Platinum Business Magazine issue 41

The Largest Circulation Regional Business Publication in the UK.

ISSUE 41. 2017

THE BIG STORY

PLATINUM

KIM JONG-UN

Should we be scared, or just terrified?

PLATINUM SME CYBER ALLIANCE

ADRENALINE JUNKIE

DMH STALLARD

The ultimate mad adventure

ANGER MANAGEMENT Plastic Fantastic

Town Focus

BURGESS HILL

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Welcome

18

THE BIG STORY KIM JONG-UN Is this the man who will trigger World War III?

At a Glance

6

14 Natwest - Entrepreneurial Spark 17

Tribute to David Marks MBE

18

The Big Story - Kim Jong-un

24 Sussex Business Awards 26

14 28 43 60 100

ALL CHANGE AT ESPARK Meet the new manager and enablers at Brighton’s Entrepreneurial Spark

SME CYBER ALLIANCE Local businesses combine to combat fraudsters

ADRENALINE JUNKIE Three super fast cars, a German race track, a Grand Prix and a sky dive.

Maarten Hoffmann enjoys a relaxing vacation...

TOWN FOCUS - BURGESS HILL For the first time we put the spotlight on the business scene in one of our thriving towns.

Local & National News

Shadow Foundr - Investments

28 DMH Stallard

- Cybercrime

30

Carpenter Box - Tax Advice

32

Kreston Reeves - Cloud Accountancy

35

Si Conroy - Don’t sell your business!

36

Sussex Economic Forum

39 Meet the Buyers - Review 40

Gatwick Diamond Business Awards

43

The Adrenaline Junkie

54 Brighton Chamber Summit - Review 56

Brighton Hotel Awards

58

Education

60 Town Focus

- Burgess Hill

82

Table Talk - And So To Food

84

Table Talk - El Celler de Can Roca

86

Table Talk - Wine

88

Chambers of Commerce

PLASTIC FANTASTIC?

96 Charity News

Why are we destroying our oceans and seas?

98

Platinum Club

100 Anger Management 102 Institute of Directors PLATINUM PUBLISHING

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

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

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

DISTINCTIVE CREDIBLE PRESTIGIOUS Join us as we celebrate 10 years of business excellence The Gatwick Diamond Business Awards celebrate people who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, and have demonstrated a real commitment to the sub-region. Celebrating our 10 Year Anniversary, the awards have become one of the regions premier business occasions - celebrating the best of the best across the Gatwick Diamond region.

For more information and to download an entry form, visit:

WWW.GATWICKDIAMONDBUSINESSAWARDS.COM

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@gdbizawards

Issue 41 - 2017

A word from the Editors Welcome to the largest circulation regional business title in the UK. There were a few sore Champagne heads recently at Platinum Towers when we received the independently verified readership figures for our group of publications, that revealed that we had reached over 700,000 readers across print and digital. We would like to thank every one of our team for working so hard and, of course, our readers and supporters for making this possible.

To celebrate, we thought we would take a look at the maddest, baddest man on the planet in the Big Story - Kim Jong-un.

Here’s a guy that makes Trump look sane and with that statement, you know you have to worry!

Maarten reveals his slightly insane adrenaline addiction and Ian has taken out extra corporate insurance to cover his eventual loss of a partner, and Amanda was in Spain reviewing one of the best restaurants in the world. Maarten has also vowed to give up drinking after agreeing, at a recent Platinum Club event, along with many other Sussex CEO’s, to take part in a Pantomime entitled ‘Tycoons in Tights’ in aid of charity. Oh no he didn’t……..

Richard Pollins of DMH Stallard reveals a new and urgently needed SME Cyber Alliance and we start a new series of Town SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

look at Burgess Hill.

The Largest Circulation Regional Business Publication in the UK.

We hope all 700,000 of you enjoy this issue.

Maarten & Ian

ISSUE 40. 2017

DAVID DAVIS Brexit: Our future in his hands!

PLATINUM ECONOMIC SURVEY

The Official ofGCommerce M Surrey Chambers A AMagazineZ

DON’T FOLLOW THE CROWD Follow the Investors

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Issue E 5

45 MILLION AND COUNTING Exclusive interview with Gatwick Airport CEO, Stewart Wingate THE PRESIDENT’S AWARDS

Health & Wellbeing of the SE economy

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

INFINITI AND BEYOND

EMC Corporate Finance

Nissan’s luxury brand

PLATINUM FLYING HIGH

Exclusive interview with Gatwick CEO, Stewart Wingate

THE WORLD OF MERCEDES-BENZ

Platinum Business Magazine

MOTORING

CHRISTMAS PARTIES

November 2017

GDBA 2018

Mustang 5-litre Infiniti Q60S

Where to go - and how to make them tax-efficient

The official magazine for the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex

THE GREAT TRAIN FIASCO The view from Southern & the RMT

Issue 5. 2017

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

THE A27

The chamber view

THE

Jeff Bezos, Amazon

BIG SURVEY

The results are in

MEET THE AMBASSADORS GDPR The race is on

ROLLING THUNDER Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

ussex

THE BUSINESS JET ENGINE Prepare to take-off

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The Launch

ACES

Issue 4 2017

BETTER BUSINESS SHOW 2018 PLATINUM PUBLISHING

GROUP

Focus features with an in-depth

ACES

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

Sarah Walker-Bennett Amanda Harrington Event Photographer

Head of Design

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News

LOCAL NEWS PIER RECRUITMENT’S SONG CRAWLEY MAKES JOB FOR CHRISTMAS HOTSPOT TOP 10 Crawley has become one of the best places in the UK to find a job – entering the top 10 for the first time since August 2016.

Pier Recruitment is partnered with the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, a Brighton-based charity that has been supporting poorly children for over 50 years and in 2016 the company visited The Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital where they witnessed the fantastic work of the Charity first hand.

Pier’s Emma Jones recalls: “In January 2017, we decided to do something that would really stand out. Something that hasn’t really been done in Sussex before. Something that we hoped would really raise awareness of the Charity and the amazing work they do.

“So we concocted the crazy idea to write a ‘Band-Aid style’ Christmas Charity Single to mark the Rockinghorse Charity’s 50th anniversary.

“It all began in the Spring of 2017 and (admittedly) sounded like the beginning of a terrible joke; what do you get when you cross a determined Director, a musical Marketing Manager, a resourceful Recruitment Consultant, a keyboard and a few glasses of Tesco’s finest…

In addition to the favourable competition per jobseeker ratio (0.18), average advertised salaries in the town currently sit at £31,098. In terms of a regional comparison, average salaries in Crawley sit ahead of neighbouring areas such as Brighton (£30,415) and Chichester (£28,329) and the South East region (£30,511).

There are currently 3,584 advertised vacancies in Crawley, according to Adzuna. The Automobile Association leads the companies hiring in Crawley on the website, followed by The British Motoring Association, Chichester College, Business Steam, Thales and UPS. Doug Monro, co-founder of Adzuna comments: “Crawley is an employment hub and a respected business location where opportunities are rife at present.

“Crawley has the foundations of economic success, following its rejuvenation programme, and has proven itself by utilising its transport links, history and culture to create multiple opportunities for jobseekers and employees.”

“After approximately six hours of chords, harmonies, melodies and a few (many) bum-notes, we had ourselves a song. It wasn’t anything to rival Beyonce, but we were proud of it. After elation that we finally had something to show for our madness, we realised that the hardest part was yet to come.

“We had to pitch the idea (and the song) to the charity and local companies – what if they didn’t like it? Luckily, the song was extremely well received and we were starting to think we should begin preparing our speeches for the Grammys.

After high-levels of interest (and sadly having to turn companies away), we were overjoyed to welcome on-board representatives from the following businesses, to sing on the track: The Focus Group, Posh Totty Designs, Zsta Architects, Mercedes, Quality Care Insurance, Domestic and General, Cobb Digital, Holiday, Neilson Holidays and children from Bird Studios/BRICTT. What a line-up!

“In September 2017 the doors at North Brighton Recording opened and recording commenced (eek). The final edit of the audio is well-underway and the video will shortly follow thereafter. We are waiting in both nervous and excited anticipation and cannot wait to see the final thing!

“Having nearly reached our £5000 target already, we are hoping to raise between £7000-£10,000 once the song has been launched. We hope you enjoy the final song and would like to thank you in advance for any donations made towards the cause!”

The official launch party is being held on Wednesday 22nd November at the Grand Hotel, Brighton.

For tickets for this free event contact Emma Jones on emma.jones@pierrecruitment.co.uk.

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It’s not that l am afraid to die, l just don’t want to be there when it happens

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News

THE GAME OF WORK GAMIFICATION+ is hosting an international conference at the Hilton Brighton Metropole in November.

Gamification is the use of game elements and mechanics to help us solve everyday problems. It’s a relatively new idea and industry and often people have a hard time understanding how gamification can (or can’t) help their business. Some think that gamification is a trend that just puts some bells and whistles on top of things and others that it will solve all the world’s problems.

Pete Jenkins and Vasilis Gkogkidis The conference is a space for people to gather for a few days at the same place and exchange ideas, learn and discuss. Co-organiser Vasilis Gkogkidis said, “Part of working in a new industry like gamification means that every day you have to admit that you don’t know everything and that’s what’s makes your job exciting. That is why Gamification+ founder Pete Jenkins and myself have gathered the world’s best speakers and gamification practitioners to speak at our conference called Gamification Europe.

Over the course of two days people attending our conference will get to experience talks and workshops that will give them insights and hands on experience on what gamification is, how to implement it in your organisation and how it has been implemented by other organisations.

Gamification Europe takes place at the Brighton Hilton Metropole on November 28th & 29th at the Hilton Brighton Metropolitan hotel. Details can be found at gamification-europe.com

SUSSEX’S SURGES AHEAD Sussex’s best performing mid-sized companies are growing fast despite uncertainty caused by the Brexit negotiations, according to the latest research from accountants and business advisers BDO LLP. The top 20 companies reported an impressive combined sales growth of 43%.

BDO’s Best in Business ranks the top 20 performing businesses by annual sales growth over the previous three accounting periods. It highlights the ongoing importance of companies with a turnover between £10m-£300m to the local economy.

The Top 20 1.

2.

3.

4.

Envision Pharma Holdco 52%* ERG APC Group 49% Forza Timber Technology 39% Runtime Collective (trading as Brandwatch) 38%

5. Thakeham Homes 33% 6. Technetix Group 30% 7. Dudman Holdings 28% 8. Melrob Group Holdings 28% 9. M R Stephenson 27% 10. Chandlers Building Supplies Holdings 27% 11. Focus 4 U 26% 12. Dual Energy Group 25% 13. Avtrade Holdings 23% 14. Wilmoths Holdings 23% 15. Inspiration Healthcare Group PLC 23% 16. Prime Education And Training 21% 17. Owen Contractors Holdings 20% 18. Posturite 18% 19. Paxton Access Group 18% 20. Wilson Process Systems 17% * Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over 3 accounting periods

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When one person suffers from a delusion it is called insanity; when many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion.

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GREEN LIGHT FOR PRESTON BARRACKS Brighton & Hove Planning Committee has granted approval for the £300 million regeneration of Preston Barracks and the University of Brighton’s Moulsecoomb campus, which will create over 1,500 jobs, hundreds of new homes and attract over £500 million into the city over the next ten years.

Richard Upton, Deputy Chief Executive of the project developers U+I, said: “This is a major milestone for the Preston Barracks project, one of the largest and most ambitious regeneration projects to have been brought forward in Brighton for a number of years. We have the opportunity to transform this area of Brighton, which has been derelict for 20 years and deliver a huge number of benefits to the local community and the wider city.”

Professor Debra Humphris, Vice Chancellor of the University of Brighton, said: “The scheme has the potential to have a huge positive impact both for the local community and wider city, as we look to deliver on our aspiration to create an inspiring place where people can live, work and learn together.”

The proposals which straddle the Lewes Road include 369 new homes and 1,338 purpose built student bedrooms in managed halls of residence. They also include a new home for the University’s Business School.

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News

LOCAL NEWS GOLDEN GOAL REACHED AT GALA BALL Rockinghorse Children’s Charity smashed through its £500,000 appeal target when they celebrated their Golden Jubilee at The Grand Hotel in Brighton.

The Rockinghorse 50th Anniversary Ball played host to over 400 of the charity’s supporters who helped celebrate their milestone year.

The charity launched its 50th anniversary appeal ‘Sussex Giving for Sussex Children’ last October with the aim to raise half a million pounds. £112,000 was raised at the Ball, of which every single penny will be going towards the appeal. The total was reached thanks to an additional generous donation by local businessman Michael Blencowe on behalf of the Blencowe family, who presented the charity with a cheque for £45,000 at the gala event. This has enabled Rockinghorse to reach its £500,000 target two months before the end of the year.

Last month Rockinghorse revealed they had already completed five out of 10 beneficiary projects, thanks to funds already raised for their appeal.

They are; the introduction of a Paediatric Emergency Airway Trolley for Worthing Hospital’s Bluefin Ward; an ongoing activities programme for young people being treated at Chalkhill Child and Adolescent Unit in Haywards Heath; a new outdoor play area at The Bungalow residential home for young people with learning disabilities in Eastbourne; funding for 20 defibrillators to be placed in schools around Sussex to support The Connor Saunders Foundation, and a garden log cabin sensory space for young residents with learning disabilities at Tudor House in Brighton.

www.rockinghorse.org.uk.

Photo by Stephen Johnson Photography

MAJOR UPGRADES FOR EASTERN A27 A proposed £75 million upgrade to improve journeys for the 26,000 drivers who use the eastern A27 in Sussex each day has been announced by Highways England.

Four junctions along a nine mile section of the A27 between Lewes and Polegate will be improved, a section of the Polegate bypass will be upgraded to a dual carriageway and walking and cycling facilities along the whole stretch will be enhanced.

The plans include: • Widening Drusillas Roundabout to improve journeys along the A27 and for north-south traffic at the junction • A new option for upgrading Wilmington junction, making it easier for drivers to join or leave the A27 and including a horse rider and cycle friendly Pegasus crossing • Widening a half a mile section of the A27 between the Polegate interchange and the Cophall roundabout to a dual carriageway, and an upgraded, signalised junction at Polegate • Significant enhancements to the walking and cycle routes along this nine mile stretch of the A27, including a new pedestrian and cycle path between Firle and Polegate.

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Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm

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GATWICK WELCOME FOR KARA Hilton London Gatwick Airport has appointed Kara Monteiro as its new general manager. Monteiro replaces Remco Norden, who continues his career as general manager for Hilton London Metropole.

Monteiro has been working in the hotel hospitality industry at Hilton for more than 12 years. Most recently she spent two years as director of business development at The Waldorf Hilton, London. Prior to The Waldorf Hilton, Monteiro spent five years at upscale Hilton hotels across the UK as director of operations.

Her extensive experience in hospitality coupled with great leadership will play an essential role in her position.

“I am delighted to have this opportunity to lead the team at Hilton London Gatwick Airport, the largest residential hotel at Gatwick Airport with its 821 bedrooms, award winning venue and exceptional dining facilities,” said Monteiro. “This is a fantastic hotel with a superb team which I am very much looking forward to joining and developing.”

News

ASK LUKE JOHNSON

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The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts

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Left to right: Trevor West, Arbuthnot Latham Regional Director; Luke Johnson; EMC CEO Nik Askaroff; and EMC Director Mike Pay. Serial investor and Sunday Times Business columnist Luke Johnson, the man behind the meteoric growth of Pizza Express in the 1990s, former Chairman of Channel 4 Television and current Chairman of private equity firm Risk Capital Partners, was the guest speaker at the latest in EMC Corporate Finance’s popular series of Entrepreneurs’ Question Time evenings.

An audience of over 60 local businessmen and women were at the Pub du Vin in Brighton to meet and hear from Luke, one of Britain’s most prolific and successful entrepreneurs.

“The evening was a tremendous success. Luke is not only a top businessman, The packed room at the Pub du Vin listen to Luke Johnson on he is also a brilliant speaker and his obvious passion and support for stage with EMC’s Mike Pay entrepreneurship was clearly evident in his talk. We are most grateful to him for taking time out from his busy schedule to share some of his thoughts and experiences with our audience of mainly local business owners,” said EMC Hove-based Director Mike Pay. This was the seventh annual Entrepreneurs’ Question Time event organised by EMC, this time in conjunction with private banking and wealth management firm Arbuthnot Latham. In each case, speakers have been people with enviable records of entrepreneurial achievement and business success.

LANCING COLLEGE HOSTS BBC RADIO 4’S ANY QUESTIONS? In September, Lancing College hosted BBC Radio 4’s Any Questions? in the College Chapel.

Jonathan Dimbleby welcomed the audience of over 350 to the historic Chapel, describing its features to guests both familiar and new.

The panellists were Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott MP, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work Penny Mordaunt MP, columnist and author Charles Moore, and political commentator and broadcaster Steve Richards.

Guests for Friday’s broadcast gathered from across the local Hove, Shoreham and Worthing community, including students from Worthing College, Sir Robert Woodard Academy, Steyning Grammar School and Shoreham Academy.

Unsurprisingly, Brexit dominated much of the discussion following Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech in Florence earlier that day. The panel, featuring both supporters and opponents of Britain’s exit from the European Union, fiercely debated what the Prime Minister’s speech meant for the future of the country. Irrespective of where the listeners’ sympathies lay, the debate was gripping and set the tone for successive topics.

Lancing Chapel is open to the public daily and is a regular feature on tours of the Sussex coast. It welcomes over 4,000 people every year.

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News

NATIONAL NEWS SIZE DOESN’T MATTER An international study by The Global Micro-Business Impact Report, released by Vistaprint, has revealed Britain is ranked as the fourth most micro-business dense country in the world, with 81 microbusinesses to every thousand people.

The Czech Republic beats The US and Indonesia to claim the title of the country with the most micro-businesses per capita, with 89 micro-businesses for every thousand Czechs. The UK makes the top five ahead of Portugal, Slovakia and Iceland.

Oliver Harcourt, Head of Vistaprint UK says: “Small businesses are an essential part of the UK economy and it’s fantastic to see we have so many micro-businesses among us.

“The results from the research truly show the entrepreneurial spirit Britain embodies.

“However, it’s important we recognise the challenges micro-businesses are currently facing, including political and economic uncertainty, business rate increases and dampened consumer confidence.

“We, as the UK, need to ensure we continue to create an environment in which micro-businesses can thrive and grow.”

Whilst the UK ranks highly in entrepreneurship, micro-businesses contribute less to Gross Value Added (GVA) and employment compared to other countries. UK micro-businesses employ 17.3% of the British workforce, which is just above half the global average of 32.3%.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE Northern Gas and Power has been named the best company to work for in Britain, coming top of a list of 20 employers that have displayed a positive workplace culture and strong leadership development.

The league table, produced by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and jobs site Glassdoor, analysed reviews by current and former employees of more than 700,000 companies on the platform. Other companies that feature prominently include energy supplier First Utility, pest control firm Rentokil and dating app Badoo.

Second on the list was hospitality tech firm Fourth, whilst the third highest-rated company in the study was software consultancy Equal Experts, which aspires to be a “company of grown-ups”.

Facebook, rated 11th in the list, is the biggest company to make the top 20.

Patrick Woodman of the CMI, said: “The CMI/Glassdoor top 20 highlights the best companies for corporate culture and leadership in the UK. “At a time when trust in business is at an all-time low and there are major worries about the UK’s poor productivity, every organisation can learn from these fantastic examples of wellmanaged businesses.”

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The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.

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CITY SNEAKERS Adidas has launched the first of six planned city-themed running shoe models in London as it capitalises on its first Speedfactory, which has opened in Germany and is equipped with time-saving robotics.

Adidas plans to use the factory - another is due to open soon in Atlanta, Georgia - to produce small batches designed for particular markets, and ultimately for individual consumers.

The idea is to respond faster to fashion trends and offer more customisation. After its London theme, it plans shoe models inspired by Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Shanghai.

Adidas relies on more than one million workers in factories in Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam, to produce about 600 million pairs of shoes and items of clothing and accessories per year. But it is shifting some production closer to its major markets so it can deliver new styles quicker, and counter rising wages in Asia and hefty shipping costs.

It currently takes Adidas up to 18 months to design, produce and deliver most products, but it wants to cut that to as little as 45 days. Its customised shoes will also command premium prices. The AM4LDN shoe aimed at the London market has gone on sale for £169.95.

MAN VERSUS MACHINE The Confederation of British Industry is calling on the government to establish a joint commission tasked with examining the impact of Artificial Intelligence on people and jobs across all sectors of the UK economy.

The aim of the commission would be to examine the impact of AI on people and jobs, and to subsequently set out plans for action that will “raise productivity, spread prosperity and open up new paths to economic growth”.

“The UK must lead the way in adopting these technologies but we must also prepare for their impacts,” said Josh Hardie, deputy director-general of the CBI. Mr Hardie said that while great opportunities are created by new technologies, regulatory hurdles, security concerns and the challenge of finding people with the right skills mean that many firms are “slow to adopt”.

Minister of State for Digital, Matt Hancock, welcomed the CBI’s call. “We want the UK to lead the way in emerging technologies,” he said. “Our ambitions are aligned on the need to embrace the opportunities of the digital revolution.”

However, the former Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, predicted that the rise of big tech companies and AI would cause the current economic system to undermine itself. “[Technology] is going to destroy a lot more jobs than it creates,” he said.

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Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

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News

NATIONAL NEWS BACK TO BENTLEY British luxury carmaker Bentley Motors has hired Adrian Hallmark, former head of strategy at British rival Jaguar Land Rover, to become its new chief executive.

Hallmark, who served at Bentley before as sales chief and also held management positions in the past at Volkswagen and Porsche, will become CEO in February, replacing Wolfgang Duerheimer.

Duerheimer, a former top manager at VW’s Audi and Porsche brands, will retire from Bentley but continue to advise VW on motorsport matters. His departure marks a wider reshuffle at the Crewe, England-based ultraluxury division with four changes in senior positions, including Porsche manager Werner Tietz replacing Rolf Frech as Bentley engineering chief.

Duerheimer will also resign from his position as president of Bugatti and in January be replaced by Stephan Winkelmann, a former CEO of Lamborghini and currently head of Audi’s motorsport division, Bugatti said in a separate statement.

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Moral indignation is jealousy with a halo.

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LONDON STRIKES GOLD Chinese tourists splashed out £29m in shopping centres and on high streets across the UK during last month’s Golden Week holiday.

New research from payments processor Worldpay, which analysed card transactions during the Golden Week holiday that lasted from 1st to 8th October, found that £11m was spent in London alone. Golden Week is a twiceyearly Chinese holiday which celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

British department stores reaped the greatest benefit of Golden Week tourism as their in-store sales increased by almost a third compared to the seasonal average.

London spending was mostly concentrated in high-end stores and boutiques in the West End, but hospitality businesses also enjoyed a boost in trade.

Flight bookings from China to the UK for September to November 2017 were up 10% on the previous year, according to travel analytics firm ForwardKeys, showing that the UK is enjoying a longer-term increase in Chinese visitors.

In July, a record number of overseas visitors came to the UK, according to the Office for National Statistics. Four million trips to Britain were recorded, representing an increase of 6% on July 2016.

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News

MARKS GET SET Marks & Spencer is planning to enter the mortgage market early next year, with products aimed at first-time buyers as well as people moving home.

M&S Bank said that, subject to regulatory approval, it plans to launch its first mortgage early in 2018, bringing an “M&S-standard service” to those seeking a home loan.

Marks and Spencer has not yet given details of the rates it plans to offer or how big a deposit borrowers will need.

The announcement marks the fifth anniversary of the launch of the M&S Bank brand in 2012. The provider has moved into the current account market in recent years, as well as offering other products including credit cards and personal loans. Its bank opening times mirror the opening hours of its stores – including weekends. M&S Bank mortgages will be available directly from M&S Bank and through the broker channel.

Sue Fox, chief executive of M&S Bank, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be able to bring this M&S-standard service to customers purchasing a home, whether they’re making their first or final step on the property ladder, and for every move in between.”

LITTLE WOMEN The Bank of England has come under fire for a lack of diversity in top positions.

Just one woman currently sits on the Bank’s rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), whose members are appointed by the Treasury.

Nicky Morgan, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, has now written to Philip Hammond asking for evidence that enough is being done to encourage gender and ethnic diversity in recruitment.

The committee said it was “concerned about the composition of the policy committees, and in particular about diversity at the most senior levels in the Bank of England”.

The MP said: “The Treasury must make all efforts to encourage as diverse range of candidates for the Bank’s policy committees as possible.”

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I’m living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart.

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She added that the Treasury had been asked for specific confirmation that its recruitment processes follow the wider remit for public appointments to achieve greater diversity, including ethnic minorities.

Last month, Bank of England governor Mark Carney admitted that the lack of women in senior positions was “an issue” for the Bank and that it had taken extensive action to correct this.

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Brighton Entrepreneurial Spark

THE ENABLERS Brighton ESpark has two full-time members of staff with the remit of helping the businesses grow. Olu Peyrasse and Kristina Pereckaite took on these roles earlier this year. PBM asked them about their ESpark experience to date…

Kristina Pereckaite

How would you describe the role of an enabler?

When did you start at ESpark?

Our focus is to help entrepreneur's develop their mindset. A great way of describing enablement is that it's like unscrambling a bunch of string. An entrepreneur will come to you with many ideas, decisions to be made, thoughts, reflections - and it is our job to help them unscramble it and make sense of it all, so that they can be clear on what their next step should be.

May 2017

What were you doing before?

My background is in business management and marketing strategy, and I also worked in finance for a few years. I was working as a freelance marketing consultant for a few years whilst building my online fitness and nutrition coaching business (another passion of mine!).

I wasn't actually looking for a job when I came across the Enabler role, however it felt like an opportunity not to be missed - and I was right!

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Why do you think ESpark chose you for the role?

I have the background knowledge of working in and with start-ups as well as coaching people, however I think my sheer enthusiasm and passion for helping people develop may be what landed me the job!

What makes a good enabler?

Being a good listener is crucial, plus curiosity, problem solving skills, and a genuine want to help others.

What are your early impressions of the ESpark project?

I feel very lucky to be involved with Entrepreneurial Spark, it is such an amazing opportunity for Entrepreneurs and definitely the best job I have ever had.

What are your interests outside work?

The gym is my second home, I love working out! I am currently writing a book on health and fitness for the busy career woman.

Brighton Entrepreneurial Spark

Olivier (Olu) Peyrasse When did you start at ESpark?

April 2017

What were you doing before working at Spark?

I have a varied background having studied Biochemistry at University before taking up a range of roles including marketing, business development, business analysis and project management. I've also set up my own business previously... though I failed fast, failed smart and failed cheap! Having sat on the other side of the table to where I am now is a great asset to be able to use with the entrepreneurs - I understand their varying emotions. I get it!

How would you describe the role of an enabler?

Kick-ass question asker! We are enablers of entrepreneurship and success. Rather than give advice or direction; through support and challenge we enable entrepreneurs to become better leaders. This allows them to make better decisions both now and in the future, to feel as comfortable as is possible and ultimately 'own' their business in every respect.

Why do you think ESpark chose you for the role?

Well I'm told it wasn't my good looks and I doubt it was my jokes! I guess it was my passion for helping the next wave of entrepreneurs become even better entrepreneurs, a high level of EQ and my ability to provide honest feedback when needed. I've always been quick to spot trends and analyse information but equally adept at challenging and questioning the norm... sometimes I have to reign it in!

What makes a good enabler?

Enablers need to have a very high level of emotional intelligence, be able to adapt to situations quickly and crucially be able to have those difficult conversations when needed.

Each enabler is different though and bring with them a different portfolio of experience - which is what makes us such a great team as we can draw on all these different ways of looking at a situation.

You do, however, have to be happy to play an often unsung role, believing in the value you're adding. I liken it to a chef in a kitchen.

Personally, I'm a challenger and there's little (no) escape from healthy challenge in my

sessions. Either an entrepreneur can back up their claims and assumptions or they find out where they need to put some work in and are all the better for it. It’s a win-win.

What are your early impressions of the ESpark project?

Entrepreneurial Spark is incredible... the opportunities that are there, for free, are simply unbeatable. I just wish I'd known about it when I was giving it a go!

The sheer number of entrepreneurial mindsets that are being developed across the country means we really are on track to inspire and enable positive social change through the action of entrepreneuring.

In terms of insider information, we're an open organisation which means everyone can talk to everyone (with no repercussions). Getting rid of the red tape means all the personalities involved, from enablers to the core team, can work together to ensure no opportunities to improve are missed.

We're also encouraged, and helped, to pursue personal goals whether that be professional or not. I hadn't experienced this before and I love it - it means I'm really happy in my role and know I can add value to entrepreneurs and to ESpark and all whilst knowing that I'm constantly improving and developing.

What are your interests outside work?

I'm a lover of the great outdoors, sports and manual work. Home for me is Snowdonia, nestled between rugged mountains and deserted beaches, so any chance I get to be outdoors I take. I've always done lots of manual labour and can happily spend my weekend hiking, doing some sport and getting stuck in with some building work, landscaping, tree-felling, farm work etc. Having moved to Brighton for this role, I'm now mixing this up with city visits to London (haven't got used to the tube yet!) and kitesurfing - or at least attempting to kitesurf.

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Brighton Entrepreneurial Spark

FAREWELL TO FIONA Fiona Anderson is using her experience as Entrepreneur Development Manager to help budding businesses in South Africa

T

he bank are giving me the opportunity to take a six-month sabbatical, so I can go to Cape Town to work with a charity that does work similar to the Prince’s Trust in this country. I’ll working with disadvantaged young people who are wanting to start their own businesses or are already working on their own businesses.

I’ve learnt so much from Entrepreneurial Spark, seeing what people go through on a day-to-day basis, pushing themselves out of their comfort zone, the highs and lows of being an entrepreneur.

I’ve changed immensely. My confidence has built and I realise that I’m capable of doing other things. Whilst the bank has given me a fantastic career opportunity and I’ve grown in ways I probably wouldn’t have if I’d stayed in South Africa, I feel now I need to do

something for myself.

South Africa has always very much been a country where people make their own way. There’s no benefit system there or any handouts, so you either work and you make a success of it or you don’t get anything.

South Africa has always had a culture of people doing things for themselves and being successful. The work ethic is very high there, people work really hard, so I know I’m really going to learn a lot from that cultural change but feel that I can take a lot from working with start-ups and businesses here.

The businesses have definitely inspired me.

I’ve seen the tenacity of some of them, how they’ve overcome a lot of very, very difficult challenges, and it has made me realise that if they can do it then so can I.

HELLO DALE Dale Sidebottom has taken over the reins at Brighton ESpark is varied but we need to be known as experts in the entrepreneurship field. It is really fast paced and a great variety I’ve worked in three hubs – Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham and I still have the same enthusiasm as day one. Each hub is different but all have seen some really big success stories. I’ve learnt so much about the journey of an entrepreneur - the highs the lows and the challenges, and how the programme can make a huge difference

Have you found any differences at the Brighton compared to the others?

We have more female entrepreneurs in Brighton and the average age is slightly higher which is a real positive story. We also have more product and creative businesses here.

What do hope to achieve at the Brighton hub?

A bit of background on your career…

I have been with RBS / NatWest for 18 Years and I have had leadership roles in Branch Banking and Commercial Banking. Prior to this role I was a Director for Business Banking for three and a half years.

I have been an Entrepreneurial Development Manager for two and a half years. We have a huge responsibility to deliver for our entrepreneurs and we bring in internal and external support. The role

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I plan to bringing the knowledge, expertise and the learnings from the other hubs. We want to deliver exceptional levels of support for the entrepreneurs and, of course, to help build the first unicorn business (a startup company valued at over $1 billion).

What are your interests outside work?

I enjoy travel, horse racing, food and socialising. I have a big sporting family background – my dad played for Man United and cricket for Yorkshire and England, and my brother also played cricket for Yorkshire and England.

Obituary

A MAN WHO TRANSFORMED SKYLINES David Marks MBE. 15th December 1952 - 6th October 2017

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t was with sadness that we heard the news that David Marks, chairman and founder of the BAi360, had passed away on October 6 2017 following a long illness. David spent his last days at home with his family: his partner in life and work, Julia Barfield, and their children Benjamin, Maya and Sarah.

David was an architect whose work was founded in innovation and excellence of design. He believed that well-designed buildings and structures can improve the quality of people’s lives.

He leaves a legacy of much-loved landmarks behind him, including the London Eye, British Airways i360 in Brighton and the Treetop Walkway at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew; all of which demonstrate his wish to elevate the mind as well as the spirit. David transformed skylines, and his vision will continue to offer inspiration and delight to future generations.

David was born on 15 December 1952 in Stockholm, Sweden and grew up in Geneva in Switzerland. He moved to London in 1972 to attend the Architectural Association School, where he soon met Julia Barfield, a fellow student and close neighbour. The pair married in 1981.

David was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list in 2000 and was given a Special Commendation for Outstanding Achievement in Design for Business and Society by the Prince Philip Designers Prize in the same year. He was chairman of the Waterloo Project Board between 2002 and 2007: a £19 million regeneration programme that helped to bring about tangible improvements to everyday life for local residents, employees, and community organisations in London SE1. He was presented with a Civic Award by the Mayor of Lambeth in 2011.

David’s role as chair of Brighton i360 Ltd will pass to Julia Barfield and the attraction will continue to operate under the remaining board of directors and the executive directorship of Steve Bax.

TRIBUTES Steve Bax, executive director of British Airways i360: “Everyone at British Airways i360 is deeply saddened by the death of our chairman and founder, David Marks, and our thoughts are with Julia and their family at this very difficult time.

David was hugely proud of British Airways i360 and he was grateful to everyone who helped make it the success it is today. He leaves many friends behind him here in Brighton, and his wisdom, passion and gentle humour will be sorely missed by all of us who knew him.”

Geoff Raw, Chief Executive Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “David is known internationally as an excellent architect who created landmarks of great creativity and imagination. British Airways i360 has also given us a local legacy to remember David by. As a human always reaching to new heights in every sense, he helped regeneration in our city and brought delight to visitors.”

Rachel Clark, chief executive of the West Pier Trust: “David Marks made the most enormous and transforming contribution to both Brighton and the site of the West Pier. His talent, vision and tenacity were incalculable, as was his deep respect for the original work of fellow architect Eugenius Birch, which made him the ideal partner for the West Pier Trust. David was wonderful to work with and an inspiration to everyone around him. His vision lives on at British Airways i360 and we at the West Pier Trust will honour his memory.”

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The Big Story

THE CULT OF

KIM JONG-UN Is this the man who will start World War Three?

By Ian Trevett

W

hy does a war happen? It can be a clash of civilisations driven by religion, a fight for independence against an oppressor, a battle for land and resources, or a stand against an invading foe.

Sometimes it can be down to sheer idiocy, where something trivial can result in the unnecessary death of

hundreds, thousands - or even millions.

In 1738, a British mariner named Robert Jenkins displayed a decomposing ear before Parliament. He claimed that a Spanish coastguard officer had sliced off his ear seven years earlier as punishment for smuggling.

The British immediately declared

war (known as War of Jenkins’ Ear) on Spain.

Just over a century later in 1859, Britain and America almost took to arms after an American farmer shot a British pig rooting around his potato patch.

Fortunately minor incidents rarely escalate into full-scale conflict as somewhere along the line common sense kicks in. Will sober pragmatism win the day in the escalating North Korea crisis? Or should we be seriously concerned bearing in mind the unpredictable, erratic nature of both Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un?

The seriousness of the situation cannot be underestimated. North Korea, even without nuclear weapons has the capacity to wipe out South Korea and possibly Japan. Any unwelcome intervention from the USA could bring China into a conflict. And doing nothing is just as unpalatable with North Korea firing off test missiles at will, many of which scream over the airspace of their neighbours.

How did an impoverished failing nation become such a military power? Don’t forget this is a country whose GDP amounts to half the amount Americans spend on their pets. How has he ruled so easily in a country where many of his people live in extreme poverty? And Why does North Korea crave a nuclear arsenal?

The Outsider The easiest question to answer is: Why does North Korea want nuclear weapons?

In January 2002, a few months after 9/11, President George W. Bush delivered his State of the Union address. Although the attacks on America had been plotted by Jihadis based in the Al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, Bush was out for revenge on all perceived enemies of the US, whether connected to the Twin Towers atrocities or not. Three countries were named as an Axis of Evil: Iraq, Iran and North Korea.

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The Big Story

Of the three axis nations, only one was invaded - the weakest, Iraq. Even in his fury, Bush knew that an Iranian war would result in huge loss of American lives. For the North Koreans, the solution was clear. The best way to deter American aggression was to build more powerful weapons.

Peter Wilby in The New Statesman writes, “Kim Jong-un lives in terror of an American attack. This is not the paranoia of a madman.

Post-1945 history gives him good reason for such fears.”

“During the Korean war in the early 1950s – between a Soviet-backed regime in the north and a US-backed regime in the south – American generals, supported by many members of Congress, twice demanded authorisation to use nuclear weapons.

On the second occasion, General Douglas MacArthur wanted to drop between 30 and 50 atomic bombs. Instead, the Americans used conventional bombing which was unlike anything used in the Second World War except Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Pyongyang, the northern capital, was destroyed. Five large dams were bombed, causing floods that wiped

out the rice harvest. Many North Koreans were forced to live in underground tunnels. “… If your country had a history like that, wouldn’t you want a nuclear deterrent?”

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Kim Jong-un lives in terror of an American attack. This is not the paranoia of a madman. Post-1945 history gives him good reason for such fears.

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The Cult of Kim Jong-un North Korea has suffered first hand from the force of the American military and sat firmly on the Soviet / Chinese side during the decades of the Cold War, so it is understandably wary of the west. But this could be said for many countries. Almost half of the globe looked East during those nervy

years when many countries were forced to decide whose side they were on. The world changed when the Berlin Wall fell, but North Korea remains an enigma. What is so different about North Korea? Why has it continually embraced such a rigid form of communism?

It’s a moot point if it has ever been a ‘communist country’ in the first place. It seems unlikely that when Karl Marx wrote The Communist Manifesto, he was dreaming of a country full of starving people ruled by a man who believes he has power derived from the gods. Jong-un more closely resembles a Tudor king. Mark Bowden, writing in Vanity Fair points out that the North Koreans have never really known anything different: “North Korea has never known anything other than absolute rule. Before Korea’s annexation by Japan, in 1910, Koreans were living under a monarchy.

After that came rule by imperial Japan: Koreans bowed to the emperor. When the Soviet Union liberated North Korea, in 1945, Kim Il Sung stepped into the monarch’s role.”

If anything, Jong-un is more than a monarch - he is descended from the gods, a divine figure. Grown men and women weep tears of

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The Big Story joy if they see him at one of the state showpiece events, many faint as the emotions becomes too much to bear.

How the cartoonists see Kim Jong-un

Who is this man who can provoke such adulation? The first source of information for spoiled modern-day journalists is that mine of information, Wikipedia. And immediately it is clear that there is something afoot. No-one really knows much about him - incredible as it sounds in this age of information.

Take his date of birth, which is listed as: • 8th January 1982 (age 35) (North Korean records) • 8th January 1983 (age 34) (South Korean records) • 8th January 1984 (age 33) (American records) • 5th July 1984 (age 33) (Swiss records) A case of poor record-keeping? Or perhaps it is something more sinister and controlling.

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Young Kim was portrayed as a precocious military genius who piloted helicopters, drove tanks, and manned the most sophisticated weapons systems

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Bowden suggests it is a rewriting of history by the North Koreans: “The original Kim, the current leader’s grandfather and national founder, Kim Il Sung, for whom universal reverence is mandatory, was born in 1912. As the story goes, in 1942 his son and heir, Kim Jong Il, came along… In truth, Kim II was born in 1941, but in North Korea myth trumps fact to an even greater extent than elsewhere, and numeric symmetry hints at destiny, like a divine wink. That is why 1982 was seen to be an auspicious year for the birth of Kim III.” It is widely agreed that Jong-un studied for a while in Switzerland although details are murky. Apparently he was a poor scholar, who didn’t feel any need to work hard. His passion was only ignited by football and particularly basketball. Many years later the NBA’s most flamboyant star, Dennis Rodman became one of the very few

Westerners welcomed as a visitor to North Korea.

A European education should have been an opportunity to open his eyes to the wider world, but this was not to be the case. Bowden writes, “Even in his Swiss years, his school was just a short distance from the North Korean Embassy. Outside those walls, he was always accompanied by a bodyguard. Imagine a small Asian boy attending a European school where it’s unlikely that anyone speaks his language, and who is surrounded by adults who sternly eyeball anyone who gets close, and you can guess at how normal his social interactions were.”

Although the bodyguards would have alerted his contemporaries that he was a man of some import, no-one knew just how important.

He was not the natural heir as he was the third oldest son (though not necessarily to the same mothers).

The eldest Kim Jong Nam, was seen a liability after being caught visiting Tokyo Disneyland using fake ID, thus exposing the clandestine trips made by the rest of the family. The next son was seen as being too ‘feminine’. And so Jong-un returned home and was fast-tracked to the highest office.

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Bowden reports the the young man showed “a genius for combat and military manoeuvres, commanding a “shock brigade” in the harsh mountains of the far northeast. Battle-hardened, albeit still soft around the edges, Kim began to make appearances as a minor but intriguing character in the standard-issue novels and poems praising his father.

Young Kim was portrayed as a precocious military genius who piloted helicopters, drove tanks, and manned the most sophisticated weapons systems.”

The Big Story Now he was the chosen one, the propaganda system sparked into life. As with most totalitarian regimes, the greatest architects were never charged to build great homes or schools - their job is to build the most awe-inspiring monuments to the greatness of the leader. The life of the first first Kim (II Sung) was celebrated with Juche Tower in Pyongyang, built with 25,550 blocks of granite (one for each day to the 70th year of the country’s founder and eternal president) and topped with a 45-tonne red metal flame.

There is also a 22-metre bronze statue of Kim outside his mausoleum.

The Economist reports that the first big monument to Kim Jong-un was beside the pristine caldera lake atop the sacred Mount Paektu, on the border with China. The Kim family claims ties to Mount Paektu - Kim Jong Il is said to have been born on its snowy slopes (he was actually born in Russia). It follows other fresh attempts at cult consolidation: portraits of the three generations of Kims, each standing on Mount Paektu, have appeared as triptychs in museums. Work on mosaic murals of Mr Kim, to be displayed in each province, is under way.

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No doubt you will be familiar with the 2012 hit by the all-girl rock band Moranbong, entitled: “We Call Him Father”.

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Then there is the TV, radio, films and the glorious military parades - and even state-controlled pop groups. No doubt you will be familiar with the 2012 hit by the all-girl rock band Moranbong, entitled: “We Call Him Father”.

Having gained power after his father’s death in 2011, he showed a ruthless streak designed to add the all-important fear factor. Expecting full and utter adoration from all and sundry, his uncle Jang Song-thaek paid the ultimate price for lacking the appropriate passion for his leader. Jang was a powerful and influential member of the establishment, but refused to clap enthusiastically enough when his nephew entered the room. He was executed and a lengthy statement was broadcast on his traitorous plotting.

Earlier this year, Jong-un also had his brother, Kim Jong Nam, murdered for the same reason - lack of adulation and respect. Jong Nam, living in exile, had declared that he didn’t think his brother would last in the job. Around the same time his son called the North Korean regime a “dictatorship” on a Finnish talk show. Jong Nam’s death was not a big surprise.

The result of all this is Jong-un has total control over the state. It is reported that no-one dares to counsel him and the control of his vast weaponry is unchallenged. He eats and drinks to excess, and is known to be a prolific womaniser.

As for the hair cut - it is styled to imitate his esteemed grandfather, and is much copied throughout the country.

As ridiculous as it looks there is a genuine reason behind the cut. Whether there is a genuine reason behind his goading of Trump and the west remains to be seen.

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Join us for one of our popular, complimentary, Finance Focus events, key for all company directors, owners, financial controllers and others keen to keep abreast of business, tax, and commercial financial planning developments.

These breakfast seminars (8:00am10:30am) will help you focus on the financial health, and continued growth and profitability of your business for 2018.

Dates and locations: • Wednesday 29 November etc. venues St Paul’s, London • Tuesday 5 December South Lodge, Horsham • Wednesday 6 December Mercure Hotel, Maidstone For further information or to book your place at one of the seminars, please visit our website, or contact us on: Call: +44 (0)330 124 1399 Email: events@krestonreeves.com Visit: www.krestonreeves.com

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Our speakers will also analyse the implications of the Chancellor’s Budget.

The seminars will include demonstrations of the latest online accountancy developments.

The Big Story Who can stop Kim Jong-un?

One man believes he can - Donald Trump.

He has pointedly criticised the inaction of previous presidents, promised that he will stop North Korea from perfecting a nuclear warhead and warned of fire and fury.

Is this just hot air? As mad as Trump can be, he does not hold the ultimate power in his own country, unlike his North Korean adversary.

An attack on North Korea would be calamitous. The regime has been preparing for an attack for decades. Apparently they even uncovered the top-secret military plans being hatched by the Americans and South Koreans.

Any attack on North Korea would inevitably cause unthinkable loss of life on both sides and could pull China into the war zone.

One of Trump’s more sensible tweets has been to call for more action from China. Does China hold the key?

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Jong-un also had his brother, Kim Jong Nam, murdered for the same reason - lack of adulation and respect.

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Historical ties between North Korea and China are certainly very strong. The North Korean’s actively helped the Chinese communists during the Chinese Civil War between 1945 and 1949. When war broke out in Korea, the Chinese paid back the favour.

Today China is keen to avoid a border with South Korea, a country which has fully embraced the ideas and values of Western societies. North Korea provides a handy bulwark between the ideologically diametric worlds.

But, as is the norm in world politics, the relationship is not as straightforward as you may think. In the West, the prevailing view is that the situation could easily be calmed if Chinese President Xi Jinping took the podgy Jong-un to one side and gave him a stern talking to. This isn’t even close to the reality.

Isabel Hilton, CEO of the China Dialogue Trust, writes: “China was and remains North Korea’s major ally, but that does not make North Korea obedient. Their bilateral history is a story of growing defiance and increasing alienation: Kim Il-sung ignored Mao Zedong’s attempt to dissuade him from naming his eldest son, Kim Jong-il, as his successor. He had

visited Beijing once a year and had promised that his son would follow suit, but Kim Jong-il only visited Deng Xiaoping’s China once, in 1983. His next visit came three years after Deng’s death, a death for which Kim had offered no formal condolences, as even the most minimal protocol required.”

“On that visit, Kim heard the unwelcome news that China, already closer to the United States than he would have wished, was to open relations with his bitter rival, South Korea. When the third dynastic leader, the young Kim Jong-un, took power in 2011, relations with China slid further. Tellingly, Kim Jong-un has not visited Beijing at all, nor has China’s leader, President Xi Jinping, visited Pyongyang, although he has held four summit meetings with South Korea.

the current crisis. In Seoul and Tokyo, the appetite is growing for better South Korean and Japanese defence capabilities to deal with the North. A regional arms race is directly at odds with Beijing’s regional strategic interests.”

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China was and remains North Korea’s major ally, but that does not make North Korea obedient. Their bilateral history is a story of growing defiance and increasing alienation

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“Kim Jong-un has made his defiance publicly evident. Not only has he chosen to test his missiles and weapons, but he has selected such highly sensitive moments as last year’s G20 summit in Hangzhou to do so.”

In addition, any attack on North Korea could create a surge of refugees across the Chinese border.

China is in no mood to tell North Korea what to do. Indeed, would North Korea listen anyway? And China definitely has no interest in doing Trump’s bidding.

dive in headfirst. China and Russia have put forward a proposal that both sides should make concessions. North Korea would suspend its nuclear and its missile testing in return for a suspension of South Korea’s annual military exercises with the United States. Hopefully this kind of diplomacy may offer a way out without pricking the fragile egos of Trump and Jong-un.

In the New Statesman, John NilssonWright writes: “For now, Xi appears to have concluded that Trump is bluffing when he threatens military action against the North.

He also seems unconcerned about Trump’s calls for the suspension of all US trade with any country doing business with the North.

The latter is nonsensical, non-enforceable, and the blowback from this would be potentially devastating to the US economy (as well as the interests of Trump’s domestic political base).

“The Chinese are more likely to be worried by the medium to long-term implications of

China’s stance has been to play it cool, and offer some form of brokering, rather than

Perhaps the key word in the paragraph above is Russia. Yet again, it could be that Putin holds all the cards. Whether it is Eastern Europe, the Middle East or anywhere, it always comes back to Putin. He may be the man that Trump and Jong-un can do business with - and, meanwhile, the power of the ex-KGB man grows ever stronger.

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Sussex Business Awards

STEP FORWARD THE FINALISTS… The 2017 Sussex Business Awards finalists have been announced

T

he shortlist for the 29th annual Sussex Business Awards has been announced and hundreds of applicants have been whittled down to just 45 finalists.

Representatives from 14 towns across the county make the shortlist and 2017 is set to be a hot contest to receive one or more of the prestigious seventeen trophies.

Three companies make the shortlist three times Haybury, Rinkit Limited and ViiSana Limited - whilst another five are on the shortlist twice.

To reach their crucial decisions, the judges reviewed all the entries to arrive at an initial longlist. Candidates then went through a rigorous reviewing system, including phone, face to face and panel interviews, to determine those in the running for one of the most highly coveted awards in Sussex.

Taking his place as chairman of the judges for a fourth year, Mike Herd, Executive Director of the Sussex Innovation Centre oversaw the group which included representatives from Checkatrade.com, Coffin Mew, Gemini Print, HARE, HSBC, Legal & General, Mazars, Sussex Chamber of Commerce, Sussex Innovation Centre, The Goodall Foundation, University of Sussex, Vantage Professional Risks, Platinum Business Magazine, The Argus, Title Sussex and Heart FM. Commenting on this year’s shortlist, Mike said: “The Sussex Business Awards celebrate the dynamism, vibrancy and success of our county’s thriving business community.

“The exceptional quality of the entries this year has really shone through and it is has been an honour to chair the panel of judges for a fourth year in a row.

Congratulations to all the shortlist!”

Sussex Businessperson of the Year finalists have been selected from entrants to the Sussex Company of the Year and Small Business of the Year, as well as direct entries. Winners will be decided following a series of face to face interviews with a panel of judges.

The awards will be take place on Thursday 30th November at The Grand Brighton. Tickets cost £90 each (plus VAT) or £850 (plus VAT) for a table of ten.

This includes a champagne reception, a three-course meal, and two bottles of wine on each table, as well as entertainment and dancing.

The awards sell out each year so make sure to book your tickets online at www.sbawards.org.uk

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Sussex Business Awards

THE FINALISTS THE AWARD FOR INNOVATION IN BUSINESS Sponsored by Sussex Innovation Centre • The Big Lemon CIC

THE AWARD FOR THE MOST SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS Sponsored by Gemini Print • Nature Shop

THE AWARD FOR HEALTHIEST WORKPLACE Sponsored by Legal & General • Haybury

• Frontier Pitts Ltd

• The Big Lemon CIC

• The Float Spa

• QED (Sustainable Urban Developments)

• Tiny Box Company

• The Security Bureau

THE BEST PLACE TO ENTERTAIN YOUR CLIENTS Sponsored by Title Sussex • Fair Oak Farm

THE SUSSEX COMPANY OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Mazars • Haybury

THE AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Sponsored by Vantage Professional Risks • Cobb Digital

• Hotel Du Vin Brighton

• Juno Wealth Management

• Plumpton Racecourse

• Rapidata Services Ltd

THE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Platinum Business Magazine • Richard Goss, Rinkit Limited

• Search Seven Ltd

THE AWARD FOR THE BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE Sponsored by Checkatrade.com • Blanch House • Bluebird Tea Co. • Dolby Vivisol

THE AWARD FOR THE MOST PROMISING NEW BUSINESS Sponsored by Coffin Mew • HARE Digital

• Nick Meinertzhagen, 360 Perspectives • Paul Ollerton, ViiSana Limited THE RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS AWARD Sponsored by The Goodhall Foundation • Wave Leisure Trust Ltd

THE AWARD FOR BEST EMPLOYER Sponsored by Midnight Communications • Bluebird Tea Co. • DMH Stallard LLP • Haybury

THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Sponsored by HSBC • Frontier Pitts Ltd • ICP Search • Rinkit Limited

• Search Seven Ltd

THE AWARD FOR LEISURE & TOURISM Sponsored by Heart FM • Bluebell Railway Plc

• SJM Electrical Services

• ViiSana Limited

• Juno Wealth Management

• Shadow Foundr

• TSS Facilities Limited

• Lewes Community Screen

THE SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Sponsored by Sussex Chamber of Commerce • Magenta Associates

• Out of Bounds

• Rinkit Limited

• Newhaven Fort • SEA LIFE Brighton

• ViiSana Limited

SPONSORS

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Investments

LOOKING FOR INVESTMENT? Then Look After Your Investors, says Jason Kluver, Director at Shadow Foundr

W

ith alternative forms of finance having become readily available to businesses seeking growth or seed capital, it’s never been easier for companies to raise funds. But before you think about tapping up the public to give your balance sheet a boost, you should also stop to think about your potential investors.

After all, your investors are not just a source of funds for your business. Once you accept any investment from them, they are inextricably linked to you for the lifetime of your business, and possibly longer. So, it’s important that you consider all the things that

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they require, to make a lasting relationship like this succeed.

In other words, don’t just think about the funds your business requires; think about how you can get the most out of your relationship with your investors. If you do this, the journey will be a lot more enjoyable and fulfilling for all parties. Here are the key things to consider before taking investment from outside parties.

The first thing to recognise when you take outside investment, is that you have entered, what hopefully will be a long-lasting and fruitful relationship. And first and foremost, for any strong relationship to flourish, you

need honesty and trust.

Your investors are trusting you with their money. Those funds are not yours to do with what you will. Those funds are handed across to you in good faith, to act as custodian, in order that they be put to the most effective use for the business. This level of trust demands the utmost honesty from founders.

Beginning with your pitch deck or investor prospectus, everything that you say to attract any investment, needs to be brutally honest and backed up with the relevant due diligence and documentation. Any market research presented to support your investment

Investments

argument, must include reputable and relevant sources. Your financial projections and sales pipeline figures should be on the conservative, if not ultra-conservative side.

In 12 months’ time, your investors will go back to these numbers to see how you are progressing against your original targets. They will hold you to the numbers you put in these documents, and they will give you a hard time if you haven’t achieved them; so, don’t embellish them.

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Don’t just think about the funds your business requires; think about how you can get the most out of your relationship with your investors.

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Talk about your company’s total funding requirement and timescales. Very few businesses can last on just one round of funding. Put your funding plan down on paper from the outset. Tell your investors that you will need more funds in 18 months, three years or whenever. Tell them how much you will need and why you will need it. Give them the complete funding picture and show them that you have thought about the entire lifecycle of the business, up until exit.

If you don’t want your investors getting involved in the day-to-day operations, let them know immediately. Most investors these days prefer to be passive, however some do like to get hands on. If that’s not what you want, then be firm and tell them so. By doing so, you’re showing them from the start, that you are in total control of the business and its outcomes.

Being upfront and honest about your initial plan will allow you to set a strong foundation for your relationship with your investors. An honest plan outlines the parameters of the founder/investor relationship from the outset.

Your plan will be the cornerstone of that relationship. Irrespective of a shareholders’ agreement, your plan will be the document that both you and your investors will refer to, as the company evolves. That’s why it is imperative that you are honest, up-front and conservative in your initial forecasts.

Once investors have entrusted you with their funds, do what you said you were going to do with their investment. Build your team so you can scale; add those all-important Advisors; increase your marketing spend. Don’t just sit on the funds for a rainy day; put them to work and go about your plan. Remember you are the custodian of these funds. You are the one the investors are trusting to put them to work. As the business moves on and there may be a need to digress from the original plan, inform your investors. Tell them the business reasons behind the change of direction and the opportunities that the change will present, and get their support.

Finally, as you progress, like any business, you will have ups and downs. It’s easy to report back in the good times, but you need to update your investors in bad times as well.

Investors get worried when they hear nothing - no news is definitely bad news! Make sure you update your investors regularly, at least every six months and quarterly if possible; and give them the full story – good or bad. They will respect you for your honesty and will be more willing to assist in times of need, if they have been kept updated and informed and not left in the dark. They will also be more likely to invest in follow on rounds, when the company goes out for further funds.

that once you take that investment in, you are embarking on what could be a very long relationship with those investors. You need to be happy that you have the right people involved, even though they may be passive investors, and you need to be upfront about the business and its prospects, from the outset.

❝

Any investor/ founder relationship must be based on trust and honesty.

❞

Investors understand that not everything goes to plan. Ultimately however, they want to protect their investment and see the business flourish, in the hope it makes them a nice return. This is why any investor/founder relationship must be based on trust and honesty. By looking after your investors and treating them with respect, you will always have their support – even in the down times.

For more information and to become a part of Shadow Foundr’s Private Investor Network and enjoy up to 50% Tax Relief go to www.shadowfoundr.com

If you are looking to bring on external investment, then you need to remember

27

Legal

CYBER SAFE Business Consortium announce launch of SME Cyber Alliance

by Richard Pollins, Managing Partner, DMH Stallard

A

group of leading south-east businesses have joined forces to launch a cyber alliance that will provide proactive support to SMEs in the battle to prevent successful and costly online attacks by criminals.

According to the government, nearly half of UK businesses have reported a cyberattack or breach in the last 12 months, with ransomware, DDOS and phishing being among the tactics regularly used against businesses.

In response to the growing threat, leading regional law firm DMH Stallard, IT experts and support services company PAV i.t., and insurance brokers and risk managers Sutton Winson, are spearheading a new task force that gives businesses a fully resourced support partner that will provide greatly enhanced cyber resistance.

Richard Pollins, Managing Partner at DMH Stallard, said: “Larger institutions are often perceived as being at the frontline of the war against cyber criminals, but they are

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also among the best resourced to integrate sophisticated defence systems, which means the criminals, often working in highly organised gangs, will go after easier targets such as SMEs. “Many SMEs do not have adequate contractual cover in their terms of business to cover what happens in the event of a cyber crime event which impacts on them, their customers or suppliers.”

Jason Fry, Managing Director at PAV i.t., said: “The cyber alliance provides an allencompassing and cost-effective solution that can greatly reduce the likelihood of a successful attack through proactive planning and around the clock access to a broad range of relevant expertise.”

David Thomson, Managing Director at Sutton Winson, said: “I’m delighted we have established such a strong group of businesses with real pedigree that can deliver a one-stop service currently missing from the range of prevention and emergency business support

services.”

The SME Cyber Alliance considers it imperative that all SMEs implement the correct measures to safeguard them from a cyber attack. If an attack does take place, understanding what is needed to get your business back up and running post-attack could also save your business and prevent heavy financial loss.

If you are keen to find out more or if you are an SME and have been a victim of cyber crime, please contact david.paling@dmhstallard.com

Legal

BUZZ WORD Brandwatch complete acquisition of BuzzSumo

by Jonathan Grant, Partner, DMH Stallard

T

wo of the fastest growing and influential digital brands have joined forces following a strategic acquisition.

Brandwatch, the leading social intelligence company in the world has acquired BuzzSumo; BuzzSumo is widely regarded as providing the best content marketing analysis platform on the market.

The regional team of DMH Stallard advised the shareholders of BuzzSumo in their sale to Brandwatch. Jonathan Grant, Partner and Head of Corporate at DMH Stallard, said: “This was a deal between two focused

and fast-moving companies which completed within five weeks of agreeing heads of terms; BuzzSumo was only incorporated three years ago to exploit the proprietary software platform. To complete a deal of this size in such a short space of time is testament to the hard work and focus of the BuzzSumo shareholders and Brandwatch.”

BuzzSumo clients include international brands such as Expedia, Newscorp, TED and BuzzFeed. The acquisition will empower BuzzSumo to achieve even bigger things through tech development and support from

Brandwatch’s global footprint.

Steve Rayson, Director at BuzzSumo, said: "We gave DMH Stallard the challenge of handling a complex deal with UK and US subsidiaries in a short time frame. I am pleased to say Jonathan and the team were not only a pleasure to work with, they understood our needs and delivered on a tight timetable. I can't recommend them enough."

Both Brandwatch and BuzzSumo have UK headquarters in Brighton, East Sussex.

Brandwatch also has offices in the US, Spain, France, Germany and Latin America.

DMH STALLARD’S MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

D

MH Stallard is celebrating after the world’s leading legal guide awarded the firm a ‘Top Tier’ ranking in seven practice areas.

Heidi Copland

The Legal 500 analyses the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research programme revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market.

The seven top ranked practice areas are employment, local government, environment, planning, property litigation, intellectual property and IT and telecoms.

Individually, the leading firm in the south east has also achieved the highest distinctions, with Tina George (property litigation) and Heidi Copland (planning) listed on the prestigious Legal 500 Elite List of Lawyers. The real estate team also had Gemma Penny ranked as a ‘next generation lawyer’ for her work on environmental matters.

Richard Pollins, Managing Partner at DMH Stallard, said: “I am immensely proud of this recognition, not just because we’ve Tina George

received these accolades, but more specifically on how it reflects the tremendous expertise and experience of the firm.

“It is thanks to the exceptional calibre of our partners and lawyers, and the many people who support them, that we have received such high honours.”

15 practice areas and 48 lawyers at DMH Stallard were also ‘recommended’ in the Legal 500.

Richard added: “The last few years have been a time of rapid growth at DMH Stallard with mergers, office openings and many senior appointments, but throughout this period of change our focus on providing clients with the finest legal advice has never waivered”

DMH Stallard is a Top 100 law firm in the UK and has offices in London, Gatwick, Horsham, Guildford and Brighton.

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Finance

A CONFLICT OF INTEREST? This month, Andrew Neuman, Associate Director in the Tax Services Group at MHA Carpenter Box, takes a look at the changes to mortgage interest relief for landlords, and the options now available around buy to let ownership

Property Incorporation – what a relief!

Restrictions on mortgage interest

Many landlords will soon start to feel the pinch following the restriction on the level of mortgage interest they are able to offset

Relief for these expenses continues albeit in a more limited way. Since 6th April 2017, the 100% deduction for mortgage interest paid

against their rental income and sadly, this restriction is only set to increase.

on loans taken out for a rental property is no

For individuals in the ‘buy to let’ business, profits generated from their rental properties will be taxed at their marginal rate of income tax (which could be 20%, 40% or 45% depending on individual circumstances). Relief is available for expenses which are incurred for the purpose of the rental business and are deducted from the gross rents received. Some typical expenses include the cost of repairs and maintenance, insurance, agent fees and legal fees etc.

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longer available. From now on there is only a flat rate deduction of 20% of the mortgage interest paid. The immediate impact of this will not be felt immediately as the restriction is being phased in over a four-year period, as shown below:

TAX YEAR

MORTGAGE INTEREST DEDUCTION AGAINST PROFIT

20% DEDUCTION FOR MORTGAGE INTEREST AGAINST TAX LIABILITY

2017/18

75%

25%

2018/19

50%

50%

2019/20

25%

75%

2020/21

N/A

100%

Finance

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Determining whether incorporation relief is available can be a difficult area and one where HMRC may look to challenge if the process isn’t done properly.

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The introduction of this new restriction may not discourage individuals from owning rental properties personally, but those with significantly high levels of borrowings may well see their tax liabilities become much higher in future years. There may also be a knock-on effect for individuals who plan to use the rental profits to fund future property purchases. They may have to wait much longer before they can afford to do so, potentially resulting in missed opportunities.

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All may not be lost as there is an alternative way to owning rental properties, which is to hold them in a company.

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Other options around buy to let ownership

All may not be lost as there is an alternative way to owning rental properties, which is to hold them in a company. Not only are UK resident companies taxed at a much lower rate than individuals on their income, (currently 19% reducing to 17% from 1 April 2020) but there is no corresponding restriction on the relief for mortgage interest paid.

Rental profits in companies are broadly calculated in the same way as individuals so it is unlikely you would notice any difference in the process apart from the level of tax due.

Advice needs to be taken though because strictly speaking, transferring rental properties into a company would trigger a disposal for capital gains tax purposes, based on the increase in the value of the properties over their original purchase price and any expenditure incurred on improvements during ownership.

Be sure to get advice Determining whether incorporation relief is available can be a difficult area and one where HMRC may look to challenge if the process isn’t done properly. MHA Carpenter Box would likely start by carrying out a detailed review of the rental activities being carried out by the individual to see whether their portfolio can be classed as a business. If comfort on the position is required before transferring the properties into a company, it is possible to apply for non-statutory clearance from HMRC which can add a good degree of confidence to the process.

You should note that Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) may be payable on the transfer of the properties into your personal company but again, with the right planning this may be mitigated and/or reduced to nil.

Once the properties are in the company, full relief should be available for the mortgage interest paid. Ahead of making any changes in the effective ownership of the property, you would need to consult with your mortgage provider to ensure no unwanted covenants are triggered as a result of the transfer.

Additionally, you should be made aware of any hidden costs associated with this as the cost of borrowing through a limited company tends to be more expensive than for an individual and some form of personal guarantee may be required.

On a final note, there may be a small additional compliance burden if the company holds a UK residential property worth more than £500,000. Under the Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings (ATED) rules, companies are required to file a return and pay an annual charge where the use of the property held by the company does not fall within one of the exemptions. The good news is that where the

property is let on a commercial basis as part of a property rental business, no charge will be due, although a return will still need to be filed.

With much of the relief for mortgage interest we have all become used to now disappearing, it’s definitely worth considering holding your property portfolio in a limited company. There are many tax breaks in using a company for this purpose and indeed for holding other investments, but you will need to take advice from an expert like MHA Carpenter Box to ensure the correct steps are taken if you are going to make such changes.

At MHA Carpenter Box, we have specialist tax advisers who can guide you through the process and provide support on all property related matters. To find out more, visit www.carpenterbox.com or give Andrew Neuman a call on 01293 227670.

However, in certain situations where an entire rental business is transferred to a company, relief may be available.

Incorporation relief works by deferring the gain on property transfer until such time as you sell the shares issued in the newly formed company.

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Finance

KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE CLOUD Five reasons every business should consider cloud accounting, says Daniel Daly, Business Advisory Manager at Kreston Reeves.

S

uccessful businesses are entrepreneurial, agile and ready to embrace new challenges and technology to seek competitive advantage. At the heart of their success is a strong hand and a firm understanding of their finances.

Traditionally, small and medium sized businesses have not always had the luxury of an in-house accounts team, relying instead on their accountants for the support, insights and guidance needed. That is changing.

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Cloud technology is not new. It is increasingly creeping into every aspect of our personal and professional lives.

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Cloud technology is not new. It is increasingly creeping into every aspect of our personal and professional lives. It makes it easier for businesses to operate virtually, from any location in the world, at any time of the day or night, and at speeds that were only dreamt of a decade or so ago.

The accounting world was one of the early adopters of cloud technology, although it has to be admitted that the early products appealed more to accounting professionals than business owners.

Finance That has changed; Xero and QuickBooks have expanded quickly as business owners recognise the value it brings to everyday business life. Easy and intuitive interfaces, designed for those outside the accounting profession have helped.

For those businesses that have yet to put the accounting into the cloud, here are five good reasons to do so:

Real time information This is often the primary reason for change.

A move online allows a business to see in real time the financial picture of their business – whether that is cash in the bank, money owed, or money owing. Cashflow is king to any business and having that daily, real time picture allows business owners to make better informed decisions.

Collaboration Online accounting platforms allow for much greater levels of collaboration with your accountant. If, for example, there is a question or additional insight is needed, then as long as your accountant is familiar with the online platform your own business is using, it is possible for both to view the same data, indeed the same screen, even if on other sides of the world.

Manage finances anytime and anywhere Work for most business owners does not stop at 5.30pm, and is no longer tied to the office desk. Cloud accounting packages are ready for you to use when you want and where you want. And now, many of the leading packages are supported by a host of specialised apps – a little like the Apple App store – tailored to very specific industry sectors. So, if you manage a large portfolio of residential properties, there is an app for that.

If you need to manage payroll, there is an app for that too!

Get paid faster Online accounting platforms allow businesses to issue invoices directly, prompting for payment when due. Research has repeatedly shown that businesses using online accounting platforms get paid quicker.

Security Security of data is a hot topic, with barely a month passing without some reports of cyber-attacks and data hacks. In June this year, Kreston Reeves found in a survey of businesses in Sussex and Kent that some three quarters had been the target or victim of attempted

cyber-attack or email fraud. Online accounting platforms offer state-of-the-art security, that leave your business finances out of reach from would-be hackers. And should any PCs or laptops be damaged or stolen, the data remains securely held in the cloud.

More and more businesses are moving their accounting into the cloud, with Xero, QuickBooks and Sage leading the market. All three are well supported by the accounting profession and by the major banks, allowing for real time bank account feeds, and by informed and professional help desks.

❝

Cashflow is king to any business and having that daily, real time picture allows business owners to make better informed decisions.

❞

Small businesses particularly benefit from cloud based accounting platforms, but at Kreston Reeves we are also seeing multimillion global businesses making the move, recognising the investment providers have made in their platforms and the benefits they offer.

For businesses considering the move it is important to talk first to your accountant.

Ask them for their experience in using your preferred platform and look for any accreditation. Kreston Reeves is, for example, a Platinum Partner to both Xero and QuickBooks, with 84 members of its staff

certified users. The firm has clients from 22 different industry sectors – from not-for-profit to retail, manufacturing to agriculture – using the online platforms.

This will provide you and your business with the additional comfort that should you experience any problems or have questions that cannot be easily answered, then your own accountant can step in and provide you with the support needed.

If your accountant is not familiar with these packages, then it is perhaps time to move, after all, entrepreneurial businesses deserve entrepreneurial advisers.

Dan Daly is a Business Advisory Manager at accountants, business and financial advisers, Kreston Reeves. He is a Xero and QuickBooks certified adviser and works with businesses across the South East helping them get the best out of their online accounting package. He can be reached by email: Daniel.daly@krestonreeves.com. www.krestonreeves.com.

FINANCE FOCUS 2017 – This year’s events will include demonstrations of the latest developments in online accounting.

– see our full page advert for more information.

business. tax. wealth.

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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.

For Business

For You

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

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

Award winning service from a firm who is there for you every step of the way

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LONDON

GATWICK

GUILDFORD

BRIGHTON

W W W.DMHSTALLARD.COM

CEO Fight Club

CEO

HABITS:

Never try to sell your business

By Si Conroy, owner of Scarlet Monday

I

find business owners tend to fall into two camps - those who think they want to sell their businesses at some point, and those who aren’t sure. The business owners who are clear they don’t want to sell are often seen as building lifestyle businesses, or as slightly mad.

In 2006, after only two years of being in business, Mark Zuckerberg - founder of Facebook - dismissed a $1bn offer from Yahoo! They were running at over $140m annual loss at the time. He permitted only ten minutes of board discussion according to Peter Thiel, one of the founding investors, in his book Zero to One. Was he mad? Hindsight tells a different story. As does Facebook’s net income ten years later - $10.22bn.

So why do I recommend never trying to sell your business? It’s simple. It shouldn’t matter.

Let me explain: Nothing should change regardless of whether you plan to sell or not. You should already be hiring the best people, developing and delivering the products and services your customers want, profitably, and with both an eye to cost control and future investment needs.

What would you do if you did sell? Fine if you’re at retirement age and the garden beckons. If you’re not, do you really want to start again? You may think it’s easier with a stack of cash in the bank and a gardener

Trying to sell a business is like dating. The harder you try, the less attractive you are.

People can smell the desperation. Confidently get on with being you and doing what you do and the best people will come to you. If you’re in a niche, people will find you. Most businesses are bought to accelerate the growth of an existing player. If it’s a strategic purchase from outside the industry you’re unlikely to find them anyway.

tending your magnolias, but it’s not. If you’ve got the business bug you’ll be back at it again, but you won’t be able to avoid all the same pressures you had when you were building the thing you just sold. So the bigger question becomes, ‘why are you running a business you don’t like?’.

Harvard Business Review puts mergers and acquisitions failure rates at anywhere between 70% and 90% (https://hbr.org/2011/03/ the-big-idea-the-new-ma-playbook). The ones that succeed are predominately where the acquisitor has something that can benefit the acquired business, and not the other way round.

So get back to work and wait for the phone call. That’s your signal that you’re running a business worth selling.

If your business is failing, trying to sell it won’t work because financial engineering doesn’t work. Any due diligence by an acquisitor adds back in the costs you’ve tried to strip out to massage profits. They correct the slightly grey revenue recognition you’ve used and are realistic about who will be redundant. Of course you have to stand your negotiating ground, but you can’t hide the truth.

Si Conroy specialises in helping business owners set and achieve stretching goals: sales, profit and 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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Business Event

T

he Sussex Economic Forum Conference 2017 will be an exciting event and the first of its kind in the region. The debate topics are vitally important to the local economy such as Sussex economic growth, the effect of Brexit, digital infrastructure, education, employment and road, rail and sea infrastructure.

One of the hot debates will, of course, be the effect of Brexit. Although the impact of Brexit on the British economy is uncertain, it is doubtful that Britain’s long-term economic outlook hinges on it. Things have changed a lot since 1973, when joining the European Economic Community was a big deal for the United Kingdom. There are arguably much more important issues now, such as whether productivity will recover. The shortfall in British productivity relative to its pre-crisis trend is still over 10%, so regaining that lost ground would offset even the most negative of estimates of Brexit on the economy. Britain has pulled ahead of the European Union in recent years, and it is expected that this gap will widen over the next few years, regardless of whether Brexit occurs.

SIR VINCE CABLE MP

The Forum will debate a wide range of topics that deeply affect our region and if you operate in the South East, this Conference is not to to be missed - but book now as tickets are limited.

SPONSORS

The Sussex Economic Forum Conference 2017 will open with a Gala Dinner on November 16th at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel with renowned keynote speaker Kriss Akabusi followed by the full day conference on November 17th.

Tickets for both events are available at: http://www.sussexeconomicforum.com/book-now

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HEADLINE GOLD SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS

FULL EVENT SPONSORS

KRISS AKABUSI

Business Event

Keynote Speakers

L ALAN WINTERS CBE University of Sussex

DAVID SMITH Sunday Times Political Editor

DR SAM WASS

STEPHEN LLOYD MP

SHEA BENNET Identity Digital

CHRISTINA EWBANK CEO, Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex

ANDREW GRIGGS Kreston Reeves

PETER KYLE MP

TIM NORWOOD Corporate Affairs, Gatwick Airport

HUW MERRIMEN MP

DR STEVEN GOSS-TURNER University of Brighton

MANDY BROOK CEO, The RSE Group

KEVIN GREEN CEO, REC

JOHN GILL Business Development Director, Network Rail

CAROLINE ANSELL Conservative Party politician

PAUL COX RMT lead for Southern Rail

CLLR DAVID TUTT Leader of the Eastbourne Borough Council

DAVID SHEPPARD Chairman, Sussex Chamber of Commerce

MEDIA SPONSORS

Organised by

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

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Book today: 01403 592592*

“Smart Monkey has provided us with marketing insight and tangible results that exceeded all our expectations at The Half Moon Kirdford. Thanks Beth and your brilliant team.”

Jodie Kidd The Half Moon, Kirdford

Smart Monkey help small and medium sized businesses in Sussex, Surrey and Kent generate revenue through digital marketing.

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PLATINUM PUBLISHING

www.smartmonkey.co.uk * Limited availability offer for companies in Sussex, Surrey and Kent on a first come, first served basis.

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Meet the Buyers

T

THE MILLION POUND EVENT

he annual Gatwick Diamond Meet the Buyers event took place at the Arora Hotel, Gatwick Crawley on 18th October, sponsored

by Gatwick Airport, the Gatwick Diamond Initiative and Crawley Borough Council. Designed to connect procurement teams from larger organisations with smaller local businesses, the event was deemed a success with 21 buyer organisations and 128 local suppliers taking part.

An estimated £1million of local business deals will be generated because of the event.

This year’s buyers, many of whom are blue chip corporates, believe it is an efficient way to meet potential suppliers. Balfour Beatty, Novo Nordisk, Thales and West Sussex County Council were among those taking part.

An advisory section was included this year, enabling national and local government representatives to provide guidance on how to secure contracts with public sector organisations. Seven pre-event seminars were also held across the Gatwick Diamond area, ensuring the local suppliers were prepared for the main sales event.

In total, more than £22million of business is estimated to have been done via the Meet The Buyers event in the 17 years it has been held in

the Gatwick Diamond.

Rosemary French OBE, Executive Director of the Gatwick Diamond Initiative said: “Meet The Buyers brings companies together united under a common purpose to boost local trade across the Gatwick Diamond. It’s great that through this project we’ve been able to demonstrate how using a local supplier can sustain existing jobs and create new ones by helping smaller firms to supply larger organisations.”

Councillor Peter Smith, Cabinet member for Planning and Economic Development at Crawley Borough Council, said: “I’m delighted that Meet the Buyers continues to be such a successful event. The Gatwick Diamond economy is going from strength to strength and it’s vital that our businesses are able to trade with each other where possible, keeping money and jobs local.”

Alison Addy, Head of Community Engagement at Gatwick Airport, said: “It’s been excellent to see so many great connections being made between buyers and suppliers today, with lots of positive prospects for business growth. We are delighted to be able to support the local business community in this way, working with our partners the Gatwick Diamond Initiative and Crawley Borough Council.”

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Business Awards

GATWICK DIAMOND BUSINESS AWARDS Now open for Entries!

T

his will be the tenth year for the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards and the event is gaining ever increasing attention in the region.

The Awards celebrate people and businesses who have shown innovation and inspiration in their work, and have demonstrated a real commitment to the sub-region.

Any business that is located in or trades in the Gatwick Diamond Region can enter for free – you do not need to be a member of any particular business organisation.

Closing date is 24th November 2017.

Last year’s winners

HOW TO WIN AWARDS

real competitive edge.

The awards have become one of the region’s premier business occasions - celebrating the best of the best across the Gatwick Diamond.

Dates & Venues:

Places are limited so please do not hesitate to attend and so gain a

To help you create an ‘Award-Winning’ entry, we will be delivering our “How to Win Awards” Seminars which are free to attend.

• 26th October, 9.30-11.00, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council

After ten years, there is a wealth of experience from winners and judges that can help you to achieve in these, or any other Business Awards programme.

• 15th November, 9.30-11.00, Crawley College

These free seminars will be interactive sessions for you to understand: • The point of entering • How to differentiate what you do • What the judges are looking for • What do Winners do?

There are three opportunities for you to attend these seminars, free of charge, to learn everything you will need to enter the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards.

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• 1st November, 9.30-11.00, Harwoods Jaguar, Crawley

Please book through www.Eventbrite.com by searching for ‘Gatwick Diamond Business Awards’ or go to the Awards website, www.GatwickDiamondBusinessAwards.com

WHY ENTER? The process of completing your application is free and will show you and your staff the great things that you do. It will also highlight the processes and practices in place as well as identify further opportunities for improvement.

Business Awards

THE CATEGORIES

SAVE THE DATE

◆◆ Business of the Year over £1m turnover – sponsored by NatWest

◆◆ Business of the Year up to £1m turnover – sponsored by Platinum Publishing Group

◆◆ Business Person of the Year – sponsored by KPMG ◆◆ New Business of the Year – sponsored by Basepoint Business Centres Ltd

◆◆ Green Business of the Year – sponsored by Crawley Borough Council

◆◆ International Business of the Year – sponsored by the Gatwick Diamond Initiative

◆◆ Manufacturing Business of the Year - sponsored by asb law

◆◆ The Award for Customer Delight – sponsored by Thakeham Group

◆◆ The Award for Supply Chain Excellence – sponsored by University of Brighton

◆◆ The Award for Developing People for Business – sponsored by Crawley College ◆◆ Apprentice of the Year – sponsored by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

◆◆ Employer of the Year – sponsored by Search Consultancy

◆◆ Responsible Business of the Year – sponsored

by University of Sussex School of Business, Management and Economics As this is the Tenth Year of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards, we will be recognising the winners from the past decade and finding the Business of the Decade, sponsored by NatWest.

If you have any questions on the Awards programme, on the Categories you should be considering or on how to complete your Entry Form then please feel free to contact us without delay.

The 10th Annual Gatwick Diamond Business Awards will be presented on 15th March 2018 at the Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick, by comedy legend and Strictly star Brian Conley.

Visit www.GatwickDiamondBusinessAwards.com for the Categories and further details and follow us on Twitter @ gdbizawards for Top Tips and to keep up to date.

HEADLINE SPONSORS B&CE The Peoples Pension – Extech – Gatwick Airport – NatWest

EVENT DELIVERY: Avensys Pro

♦ VENUE PARTNER: Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick

CREATIVE PARTNER: Storm 12 ♦ MEDIA PARTNER: Platinum Publishing Group

www.gatwickdiamondbusinessawards.com

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More destinations than any other UK airport

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Source: OAG schedules 2016

Adrenaline Junkie

ADRENALINE JUNKIE In the vein of an alcoholics anonymous meeting, My name is Maarten Hoffmann and l am an adrenaline junkie.

A

t my age you would have thought l would have learnt but no, the urge to feel that rush through my veins and that chainsaw in my guts has never diminished.

There comes a point where you accept that if you can’t beat it, live with it. So here was the event of a major birthday and the longplanned road trip with three supercars for a head to head trial. I could, of course, have lazily sauntered around France taking in the scenery and returned with a sweet little story of how the cars are quite fast but l cannot tell you how fast as the French police are bastards when they see a speeding UK plate and levy a fine conjured up upon sight of the value of the car, and you are unceremoniously marched off to the nearest cash point to cough up before they will release you or the car. Whether any of this cash sees its way into the government coffers is another matter entirely. So that wouldn’t do.

❝

It could have been fun with a Ford Fiesta, Skoda Superb and a Toyota Aygo but l was sure l could do better

❞

So l hatched a plan. Why not scream across the continent too fast to be stopped by any money-grabbing, cheese-eating, surrender monkeys, into Germany by the shortest possible route where, bless their cotton teutonic socks, they have no speed limits on the autobahns and then see what madness l can find to feed the adrenaline boost required.

But driving three cars at once is even beyond me so l also needed a crew. Step up Ben, Charlie, Mark, Tory, Bron and Paul acting as co-drivers and camera crew and we were hot to trot. Ben and Mark are highly proficient drivers in who’s hand the cars would be safe and the girls were bomb-proof passengers and great navigators, so now the only question is which cars to take. It could have been fun with a Ford Fiesta, Skoda Superb and a Toyota Aygo but l was sure l could do better.

The aim here was to review three subsupercars, what you might call everyday

The Adrenaline Filming and Driving Crew supercars. This would exclude the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston as they really cannot be driven everyday as the value plummets as the miles climb and trying to go to Asda in one of these for the weekly shop, is rather unpractical as errant door hits and trolley dents would knock thousands off the value. So l needed three sub-supercars that l felt were everyday drivers.

Step up the Jaguar F-Type SVR. Based on the standard V8 F-Type, the SVR is taken off the production line and secreted into the Special Vehicle Operations department for a few weeks and ‘tinkered’ with. As weight is the enemy of performance, they chuck out anything that is superfluous to requirements and work hard to save every gram possible.

The exhaust is made from titanium saving 16kg, the forged alloy wheels save 13.8kg, they redesigned the suspension knuckles to save 0.6kg and the carbon ceramic brakes save 21kg - you get the idea, this thing is lean and almost causes a sense of shame to sit my fat arse into it as that adds 13 stone! Then they fiddle with the aerodynamics to reduce drag and then, best of all, they recalibrate the

engine to deliver 575bhp and 700nm of torque that delivers 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 200mph. Then pop an all-wheel drive system in to ensure you don’t die when trying to corner.

❝

You might hear petrol heads like Clarkson and Evans bang on that you cannot be a true petrol head without having owned an Alfa, which is total poppycock

❞

Step up the Audi R8 V10 Spyder. The R8 has been with us for quite some time but never fails to stun. Essentially this is their R8 LMS race car brought to the streets with 40kg saved by cutting the roof off, a 5.2-litre engine that produces 540bhp and add a 7-speed S tronic transmission that changes gear faster than a

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Adrenaline Junkie human can blink and produces a 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds. Mid-mount the engine to give it a lower centre of gravity and Audi’s legendary Quattro AWD system and you have a monster waiting to be tamed.

Jaguar F-Type SVR

Step up the…… Oh, what on earth to match with these two? Here l thought l would try to step out of the obvious box and go with something a little left field. Step up the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (four leaf clover to you and l). Here is Alfa’s new supercar and the most powerful Alfa sedan ever produced.

You might hear petrol heads like Clarkson and Evans bang on that you cannot be a true petrol head without having owned an Alfa, which is total poppycock, as in days gone by they were total crap, broke down every five minutes, rusted like the Titanic and your days were peppered with stopping every hour to pick up things that had dropped off.

❝

As weight is the enemy of performance, they chuck out anything that is superfluous to requirements and work hard to save every gram possible.

❞

Audi R8 V10 Spyder.

Upon reaching your destination there was more of the car on the back seat than on the bloody car! Yes they were pretty and, when running, went like stink but that is not my idea of a good drive. And yes, l owned an Alfa in the shape of a GTV back in the day but it was a nightmare. So it was with some trepidation that l ordered the QV but the stats are irresistible. A relatively small 2.9-litre bi-turbo engine developed by Ferrari that, somehow, offers 510bhp and 600nm of torque and, as it is all aluminium, it is light and nimble enough to give the other two a good run for their money. The superb 50:50 weight distribution, rear-wheel drive and front engine, offers 0-62 is 3.9 seconds and on to 190mph - this had all the hallmarks of a titanic battle that would get the juices flowing. Oh, and it is half the price of the other two!

One further thing l think l should mention is that we had a television crew with us to ensure the entire adventure was recorded as a possible pilot for a new television show - a year in the life of a motoring journalist.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

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Adrenaline Junkie this from time to time, but this is one of the best soundtracks to emanate for the back of a car l have ever heard. It delivers a gorgeous pop and crack every time it changes gear and the overrun on the down shift was enough to make me realise that even sex with Heidi Klum is a very poor substitute for exactly what l was doing. It is spine tinglingly fantastic and totally addictive. Whilst thinking this and savouring my joy, Ben rudely flew past me in the R8 and the race was on. Side by side, we were hitting 180mph and smiling like baboons but at this speed, attention is the key as if it goes wrong, it goes spectacularly wrong and that would have ruined the trip, so laser focus was the order of the day as Mark came up behind and flashed for me to move over. That boys and girls, was not going to happen and at 195mph he started to drop back as with a top speed of 191mph, l knew l had him.

Maarten presenting to camera It was a warm and sunny Thursday morning when we departed Brighton with the ladies due to join us in a couple of days and that left us two days free to really see what these little tykes could do. I jumped in the SVR, Ben would have to be physically dragged out of the R8 and Mark clambered aboard the QV and it would of taken a team of 20 herculean men and a crowbar to get the smile off my face.

We took the Chunnel and were in France in a jiffy and then out of France as fast as sensible. By the way, a note of caution - if you take very expensive cars on the train book as a high sided vehicle, as then you get a wider wheel track in the carriage. The result of failing to do this was demonstrated as we alighted and stopped to empathise with a guy in a Lamborghini Aventador who was almost crying at the state of his wheel rims that were

scarred around their full circumference leaving him with a likely £5,000 bill.

France flew by after a quick filming stop at Dunkirk and then we entered Belgium at Veurne and with the surrender monkeys behind us, we opened the taps. Belgium flew by and we entered the mecca for petrol heads at a town called Aachen and we were free of petty rules and restrictions. Finally, the go pedal could meet the Axminster and it was time to see these bad boys could do.

No sooner had the Willkommen in Deutschland sign been spotted than we were hard on the gas and my true appreciation for the wizard technology and magical skill of today’s vehicle designers came to the fore.

The SVR leapt into action without pause and the needle was showing 150mph in the blink of an eye and, l know l might bore you with

Charlie is only small but we found her the perfect car

❝

A relatively small 2.9-litre bi-turbo engine developed by Ferrari that, somehow, offers 510bhp and 600nm of torque

❞ Now a funny thing happens at these speeds.

As your focus is absolute, you cannot stop noticing out the corner of your eye that the scenery starts to merge into a green blur as l used to see in the old Star Trek shows when they went to hyper-drive and the passing stars

They thought this very funny when they saw the shop name in the background

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Adrenaline Junkie

The R8 relaxing in the German mountains transform into one constant streak of light.

The cars l was passing were there and then gone in a flash and it is tough not to ponder what would happen if you got a puncture or a bit of detritus flew up off the road and shattered the windscreen but if you have these thoughts you would never do anything so to hell with that and onto 200mph. I hit it at 17.48 on August 24th 2017 and l note it as l have never travelled at 200mph in a car before and therefore that is the exact time my cherry was taken.

The car was steady as a rock and just feeds confidence into the cockpit but there was a slight lifting of the nose that was a tad disconcerting and, at 201mph, l lifted off and realised that my hands were bloodless from the death grip on the wheel, l was a little sweaty and l had forgotten to breathe for an age.

After a whip through the Eiffel Nature Park, at speed, we arrived at our first stop-over in the mountainous forest to find a picture postcard village called Monschau that caused a little embarrassment. The ancient old houses crowd round the tiny cobbled streets and the thundering sound of the three cars in unison caused windows to rattle, dogs to bark and the locals to stick their heads out of the windows. But this is Germany and they love

46

fast cars so within a minute of parking up, the cars were surrounded by people looking like they wanted to lick them and asking a barrage of questions.

The next day... we awoke to the obligatory church bells echoing off the mountains and after a hearty breakfast comprising some very odd sausages, slices of cheese and bread that gave a good impersonation of a concrete speed bump, we were off to the cars. It is called a Full English as we really are the only folk that can produce it!

❝

The SVR leapt into action without pause and the needle was showing 150mph in the blink of an eye

❞

It’s rather lovely to fetch up at the cars and have to consider which one l will drive today choices, choices, choices. Mark was looking all dewy eyed at the SVR, so l plumped for the R8 and Ben didn’t look too distressed at taking the QV and we were off again. Within minutes we came across a sign that announced The

Shaker Road. This long straight road framed by tall trees gave absolutely no indication as to the origins of the sign and we left it wobbling in the wind as we stormed passed only to find out how good these £8,000 carbon ceramic brakes really are we were forced to step on them to save our fillings. My god, l have never encountered such a bumpy road in my life and as good as these cars are, they are not known for their forgiving suspensions and as we retreated to 40mph, l was still trying to work out how quick l could get an appointment with my dentist. Not only were they not the slightest bit bothered by this nightmare road, they saw fit to erect a sign proudly announcing it rather than fix it. I guess their joy came from watching twits like us try to drive on it.

Today we had to get to Cologne airport to collect our passengers and the journey time in the SatNav said 58 minutes. 27 minutes later, we were at the airport and some very excited ladies deplaned and we were now six up. As pleased as l was to see them l could not stop from worrying about what this would do to the weight distribution of our respective cars!

Stand by your beds and prepared to be shocked to your very core, as the next two days involved no driving!!! Well, not by us anyway.

Adrenaline Junkie Early Saturday morning we proceeded to a little Belgium town called Aachen and proceeded to a little Belgium town called Spa-Francorchamps, Now for those of you uneducated in the ways of obsessive petrol heads such as l, this is a very important little spot buried in the Ardennes forest. This is home to the Belgium Formula One Grand Prix and one of the most historic of such sites.

They have been racing here since 1925 and, such is the changeable weather, that at one time it rained on every race for twenty years straight. I had, of course, advance ordered good weather and the sun was shining brightly and although we would not be driving (even l couldn’t fix that) there would be a splendid weekend of madcap racing to behold.

❝

l have never travelled at 200mph in a car before and therefore that is the exact time my cherry was taken.

❞

I will not bore those non F1 fans with the details but the finest driver of our generation, Brit Lewis Hamilton, charged to victory in his Silver Arrow Mercedes and l duly cheered my lungs out whilst Ben and Tory looked glum as they think he is a knob. A knob he might be people but he is the fastest knob we have ever seen and he is a Brit!

We spent the weekend there watching first qualifying on Saturday and then the race on the Sunday along with 70,000 others and

sauntered back to our hotel with a momentary pang of anti-climax that the weekend was over - until l remembered what l had planned for the next day………..

There’s a fair bit of adrenaline to be had watching the fastest cars on the planet race at over 230mph, 1 inch from the ground and within an inch of each other but it is secondhand as l was only watching - that is just not good enough, so the next morning we made our way, at speed, to a patch of grass near Rue de la Sauveniere in Southern Belgium to meet with a charming chap called Ronald Emonts who would accompany us on our next adventure - the highest skydive it is possible to undertake without oxygen. Herculean men and crowbar required again!

With the sun shining like a jewel, l selected the Alfa and we headed South to a little town The Spa Circuit

Continued on page 50

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Adrenaline Junkie

I

had managed to convince four of them to jump, but one look at it was enough to encourage Mark and Tory to bottle it and that just left Ben and l as the sacrificial lambs to the slaughter. A free-fall skydive is one of those things l have never done but always wanted to and now was as good a time as any to tick that off the bucket list, so we spent an hour filming and then suited up before the pretty intense briefing session.

We would fly aloft in a tiny plane to 25,000 feet and then jump. As we walked out to the plane in our rather fetching yellow jumpsuits with the rest of the crew shouting good luck, the blood drained from my face as l realised what were actually about to do. Me and my big mouth saying l wanted the highest jump possible. Shackled to our jump-masters, we boarded and were aloft in a jiffy whilst urgent instructions were screamed in our ears. ‘Don’t do this or you will die. Don’t do that or we will all die’ and so it went on until they had exhausted all their instructions and we were left to look out of the window and consider our fate. Shit, this was high and we were not there yet. Suddenly, the door was flung open, a guy jumped out and they slammed the door shut again. That was a pussy low-jumper, l was informed as we climbed higher and higher.

Ben and l looked at each other and l could see he was thinking what l was thinking - what the bloody hell were we doing here and we were too young to die? Ten minutes later, and having passed through the puffy white clouds, we were still climbing! A further ten minutes and with the sky above us blackening as the atmosphere thinned, there was activity and the door was thrown open once more. Please don’t tell me this is another ‘low’ jumper as at this point l thought l saw the international space station below us!! Stand by, stand by.

Oh shit.

Ben and l shuffled towards the gaping chasm that was the door looking like a pair of bulging bananas, pale and a tad queasy, we shook hands and Ronald said l was the first to go. And there l was, sat on the floor with my legs hanging over the edge and feeling the full

Posing with the jump crew from Spa Skydiving

power of hurricane force winds and looking down to see - nothing. We were so bloody high that l couldn’t see the ground just the tops of the clouds a long, long way below me, looking like cotton balls through the wrong end of a telescope. As the thought screamed in my head that ‘Perhaps this is not such a good ide.........’ l was pushed out the door.

Now at that point, everything slowed down.

I was in full free-fall at over 140mph, virtually unable to breath with my chest being battered by wind as hard as a house brick and was only brought to my senses when l was thumped in the chest. I totally forgot that l had a cameraman with me who was trying to get me to react to the camera whilst in free-fall alongside. If he had come close again l would of ripped his head off but then realised that l should wave. So I waved and did the thumbs up and realised that l was having the time of my life. Falling to earth from 25,000 feet is stunningly fantastic and the 55 seconds in total free-fall seemed like a day and a half but it was just superb, and l experienced an acute sense of disappointment when he signalled that we should pull the chute. Reluctantly, we pulled and after the initial jerk everything calmed down as we were floating down to earth in total peace and quiet and seeing the ground for the first time.

Now, not to miss a trick, the Director had arranged for the R8 and SVR to be positioned on the grass landing strip so that he could film us landing between the two cars. I now saw them below me and felt Ronald trying to manouveur into position so as not to hit the cars. Yeah, that would be a good idea, let’s not land on the cars as how the hell do l explain that to the manufacturers that loaned them to me - ‘Oh, sorry but l landed on your car from 25,000 feet and it is now 8 inches closer to the ground and the roof has an impression of my head in it’!

Not to worry as Ronald was a top professional competition stunt jumper and he brought us in perfectly between the cars with cameras on us from every angle on the ground and we slid to a halt. Absolutely the only thing l could think of was ‘I want to do that again, and again, and again’.

If you have never done it, do it before you kick the bucket or you will kick yourself.

Sitting in the bar watching the film back with us all laughing like Hyena’s, l felt a trickle of disappointment that it was all over and, as the adrenaline coursed out of my body, l pepped up when l recalled what l had planned for tomorrow.............

So happy we are still alive

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Adrenaline Junkie called Nurburg. The Alfa was singing all the way but l could not help feeling that it didn’t feel as special as the other two cars. It is fast, agile and well planted but does it feel special? I was a little disappointed that l had given up the R8 and the SVR for this car and that pretty much sealed my view on which car would come third in the test. We checked into the Lindner Congress & Motorsport Hotel and if that doesn’t give you a clue as to what we were about to do, read on.

❝

We had three of the fastest cars in the pits, so here goes nothing.

❞

There is only one race circuit in the world that is classed as too dangerous for Formula 1; only one track in the world that has killed so many drivers over the years; only one track in there world that fills petrol heads with a mixture of fear and excitement. That track is called the Nurburgring, or, as Jackie Stewart called it ‘The Green Hell’. The Germans, ever practical, have classed this ex-racetrack as a ‘one-way public toll road’ therefore ensuring that you can run it without specialist race insurance or helmets. There is a barrier at the start which lifts once you pay your 25 Euros and off you go to meet your fate. We had three of the fastest cars in the pits so here goes nothing.

The Ring is an incredibly unforgiving place but is known as the best 13 miles of tarmac in the world. With the exception of a handful of bends, there’s no run-off: if you fail to make a bend, you’re going to hit something hard. Worse, most of the bends and crests are blind, so the chances of one accident leading to a second one are also relatively high, and it averages 12 deaths per year and too many serious injuries to even count. The extra problem is that you all share the track - fast cars, race cars, family hatchbacks, motorbikes - you can drive anything on the

Ring. Motorcyclists should (and indeed must) wear full protective gear, but it’s highly advisable to wear a helmet in a car also. In one crash, the driver was wearing a helmet and the passenger wasn’t: the driver survived, the passenger was killed and his head was found an hour later.

One study estimates that 15% of those killed in car crashes would have survived had they been wearing a helmet. Oops, we hadn’t brought helmets but hey ho and off we go. It is also advisable not to try to time your laps as that leads to death and destruction but l knew that the best times in our cars were SVR 7 minutes 33 seconds, R8 7.34 and the QV 7.32 so they were very evenly matched although set by the finest race drivers on the planet. If we got under 15 minutes, we would be doing well.

I first took the R8 as with such a low centre of gravity and four-wheel drive, l deemed it the right car to ‘test’ the Ring. The power of the R8 is impressive and the cornering speeds often defy belief. It corners on rails and surges out of the corners with such a sure footed stance that is begs you to go faster. The dash warning lights looked like an eighties disco but l ignored them and and surged on. That first lap was 11.32 which is not too shabby for a first run. Once back in the pits, we all looked at each other like grinning maniacs and traded stories of near misses and accidents we had witnessed before we all switched cars and launched off again. This time, l took the SVR and although four-wheel drive, l noted the tyres screaming on each bend and the slight tendency to understeer, which l hate. I love oversteer, as once you feel the back going, you can catch it but there is nothing to counter oversteer but to lift off and l did not come here to lift off. The sheer speed out of the corners is awe inspiring and, again, that noise just begs you to go faster - which l did until l came over turn 14 and encountered a race prepped M3 in the barrier. The fleeting thought of oil on the track sliced through my mind by which time l was passed it and into turn 15 and back in race mode. I was not overly impressed by the cornering ability of the SVR under full load but it will give you a lovely tail wiggle under full acceleration as it screams out of corner after corner. I managed 10.29.

❝

There is only one race circuit in the world that is classed as too dangerous for Formula One

❞

The Green Hell

Back in the pits with more manic giggling and rapid water consumption from my crew to replace the gallons lost from perspiration, l hear Ben, Charlie, Tory and Mark lauding praise on the Alfa with me thinking this lot obviously don’t know how to drive as nothing can beat the feeling of the sheer power of the Jag and Audi.

I should have known something was afoot when, mingling with all the other fruitcake drivers in the pits, they would walk past the SVR and the R8 and crowd round the Alfa. Odd. On the last lap, l was close to losing the Jag when l saw Ben behind me and the red mist descended with the determination not to let him past so, for the final lap in the Alfa, l let them both go five minutes ahead so that l could get a clear run. Now don’t get me wrong, the Quadrifoglio is a very fast car but with two-wheel drive and front engine, it cannot touch the other two - surely?

There can often be some very expensive surprises around every corner - keeps you on your toes!

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Oh my giddy aunt! You quickly realise that power ain’t everything. It’s the speed you can enter and exit corners that matters and, of course, the most important thing is the balance of the car and how quickly you can get the power down. The Alfa was a revelation. The weight

Adrenaline Junkie £111,000. On the track, it is not so sure footed and seems like it wants to get away from you much of the time. The Alfa on the road is a tad dull and uninspiring but give it its head on the track, with hot brakes and in manual, and it wipes the floor with the other two. At £62,000 it is a fraction of the price of the other two and, rumour has it, that the engine developed by Ferrari is a test bed for the engine in the all-new Dino coming soon.

But, and this is a big but and resulted in many heated wine soaked evening discussions with the crew, we don’t live on tracks. We go to work on the B2330 or the M23, we pick the kids up from school, we have to go shopping and park in drab municipal car parks and we have to take Granny to the doctor. But (again) that is not the point of a supercar. If you can afford these prices then you have another car so do all that banal crap in that car. A supercar is designed for you, the driver. On that basis, although the R8 is an astonishing piece of kit that is brilliantly put together and is quick enough to make your eyeballs swivel, it is rather flash with a boot the size of a hankie. I say that as for the entire week it was stared and pointed at and that gets old very quickly. For me, the best all-rounder is the F-Type SVR. It looks gorgeous, drives superbly, sounds orgasmic and is ‘slightly’ understated - oh, and it is £21,490 cheaper than the R8 and that my friends, will buy you 107 laps of the Green Hell. Sold.

TECH STUFF JAGUAR F-TYPE Model tested: F-Type SVR Engine: 5.0-litre V8 supercharged Power: 575bhp Performance: 0-62mph 3.5 seconds Top: 200mph Economy: 25.0mpg combined Price from: £110,880

AUDI R8 split of the car is close to perfect and it will put its nose into the bend instinctively, at just the right angle, and then tidy itself up in the corner to be in the right place to exit thus allowing you to get the power down a smidgeon earlier than anything else out there. Drive it in auto and it’s pretty lifeless but use the paddle shift to fully explore the rev range and the thing absolutely flies. I managed 10.05 in the Alfa and trying to get anything better than that would have demonstrated where my talent runs out so l retired to the pits. The only thing you have to ensure is that the brakes are hot as, when cold, they are non-existent and for ceramic brakes that is mighty odd. As l arrived there were two grinning monkeys in the shape of Ben and Mark waiting for me with looks of huge expectation on their red and sweaty faces. Well?

I clambered out of the car with a grim look on my face before splitting it from ear to ear and we all fell over laughing and agreeing that, on the track, the Alfa won hands down.

So what’s the final result? The R8 is a stunning piece of technology and on the road is tough to beat for £132,000. On the track, the Quattro system is constantly trying to help but it doesn’t, it just gets in the way. The SVR is the best looking car and has a noise that l will take to my grave with me and, on the road, is an absolute barnstormer at

Model tested: R8 V10 FSI Spyder Engine: 5.2-litre Power: 540bhp Performance: 0-62 3.5 seconds Top: 197mph Economy: 22.1mpg combined Price from: £132,370

ALFA QUADRIFOGLIO Model tested: Giulia Quadrifoglio Engine: 2.9-litre V6 bi-turbo Power: 510bhp Performance: 0-62mph 3.9 seconds Top: 191mph Economy: 33.0mpg combined Price from: £61,000

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Adrenaline Junkie

TRAVEL INFORMATION HOTEL HORCHEM Our first stopover was in the beautiful little village of Monschau near the Eiffel Nature Park and it’s in a valley surrounded on all sides by granite peaks and tree lines hills. It is so typically German that it is a little like a Hollywood film set, with a river running through the centre of town, cobbled streets and beautiful ancient buildings crowding the small shops and bars. Surprisingly, the hotel offered us a modern three-bed apartment that was spacious, impeccably clean and well-equipped and the restaurant served fantastic veal schnitzel and a boggling array of German beers. For some odd reason, l ordered a Pina colada and, rightfully, took a lot of stick for it.

Hotel Horchem Rurstarsse 14, 52156, Monschau, Germeny. www.horschem.com

NOVATEL, AACHEN For our visit to the Belgium Grand Prix, we stayed about 45 minutes away in the German City of Aachen.

To visit Spa at this time of year, you really need to book a year in advance otherwise, like us, you end up a while away but the Novatel was highly efficient and one of the only hotels we had to pay for as all others we supplied, most generously, by the various tourist boards. My only complaint is that their cancellation terms are non-existent. If you want to cancel two minutes after you book, you can’t, which when you are on business, is a nightmare. I had to cancel one cameraman’s room and ended up having a row with the CEO of Novatel, Germany who finally agreed but this should not be the case. Having said that, it’s a good hotel with everything you need and right in the centre of everything. A tad bland but they do have a great bar..

Novatel Aachen Peterstrasse 66, 52062, Aachen, Germany. www.novatel.com/aachen

LINDNER MOTORSPORTS HOTEL Once we arrived at the Nurburgring, we checked into the ultimate petrol heads paradise. With a race prepped Porsche GT3 in the lobby, l knew l was in the right place. Situated right in the centre of everything with the old GP track a yard behind it and a roller coaster flying across its roof, everything is cars. The bar, restaurant and lobby have car images everywhere and all the rooms are named after famous tracks or race drivers. Best of all, there are gob smacking supercars at every turn either coming from, or going to, the Ring. You can tell the ones coming from the Ring as their brakes are on fire! I could happily live here. The rooms are huge, with balconies that look over the track, fridges, safes and direct dial and everything is impeccably clean, with staff that really cannot do enough for you and fully understand why you are there. The car park is arranged for cars with trailers as so many people trail their cars here rather than driving all the way and, in the evening, the bar is full of people swapping stories of their exploits during the day. If you want to visit the Ring, this is the only hotel in which to stay.

Lindner Congress & Motorsport Hotel Stefan-Bellof-Strasse, 35320,Nurburg, Germany. www.lindner.de

SPA SKYDIVING If you want to jump, this is the only place to do it. Great instructors, safety first and a video of your jump within 15 minutes. They could not do enough to help us and, importantly, they have a 100% safety record. A special shout out to Executive Manager and Lead Instructor Ronald Emonts who took such good care of us and arranged for the cars to be on the landing strip.

www.skydivespa.be

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Brighton Summit

EMBRACING THE UNKNOWN Brighton Summit 2017 in pictures

F

or the fifth consecutive year, Brighton Chamber organised the Brighton Summit – a packed day of inspiring speakers, interactive workshops, great food and plenty of quality networking. Over 300 people from the city’s business community turned out to enjoy an exciting line-up of activities throughout the day. In response to certain current affairs and the rocky business landscape, the theme for this year centred around embracing the unknown. Businesses discussed their challenges and shared knowledge, learning from the program of expert speakers and workshop leaders.

“I think the event is one of the best I have ever been to due to the complete lack of ‘corporateness’. Couple that with the extremely high calibre of attendees who really care about their area of expertise. I am following up over 35 leads with gusto.” – Daisy Cresswell, co-founder of Liberty842

“The food was delicious, and such a nice change from the usual conference fare.” – Vikki Haffenden, University of Brighton.

“A slicker, more content laden event could not be found anywhere – indeed it gets better year by year.” – Emma Cleary, Ten2Two Sussex “Make the Brighton Summit an annual fixture in your business calendar!” – Maarten Hoffmann, Platinum Publishing Group.

Stay tuned to the Chamber’s website and social media for details of next year’s Summit as well as more information on membership and our yearly program of Chamber events.

www.businessinbrighton.org.uk/ www.facebook.com/brightonchamber www.linkedin.com/company/969585/

High growth keynote Ciro Romano aka Love Supreme Jazz Festival in conversation with Steve Bustin on bucking the narrative in the music festival market:

Opening keynote speaker Daisy Cresswell co-founder of Liberty842 discusses the power of social media:

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Brighton Summit

Economist and author Guy Standing received a standing ovation after his talk on alternatives to the broken economic system:

Fantastic healthy food provided by Spade and Spoon

Photos by Simon Callaghan

55

Business Awards

HOTEL AWARDS T

he Brighton and Hove Hotelier Awards is back for the fourth year running, with the event taking place at The Grand Brighton on Monday 20th November 2017. Following the success of last years event, which was attended by 400 guests from predominantly local Brighton businesses, this year promises to be another successful evening celebrating the whole host of fantastic accommodation providers across the city.

Organised and sponsored by The Grand Brighton, this years title sponsor is Bidfood with further sponsorship from Christie & Co, RBS, Platinum Business Magazine, The Argus, Afonwen, Gemini Print, Visit Brighton and Unity Talent, with staffing on the night being provided by HIT Training.

The Grand Brighton’s General Manager, Andrew Mosley comments: “The awards are a celebration of the success and the comradery of the hospitality industry in Brighton and Hove. We want to raise the quality of the industry through friendly competition and highlight publicly that everyone is stepping up their standards."

Award categories include property of the year, warmest welcome and the award for charity and community to name a few. The judging process is in full swing and finalists will be announced at the end of October on the Brighton and Hove Hotels Association website: www.brightonhovehotels.co.uk.

THE AWARDS CEREMONY • Date: Monday 20th November 2017 • Venue: The Grand Brighton • Event details: Drinks Reception, 3 Course Dinner & Awards Ceremony • Ticket Price: £25 for BHHA members - £40 for non-members

For tickets contact: Lydia.Champion@grandbrighton.co.uk

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Business Awards

WORTHING’S BIG NIGHT DRAWS NEAR The Adur & Worthing Business Awards take place at Worthing Pavilion on 10th November. For tickets and more information go to www.awbawards.com WHO WILL BE THE BIG WINNERS? THE SHORTLIST Start-Up Sponsored by Adur & Worthing Council • Here & Now Media Ltd • Freedom Works Ltd • Refsix Ltd • Vertex Joinery Ltd • Vanilla Pod Beauty

Small Business (up to 9 employees) Sponsored by Adur & Worthing Business Partnership (AWBP) • ColourFull Kitchens Ltd • GoGecko Recruitment • Hit Refresh Marketing • Priavo Security • The Beauty Island Sanctuary • Wall Bothers Carpets & Flooring

Medium Business (10 to 49 employees) Sponsored by Allergy Therapeutics • 5 Rings Group • Prosperon Networks • Proto Restaurant Group • Spicer International Ltd • The Protein Ball Co

Large Business (50+ employees) Sponsored by Worthing Pier, Southern Pavilion • Egalite Care Ltd • Gardner Scardifield Ltd • South Downs Leisure • The Gemini Print Group • Worthing Homes

Business Personality Sponsored by The Martlet Partnership • Keren Lewis • Lauren Tapp • Sandra Crathern • Sharon Clarke • Steve Cropper

Manufacturing & Engineering Sponsored by Carpenter Box • Allergy Therapeutics

• Nordell Ltd • The Protein Ball Co • Vertex Joinery Ltd

Young Achiever Sponsored by Lancing College Preparatory School at Worthing • Abbie Kimber • Ben Griggs • David Kemp • James MacDonald • Jodie Rogers

Customer Service Sponsored by Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce • Prosperon Networks • Spicer International Ltd • Towbex Ltd • Wall Brothers Carpet & Flooring • Warnes Projects Ltd

Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure

Green Business Sponsored by Sussex Transport • A Greener Alternative • Kenads Printers • Nature Shop • Proto Restaurant Group

Retailer Sponsored by Worthing Town Centre Initiative • Gardner & Scardifield Ltd • Shore Being Natural Foods • The Garden Pantry • VJG Jewellery • Wall Bros Carpet & Flooring

Place to Eat and/or Drink Sponsored by Bennett Griffin Solicitors & Notaries • Ami Bistro • CrabShack • Food Restaurant • The Egremont Public House • The Hummingbird Restaurant

Sponsored by Southern Water • RopeTackle Arts Centre • South Downs Leisure • The Egremont Public House • The Hummingbird Restaurant • Worthing Rugby Club • Worthing Town Centre Initiative

Building & Construction

Innovation

Business in the Community

Sponsored by Kreston Reeves • ColourFull Kitchens Ltd • ECE Architecture Ltd • Jacks & Jones Estate Agents • Refsix Ltd • The Protein Ball Co

Sponsored by Bowers & Wilkins • 5 Rings Group • ECE Architecture • Gardner & Scardifield Ltd • Robert Luff & Co • Whitebox UK

Training & Development

Lifetime Achievement

• Sponsored by MET - Greater Brighton Metropolitan College • Egalite Care Ltd • Innavision • Proto Restaurant Group • Riocardo • Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce

Sponsored by JSPC Computer Services • To be announced on the night!

Sponsored by Gardner Scardifield • ECE Architecture • Empire Construction Group Ltd • Roberts & Co Construction Ltd • Warnes Projects Ltd • Vertex Joinery Ltd

Overall Business of the Year Sponsored by: Electronic Temperature Instruments Ltd • To be announced on the night!

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Education News

DIRECTORS, PRODUCERS, WRITERS & ACTORS

T

his year saw the fourth incarnation of ‘Hurst in Rep’ at Hurst College, with five different plays performed over the course of a week, and 90 students from years 9 to 13 working together on productions mainly directed from within the student body.

This part of the Hurst Drama calendar has become a popular forum for Extended Project Qualifications (EPQs) and is a perfect platform for students to explore the skills required to write and direct productions.

In addition, the works themselves have focused on producing theatre that is there to challenge and inform audiences; and to use the stage as a conduit for exploring topics which are relevant to the students’ lives in a creative process. The plays are hard-hitting

at times but powerful with it and provide an opportunity for students to develop their confidence and maturity to put across messages that they might struggle to articulate in other environments.

The plays, written and directed by the Upper Sixth students Anna Rawlings (Eyewitness), Poppy Phelps (The Difference Between Us) and Virginia Campbell (Melantha) provided sell out audiences with intriguing storylines and staging which was experimental and ideally judged for studio based theatre.

Eyewitness was based on the wrongful conviction of Ronald J Cotton for the rape of Jennifer Thompson in 1984.

Melantha took the form of a modern

day performance based on Ancient Greek tragedies. The structure, themes and plot devices being parallels of what would be traditionally observed in the ancient genre.

The Difference Between Us was a delicately crafted exploration of the differences between boys and girls as they grow up.

Alongside these three original pieces there was also a performance of Evan Placy’s Banana Boys directed by Lower Sixth student Katie Tuson and an original devised piece, From Nothing Comes Nothing, directed by new Head of Academic Drama, Liam Harris.

A thrilling week of theatre for audiences and performers alike.

Luke Gasper, Director of Drama

Dance is the hidden language of the soul

Rewarding children for: Confidence, Curiosity, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Commitment and Craftsmanship* For a private tour, please call our Registrar on 01444 483528 or visit www.greatwalstead.co.uk *Claxton, G. and Lucas, B. 2015. Educating Ruby. Carmarthen, Wales: Crown Publishing.

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Town Profile

BURGESS HILL Historically, what started as a rural settlement, Burgess Hill became one of the fastest growing towns in the county during the mid 20th century. Now, over half a century later, there is no stopping this thriving West Sussex town, whose future is looking extremely bright.

Plans for the Regeneration

TOWN FACTS POPULATION 30,635

GENDER Males 14,947 Females 15,688

AGE GROUPS 0-17 years 6,898 18-64 years 18,652 65+ years 5,085 Ref: Census 2011

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T

he future is certainly looking bright for Burgess Hill with exciting plans to put the town on the map as a highly desirable place to live, work and play. With a £65m retail and leisure investment planned at the existing Martlets Shopping Centre, Burgess Hill’s goal to become a thriving hub for employment is now a reality.

With new homes and business parks planned, giving way to thousands of new jobs, the regenerated town centre will be transformed into a vibrant and thriving retail and leisure hub for people who live and work in the town.

New River Retail are investing £65m in re-developing the town centre to deliver significant improvements to both daytime and night time economies. The new town centre will include a multi-screen cinema, hotel as well as improved dining-out offers and shopping

experiences. Planning permission has been granted and major works are expected to start next year.

In addition to the new town centre, Burgess Hill will see an additional 5,000 homes delivered over the next 10-15 years and two new business parks. This will be supported by implementation of significant sustainable transport improvements – funded by over £10m investment from the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Councillor Garry Wall, Leader of Mid Sussex District Council said: “Burgess Hill is set to benefit from one of the most ambitious growth projects in the region with nearly £1bn of Public and Private sector investment. Mid Sussex District Council has been working hard with stakeholders to ensure this investment delivers a new and exciting town centre as well as new purpose built business parks. These

TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL

A plan of the Burgess Hill development sites and the addition of thousands of new homes will help boost the local economy by providing hundreds of jobs for local people.

“Burgess Hill and the surrounding area already has a thriving and progressive business community but this scale of investment

will boost the local economy still further.

Transport infrastructure investment, already identified and agreed, will improve the towns connectivity and build on the excellent road and rail links already in place.

“These significant growth plans are well

advanced and will be supported by the District Council’s refreshed economic strategy, helping to ensure that Burgess Hill continues to flourish and becomes a magnet for future investment in Mid Sussex.”

With many referring to Burgess Hill as

Burgess Hill Regeneration

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL the ‘best connected place in Sussex’, it’s no wonder that many city dwellers have decided to make the move out of larger cities to towns where prices are a fraction of the price. Burgess Hill has a higher rate of home ownership, either outright or via a mortgage than the national average, suggesting that Burgess Hill is a relatively affluent area.

Indeed, the standard of housing is high and there is a busy and vibrant town centre, with a strong education system.

Burgess Hill School for Girls is the most famous education institution in the town. A Telegraph Top 100 rated independent school in Sussex, Burgess Hill School for Girls was praised for its many strengths and excellent pastoral care in its ISI report. A short drive away is Great Walstead in Lindfield, a vibrant Co-Ed independent prep school, and only a mile or so outside of Burgess Hill lies Hurstpierpoint College, which provides a route into further education. Local primary schools Birchwood Grove and Gattons Infant School, as well as St Paul’s Catholic College, all boast ‘Outstanding’ in their Ofsted reports, with many others close behind, including St Wilfred’s Catholic Primary School.

With commerce and community at the heart of Burgess Hill, it’s no wonder that the town holds such a prestigious business status.

It is part of the Gatwick Diamond Business area and boasts the second largest business park in Sussex, with around 300 companies, employing over 8,000 people. Filofax has its UK headquarters in the town; Technetix has its Global headquarters in the town; HPC Precision engineering which manufactures parts for some of the most iconic British cars, and Roche (Swiss), the leading pharmaceutical and in-vitro diagnostics healthcare company both have their UK offices in Burgess Hill.

American Express, Porsche and Rockwell

Tourist Hotspots Andrea Witchell, Customer Services Section Head at Burgess Hill Town Council, manages the Help Point and Tourist Information Centre in Burgess Hill. When asked why Burgess Hill is good for both business and pleasure, she said: “Burgess Hill boasts the second largest business park in Sussex and is home to a number of international businesses. It is ideally situated at the “Crossroads of Sussex” and has easy access to the motorway network, two railway stations which provide an excellent service to London and Brighton, and is strategically placed for Gatwick and Heathrow international airports.”

Andrea’s top five places to visit 1. Green Circle Network. It’s a ring of green space around and within the town. The network provides easy access to open spaces, connected by a series of traffic-free routes.

2. Triangle leisure centre is a sports and leisure complex offering a wide range of leisure and recreational facilities.

Triangle Leisure Centre

3. Bedelands Nature Reserve – The nature reserve consists of ancient meadows, woodland, hedgerows and ponds.

Collins are all included. There is also a well connected Burgess Hill Business Parks Association.

Sue Fleet, Founder and Managing Director of Lea Graham Associates, and director of Burgess Hill Business Parks Association explains why Burgess Hill is a great place to do business: “Whatever type of business you’re looking for, you’re likely to find it in Burgess Hill. There a rich diversity of businesses and a genuine sense of community which is the life blood for many of the organisations in the town. I’m proud to be a director of the BHBPA and really enjoy the camaraderie within the Association.”

The town centre also offers a wide range of independent shops and high street stores,

Bedelands Nature Reserve

4. Batchelors Farm – With sweeping views across open countryside to the South Downs, Batchelors Farm has become a popular beauty spot.

5. Orion Cinema – An art deco façade with two screens showing the latest mainstream releases.

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL

Burgess Hill Town Centre as well as two large shopping centre - Market Place and the Martlets, which will be redeveloped over the coming years - and the central thoroughfare of Church Road the pedestrianised Church Walk.

Burgess Hill - A Brief History Located in the Mid Sussex district of West Sussex, close to the border with East Sussex on the edge of the South Downs National Park, Burgess Hill was, for most of its existence, rather small-scale and rural.

Until the 19th century, most of the present town was open common land, used for grazing animals and farming. By the 1600s, a small scale brick and tile industry had flourished, and the town gained popularity and increased traffic when Queen Victoria resided at the Royal Pavilion for almost a decade.

Things began to significantly change when the London to Brighton railway line opened in 1841, transforming what was mainly an insignificant rural settlement of around 900 people to 4,300 by the end of the 19th century. Many of the Victorian detached houses and workmen’s terraced cottages have survived from this period, a time in which Burgess Hill was also renowned as a health resort - a health hydro was opened at Wynnstay and people came to Burgess Hill to be cured of their ailments. It was then in post war years that Burgess Hill saw its greatest expansion - the population almost doubled and it was said that Burgess Hill was the fastest growing town in south-east England.

Up until 1974, Burgess Hill had always been listed as being in the historic county of Sussex, however due to a local government reorganisation, it swapped from being part of the county of East Sussex to the shire county of West Sussex, where it remains today.

Major redevelopment followed in the early 1990s with the creation of the Indoor Market Place Shopping Centre, the construction of the A2300 Link Road to the A23/M23, the grand opening of the Triangle Leisure Centre - opened by the Queen in 1999 - and 1500 new homes.

Located with ease to the countryside (Ditchling Common Country park lies just east to the town) and two nature reserves - Batchelors Farm and Bedelands - Burgess Hill has become a rather flourishing and pleasant place to live and do business.

strategically located at the centre of the Sussex transport network, with an approximate journey time of 50 minutes to London and 15 minutes to Brighton, (Burgess Hill railway station is located on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink) Burgess Hill now boasts over 30,000 (2011 census) residents and has plans to extend this further with the major town redevelopment scheme.

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

1. The Triangle Leisure Centre, was one of the venues supporting the 2012 London Olympic Games, and served as a base and training centre for teams from around the world.

2. In 1897, the Victoria Pleasure Garden s were opened by butcher Edwin Street, in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jub ilee and contained a three acre lake, which was used for boating and ice skating. The gardens closed in 1939 and the area is now Victoria Business Park.

3. Burgess Hill has its own baseball team , which plays in the British AAA league, as well as its own rugby team, known as the Sussex All Blacks.

With a thriving community spirit, a strong business ethos, and

Burgess HIll Park

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Company Profile

CAFFEINE BOOST You’ll be surprised how little it costs to keep employees happy with great coffee

T

he rise of the coffee culture is something all employers should take seriously, as many studies have proven good quality coffee in the workplace can boost employee productivity, engagement and overall attitude towards work.

Branded outlets like Costa Coffee and Starbucks dominate the high streets, and with the average coffee costing around £3, this can really add up. By contrast, the ingredients for a cup of barista-quality Esprada® coffee would cost no more than 20p (including sugar, milk, cup and lid), and with recent advances in bean-to-cup technology, the range and quality

of beverages is arguably superior to their high street counterparts. The benefits of providing high street quality coffee for nothing will greatly outweigh this tiny company investment.

Giving employees free perks helps them feel valued, and in-house refreshments encourage communal coffee drinking which boosts social engagement, improves teamwork interaction and communication skills. As well as the money saving and social benefits of providing workplace coffee, studies have shown there are many cognitive benefits too, thanks to the caffeine in coffee - keeping employees more awake, alert and focused.

Esprada® has over 30 years’ experience in helping workplaces in Burgess Hill, Sussex and surrounding counties to boost their employee happiness and productivity by providing a

complete coffee service.

Call us on 01444 259650 to request a free 4-week trial of our coffee machines and ingredients or arrange a demo at our showroom*. Quote ‘PLATINUM’ to receive a free limited edition Esprada® travel mug with your trial or demo. * Terms and conditions apply

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Visit esprada.co.uk Oakwood House, 7 Victoria Way, Burgess Hill, RH1 5 9NF

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Call 01444 259650 or email info@esprada.co.uk to request your 4 week trial or book a demo now!

HAVE WE CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION? Now let’s get YOU noticed!

Social Media WE LOVE SOCIAL

PR

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Contact us 01444 241 341 hello@rosemediagroup.co.uk www.rosemediagroup.co.uk For news follow us on:

@rosemediagroup For pictures follow us on:

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@rosemediagroupltd

TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL

THE EMPLOYMENT LAW LANDSCAPE AFTER BREXIT Legal comment by Harry Sherrard, Principal Solicitor at Sherrards Employment Law.

A

lthough the impact of Brexit will reverberate through our lives in the coming years, both at work and at home, substantial changes to the employment law regime does not appear to be Government policy, at least for now.

would conduct a “bonfire of rights.” However, on current evidence this is wide of the mark, and there are no indications that any of the European Regulations which have made their way into UK employment law will be repealed.

In a fact sheet on Workers’ Rights published by the Department for Exiting the European Union, the Government states that: “The Repeal Bill will ensure that workers’ rights that are enjoyed under EU law will continue to be available in domestic law after we have left the EU.” The fact sheet goes on to point out that, contrary to popular belief, in many respects the employment protections enjoyed by UK workers exceed those required by EU law.

However, later in the fact sheet the Government states: “The legislation we intend to bring forward will not make changes to the rights that workers have in the UK, but will instead correct legislation to ensure it is fit for purpose after exit.”

During the Brexit referendum campaign, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn predicted that in the event of leaving the EU, the Government

This wording leaves the door open for the Government to amend the effect of some regulations in the future, presumably on the basis that their impact adversely affects Britain’s competitiveness in the new world order.

Leaders in Employment Law providing “commercially driven and practical advice” Sherrards is a leading specialist employment law firm, providing employment law advisory services, HR consultancy and employment related training from our offices in Sussex and at Heathrow. Praised by the leading directories of the legal profession for providing “commercially driven and practical” advice our clients include organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors.

With five specialist employment lawyers we can offer you fast, efficient and practical employment law advice. Our no-nonsense, business-minded approach will help you to get to the root of the problem and deal with it effectively – and legally!

Human Resources Do you need expert input for an HR project? Or are you looking for a made-to-measure HR service? Whatever the size of your organisation, a Sherrards Human Resources Consultant can deal with the spectrum of modern business issues. If you would like to know more about how we could meet your HR needs please contact our HR Team today.

Head Office: 4 Albourne Court Henfield Road Albourne West Sussex BN6 9DB Tel: 01273 834120 email: advice@sherrardslaw.com

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Heathrow Office: Abbey House 450 Bath Road Longford Heathrow Airport UB7 0EB Tel: 0208 757 5670

www.sherrardslaw.com

TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL

ROSE MEDIA GROUP

It’s all looking rosy for Burgess Hill based digital marketing and PR agency.

You were originally a PR company - what made you decide to set up a PR firm?

I was craving a new adventure! I’d been working for other people for eight years within the manufacturing and IT industries and I wanted a change. I’d worked my way up with each new job, learning more each time, building contacts and my confidence. I soaked everything up and one day I just thought, “I’d love to work for myself, what’s the worst that could happen?!”

My experience of working with PR agencies wasn’t very positive.

As a client, I needed a high level of service, attention to detail, great coverage and to be made to feel important – basically, to get what we were paying for!

I set up Aneela Rose PR in 2004 and promised my clients that I would be involved in all projects and our charges would be a fair reflection of the quality of work provided. We’ve never looked back.

Why in Burgess Hill? What do you like about the town?

I’ve worked here since 1997. It’s a great location with a buzzing business environment and a supportive network of like-minded people with ambitious plans. Our office is right in the heart of the town centre, and we can’t wait for the redevelopment to start. Change is good for business and I believe Burgess Hill is a place to watch in terms of growth and success.

Your ethos is all about good story telling. How did you come to this viewpoint?

Understanding what makes a good story and then being able to tell it in a particular way to provoke a reaction from a certain audience, has been at the heart of my work for twenty years.

Good PR is about engaging your audience and immersing them in your story. I’ve been writing about products, services and people my entire career and when you see your client’s name in lights as a result of communicating their story in a really great way, it’s an amazing feeling.

Essentially we are the bridge between a client’s message and who they want to reach: we create the content that connects the two.

At which stage did you recognise there was a need for a digital marketing arm?

Back in 2012, a B2B client asked me if they should use Twitter and I couldn’t answer them! Embracing the challenge head on, I quickly acquired the knowledge I needed, and realised there were huge opportunities with all my existing clients. Joining up PR with digital marketing has been a thrilling journey with amazing people around me, supporting and advising the whole way.

Why should a company choose Rose Media Group?

We are a digital agency with compelling PR advantage.

What was your biggest break?

Aneela’s motto: To achieve what you have never achieved, you must do what you have never done.

A chance encounter at an event with the Marketing Manager from iconic Tower Bridge back in 2009. We hit it off straight away and a few days later he invited me to the bridge to discuss PR. This was the first prestigious brand for us, a global name and a huge opportunity to drive footfall to this world renowned tourist attraction.

Aneela was awarded the Sporting Excellence Award at October’s More Radio Awards 2017 for her personal achievements in national powerlifting. Her sporting success has helped to focus her in growing Rose Media Group with the adoption of a growth mindset. In the December issue, Aneela will share further insight into this way of thinking.

As a result of our work, the bridge saw a 33% increase in event bookings, 13% increase in visitor numbers leading to a 20% increase in income overall.

You can contact Aneela on aneela@rosemediagroup.co.uk 01444 241341 www.rosemediagroup.co.uk

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Company Profile

STEVE WILLIS TRAINING

S

teve Willis Training has been offering gas, plumbing and electrical training in Burgess Hill since 2000, gaining a reputation for high quality training for both established tradesmen and young people entering the professions.

❝

More than 500 apprentices have started their careers at Steve Willis Training

❞

The training centre on the Sheddingdean Business Park has well-equipped workshops and classrooms, and a knowledgeable training staff with a wealth of industry experience.

More than 500 apprentices have started their careers at Steve Willis Training, and it’s one of only three centres in the whole country to offer such a wide range of gas courses.

Managing Director Steve Willis is Burgess Hill born and bred, and is committed to the town: “Burgess Hill is the ideal location for our business and we have customers from London, the south coast, and everywhere in between.”

It is still a family business with his two daughters working in the offices after completing their own apprenticeships. He is proud of how far the business has come since he set it up 16 years ago, and says, “It took lots of hard work with plenty of red tape to overcome along the way, but now turnover has risen from just over £100,000 in the first year to close to £3 million and we have 50 employees. There’s also no doubt about the positive knock-on benefits to other local businesses in the area.”

Steve is a keen supporter of the Burgess Hill community, and contributes to a variety of local causes. Through a longstanding relationship with Burgess Hill District Lions the business supports the Burgess Hill Youth

HELLO Do you need an injection of creativity to turbo-charge your marketing, grow your business and build your brand?

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charity, and also sponsors Burgess Hill Rugby Club.

Steve Willis Training Centres has over 16 years’ experience in training for gas, plumbing and electrical apprenticeships and short courses.

For more information call 01444 870860 or visit www.stevewillis.com

TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL

E-mpower.IT is based on Victoria Road in the Burgess Hill Business Park and provides managed IT services and IT support throughout London, Sussex and the South East. However, unlike other IT providers, we actually say that first and foremost we are more in the customer service business than the IT business. Why? We recognise it’s not just about just about the services we offer, it’s not just about the technical skill and capabilities we possess, it’s not even just about how we approach a problem (which we are very good at) but, more importantly, it’s about offering the level of customer service you would want and expect from a professional IT Support provider. E-mpower.IT prides itself in offering a very high standard of customer service but never one to be complacent, we recently carried out a feedback survey with our customers to find out if they agreed.

Once the results had been collated, we were delighted to see that they confirmed what we thought. E-mpower.IT scored well in the

following key areas: • Friendliness and courteousness of e-mpower.IT staff –100% advised they were very satisfied or extremely satisfied • Speed of service – 93% were very satisfied or extremely satisfied • The ability of e-mpower.IT to define and understand our client’s needs - 96% were very satisfied or extremely satisfied • Their overall satisfaction with e-mpower.IT – 100% rated very satisfied or extremely satisfied We believe all these areas are paramount to a client or potential client when working/choosing an IT Supporting provider - ‘what we do is a given, it’s how we do it that makes us different’.

Tel: 01444 250404. Email: sales@e-mpower.it. Web: www.e-mpower.it

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Business Association

PROMOTING BUSINESS IN BURGESS HILL The Burgess Hill Business Parks Association (BHBPA) has created a business community which supports its members and the town

B

usiness is booming in Burgess Hill. What was once a quiet commuter town is now a destination of its own accord - home to more than 300 organisations, two bustling business parks, and a workforce of thousands.

It’s a far cry from the town’s humble beginnings as a manufacturer of bricks and tiles. A century ago, Burgess Hill was less known for business and more for leisure. Its main attraction was the Victoria Pleasure Gardens, opened in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee with a three-acre lake and a rudimentary rollercoaster which hovered above the water.

The gardens have long since been replaced with the town’s flagship Victoria Business Park, the second largest industrial estate in Sussex.

The park now contains warehouses, factories and offices for everything from SMEs such as PVL UK to international corporations like HPC and Roche Diagnostics.

A second estate, Sheddingdean Business

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Park, opened in 1986 and is home to companies such as Accelerated Mailing & Marketing, Steve Willis Training, Steve Mooney Machinery and Albion Business Computers.

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There is talk of two new business hubs to be built to the west of the town…

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The town’s growth brought with it several attempts to unify local businesses into a formal association. “There were a number of business groups between the 1980s and early 2000s,” remembers Susan Fleet, director of the Burgess Hill Business Parks Association (BHBPA).

“But the BHBPA was the first truly cohesive and unified organisation, bringing together companies from all across Mid Sussex and

further afield.”

That unity emerged in 2004, when a group of Burgess Hill business people united with Nicholas Soames MP over a common goal: to prevent occasional groups of travellers from camping out on their premises and thus making their operations more difficult or, in some extreme cases, impossible.

One thing led to another, and the BHBPA was formed out of the meetings. A paid coordinator was hired to summon the assistance and support of local councils and the police to ensure that disruption to business was avoided in the future. By the end of 2006, a Steering Group had been established, a Chairman and a group of Directors were appointed, and 45 companies had enlisted as paid members.

It wasn’t until January 2007 when the BHBPA took on its current appearance, with former schoolteacher Peter Liddell appointed as coordinator.

TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL “At first, it was a little tough going,” says Peter. “Few people knew what the BHBPA was and even as Burgess Hill businesses flourished, it’s fair to say they did so largely in isolation.”

But by 2010, the association was seeing signs of growth. With 100 members on its roster, an annual exhibition of business was established in the town. A regular weekly newsletter became standard, a series of networking events for members was established and membership increased steadily.

“People seem to like our style – we don’t hassle people, we aren’t stuffy, prim or prissy.

We like our events to be fun, and we like to bring businesses together for anything from finding employees, sharing spare furniture, or promoting business opportunities.”

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People seem to like our style – we don’t hassle people, we aren’t stuffy, prim or prissy.

We like our events to be fun, and we like to bring businesses together

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Nowadays, the Association has more than 165 companies on board. It is chaired by Paul Shearing, managing director of Autowise with David Shore, managing director of Time24 sharing directorship with Susan Fleet from Lea Graham.

In May, BHBPA hosted its first ever BHBiz Awards at the Brighton Amex Community Stadium. More than 300 people attended the event, with awards recognising everything from companies’ fundraising efforts to their environmental policies.

“What makes Burgess Hill special is that it has an incredibly friendly, helpful community of businesses who are willing to help each other out,” says Paul Shearing.

With business booming, Burgess Hill is turning its eyes to the future. There is talk of two new business hubs to be built to the west of the town in association with the University of Brighton, and redevelopment of the entire town will begin shortly.

“Burgess Hill is in prime position, both figuratively and literally, for expansion,” continues Paul. “The future is looking bright.”

HERE’S WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE SAYING David Shore, Managing Director, Time 24 Ltd Sussex is full of many business networking organisations but the BHBPA is more than that. It is a mutual support community, a neighbourhood watch scheme and a business networking group rolled into one. In most organisations like this companies tend to come and go but at the BHBPA companies rarely leave. They stay and look out for each other.

Jaffer Lokhandvala, Director, e-mpower The BHBPA is much more than a typical networking group and is quite unusual in that respect. It has grown into a dynamic organization whose presence and influence on business issues in the area provides a useful mouthpiece for local businesses while at the same time helping to bring those businesses together through regular networking meetings and well-written weekly newsletters. As Business Parks Co-ordinator, Peter Liddell plays a key role in ensuring the business community is informed of what is happening and encouraging local businesses to come together. The newsletters also includes just the right amount of information needed, focusing on current events and various matters of interest. Meanwhile, the networking meetings offer a friendly and very informative chance for local businesses to meet up and often includes presentations made by the hosting company and visiting speakers. BHBPA is a great role model for others looking to create a similar business park association.

Steve Willis, MD, Steve Willis Training We’ve been a member of BHBPA for over ten years, and in that time we’ve seen it grow from a small group of local companies to a highly regarded business network. As a business we benefit from supportive working relationships with the other members, and also from having access to their wide range of expertise. When we all get together at big events such as the Awards or Exhibition, you really feel the sense of community in the Association.

Nick Broom, Managing Director, PVL UK Ltd The BHBPA is an energetic and vocal organisation that connects and empowers and informs the local business community acting as an effective conduit to local authority and other organisations. We are proud to be part of that community and the association.

Tamara Roberts, CEO, Ridgeview Wine Estate We have been members of the BHBPA for over 5 years now and it’s an association that we feel has been of the greatest benefit to both the business and our employees. We regularly attend the meetings, hold meetings ourselves, take part in their social events but most importantly, we have built-up trusted and valuable relationships with other member companies by doing business with each other. We wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the BHBPA to other local businesses to promote their company and create new contacts.”

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Company Profile

A BASE FOR BUSINESS No-hassle, flexible office space in Burgess Hill

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mall businesses, entrepreneurs and start-ups have been the real success story of the last few years and are helping drive the economic growth of the region. One of the key factors for these businesses is flexibility – they don’t want to be tied down with long office contracts.

That’s why many members of Burgess Hill’s local business community have chosen Citibase’s flexible and affordable fully serviced business centre. David Foley, Commercial Development Manager said: “Citibase takes care of all their office needs, leaving businesses free to focus on what’s really important – running and growing their business.

“We offer a huge range of fully furnished office suites from one person spaces to much larger, to cater for businesses at all stages of their growth. Whether it’s a short-term contract or a base for the longer term, with immediate availability and superfast internet, it’s as simple as bringing in your laptop, plugging in and you’re away.”

Citibase Burgess Hill occupies a handy and central location right by the town centre so all the local shops, cafes and amenities are right on the doorstep. The railway station is an easy 10 minutes’ walk for fast and frequent services across the region including to Brighton, Gatwick and London Victoria. Whilst for those travelling by road, it’s only three miles to the A23.

As with their other nearby centres in Brighton and Horsham, Citibase Burgess Hill customers benefit from a friendly and efficient concierge team, business support and admin services, superfast internet, choice of IT and telecoms packages, personalised call handling and much more.

David Foley continued: “We also offer the perfect venue to host any meeting with a variety of affordable, smart meeting rooms, all available by the hour. And you don’t even need to be a Citibase customer to hold your next meeting or event at one of our centres.

“Whilst for those small businesses who want a prestigious postal business address and bespoke phone number answered in your name, a Citibase Virtual Office package could be the ideal and really cost effective option. You can enjoy all the freedom Citibase offers without actually being based there so are ideal for anyone working from home, on the move, or just wanting to test out a new location.”

To help businesses succeed, Citibase Burgess Hill is offering the first month’s superfast internet absolutely free when signing for a minimum of six months. Simply quote ‘Platinum Business Magazine offer*’

To come and see what Citibase can offer, join them for a tea or coffee and no-obligation viewing. Simply call 08444 993 373 or visit www.citibase.com for more.

Citibase Burgess Hill can be found at The Forum, 277 London Road, Burgess Hill RH15 9QU. *T&C’s apply – see citibase.com for details.

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL

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Take back control An effective and affordable alternative is a remote IT Helpdesk, which provides all of the benefits of specialist in-house support, without any of the overheads:

measure the success of the remote support provided, so IT support contracts actually tend to work harder for your business than an inhouse team might.

• Cutting costs: This bespoke level of support means that, ultimately, a business IT support contract can cost a company significantly less than hiring an in-house team, and grants access to a skill level that would otherwise be unlikely to obtain.

For more information about any of the services we provide, give us a call on 01444 238070.

• Specialist support: Off-site support means that you can enjoy access to an established team of experts and professionals that would otherwise take years to cultivate in-house.

• Speedy solutions: This team of dedicated specialists are just the touch of a button away, providing expedited troubleshooting for all of your IT support needs. In our experience, the vast majority of the time (sometimes around 90% of the time), technical issues can be solved remotely.

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Company Profile

TRAVAIL

EMPLOYMENT GROUP “Travail?” We are used to the question, and our response of, “It’s the French for work,” is appropriate because that’s what we do. We work with businesses across East and West Sussex easing their recruitment workload.

In 2006, Director Judi Arditi knew, from talking to Burgess Hill businesses that recruitment was often a frustrating process.

They knew that local people wanted work but were finding them hard to access.

As then, we are still the only Commercial/ Industrial Recruitment Agency in the town and we have been assisting employers continually with their recruitment over the last 11 years.

Success breeds success, and we are the highest performing branch in the Travail network.

As a result our client base has extended dramatically across East Sussex and West Sussex.

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A person’s character is as important to the success of a role, as their skills and experience, and it’s fair to say we have a talent for spotting talent!

❞ Burgess Hill, due to its road, rail and airport links is home to several international organisations, and hundreds of SMEs. The link between them is recruitment and that’s where we step in. We resource for temporary, contract and permanent personnel across many sectors including Finance, Administration, Customer Service, HR, Accountancy, Sales, Business Development and Marketing to name a few. We equally extend our expertise and services to Warehouse, Production and Technical roles. Whatever the vacancy, we provide cost effective and time efficient solutions.

The ease of transport equally applies to

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candidates who travel to and from the town, to their place of work. We are passionate about helping them to fulfil their career potential, regardless of the sector; we want to find the job that suits them best. CV’s are important but existing clients trust our in-depth knowledge of our candidates. A person’s character is as important to the success of a role, as their skills and experience, and it’s fair to say we have a talent for spotting talent! To date in 2017, we have found new jobs for over 450 applicants in Sussex.

Why work with us? Well, our clients tell us that we are not a typical agency, and that our high level of service eliminates the need for them having to take those numerous calls from other agencies. We are proud that over 90% of our business is repeat and the retention rate for candidates placed is high.

There’s no complacency and we always work in partnership with businesses, regardless of their size. All are unique and whilst we work with many, we can guarantee you will receive a personal service from our established team.

Never has there been more of a need to keep abreast of changes in the work place.

Employment legislation is affected by local, national and global influences and there are many of those around at the moment.

We’re on it! Our up-to-date knowledge and extensive experience means we can give you the results you want.

We are pleased to offer special rates to readers before the end of 2017.

Travail Employment Group, travailsussex@btconnect.com 01444 244 204.

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Company Profile

PREVIEW VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP Your business brand is one of your most valuable assets and focusing on the branding of your business has never been so important. Consumers form a first impression of a brand’s logo within 10 seconds. It takes a further 5-7 impressions for consumers to remember the logo. Have you thought about how you are portraying your brand; at your site, online and on the road?

P

review Visual Communications Group, comprising of PVL UK, Preview Creative and Art D’Signs, provide a full and focussed range of marketing, graphics, signage and vehicle branding services to clients throughout the UK and beyond.

Preview Creative offer marketing, design and digital development working with a wide range of organisations to build their brands and reputation. We create engagement with their audiences both on and off-line to deliver business results.

With headquarters in Burgess Hill, the group are a specialist team with over 40 years’ experience and delivering on an international scale. We design, manufacture and deliver a full branding service for businesses on site, online and on the move.

Art D’signs provide a range of high quality signage and graphics to the local area and became part of the Preview Group in 2012.

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The way that PVL innovate new ideas gives us the opportunity to promote our brand in a unique way.

Jeremy Taylor, Chief Executive of Gatwick Diamond Business.

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The Preview Group have over 40 years’ experience in all types of vehicle wrapping including the Harry Potter buses at the Warner Brother Studio Tours. Expert fitters undertook the work literally wallpapering the vehicles with lengths of printed vehicle wrapping films.

The reputation of the group was secured further with the win of Wrap of the Year 2016 at the BSGA Sign & Graphic Awards. The clever building blocks branding project was for the Gatwick Diamond Business car and the judges said it was the first 3D interactive car wrap that they had encountered. We have been

shortlisted for another BGSA award in 2017 too.

“We are delighted with the creativity and execution of the design for the gdb Car. The way that PVL innovate new ideas gives us the opportunity to promote our brand in a unique way. Our current message of ‘building business connections’ is clearly reinforced by the visualisation using child’s building blocks in 3D on the car.” - Jeremy Taylor, Chief Executive of Gatwick Diamond Business.

Periodically, The Preview Group runs open days to catch a glimpse of behind the scenes. how we operate as a company and how much goes on at our busy manufacturing plant. How we keep brands looking vivid; on site, online and on the move.

For more information on what The Preview Group can do for you please visit: www.previewgroup.co.uk or call 01444 258 980.

PVL are taking their respected expertise in reflective safety markings around the globe,

helping Emergency Services and Governments introduce vehicle markings that increase visibility in all conditions and literally help save lives on the road. In the past 5 years, PVL has established distribution partners in Belgium and the USA and a branch office in Abu Dhabi to service a growing list of Middle East clients.

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TOWN FOCUS BURGESS HILL Company Profile

TIME 24 T

ime 24 are one of the original founders of the BHBPA and are one of its biggest growth stories. Turning over almost £15 million with sites in Burgess Hill and the Czech Republic the electromechanical Contract Manufacturer has provided the wiring and electronics on over 12,000 Rail Carriages, 500 Aircraft Simulators, 1500 Radiotherapy Machines, 40 Oil Platforms and 1,000 Aircraft.

The business was founded by university friends David Shore and Mark Willifer and they are previous winners of The Sussex Business Awards, Microsoft European Top 500 Growth Award, and Sussex Top 60 Growth Award.

Time 24 have always been major supporters of the local community from sponsoring roundabouts and football teams through to supporting a wide range of charity events. The company boasts a very loyal workforce with many of the staff being with Time 24 for over 20 years.

Time 24 are also entering a very successful time with contracts recently won for Crossrail Rolling Stock, London Underground Platform Doors and significant increased volumes of Aircraft Simulator demand.

Time 24 have also provided product for the Bloodhound supersonic car, for The National Lottery Systems Infrastructure, for the Boeing Dreamliner and for the Diamond Light Source Particle Accelerator (similar to the Hadron Collider). Time 24 Managing Director David Shore commented “Burgess Hill has always been an excellent place to locate a business and we will continue to support both the business, general and charitable communities as much as we possibly can “

THE BURGESS HILL STATIONERY SUPPLIES & OFFICE FURNITURE SPECIALIST Paper Plus is an established, family-run company who have been helping businesses and schools with their stationery supplies and furniture for over 18 years.

The warehouse and offices are located in the thriving Victoria Business Park in Burgess Hill, meaning they’re well placed to service Mid Sussex and the surrounding areas.

Whether you require office furniture, health and safety equipment or paper and stationery supplies, Paper Plus have got it covered, all at competitive rates and with fast and free delivery on orders over £50.

Visitors are always welcome at the Trade Counter where you’ll find some extra-special clearance deals (and maybe even a free chocolate bar!). Alternatively, simply call or email during office hours to speak with a member of our friendly customer service team.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK: “Always a pleasure doing business with you!”

John Hodges, Business Manager “Well done!! I cannot recommend you highly enough.”

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“A personal email to you all. Just want to say thanks so much for the quick, and brilliant service you have provided me with over the last few weeks.”

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Jason Harris, Reprographics Technician

T: 01444 238 050

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Table Talk

And so to Food

by Amanda Menahem

Bedales in Borough Market

T

he month kicked off with a visit to Borough Market, a meander through the sights and smells of this classic foodie institution. Now considered somewhat ‘gentrified’ and therefore less hip than some of the grittier and less ‘polished’ newer food markets such as Maltby Street and Brixton Village, I still find it fabulous (even more so at Christmas when I can be found slightly tipsy, clutching a glass of champagne in one of those novel plastic flutes) and well London Bridge is somewhat more convenient.

A perfect cup of coffee from cult roasters Monmouth provided much needed energy for a day of eating and wine tasting. But it was a mistake to turn up hungry. I proceeded to wander around in a bit of a daze procrastinating over what to eat – would it be a venison burger? Or falafel? Or paella? (no the carbs!)

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It was a mistake to turn up hungry. I proceeded to wander around in a bit of a daze procrastinating over what to eat – would it be a venison burger? Or falafel? Or paella? (no - the carbs!)

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I then spotted one of my favourite venues - Bedales, a wine shop and tapas bar and the perfect perch from which to survey the comings and goings of the market. Here I had a glorious chicken liver mousse, lightly whipped and served as a large quenelle with some

toasted sourdough (of course) and a glass of house champagne. Stomach suitably lined off we went to taste wine for the afternoon.

Back at London Bridge several hours later and hungry again, my companion and I headed to the restaurant Roast – a much lauded restaurant situated above the market (and this is just one of so many good restaurants here). This refined and elegant space affords great roof top views of the market and the London Bridge area. The food was as good as I expected. I chose grouse while my guest chose the slow cooked ox cheek and sides that included roast potatoes.

All perfectly cooked and washed down with a carafe of Saint Joseph (a northern Rhone red – mostly Syrah). A lovely end to the day and a fitting way in which to start a week that was to end with a trip to Glastonbury to attend a detox retreat.

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Table Talk I have never gone without food. This has always struck me as ridiculous, something I swore I would never do.

But I kept reading about the health and anti-ageing benefits (of which there is now so much scientific evidence, it is hard to ignore) and well, I felt like challenging myself.

Regular readers know of my detox – retox lifestyle. This is totally necessary. Since leaving the corporate world, my lifestyle has become less disciplined with weight control somewhat more challenging.

I do actually enjoy retreats where I get to hike or run in beautiful countryside and eat delicious healthy food and just simply get away from it all. It’s a wonderfully restorative thing to do and I have a few favourite places. But I have never gone without food. This has always struck me as ridiculous, something I swore I would never do. But I kept reading about the health and anti-ageing benefits (of which there is now so much scientific evidence, it is hard to ignore) and well, I felt like challenging myself. I wanted to see if I could do it. After all food is pretty much my life. So could I go without?

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off at the last minute and check into my favourite Babington House, tantalisingly only ten minutes up the road. But I did it. All five days. And I can honestly say… it was horrific. The hunger did not subside after the first couple of days as so many people profess and promise. Oh no. Not at all. I was utterly miserable. That said, I lost a noticeable amount of weight and got lots of comments on how great and ‘fresh’ I looked. My stress tracking metrics (did I tell you I am a health tech fanatatic?) were all annoyingly the best they’ve ever been. So clearly something good had happened. But was it worth it?…no.

And a mere week later I was eating in one of the world’s best restaurants. Famine to feast, from Glastonbury to Girona, balance was finally restored. Read my review on page 84.

I have to admit I was dreading it. It took all my willpower not to turn

The grouse at Roast

Chicken liver mousse at Bedales

Roast in Borough Market

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Table Talk

Review

El Celler de Can Roca One of the best restaurants in the world?

by Amanda Menahem

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ewly svelte from a week of fasting, I was ready and primed to ruin it all at a restaurant twice ranked number one in the world.

El Celler de Can Roca is located in the medieval city of Girona, about 60 miles north of Barcelona in Spain. There is much to enjoy about this medieval town in the heart of Catalunya but that’s not for this article.

El Cellar de Can Roca opened in 1986 but moved to a stunning purpose built modern building in 2007. It’s a family affair with the Roca brothers - the chefs and proprietors - having grown up amongst the pots and pans of a family restaurant. The history and story are told within the dishes of the menu. Some may argue a bit poncy, some may argue artful. Either way restaurants and meals like this are not designed to be just ‘dinner’; this is epicurean theatre. An immersive four-hour experience delighting the senses.

The langoustine

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The Roca brothers received their first Michelin star in 1995, followed by a second in 2002 and the third star in 2009. In 2013 and 2015 it was ranked number one in the World’s Best Restaurants. It is currently ranked at number three.

The dining room forms a triangle shape around a glass atrium which houses a collection of poplar trees, adding elegance and drama. A fairy light lit entrance opens out onto a cosy and romantically lit outdoor terrace where aperitifs and digestifs can be enjoyed. We were shown to our table, a large space made private with carefully designed pieces of furniture to divide the space. It felt like we had our own private area but without feeling cut off.

We were given the wine list. Well, I say list, it was three huge books wheeled over on shelves! Feeling overwhelmed we decided to go with the wine flight. This meant we were totally in their hands and didn’t

Pine Wood Dessert

Table Talk need to be bothered with any form of decision making. We were free to be looked after and entertained. And that we were.

A wonderful Cava kicked things off, generously topped up while we enjoyed our series of canapés. Each presented as a work of art displayed on specially made pieces of sculpture – three sets in all. The canapés were the most impressive I’ve had. Each complex and skilfully made with little explosions of flavour. The restaurant is known for the avant-garde whilst respecting food traditions - epitomised by the olive tree hung with “olives” made of green olive ice cream and flavoured with anchovy – a clever take on the common Spanish bar snack. I recall a wonderful mini ragu cannelloni, an intensely mushroomy mousse and a soft mini bun filled with meat and topped with truffle.

Then it was on to the first of 13 courses. A consomme of red mullet - an intense fishy hit, dark and rich yet light. The second course was more impressive. Oyster four ways, with different flavour combinations (black garlic, apple, seaweed, sea anemone) and a fennel and oyster sauce. The next dish was probably my favourite in its utter simplicity, harmony of flavour and stunning quality of ingredients. A langoustine with sagebrush, vanilla oil and toasted butter. The langoustine was one of the best I’ve ever tasted and simply prepared, poached in butter making it rich and bringing out the sweetness of the flesh, perfectly complimented with a buttery aerated sauce with hints of vanilla. A sublime and stunning dish.

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The restaurant is known for the avant-garde whilst respecting food traditions epitomised by the olive tree hung with “olives” made of green olive ice cream and flavoured with anchovy.

Olive Tree

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Mackerel, prawn and cuttlefish dishes featured next - all lovely but then followed a slightly disappointing dish for me - a piece of turbot with a vegetable sauce. This was ordinary having followed such magnificence.

Then it got meaty. Duck with corn and figs - perfectly pink duck breast with a creamy sweetcorn sauce and rich fig jus. Followed by Iberico pork and a lamb dish both wonderful with interesting combinations. The true highlight for me was next the squab civet (pigeon), a visually intricate and impressive dish with amazing depth of flavour. This is a dish that I will always remember.

Of the three desserts I was very taken with Pine Wood, a pine honey ice-cream covered in ‘earth’ made of chocolate spiced with thyme, rosemary and oregano. It sounds like it won’t work but it does and of course this is the skill of a truly creative chef. This dish had me excitedly texting my head chef…

The final dessert was a disappointment to me – ‘Old Book’ – a Darjeeling mousse, butter cookie pastry wafers with book print imprinted onto each wafer and essence of ‘old book’ dripped onto the dish at the table. I thought it was all a bit ‘meh’; the mousse bland and the wafers papery. This was the only dish I felt was art over flavour. But I was a lone voice, my dining companions absolutely loved it and the ensuing debate almost sparked a row, such is the passion that a good meal can elicit!

The wine list

Then a series of six petit fours ended arguably the most theatrical meal I have ever had.

You would think that we would be stuffed by the end. In fact no. We were all just nicely full. You see this is the skill of a truly exceptional tasting menu, it should be well timed and well portioned such that you do not leave feeling uncomfortable.

Over the four hours, the size and pace of each course was perfectly judged. This is the kind of thing that separates any old tasting menu to that of a three Michelin star. Throughout we were entertained, tantalised, delighted, surprised and replete.

The Michelin guide awards three stars for ‘exceptional cooking worth making a special journey for’ and this we did, and it was well worth it.

Squab Civet

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Table Talk

A new way of wine pairing?

By Gerry Higgins at The VineKing

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e use a lot of word substitutes in the wine trade to make the wine descriptions sound more alluring. Citrus finish is so much better than balanced acidity, cassis sounds so much more enticing than boring old blackcurrant, and ‘farmy’ has saved descriptives for many bottles of Burgundy. I did however have to draw the line at someone telling me that a Pinot Grigio had marine influences. It took me a while to work that one out, but when asked if he meant ‘watery’ this was sheepishly admitted.

Rolling into November when things get a little darker and colder everybody starts to use synonyms. Box sets have completely removed the guilt associated with watching too much TV. In fact, we manage to make it sound noble, as though we were studying for an especially tough exam - binge watching, cramming or intense viewing. So, in

celebration of this guilt free past time, I think we need to match wines to box sets.

I love the idea of someone going into a wine store and instead of saying, ‘I am eating steak tonight, what would you recommend?’ They instead ask, ‘I am watching the Luther box set so can you suggest something a bit earthy, dark and complex?’

I think there must be some preparation as well. You have got to have the whole bottle right there with you. You can’t be going off to the kitchen every 20 minutes. So you’ll need a wine cooler if it is a white, large glasses and some light (candles perhaps?) to avoid knocking the wine all over the rug. Wine snacks are pretty important too (that’s a whole other topic) and then you are all set. Below is some of our favourite box set and wine pairings…

The Crown

Game of Thrones

This one is easy! It must be English fizz and the Court Garden Classic Cuvee is perfect. Made in Ditchling, it has a lovely soft mousse with ripe stone fruits and a crisp palate.

Talking about box sets without talking about Game of Thrones is impossible. It’s a sexy, cool and complex show with great characters. Step forward Pinot Noir - silky, fruity, bold and complex. Santa Macarena is a single estate Pinot from Chile with sweet red fruits and silky smooth.

Court Garden Classic Cuvee, 2013. £24.99

Santa Macarena Pinot Noir, Chile, 2015. £11.99

Stranger Things Stranger Things is a sci-fi horror show that pays homage to 80s genre movies, and a lot of the classic wines that were so popular in the 80s are coming back into vogue. Cote du Rhone is chief amongst them and the Domaine Princemelle is delicious. After five years of ageing, the wine has softened wonderfully and is full of dark fruits and lingering hints of spice.

Domaine de Princemelle, Cotes du Rhone Villages, St Gervais, 2012. £11.99

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And just in case your local wine merchant is nonplussed by your enquiry.

Raats Dolomite Cabernet Franc 2014 from South Africa (£13.99) is a multiaward winning wine with dark cherries, spice and great depth - the perfect match for Luther.

THE VIC TORIA TERR ACE BRUNCH

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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

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EASTBOURNE

BLACKSTOCK COUNTRY ESTATE A perfect meeting place to get away from it all

I

f you’re looking for somewhere different for that business meeting, then look no further.

Known as a stunning wedding venue, this privately-run family business can also provide a professional quiet and relaxed meeting venue for you and your colleagues away from the noise of the city.

Blackstock Country Estate has excellent meeting rooms and outdoor space set in a unique country setting, perfect for meetings, conferences, training events, product launches or team building.

CHAMBER NEWS

There are two beautiful restored barns on the site, one of which dates back to the Tudor period, and within them very flexible seating layouts are available. There is space for up to 150 people in a theatre-style arrangement or smaller arrangements within boardrooms.

Just outside, delegates can fuel their creativity and productivity by wandering around 70 acres of lush green meadows, scented gardens, bluebell abundant woodland and peaceful lakes. If you have outdoor team building activities planned, Blackstock has more than ample space to accommodate your team surrounded by breathtaking views. This backdrop can provide your business with light, space and fresh air to encourage a productive yet relaxed atmosphere away from the office.

More and more businesses are considering countryside escapes to provide a change of scenery for important events, and for good reason.

At the estate, the friendly and professional staff are dedicated to ensuring every event goes smoothly and their attention to detail means that no stone is left unturned on behalf of your business. There are excellent catering facilities on site, which can offer anything from canapés, to a full four-course meal, BBQ or hog roast.

Blackstock is located just outside Eastbourne and has ample free parking on-site. Less than ten minutes away in Polegate there is also a train station, making it an easy-to-reach escape wherever you are.

For more information contact the meeting and events team on 01323 848006 or email info@blackstockestate.co.uk

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BRIGHTON AND HOVE

CELEBRATING LIVING WAGE WEEK

By Sarah Springford, Director of Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce

T

he Brighton & Hove Living Wage Campaign was launched in 2012 to encourage local businesses to pay employees a decent hourly rate. With almost 350 businesses in the city signed up, the campaign will be celebrating Living Wage Week – a national celebration of the Living Wage movement – from 5th to 11th November. It’s the perfect opportunity to celebrate the success of the Living Wage campaign in Brighton and Hove, shout about the employers that have signed up and raise the profile of the campaign.

On Monday 6th November, the new Living Wage rates will be announced. The Living Wage is calculated annually to reflect the cost of living in the UK. It is voluntarily paid by hundreds of businesses in Brighton and Hove (and beyond) and applies to all staff over the age of 18 who regularly work for your business. If your business is already signed up to the campaign, you’ll have until 1st April 2018 to implement the new rate.

The main event of the week will be Brighton Chamber’s Pop-up Breakfast on 9th November. It will be at Living Wage venue

British Airways i360 and the guest speaker, Juliet Tzabar, is signed up to the campaign under Plug-in Media. Juliet is the longstanding MD and CEO of this digital agency, and has helped the company win four

BAFTAS. With more than two decades of experience in media production, Juliet moved from art directing television dramas to producing interactive content. At the event, she’ll explain how she developed the business skills she needed to add to her artistic ones.

She’ll also talk about the importance of ensuring staff remain agile, flexible and well paid. Not just for Living Wage employers, the event will be a great networking opportunity as well as a chance to find out more about the campaign.

To join us at the Pop-up Breakfast on 9th November, book via Eventbrite https://pop-upbreakfast-with-juliet-tzabar. eventbrite.co.uk To find out more about the campaign, or to sign up for free, visit www.livingwagebrighton.co.uk.

You can follow the campaign on Twitter @BHLivingWage.

CHAMBER NEWS

Photo by Simon Callaghan Photography

Photo by Light Trick Photography

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ACES

ENTERPRISING NEWHAVEN

N CHAMBER NEWS

ewhaven is ideally situated to drive economic growth in East Sussex with the introduction of an Enterprise Zone creating space for business growth and hundreds of new jobs. Right next to a deep sea port, the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm and minutes from the A27/M23 dual carriageway, Newhaven is an excellent continental gateway to the UK. The Newhaven Enterprise Zone is a collaboration led by Lewes District Council and Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, and aims to shift the town to a higher value economy over the next 25 years, creating space for new businesses as well as employment and training opportunities for local residents. It also supports the development of the wider regional economy with the creation of large, cost-effective commercial space within the Greater Brighton City Region of East Sussex.

The Enterprise Zone is primarily focused on attracting new investment. Growing businesses locating to any of the eight

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

designated areas within the Enterprise Zone can benefit from simplified planning rules, access to free business support, investment in the infrastructure across the local area, and could also qualify for reduced business rates.

The sites selected for Enterprise Zone designation are in a mixture of private and public ownership and the council and Coast to Capital are working closely with stakeholders to unlock new development.

Work is already underway on a number of key sites including the development of a new 7,733m² business park on Beach Road, that could create more than 200 jobs.

The Enterprise Zone was officially launched at the UTC@harbourside. Around 100 residents, local businesses and community leaders attended and listened to speakers including Maria Caulfield MP, Steve Allen (Vice Chair of Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership), Chris Rasmussen from local firm Brightwell Dispensers, and Cllr Andy Smith (Leader of Lewes District Council).

“Newhaven is unique, with a deep sea cross-channel port and ferry, great access to key domestic markets, a rich history and a stunning landscape on the edge of the South Downs National Park. It is also a town which has great untapped potential and space for growth in a way other towns and cities in the region don’t have.

Enterprise Zones in other areas have shown they can be a driving force for local economies as they help unlock development, attract businesses and create jobs. We believe, with the right support, this will also be true of Newhaven.”

For more information visit www.newhavenenterprisezone.com

Speaking at the launch, Steve Allen said:

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

SEAFORD BUSINESS CELEBRATES AWARDS SUCCESS

A

small business in Seaford has made the shortlist for a national award, seeing off far bigger companies in the process. Property PR Expert is run by Jerry Lyons and offers public relations and marketing services to estate agents across the country.

Jerry’s company has made it to the final selection in The Negotiator magazine’s Professional Services Supplier of the Year category. The Negotiator is the estate agency industry’s most widely read publication and attracts hundreds of entries across its various categories.

Jerry, a former award-winning journalist, moved with his family to Seaford from London three years ago. He said: “Initially I had my doubts about entering as we’re a small company and I know that these awards attract some very big national firms. But after a chat with the team, I thought why not.

“We’re good at what we do, offering honest, down to earth expertise and we work really hard for all of our clients and I think that’s what the judges recognised.

“We’re the only PR and marketing company to have made the shortlist so we’re really chuffed, but what made it even better was that several of our clients including local estate agent, Newberry Tully, have made the shortlist too.”

ACES asked how they celebrated getting onto the shortlist, Jerry replied: “with a couple of pints of Guinness!”

Find out the results in next month’s magazine

For more information about Property PR Expert call Jerry on 07725 554902 or visit www.propertyprexpert.co.uk

Jerry Lyons runs Property PR Expert which has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award. Photo by Avant Commercial.

GET READY FOR CHRISTMAS - NOW!

W

ith Christmas just around the corner, why not book a stall at the Christmas Fair – In aid of Now! Charity Group.

Chapel, Eastbourne. Enjoy a fun-filled family day with activities, festive food, drink and of course music!

• Stalls cost £12.50 + a prize donated to the raffle • No duplicated stalls or businesses • Acceptance on a first come first served basis

Adults £1/children free. For bookings and enquiries please contact Mandy on 01424 830000

The Institute of Directors 0207 766 8866 www.iod.com

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

Now! Christmas Fair takes place on Sunday 10th December from 10am to 3pm at All Saints

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ACES

SUSSEX FIRM HITS £500,000 FOR CHARITY

H

aving launched over five years ago, the Fundraising Auctions’ multi-award winning Silent Auction service has built year on year. In 2017, they attended more than 200 events and helped raise over half a million pounds for deserving charities across the UK. In addition to this, they have launched in Australia and won ‘Best Business Growth’ at the recent Lewes District Business Awards.

Since the beginning of last year, they have focused on sourcing unique experiences for their Silent Auctions and have signed agreements for over 50 bespoke experiences with companies such as The Gordon Ramsey Group and Champneys.

This success led to the formation of a brand new company, Experience it Now, offering travel, rewards and fundraising. Experience It Now is an ABTA and ATOL recognised travel agency offering flights, cruises, package holidays, city breaks, transfers and any extras you care to imagine.

Experiences It Now also offer tailored packages to give staff amazing rewards for their dedication and hard work. Alongside offering incentives for great work, your business can access special discounts for staff including exciting day experiences, short breaks, signed memorabilia and even holidays.

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

THE GREAT TRAIN FIASCO The view from Southern & the RMT

ussex

Issue 5. 2017

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Jeff Bezos, Amazon

THE BUSINESS JET ENGINE Prepare to take-off ROLLING THUNDER Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

GROUP

CHAMBER NEWS

For more information visit experienceitnow.co.uk

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ACES

We are very proud of our new magazines for ACES. The new magazine will be distributed all over East Sussex. Make sure you pick up your copy.

For more information about advertising and editorial sponsorship, contact info@platinumbusinessmagazine.com or call 07966 244046 and we have discounted members rates. The second issue is out now and in general distribution right around the region

CHICHESTER

FORGING NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS

by Julie Kapsalis, Chair of Chichester Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Managing Director (Commercial) at Chichester College Group.

A

s a Chamber, one of our key priorities is helping businesses form new connections and partnerships. Our regular networking meetings focus on bringing together businesses to share key information, challenges and opportunities. It is incredibly rewarding to be able to put two businesses in touch, whether just to share information and expertise or to provide a tangible solution to a business need.

I also love the fact that many of our Chamber meetings are hosted by our members. It is a great opportunity to visit new places and learn about the great variety of businesses in our local area. Earlier this year, our members were lucky enough to be invited for a ‘behind the scenes’ tour at Tangmere Airfield Nurseries. It was amazing to discover that the UK’s largest pepper farm is located in Chichester – growing a staggering 65 million peppers each year. Alongside this, the farm generates electricity for over 10,000 local homes. I now pay more attention when choosing peppers at the supermarket, and make sure I’m buying local!

1,000 opportunities listed. In writing this article, I even discovered a new opportunity that I am going to bid for – delivering vocational culinary skills to students in Taiwan!

In September, we hosted a successful business breakfast and workshop with the Department for International Trade (DIT). This focused on encouraging members to consider the benefits to their business of exporting and highlighted the range of support services available. 85% of companies say exporting has led to a level of growth not otherwise possible. The UK accounts for 4% of global GDP - that leaves 96% of the world to aim for. In the past, I have been involved in DIT programmes and accessed their excellent service in finding export opportunities and trade missions. If this is something that interests you, have a look at the wealth of information on their website www.export.great.gov.uk – there are over 400 events and

The new College Group will also offer increased opportunities to students, as well as employers and communities in Sussex, giving them a greater access to a wide range of courses at many different levels.

We are committed to working with businesses to understand their skills gaps and to provide a talent pool of local learners to support growth in the economy. For me, this is the ultimate partnership – how we ensure that our schools, college and universities are working with businesses to meet and anticipate their needs.

In my day job, we have just embarked on the ultimate new partnership – a merger. On 1st August 2017, Chichester College merged with Central Sussex College (now renamed Crawley College) to create the largest College Group in Sussex, supporting over 25,000 students and learners. Reaching the final goal of merging relied on strong communications, stakeholder engagement and having a clear and shared vision and goal.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

JOIN CHICHESTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

7th November - Speed Networking with Hampshire

AND INDUSTRY FROM JUST £99

Chamber of Commerce

Membership benefits include:

8th November - The Chichester Business Breakfast in

• Events and networking

conjunction with Chichester College

13th November- Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting AGM

• Policy and public affairs • Workshops and training

11th December - Networking Chamber Monthly Meeting

• Business advice and services

13th December - The Chichester Business Breakfast in

• New business opportunities

conjunction with Chichester College

Join us now at

For more details visit www.chichestercci.org.uk

www.chichestercci.org.uk/join

CHAMBER NEWS

I am really excited about the opportunity to develop and grow our curriculum, including increasing apprenticeships and higher skills whilst remaining inclusive and at the core of our local communities.

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SUSSEX CHAMBER

BUILDING FOR SUCCESS Accolade for TECO Building Products at 2017 Chamber Business Awards.

The TECO Team

CHAMBER NEWS

T

ECO Building Products, a manufacturer of builders and carpenters metalwork, based in Portslade, Sussex, has been crowned one of the winners in the Commitment to People Development heats of the Chamber Business Awards 2017. Now in their 14th year, the awards are a highlight of the business calendar, recognising the key role that local businesses play in driving the UK economy.

The Commitment to People Development winner, TECO will now go forward to represent the Southern region in the national finals, which take place in London in this month Francis Martin, President of the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Businesses are the backbone and driving force of the UK economy. Even in the face of uncertain times, they continue to show their resilience and strength – creating opportunities for employment, investment and growth.

“Our judges are always impressed by the high standard of submissions, and the calibre of entries this year was no different. The finalists in the Chamber Business Awards represent the best of this country’s entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and hard-work.

“The Chamber Business Awards are the perfect opportunity for us to celebrate our business communities’ achievements, to take stock of the outstanding performances of UK businesses over the past year, and to encourage and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”

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Rhonda Backwell, Director of TECO said: “I couldn’t be prouder of TECO, this is testament not only to our commitment as a company but the commitment and enthusiasm of everyone here to develop as individuals, work together as a team and embrace change”.

Ana Christie, Chief Executive of Sussex Chamber of Commerce said: “Recognising and rewarding excellence in British business, the Chamber Awards is one of the UK’s most contested and prestigious business award programmes. Each year, organisations of all sizes and from all sectors compete for the coveted titles. It is fantastic news, that one of our Chamber members, TECO, has received the South regional award for Commitment to People Development. I wish them all the very best of luck in the finals in November.”

WORTHING & ADUR

DO BETTER FOR BUSINESS

The Better Business Show is back on Thursday 1st February 2018

T

he Better Business Show will take place on Thursday 1st February at the Town Hall and Assembly Hall, Worthing. The event is delivered by Worthing and Adur Chamber and Adur & Worthing Business Partnership, and is again supported by headline sponsor Chandlers BMW. This event is a ‘must’ in the 2018 business calendar for all businesses in the area. The show is your chance to get to know local success stories and network with some of the most proactive companies in the local area.

• B2B Exhibition – Meet, network and share experiences with both new and established businesses • Business Showcase – Share in the success of the large and long established companies in Worthing & Adur • Keynote Speakers – Inspirational talks including Google • Business advice and support – Mini workshops and talks • Expert Zone – Clinics with local experts • Local procurement opportunities - from the private and public sector

An opportunity to showcase YOUR company Last year’s show was a huge success with 90 exhibitors, over 500 visitors and guest speakers including our Patron, Channel 4’s Secret Millionaire, Gillian Fielding.

• Don’t miss out, make sure you are part of this exciting event

8th November - Chamber chat with Coast to Capital

14th November - Dining out at Aqua

• Network with the best organisations locally

15th November - WiseUp2: A beginners guide to company

• Get involved and Get noticed

formation, contracts and debt

There is limited availability on most packages. Don’t miss out, be part of the exhibition, book your stand now at www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

17th November - Chamber Hub FREE networking 22nd November - WiseUp2: Working smarter for better productivity

30th November - Networking lunch with the Bank of

• Package A - 2 Metre Stand - £179.00 + VAT

England

• Package B - 3 Metre Stand - £229.00 + VAT

7th December - Chamber Christmas party night at the

• Package C - 4 Metre Stand - £299.00 +VAT

Windsor House Hotel

• Package D Richmond Room 2 Metre Stand £129.00 +vat

15th December - Chamber Hub FREE networking

• Package E Pop Up Banner at the event £25.00 +vat

Please find more information at www.worthingandadurchamber.co.uk

18th December - Chamber Christmas drinks night

CHAMBER NEWS

• Showcase YOUR business

EVENTS DIARY

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Charity News

EQUINITI SUPPORT PAY FOR A DAY INITIATIVE Proud to be a value-led organisation, Equiniti actively encourages employees to fundraise and volunteer for causes close to their hearts. As a group they take part in national fundraising days, but they also support a range of local charities, including Chestnut Tree House. As well as donating items to the charity’s shops and volunteering their time, their Sussex sites have raised almost £100,000 for Chestnut Tree House over the past decade, as well as donating items to the charity’s shops, and their time through volunteering.

On 21st September, a group from Equiniti visited Chestnut Tree House for one of their regular volunteering days. In addition to helping out in the hospice garden, the team were presented with a Pay for a Day certificate for that day – their second this year. The team have raised almost £14,000 in 2017, which is enough to pay for two days of all Chestnut Tree House’s care services. £4,000 was raised after Equiniti and Chestnut Tree House teamed up to host a Family Fun Week for colleagues, held to celebrate Equiniti’s 10th anniversary.

Terrina Barnes, Corporate Fundraising Manager at Chestnut Tree House said: “It costs £6,850 a day to provide all our specialist care services, both at the hospice and out in the community. Our ‘Pay for a Day’ scheme was introduced a few years ago and allows individuals and organisations to pay for a selected day of care at Chestnut Tree House. It’s great to see how different organisations engage with this – some people donate the funds in one go, while others fundraise at a single event or across a whole year. There are so many ways for businesses to support us, and we are grateful for every donation and volunteer offer we receive so that we can continue to help the life-limited children and their families across Sussex and South East Hampshire.”

THE SNOWMAN™ SPECTACULAR ONLINE AUCTION GOES LIVE! Chestnut Tree House’s Snowman Spectacular Fundraising Ball takes place on 2nd December, and celebrates a decade of association with the charity’s friend and Patron, Raymond Briggs’ beloved character, The Snowman™.

Last year’s Snowman Spectacular Fundraising Ball was an outstanding success, and as well as being the biggest event on Chestnut Tree House’s fundraising calendar, it is also the best-supported charity ball in the South East.

In addition to fundraising activities for guests on the night, the Snowman Spectacular Silent Auction is open to everyone. With 50 auction lots to bid on, the Silent Auction is live from 4th November and will end at midnight on 2nd December 2017.

Lots include a five-star Caribbean villa stay, tickets to The Voice UK live show on 10th March 2018 with four-star hotel accommodation, signed Ashley Young football boots, and a Crawley Town FC VIP package.

Check out the auction lots and get bidding from 4th November by visiting www.galabid.com/snowman

RAGNAR RELAY SUCCESS The inaugural Reebok Ragnar White Cliffs relay took place on 23rd and 24th September and three teams completed it in aid of Chestnut Tree House. Starting in Maidstone, teams of 10 took it in turns to run 170 miles along the south east coast, finishing in Brighton.

Selsey-based Oceanair were the first to sign up for the challenge, followed by Chestnutters – a team created by Kirsty Starmer. “We know how important hospice care for children is”, said Lee and John from Chestnutters. “Our child has a life-limiting condition and is actually being cared for by a hospice this weekend so that we can take part in this Ragnar Relay. It’s an absolute lifeline, and so we were more than happy to run for Chestnut Tree House.”

Steve O’Rourke, a Team Leader at Brighton-based Paxton Access Ltd also signed up to support Chestnut Tree House, which is his company’s Charity of the Year, and ran as part of Team Chestnut.

Find out more about upcoming events and ways you can support Chestnut Tree House at www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk

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Networking

The Business Network NETWORK REVIEW

NEXT GENERATION NETWORK

By Emma Pearce, Marketing Consultant – marketing planning, outsourced marketing and social media training www.pearcemarketing.co.uk Emma Pearce reports back on attending the launch of this new network

M

artin Ellis and Harriet Finch from the RSE Group have teamed up to start an innovative networking group aimed at those people who will be leading businesses in the next 10-20 years. Typically this means first level managers and people that are starting or have young businesses now, who want to learn and develop their skills and support each other. But in fact anyone that is interested in leadership development can attend.

There was a real mix of ages and experience level at the launch event.

For example, one lady has been six months in post on the management team of a printing business, another works for a lift company, two people are young partners in an accountancy firm and one man has a relatively new wholesale pharmacy business. I spoke to a lady who was an events organiser for a major venue who said: “I don’t normally get out of the office but this network will give me the chance to learn and develop my presentation skills. It will be great to meet other local likeminded and local business people.”

So what was the inspiration behind this new network?

Harriet explained that she had recently attended an event discussing the impact of technology on future business. She could really see how her job and others would be so different in the next 15-30 years. She went on to say: “what concerned me was that 75% of the people in the room would be retired in that period. At 25 years old I was by far the youngest person in the room. We need to ensure that our future leaders, who will feel the changes, are part of the discussion now and ensure they develop their skills to match the new business environment.”

Meeting Format The likely agenda for each event is: • 7.30am start and networking (coffee, tea and pastries) • 60 second round to introduce your business • Expert guest speaker and discussion • Seven minute member presentation • 9.00am finish • Optional 15 minutes additional networking The speaker at the launch event was Huw Merriman MP. He gave a fascinating insight into the leadership challenges he faced and top tips from his investment banking career. The group talked about key issues they are facing at the moment which included major cost rises with purchasing raw materials, difficulties in hiring good people, keeping staff happy and loyal, life balance/wellbeing and knowing what the right marketing tactics are.

Key Facts • Location: The Johns Cross Meeting Room, Battle Road, Robertsbridge, TN32 5JH • Frequency: Last Friday of month • Time: 7.30am - 9am • Lock out: no

Harriet is chairing the meetings and brings the ‘young’ perspective, while Martin Ellis (at 62) brings his experience to the table. A great combination for everyone attending the events.

• USP: developing future leaders

Martin added: “I recently read in The Economist that, “Britain’s problem is not that it has too many fat cats but that it has too few good bosses; the real enemy is David Brent. Britain has too many second-rate, sloppy, oafish managers of the sort characterised by Ricky Gervais in The Office”.”

• Cost: £12 per meeting

We need good leaders and this network is aiming to address that in Sussex.

• Minute round: yes • Speaker slot: yes

Do you know any ambitious people who would love to learn new skills in a supportive network to enrich their career in the years ahead? I’m sure you do. Let them know about this network so they can get on the mailing list! Email harriet@rsegroup.agency or martin@rsegroup.agency.

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Business Scene

THE PLATINUM BUSINESS CLUB BRIGHTON

T

he Platinum Club nears it’s 9th anniversary and is the premier Business Leaders networking forum in the South East.

Highly enjoyable, efficient and professionally run, there are now a limited number of new memberships available.

For more information about joining the best Club in town, contact info@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

“The Platinum Club is a top event impeccably hosted and one of the few networking events I recommend other businesses should attend.”

LAURENCE ELPHICK, MANAGING DIRECTOR, JUICE FM “I am not a fan of the usual networking formula but Platinum is definitely not the usual networking formula - l love it.”

CARALINE BROWN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MIDNIGHT COMMUNICATIONS

GARY CHOWN, DIRECTOR COMMERCIAL BANKING, NATWEST BANK

“I have been a member of the Platinum Club for a couple of years now and it has always been fruitful and enjoyable, the perfect format for networking. Maarten Hoffmann is the consummate host and if there’s someone in the room you don’t know, then you probably will by the end of the night. I’d recommend it to anyone searching for quality networking and connections.”

“Platinum Club is a fantastic networking event, hosted within the opulent venue of the Grand Hotel Brighton. Platinum Club boasts everything you want from a networking event; it’s relaxed, social, friendly and fantastically organised. There is always a great turnout, which is a testament to the thought that has clearly been put into the event. Maarten is a fantastic host and is never shy to introduce attendees to each other! It’s a platinum award for Platinum Club from us!”

CHRIS MANSFIELD, MANAGING DIRECTOR, DAVENPORT INVESTMENTS

KATIE GIBSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PIER RECRUITMENT

We have recently become members of The Platinum Club where we have met great people and even gained new clients already. Maarten is a great host and will always make sure people are introduced to each other.

I would highly recommend The Platinum Club if you are looking to meet new businesses, in a relaxed and friendly environment.”

“The Platinum Club is all that I expect from a networking club, informal, full of interesting people and professionally run. I look forward to each meeting and have found that I have made new friends and met new clients. I don’t bother to network anywhere else now as they are all here.”

BECKY SHARPE, CEO, SHARP INSIGHT

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“One of the positive aspects for me is that the hosts at the Platinum Club events always go out of their way to introduce people to one another and this keeps the flow of conversations going and avoids any tendency to just talk to people you already know. It is a networking event that really does encourage true networking.”

RICHARD KENDALL-TOBIAS, CEO, BLUE DIAMOND SECURITY

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Anger Management

ANGER MANAGEMENT

WITH A SIDE ORDER OF PLASTIC

by Maarten Hoffmann

D

espite countless warnings over the years, we have finally reached tipping point.

â??

A single plate of Mussels can contain up to 900 tiny pieces of plastic according to the European Food Safety Authority.

â?ž

It is thought that by 2018, it will be virtually impossible to consume any type of seafood without consuming plastic at the same time

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Anger Management GLOBAL PRODUCTION OF PLASTIC ROSE FROM TWO MILLION TONNES IN 1950 TO 400 MILLION TONNES IN 2015.

BY 2025, THERE IS EXPECTED TO BE ONE TONNE OF PLASTIC IN THE OCEAN FOR EVERY THREE TONNES OF FISH EIGHT MILLION TONNES OF PLASTICS ENTERS THE OCEANS EACH YEAR HUMANS HAVE CREATED 6.3 BILLION TONNES OF PLASTIC SINCE THE 1950’S. SINCE 1950, ONLY 9% OF PLASTICS HAVE BEEN RECYCLED AND 12% INCINERATED THEREFORE 79% IS IN LANDFILL OR THE OCEANS. as fish consume so much of the eight million tonnes of plastic we dump into the oceans annually. Every single piece of plastic the world has produced since 1950 is still in the ocean today and we just build upon it year after year.

European Food Safety Authority.

The Prince said: ‘Political and industrial leaders must adopt the principles of the 'circular economy’ which would result in plastic being recovered, recycled and reused instead of created, used and thrown away’. He called on world leaders to follow the example of Canada, which took drastic action 25 years ago by banning cod fishing on Newfoundlands Grand Banks, putting 30,000 people out of work overnight. ‘Whilst this was unimaginably painful at the time, it has worked and the cod stocks are slowly increasing and this demonstrates that given the chance, and with some brave decisions, the ocean can recover its health. Surely we must take equally far-sighted steps to deal with plastic pollution’.

❝

Media giant Sky has reduced the use of plastic bottles by more than 300,000 since January

❞

The Blue Economy Initiative is working with the World Resources Initiative in Washington DC to begin the journey of cleaning up the

PROPORTION OF CATCH FOUND TO CONTAIN PLACATES PARTICLES: LANGOUSTINE 83% HADDOCK 36% TUNA 18% oceans but this begins with you and l and every company we work with.

The media giant Sky pledged to eliminate all single-use plastics from its operations, products and supply chain from 2020. It said it has reduced the use of plastic bottles by more than 300,000 since January by giving each of its 31,000 employees reusable water bottles. It has replaced plastic cups and straws at all its catering outlets with paper alternatives and uses cutlery that is made of corn-starch rather than plastic.

We could wait for government to grind into action or we could just get on with it ourselves by cutting plastic waste, refusing to buy cosmetics, toothpaste and cleansers with micro-beads, complaining when purchased items come wrapped in layers of plastic and all the other screamingly obvious actions we could all individually commit to if we just bothered.

❝

Eight million tonnes of plastics enters the oceans each year

❞

Prince Charles has made it his mission to cut the amount we throw away and at a recent meeting in Malta at the Our Ocean Conference, representatives from 100 countries met to discuss marine conservation, and many made commitments to reduce pollution. Prince Charles pointed out that wherever you swim in the world, you are swimming in tiny particles of plastic and just about all wild caught fish contain plastic. The Prince’s claims were borne out in 2013 when a survey by Plymouth University found that a third of all fish caught off south-west England, including whiting, mackerel, John Dory and red gurnard, were found to have swallowed tiny pieces of plastic.

A single plate of Mussels can contain up to 900 tiny pieces of plastic, according to the

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Institute of Directors

GETTING ENGAGED

By Dean Orgill, Chair of Sussex IoD and Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk • www.iod.com

O

n various previous occasions I have extolled the virtues of the IoD and recommended it to you - you will not be surprised to read I am sure. However, clearly the message has not been totally absorbed.

Given the readership figures for this wonderful magazine, some of you must still be stubbornly (and unaccountably) resisting joining the equally wonderful Institute of Directors.

So why is that? Good question. The relatively newly (February 2017) appointed Director General Stephen Martin wanted to know the answer to that too. So he instigated a review focussing on engagement and services provided to ensure that the Institute will become attractive to new members AND will value and provide the services they want to existing members. What was quite clear from the process was that although the central administration of the IoD recognised the need (common to all membership organisations) to recruit new members, it should not promote to “new customers only” but should reflect the articulated needs of existing members too.

In terms of engagement with members,

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there has been a full review taking into account views of regional and (county) branch committees and ambassadors. Those views cover critical issues about the services offered and how the IoD communicates both with, and on behalf of, its membership. An engagement day with those representatives communicated views quite clearly and it is good to see them being acted upon and responses being put into effect.

Again, I have previously extolled the virtues of the research facilities and resources available to members, as well as the terrific training that the Institute offers in fulfilling its Royal Charter. However, there is now a recognition that communication about those resources, and indeed access to them, needs to be much more aligned to how we all now communicate and access information.

IoD Advance has been trail-blazing in terms of connecting members of the IoD community with each other and with IoD resources through a mobile app, and the success of that has been recognised and will be built upon.

Further engagement and reviews are to

follow and, as such reviews should always of course be a never-ending process in any event, the action/review cycle is to continue.

However, it has been very heartening to see already that there is now a greater reflection of best practice in providing what the “customer” wants rather than looking to see what can be offered to them.

The IoD has an excellent offering both in terms of local networks and the central resource at Pall Mall. The combination of local events and ambassadors, central facilities and resources, and the ability to advocate and influence for business really sets the IoD apart.

I anticipate that you will be seeing much more on this theme both locally and nationally in the forthcoming months. It is a great time to join the IoD community and help to shape it to ensure that it offers what you want from an Institute that has business leaders at its heart.

JUST A THOUGHT Time to browse iod.com?

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