about himself. In 2009, Telegraph journalist, James Delingpole was invited to interview Dimbleby on his East Sussex farm, but was informed in advance that off-limit topics were: His first wife Josceline; their three grown-up children (including successful restaurant entrepreneur Henry); his second wife, Belinda; their 11-year-old (now 18) boy Fred; his little brother (and alleged massive rival) Jonathan; the BBC; his personal politics; his hobbies; pretty much any other aspect of

Profile his private life whatsoever.

magazine stood by him as a “worthy winner”.

Can you imagine Dimbleby the interviewer accepting such limitations? So presumably the interview was a bore? Not in the slightest, and Delingpole was utterly charmed by his subject’s mischievous manner and the knowing twinkle in his eye. The picture he painted of Dimbleby was not unlike Kevin Spacey’s brilliant Machiavellian hero Frank Underwood in the US version of House of Cards.

“Jilly Cooper, the novelist, who was on the judging panel, paid tribute to Dimbleby, saying he showed fairness and humour. She added that he had a beautiful voice and was a marvellous commentator, “adding lustre, knowledge and gravitas to any state event”.

“‘Crikey, what an operator!’ I think, at the end, when he engages me in some mildly flattering banter about an article of mine, ” writes Delingpole. “He charms but never lays it on so thick that you feel you’re being practised on.

“Imagine if he’d gone into politics: he could have been so devastatingly manipulative that he would have made even Lord Mandelson look like a clumsier version of John Prescott.

Thank the Lord that instead he stuck to television.”

Kirsty Young has also been floored by the flirtatious Dimbleby. He was the castaway on Desert Island Discs on 24th February 2008 and when asked by Young what luxury he wanted, he replied: “I’ll take you.” “I nearly fell off my bloody seat!” Young said later. She rejected the idea, so he took pencils and drawing books instead.

Despite such cheekiness, Dimbleby is a true gent, at least according to Country Life who named him the ‘Gentleman of the Year’ in 2014. Hannah Ellis-Petersen commented in The Guardian: “According to Country Life magazine, a true gentleman is always on time, makes love on his elbows and never wears fuchsia trousers – all commandments David Dimbleby will have to abide by if he is to live up to his newest accolade.

“The magazine has named the broadcaster Gentleman of the Year in its annual rankings, saying he is a man who “holds the nation steady when the waters get choppy”. Despite Dimbleby breaking several of Country Life’s gentlemanly codes – a gentleman supposedly never tweets or writes with a Biro – the

“The magazine noted that Dimbleby had only missed a Question Time broadcast once in 20 years, and that was only because he had been knocked out by a bullock at the time.”

The magazine even forgave him for getting a scorpion tattoo at the age of 75, deeming that “body ink is to be embraced on a modern gentleman.”

Dimbleby, it seems, can be forgiven almost everything and he is regarded as a national treasure, a position he shares with another BBC stalwart, David Attenborough.

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Dimbleby joined the BBC in Bristol as a reporter in the 1960s and reported on his first election in 1964, when his father was the main presenter. He became an respected reporter and documentary maker, and in 1971, he had a rare episode where he was accused of political bias. The film, Yesterday’s Men, was less than complimentary about the Labour opposition, and the BBC noted that it had ‘ridiculed’ the Labour Party. There was no lasting damage to his career and in 1974 took on his father’s old job of presenting Panorama.

In 1979, he took over as the anchor for

If he’d gone into politics: he could have been so devastatingly manipulative that he would have made even Lord Mandelson look like a clumsier version of John Prescott.”

The Family Business

David, like his brother Jonanthan, followed in his father’s footsteps. Educated at Glengorse School in Battle, East Sussex, and Charterhouse School, he went on to read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Christ Church, Oxford.

While at Oxford he was a member of the notorious Bullingdon Club and edited of the unfortunately named student magazine, Isis.

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Broadcasting and journalism runs through the Dimbleby family’s veins. His father, Richard Dimbleby CBE, was the best known broadcaster of his generation. He was the BBC’s first war correspondent, and then its leading TV news commentator. He hosted the long-running current affairs programme Panorama, in which he pioneered a respectful but searching interview style.

He was the voice of the biggest major public occasions, including the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and the funerals of George VI, John F. Kennedy and Winston Churchill.

the BBC’s Election Night coverage and has remained as the frontman ever since. He was a regular on current affairs programmes such as the early evening slot on Nationwide. In 1983, he bought out the family business, Dimbleby Newspapers, which published nine newspapers within Greater London including the Richmond & Twickenham Times. He sold the group to Newsquest in 2001 for a figure believed to be around £12m.

In 1994 he took over as chair on Question Time, the role for which is best known.

Question Time It was never meant to be enjoyable. The powers that be at the BBC decided that the public could only have so much fun, and Question Time was certainly not intended to entertain.

The Telegraph’s James Delingpole, tells the story of how it all began: “It was born on September 25th 1979, more by accident than design, and was never intended to last. The BBC had block-booked a London studio for the Parkinson show.

“But, by Roy Hattersley’s account, ‘the

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Profile governors decided that five consecutive nights of Michael Parkinson was more entertainment than the viewers could stand. So two days were set aside for something solemn. Robin Day – out of fashion but with years of his contract still to run – had nothing to do except write angry letters to the Director-General denouncing the declining standards of British television. Question Time was invented to make sure that for a week or two neither the theatre’s rent nor the performer’s retainer were paid in vain.”

It it is now an much loved institution and has provided some of the most memorable TV moments. Day got the ball rolling in his own combative and impatient style.

Dimbleby recalled Day’s impact in a Telegraph column in 2004: “He was a prickly figure, both demanding and domineering - the

mock humility he occasionally affected on air was, as all his colleagues knew, precisely that.

He was a difficult man to like but an easy man to admire. More than any other broadcaster he had set the standard for political interviewing. He had devised a television style that combined lawyerly persistence with theatrical flair to confront politicians, and prise open their shells.”

four years after Day retired in 1989, before Dimbleby claimed the chair in 2004, beating off a challenge from Jeremy Paxman. He controls the panel in a firm but friendly manner, coaxing out answers from experienced politicians without ever descending to the aggressive approach of Day. Except, that is, when he tries to silence the opinionated historian David Starkey.

As an example he recalls one conversation when they were both covering party conferences for the BBC. Dimbleby remembers Sir Robin coming back from an interview he’d done with the Home Secretary and asking what he thought. ‘Well I don’t think he said anything particularly new,’ said Dimbleby thoughtfully. ‘Not his answers, you fool. My questions,’ Sir Robin said.

For Dimbleby, it is all about the audience. He always strives to let the public air their views, rather than allow longwinded politicians to monopolise the airspace. And the production team work very hard to ensure the audience is a fair reflection of society at large.

Peter Sissons took over the helm for

“The idea is that the viewer should feel he is watching a true cross-section of the public,” says Dimbleby, “much as would have filled a town hall for a political meeting 100 years ago.”

He is particularly proud that the show is popular across generations. The programme has in the past been accused of lacking in diversity, which is a claim he refutes. He recalls the controversy after the 2001 election which had a low turnout, especially amongst the young.

“The Director-General of the BBC, Greg Dyke, was concerned that the manner of the BBC coverage of politics might itself have been partly responsible for the low voter turnout and the disaffection of the young with Westminster politics.

“It was not a view I shared, but the DirectorGeneral is the Director-General and Question Time, with all the other political programmes, duly trooped along to be lectured. The underlying assumption was that the BBC’s coverage appealed only to the white middle class and the middle aged or elderly.

“The young were not being properly served. Nobody dared wonder out loud whether young people as a whole have ever been interested in Westminster politics - and whether it was the conduct of politics itself that was at fault. “We were cheered up by our

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The viewer should feel he is watching a true cross-section of the public, much as would have filled a town hall for a political meeting 100 years ago

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Profile

research, which showed that among young people Question Time was the best-known current affairs programme.”

One way the programme has kept mixing up the audience is by inviting comedians, musicians and other stars of popular culture.

While older viewers may rail against the relevance of a young musician on a serious political programme, the policy works. The viewing figures among the young soar when there is a panellist that piques their interest.

A comedian can also make good TV, and the Question Time team clearly have a sense of humour. Booking Russell Brand? Let’s team him up with Nigel Farage. It was no coincidence that George Galloway was invited when the venue was in Finchley which has a high Jewish population. Galloway’s stance on Palestine meant the sparks were bound to fly.

And then there’s David Starkey. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that Mr Starkey had a habit of patronising or ridiculing any comments made by female panellists. So it was surely no coincidence that the devilish producers lined him up with an all female panel of Justine Greening, Harriet Harman, Shirley Williams and Victoria Coren. He didn’t seem to enjoy the experience.

Dimbleby has an instinct for what audiences will enjoy and it takes a certain type of politician to accept the challenge. Prime Ministers, Chancellors or other high ranking ministers rarely take the risk of appearing on the show - the audiences are too dangerous!

Dimbleby says, “One of the excitements of Question Time has always been the appearance of the big beasts of the political jungle on the panel. Michael Heseltine was the first Cabinet minister to risk accepting an invitation, on only the third edition of the programme.

“Afterwards he complained at his treatment by a hostile audience but later, when he had been congratulated in the street by people who had told him how well he had done, he

decided it was a forum in which he shone, and he became a regular performer. Other heavy hitters followed.

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Politicians dislike the humiliation of being publicly mocked.

BBC interviewers do not mock. Question Time audiences sometimes do.

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“What they most dislike is the unexpected, the question that catches them off guard, and worst of all the humiliation of being publicly mocked. BBC interviewers do not mock.

Question Time audiences sometimes do.”

It has gone too far sometimes. After 9/11, the audience had an anti-American anger that shocked many, and the Iraq War prompted fierce reactions. It created a problem for the show in that one view was dominating.

Dimbleby recalls, “Remember the leadup to the invasion of Iraq? The country was divided, but opponents of military action were far more vociferous and articulate than its supporters. We took pains to include a proportion of people who claimed to support the war in the audience, but many were in favour in a vague, muddled way, and were not willing to speak out on the subject.

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Dimbleby has an instinct for what audiences will enjoy and it takes a certain type of politician to accept the challenge.

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“We had an obligation to achieve balance, but more than that we desperately wanted the argument for war to be as cogently expressed as that against. We were forced to do something we had never done before: to plant articulate war supporters in identifiable places among the audience so that I could call on them when needed to provide balance.”

The show also has tackled attempts at audience manipulation. Some years ago an over-enthusiastic UKIP official emailed the party’s supporters in Sheffield, where Robert Kilroy-Silk was to appear on the panel, urging them to apply but “pretend you are a Tory or Labour supporter”.

The pressure to be fair, and to be seen to be fair, is intense, and Dimbleby carries it off with humour. But it can backfire. In an episode in Slough in December 2015, during a debate on Heathrow’s expansion, Jacob Rees-Mogg said, “Heathrow is the most convenient London airport. I realise that in Slough this may not please everybody. I used to live not a million miles from Slough with the airplanes going over. I must confess they did not prove too bothersome there.”

Spotting an opportunity to rib Rees-Mogg on his posh background, Dimbleby interjected: “Eton, is that?”

“That’s absolutely right,” the MP replied.

Before adding with impeccable timing: “I was at school with your son.” Touché.

It was a rare occasion where a panellist was sharper than the presenter. And he took the quip with typical good grace.

No matter who wins this year’s election, you can be assured that Dimbleby will be fair and dependable - and no politician will be anything other than respectful to him, win or lose.

He is in the unusual position in politics where everyone wishes him well. Except, perhaps, poor Huw Edwards who, like Prince Charles, is still forever and ever waiting for his own coronation. He will have to keep waiting!

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18th October 2017 THE ARORA HOTEL, CRAWLEY

Don’t just Meet the Buyers get yourself connected The Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers Programme brings together Buyers and Suppliers to help each other grow their businesses.

For Buyers, you will have the opportunity to meet new Suppliers of the products and services you need as well as explore ways to solve your procurement issues.

For Suppliers, you will be able to access the kind of businesses you simply cannot reach elsewhere, with face to face meetings with their procurement professionals.

From June 2017, there will be a programme of free Seminars to help you understand how to engage with Public Sector and large businesses that are seeking new suppliers as well as improve your general sales processes.

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e: info@gatwickdiamondmeetthebuyers.com

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42

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

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Meet the Buyers

MEET, GREET, BUY, SELL N

Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers brings local, regional and national buyers together with local businesses in the region.

ow in its 17th year, Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers creates new business for those that take part.

Over £22.5m of business is estimated to have been created since 2010, and this year, there will be more than 2,000 sales meetings at the Meet the Buyers event in October.

Sponsored by Gatwick Airport, The Gatwick Diamond Initiative and Crawley Borough Council, the Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers 2017 event will introduce five separate ‘zones’ to reflect different business needs and types in the region. These are: • Business Services – to include professional, financial, digital, education • Manufacturing and Innovation • Public Sector and Utilities • International Business • Construction and Infrastructure Buyers to date include Canon, B&CE, Thakeham Homes, Marco, Omniserv, the Home Office and the RSPCA.

The Seminar Programme The seminar programme has been designed to help you grow your skills so you can make the most of every opportunity that Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers can bring. Working with some excellent presenters who have real experience in their field, these free seminars are available to any business.

Pitching, Presentation and Networking: Capitalise on Meet the Buyers events Attendees of this seminar will benefit from expert advice on how to prepare for a meeting with a public or corporate buyer, how to improve and tailor pitching skills, and how to build networking skills to ensure any ‘down time’ between buyer meetings is maximised.

Designed to support delegates in advance of a Meet the Buyer event, this interactive workshop will focus on the following: • How to prepare for a meeting with a public or corporate buyer • The secrets to successfully building relationships through your interactions • Understanding buyer needs and how to position yourself against the competition • Identifying and targeting with pinpoint accuracy, potential customers and partners • Structuring and conducting business meetings to gain information to help you sell • Crafting and delivering contract winning presentations for your business • Learning how to handle buyers questions and to recognise buying signals

• Venue: Canon (UK) Ltd, Woodhatch, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8BF

• Gaining confidence to ask for the order and handle objections and price issues

• Date: 7th June 2017 • Time: 9.30am

• Developing listening skills and using your voice to maximum effect

• Presenter: Colin Spiller

• Finding out how to use body language and rapport to progress a sale • Developing networking skills to use ‘down time’ between meetings Those who attend this workshop will emerge with a renewed confidence that their sales meetings, networking skills, and presentation and pitching performance will be vastly improved. Meetings with prospects will be energised and structured, helping to increase win ratio and growth in revenues.

To book your place, please email events@ gatwickdiamondmeetthebuyers.com or call 01293 813889 If you have any questions on attending Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers 2017, please contact Jeremy Taylor on jeremy@ gatwickdiamondmeetthebuyers.com 01293 813889/07590 808403 www.GatwickDiamondMeettheBuyers

43

Travel - Dublin

Shake hands in...

DUBLIN

The Irish capital is attracting attention from financial firms weighing up their post-Brexit options, and there are plenty of reasons why. Rose Dykins reports.

I

t’s my first visit to Dublin in ten years, and the circumstances are very different from last time.

As a student, I flew over on a Ryanair fight for the price of 1p (plus taxes) and spent a weekend barhopping around the cobbled streets in the Temple Bar area. This time, I dart between cosy cafés to escape the sheets of icy rain and warm up with steaming pots of tea. I take in the Dublin Writers’ Museum, the James Joyce Centre and the (surprisingly) enlightening National Leprechaun Museum for a holistic understanding of Ireland’s storytelling and literary culture, reflected in Dublin’s UNESCO City of Literature status.

I pour over the intricate letters of the 4th century Books of Kells, adorned with serpents, birds and golden Celtic knots, before basking in the spiritual serenity of Trinity College Library. All in all, a much more sedate visit,

44

that leaves me with an appreciation of Dublin beyond ‘the craic’ and the creamy homebrewed Guinness (it just doesn’t taste the same on this side of the Irish Sea…).

Ireland’s contribution to international culture is undeniable. The legacy of its literary, musical and historical heroes is woven into the fabric of its capital city, which generates a sparky, inspiring atmosphere for hosting MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events).

Central Dublin’s charming Georgian architecture and small size are both appealing attributes for hosting large-scale conferences.

In terms of hotel stock, the city may not have an abundance of new properties, but instead, its 20,000 rooms are continually being refreshed. “Every one of our hotels has gone through some sort of refurbishment programme over the past few years,” says Sam Johnston, Manager of the Dublin Convention

Bureau. “And the convention centre is just under seven years old, but it looks as if it opened yesterday”.

Nestled in the heart of Dublin Docklands, Convention Centre Dublin’s semi-cylindrical glass facade offers views of the green hills beyond the city limits. Its cutting-edge design and facilities, including a 2,000-seat auditorium, 4,500 sqm of exhibition space and 22 meeting rooms, earned it the accolade of the ‘World’s Best Overseas Conference Venue’ at the 2015 C&IT Awards. And, last year, Dublin hosted some 150 conferences (including heavyweights such as the International Air Transport Association’s AGM in June) totalling approximately €67 million for Ireland’s economy.

When it comes to business, Dublin has spent time building on its strengths and cultivating growth in certain sectors, including fintech,

Travel - Dublin Convention Centre Dublin

aviation leasing and support services (law and accountancy firms). Facebook’s European HQ is here – the 12.5 percent corporate tax rate no doubt an attraction. Situated along Dublin Docklands, the company is based in a Daniel Libeskind designed building, fitted out with Frank Gehry interiors, said to reflect a “workin-progress atmosphere”.

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Ireland’s contribution to international culture is undeniable.

The legacy of its literary, musical and historical heroes is woven into the fabric of its capital city…

A year on since Britain voted for Brexit, it’s still difficult to move beyond speculation as to what leaving the European Union will mean for the Emerald Isle, although a hard Brexit would be disruptive. When the Northern Irish border becomes the only land border between the European Union and the UK (depending on Scotland’s decision to hold another referendum for independence) there has been talk of Britain potentially introducing its own immigration controls to Irish airports – already met with outrage by Irish citizens, as the current open barrier not only benefits those who work and live on opposite sides of the border, but plays a part in protecting the peace after decades of conflict.

Regarding trade, the UK is Ireland’s third biggest export destination, accounting for 12% of total exports after the US (22%)

and Belgium (13%). Meanwhile, Britain is Ireland’s largest importer, responsible for 28% of total imports. At the time of going to press, the ‘snap’ general election was still one month away. Whoever the prime minister is after June 8th, the better trade deal they are able to secure with the EU, the better for Ireland’s economy.

On the other hand, certain financial companies are reportedly sizing up Dublin for their new post-Brexit European headquarters, including Barclays and Standard Chartered PLC, and in August, a survey from Price Waterhouse Cooper placed Dublin second after London among Europe’s most appealing financial centres. According to a joint report by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, property agents have seen a 30% increase in

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Dublin International airport is only a short hop away for continental passengers, and its connectivity to more than 179 destinations is a huge pull factor for business travel. “We connect to all the major European hubs, then you land at Dublin airport and you’re in the city in 15-20 minutes,” says Johnston. “So we’re easy to reach for Europe-based travellers, and they won’t need to take too many days out of their schedule”.

Dublin Landings

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More destinations than any other UK airport

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Source: OAG schedules 2016

Travel - Dublin

the number of enquiries from UK firms looking to relocate and protect their access to the single market.

At the same time, in March, Ireland issued a formal complaint to the European Commission, stating that other EU cities weren’t playing fair in the scramble to attract financial firms spooked by Brexit – Eoghan Murphy, Ireland’s Financial Services Minister was reported as saying that certain cities were being “very aggressive in trying to win business”. He added that rather than “brass-plating”, Dublin expects “the mind and management of the entity” to be in Ireland. It seems that Dublin is not content with merely playing host to financial firms leaving London, and instead, any arriving companies will need to fully integrate into its business ecosystem.

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Temple Bar area

When it comes to business, Dublin has spent time building on its strengths and cultivating growth in certain sectors, including fintech, aviation leasing and support services.

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Wander down to Docklands – the sleek modernity of its architecture redolent of Canary Wharf – and you’ll see a number of cranes poised to add to Dublin’s already impressive infrastructure. Recently, plans were approved for a €700 million development, Dublin Landings. Covering more than two hectares, it will encompass five office buildings, 273 apartments and retail space when it opens in 2020. From here, about halfway towards the Temple Bar Area, another mega project is underway. Tara House will become the tallest building in Dublin at 88 metres-high, housing a 110-room hotel, a five storey viewing podium and a top floor restaurant and bar. The intention is for it to act as a “landmark gateway” between Dublin’s historic centre and the modernism of Docklands.

Dublin’s heritage may be rich, but its future is also looking prosperous. If in the financial firms do choose to relocate to the Irish capital, a smorgasbord of immaculate new facilities and a business-friendly climate will be ready and waiting to receive them.

Trinity College

Trinity College Library

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Travel - Dublin

TOP PLACES FOR A MEETING/EVENT POWERSCOURT HOTEL

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Situated in Wicklow - 45 minutes from Dublin - this striking crescent-shaped hotel sits within a verdant estate owned by the Slazenger family. Part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, the elegant 194 room property shares it surrounds with two championship golf courses and Ireland’s highest waterfall. powerscourthotel.com

GUINNESS STOREHOUSE The home of the ebony nectar would make a memorable event venue. The entire building can be hired for 2,000 guests, and for banquets, it’s possible to arrange for a menu made entirely with Guinness ingredients. guinness-storehouse.com

➠ CROKE PARK For a unique team building activity, organise a game of Gaelic football at Croke Park – the national stadium for Gaelic games - which also has its own conference centre. crokepark.ie

➠ TEELING WHISKEY DISTILLERY This operational factory offers industrial chic event space, with the option to arrange tours and tasting sessions. teelingwhiskey.com

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Travel - Dublin

WHERE TO STAY CONRAD DUBLIN Reopened in March last year after an extensive refurbishment, this smart five star property is located opposite Dublin’s National Concert Hall.

Its light-hued rooms feature Irish artwork, free wifi and Nespresso machines. There’s also a 350 capacity ballroom, a brasserie serving locally inspired dishes. conradhotels.hilton.com

➠ THE MARKER A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, the Marker offers unconventional design features throughout its 187 rooms and suites, as well as views across the city from its Docklands location.

Its trendy rooftop bar and terrace is available for hire, and its sleek spa has a masculine feel. themarkerhoteldublin.com

➠ TRINITY CITY HOTEL Located bang in the centre of Dublin, this quirky four star hotel has colourful rooms and suites, some of which feature Georgian era decor. There are two attractive spaces for boardroom style meetings - land a grassy courtyard, where it’s possible to host outdoor events. trinitycityhotel.com

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Travel

TRAVEL STORIES It’s all in the eye of the business, says John Burroughes Managing Director, Uniglobe Preferred Travel

U

niglobe has been named 11th largest Travel Management Company in the latest issue of Buying Business Travel; with total sales of £234m, it’s been another year of solid growth. UK based companies particularly are realising the power that our premium analytics capability can provide them.

The response to our information driven philosophy has been phenomenal; our clients fully subscribe to the idea that better data yields better information, which allows for better decision making.

Our interactive tool allows simultaneous high and low level data on a global view which is quite simply stunning; allowing us to deliver advanced global cost controls to our clients.

Uniglobe “Interactive BI” has been developed by our in-house analytics team in conjunction with our global partners to ensure sophisticated business analytics.

F

ollowing on from last month’s debacle, United Airlines has announced a policy change which they say is a “turning point”. According to the new policy, United Airlines will now offer passengers up to $10,000 to give up their seats on overbooked flights, note the “up to”.

Oscar Munoz, UA Chief Executive, who was much criticised for his initial handling of the incident, said the new policy signalled a cultural shift to becoming a better, more customer focused airline.

I am sure this statement (together with an undisclosed financial settlement) is much comfort to Dr David Dao who lost two front teeth and suffered a broken nose when he was forcibly removed from the Chicago to Louisville flight by law enforcement officers last month. Having seen the treatment of an un-customer focused airline, we look forward with baited breath to the great delights of a United crew, with United smiley faces, working to soothe each paying passenger’s stress and worries away - no United pun intended!

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Travel

Q

ANTAS Airlines, which incidentally stands for, “Queensland And Northern Territory’s Aerial Service” (not a lot of people know that!) recently announced a new non-stop London to Perth service, the flying time will be about 17 hours, with daily flights beginning on March 25th, 2018, and a lead in price for a return trip of £1,095.

The new service will be operated by QANTAS’s new Boeing 787 Dream Liner which has been designed specifically for comfort on long haul routes. Alan Joyce, QANTAS’s group chief executive commented, “We are conscious that this is a long flight, it’s the kind of route the Dream Liner was created for because of its built-in features to reduce jetlag and improve the overall travel experience. We’ve added a lower seat count than most competitors and we are making tweaks to our in-flight service designed to help customers enjoy the journey more.”

QANTAS is also building a new transit lounge at Perth airport to enable smooth transition with international and domestic flights arriving and departing from the same terminal with dedicated customs and immigration. QANTAS will also open a new lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal Three later this year, although return Business Class fares to Perth starts at £4,240, the airline expects the economy price to drop below £900 return for deal periods.

Y

ou’ve survived check-in, your bag has gone via the conveyor belt into the murky world from where bags sometimes never reappear, you manage to get on the plane, you are sitting in your desired seat, hand luggage stowed overhead relatively close to you. Take off goes smoothly, the cabin crew are courteous and smiling, they serve the in-flight meals (even if you have to pay extra for them, you get some shut eye, maybe watch a film, landing goes smoothly, then into the snaking passport queue where you see the same faces slowly passing you 34 times.

You are given the passport stare, your biometrics are checked, you receive the stamp of approval, finally you arrive, feeling somewhat relieved, at the nerve-wracking luggage carousel of death.

Here somebody has taken great pains to not only indicate the correct distance to stand from the carousel by floor markings, but also put up signs of instruction, which are always ignored. As this figure-of-eight luggage monster slowly comes to life, we all feel the same. Why has that undeserving passenger managed to retrieve their case from the carousel, clearly I am more worthy and should have had my case before them, after all I even put on my priority stickers.

As more cases spin past you, there is still no sign of yours, anxiety mounts, you even start to feel aggression towards people who waltz past you complete with bag and a smug look.

The reverse side to this is, on one occasion, when I was in Mexico’s City’s airport. My case was the very first item onto the carousel, I smugly picked it up gliding past all my fellow passengers with a big smile on my face, only to be immediately stopped by security to check if I’d nicked somebody else’s case.

Well, as I reported about 18 months ago the carousel (United sponsored) anxiety we currently feel will hopefully soon be an experience of the past.

I invite you into the superior world of IATA’s Baggage Tracking Resolution 753, the purpose of which is, and I quote, “Each IATA registered airline shall maintain an accurate inventory of baggage by monitoring the acquisition and delivery of baggage” in other words “Don’t Lose My Sodding Bag”.

IATA has decreed that it should be official airline policy not to lose their clients luggage effective June 2018. So it is with a smile on my face that I report that Qatar Airways are ahead of the game as they have achieved compliance with IATA’s resolution 753 at its hub in Hamad International airport, Doha.

Qatar Airways informed me that passengers can now use the airline’s website and app to access a Track My Bag feature, allowing them to see where their bag is from check-in to retrieving it from the baggage carousel. As yet it is unclear if this information is real-time, but I believe it’s only a short time before real-time luggage information is available to all at the tap of a screen. However, expect to pay extra for this service.

51

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52

The Thinking Pod

T

he Thinking Pod launches on June 13th and aims to offer a 360 degree view on the issue of the day.

Leading experts from government and commerce will meet to debate the subject of International Trade and explain why it is so important to the future of our economy. The think tank will also offer advice on how to begin the process of exporting and the signifi cant benefi ts it can bring to a company’s bottom line.

Attendance is complimentary for business leaders and there are limited places available so apply for your place now to info@platinumbusinessmagazine.com.

Thinking pod events begin at 5.30pm with a fl ight on the i360 and following the debate there will be a drinks reception and an exclusive networking event.

The Expert Panel Clive Stevens – Chairman & Head of International, Kreston Reeves Jonathan Grant – Head of Corporate, DMH Stallard John Burroughes – CEO, Uniglobe Preferred Travel Lev Denker – International Trade Adviser, Department for International Trade

A 360 degree view on business

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

53

Interview

FROM HOVE TO

HOLLYWOOD

How Brighton born Mark Stewart made it big in La La Land.

B

righton born and bred Mark Stewart has come a long way since his weekly trips to the Odeon cinema in West Street as a young boy.

Those trips ignited a passion for film, that has seen the 38-year-old become one of Hollywood’s leading producers, working alongside famous names such as Robert de Niro, Bruce Willis and Nicolas Cage.

Stewart grew up living just off Dyke Road attending Windlesham and then Mowden (now Lancing Prep) School, and remembers the town fondly for helping start his love of movies.

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Whether you like it or not, some people still love seeing great action stars like Arnold or Bruce beating up bad guy

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“From as young as I can remember, I used to drive my parents mad begging them to take me to the cinema,” recalls Stewart. “We would go to the Odeon or sometimes the Cannon on East Street which is sadly no longer there. It was my escape into another world. Watching films with my mum and dad with a huge box of popcorn is one of my fondest memories.”

One particular instance proved particularly inspiring for Stewart: “I remember seeing Quadrophenia on TV when I was about eleven or twelve years old. It literally blew me away seeing my home town on the screen and I visited all the filming locations the next day. It really got me dreaming, and I knew then that I wanted to somehow be involved with the movies.”

His big break came in 2011 when an old

54

Mark Stewart attends the Escape Plan premiere and red carpet

Interview school friend sent him the script for an upcoming Bruce Willis film called Fire with Fire.

“I read the script and loved it”, recalls Stewart. “I remember I thought I would read a few pages before bed, and the next thing I knew I was at the end and it was 2am! I literally couldn’t put it down”.

“So I flew to LA and began learning as much as I could about film producing. I had studied film at Exeter University so I knew how the industry worked, but it was a fast learning curve. I think I annoyed a few people because I just kept asking questions. Pretty soon I was known as ‘Question Mark’!

His inquisitive nature paid dividends, as the next thing Stewart knew he was on the Fire with Fire movie set in New Orleans, producing his first film. “Being on set was such a surreal experience”, Stewart says. “I remember seeing my producer chair with my name on it and then Bruce

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Some of my idols have become friends and I don’t for one minute take that for granted. I mean I just got a racehorse with Dame Judi Dench. How mad is that?!”

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Willis walked out of his trailer. I must have seen his Die Hard films a hundred times. I couldn’t quite believe what was happening”.

Fellow Brit, Vinnie Jones was also among the cast and the two took time to compare notes. “Vinnie is such a nice guy and we spoke about the different journeys we had taken to get to Hollywood. I remember Vinnie saying: “you’re a long way from home now son!”. I asked him for some advice and he took my pen and started to write on a piece of paper. I thought it was going to be some worldly wisdom on the film industry, but it was the addresses in LA where I could get a good Sunday roast and some quality fish and chips!”

Since then Stewart has continued to work with Tinseltown’s biggest stars. Following Fire with Fire, he produced The Frozen Ground with Nicolas Cage, but it nearly cost him dear: “We filmed in Alaska and my fellow producers told me to wrap up warm, so I bought along my ski gear but crucially forgot my boots. The temperature was around -20

Billy Crystal and Mark Stewart attend the basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves degree and so like a wally, I just put on three pairs of socks and my loafers. At the start of filming, I made a joke to one of the crew that I was so cold I couldn’t feel my feet. Next thing I knew I’m was rushed to an emergency tent and someone put hot pads on my toes. I said it was all a bit over dramatic but they told me if the feeling didn't return within ten minutes, my toes would be done for.”

Stewart has now produced 17 films including Empire State with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Heist with Robert De Niro, The Life and Death of John Gotti with John Travolta, and Escape Plan with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone but has learnt some valuable lessons along the way.

“I produce action movies because every nationality loves and understands the genre. They sell really well around the world. Comedy for example is a big risk to make. What a UK or US audience finds funny won’t always be the same as say the Germans or the French. Personally, as a filmgoer, I also like drama films but as a producer, they are a tough sell. Believe me when I say I learnt the hard way. I produced Days and Nights with Katie Holmes and William Hurt, which is a lovely film with a great cast but hardly anyone saw it. Action is the predominant genre for me. Whether you like it or not, some people still love seeing great action stars like Arnold or Bruce beating up bad guys”.

So what does the future now hold for the Sussex man? “To be honest I am really happy doing what I am doing, but I would definitely like to do more television. I produced the SAF3 TV series which starred Dolph Lundgren and that has whet my appetite for more. I am also working on an Escape Plan sequel and have a few other things up my sleeve.”

Dolph Lundgren, Mark Stewart and writer Tanquil Collins

And does he ever sit back and take stock of his Hollywood journey?

“Believe me I know how fortunate I am to wake up every day and want to go to work. I am working with people whose posters I had on my wall growing up, and I literally have to stop myself asking them for a photo or an autograph. Some of my idols have become friends and I don’t for one minute take that for granted. I mean, I just got a racehorse with Dame Judi Dench. How mad is that?!”.

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WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR BUSINESS IN BRIGHTON? Business in Brighton is changing. Brighton is becoming known for its wide variety of distinctive businesses, which help to make our unique city lively and successful. So how can we leverage this ‘spirit’ of Brighton, to create a business brand for the city which will draw in the clients and investment to help our enterprises to develop further?

The University of Brighton will be supported by the Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce and Platinum Business magazine to present a lively evening of discussion and debate on 29 June at 6pm in the Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton.

Join the debate and have your say on the opportunities that Brighton and Hove can bring for your business.

The Great Debate is kindly sponsored by: Brighton & Hove Buses Oakley Property The North Laine Brewhouse

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For more information and to book tickets please visit www.brighton.ac.uk/greatdebate

The Great Debate

UP FOR DEBATE Envisioning the future for business in Brighton and Hove at the The University of Brighton’s Great Debate Thursday 29th June, 2017 at the Sallis Benny Theatre, Brighton, 6 – 8.30pm

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he University of Brighton is hosting The Great Debate on 29th June at the Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton, in collaboration with The Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce and Platinum Business Magazine.

An audience of influential business people from the city, including the University of Brighton’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Debra Humphris, will discuss the opportunities that the city and region offers for businesses today.

Miranda Birch, formerly an executive producer for BBC Radio 4 (Woman’s Hour, Desert Island Discs), will facilitate the discussion, guiding the panel and audience in exploring questions such as: “How can we leverage the spirit of ‘brand Brighton’ to draw in the clients, investment and talent that will help enterprise to grow?” And “How can we influence perceptions of Brighton as a great place to do business?”

This event will bring together representatives from some of the region’s largest businesses, iconic tourist attractions and successful SMEs including: American Express; Legal and General, DMH Stallard, Paxton Access, Brighton Pier, Brighton and Hove Albion, Drink in Brighton, Brighton Gin and many more. They will be joined by members of the Brighton and Hove City Council Executive Leadership team and parliamentary candidates, Caroline Lucas and Peter Kyle.

On the panel, Professor Debra Humphris will be joined by Andrew Goodall, CEO of Brunswick Developments and visionary behind the Brighton Marina Development; Claire Hopkins, Founding Director of Ideal; and Giles Palmer, Founder and Director of Brandwatch, to lead discussions about the opportunities that the city and region offers for businesses today.

The debate will be followed by a networking event with drinks sponsored by The North Laine Brewhouse, with Brighton & Hove Buses and Oakley Property sponsoring the evening.

For more information about the event and to book tickets please visit www.brighton.ac.uk/greatdebate

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Recruitment Case Study

JUST THE TICKET FOR FLEXIBLE WORKING Ten2Two Sussex helped marketing and sales specialist Tiffany Mattson find a role as Business Development Director with a media company, Ticketmedia. Tiffany speaks to us about how she maintains a healthy work-life balance.

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hen I started a new full-time role after having my daughter, I was optimistic about my ability to juggle a demanding job, a long commute and family life. However, several months in, I was asking myself if it was worth it, as the stress of ‘doing it all’ began to take its toll.

I considered freelance or starting my own business as a way of achieving the flexibility I was longing for, but continued to search for a job that would allow me to continue developing my career whilst also balancing my personal commitments. Before connecting with Ten2Two – a recruitment company specialising in flexible and part-time working - I

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had been looking for a flexible or part-time professional role for over a year. Then Ten2Two put me in touch with Ticketmedia.

Ticketmedia Based in Hove, Ticketmedia is a media owner, specialising in advertising across a number of out-of-home (OOH) formats including bus tickets, Oyster ticket stop receipts and petrol station receipts. Working with all the main media agencies and OOH specialists in the UK, many of our clients are well-known global brands. We also sell advertising direct to a wide variety of clients and SMEs from different sectors, including recruitment,

entertainment and leisure, restaurants and government.

Ticketmedia grew quickly and the team needed an experienced marketing and sales professional to develop a strategic plan to help take the business to the next level. At the same time, they also hired a part-time Purchasing Manager to streamline processes in order to ensure the smooth running of production and client services.

By making the roles flexible, Ticketmedia was able to tap into a pool of highly experienced professionals that they may not otherwise have had access to. With more than eight million people in part-time employment

Recruitment Case Study in the UK, and results of a recent poll carried out by Ten2Two indicating that 65% of their members are registered exclusively with them, this has never been more true.

Flexible working benefits As Business Development Director, my core objectives include raising awareness of Ticketmedia in order to drive advertising sales.

One of my first key projects was the complete rebrand of the business, including the launch of a new website. I am also always on the lookout for new opportunities to increase our reach and add new audience profiles to our media format portfolio. My experience from past roles has provided useful insight when delivering key projects and has supported a smooth and fast transition.

Working twenty-five hours a week across five days, is an arrangement that suits both the business needs and my own. By working five days a week, I am still fully accessible to the sales team who report into me, and there are no gaps in my communication to clients and business partners. From a personal perspective, it means that I am able to do the school run every day, something I previously

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I continued to search for a job that would allow me to continue developing my career whilst also balancing my personal commitments

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wouldn’t have thought possible while having a professional role at this level. There are times I need to put extra hours in, to work around clients or meet a deadline, and it’s important that the business is flexible too for this to work. I’m very lucky in that respect.

The term ‘flexible working’ can be quite general so it is important to agree clear parameters regarding hours and holidays early on. If there are specific days of the week that the person needs to be in the office or key busy periods when annual leave is not possible, the business should communicate and agree this upfront. Likewise, if you are a candidate looking for flexible working to accommodate specific needs, be honest about your expectations during the interview process and you will avoid issues later on.

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By offering flexible or part-time positions, employers can experience a wide range of benefits including greater cost-effectiveness, more job satisfaction and increased productivity. It also gives businesses the opportunity to attract a highly skilled and diverse team. Furthermore, it can lead to greater continuity for a business as employees who may have otherwise left are able to work hours they can manage. Most importantly, happy and motivated employees are more likely to give you their very best!

Happy and motivated employees are more likely to give you their very best!

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Ten2Two Having gone through the process with Ten2Two as both a candidate and a client I am, not surprisingly, completely bought into the concept. The entire process with Emma and the team is both personal and practical thus ensuring a positive experience. A key learning from my experience as a candidate is to remember the importance of marketing yourself – network, get out to coffee mornings and meet the team face-to-face so that you are able to articulate your unique skills and experience in a way that a CV cannot.

Ten2Two is a specialist recruiter dedicated to fl exible working. They match local businesses with talented, high calibre professionals looking to use their skills and experience whilst working fl exible hours. 62% of Ten2Two candidates are not registered elsewhere, giving businesses access to a new pool of talent. All businesses need to engage with a new approach to working practices.

For more information contact emma@ten2two.org www.ten2two.org - Tel: 07810 541599

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Business Forum

HOW DOES THE GATWICK DIAMOND COMPARE? Ross Sturley previews this year’s Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum

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major new piece of research will be released at the Gatwick Diamond Economic Forum on June 15th.

Compiled by the respected Centre for Cities think tank, the research will compare the Diamond with a number of similar scale regional economies around the UK, showing how it measures up across a range of business sectors for productivity, direct investment, jobs growth, business starts, and more.

It will also show us how our talent pool compares to the rest of the country for qualifications and skills, and how this is changing, what the jobs distribution and the commuting patterns are in the area, and what this all means for housing affordability and delivery.

The conference will explore the implications of this for business and policy. How does this compare to other city-regions, and why does this matter? It will look at the comparisons with other selected city regions, and discuss the likely on-going changes to the national economy, and implications this is likely to have for future economic growth in the Gatwick Diamond.

As we approach the next 15 years of the Gatwick Diamond, we will use the opportunity to look forward at how our economy might

develop in the future. The deep understanding about the past, present and future of the Gatwick Diamond economy will help us understand how we might influence that future for the better.

The debate about how we can move forward, together will be fuelled further by contributions from senior business figures, and local and national government – with Stewart

Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, and senior politicians from both Surrey and West Sussex County Councils scheduled to speak.

We will also take a look at the “vibrancy” of our regional economy, examining how the Economy benefits society as a whole, taking into account not only financial growth and economic return, but also a wider set of characteristics. A panel of speakers fuelled by a presentation from Ellen Walsh, Practice Leader at Grant Thornton’s Gatwick Office will discuss how the current position of our seven local authority areas compares with the rest of the UK across six baskets of socio-economic indicators. They will, with the help of the audience, debate and share a vision for how Public, Private and Not for Profit organisations in the Gatwick Diamond can collaborate to advance the economy of our region and generate growth and community resilience.

The Forum usually attracts approaching 200 public and private sector leaders, and is, as well as a useful and interesting set of conference sessions, one of the region’s best networking opportunities.

The Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum is on June 15th at the Arora Hotel in Crawley. See www.gdegf.com for more details.

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Passionate about your business

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Contact us: Gatwick: 01293 227670 Worthing: 01903 234094 info@carpenterbox.com

www.carpenterbox.com

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Business Awards

LEWES DISTRICT BUSINESS AWARDS HAVE YOU APPLIED? TICKETS NOW ON SALE

The most important date in the Lewes District business calendar DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES

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GO ONLINE to find out more.

Now in its 4th year, our successful ollowing a record number of entries, 5 MAY ENTER NOW to make sure Lewes District CouncilLewes is pleasedDistrict Business Awards PHOTOS FROM LASTisYEAR’S AWARDS your business one of the winners. celebrate to announce that tickets are now and recognise the mix WHAT’S MORE... IT’S FREE TO ENTER! of great businesses in our area. available to purchase for presentation of the 2017 Lewes District Business Awards.

CELEBRATING

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY ONLINE www.lewesdistrictbusinessawards.co.uk

EXCELLENCE For the first time in the Awards’ history, AMONGST THE theDISTRICT’S sparkling wine reception will be BUSINESS provided by award-winning local wine COMMUNITY producer – Plumpton Estate. The local vineyard is world-renowned for its expertise in viticulture and oenology. It is also home to the only English-language wine degree course in Europe.

Following last year’s success at Lewes Town Hall, the Lewes District Business Awards return once more on Thursday 13 July. With a 30% increase in entries in 2017 and an exceedingly high calibre of entrants, this year is set to be one of the best.

Guests to the glittering ceremony will be able to sample more of what Plumpton Estate produces, as attendees will be served red or white options with their gourmet locally sourced celebratory dinner.

Liz Hobby of Plumpton Estate said: “We are delighted to be able to offer a range of our wines at this prestigious local awards.

We hope it offers award attendees the perfect way to toast and celebrate the success of local businesses over the last year and the ideal accompaniment to the menu.”

The evening will be a celebration of the District’s business talent and achievement and is not one to be missed. Presented

by BBC Television News presenter and correspondent, Ben Brown, who returns as host of the ceremony for a second year after impressing guests in 2015.

Around 200 of the District’s leading businesspeople, sponsors and judges are expected to attend, giving guests the perfect opportunity to network with peers, celebrate with colleagues and find out those all-important results!

Tickets cost £65 each. To purchase or find out more information, visit www.lewesdistrictbusinessawards.co.uk.

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@LDBAwards

M A G A Z I N E S

NIGHT

Digital Marketing

IS YOUR BUSINESS ON THE MAP? Beth Nash, from digital marketing agency Smart Monkey, on the power of Google Maps

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ost businesses know the importance and subsequent benefits of wellexecuted search engine optimisation (SEO) and paid search advertising (PPC) campaigns, but less so are reaping the benefits of Google’s local search map listings.

Local search (getting your site or business details to rank in a specific geographic area rather than to anyone throughout the country searching for a specific keyword) is essential for businesses providing products or services in a local geographic area, for example accountants, solicitors, dentists, storage facilities, coffee shops, builders and IT support to name but a few.

Local search map listings appear below the paid search adverts, with Google displaying up to 3 businesses in the immediate search listings.

You may be thinking you don’t need to worry about local search map listings because your website is already performing great on the natural search engine listings but don’t rest on your laurels. We are living in a mobile first world and in 2016, Google announced that nearly 60% of searches were from a mobile device.

On a small screen, it is even more essential to be in the maps listings. Once you have scrolled past the paid ads, you then see the local map listings before you get to the natural search listings.

Even more importantly, you can choose to ‘get directions’ or ‘call’ a business directly from the local search listing.

Let’s take the example of a self-storage facility – if you are at number one of the natural search listings that’s great. However, unless you’re in the top three of the map listings, then good luck when it comes to mobile. Why would someone scroll further down, navigate to your website, find the contact page and then enquire, when from the map search, they can call straight from the listing?

Another major benefit of local SEO is Google Reviews. About 90% of people use reviews to decide who they do business with. If I am choosing between a bare map listing and one with ten five-star reviews, I know which one I am going to call.

Once you are in the top three, that is when the magic happens, so how do you get there?

Here are my top five map listing tips: • List, verify and optimise your Google My Business account • Audit your listings across the internet to make sure your name, address and phone number are consistent • Use local business schema markup so Google can identify and display your location

• Make sure your website is optimised with local keywords and is mobile responsive • Find opportunities to submit your business listings Local SEO is perfect for local businesses with a small budget - Google won’t charge you extra for clicks and will show you how many people looked at your listing, requested directions and called you directly.

With the increase in local search on smartphones, the importance of ranking for local search has never been so important, so get yourself on the Google map.

www.smartmonkey.co.uk beth@smartmonkey.co.uk @Bethanie_Nash

BIO: Beth is a Chartered Marketer and ‘Head Honcho & Chief of Client Happiness’ at digital marketing agency, Smart Monkey. Since 2006, Smart Monkey has been helping small and medium sized businesses in Sussex, Surrey and Kent generate revenue through effective and measurable digital marketing campaigns.

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Sunday 18th June une 9am - 6pm Compete in our award winning raft-racing tournament on a beautiful private lake in Chichester - featuring 18 corporate teams from the Sussex business community - in order to raise vital funds for our two chosen charities, Chestnut Tree House and Lifecentre.

Included in your day: • All raft-building materials (you are welcome to accessorise) • Teambuilding fun for 4 - 6 people per team • Racing on the lake with your team paddling as fast as they can • A delicious lunch for your team served by The Gourmet Chef • Live commentary and music from our compere Tom Foolery • Health and safety equipment (buoyancy aids/helmets) for your team • Snacks and refreshments throughout the day for teams • A sparkling wine award ceremony at the end of the day • 3 teams will be awarded our sought after bath tap trophies!

Spectators welcome to come along and cheer on teams !

“We’re delighted to be able to support and participate again in this year’s tournament. A brilliant, fun and extremely well organised event, we couldn’t think of two more deserving and worth while local charities.”

NatWest Business Banking Sussex

Entry F ee £250*

well looked after and the atmosphere is brilliant.”

Caremark Limited “Fantastic team-building event in support of two very worthy local causes” Focus Group Enter a team: gemma@vividmarketing.co.uk ww www.twitter.com/SXBathRace

*Teams must be mixed sex with a team fundraising target of £1000 via VirginMoneyGiving.com or via company donation.

KINDLY SUPPORTED BY

str at e g y . l e a ders h i p . t e a mwo r k

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Registered charity number: 1127779

Registered charity number: 256789

More info: www.greatsussexbathrace.co.uk www.facebook.com/SussexBathRace ww

Charity News

CAN YOU HELP CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE?

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hestnut Tree House is the children’s hospice for East Sussex, West Sussex and South East Hampshire, and provides care and support to around 300 children with life-shortening conditions and their families.

The cost of providing this vital service is over £3.5 million per year, yet the hospice receives less than 7% central government funding so relies heavily on the support of the local community to continue providing vital care to children and families.

There are lots of ways businesses and individual employees can get involved. Here are a couple of ideas:

Payroll Giving A simple, tax-free way of employees donating money regularly to charity, directly from their salary. Donations are deducted before tax so each £1 given only costs 80p, or 60p for higher-rate tax payers. So if an employee donates £5 a month, it will only cost them £4 and the tax man pays the rest!

Employers might also like to consider matching their employees’ donations to demonstrate charity commitment.

Sarah Arnold, Head of Fundraising at Chestnut Tree House said: “Payroll Giving provides us with a regular long-term income,

which is invaluable as it not only provides a guaranteed revenue, but enables us to budget and plan ahead more effectively. However much people are able to donate will be a huge help and go directly to helping provide specialist care services for local life-limited children and their families”.

£50 Challenge Chestnut Tree House are looking for companies across Sussex and South East Hampshire to take part in their £50 Challenge.

The charity will give you £50 and four months to grow this money through fundraising events

and activities.

Over the years, more than 100 companies have taken part in the Chestnut Tree House £50 Challenge, with fundraising activities ranging from quiz nights and car washes to treasure hunts and tombolas.

NatWest Chichester recently took part in the £50 Challenge and raised over £700 for Chestnut Tree House. A spokesperson from the NatWest Chichester team said: “We at NatWest realised that our local community is important and therefore we wanted to give something back by supporting and fundraising for a local charity. We raised funds in excess of £700 and at the same time had a great deal of fun”.

Terrina Barnes, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Chestnut Tree House said: “We love seeing companies engage with our £50 Challenge, and making the money grow into vital funds for us. For employers it can be a great way to motivate staff and a fun way to raise money for a local charity. We’ve seen some amazing achievements, with our original £50 doubling, tripling and even exceeding £7,000!”

If your company would like to get involved with supporting Chestnut Tree House, please contact the Corporate Fundraisers on corporate@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk or visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/corporate for more information.

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Economic Forum

BUSINESS TALK The largest economic forum 2017 conference is gaining huge momentum.

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n its latest economic outlook, the OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, revised its UK 2017 growth forecast due to a less severe impact from Brexit than it previously anticipated, and projects growth for the UK of 1.6% this year, up from the 1.2% it forecast in November.

President of World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim

President of World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim said: “After years of disappointing global growth, we are very much encouraged to see stronger economic prospects on the horizon. Now is the time to take advantage of this momentum and increase investments in infrastructure and people. This is vital to accelerating the sustainable and inclusive economic growth required to enable world economies to prosper”.

The Sussex Economic Forum 2017 Conference will be a strategic platform to debate and discuss our local economic growth.

The four major debates will cover subjects at the heart of local economic growth and include, Economic Growth and the effect of Brexit, Rail, Road, Sea and Air infrastructure, Digital Infrastructure and Education and Employment, all subjects that are fundamental to a sound and bright future ahead.

The contender will see many high-profile keynote speakers, economists, members of the cabinet, politicians, local government bodies,

public-private partnerships, chambers of commerce, local and international businesses, universities with a variety of other institutions in attendance.

growing population, the county offers huge business opportunities in many fields such as construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail, tourism to name a few.

The county is as dynamic as it is diverse and it is Sussex’s economic growth and development which will be the main subject matter of the conference. With a rapidly

The county is also home to one of the busiest airports in the UK that at present takes passengers to 220 destinations and smashes global record of 44 million passengers each year, with its long haul services driving its year on year growth, resulting in it being one of the largest employers in the county.

This two day conference will commence with a gala business dinner on Thursday 16th November at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel, with one of the UK’s top business magnates, investor and philanthropist attending as keynote speaker. Friday 17th November will see the conference open at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel, with up to 1250 delegates taking part.

Watch this space as we will be announcing the names of some of the keynote speakers and more in the July issue.

www.sussexeconomicforum.co.uk

For more information about the conference, to book tickets or for sponsorship opportunities, please contact Faiza Shafeek on 01323 461298 / 07540 406685 or email fs@carrotevents.co.uk.

Please visit www.sussexeconomicforum.co.uk

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Run and organised by

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Are you an amazing Business Woman?

Or do you know someone who is?

If so, enter or nominate NOW! The Sussex Business Women Excellence Awards 2017 is preparing for a bigger and even more exciting event this year. We are already receiving many wonderful email entries and the hype on social media and at business networking events is electric.

Remember ladies, that receiving an accolade for your outstanding work achievements brings your successes to light, and builds a positive path for other women to follow. Women have made so much progress in business over the years, and these awards have been designed to highlight and recognise their exceptional skills and talents. The awards headline sponsor, ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW, is one of the ‘Top 50 Ground-breaking and Innovative Law Firms in the UK and Europe’ (Financial Times).

Penina Shepherd, founder of the

company and multi award-winning entrepreneur, business lawyer and author of the inspirational bestseller book ‘The Freedom Revolution’, said: “We are thrilled at the success of the 2016 BWEA Sussex Edition and look forward to it growing year on year.

Celebrating the achievements of successful business women across the region is truly inspirational” The Sussex Business Women Excellence Awards will take place on the 24th November at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel.

“I am often asked why should we enter awards and what are the benefits to me or my business. My reply is that winning a business or personal award will raise your profile, the profile of your company, enhance your reputation, instil trust to your customers and attract new business, which will ultimately make you more profitable.

In short, it will prove you are better than your competitors.”

Faiza Shafeek of Carrot Events, organisers of the awards

Supporting Sponsors

Category Sponsors

Media Partners

Headline Sponsor

Sponsors on board so far this year are:

Sponsorship opportunities are still avaiable, please contact Faiza Shafeek on 01323 461298 / 07540 406685 or email fs@carrotevents.co.uk

businesswomenexcellenceawards.co.uk

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Wedding Car Service

When it comes to the biggest day of your life, you need to know you’ll arrive in style and on time.

We’d love to meet you, introduce our wedding car team and show you around one of the finest fleets of cars in Sussex and Kent. We can discuss exactly what you want and create a tailor made package for your needs.

Please give us a call on 01273 225115 and we guarantee to make your special day exactly that.

Brighton & Hove City Cars www.citycarsbrighton.co.uk

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Business Awards

THE BAHBAS ARE BACK! The Brighton and Hove Business Awards (BAHBA) are now open for business.

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017 will mark the twelfth year of this annual scheme which honours local business talent and success. Previous winners have included a mix of start-ups and sole traders, in addition to some of the city’s largest and most influential organisations, including Duke of York’s, Small Batch Coffee, Brighton Gin, Infinity Foods, Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, The Grand Brighton, Brighton Pride, The Big Lemon, The Gingerman Restaurant Group, BrightonandHoveJobs.com, Dental Health Spa, Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival, American Express Community Stadium, Brighton Festival and Sussex University – and many more!

New sponsors include The University of Brighton, Red7, Healys, Churchill Square and NatWest who join City Cabs, Yelo Architects, Graves Jenkins, Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, Martin Searle Solicitors, Cardens and RLF for the only awards in the city which recognise and reward great Brighton business.

The awards are supported by the Big Lemon, B&H Chamber of Commerce, Gemini Print, Brighton Business Curry Club, Brighton & Hove City Council and Brighton & Hove Tourism Alliance. Platinum Business Magazine, Juice 107.2 FM and Title Sussex join The Argus as media sponsors.

The awards will be chaired by Fiona Shafer from the MDHUB and will be staged at Proud

Country House on Thursday 14th September.

New sponsor, Mark Buchanan-Smith Centre Director at Churchill Square commented: “While Churchill Square is home to many retail favourites, it is important to us to support local independents, who play a significant and integral part in Brighton’s community.

Brighton is known for its diversity of retailers from independents to large high street and international stores, of which we are proud.”

Gary Chown, Director Commercial Banking East Sussex at NatWest, said: “NatWest is delighted to have the opportunity to put

its support behind the BAHBAs. We are committed to the UK SME market place and it is important to champion the tremendous range and quality of entrepreneurs and SMEs that we have in Brighton and Hove.”

Danielle Plowman, founder of Ellie Ellie, the winner of the Fastest Growing Business at last year’s event said: “After winning our award last year we’ve gained increased exposure in the press, both nationally and internationally.

This has helped us go from a team of nine to 17 in a year, as well as experiencing a business growth of almost double during peak Christmas trading. We’ve just moved our office into larger premises and we are planning to make the big move into a warehouse this year!”

Sam Murphy, Company Director of Matthew Murphy Electrical Services Limited and winner of the Chair’s Award commented: “For a relatively new business within a hugely competitive market the award has shown our customers and prospective customers that we are committed and dedicated to providing an outstanding service - not fly-by-night tradespeople. We also think winning the award may have been a key factor in us being one of six UK companies to be involved in the Manufacturing and Engineering Parliamentary Review 2017. We even get to have dinner in the House of Commons!”

www.bahba.co.uk

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Motoring

PORSCHE GT3

By Maarten Hoffmann, Motoring Editor

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here are not many manufacturers out there that have been producing the same model, in different guises, for decades but the 911 is that rare beast. In production since 1963, the 911 has been hailed as the perfect design and has been in use as a road car, a race car and a rally car ever since.

In an never ending search for the ultimate hardcore variant, the GT3 arrived in 1999 and was named after the FIA race class for which it was designed and over 14,000 have been sold as road cars since its inception. The latest GT3 is a monster.

The engine comes with 4.0-litres, 493bhp and 339b ft. Porsche says this is a new engine that appears in the GT3 Cup racers and is built for a spine-tingling 9000rpm redline, a height it can reach thanks to axle-mounted rocker arms, a stiffer crankshaft and bigger bearings.

Serious stuff.

Although supercars these days are expected to arrive with 700bhp plus, the GT3 makes do

with only 493bhp but still manages to rocket to 60mph in 3.9 seconds and to 100mph in less than 8 seconds and all the while you are entertained by that magnificent roar emitting out of the back end.

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It corners so flat that it appears to defy the laws of gravity and all common sense

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Although straight line speed is very entertaining, it’s the winding B roads that bring this behemoth alive. It corners so flat that it appears to defy the laws of gravity and all common sense. Downforce plays its part with redesigned engine scoops and a rear wing on which you could serve dinner for eight.

The drive is outstanding in just about every

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area and the rear axle is remarkable, making it so sure-footed that it encourages the driver to push the limit. Do this with caution as the car will quite easily overtake the limitations of your talent and whatever you hit, it will be hit hard and fast.

The PDK twin clutch gearbox is stunning and offers instant response but praise be to all that’s holy, there is a honest to god manual gearbox available. I would take that every day over the PDK but that would be more for sentimental and re-sale reasons rather than practicality as the engine is so well mated to the PDK box that it would almost be shame to part them. But at last, a manufacturer has listened to their market and offered a manual.

Driving the GT3 is a little addictive but not quite as addictive as the sound track. Pop it into sport and the sensory soundtrack offers something out of an MGM blockbuster movie.

I drive over 100 cars a year and many delight and amaze but it is not until you return to the 911 that you realise that many supercars are chasing that illusive dream - to be like the naturally aspirated GT3.

Motoring

TECH STUFF “Pop it into sport and the sensory soundtrack offers something out of an MGM blockbuster movie.”

Model tested: 911 GT3 Engine: 3993cc Power: 493bhp Performance: 0-62mph 3.9 seconds Top speed: 199mph Economy: 21.9mpg combined Price: £111,802.00

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Motoring - Classic Car Investments

Platinum Classics

PORSCHE 911

by Maarten Hoffmann

FACTS AND FIGURES (996 COUPE) Introduced: 1997 0-60mph: 4.9 seconds Top speed: 174mph Quarter mile: 8.8 seconds Power: 296bhp Engine: Boxer 6, 3596cc, 24v

T

here has always been a very active market for the 911 and its lovers tend to be fanatical about this classic to the point that they might dismiss every other car ever built as a waste of time. There is no doubt that the 911 has a character all its own and l have owned my fair share. Below is my black 911 SC way back when, only let down by the child seat in the back! I made more from the sale of the number plate than l did from the car when l sold it to House of Fraser.

seen as the ultimate development of the original, air-cooled 911, 993s blend the 911’s key talents — ease of use and driving pleasure — better than any other. Go for an early ‘pre-Varioram’ car and keep it simple: a rear-drive, manual coupé, with as good a history as you can possibly afford. Currently, from around £35,000 but the only way is up and expect to gain around 8/10% per annum, year after year - as one thing is sure, they will not be building anymore.

The 911 was launched in 1963 and since then there have been countless variations on the theme. For a long time, SCs were unfairly dismissed as blue-collar 911s, and their prices stayed low while others flew. No longer: the market has woken up to the truth that these were the best-built, most reliable 911s of all, with more mid-range punch than the technically quicker Carrera successor and all the crazy ergonomics and charm of the early air-cooled cars. Go for a late model with the 204bhp engine and expect to pay £30,000 or more for the right one. Buy the right one and you will be sitting on a superb long-term investment.

Here’s a quick breakdown on the range:

Looking at the investment model, the 993 Coupe, l would be very careful about suggesting that any 911 prices are heading up in the short term. But if you buy to keep, a 993 is as good a shot as there is. Rightly

The classic - 911 SC

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The icon - 1973 2.7 Carrera RS The cheap one - 996 Coupé The bargain - 996 Turbo The investment - 993 Coupé The nearly new - 991 Carrera S (gen 1) The widowmaker - 964 Turbo The all-rounder - 997 GTS The motorsport car - 997 GT3 (gen 2) The jewel - 997 GT3 RS 4.0

TAKE THE MASERATI WAY

Levante. The Maserati of SUVs. Starting at £56,250 OTR The road you choose to travel might not be a road at all. A quick trip might turn into the adventure of a lifetime, because there’s no reason to stay on the beaten track when you can create a path of your own. The Maserati Levante was designed with world-class engineering prowess and features Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive and sophisticated air-suspension systems, which allow you to enjoy a fully capable SUV with outstanding Maserati driving dynamics.

MARANELLO MASERATI Tower Garage, Egham, Surrey, TW20 OAX Phone: 01784 558 093 | www.sytner.co.uk/maserati/maranello-egham

Official fuel consumption figures for the All New Maserati Levante Diesel in mpg (l/100km): Urban 34.4 (8.2), Extra Urban 42.8 (6.6), Combined 39.2 (7.2). CO2 emissions 189g/km. Fuel consumption and CO2 figures are based on standard EU tests for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Model shown is a Maserati Levante Diesel MY17 at £68,935 On The Road including optional Luxury Pack at £6,130, 21 inch Anteo alloy wheels at £2,780, Driver Assistance Pack at £1,500, panoramic sunroof at £1,235, Rear laminated privacy glass at £360 and bi-xenon front headlamps at £680.

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Motoring

MASERATI GHIBLI

By Maarten Hoffmann, Motoring Editor

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Motoring

M

aserati conjures up images of Sofia Loren being whisked around the South of France by Carlo Ponti, scarf blowing in the wind and a La Dolce Vita soundtrack. The first Ghibli was born in 1966 and was as beautiful a sports car as any produced. Ghibli actually means a dry hot wind blowing across the Libyan desert. And now it’s back.

wipers, proximity sensors everywhere and a great Bowers & Wilkins audio system and the boot, whilst a slightly odd shape, is cavernous.

It also offers Apple CarPlay and Android auto and various AUX connections.

No longer intended to be a supercar for the few, this reincarnation of the evocative name has full intentions to take on the Germans at their own game in the large luxury car market. That is a very brave decision as the Germans have held sway over this sector for a very long time and they are a very efficient and dominant force.

The suspension offers great ride quality and with a 50:50 weight distribution, it really allows you to throw it around with confidence.

Weighting in around two-tonnes, it is a significant achievement that it corners pretty much flat and sudden direction changes don’t unsettle it and it offers great grip. This might well be the result of the decision to avoid electric steering and plump for servo-assisted hydraulic steering with offers a great connection to the road.

Now l have to say, with slight horror in my voice, that the Ghibli sitting on my drive is a diesel! Sacrilege or smart – we will see. Your engine choices are the 3.0-litre V6 272bhp turbodiesel, 3.0-litre petrol offering 325bhp and the monster 404bhp twin-turbo. The petrol units were developed by Ferrari.

I would like more of a throaty roar from the tail pipes but pop it into Sport, and if does offer a satisfying deep grumble that overcomes the diesel rattle. And then we come to the price. With a starting price of £49,620, it is quite unbelievable that you can be driving a Maserati for less than 50 grand.

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This reincarnation of this evocative name has full intentions to take on the Germans at their own game

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Inside you are greeted with superb grain leather seats, frameless glass in the doors and a great 8.5in screen that’s a breeze to use. Due to the rakish lines, there is not a huge amount of space in the back but with the front seats electrically adjusted, all will fit without much discomfort.

Having had enough of the digital age, l am delighted to see the real clock sitting atop the dash and the only small gripe l have is the auto gear lever. It is far too easy to grab the wrong gear and rather than becoming intuitive, it takes a tad of concentration to get it right but aside from that, this is a very nice place to be indeed. It should also be said that the 8-speed ZF gearbox is seamless and faultless. It comes with the obligatory paddles and here they are huge and enable you to really yank on them without fear of your fingers slipping or missing that gear.

The standard kit is as expected with climate control, rain-sensing

And then we come to the Germans. The Ghibli will have to go up against the likes of the Mercedes E-Class, Audi A6 and BMW 5-series and that’s a trio that have pretty much locked out the sector. The Jaguar XF has edged its nose in there but this is a terrifying sector to enter. The Ghibli makes a good fist of it, better in some areas and not as good in others but there is one screaming fact that cannot be avoided. When you pull into the company car park, awash with German metal, you will be driving something special, something unique and something with an Italian character all its own. You will be driving a Maserati and that my friends, will trump everything in the car park.

TECH STUFF Model tested: Maserati Ghibli Diesel Engine: 3.0-litre turbodiesel Power: 275bhp Performance: 0-60mph 6.4 seconds Top speed: 155mph Economy: 19.1 combined Price from: £48,925.00

“It is quite unbelievable that you can be driving a Maserati for less than 50 grand.”

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Table Talk

And so to food

By Amanda Menahem

The bar in Babington House

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ine, food, catastrophe. You could be mistaken for thinking that this sums up the week I’ve just had

Babington House

and you wouldn’t be far off. But actually this describes how I ended the month; an evening with my ex gorging on the entire new series of the BBC sitcom Catastrophe and, of course, good food and wine. I happen to have a stash of Cote du Rhone and Pol Roger half bottles (both from the wine society) meaning any impromptu night in is always well provisioned.

Food for such an occasion varies but beyond the obvious nibbles, I often favour some kind of tray bake, roast, or one-pot creation, all of which require minimal attention. I know it’s not fashionable anymore, but Nigella and Nigel Slater tend to be my inspirations for any kind of ‘home’ cooking (and Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets is the best dinner party bible I have ever come across).

At the start of the month it was my birthday. This meant… food and wine, and spas. I have been going to Babington House

ambience, staff who take care of your every

comes on a huge platter drenched in a rich

need (but in a laid back, understated, dare I

sauce, made luxurious with a touch of cream,

say it, effortlessly cool way). Babington feels

wild mushrooms and mounds of buttery mash.

like your best friend’s glamorous house in the

I made the mistake of ordering chips as I’m

country. Anything goes. You can sit in the bar

not usually a fan of mash (endless, dull), but I

in your dressing gown and slippers, or in a

loved this mash. And the chips. Bloody hell, this

cocktail dress. No-one bats an eyelid.

wasn’t to be a low carb weekend.

The following night I enjoyed a huge slab

for almost a decade. Part of the brilliant Soho

I love the food. It’s seasonal and foraged,

House group, Babington in particular has long

grown or reared on the premises or nearby.

of pork belly and beans with salsa verde, kale,

been a favourite and has more than inspired

The menu changes daily and is pure comfort

salsify and gravy.

my latest venture. The home from home

and joy. Castlemead roast chicken for two

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Breakfasts are really special here. As well

Table Talk as excellently cooked á la carte hot breakfasts featuring all the usual suspects, there’s also a glorious market table with a variety of homemade granolas, bircher muesli, chia pudding, custard tarts, banana bread and ricotta and other pastries all made on site.

Pastry is a real strength. The afternoon tea is a joy to behold, with a range of house-made cakes including a gigantic homely Victoria sponge, carrot cake, various tarts and of course, warm scones fresh from the oven. I managed to get to the gym once in between eating and spa appointments.

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Babington feels like your best friend’s glamorous house in the country. Anything goes.

You can sit in the bar in your dressing gown and slippers, or in a cocktail dress.

The Goodlife Eatery Platter

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And what of the rest of the month? Well, I have discovered a new favourite London lunch venue; the Goodlife eatery. On Marylebone Lane, this tiny café specialises in ‘healthy’ food (I’m sure you can see why I need to frequent such places). Don’t let that put you off, it’s a fabulous menu of interesting salads, wraps and hot bowls (they have a good breakfast menu too). And it’s always packed. And not just with women. It seems to attract a lot of young fit professional men (I am sure you can see why I need to frequent such places). The sort who probably go to the gym or run a few miles every morning before earning millions in their glossy offices. I have sampled a few of their dishes and my favourite is the signature Goodlife salad - kale, sweet potato, quinoa, lentils, walnuts, goji berries, nutritional yeast (don’t ask) and an orange tahini vinaigrette.

Totally delicious, and virtuous enough to make me feel good all day before enjoying a more indulgent dinner.

Roasted courgette and ricotta at Babington House

The Goodlife Eatery

As I type, I’m off to another London favourite, Cecconi’s – often my meeting place of choice situated just behind the Royal Academy. A casual but elegant Italian all day dining kind of place – they just get everything right. That’s what I’m busy planning for in my own venture of course – getting everything right. And it’s not easy.

Pork belly at Babington House

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Table Talk REVIEW

The Earl of March

By Amanda Menahem

I

first became aware of The Earl of March when they won the ‘Best Sussex Eating Experience’ at the 2017 Sussex Food Awards – earning itself a place on my list of ‘must try’. And so when it came to arranging a well overdue lunch with our publisher Maarten, it was an obvious choice.

Dating back to the early 18th century, The Earl of March is in a stunning location set against the picturesque backdrop of the South Downs, in the village of Lavant. As you pull into the car park, you are met with sweeping views of the glorious Sussex countryside – so glorious in fact that this is apparently where William Blake wrote the words to ‘Jerusalem’ in 1803.

Described as ‘country plush’, the pub was taken over in July 2007 by Giles Thompson, the former Executive Head Chef of the Ritz Hotel in London. He has impressive credentials, having trained at the Connaught in London

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before earning two AA rosettes and an RAC restaurant award at Danesfield House, Buckinghamshire. During his tenure at the Ritz, he received a Royal Warrant from The Prince of Wales, St James Palace and an accreditation from The Soil Association for commitment to organics at a time when this was unheard of. I had high expectations.

As for the venue itself, it’s fairly pleasant as in it’s inoffensive, following that formulaic blonde wood and cream walls combo that so many ‘gastropubs’ have succumbed to. It was packed with locals with almost every table full on a Wednesday lunchtime. Clearly they are getting it right.

We were immediately acknowledged by the Restaurant Manager and host, a charming gentleman who had previously worked with Giles at the Ritz and now lives in the village.

Maarten and I enjoyed a glass of LaurentPerrier while we perused the menu, which is

extensive. I assume they have a large kitchen team to be able to deliver this menu at the expected level of quality.

A selection of various breads were brought to the table but without explanation. We were later told, when we asked, that they were sourced from a local baker which is perfectly acceptable if the bread is good. This bread was ok, a bit bland and a bit dry, maybe it was yesterday’s.

The main menu is divided into ‘deciders’ nibbles to have while you peruse the menu (nice touch), starters, seafood shack (with classics such as devilled whitebait, mussels, oysters, lobster or crab thermidor), mains and desserts. There is also a separate kids menu and a daily specials board, which we were not shown.

Unaware of the specials we stuck to the á la carte menu. For my starter I chose their ‘signature’ Terrine ‘Maison’ of duck, pistachios,

Table Talk

❝

By now I was drinking the local Tinwood Estate sparkling, this is not one I’ve tried before, and it stood up well to the LaurentPerrier that had preceded it.

❞

truffled field mushrooms, The Earl’s Relish, cornichons and crostini (£9.50) and Maarten chose soft poached Hallgate Farm duck egg, wild garlic and asparagus maple jelly (£9.00).

Terrines can often be disappointing; over chilled, bland, or at worst, tasting like a slab of compressed dog food. Not this one. Each element of the terrine was distinct with the quality of the produce and flavours shining through and working well together. The whole even greater than the sum of its parts as it were. The crostini was excellent – less like toasted bread and more like a giant crouton – crisp, dense with a buttery, nutty flavour. Maarten’s dish delivered much more than the menu suggested. The egg perfectly poached, alongside charred buttery asparagus, wild mushrooms and an addictive quenelle of mushroom ‘cream’ which I couldn’t leave alone.

‘Terrine’

By now I was drinking the local Tinwood Estate sparkling, this is not one I’ve tried before, and it stood up well to the LaurentPerrier that had preceded it.

My main of whole roast lemon sole, sweet potato, foraged sea vegetables, romanesco, local shellfish and citrus butter (£23.50) was a generous and impressive plate of food. The sole well-cooked but the skin made soggy by virtue of the rest of the ingredients being piled on top. The sweet potato was a little mushy rather than caramalised. A minor criticism – overall the dish was lovely – wholesome, fulfilling yet light. Accompanying vegetables were cooked in butter and quite right too. The truffled parmesan fries were perfectly crisp and moreish.

Maarten’s pork belly was even more impressive – a huge slab of crisped pork, clearly good quality meat and cooked perfectly so that the fat rendered away. It was the fault of the truffled parmesan chips that we had little room for dessert, which is a shame as they have two of my favourites; a sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel sauce and coffee ice cream and also a triple chocolate brownie, chocolate sauce and toffee and honeycomb ice cream (both £7). I chose the latter for us to share. The texture was spot on, soft and gooey in the middle and crisp on the outside. It would have been perfect were it not for it being a tad too sweet for me. I like quite an intense chocolate in a brownie and this was bordering sickly. That might have been personal preference.

‘Poached Duck Egg’

‘Pork Belly’

All in all I would heartily recommend The Earl for a business lunch or a special occasion. Presentation is impressive and they are keen to please. There is a good ambience and in the summer, the outside dining area is a huge asset. This is also an ideal spot for a Sunday lunch after a long hike in that glorious countryside.

The Earl of March Lavant Road, Chichester West Sussex, PO18 0BQ Tel 01243 533 993 www.theearlofmarch.com

‘Lemon Sole’

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Wines

A TASTE OF SOUTH AFRICA

by Lucy-Ann Prideaux, co-founder of Fizz on Foot

I

have a special connection with South Africa, and in particular Cape Town, where my family have lived for over 30 years. In fact, it’s where my love of wine first began. From the green, lush vineyards of Constantia at the foot of Table Mountain, to the rolling expanse of the winelands around Paarl and Stellenbosch, South Africa produces some of the best wines in the entire world… in my humble opinion that is!

South Africa has a rich wine history, dating back to the mid 1600’s, and can be traced back to the explorations of the Dutch East India Company. A supply station was set up in Cape Town and the planting of grapes and vineyards, and, of course, the production of wine soon followed. Groot Constantia is thought to be the oldest vineyard, which is where my featured wine comes from… but more about that later!

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It was a favourite of Napoleon Bonaparte and, if it’s good enough for him, it is surely good enough for us!

❞

The wine regions located near the coast (e.g. Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl) have a largely Mediterranean climate and are heavily influenced by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. They benefit from strong sunshine, and a dry heat. Winters are quite cold, and certainly wet, but rarely does frost present itself as a problem. The Cape Doctor (a strong wind current) brings gale force winds to the Cape, but this has a positive benefit to the winelands, in that it minimises the

risk of mildew and fungal disease, as well as tempering the humidity that inner cities experience. The vine growing season in South Africa is between November and April, with harvest months in February and March, which is a fantastic time to visit South Africa, and travel the wine route!

The hotter, inland regions of Breede, Olifants, Orange River, and Klein Karoo, are likened to places such as California and Australia, whereas the cooler sites of Elgin and Walker Bay are more akin to Burgundy or Piedmont in Italy. As such, different styles of wine are produced in these contrasting areas, with Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay in cooler, coastal areas, and Shiraz and Bordeaux blends shining in warmer sites.

Wine-making in South Africa focuses on the grape varieties of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and proudly, on their signature grape, Pinotage (a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault). Cabernet Franc, having previously been used as a blending grape, is fast becoming very fashionable in the wine world, and in South African, wine-makers are favouring this to make varietal wines, and with much acclaim too.

Now, to be honest, I could sing the praises of many wines of South Africa, from my most recent find, an organic merlot from the “Stellar vineyard”, near the Olifants River region, to the gorgeous Champagne-style sparkling wines (Methode Cap Classique/MCC wines) such as those from Haute Cabriere, or the Colmant Winery in the Franschhoek Valley.

is a sweet wine made from Muscat grapes, called Grand Constance. This is the same grape variety that produces the renowned sweet wines of Rutherglen, and Beaumes-de-Venice.

To make these sweet wines, Muscat grapes are left on the vine, until almost raisin-like. After fermentation and pressing, the wine spends a couple of years in barrels.

Grand Constance is a truly delicious, exceptionally “smooth wine”, with interesting spicy undertones. It is totally organic and the recipe and methods used by winemaker Boela Gerber is the almost identical to those used centuries ago. It was a favourite, I hasten to add, of Napoleon Bonaparte, and if it’s good enough for him, it is surely good enough for us!

If you’ve never tried a sweet, dessert wine, Grand Constance would be a “grand introduction” to these decadent wines. Sip it with your after-dinner cheese board laden with a good English cheddar and maybe a few grapes, or as I wouldn’t hesitate to do… drop an ice cube into a small glass, and savour it as an aperitif!

Some other excellent value-for-money South African wines to seek out in your local supermarket, include Boschendal Chardonnay or Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon, Graham Beck sparkling wines, De Grendel Sauvignon Blanc or Cederberg Chenin Blanc.

Featured Wine – Groot Constantia’s Grand Constance - available from Grand Wines Direct

Instead however, I am going to tell you about the oldest wine in South Africa, from (yes, you guessed) the oldest vineyard, Groot Constantia. Groot Constantia produces many great wines, but possibly their most famous

Tel: 01323 737271 Mobile: 07971 851777 Email: Info@fi zzonfoot.com www.fi zzonfoot.com Lucy-Ann Prideaux is co-founder of Fizz on Foot, the South East’s premier Walk and Wine Tour Company. She previously enjoyed working as a wine tour guide at two renowned wine estates here in the UK, Bolney Wine Estate in Bolney, and Denbies, in Dorking, Surrey. She’s completed the WSET Intermediate and Advanced Certificates in Wine and Wine Production, at Plumpton Agricultural College, and continues to build on her knowledge of “world wines”, viniculture and viticulture by attending tastings and wine fairs, and of course visiting many wine estates and hearing of the winemakers “little secrets”!

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Visit our website for more details: HOTELDUVIN.com HOTEL DU VIN& BISTRO BRIGHTON 0127 385 5221

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THE VIC TORIA TERR ACE BRUNCH

Served daily between 9am and 1pm

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The Grand Brighton, 97-99 King’s Road, Brighton, BN1 2FW 01273 224300 | eat@grandbrighton.co.uk | www.grandbrighton.co.uk TheGrandHotelBrighton

@GrandBrighton

@thegrandbrighton

Business Awards

ADUR & WORTHING AWARDS – THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY The Adur & Worthing Business Awards kick off with a launch event on the pier on 7th June.

N

ow in its tenth year, the organising committee are proud to announce the launch of The Adur & Worthing Business Awards 2017. The awards continue to grow and establish a solid reputation within the local business community and serve to showcase and celebrate the excellent business people and organisations we have here in the Adur & Worthing district.

Businesses are invited to enter these awards which offer sixteen separate categories, all designed to recognise successes and achievements across various industries. The judging panel will be led by a number of local business figures, representatives from Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce and Adur & Worthing Council who themselves, bring a wealth of industry knowledge to the awards.

To get the Awards off to a flying start, please join us at the official launch which will run in conjunction with Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce - Chamber Chat event.

Hear more about how you can get involved in one of the biggest business events in the area by joining us for drinks, light bites and networking from 5.30pm on Wednesday 7th

HEADLINE SPONSOR

June at Worthing Pier, Southern Pavilion.

• Lifetime Achievement

You will hear about sponsors, award categories, chosen charity for this year and the all important how to enter information.

• Manufacturing & Engineering

Previous winners will share their experiences including:

• Innovation

• Why did they enter

• Green Business

• How did they support their entry

• Retailer

• What has been the value of winning

• Place to Eat and/or Drink

The judges will share their top tips about a winning entry

• Building & Construction

• What should you include

This year’s chosen charity is Love Your Hospital

• The importance of testimonials and supporting evidence • What they are looking for

Awards Categories: • Overall Business of the Year • Start-Up Business • Small Business (up to 9 employees) • Medium Business (10-49 employees) • Large Business (50+ Employees) • Business Personality

• Young Achiever • Hospitality, Tourism & Leisure

• Training & Development

• Business in the Community

Full details on the categories available and how to enter the awards can be found on the new Adur & Worthing Business Awards website www.awbawards.com which is now live. The winners will be announced at a glittering black tie awards ceremony to be held at The Pavilion, Worthing on Friday 10th November 2017. Please keep visiting the website for more information and regular news updates.

www.awbawards.com JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE ADUR & WORTHING BUSINESS AWARDS Date: Wednesday 7th June Venue: Worthing Pier's Southern Pavilion Time: 5.30pm - 7.30pm Cost: FREE to all Book now at www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

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ACES

COST CONTROL Eastbourne Chamber joins forces with local company to beat rising costs

E

astbourne Chamber recently engaged Premier members, Auditel to help reduce the Chamber’s overheads, compelled by their no-risk proposition. “Keeping control of our overheads is vital to the Chamber,” said Christina Ewbank, “and Auditel’s ‘no win no fee’ approach meant we had absolutely nothing to lose and potentially lots to gain”. Christina was proved correct, as Auditel reduced the Chamber’s energy bills by 20%, stationery costs by 25% and payment card fees by a whopping 67%.

Auditel's Ian Hopping and Eddie Finch

Suitably impressed, Eastbourne Chamber introduced Auditel consultants, Ian Hopping and Eddie Finch to the Eastbourne Hospitality Association (EHA) and last summer a scheme was launched with the aim of reducing the cost of gas and electricity for EHA members. To date, 37 Eastbourne hoteliers have expressed an interest in the scheme and Auditel, through their expertise in the energy market, have achieved an average saving of 27% on supplies switched to the group purchasing model.

“The current energy market is extremely volatile, companies are targeted by rogue brokers and business owners and hoteliers have many other areas on which to focus. The imminent rise in business rates is putting the tourism industry under greater financial pressure and costs are creeping up across the board. Tourism is a vital industry for the town and we are delighted to be working with the Eastbourne Hospitality Association to reduce their costs and help the sector to thrive”, stated Auditel’s Managing Partner, Eddie Finch.

In April, Auditel joined forces with Stiles Harold Williams (SHW) and the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce to talk business leader through the recent changes to their rateable values. Pubs and guest houses have been hard hit in coastal communities but Auditel and SHW were able to show them what the new values actually mean in real money.

For more information visit www.auditel.co.uk/consultants/bhp or call 01903 680002

A NEW LEASE OF LIFE Lewes Chamber of Commerce has a new President, Clare Crouch, and she has a bright and funky approach to doing business.

CHAMBER NEWS

The Chamber was set up in the 1930s to promote Lewes as a place for people to come, stay, eat and shop.

In 2017 Lewes has developed into an attractive shopping destination with a range of quirky independent retailers. It’s also the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat or a drink in one of the historic pubs.

The High Street runs from the very top of Lewes Town all the way down to the Cliffe precinct area. Cliffe High Street is packed with great vintage and antiques shops. There's a regular farmers market in Cliffe Precinct on the 1st Saturday of the month and a weekly food market every Friday in the Market Tower.

When you join the Lewes Chamber of Commerce you become part of one of the town’s most effective business groups. Clare Crouch tells us: “You can share your knowledge and expertise, and in turn get access to a new business network. The Chamber is the voice of the Lewes’ business community and a founder member of ACES. We use this voice to help members build successful businesses as we want what’s in the Lewes President Clare Crouch. best interest of the town and the county. But don’t just join – join in!”

Photo Emma Chaplin

First and foremost Lewes Chamber is about building your network. Business people can sometimes misunderstand what networking is for. It’s about communication, sharing ideas and getting to know and trust people you might want to work with in the future. Through the growing programme of activities and with close links with relevant organisations, the Chamber provides a wide range of benefits and opportunities for members that are unavailable to other businesses.

The work of the Chamber is undertaken by a small group of business people who are volunteers and are committed to delivering benefits to their members; and they use their skills, experience and time to achieve this.

If you would like to know more, please visit www.LewesChamber.co.uk

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

T

THE ULTIMATE DECISION MAKER? THAT’S PROBABLY YOU!

he RSE Group and leadership The RSE Team guru, Rachel Stone, are holding a valuable conference for the ‘Ultimate Decision Maker’ in your business, so you can: • Learn how to save time managing people and increase your return on staff engagement.

• Improve your skills and relationships with your staff.

• Make a difference to your business approach by becoming an even better leader.

This isn’t like a normal conference where you sit back, listen and then forget what you learnt when you get back to work; it’s a full day of learning and exploration, to overcome decision making barriers that you will take away and put into practice.

This is the ultimate event that explores motivation, positivity and mindset for business and personal development. This will be an opportunity to network with other likeminded businesses, listen to some thought provoking speakers, challenge your mindset and experience an intimate day of coaching, exploration and learning.

There is a relationship between decision making and learning. They are inextricably linked and that’s why the RSE Group has gathered world class decision makers to create a learning event that will benefit you.

Who is this event for?

ACES The official magazine for the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex

Loads. You will learn from outstanding speakers who have learnt how to develop highly successful decision-making skills, and how to stay on the cutting edge. You will get the benefit of their experience and you will be able to apply it on the day to make a breakthrough in your decision-making skills. You will study with other highly successful business leaders, and gain valuable insights into what keeps people at the top of their game and able to maintain high levels of performance.

You will experience and learn about the psychology of high performance. You will apply this learning on the day and take it back to your business with impact. Anyone can do it on a good day but what about when it’s really challenging? When it really matters?

If you are the ultimate decision maker in your business this conference is on November 14th 2017 from 9am to late at Buxted Park Hotel. For more information please visit www.theultimatedecisionmaker.com

ussex

Issue 3. 2017

Issue number 3 of ACES Magazine is currently being distributed all over East Sussex.

Make sure you pick up your copy.

DAVID DIMBLEBY Profile of BBC’s Mr Dependable

KEEPING SAFE AT WORK THE SKILLS ISSUE BRIGHTON & HOVE MOTOR SHOW HONG KONG

The City of Life

For more information about advertising and editorial sponsorship, contact lesley@platinumbusinessmagazine.com or call Lesley on 07767 613707. We offer discounted rates to all ACES members.

FOCUS ON

South African Wines

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

The Institute of Directors 0207 766 8866 www.iod.com

ACES

Lewes Chamber of Commerce 07919 382316 www.leweschamber.org.uk

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

You! You make decisions that matter, all the time. It is a highly exclusive event with limited places available for an intimate feel and maximum learning.

What will you learn?

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MANNINGS HEATH GOLF CLUB & WINE ESTATE It is with great pride to announce the inaugural PGA EuroPro Tour at Mannings Heath Golf Club & Wine Estate.

It is the leading developmental tour for young, ambitious professionals to experience life on the tournament circuit. Whilst ensuring future success in the sport, this tour inevitably unearths tomorrow’s golfing superstars.

TAKE PART PGA EuroPro Pro-Am | Tuesday1st August This exciting event offers a fantastic opportunity to play the Waterfall course with a EuroPro Tour professional ahead of the competition followed by a Gala Dinner hosted by the PGA.

SPECTATE PGA EuroPro Tour | 2nd - 4th August Come along and watch all the action live.

Free Entry.

SPONSOR Showcase your business on Sky Sports with sponsorship opportunities now available.

For more information contact sales@manningsheath.com

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Tel: 01403 220345 Email: sales@manningsheath.com Web: www.manningsheath.com Hammerpond Road • Mannings Heath • Horsham • West Sussex • RH13 6PG

EASTBOURNE

MOVING PICTURES IN PRINT

H

ave you ever seen something in print that interests you, only to find that even Google can’t find it online? Or you type in the web address, find the correct page, go hunting to find the details you want but you give up because it’s taking too long? With the latest technology, fruitless internet searches are so yesterday.

ACES member ‘Vu-AR Magic’ have created a great new way for printed adverts and articles to leap into life, just like The Daily Prophet in Harry Potter, using the latest magic of picture recognition technology. Hidden content can bring articles to life with direct links to videos, a specific web page, 360 degree walkabouts and pretty much anything you can think of. And it’s easy too, with a free App called ‘Vu-AR Magic’.

The Vu-AR App is very user friendly; just open the App, point your phone at a picture in your favourite magazine and it then triggers!

If you advertise your product in this magazine or any other publication, the clever guys at ‘Vu-AR Magic’ can easily make your adverts or pictures leap off the page.

You choose the image you want to publish, it could even be your logo, and it can trigger the reader to go to your choice of end destination. If you advertised a car it could go to an online video of the car to show the reader what it is like inside and out. You could even give them a simulated ride in it so the reader is engaged with your product on their smartphone or tablet.

It really is magic. Your printed advert (using ‘Vu-AR Magic’)

Your customers are increasingly digital savvy and want a quick, easy, direct way to find out more about you. ‘Vu-AR Magic’ gives them what they want – fast.

As Vu-ARs client, you can see how many times the picture has been triggered as it is shown in your Vu-AR account, together with other data to contact viewers.

We think this is the future of advertising. Don’t wait for your competitors to leave you behind. Download the FREE ‘Vu-AR Magic’ App and point it at either of the pictures on this page to see what we mean.

For more information on ‘Vu-AR Magic’ visit www.VuAR.co.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

To see how magazines and images can come alive, simply download the Vu-AR Magic app, hold your phone or tablet over one of these images and watch the magic take place!

can now take your prospect straight to the webpage of your product or service to find further information and / or to make a purchase. All the ‘VuAR Magic’ images can have the ‘Vu-AR Magic’ icon in the bottom right-hand corner that’s how you know they contain hidden content – but they are not required for the technology to work.

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SUSSEX CHAMBER

BREXIT AND BEYOND

by Ana Christie Chief Executive, Sussex Chamber of Commerce

T

he British Chambers of Commerce has launched ‘Brexit and Beyond’, the Chamber Network manifesto for General Election 2017.

The Chamber manifesto calls for the new government, which will be responsible for negotiating the terms of the UK’s departure from the European Union, to provide business communities with clear answers to the pragmatic and practical questions around how Brexit will affect their day-today operations, including hiring, customs procedures and regulation.

However, business communities across the UK send a very strong message that the election cannot, and must not, be about Brexit alone.

CHAMBER NEWS

The next government must deliver a bold and clear strategy to support economic growth across all regions and nations of the UK. Action is needed on a range of domestic fronts, including improving the competitiveness of the UK’s business environment, upgrading physical and digital infrastructure across the country, and supporting local growth.

Chamber business communities will judge the next government against five key criteria: Business Environment - deliver a globally competitive business environment. Ensure the best business environment possible with a relentless drive to improve the skills set of tomorrow’s workforce, without clobbering firms with ever-higher upfront costs.

Local Growth – unlock the potential of local business communities. Deliver clarity on future devolution deals, ensuring a strong local business community voice and maintain the place-based focus of the Industrial Strategy to ensure growth across the whole of the UK. Infrastructure - revolutionise the UK’s physical and digital infrastructure. Ensure that the whole of the UK has access to superfast broadband, better mobile connectivity,

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and delivering investments in the strategic schemes that will unlock the economic potential of the regions and nations.

Trade - support UK exporters to drive economic growth. Expand trade support programmes, secure continued access to existing Free Trade Agreements, develop trade policy with business, and leverage Chambers of Commerce, which are best placed to provide stable export support in all regions of the UK. Brexit - work with businesses to secure the best possible deal with the EU. Protect the status of EU nationals in the UK, develop future customs procedures in partnership with business, create a future UK immigration system that is responsive to economic needs and skills shortages at all levels, and ensure that there is no hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said that while businesses all across the UK want a good Brexit deal, they are very clear that decisions taken here at home matter as much, if not more, to our future growth prospects. The best possible Brexit deal won’t be worth the paper it’s written on if firms cannot recruit and train the right people, get decent digital connectivity, or get their goods

to their market. Westminster must stop and reverse the relentless increases in the up-front cost of doing business in Britain, and give firms the confidence to drive investment, job growth and exports through the Brexit transition and beyond.

The Chamber Network’s priorities for the next UK government include: • Deliver frictionless future trade arrangements with the EU, and ensure that business continue to benefit from existing Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).

• No new upfront taxes on businesses for the duration of the next Parliament.

• Develop a new UK regional funding system with maximum local autonomy, a strong voice for business and focus on economic growth.

• Deliver promised investment in road and rail infrastructure, and ensure businesses in all parts of the UK have access to worldclass digital infrastructure.

The key to a successful Brexit - and future economic growth - is to do everything to unlock the growth potential in our towns, cities and counties. Implementing an Industrial Strategy should be a priority for the new government, alongside a commitment to secure appropriate support and funding.

WORTHING WHEN IS AN AGM NOT AN AGM? WHEN IT’S A FOND FAREWELL! Most Annual General Meetings are thought of as cures for insomnia, but Worthing and Adur Chamber bucked against this idea with a very special AGM this month, here’s what happened…

F

or the last fourteen years, Peter Bennett has led Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce as its President. In that time the Chamber has evolved beyond recognition. Peter became President in 2003 and one of the first things he did was lead the Chamber into the digital age. Worthing Chamber of Commerce (as it was then) needed to widen its appeal, and Peter drove the expansion into the Adur region, changing its name to Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce.

Sadly, Peter decided it was time for him to step down as President and at the recent AGM, Peter handed the reins over to Chris Coopey, Practice Director of MHA Carpenter Box. The meeting started formally enough with the usual ratifying of accounts etc, but things took a slightly different turn when it came to thanking Peter for his service to the Chamber. Gifts were handed out, chains of office removed and tissues found!

We wish Peter well and we thank him wholeheartedly for his leadership and the huge difference he has made. Without Peter Bennett we would not have the Chamber we have today. Thank You Peter.

Chris and Peter

That leaves us now to introduce the new Worthing and Adur Chamber President, Chris Coopey. Chris is Managing Partner at accountancy firm, MHA Carpenter Box, and previously served on the Chamber Executive Committee for a number of years. He takes the helm from Peter, and has reassured members that he is looking to keep things on an even keel before making any drastic changes.

The Executive Committee

At the AGM he introduced himself to the attendees through some slides outlining his varied career so far. Not many knew he had previously served in the Army Reserves as an engineer or that he liked climbing telephone poles!

We are sure this new chapter is set to be an exciting time, and hope all the members and supporters of Worthing and Adur Chamber wish Chris and the executive team much continued success, following in the rather large footsteps of Peter Bennett.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS We have some exciting events planned over the summer months so do book on early to make sure you don’t miss out.

7th June

Business Awards launch night at the Southern Pavilion

16th June

Chamber Hub FREE Networking

23rd June

Networking Breakfast

11th July

Summer Social, Highdown Vineyard

14th July

Chamber Hub FREE Networking

2nd August

Speed networking with Worthing and Adur, Brighton, Bognor Regis, Chichester and Sussex Chambers

CHAMBER NEWS

Chris said: “I’m looking forward to leading the Worthing and Adur Chamber and aim to have fun doing it. For me, being a member of our Chamber is an enjoyable thing. I want our members to be happy both with what we offer, and what they gain from membership too”.

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CHICHESTER

SKILLS AND A MODERN INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY

by Shelagh Legrave, Principal & Chief Executive at Chichester College and Vice Chair of Chichester Chamber of Commerce

‘A

day is a long time in politics’. Whilst travelling through the French countryside on a short break after Easter, I was surprised to read an email talking about a general election. French politics had been centre stage for the last few months ahead of their presidential election, but being plunged into a similar political maelstrom here in the UK was unexpected.

While UK politics have been firmly focused on Brexit recently, there have been a number of other government policy statements and Green Papers unveiled. One of these is the Industrial Strategy which was published in January 2017. Skills are a dominant theme in the Green Paper and in the foreword, Theresa May talks about ‘helping our young people to develop the skills they need to do the high-paid, high-skilled jobs of the future’.

CHAMBER NEWS

All companies know that if they can recruit staff with the right technical and soft skills, their businesses are likely to flourish, yet finding suitable employees is sometimes a challenge. The government is trying to address this issue in a number of different ways.

Firstly, following on from reforms proposed in the last government, there is a target to increase the number of apprentices to three million by 2020. To achieve this, Parliament has made some significant changes. For companies with a payroll of above £3m, the apprentice levy has been introduced from 1st April. These larger companies will pay 0.5% of their payroll and will be able to offset this cost through spending on apprentice training. For the most part, these companies will need to work with a training provider to deliver the apprenticeship. For small and medium size enterprises with less than a £3m payroll cost, there will be incentives to take on apprentices, particularly in the 16-18 age group. The funding system will change in 2018 when SMEs will be given their own digital training account. It’s a great way to help young people into the workplace and build a business.

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Secondly, the government is going to introduce ‘T levels’, technical qualifications which are viable alternatives to A-levels and more general academic courses. Included in a two-year course will be a substantial amount of work experience, likely to be around six weeks a year. The policy driver is to train more young people in technical subjects, particularly in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). These qualifications will be introduced in 2019 and partnership with local business will be vital to their success.

Thirdly, an even greater emphasis will be placed on careers advice and guidance in schools and colleges, while businesses will be asked to play their part in inspiring young people to consider a wide range of opportunities for future careers.

The success of the government’s industrial strategy depends on the partnership between education institutions and businesses. The impact will be increased productivity and a stronger local economy.

JOIN CHICHESTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY FROM JUST £99 Membership benefits include: • Events and networking • Policy and public affairs • Workshops and training • Business advice and services • New business opportunities Join us now at www.chichestercci.org.uk/join

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY • 12th June - Networking Chamber monthly meeting • 14th June - The Chichester Business Breakfast in conjunction with Chichester College • 22nd June - Behind the Scenes lunch at Stansted Park with Hampshire Chamber of Commerce • 3rd July - Behind the Scenes at Tangmere Airfield Nurseries • 6th July - Networking Charity Golf Day with Bognor Regis Chamber

BRIGHTON AND HOVE

RIDE THE WAVE: EXPERT SUPPORT TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

by Judy Yorke, The Sentence Works what’s on offer in the series, which is kicking off this month: Make it happen: from a brainwave to a business. A full-day session for those still in the planning stages of their new business.

The workshop includes practical advice on pricing, marketing, networking, where to go for business support and more.

I

’ll hold my hands up, I’m not exactly neutral when it comes to Ride the Wave.

If you have never heard of it (where have you been?), Ride the Wave is a series of workshops for local businesses. Now in its sixth year, it’s designed for businesses of all types. There are workshops for businesses that have been profitable for years, and others for those that haven’t even made it off the drawing board yet.

Ride the Wave is run by Brighton Chamber, who tasked me with writing the website and brochure copy for this year’s programme (reason I’m not neutral number two). As I was looking through the list of sessions, a couple of things struck me. The first was the range of workshops available.

And the second was that nearly all the workshops this year come with the brilliant bonus of a free one-to-one session with a business expert.

Here’s a quick summary of

Business growth: overcoming the barriers.

A workshop to help you identify the risks prevalent in these challenging but exciting times, looking at how to make the most of new opportunities.

Super staff: catch ’em and keep ’em. How to find and develop the best people – and motivate them to stay.

Tell the world about your business: pitching and presentation. This session will help you ensure that when you talk about your business, your message is both engaging and effective.

Marketing your impact: growing your social enterprise. How your charity or social enterprise can unlock business growth by capitalising on the impact you’ve already made.

All the sessions are £10 except for Smart Bidding, which is free. After you’ve been to any of the paid-for workshops, you’ll be able to book a free hour-long mentoring session with one of the experts the Chamber has lined up. The mentors are specialists in various aspects of business, such as finance, HR, marketing and sales, and they’ll help you take what you’ve learnt and apply it to your business.

To book or find out more visit businessinbrighton.org.uk/ridethewave

or email: ridethewave@businessinbrighton.org.uk.

Ride the Wave is funded and led

by Brighton and Hove City Council, and designed and delivered by Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce.

CHAMBER NEWS

I attended a Ride the Wave session for new businesses a couple of years ago, when I was in the throes of setting up my business writing skills training company, The Sentence Works. It was a thought-provoking day.

There was tax advice from accountants, group discussions, inspirational case studies from other young-but-successful businesses and lots of networking. I came away invigorated, excited, and vowing to keep my receipts in a rather more organised manner.

Keep on keeping on: growing your business. This is for start-ups and young businesses in their first couple of years, who want to consider their goals and deepen their understanding of what they need to thrive.

Smart Bidding: how to win contracts. This will demystify the process of bidding for public and private sector contracts.

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Anger Management

ANGER MANAGEMENT

THE MAFIA

by Maarten Hoffmann

I

s anyone else sick to the back teeth with being used as a cash cow for councils who are incapable of balancing their books?

It would appear that they need but the slightest opportunity to tax us to death through the back door. Stealth taxes are a cancer on our society and one that we should rally against at every opportunity.

Let me give you one example. Brighton & Hove council have recently installed an average speed camera on the A259 seafront road, east of the Pier. In case you have been in a cave for the past few years, let me explain how they work. Each average speed camera is in a pair.

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One camera films your number plate as you enter a controlled zone and starts a timer.

When you leave the zone, the exit camera films both your car and its number plate.

If there’s a match with the entry camera, your speed is calculated, and if over the speed limit the evidence is passed on to the police.

They have been courteous enough to place a small sign at each end, but so small that one needs eyes like a laser beam to see it and tourists are being stung every minute. The highest parking charges outside of London and now this – why would anyone bother to come to Brighton anymore?

I have the dubious pleasure of driving this route several times a day and l know that stretch of road like the back of my hand. With one or two exceptions, l have never seen a car excessively speeding or seen an accident.

The road is littered with pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, therefore speeding is next to impossible.

With a little digging, l find that the council survey of this road showed that only 5.1% of drivers exceed the speed limit above 36mph.

That means that 94.9% of the driving public are suffering due to the errant 5.1%. As to the cost, it is an average of £100,000 per mile. The

Anger Management

longest stretch covered is 99 miles in the most remote part of the UK, on the A9 through the Highlands between Dunblane and Inverness.

That cost £9,900.000 of tax payers money so that the council can fine drivers and take what is left of their money.

Hugh Bladon, of the Association of British Drivers pressure group, says the new cameras still cause sudden braking by panicked drivers, but also now cause long stretches of crawling traffic. “People see a camera and immediately put their foot on the brakes,” he says. “It doesn’t lead to good driving. You get people driving along with their eyes glued to the speedometer rather than to the road. In towns people who should be looking for children between the parked cars will be looking at their speedometers. We have no objection to these cameras on motorways while maintenance men are working but we don’t see why they cannot be switched off when work stops. These cameras are spreading like cancer across the country. To have a system covering 99 miles must have something to do with collecting cash rather than road safety.

These cameras do not make roads safer. If they did our accident rate would be reducing enormously and it is not. There’s far more to safe driving than speed.”

one of the highest rates of new car purchases.

And now we see new laws on speeding fines. A new law in force since April will allow you to be fined 175% of your weekly wage.

According to the Office of National statistics the average salary in the UK, as of April 2015, was £27,600.

Then the insurers get in on the act and can increase car policies by 75% if you have six points. And now the DVLA is selling your information to all European countries so that you can get nailed there too. But shock horror, it does not work the other way round

as European countries will not give up that information to the UK. Road deaths and injuries are a tragedy to the families’ involved but the only way to stop that it is to ban cars. And the only way to make me understand the huge sums of cash generated, is if Brighton had the finest roads in the country maintained by the millions generated by schemes such as this.

These camera systems are there to rake in cash – plain and simple.

Ker-Ching.

We drive large metal boxes around winding and confusing streets littered with signs and instructions. People will be run over by cars – that is a fact of life. We have some of the safest roads in the world, one of the highest levels of new driver tuition, one of the best marked and maintained road networks and

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Institute of Directors

ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE

By Dean Orgill, Chair of Sussex IoD and Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk • www.iod.com

A

s the economic and political cliff edge draws nearer, we all have our own view on whether the nation is about to plummet, or take off and soar high into the proverbial sky. In the meantime it is difficult to escape a prevailing background noise that is largely negative in tone. It might be expressions of impending doom and gloom, or it may be the expressions of political defiance and resolute steadfastness in the face of an ‘aggressor’.

Either way it is something of a struggle to find anything to lift the spirits or raise our levels of positivity, if we take the lead from the big stories and the main headlines.

However, I do think that positivity and optimism can be found if we step back from the narrow focus and look hard at the bigger picture which is, paradoxically, to be found all around us in the smaller details of what is happening in the real world on a day to day, unsung basis.

I have little doubt that readers of this publication will know that while big businesses and big companies grab the headlines, the

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backbone of the UK economy is the thousands of smaller businesses that few people, other than those directly involved in them, will ever have heard of. Those businesses will be working day in day out for their customers and each providing a living for their owners and perhaps a few employees and their families.

They will continue to do this regardless of the Brexit outcome, or indeed other upheavals. Margins and profit may, or may not, be squeezed or improved, but one way or another the majority of those businesses will continue in some shape or form. Perhaps that will be out of necessity, but also it will be because the industrious and entrepreneurial spirit will still be there, although it might be slightly re-focussed.

As they do so those businesses will not only provide jobs but a great many of them will support local (and national) charities. Many will do so not because they have a specific CSR agenda as such, but because they believe it is the right thing to do on a personal and human level.

Recently I was fortunate enough to join

12,500 others in running in the Brighton Marathon.

On the same day 2,500 ran the 10k event and 2,500 children took part in Mini-Miles.

In the Marathon people ran, slogged and dragged themselves round 26.2 miles with thousands of supporters cheering them on.

Some supporters were shouting for friends but many held banners simply reading “keep going random stranger”. In that one event people unselfishly raised an estimated £7.5 million.

There were other events that weekend, and no doubt there are many more every other weekend. Next time we see a grim news headline, I suggest we mentally substitute a story of ordinary people doing good things to help other people.

JUST A THOUGHT What recent negative experience could you fi nd a positive in?

THE SUSSEX MBA

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• Enhance your critical and strategic thinking.

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• Develop your management and leadership skills, learning from leading academic and industry experts.

• Study in a beautiful campus location, a few minutes away from Brighton and within easy reach of London.

• You receive individual support and innovative teaching in small groups.

Sussex MBA Scholarships are available for professionals with management experience.

FIND OUT MORE www.sussexmba.com Or contact the MBA team by email at mba@sussex.ac.uk, or call +44 (0)1273 873522

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JUNE 10TH & 11TH 2017 Amex Stadium, Brighton Entry is free for pre-registered visitors: www.brightonandhovemotorshow.com

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