PLATINUM BUSINESS MAGAZINE - ISSUE 25 - SUSSEX EDITION

The widest-read business publication in the South East

SUSSEX EDITION . ISSUE 25 . 2016

SADIQ KHAN

PLATINUM

Can he unite London?

AVOIDING TRIBUNAL TRIP-UPS Rawlison Butler

JAGUAR XF

Designed for the Business Market?

PLATINUM GATWICK CELEBRATES 80 YEARS

POWERING UP YOUR DATABASE Nova Direct

TOKYO A Michelin Star City

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Strength in depth Kreston Reeves has merged with Spofforths to create a firm offering a broader and deeper range of services to meet the needs of personal and business clients across Sussex, London and Kent.

To find out more about the full range of accountancy, business advisory and financial services that help our clients achieve their personal goals, please contact: Shirley Smith, Partner, Gatwick office T: +44 (0)1293 776 152 E: shirley.smith@krestonreeves.com Bryan Elkins, Partner, Horsham office T: +44 (0)1403 253 282 E: bryan.elkins@krestonreeves.com

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WELCOME

24

THE BIG STORY SADIQ KHAN Can he unite London?

22 32 44

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS DMH Stallard explains why they are so confident in the M&A market

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS Rawlison Butler on how to avoid tribunal trip-ups

THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN Rose goes on a cultural frenzy

50

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Gatwick is 80 and looking good

This is strange old time. I sit here writing this with three days to go before the EU referendum, knowing this will be out after the result and yet l must ignore it. I do hope we all did the right thing!

Oh well, the world will still revolve, we will still awake in the morning and put our pants on one leg at a time, the kids will still be arguing over not being able to be glued to their phones 24 hours a day and the dog will have peed in the kitchen - so perhaps not quite as seismic as we thought.

In this issue we bring you the usual fantastic array of stories from across the region as we close in on yet another momentous decision: Gatwick or Heathrow.

I was with Jeremy Taylor from Gatwick Diamond Business recently at the Rockinghorse Mid-Summer Ball and he was girding his loins to attend Downing Street on June 20th, along with 35 businesses from the Diamond, to present a petition demanding it be Gatwick, to aid the long-term health and wealth of our region. Fingers crossed. And just to keep that ball rolling, we celebrate Gatwick’s 80th birthday with a look back at the airport over the years with an array of archive photographs of the rich and famous.

Rose was sent off to the Land of the Rising Sun to report on Tokyo as a destination for corporate and incentive travel and Amanda has been busy again stuffing her face at fab restaurants across the region, with a major report on the Brighton and Hove Food Festival, which is now the largest of its kind in the UK. I could not resist a blast in the all-new Jaguar XF-S, possibly a new class leader, and performed a slightly more sedate family test of the Vauxhall Zafira whilst in Anger Management, we mourn the cultural death of Cuba.

We have some rather exciting news about the expansion of this publication that l cannot share with you at the moment but next month, stand by.

In the meantime, whatever the result of the referendum, lets just get on with it and get back to business. In or out, we are still one of the finest nations on earth and still the fifth largest economy on the planet - be proud.

Maarten

Platinum Business Magazine July 2016 All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept

84

responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend

BACKING THE FRINGE Mark Tulley explains why print matters

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 published and owned by Platinum Business Publications Limited.

4

Issue 25 - 2016

The Team

Maarten Hoffmann – Director maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com 07966 244046

Ian Trevett – Director ian@platinumbusinessmagazine.com 07989 970804

AT A GLANCE 6

Local News

54 Motoring - Jaguar

10

NatWest Tracker

56 Motoring - Vauxhall

13

Lewes Business Awards

58 Motoring - Jeep

14

Entrepreneurial Spark

62 Charity News

16

Sussex Business Awards

63 Table Talk

18 IT News

66 Review - Gingerman

20 National News

68 Wine Masterclass

22 Mergers & Acquisitions

69 Business Lunches

24 Sadiq Khan

70 Small Bites

30 The Living Wage

72 Digital Marketing

32 Tribunal Trip-ups

74

34 Gatwick Forum

76 Sport & Fitness Show

35 Metall Forum

78 Target Exhibitions

36 Powering your

82 Manor Royal Expo

database

39 Business Travel 41

Travel Tips

42 Global Travel Amanda Menahem Food & Drink Editor

Management

44 Travel - Tokyo

Platinum Style

83 Brighton & Hove Awards

84 Gemini Print 86 Young Start-up Talent 88 Chambers of Commerce

50 Gatwick’s 80th Birthday 96 Secret Sussex 52 Anger Management

Amanda Spicer Senior Designer

Julia Trevett Accounts Manager

Rose Dykins Travel Editor

Lauren Psyk Event Photographer

98 Institute of Directors

Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark.

You know what you are doing but nobody else does.

5

NEWS

LOCAL NEWS

Compiled by Ian Trevett

CARPENTER BOX APPOINTMENT Carpenter Box, has appointed Kira McKinney to the role of Marketing Manager, based at its Worthing office. Kira hails from America, having moved to the UK from Los Angeles in 2004 to study at the University of Edinburgh. She then joined international publishing and events company Informa in London, where she gained experience on a wide range of marketing projects in the Law division, including the publishing of the highly-respected Lloyds Law Reports.

Kira’s new role with Carpenter Box will cover all aspects of marketing and business development in support of the firm’s successful growth plans. She comments: “This is an extremely exciting time to be joining such a forward-looking accountancy firm. I’ve already experienced how Carpenter Box is held in very high regard by its clients and other professionals. Over the years the firm seems to have built a distinctive personality and reputation for professional excellence based on developing close relationships. I’m really looking forward to spreading the news further afield.”

SNOWDOG IN THE CITY British Airways i360 is the latest organisation to sponsor a Snowdog as part of the Snowdogs by the Sea project. The extraordinary public art trail will see more than 40 artist-designed giant Snowdog sculptures appear across Brighton and Hove during autumn 2016, in support of local charity, Martlets Hospice.

In an unique twist, the British Airways i360 Snowdog will travel to London and be positioned on a plinth at Victoria train station where, for eight weeks, it will add some Brighton style to the capital. The Snowdog will have her own social media presence and will be named ‘Brighton Belle’, in honour of the London to Brighton Pullman train which once connected the capital with the coast.

Imelda Glackin, Martlets Hospice CEO said: “Having the British Airways i360 Snowdog at Victoria Station is very exciting, as, not only will it bring a smile to people on their daily commute but it will encourage even more visitors to Brighton and Hove and to the Snowdogs by the Sea trail, which in turn will benefit all of our Snowdog sponsors and ultimately the Hospice.”

The Snowdogs will be auctioned off after the trail and all proceeds will go to Martlets.

In other news, a dozen businesses have now signed up as official partners of British Airways i360.

British Airways i360 CEO Eleanor Harris said: “We are really proud to be working with some of the region’s leading firms and developing partnerships to do some really ground-breaking business activities which should benefit the entire region.

Commercial partners include Brighton CCTV, Curve Information Technology Ltd, DMH Stallard LLP, Flowers Unlimited, L & S Printing, Preston Insurance Brokers, Pure360, Royal Bank of Scotland, Skerritts Chartered Financial Planners, Spofforths Chartered Accountants, Ticketmedia and We are Tilt Ltd. All have local offices in Brighton & Hove or Worthing and many also have offices in the wider region and London.

Managing Director of Ticketmedia Jeremy Burbidge, said, “We are delighted to be working with British Airways i360 to deliver the highest quality and innovative tickets.

As a local business in particular, it is very exciting to be a part of this internationally recognised attraction that will add to Brighton’s vibrant culture.”

“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.”

6

NEWS

“We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don’t know.”

THE BIG FOUR

DMH STALLARD COMPLETES FIREFLY DEAL Jonathan Grant

Grant Thornton UK LLP, has been recognised as the ‘Accountancy Firm of the Year (Larger Clients)’ at this year’s FDs’ Excellence Awards. Serving clients in Sussex, Surrey and Kent through its Gatwick office, this is the fourth time in the last seven years that Grant Thornton has won the award, beating all other major firms.

The awards recognise the UK’s brightest FDs and financial services providers.

Grant Thornton was voted as Accountancy Firm of the Year for its work with companies with an annual

DMH Stallard has advised energy company Firefly on the sale of their event rental

turnover in excess of £25m, achieving a nine out of ten

business to specialist equipment and crane hire firm Hewden Stuart Limited.

satisfaction rating. The award is particularly special as it is determined by 1,856 finance decision-makers.

Ellen Walsh, Practice Leader at Grant Thornton UK LLP, Gatwick office, said “We are delighted to have been

CEO and Founder of Firefly, Andy Mead, said: “With more of Firefly’s hybrid power systems in the market place today than ever before, the acquisition allows us to focus on driving the hybrid proposition forward across all sectors.

named ‘Accountancy Firm of the Year’ for our work

“Having paved the way and proven the benefits for sustainable event power

with larger clients. This award is especially important

since 2007, we are now in a new phase of our journey. We continue to support the

for us as it is voted for by individuals that we work with

world’s leading rental power specialists with our market leading hybrid systems.”

daily, and so truly recognise and value the quality of our approach.

Grant Thornton was also recently named “Global Firm of the Year” at the British Accountancy Awards, an award also based on a survey of FDs. www.grant-thornton.co.uk

Jonathan Grant, led the DMH Stallard team. He said: “Firefly is a great local business which is growing fast under Andy Mead’s guidance. These are the type of local businesses we aim to look after; as always closing the deal quickly and efficiently is key.”

See more on DMH Stallard’s recent corporate activity on page 22.

SOUTH EAST – MICRO HOTSPOT New analysis from Direct Line for Business reveals there are 2.17 million microbusinesses with fewer than nine employees across the UK. The South East of England and London is a hotbed for micro entrepreneurship, with over 700,000 of these businesses located in this region. Analysis reveals that up to one in thirty Britons could be a microbusiness owner.

The average turnover of the UK’s microbusinesses currently stands at £286,879.00, compared to the average turnover for SMEs of £703,419.00.

London leads the way with more than 400,000 microbusinesses, accounting for 18% of the UK total, followed by the South East (337,385 microbusinesses). The South East has 38 microbusinesses for every 1,000 people.

Nick Breton, Head of Direct Line for Business said: “Britain is a nation of entrepreneurs, and these enterprises account for 89% of all companies across the UK which is a huge contribution to the business economy.

“It is unsurprising to see that London and the South East account for more than a third of the nation’s microbusinesses, as families in these areas are often seeking to gain extra sources of income by turning their hobbies into professions.”

7

NEWS

LOCAL NEWS NATWEST EXPORT PLEDGE NatWest has announced plans to help at least 15,000 UK businesses export their goods or enter overseas markets by 2020. To support businesses on this next stage of their journey, working with UK Export Finance (UKEF) the bank will provide export finance to help companies secure £2.5bn of overseas contracts within the next four years.

Alison Rose, CEO of Commercial and Private Banking at NatWest, said: “When companies are ready, doing business overseas can have huge benefits. Businesses only trading in Britain limit their revenue potential to the UK, but each new overseas market represents a new possible source of income. Amongst other benefits, it also allows companies to spread risk across different business environments.”

Lord Price, Minister of State for Trade and Investment, welcomed the news, saying: “This impressive pledge by NatWest will take us one step closer to our ambitious target of getting 100,000 more UK companies exporting by 2020.

“The government and the banking sector share a joint aim - to help budding exporters realise their dreams of building a global business. By teaming up in this way, I hope we can inspire more British companies to take advantage of the world of opportunity out there and to make the most of the worldwide demand for their products, skills and expertise.”

FIVE STAR STANMER?

SEAFRONT ZIP

Local businessman, Alex Proud, has unveiled plans to upgrade the historic Stanmer House into a ‘near Michelin’ level restaurant and boutique hotel.

Owned by Brighton developer, Mike Holland, the house has been managed by the Whiting and Hammond pub group for the last five years.

Mr Proud, who has signed a long lease on on the iconic country house, said, “Stanmer House is one of the most stunning unique properties in Brighton. The restaurant will be upgraded to sub Michelin star quality, although we want to remain accessible to the dog walkers and visitors to the park.

“I’m hoping to create around 24 five-star hotel rooms on the top floor as Brighton lacks really upmarket hotel rooms.”

After last month’s news of plans for a 50-metre pool on Brighton seafront, now plans have formally been submitted for a vertigo-inducing 300-metre zipwire.

The Brighton Zip estimates up to 6,500 customers a month could use the new attraction which may open by the end of August (planning permission depending), with an on-site café expected to open in spring next year.

The Zip would see a 22.5 metre tower designed to emulate a helter skelter fairground ride installed on the retained base of the recently departed Big Wheel, with a steel boat landing point further along the beach by a crossing point for the Volk’s Railway.

During peak months it is expected that up to 74 members of staff would work on the venue, dropping to around 13 in quieter months.

Ian Coomber, head of planning for Stiles Harold Williams and planning consultant for The Brighton Zip, said: “The area to the east of Brighton Pier is in need of regeneration and Brighton Zip has the potential to provide jobs, joy and a jazzed up promenade.”

“Everyone is a genius at least once a year. The real geniuses have their bright ideas closer together.”

8

NEWS

“As l stood in the park l wondered why the frisby was getting bigger and bigger ….. and then it hit me”

LEONARDO BUILDING SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL AWARD The 110,000 sq ft Leonardo Building, situated on the Manor Royal Business District has been nominated for ‘Best Deal Outside Central London’ at the OAS Development Awards at the Tower of London. The building was fully let to Virgin Atlantic in May 2015.

Stiles Harold Williams’ Agency Team helped put the deal together alongside joint agents Savills and Knight Frank on behalf of developers Abstract Securities.

The Leonardo Building offers the most cost-effective new business space in the South East of England, with an annual cost per workstation of £2,300, compared to an average central London cost of £19,820 in 2016.

SHW Partner Adam Godfrey said: “I am very pleased this innovative development has received sector recognition. Leonardo is only one of several high quality speculative schemes which Abstract have built in recent years, a time when many developers lacked the bravery to do so.”

PEGASUS PURCHASE Simon Hackett and Lisa Bradley (Pegasus) with Viv Adshead and David Moore, (Ashfield Healthcare Communications)

GREEN GRANT FOR BRIGHTON

Brighton-based healthcare communications consultancy, Pegasus, has been bought for £16.8 million by FTSE 250 group UDG Healthcare plc.

Pegasus will join Ashfield Healthcare Communications, which is part of UDG’s commercial and medical services division.

Brighton and Hove will receive £485,000 of green

The deal is worth an initial of £10.1 million with an additional £6.7 million payable based on the achievement of agreed profit targets over the next three years.

up air quality. The funding for Brighton and Hove

transport grants to support job creation and clean City Council is part of £20.6m that is being given out

Pegasus founder Lisa Bradley will step into the role of chairman, with deputy managing director Simon Hackett taking over as managing director.

nationally for 23 sustainable travel initiatives across

Pegasus recently won Consultancy of the Year awards from PR Week and Communique.

It is the second largest healthcare PR consultancy in the UK and the largest PR consultancy outside of London.

people’s ambitions - offering cheap, clean and

Clients includes global pharmaceutical companies, public sector healthcare organisations, pharmacy and retailers, animal health brands, healthy beauty products, and food groups.

Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said: “Green

David Moore, Director at Ashfield Healthcare Communications, said: “This is a strategically important acquisition for UDG Healthcare and Ashfield.

to access jobs and education.

“Pegasus is leading the market in the way it creates and delivers integrated solutions for its clients and we look forward to adding their expertise to our fast-growing portfolio of specialist healthcare agencies.”

real difference for residents and help provide better air

England that boost local economies by supporting healthy travel options to access jobs and education opportunities. transport cuts congestion and improves air quality. It also offers the cheapest and healthiest way for people “Brighton & Hove’s green travel schemes will make a quality for everyone. Our £21m funding across England shows we are committed to improving lives through investment in sustainable transport.”

9

ECONOMIC TRACKER

Regional Economic Tracker

THE SOUTH EAST IS A HOT-SPOT FOR HIGH SKILLED JOBS

The NatWest Regional Economic Tracker monitors employment levels in 12 regions across the UK showing where the fastest job growth has occurred on a quarterly basis.

Yorkshire & the Humber takes top spot

by Sebastian Burnside, Senior Economist, NatWest NORTH WEST

SCOTLAND

2.7%

1.1%

Top 3 3 directors. TheTop importance of technology, Yorkshire the Humber has leapt NORTH&WEST SCOTLAND 3.2% 0.7% Ribble Valley Clackmannanshire 21% 8% to the top of the NatWest Regional innovation and enterprise can be seen in South High skilled 1.7% Pendle Dumfries & Galloway 18% 6% High skilled 5.6% Economic Tracker, seeing a higher East’s major W university cities, with Oxford5% Medium 1.7% Allerdale Dunbartonshire 13% skilled Medium skilled 1.4% rate of job growth than any other Low skilled -2.0% (63.7%), Brighton (58.6%) and Reading (54.8%) Low skilled 3.4% WEST MIDLANDS 1.6% NORTH EAST 2.2% UK region over the last year. in the top five of UK cities with the highest Top 3 Top 3 WEST MIDLANDS NORTH EAST 1.0% 2.1% Employment rose by 3.8% in the 12 proportion ofShigh skilled workers.

N Warwickshire Tyneside 13% 8% High skilled 3.1% months to September 2015, High skilled 1.6% twice Regional Lichfield Gateshead 12% 5% In addition to these, the strong local Medium skilled 0.2% theMedium already strong UK rate skilled 0.7%of 1.9%. Regional Rugby Middlesbrough 11% 5% Economic Low skilled 3.5% economies and well educated workforces found Low skilled 1.3% Top local areas within the region Economic WALES 1.4% Basingstoke have them in3.8% the top were Scarborough, Hambleton & HUMBER Tracker in Woking andYORKS WALES 1.5% Top 3 YORKS & HUMBER 3.7% Tracker and Leeds, all seeing growth of 15 where more Topthan 3 50% of their jobs are high Anglesey 8% High skilled 19% over 10%.

This excellent1.5% recent High skilled 6.2% skilled ones. Scarborough Wrexham 6% Medium skilled 1.6% Hambleton 16% Medium skilled 5.6% performance helps Yorkshire & Pembrokeshire 6% The increase in high skilled jobs has helped Leeds Low skilled 1.3% 10% Low skilled -1.6% the Humber make up some of the offset the significant reduction in the amount SOUTH WEST 3.0% EAST MIDLANDS 1.2% ground lostWEST in the early2.3% stages SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS 0.9% of low skilledTop workers during this period. The Top 3 3 of the recovery and means that High skilled 2.2% W Somerset 29% number of people in low skilled jobs – which High skilled 4.5% Ashfield 19% employment is now 4.4% higher Medium skilled 4.8% N Devon 23% NW Leicestershire Medium skilled -1.3% 12% includes sales & retail assistants, cleaners, than was in 2008, a result Lowitskilled 0.1% that is Mendip 14% Hinckley & Bosworth Low skilled -1.9% 10% lorry drivers, restaurant staff , taxi drivers and only bettered by three other regions.

EAST OF ENGLAND SOUTH EAST LONDON EAST OF ENGLAND 1.7% SOUTH 2.5% EAST 1.2% LONDON 2.5% 2.2% 1.3% call centre workers – has dropped 6.7% in the

Q3 2015

Q4 2015

1.0% 0.1% 4.2%

High skilled Medium skilled Low skilled

Top 3 High skilled 1.3% Spelthorne3.8% Medium skilled Low skilledTandridge 5.7%

Top 3 High skilled 1.7% 14% skilled Newham 2.6% Medium Greenwich 3.9% 13% Low skilled

11%

Rushmoor

Ealing

Top the 3 start of the recession.

South East since Braintree 12% 15% So what are the sort of jobs that are being Colchester 11% 14% Waveneyis changing the way we 10% Technology 13% created? work. From online shopping to automated tills

T

its influence on sectors like retail are clear to The northern regions might have seen strong Employment 2008Q32015 see. For occupations that are classed as low job creation in the last 12 months, but that skill this technological influence often means hasn’t been the case all the way through this

but even. The regions of the UK have performed

recovery. Comparing the number of people

less labour. Retail cashiers and check-out

very differently from each other and the type

in employment today with its previous peak

operators have seen some of the biggest falls

of work we do is changing. The good news is

in 2008 shows us that the South East has

in jobs numbers over recent years. Today there

managed a very creditable 4.5% rise. But

are fewer people employed in low skill jobs

London steals the show with a staggering East

than there were eight years ago.

2015 saw the economic recovery broaden out London

Yorks & Humber work. No other region comes close.

more people needed to analyse and take decisions

West Midlands West both managed to generate employment

the greatest concentrationWest of high skilled jobs – Midlands

involved in making the changes. That’s why IT

which include accountants, doctors and nurses, North West

specialists and project managers have seen such

Eastmanagers Midlands lawyers, engineers, teachers, and

tremendous demand for their services.

here are 1.6 million more people in work

Employment Y2Q3were in 2008, but that today than there rise in employment has been anything

that&the South Yorks Humber

East, and in particular Brighton,

London

comes well on both counts.

Southout West North West

14.5% increase in the number of people South West in

Let’s start with the raw numbers of jobs.

North East

South East

across the EastUK so that Yorkshire and the North

Along with London, the South East is home to Wales

growthWales of over 3%, well above the 2% average East Midlands across the UK. South East

10

on the evidence. It also means lots of jobs for those

North East

Scotland 0.0%

Better technology often means more data and

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

4.0%

Scotland 0%

3%

6%

9%

12%

15%

ECONOMIC TRACKER

“Technology is changing the way we work. From online shopping to automated tills, its influence on sectors like retail are clear to see.�

Annual employment growth, year to Q4 2015

Employment growth, 2008 to Q4 2015

Source: Office for National Statistics

Source: Office for National Statistics

Yorks & Humber

London

NorthWest

East of England

London

Yorks & Humber

East of England

SouthWest

SouthWest

South East

North East

NorthWest Wales

Wales South East

West Midlands

West Midlands

East Midlands North East

East Midlands

Scotland

Scotland 0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

0%

4.0%

3%

6%

9%

12%

15%

High skilled employment in major towns and cities, by region Source: Office for National Statistics 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%

East

South East

South West

West Midlands

North West

Wales

Yorks & Humber

East Midlands

Gateshead

Stockton-on-Tees

Darlington

Northampton

Derby

Nottingham

Huddersfield

Sheffield

York

Swansea

Newport

Cardiff

Warrington

Manchester

Chester

London

Shrewsbury

Worcester

Solihull

Bristol

Cheltenham

Bath

Reading

Brighton and Hove

Oxford

Southend-on-Sea

Chelmsford

Cambridge

0%

North East

Employment Growth by Skill Level Source: Office for National Statistics

High skill

Last 12 months

Medium skill

Since 2008 Low skill

-2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10% 12% 14%

11

E k RE OW! co.u F e N s. rib line tion c n ca bs Su ead o ubli p d r olio n a rtf .po w ww

July 2016

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BUSINESS AWARDS

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED 2016 Lewes District business Awards

T

wenty-five companies from across the District have been named as finalists each hoping to win one or more of the

eleven trophies up for grabs.

“Congratulations to all the shortlist

areas including customer service, community work, retail, sustainability, growth and tourism.

Commenting on this year’s shortlist Councillor Andy Smith, Leader of Lewes District

and best of luck on the night!”

The Awards will be presented by former

Council, said: “Following the huge success of

Countryfile presenter, Juliet Morris, on

community, the Lewes District Business

the last two years, the Lewes District Business

Thursday 14 July at the Lewes Town Hall.

Awards highlight the diverse range of

Awards continue to go from strength to

The event will be attended by around 200 of

successful and inspiring businesses from

strength.

the District’s leading businesses and offers

Celebrating excellence in the business

across the District.

“The standard of entries this year has been

The wide variety of awards has ensured that

exceptional, with representation from a wide

great opportunities to both celebrate and network.

a diverse range of businesses from all sectors

variety of industry sectors. They have all

can participate. From family run businesses

demonstrated strong foundations for continued

Tickets cost £60 each (plus vat) or £600 for

to international organisations, the entries

commercial growth and show great ambition

a table of ten (plus vat) and include a drinks

represent businesses that are excelling in all

for the future.

reception and three course meal with wine.

2016 FINALISTS COMPANY OF THE YEAR

BEST EMPLOYER

BUSINESS GROWTH

Sponsored by Santon North Street

Sponsored by Richard Soan Roofing Services

Sponsored by Platinum Business Magazine

Burleys

Caburn Hope

Cheesmur Building Contractors

Cheesmur Building Contractors

ICS Ltd

Fundraising Auctions

Cleankill (Environmental Services) Ltd

Wave Leisure Trust Ltd

ICS Ltd

SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE

HOSPITALITY, LEISURE & TOURISM

Sponsored by Swindells

Sponsored by Cavendish Communications

Sponsored by Harvey & Son Ltd

Boom Boom The Label

Budding Sensations

Front Room

Front Room

Community Transport for the Lewes Area

Lewes Castle & Barbican House Museum

Plants4Presents

The Charleston Trust

Pells Pool Community Association

BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR

BEST INDEPENDENT RETAILER

ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR

Sponsored by Cheesmur Building Contractors

Sponsored by Viva Lewes

Sponsored by LEAP

Richard Light, Fundraising Auctions

Chalk Gallery Ltd

Jennie Hallett, Beacon Health & Safety Services Ltd

Richard Soan, Richard Soan Roofing Services

Cheese Please

Tracey Horan, Dolly Fixtures

Victoria Young, Front Room

W.E. Clark & Son Ltd

Natalie James, Stitch

Phil Rawson, Created and Made

BUSINESS IN THE COMMUNITY

GREEN BUSINESS

Liz Rose, Elizabeth Rose

Sponsored by Brooklyn Hyundai

Sponsored by Veolia

Burleys

Burleys

Pells Pool Community Association

Cleankill (Environmental Services) Ltd

Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare

Ringmer Community College and Sixth Form

www.lewesdistrictbusinessawards.co.uk 13

INTERVIEW

THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ROLLERCOASTER

Fiona Anderson, Entrepreneurial Development Manager for NatWest, looks back on her first year of running Brighton’s Entrepreneurial Spark initiative and reflects on the highs and lows of the dynamic project which helps young companies grow and flourish.

Interview by Ian Trevett.

I met with Fiona Anderson a year ago, just before the first batch of ‘Chiclets’ arrived for the business boot camp. It has been quite a year…

14

So, how has it been?

It’s been a real rollercoaster journey – but a

be. If you speak to any of the people who have taken on this role in hatcheries around the

very good rollercoaster. When I started in the

country, they’ll say the same thing. We knew

role last year, I probably didn’t have that much

that the bank was taking on something new and

of an idea of what I was really getting myself

exciting, but we had little idea of how it would

into.

actually pan out. My two directors made a leap

I knew it would be very different from my

of faith. They had been involved in setting up

relationship management role in NatWest,

the team for about a year or so before I came

but didn’t realise just how different it would

on board.

INTERVIEW

“Of the original 28, three have moved out of the hatchery into their own offices and taken on staff, which for us is a huge success.”

What have been the highs and the lows?

The highs have been seeing some of the success stories of people who have really grown their businesses. Of the original 28, three have moved out of the hatchery into their own offices and taken on staff, which for us is a huge success. There are a couple of cases where the bank has been able to point them in the right direction for investment. One entrepreneur, Gary Conroy of ‘5 Squirrels’, raised over £120,000 worth of crowd funding for his business to grow.

The other highlights for me personally have

the free office space and having access to all the workshops: you have to be engaged.

Statistically, it’s a bit early as we are only a year down the line, but I believe that Entrepreneurial Spark will be bringing out their stats monitor around September or October,

(As at December 2015) 660 businesses helped Over 1,800 jobs created £45m of investment raised 88% of businesses who have been through the programme are still in business £85m of turnover generated

which will incorporate all the new hatcheries, including Bristol, Brighton and Leeds.

In August, you will see the third intake at Brighton. Are you attracting different types of companies?

It has changed. The second intake was very

been the opportunity to work very closely with

different to the first. A lot of the first intake

a lot of key people from around Sussex who

were very new businesses, very new start-

have really engaged and who really get what

ups who needed hand-holding. In the second

we are doing. They don’t just see us as a bank

intake a lot of the businesses were a lot more

out there ticking a box, because that is not what

established and the individuals were a bit more

this is about. This year is NatWest’s Year of

mature and experienced.

Enterprise, and it is taken very seriously.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPARK IN NUMBERS

The message we really want to put out

same thing. Every single day is different, meeting different people with different ideas and ambitions.

What do you know now that you didn’t know 12 months ago?

I now know a lot more about the mindset of an entrepreneur, about how challenging it can be to start your own business. It’s not an easy process; a lot of these guys have given up a lot to focus on these businesses. They’ve given up well-established jobs and security to basically

is that we are not just supporting start-up

pursue their passions, whatever they may be,

now EMC2 , who have now come on board as

businesses; it is really a programme to help

in their business. I’ve learnt a lot more about

technology partners.

businesses scale and grow - and that can

understanding what drives them and motivates

be businesses turning over £1 or £2 million.

them. That’s one of the biggest takeaways for

entrepreneurship. We now have 300 women

It is for businesses that need that help and

me throughout this last year.

who are business-accredited relationship

assistance to grow and scale.

We have great support from KPMG and

The bank is very active in encouraging

managers, which means they have all been

We are benefiting from the fact that people

I do feel I have grown a lot as a person.

I’ve probably never had to challenge myself

through an accreditation programme dealing

know more about us now, and the awareness

with understanding working with women in

is much higher. The chamber of commerce are

business. The other focus under the enterprise

brilliant at getting the word out there about

been doing things that I would never have

banner is the Prince’s Trust, which builds on

what we are doing. My role is to keep that

experienced otherwise, such as standing

momentum going; we are always looking for

up in front of large groups of people, doing

people and mentors.

presentations and doing talks at awards

our long-standing 30-year sponsorship.

Last year it was mentioned that 80% of Brighton start-ups fail. How are your start-ups faring?

Yes, that’s right: actually, it was 84%. We’ve had a couple who have not continued. Also, we have some companies who have left the programme but who have continued to develop their businesses. It’s not for everyone. We

As you build up a mix of ‘nesters’ (those businesses invited to stay beyond the usual six months) and ‘chiclets’ (new cohorts), the dynamic will keep changing…

so much as I have in the last year. I have

ceremonies. I’ve acquired some personal skills and earned the satisfaction of knowing I have helped businesses.

Are you still looking for new applicants and mentors?

Yes, definitely. Our next intake starts on 10th August, and we will actually open the

challenge you as a person, but also challenge

That’s right. There’s never going to be that

applications for February the following week.

you in your business, pushing you to grow and

point where you think you have cracked this,

We are always looking for mentors, especially

scale your business. It’s not just about using

and all my colleagues would say exactly the

in the tech sector.

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPARK Run alongside partners NatWest and KPMG, Entrepreneurial Spark® is the world’s largest free people accelerator for start-up and scaleup businesses. Open to businesses from all sectors and completely free, Entrepreneurial Spark® takes no equity in supported businesses.

For more information, please visit: www.entrepreneurial-spark.com

15

BUSINESS AWARDS

SUSSEX BUSINESS AWARDS 2016 28th annual business awards set to launch early July

T

he Sussex Business Awards launches in July and is set to celebrate yet another exciting year of regional business success.

The Awards have built a reputation as one of the most important dates in the business calendar since their inception in 1989.

Recognising business excellence across Sussex, these prestigious Awards are the longest established of their kind in Sussex and widely considered to be ‘the one to win’.

Almost 300 of the county’s leading businesses have received the accolade of Sussex Business Award winner including the likes of Alexander House Hotel, Blue Forest, The Brighton Marathon, Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd, Cash Bases, Checkatrade.com, Chichester College, Domestic & General, Eezehaul, FDM Group, Gatwick Airport, Higgidy Pies, Life Pure Water, Marlin Financial Group, Natures Way Foods, Neilson Active Holidays, Parafix Holdings Limited, Ridgeview Wine Estate, RSPCA, Southern Water and The Body Shop.

AJS Labels, leaders in the supply and production of selfadhesive labels, stickers and label products within the UK, was the big winner last year after being named Sussex Businessperson of the Year and Sussex Company of the Year and owner, Andrew Scrimgeour, could not recommend enough that businesses enter the awards.

Andrew said: “It was a great honour, privilege and I have to say surprise to win two awards. We have an enviable reputation in the UK but to be benchmarked against the very best in Sussex - wow that was quite something! It was very motivating for all our staff but especially our young but talented management team. It has also improved our profile and reputation both locally and nationally.”

With awards for all-round excellence, as well as for those businesses demonstrating special strengths in areas such as innovation, customer service, professional services and entrepreneurs, there is an award to suit every kind of company.

Businesses can enter up to three categories and deadline for submissions is Wednesday August 31st at 5pm.

There is a small admin fee of £50 to enter one award or £100 for up to three entries. You can also make nominations for the Healthiest Workplace, Best Boss, Most Sustainable Business and Outstanding Contribution to Sussex Charity free of charge.

Winners will be announced at The Grand Brighton on 1st December 2016.

To view this year’s categories and submit an entry, head online to www.sbawards.org.uk.

16

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CLOUD TALK

T

he world of Information Technology has changed dramatically in the 33 years I have been working within the sector. In this time I have worked in IT Support and Development, as an IT Consultant, Systems Planning Engineer, Business Propositions Manager and IT Director, working for businesses that include The London Stock Exchange, Canon Europe, Victoriareal (now Endemol) and Telefonica. I also set up and ran Geeks-on-Wheels from 2003 - 2011.

If you run a business, which is not technology based, generally the last thing you have is the time, inclination or knowledge to deal with IT and keep abreast of what’s new and where to go. The acronyms and terminology alone are enough to confuse anyone. An example I recently came across was a software tool called Cucumber.

I looked it up online and discovered it’s written in a language called Gherkin designed to be non-technical and readable… I jest you not.

Whenever I meet a client I nearly always learn something new, have to put my mind into gear and think outside of the box to determine whether moving to a Cloud based IT infrastructure is viable, and cost effective. Will it improve users workday experience, add value to the business, be regulatory compliant and will lost data be retrievable et al?

So where am I going with this Platinum Magazine section? As of now I will be writing short, hopefully interesting, easy to read IT snippets to help you run your business more effectively.

RUNNING WINDOWS ON YOUR APPLE Many businesses use Apple computers but have to run accounts packages, or bespoke/custom applications that only run on Windows. Well rather than purchasing a Windows PC take a look at Boot Camp. It’s included with all versions Apple OS X Leopard and later operating systems (look in the Utilities Folder) and allows you to boot your Apple into either OS X or Windows. All you’ll need to purchase is a copy of Windows. If you want to run OS X and Windows side-by-side take look at Parallels (www.parallels.com).

MICROSOFT OFFER FREE OFFICE 365 MIGRATION If you employ more than 50 employees and are looking at migrating your business to Office 365 then Microsoft Fast Track is for you. To find out more check out https://fasttrack.microsoft.com/office.

HAVE YOU BEEN PWNED? Yes the spelling is correct and the name is said to be a play on the word ‘Owned’. Millions of email addresses have been leaked, stolen and sold in a spate of large business security breaches including Adobe, Sony and Vtech to name a few. If you want to find out if your personal information may have been compromised put your email address into the https://haveibeenpwned.com website.

The site is legitimate and putting your email address in will let you know if/when the information was leaked. If your details were leaked, and you have not changed your password since the leak date, change your password(s).

The Cloud Consultancy Europe are authorised Office 365 resellers

If you would like help and advice with your IT infrastructure call me. t: 00 (44) 1342 716873 e: jamie.shaw@thecloudconsultancy.eu w: www.thecloudconsultancy.eu 18

uk.linkedin.com/in/shawjamie

NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS RUBBING THEIR NOSES SWEETHEART TAX DEAL IN IT Philip Green would seem to be under the cosh over his handling of the BHS debacle having flogged the chain off to some waster for a quid. The MPs gave him a grilling but to be fair, they didn’t stand a chance against this pugilistic market trader who ran them around for a few hours and then took off back to his billionaire bolthole in Monaco. The man has no shame. Having recently taken delivery of his mega yacht, Lionheart, for which he forked out £100m, he has now received his new jet, the holy grail of private jets, the Gulstream GR50ER at a cost of £46m. His wife Tina, defacto owner of all his cash, then spent a further £300,000 in fitting out the interior.

Balls of steel and not a shred of shame in his corpulent frame.

Microsoft has reportedly avoided up to £100m a year in UK corporation tax by routing its sales through Ireland.

The corporation has sent more than £8bn of revenues from computers and software bought by British customers to Ireland since 2011, as part of a deal with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), the Sunday Times reports. The arrangements, known as advance pricing agreements, agree on the allocation of profit between various countries. HMRC approved Microsoft’s offshore structure in 2012, in a deal which runs from 2011 to 2017.

Corporation tax in Ireland currently stands at 12.5%, while the UK has a corporation tax rate of 20%.

More than 140 tax deals have been arranged between HMRC and some of the world’s biggest companies. Advance pricing agreements are now being investigated across Europe by the European Commission, which wants to ensure they do not breach rules on state aid.

There is a legal obligation to pay tax but more importantly, if a global business that relies on consumer spending, they had better realise that there is also a moral obligation to pay the right amount of tax. Its time consumer began a boycott of these greedy giants.

Could someone please tell HMRC please. And am l the only one who thinks this could be solved by the UK government reducing corporation tax to 12.5%. It has often been proven that lower tax rates bring in more then they sacrifice.

FACTORY SHOP PLOTS SALE The owner of one of Britain’s biggest discount retailers is drawing up plans for a sale nearly a decade after taking control of the chain.

The Original Factory Shop (TOFS), which trades from more than 200 stores across the country, is preparing for a change of ownership. Duke Street Capital, the private equity firm which bought TOFS in 2007, has appointed Rothschild, the investment bank, to conduct a strategic review of the retailer. Sources said that was likely to lead to an auction within a matter of months, with TOFS continuing to expand even as many retailers face a brutal trading environment.

TOFS, which sells brands like Reebok, Vax and Tefal at discounted prices, was established in 1969, and now employs 2800 people.

It last changed hands in 2007, when Duke Street bought the company for £68.5m from the private equity arm of Barclays.

The company is now run by Tony Page, a former Asda executive, who has overcome a string of supply chain problems to preside over strong recent profit growth.

Analysts suggested it was now likely to be worth more than £150m, although Duke Street and TOFS declined to comment on the valuation or on Rothschild’s appointment.

“It is said that a woman’s mind is cleaner than a man’s because she changes it more often.”

19

NEWS

NATIONAL NEWS DRIVERLESS ROLLS Rolls-Royce has unveiled its first driverless vehicle, a concept car that promises to help its owner announce their importance to the world.

The Vision Next 100 is an autonomous vehicle aimed at “the most discerning and powerful patrons in the world”.

It has no steering wheel and a silk “throne” from which its occupants can watch the world go by. Rolls-Royce said the zero-emission model, codenamed 103EX, showed the company “rejects the notion of anonymous, utilitarian and bland future modes of mobility”.

In a statement that was short on technical specifications but packed with florid description, Rolls-Royce promised an interior made only of “the most precious and contemporary elegance”.

The owner will be “encircled by the most modern handcrafted fine-line Macassar wood panelling” as they gaze at a “generous” high-definition television screen. Rolls-Royce, owned by BMW, said the car proved that “certain truths are constant over time”, such as the notion that “the powerful have always understood the symbols through which they express their standing”. Pass the sick bag.

FED UP? Changes to junior doctors contracts, increasing animosity about Britain’s place in the EU, Jeremy Corbyn, house prices, and even the delayed arrival of summer weather are enough to make anyone want to throw in the Union Flag-decorated towel.

While most Britons would prefer to stay in the UK for their next job, according to the jobs website Indeed, “this situation may not last forever”.

Almost one in 10 UK jobseekers searching on Indeed are looking for a job outside the country – more than those from the US, China or France. So where are they looking?

Here’s the top ten countries we want to run away to: 1. US – 36.5% 2. France – 11.2% 3. UAE – 9.4% 4. Canada – 8.5% 5. Ireland – 7.5% 6. Australia – 6.5% 7. Germany – 6% 8. South Africa – 5.9% 9. Italy – 4.4% 10. Netherlands – 4%

“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and likes to see us happy.”

20

NEWS

“If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.”

REVLON BUYS ARDEN The cosmetics and beauty firm Revlon has confirmed a $419m (£300m) deal to buy rival Elizabeth Arden. New York-based Revlon - best known for its make-up and hair colour products - said it was buying the loss-making company to broaden its world presence and expand into skin care and perfume ranges. It expected cost savings of $140m over three to five years once the all-cash deal is completed - adding it was worth $870m when debt was included.

Elizabeth Arden’s shares jumped 50% in after-hours trading when news of the tie-up broke.

It recently posted a loss of $28.4m for the first three months of the year.

Elizabeth Arden opened her first Red Door salon on New York’s Fifth Avenue in 1910.

The company now sells skin-care and fragrance products in 120 countries but has struggled to win favour for its celebrity-endorsed scents.

Revlon has secured financing for the purchase which will also chip away at its own debt pile.

New chief executive Fabian Garcia will run the expanded business following the deal, which is expected to complete later this year.

Scott Beattie, Elizabeth Arden’s chairman, will remain but in an advisory role.

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING Industry 4.0 is a term first coined in Germany to refer to the digitisation of manufacturing, allowing German manufacturing to build on its competitive edge. It is often referred to as the fourth industrial revolution.

Only 8% of UK manufacturers have a significant understanding of Industry 4.0 processes despite 59% recognising that the fourth industrial revolution will have a big impact on the sector, according to a new report published today by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO LLP in association with the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

As the increasing use of automation, data exchange, technology and wider supply chain communications driven by Industry 4.0 provides both huge opportunities and threats to UK manufacturing, there remains a ‘gaping hole’ in the education and understanding of Industry 4.0.

According to the BDO/IMechE report, increased productivity, better data analysis, increased competitiveness and lower manufacturing costs are the top ways in which Industry 4.0 will affect UK manufacturing.

However, a third of manufacturers are at risk of falling behind global competition having not invested in Industry 4.0 related technology or processes in the last two years. Worryingly, a quarter say they have no plans to invest in this area in the next two years and 44% of those not investing said this was due to a lack of understanding.

Of those that are increasing investment levels: • • • • • • •

16% of companies expected to spend over £500,000 before 2018 7% plan to invest more than £5m 64% of those surveyed said that production would be a key area when investing in automation systems and Industry 4.0 related technology 45% respectively saying research and development and logistics were key areas of focus 5% said poor investment levels were due to the lack of external finance or grants 73% of those surveyed said Industry 4.0 will increase the risk of cyber security breaches in their business 48% of these felt they had an adequate IT infrastructure which could prevent breaches.

Kevin Cook, Partner at BDO LLP, said: “It is surprising to see such low awareness of Industry 4.0 amongst UK manufacturers and clearly more needs to be done to educate, support and assist the sector as we make strides into what is likely to become the fourth industrial revolution. UK manufacturers need to push ahead or they will be left behind, especially when it is evident other countries are already moving ahead of the game with education and investment programmes being much more clearly supported by government than in the UK. “The lack of a clear strategy on what could be the most important development in manufacturing for some years is of huge concern. We would like to see the Government doing more to match manufacturers’ long-term outlook by developing a 15-20 years industrial policy that avoids the disruptions of the political cycle.”

21

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

The DMH Stallard team collected two prestigious awards at the Insider Dealmakers Awards

A CONFIDENT M&A MARKET M&A Continues to Grow Regionally for DMH Stallard Q & A - JONATHAN GRANT, PARTNER

Brighton based businesses leading the way - the

LLP and Spofforths

MBO of Brighton’s artisan coffee chain Small

LLP. They are two great

Batch Coffee Company, and Capita’s acquisition

local businesses in the

How are you feeling about the market

of e-learning business Brightwave.

accountancy, corporate finance

generally?

What have you learned from these deals?

Confidence and growth across the South East

Plan well ahead to get the best return, and

and tax advisory fields, both of whom we have worked with on deals.

Jonathan Grant

region is increasing our regional M&A business;

(of course) to work with the right advisers!

if anything the frustration is that we have not

Some acquirers will pay great multiples for

Do you win deals on the market or from

had as much time as we would have liked to be

quality businesses because organic growth is

existing clients?

out in the market. Growth in the firm overall

hard to achieve. The trick is to execute quickly

mirrors this with turnover up to £26 million and

without conceding on value - whether buying

reservoir of clients. We currently have the

profits are growing at 10% per annum.

or selling.

deepest pipeline of regional clients looking at

How has the market changed over the last six

Any deals which particularly pleased you in

deals than we have had for years - looking at

months?

2016?

It continues to gain strength and value. We had a very busy close to 2015, with some quality

22

I was very pleased to be asked to help complete the merger of Kreston Reeves

Both are important but the firm has a great

growth, acquisition and sale.

Cophall Parking Gatwick Ltd is a good example of an existing client deal. Heidi

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS Copeland, who leads our planning practice, had worked for that family owned business for years, helping them to build a top quality Gatwick parking business. They achieved a great deal with market consolidator Group First - another one completed in a tight timeframe.

Firefly, who operate from a base in Lewes, manufacturing hybrid solar generators for sale around the world. We have helped Firefly to raise funds as they have grown, and sale of their Hire business to Hewden allows them to focus on their profitable core businesses as they continue that growth path.

Brightwave Sale of Brighton e-learning company to Capita PLC

Q & A - ABIGAIL OWEN, PARTNER Have you seen any difference in how deals are being funded?

We continue to see deals funded by companies with cash reserves and resources and by the backing of high-net worth individuals. We have noticed an increase in the use of funding from banks, who are trying to come back in the market and by invoice discount providers. This has been notable from an increase in the number of transactions where we have acted for Leumi ABL Ltd whose

DMH Stallard’s Regional Deal Round-Up June 2016

Abigail Owen

facilities have enabled exits and management buy-outs.

How are you seeing buyers approach transactions?

We have seen that businesses want to continue to grow and carry on business. The recession days of people sitting on their hands and not wanting to do anything with their business are long passed. There is still a level of caution by buyers looking at businesses

Merger of Kreston Reeves LLP and Spofforths LLP Cophall Parking Gatwick Sale of family owned airport parking business to Group First Limited

Takbro Group Sale of Takbro group to Newbury Investments

which means that due diligence is a key element to any transaction. Buyer’s are going into a transaction with their eyes wide open and want to know precisely what it is that they are buying. As a seller, due diligence can be very disruptive and distracting, right at the point when a seller needs to focus on the business and the numbers. You can never underestimate the value of getting your company in good order prior to commencing any transaction, and we have seen this with the transactions over the last six months. The owners/directors who invested time in preparing themselves for a transaction were rewarded with the deal proceeding more smoothly, timely and cost effectively with the least price chipping!

Are you seeing deals being structured in any particular way?

Over the last six months, we have seen transactions structured in a multitude of ways. We are finding that parties are being flexible, looking at the end result and how to get there in a way that works for all, where able. We have seen deals structured in the ‘standard’ share

E-zec acquisition from NSL Ltd Acquisition through business and asset deal to expand E-zec’s transportation business for the NHS

Multi-office Veterinary practice Sale of SE veterinary practice to a fast growing consolidator

sale manner, as well as the purchase of certain business & assets commonly where it is only part of a business that is being sold. We are also seeing an increasing number of buy-back of

Leumi ABL Limited

shares, as a means of enabling certain business owners to capitalise on their hard work and

Funding of the management buy-out of a cleaning and facilities company, which was carved-out from a global business

exit from the business, whilst the other owners stay with the business. Coupled with this is the increased availability of bank and institutional funding. All of this makes for an active market.

What advice have you got for people looking to sell their business over the next 12 months Most importantly it is never too early to start planning, particularly as regards the advisers you are going to use. This doesn’t just cover legal, but also tax, accounting and corporate finance advice. You should not be rushed into any transaction and so the earlier you get your house in order, the more smoothly it will run and the better you will be prepared. Transactions tend to be of two types, either instigated by the owner who wants to exit or by a third party who makes the owners an offer they cannot refuse! There is an old saying, that having your business fit for sale makes either of these straight-forward, whichever stimulates a transaction.

We understand that values have been increasing in the market place. What are you seeing at DMH Stallard?

Prices have certainly increased over the last 24 months and the market is generally very firm. What we are seeing is that initial higher prices being offered and accepted are now under pressure during the due diligence period and if anything values have softened slightly

Finishing Touches (Semi Permanent Make Up) Ltd Acquisition of shares

Heatherdale Healthcare Ltd Sale of shares for nursing & care home in Kent

Leumi ABL Limited Funding of the share acquisition of RDS Group

in the last three to six months. Your advisers should be helping manage not only value expectations but also attempted price reductions. Again, by keeping control of the process and understanding your options, you will be able to maximise value.

23

SADIQ

KHAN As the first Muslim leader of a Western capital, the world is watching how the London Mayor will fare.

Profile by Ian Trevett

“Already he has been accused of imposing Sharia Law - and being a Zionist! ”

24

THE BIG STORY

T

he blood on the walls of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando hadn’t had a chance to dry before Donald Trump made his pronouncement on who was to blame. After 49 club-goers were slain in a cold-hearted frenzy of hate, he declared: “The bottom line is that the only reason the killer was in America in the first place was because we allowed his family to come here… We are importing radical Islamic terrorism into the West through a failed immigration system.”

Aside from Native Americans, everyone in the US is either an immigrant or descended from immigrants, but Donald Trump wants to prevent a very particular group of migrants Muslims. In one fell swoop, Trump demonised approximately 22% of the entire population of earth. ”The ban will be lifted when we as a nation are in a position to properly and perfectly screen those people coming into our country,” said Trump.

Just over a month earlier, London elected its first-ever Muslim mayor - the first Muslim leader of a major Western capital.

Unsurprisingly, Sadiq Khan and Donald Trump don’t exactly enjoy a mutually loving relationship. Sadiq challenged Trump with a question: “Are you inadvertently making our countries less safe by giving the impression there is a clash of civilisations? Are you doing the job of Daesh and the extremists for them by saying the West hates Islam? I am the West!”

Khan warned that the billionaire’s “ignorant”

view of Islam could make both Britain and the US less safe.

“Donald Trump and those around him think that Western liberal values are incompatible with mainstream Islam - London has proved him wrong.

“By the end of the campaign, journalists groaned at the mention of his bus-driver father: a sure sign of success.”

“There are literally hundreds of thousands of Londoners who are Muslim and Western.

Meet my family, meet me, meet my friends, meet other Londoners, and hopefully that will reassure you that it’s possible.”

It would be easy to dismiss Donald Trump’s headline-grabbing speeches as the outpourings of a fame-hungry lunatic, albeit one who may soon be the leader of the free world. But Trump just voices the fears of many who worry about the threat of extreme Islam and the creep of Islamification across the West. Is the election of

Khan a sign that the indigenous population of the UK is being stealthily swept aside?

The Conservatives certainly believed that people felt this way, and their mayoral campaign concentrated on questioning Khan’s perceived connections to extremists.

Zac Goldsmith, an intelligent, articulate candidate best known for his passionate green credentials, fought a campaign that was so negative that his closest friends seemed to be genuinely shocked.

David Cameron joined the attack. “I am concerned about Labour’s candidate as Mayor of London, who has appeared on a platform with Suliman Gani nine times. This man supports Islamic State… Anyone can make a mistake about who they appear on a platform with. But if you do it time after time, it is right to question your judgement.” Gani, an Imam in Khan’s Tooting constituency angrily rejected such claims, and is, in fact, a Conservative supporter.

Cameron apologised, and during the Remain campaign (during which he shared a stage with Sadiq Kahn), he was asked by The Times’ Jenni Russell if he now thinks it’s a good thing that a major Western city has a Muslim mayor?

“Yes, yes I do. We’ve got to win the argument that this fight we’re engaged in isn’t between Christianity and Islam, but within Islam, against a small minority … and if someone like Sadiq can demonstrate that Muslims, Christians and Jews can work together, that’s a very good thing.”

25

Call Worthing: 01903 234094 Call Gatwick: 01293 227670 Email: info@carpenterbox.com

XERO AWARD WINNER 2016

THE BIG STORY

“His politics are closer to the moderate wing of the Labour Party and he is an admirer of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.”

Sometimes a politician cannot just represent his or her own philosophies; by a quirk of history, they are destined to carry the weight of representing their race, gender or religion.

Barack Obama was never going to be judged as the 44th President of the United States. In a nation which is only one generation away from racial segregation, he knows he will be judged on his legacy of how he helped advance the cause of black Americans.

Mrs Thatcher seemed less concerned about her responsibility to her gender. In all her time as Prime Minister, Baroness Young, a close friend of the Prime Minister, was the only female promoted to the cabinet. No wonder Spitting Image caricatured her as being the most masculine politician of her generation, famously showing her standing at a urinal.

Khan knows the eyes of the world will be upon him, a man of Islam in a world that teeters on the edge of being ripped apart by mistrust and hostility between faiths. Already

he has been accused of imposing Sharia Law and being a Zionist!

As London Mayor, one of Sadiq Khan’s first moves was to ban all adverts which portray “an unhealthy body image” from appearing on London’s transport network. An example cited was an advert showing a skinny bikini model, with the question: “Are you beach body ready?”

Khan said, “Nobody should feel pressurised while they travel on the Tube or bus into unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies, and I want to send a clear message to the advertising industry about this.”

A blow for women’s rights, but one woman’s feminism is another man’s misogyny.

Brighton’s Green MP, Caroline Lucas, campaigned to ban The Sun’s Page 3 girls for the way it objectifies women. Displaying female flesh in public view also offends the Taliban, for an entirely different reason.

Twitter soon came alive with comments questioning Khan’s motives:

“This Mayor is pushing his conservative Muslim views. All the while stroking the egos of the feminist.” ”As per Sharia Law, Muslim mayor of London will ban ads that show beautiful female bodies.”

“He is using feminist talking points to enact Sharia policy.”

Brendan O’Neill commented in The Spectator: “Sadiq’s ban sets a mad precedent. He says he wants to squash ads which give people ‘unrealistic expectations surrounding their bodies’. But advertising is all about unrealistic expectations. Ads are packed with stupidly handsome blokes and gorgeous women all having a mighty fine time as they book that holiday some of us can’t afford or down those beers the rest of us would also be downing if only we weren’t on our way to the bloody office.

That’s what ads do: they say, ‘Hey. Don’t you wish you were doing this? And looked like this?

And owned this?’ “… Now that Sadiq has set himself up as slayer of evil words and pictures to protect Londoners from feeling bad, there’s no telling what he’ll crush next.”

So is Khan easing in Sharia Law by stealth?

Not according to Hafsa Kara-Mustapha from middleeasteye.net.

On his first day in office, he attended the UK’s Holocaust Memorial Ceremony standing

27

THE BIG STORY potential,” he told Alistair Campbell in GQ. “My parents were immigrants. My dad passed away in 2003, he had been a bus driver for 25 years, my mum sewed clothes, raised eight children, but we had security of housing, it was affordable, they could put money aside to get our own home; we went to good local schools and our parents said, ‘Listen to the teachers.’

They pushed us All of us who wanted to go to university did. I came home after law school, slept in the same top bunk, saving for a deposit, then my wife and I got a property in our mid-twenties. I was a lawyer, ran a business, MP, then sat at the Cabinet table... that is the London story. Too many people miss out on those chances now.”

Khan and his siblings grew up in a three-bedroom council flat on the Henry Prince Estate in Earlsfield. He attended Fircroft Primary School and then Ernest Bevin School (now Ernest Bevin College), a local comprehensive. Khan studied science and

“I’m determined to be the most pro-business Mayor of London yet.”

alongside Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, the very same Rabbi who had accused Labour of having a ‘severe’ problem with anti-Semitism. Clever PR from Khan? Not according to KaraMustapha, who accuses Sadiq of having form on the IsraelPalestine issue. She wrote: “When the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) invited Khan to an event commemorating the Nakba, or catastrophe, marking the expulsion and ethnic cleansing in 1948 of Palestinians, Khan ignored it.Time and again Khan has openly sided with Israel to the detriment of the Palestinians, of whose cause Londoners have been increasingly supportive.

“As the anti-Semitism/anti-Zionism row continues to rock the Labour Party, one thing at least has emerged since May’s election: you do not have to be Jewish to be Zionist, in fact, you can be a Muslim too. Mayor Khan is the proof of this.”

Zionist? Islamist? Socilaist? Entrepreneur? Who is the real Sadiq Khan?

Khan was born at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, South London, the fifth of eight children in a working class Sunni Muslim family of Pakistani immigrants. His grandparents migrated from India to Pakistan following the partition of India in 1947, and his parents migrated to England from Pakistan shortly before Khan was born. His late father, Amanullah Khan, worked as a bus driver for over 25 years; his mother, Sehrun, was a seamstress.

Khan is clearly proud of both his working class roots and the work ethic which is installed in the psyche of the immigrant. “London gave me all my chances to fulfil my

28

mathematics at A-level in the hope of eventually qualifying as a dentist. A teacher recommended that he read law, as he had an argumentative personality. He entered the University of North London (now London Metropolitan University) to study law.

According to his Wikipedia biography, he and his family often encountered racism, which led to him and his brothers taking up boxing at the Earlsfield Amateur Boxing Club. While studying for his degree, from the age of 18 to 21, he worked on Saturdays at the Peter Jones department store in Sloane Square.

He completed the Law Society finals at the College of Law in Guildford. From 1994 to 1997, he was employed as a trainee solicitor and assistant solicitor and from 1997 to 2005, was a partner in the firm ‘Christian Khan’ with Louise Christian.

During his legal career he represented actions against the police, employment and discrimination law. By taking on controversial cases against the police and establishment, he earned a reputation as a radical and as being politically motivated - a perception pounced on by certain newspapers during the mayoral campaign.

Added to his nomination of Jeremy Corbyn, he was labelled as a left winger who could not be trusted in office. In fact, his politics are closer to the moderate wing of

THE BIG STORY

the Labour Party and he is an admirer of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

George Eaton wrote in The New Statesman: “His election leaflets rooted his policies in his personal story, ‘the bus driver’s son who’ll make commuting more affordable, the council estate boy who’ll fix the Tory housing crisis and the British Muslim who’ll take on the extremists.’ By the end of the campaign, journalists groaned at the mention of his busdriver father: a sure sign of success.

“London gave me all my chances to fulfil my potential” “Khan spoke of how ‘too many British Muslims grow up without really knowing anyone from a different background,’ warning that the political establishment had for too long ‘tolerated segregation’ at the expense of ‘creating a common life.’”

Unlike the Corbynistas, Khan has an authentic appreciation of entrepreneurship and those who exhibit business acumen. It is estimated that a fifth of London’s Pakistanis are self-employed, and he has experienced the highs and lows of being in business.

In his manifesto he pledged: “I’m determined to be the most pro-business Mayor of London yet. I’ll make engagement with industry – from small independents and start-ups to global corporations – a key part of decision-making at City Hall. When it comes to planning London’s future economic development, infrastructure, skills and housing will be my foremost priorities. And I’ll build stronger partnerships between the private sector, public and voluntary agencies to work strategically across London – making sure that the good work that is done across the city on skills and economic development is properly joined up.”

He is passionate about putting Londoners first when it comes to housing. “You have to intervene in the market,” he told Alistair Campbell. “The market isn’t working. I want half to be genuinely affordable. No more selling off first to Asia and the Middle East.

For six months they go first to Londoners.

One of the top five estate agents advertised 700 properties to overseas buyers before marketing them in London. Another one had 50 cocktail parties in Singapore and Malaysia for properties not yet built. So there are going to be conditions for development: first, try to sell here, and they have to be affordable.”

He supports new aviation capacity for London and backs a second runway at Gatwick.

He promises to champion London industry at home and abroad, making the case for inward investment in the City, and working to attract ever more global business.

In talking about innovation and housing, Khan is doing exactly what he should be doing - planning his policies for London. At the end of his stint as London Mayor, in an ideal world he should be judged on what he has done for Londoners and the City’s economy. However, his religion and background will always be at the forefront, because he is, whether he likes it or not, a flag bearer for Muslim moderation.

If we are to live together in peace, we need Muslim role models who will provide an alternative path to those who preach hate and division. Khan says, “We all have multiple identities. I am a dad, a husband, Londoner, Asian, British, Muslim. I never run away from my faith, but I don’t proselytise.”

He certainly never runs away, and there is no doubting his bravery. Whatever he does, there will be haters and he must be aware of the risks he takes.

Jo Cox, the MP who was murdered outside her constituency office in June, paid the ultimate price for her compassionate, inclusive politics. She was well aware of the dangers of race-hate crimes. She was planning to address parliament to introduce a report she had been working on with the Islamophobia watchdog Tell Mama (Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks).

The study is expected to conclude that there were about 80% more attacks on Muslims in Britain in 2015 than the year before.

Her killer shouted, “Britain First!” It may or may not have been a reference to the race-hate political group of the same name - but Khan is

firmly on their radar.

The group’s leader, Paul Golding, issued a direct threat to Khan: “Britain First specialises in militant, direct action and has tracked down and confronted numerous hate preachers and terrorists.

“Britain First now considers all Muslim elected officials as ‘occupiers’ and will start to oppose their strategy of entryism and takeover of our political system.”

He went on to declare his groups would “focus on all aspects of their day-to-day lives and official functions, including where they live, work, pray and so on.”

Khan is just as much at risk from Jihadists who despise his moderation and Western ideals.

Sadiq Khan shows no fear and declares: “Extremism is a cancer eating at the heart of our society, all the time. And if we’re honest, not enough has been done to root it out. That makes me angry. Angry because for too long we [British Muslims] have buried our heads in the sand.”

“I believe that British Muslims have a special role to play in tackling extremism. A special role, not because we are more responsible than others, as some have wrongly claimed, but because we can be more effective at tackling extremism than anyone else. Our role must be to challenge extremist views wherever we encounter them. To challenge this perverse ideology, and to insist that British values and Muslim values are one and the same.”

Whatever you may think of Khan’s party politics (or his stance on Europe), surely no-one can disagree with this, and we must sincerely hope that he succeeds in helping to build bridges between faiths.

George Eaton sums it up well: “Beyond London, as the first Muslim mayor of a major western city, Khan will be a figure of global significance. His election is a rebuke to extremists of all stripes, from Donald Trump to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi (leader of ISIS), who assert that religions cannot peacefully co-exist.”

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LIVING WAGE

NATIONAL LIVING WAGE

Is it good news for employees, but bad news for local business? asks Maxine Reid, Restructuring Partner at Kreston Reeves

Many service workers will see significant pay increases

A

s many will be aware, from April 2016 the National Living Wage (NLW) was increased bringing into effect a £7.20

per hour (£9.15 per hour in London) minimum wage for employees aged over 25 which is expected to increase over the coming years exceeding £9 per hour by April 2020.

These rises are expected to directly affect many employees in the region and could benefit other employees that are having their pay differentials reviewed.

Many might think that the 80p per hour rise appears small. However, in statistical

30

terms the rise not only represents a nominal

“In the restaurant sector, absorption through increased menu prices may prove more difficult.”

increase of 7.5% (the largest since 2004) it also denotes the largest rise since 2001 (10.8%) on an annualised basis. The rises are therefore significant, especially in a zero inflation context.

Will the living wage herald a loss for local business?

For many the answer is ‘no’. Sectors such as financial services and construction are likely to be largely unaffected as the majority of workers are highly skilled and can, therefore,

LIVING WAGE

“Staff levels and store numbers are expected to fall nationwide as marginal stores become unprofitable and surplus to requirements.”

command higher wages. In fact, the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the NLW will only have a 0.1% effect on the total national employee compensation figure.

However, in certain sectors important to the region – namely retail and hospitality -

If you are concerned about the implications of the National Living

absorbing the NLW will be much more difficult to bear, especially for those already suffering

Wage for your business, we can

from other economic pressures, such as the impact of the pension auto-enrolment legislation.

provide the following advice to help

Hospitality and leisure

you respond to these changes:

The hospitality and leisure sector performed well in 2015 due to an increase in consumer confidence and an improving marketplace. The NLW, however, is expected to significantly affect sector growth, especially for those within hotels and food services, where over 40% of staff are expected to receive pay rises as a result of the new legislation.

The industry is highly competitive and local positioning is likely to dictate the impact of the rises: in the restaurant sector absorption through increased menu prices may prove more difficult and businesses in this position risk being squeezed out: they may need to focus on operational efficiencies to bear the rising cost base.

Amongst hotels, the initial reaction may be to limit employee benefits, or even make redundancies and business owners will need to have in mind the impact that this could have on staff morale and whether this could affect the standards of their customer service.

Retail The retail sector, historically, has benefited from employing workers at a lower rate of pay, although the market has reportedly shown some signs of recovery in recent months, it remains extremely competitive with high street retailers battling the rise of online operators and only recently we have seen BHS and Austin Reed both being added to the list of household names calling in the Administrators.

The impact of the NLW is likely to have a significant impact on the high street, with the Centre for Retail Research estimating a cost of £1.08 billion to the sector in 2016 alone.

So what will the impact be?

Initially, the NLW is likely to hit consumer pockets with price rises to goods and delivery

• Advising on business pressures and suggesting solutions; • Looking at performance benchmarking and ways to improve your profitability; • Identifying and implementing performance efficiency improvements; • Assisting with the disposal of marginal or unprofitable assets or units; • Contingency planning in the event of business critical events not coming to fruition; • Ensuring that you maximise tax reliefs available to your business; and, • Outsourcing of your payroll or

charge rises. This could push more consumers to online traders and exacerbate the

accounting function to save time

competitive tension on the high street for market share.

and money.

Staff levels and store numbers are expected to fall nationwide as marginal stores become unprofitable and surplus to requirements. In addition, exiting from these stores, often on long leasehold contracts, may lead to a further influx of Voluntary Arrangements or other

www.krestonreeves.com

insolvency procedures which could have a detrimental affect on landlords.

Suppliers may also feel the pressure from retailers continuing to squeeze margins in an attempt to save costs, consequently presenting difficulties to their suppliers.

For those juggling work and family commitments, many may also find the cost of nursery and pre-school care rising as a consequence.

So while the introduction of a National Living Wage offers benefits for the lower paid in the economy, businesses will now each need to assess the extent to which they absorb or pass on the additional costs involved.

31

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS

TRIBUNAL TRIP-UPS

Top 10 mistakes employers make in the Employment Tribunal by Tony Hyams-Parish, Partner and Head of Employment at Rawlison Butler.

M

istakes made during a Tribunal hearing can result in an employer losing a case and having to make large payments in compensation. Here we look at a number of common mistakes made by employers, all of which can increase the risk of losing an otherwise winnable case.

MISTAKE 1: Turning up without having read relevant documents Witnesses who turn up at a Tribunal hearing to give evidence having not recently read their witness statement and not being familiar with all of the documents they refer to in their

32

statement are more likely to perform badly in cross examination and won’t make a good impression with the Judge. They will lack credibility which means that in the event of a dispute in the evidence, the Judge may decide to prefer the evidence of the Claimant.

produce relevant documents at the hearing in circumstances where they were available, and ought to have been disclosed much earlier in the process, a Judge may draw appropriate inferences from such non-disclosure against the employer when reaching a decision.

MISTAKE 2: Not disclosing all the evidence

MISTAKE 3: Realising minutes of meetings aren’t quite right

Producing documents late, or worse still, during the Tribunal hearing, should always be avoided where possible as it can appear as though there has been an attempt to hide or conceal evidence. If you have to

Minutes of meetings are commonly the subject of much scrutiny and cross examination during Tribunal hearings, particularly minutes of investigations, disciplinary and appeal hearings. It is too late at the hearing for you to

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNALS

“Continually saying ‘I don’t remember’… can damage credibility and leave a Judge thinking that the witness is unreliable and unbelievable.” events where you would expect some memory of them – can damage credibility and leave a Judge thinking that the witness is unreliable and unbelievable. Witnesses should familiarise themselves with the documents beforehand to remind themselves of events from months (or years) earlier.

MISTAKE 5: Not having paid enough attention to important letters like the invitation to disciplinary or the dismissal letter The dismissal letter is important - it provides the best evidence of the reason for dismissal that was in the mind of the employer at the time of the dismissal. Witnesses can expect to be cross examined in some detail about the content of the letter if there is a challenge to the real reason for dismissal.

Equally the invitation to the disciplinary is likely to be the subject of scrutiny, particularly if it is alleged that it does not comply with the ACAS Code. Failure to prepare properly may lead to answers during questioning which only serve to weaken a defence.

MISTAKE 6: Arguing with the Claimant’s representative

deny that the minutes are accurate or to start amending them. For this reason you need to take care to look through the minutes very carefully at the time they are prepared and, importantly, before they are disclosed. You should also attempt to agree minutes with the employee in order to avoid a situation where the employee denies the accuracy of the minutes at the hearing.

MISTAKE 4: Not answering the question being asked Everyone accepts that nerves can affect witnesses at the Tribunal, particularly those giving evidence for the first time, but continually not listening to, and not answering, the question being asked can begin to look like a witness is trying to hide something.

Equally, while memories do fade with time, continually saying ‘I don’t remember’ – even to

It is the job of a representative to ask questions and the job of a witness to answer them. It is not the job of a witness to ask the representative questions, something which can quickly descend into what may sound like arguing with the representative. During cross examination a witness can expect to be faced with difficult questions; some questions witnesses may not like, may not want to answer and may even be aimed at provoking a witness. When answering questions it is important to remain calm and continue to answer questions honestly and fully.

MISTAKE 7: Not answering questions well

to answering the question being asked.

Witnesses who feel the need to fill a silence are at risk of saying too much and damaging (or contradicting) the evidence they have already given. Faced with a silence, witnesses should simply wait for the next question.

MISTAKE 9: Not being familiar with the ACAS Code of Practice on Discipline and Grievance Managers who are unfamiliar with the ACAS Code of Practice can quickly lack credibility and appear as though they really don’t know what they are doing. Even if a manager was unfamiliar with the ACAS Code at the point of dismissal, they should familiarise themselves with it prior to the hearing and understand its relevance and importance, as they may be questioned about it.

MISTAKE 10: Not being understood by the Employment judge Witnesses often forget that it is the Tribunal or Employment Judge that needs to hear what witnesses are saying. When asked a question, witnesses should therefore turn and address their answers to the Judge. It is also important to bear in mind that notes are being taken of the evidence by the Judge and therefore witnesses should pause until they see the Judge’s pen stop, before continuing their answer.

RB’s Employment Team has a huge amount of experience helping clients present their cases at the Tribunal. This starts with preparing a good claim or defence and continues right up to working with clients to ensure that they perform well at the Tribunal and have the best possible chance of winning!

If you would like to know more, call Tony Hyams-Parish on 01293 558544 or email him at ahyamsparish@rawlisonbutler.com

Witnesses who do not answer questions well have often not understood the question.

Witnesses should avoid answering questions they do not understand but instead should say they do not understand and ask for clarification.

MISTAKE 8: Saying too much!

The key to giving good evidence is to stick

33

BUSINESS FORUM

GROWING GATWICK A

t the recent Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum, delegates discussed how we can make our region more attractive to investors, and therefore create new, high-quality, well-paid jobs.

Emma Goodford of Knight Frank led off by introducing The War for

Talent – underlining that, in order to be attractive places for businesses to locate, our towns and cities will need to be great places to live, work and play, and to travel around. Employers need to be able to win the talent war against their competitors, by attracting the best people.

The Forum had a particular focus on the digital sector. Sam Garrity of Rocketmill discussed the talent war, saying he was about to move his 40-employee business to Brighton because he couldn’t attract and retain the right staff from his current base in Crawley. “The people I’m recruiting want to change the world, so they need to be able to rub shoulders with other like-minded souls, and work with universities who are trying to deliver for digital businesses,” he said.

Surinder Arora, Arora Group

Simon Pringle of Red River Software, based in Horsham, said he was trying to help a hub of digital expertise emerge in Horsham by changing his recruitment policies. “My current tech superstars have not necessarily been to university. I’m working with colleges, and on a digital apprenticeship with the University of Chichester, to produce a talent pipeline.”

Prof Diane Mynors, from the University of Sussex, described their Creative Technology group, which met with approval from the audience.

“It’s where Tech meets a human interface, and where the skills

Surinder also said, in a message directed at the Government: “We need a decision about runway capacity, one way or the other, to give us some investment certainty.”

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, would like that decision to go his way, of course, but continues to invest in the existing airport, and to create opportunity for the surrounding economy.

“Since I last addressed this Forum, we have added many new

developed are much more oriented to people – such as collaboration, or

destinations, including New York and Los Angeles,” he said. This

group working – than they are to technology.”

increase, driven by low-cost carriers like Norwegian, provides significant

Changing the stereotype of techies not being able to be creative, and creative people not doing tech, is one of the key challenges, and one where business and education must work together.

Surinder Arora, founder and chairman of Arora Group, a key investor

opportunities for employment growth in the Gatwick Diamond.

Andy Rumfitt, of AECOM, had kicked the day off by describing the opportunities for growth that spring from being the centre of one of the South East’s key transport corridors –London to Brighton. He showed

in the region, that, as well as working on our talent pool, argued that we

what might come from a more strategic and coherent approach to

need to make sure our infrastructure keeps pace with our economy.

managing the corridor’s connections.

There has been investment in both physical infrastructure – road and

The Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum will reconvene in 2017

rail – but more is needed, which is also the case in digital infrastructure,

on June 8, and also on Oct 28, 2016, for the first in a series of town-

where a faster 4G roll out is key, according to Abhi Chacko, Head of IT at

focussed debates, this one being Crawley. See www.gdegf.com

Gatwick Airport.

for details.

Stewart Wingate, CEO, Gatwick Airport, in conversation with event Chair, Daryl Gayler of RBS

Andy Rumfitt of AECOM Photography by Stephen Johnson Photography

34

MANUFACTURING

METALL GURU! Chris Coopey, ex-engineer and Partner at Sussex-based chartered accountants, Carpenter Box, announces the launch of a new business forum on 12th July.

T

he Manufacturing Engineering and Technology Alliance (METALL) is a new regional forum aimed at bringing

together businesses in three complimentary sectors to promote good practice, share experience and provide problem solving opportunities between peers. Based around a proven format where each meeting will hear from experts and specialists on a particular subject, followed by a roundtable opportunity to discuss wider issues, METALL is the successor to the Sussex Manufacturing Forum, widening the scope of membership to the engineering and technology communities, as well as geographically.

Why do we need METALL? Well, pretty much everything we see, touch and use has been designed, engineered and manufactured. Our world, good and bad, reflects our ability as a species to innovate. The industrial revolution saw the pace of change and the development of technology-based manufacturing accelerate and of course the United Kingdom led the charge and carved out an empire in the process.

Fast forward to now and some would say

that in the UK we are living in a post industrial

our Local Enterprise Partnership estimated

age. While the service sector does generate more wealth than the manufacturing sector, this doesn’t tell the whole story. Everywhere we look we see the result of industrial design and mass production. From the ubiquitous iPhone (designed by London-born Sir Jonathan Ive) not a minute of anyone’s day can be lived without constant interaction with the manufactured and engineered world.

in 2014 that there were over 3,400 Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering businesses in our region employing over 33,000 people.

The UK is still the 11th largest manufacturing nation in the world coincidentally contributing something like 11% Gross Value Added to the economy and employing around 2.6 million people. Despite problems in certain areas such as oil, gas and steel production, the UK sector has ambitions to do much more. The automotive industry in the UK for instance, exported over 1.2 million cars last year - the highest ever total.

In and around the Gatwick Diamond, we have some of the world’s premium manufacturing, engineering and technology brands operating on our doorstep. From Rolls-Royce Motor Cars at Goodwood to Elekta Oncology in Crawley, from Ricardo in Shoreham to Bowers & Wilkins in Worthing, and from Varian Medical Systems in Crawley to Sony in Horsham - the list is impressive. In number terms, Coast to Capital

The METALL remit will primarily be about helping the sector to improve and grow, coalescing opinion around such things as skills and apprentice training, funding, transport infrastructure, localisation of supply chains and by discussing subjects such as the next industrial revolution (Industry 4.0).

The launch event is centred around ‘Innovation’ with Dr Robert Pearson, (Cobham Antenna Systems) and Dr Zoë Webster (Innovate UK). We’ll be looking at what innovation means together with some route maps on how to achieve and fund it.

Robert Pearson has been involved in the field of military communications, satellite technology and antenna systems for over 30 years. He has also been closely involved in civil aerospace, having recently led the Cobham team’s contribution to a highly innovative collaborative research programme into next generation civil aircraft communications technologies. Prior to becoming Head of High Value Manufacturing at Innovate UK, Zoë led the Technology Team at the Technology Strategy Board. Previously Zoë worked in the defence industry for seven years (QinetiQ and SEA) as a researcher specialising in artificial intelligence, developing new algorithms and prototypes for a range of civil and defence applications.

The first METALL breakfast meeting is set for Tuesday 12th July at Roffey Park near Horsham – further details and sign up can be found on the METALL website at www.metall.org.uk METALL is sponsored by Carpenter Box, asb law and CBSbutler

35

DIRECT MARKETING

POWERING UP YOUR DATABASE

Stuart Sutherland from Direct Marketing specialists Nova Direct, explains how they build their mail and email databases and how they avoid irresponsible mailing Data Management “Our sophisticated marketing lists and data management systems ensure you only mail the correct individual by their title. This comes about by Nova Direct cleaning, sorting and refreshing customer databases, and then adding new prospect data with the same criteria.

Through this energising process Nova Direct makes your promotions a more effective marketing tool.

“All systems are managed by our knowledgeable, skilled staff, whose experience in interpreting the results can make an inspired difference.”

DATA PROFILING “Profiling your data is the first step in strategic marketing. It is important, as it identifies the characteristics of your actual customers, highlighting when and where to look to win new business. Understanding the market demographic will help in designing your marketing communications.

“Using your cleansed database, Nova take a snapshot of your typical customers and identify

36

the key demographics.”

“We are obliged to ensure that our customers are aware that in certain circumstances their databases are screened against the Mailing Preference Service register to ensure no law is broken relating to unsolicited direct mail.”

DATA CAPTURE “We capture data from forms, questionnaires or coupons to add into a database ready for processing or return to the customer. This data can also be used to identify prospective clients and improve engagement with your existing customers, personalising messages and communications using the medium that is most appealing to your your individual clients.”

DIRECT MARKETING LISTS “Nova Direct can generate and supply approved direct marketing data lists and mailing lists. We obtain fresh, quality, tailormade direct marketing mailing lists to ensure high response rates.

“Lists can include numerous data fields, including Name, Business Title, Company Name, Address, Fax Number, Telephone Number and so on, plus industry, turnover, number of employees, postcode area, (Business Data) or income, hobbies and interests, household type, family demographics and postcode area and more (Consumer Data).”

DIRECT MARKETING

“Profiling your data is the first step in strategic marketing.”

DATA WAREHOUSING “We store and maintain customer databases within a secure on-site environment.

“Nova Direct is registered under the Data Protection Act 1998. As part of this act we are obliged to ensure that our customers are aware that in certain circumstances their databases are screened against the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) register to ensure no law is broken relating to unsolicited direct mail. All members of staff have undertaken to abide by the rules of the act and maintain confidentiality at all times.”

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT “Writing and developing of bespoke programmes to enable us to create an interface with any CRM system allows us to provide bespoke printing solutions such as financial statements, daily fulfilment and other essential communications. We have IT solutions which can be set up to distribute products as part of a special, one-time project or as part of an ongoing service through mechanisms of your own e-commerce platforms or widely used front end services such as Amazon and Ebay. We can also provide you with a customised eStore or web portal to simplify the order-fulfilment process.”

DATA PROCESSING “Our systems and data technicians continuously monitor, refresh and update data.

This enables us to deal with all aspects of data processing: • Merge, purge and de-duplication • Mailing Preference Service (MPS):This is a list of families who would prefer not to receive unsolicited direct mail.

• National Change of Address (NCOA): This

• The Deceased Register (TDR): This file

file contains approx 9.5 million records of

is collected in collaboration with local

new and old addresses. It is compiled by the

registrars throughout the UK at the time a

Royal Mail using re-direction requests from householders. It can be used as a Gone-Away File or to track and trace.

• Postal Address File (PAF): A file that

death is registered.

• The Bereavement Register (TBR): This file is collected in collaboration with local

contains every address in the UK and can be

government registrars, law firms, hospitals

used to cross-reference data. Compiled by

and funeral directors throughout the UK

the Royal Mail.

within 7 days of a death.”

• Telephone Preference Service (TPS): This is a list of telephone numbers who would prefer not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls.

• Fax Preference Service (FPS) : This is a list of fax numbers who would prefer not to receive unsolicited faxes.

37

SPONSORSHIP

ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION 2016

Let’s hear it for the Sponsors! Each year the Convention is a huge success and could not happen without the support of these fantastic companies.

Basepoint Centres Ltd www.basepoint.co.uk

Frost Group www.frostgroup.co.uk

Red Flag Recruitment www.redflagrecruitment.com

Face Media Group www.facemediagroup.co.uk

Handelsbanken www.handelsbanken.co.uk

Sussex Chamber of Commerce www.sussexchamberof commerce.co.uk

“With so many business leaders all in one place, sponsoring the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION was an easy decision. We enjoyed plenty of interest and excitement demoing future business opportunities like VR (virtual reality), to discussing how to create productive internal business technology infrastructure to drive efficiency, scalability, and growth.

A big thank you to Acumen and all the attendees. We look forward to working with you!”

Ragnar Barnsby, Founder and Director, Fitsystems

Fastlet www.fastlet.com

Platinum Business Magazine www.platinumbusinessmagazine.com

Watson Associates www.watsons.co.uk

“Being a sponsor of the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION

always gives us real value – not only is it fantastic to be associated with Acumen and the other well-respected companies that sponsor the event, but the exposure before, during & after the event is superb and Acumen always make sure that as sponsors, we are very well looked after.

The event itself is fun, innovative, inspirational and excellent for networking as it attracts decision makers from a wide variety of businesses, with the set-up of the day allowing for plenty of opportunities to make new connections.

We’re looking forward to being involved with the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION again in the years to come.”

Stephanie George, Centre Manager, Basepoint Centres Ltd

Fitsystems www.fitsystems.co.uk

PSD Ice Art www.psdiceart.co.uk

Young Start-up Talent www.youngstartup talent.co.uk

“We find the ACUMEN BUSINESS CONVENTION to be a fantastic day overall and proud to sponsor this year.

We found the workshops of interest and engaging with inspiring speakers and a good mix of businesses in the room to network with throughout the day.”

Lorraine Nugent, Director, Young Start-up Talent

www.acumenbusinesslaw.co.uk/conventions 38

TRAVEL SUPPLEMENT

PLATINUM

This month we are off to the land of the rising sun‌. Japan.

Rose has been busy looking into the conference and exhibition opportunities in Tokyo along with a look at the cultural differences that require attention if you are to do business there. It is a City of surprises and delights and a destination that everyone should travel to at least once in a lifetime.

Scott Pawley of Global Travel Management discusses the options for Finance Directors when it comes to corporate travel and the tremendous benefits of working with a travel management company such as GTM, and Alyssa Bantle, from Crown World Mobility, offers tips on avoiding cultural faux pas when working abroad.

PLATINUM

sponsored by

THIS MONTH:

TOKYO

DELIVER BALANCED GROWTH FOR BRITAIN A second runway at Gatwick will give airports across the UK greater opportunity to grow, which means more competition and balanced growth for the whole country. Let’s make it happen so all of Britain can get the benefits.

gatwickobviously.com @LGWobviously

Travel CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN BUSINESS Tips for avoiding faux pas when working abroad

by Alyssa Bantle, Global Curriculum Manager, Intercultural & Language Training, Crown World Mobility

Y

ou’ve just started a new job abroad but how do you communicate?

Should you be direct with the Germans but not with the Japanese?

Should you avoid first names in Poland but use them in Australia?

Tip 2: Business meetings are often scheduled about two weeks in advance. Also, make sure you reconfirm the meeting with a call or email a day or two before it is scheduled to take place.

PANAMA: Tip 1: Panamanians do business with people, not companies. So a focus on building a network and maintaining relationships is key. This means finding ways to spending quality time with people and not just

If an Indonesian asks about your weight are they being friendly or rude?

jumping to the task.

GERMANY:

different than in the UK, so be very conservative in estimating how long it

Tip 2: In Panama the sense of time, urgency and deadlines can be very

Tip 1: When giving feedback, be as direct as you can. Concentrate on what needs to be changed or improved and point that out. Instead of ‘Perhaps you could consider...’ use something more direct such as ‘Some of this is not right, please change xyz.’ As rude as that might

will take and how much it will cost to complete a project. This applies to large scale projects as well as a tasks you outsource or delegate.

INDONESIA:

sound for a Brit it isn’t for a German. Still not convinced? Keep in mind

Tip 1: You will almost certainly be offered snacks or tea at business

that feedback which seems polite to a Brit might be both confusing and

meetings. It is good practice to wait for the host to drink (or eat) first or

even seem dishonest to a German who values direct communication.

to specifically ask you to eat - before starting to drink.

Tip 2: Be careful with using British humour. Germans use humour

Tip 2: Indonesians may not hold back on some topics not often

much more sparingly in professional situations. Also, British irony is

discussed or considered rude in the UK. These could include your

often lost on Germans - and many other cultures for that matter! British

weight, marital status, age and religion. Plan an answer you are

people joke as a way to get someone on their side but sometimes they

comfortable with ahead of time on these topics.

achieve the opposite when doing this abroad!

Tip 3:

Don’t be surprised if after your presentation the German

HONG KONG:

audience applaud by knocking on the table repeatedly using their

Tip 1: Most communication, even if the person is in the cubicle or

knuckles.

office next to you, will be done through a computer screen on an instant messages programme. Do not take it personally if people prefer

POLAND:

an instant message or text to a phone call or face-to-face conversation.

Tip 1: Brits tend to aim on using first names too fast (or immediately)

Tip 2: Taking clients out for lunch is really important – a lot of

when speaking in Polish. Poles tend to be more formal and would like

locals are taking out clients to celebrate ‘Christmas, New Year and

to be called Pan or Pani for quite some time. When speaking English,

Chinese New Year’ in one meal. Going out for an informal drink

first names usage is more common but just remember to be a bit more

after work as you would in the UK does not work well in Hong

formal initially than you would in the UK.

Kong. This would be seen as an official work event no matter how

Tip 2: A big challenge is operating around the business calendar, which

informal you want to make it.

is somewhat shorter than that of the UK. Bank Holidays can often be on a

AUSTRALIA:

Wednesday or Thursday and it is common for people to take a day or two before the holiday or even the whole week

Tip 1: There’s a more social approach to business in Australia. After

off. Always check for business holidays

meetings at the office, it can continue socially at restaurants or pubs.

before planning a trip and then check

Sometimes there may be even be personal invites to people’s houses

with who you want to meet to make

for BBQ’s. This is just as important as the main meeting to build that

sure they will be at work.

relationship and get to know the client better.

BRAZIL:

suits. More conservative businesses will certainly still dress more

Tip 1: Brazilians tend to

formally but in many cases being ‘overdressed’ will not be seen as a sign

associate English speaking people with the US, and might be a little confused when faced with a slightly different accent and sense of humour than they are expecting from an American.

Tip 2: Dress style is largely smart causal rather than full business of respect as it might be in the UK. Alyssa Bantle is an expert in cross cultural training, a professional business coach and Global Curriculum Manager for Crown World Mobility, a worldwide company that helps corporations manage global talent and helps talented individuals perform on the world stage. She is based in Miami. www.crownworldmobility.com

41

Travel IN FOR THE LONG HAUL

Global Travel Management Managing Director Scott Pawley gives the inside perspective on business travel in the face of increased globalisation

I

t may be stating the obvious but as an island nation we cannot rely on domestic growth alone, which is why businesses continue to

to destinations that demand long haul flights.

company employee to achieve this, whether

To many financial directors the answer to

it’s the person who’s doing the travelling or

balancing a budget in the face of increased

an overstretched office coordinator, they will

look to emerging markets around the globe as

long haul is simply to downgrade the travel

never be able to compete with the rate that a

intrinsic to their development.

and accommodation comfort afforded to their

travel management company can get.

Of course I’m writing this ahead of the

employees. However, this usually results in

I know that due to my work as Chair of

outcome of the EU referendum but whichever

poorer performance in meetings and pitches that

the technology panel for Focus Partnership,

way the vote falls, the UK will seek to ensure

in the long run means the company loses out.

a consortium of almost 70 TMCs across the

its economic sustainability within a global

It therefore follows that the answer is

UK, and because I created and developed

economy which will involve increased business

simply to source the best value on cost. In

FareFinder. It’s a programme that was awarded

travel and, significantly, will require travelling

almost every case when it’s down to a lone

Amadeus Business Innovation 2015 and in the

42

Travel Global Travel Management Kingsway House, 123-125 Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 6LR T: 01483 747321 M: sayhello@gtm.uk.com W: www.gtm.uk.com

That might involve a meeting and stopover

interests of protecting the small to medium sized TMC industry, I’ve shared with my peers.

in Hong Kong, an event in Tokyo followed by

FareFinder came out of the work that we

meetings in Singapore and Bangkok. At that

have always been obliged to do when searching

point many business travellers find their

for best rate travel and involves remembering

itineraries too complicated to cope with on self-

a vast number of codes to include. At one time

booking tools.

it might have taken an agent over 30 minutes

Even with all the tools there to activate

to go through all the data to find the right

the required bookings on a bespoke website,

match. It wasn’t a sustainable situation in a

people find their most economical option, with

competitive business.

It’s a system that has achieved savings

regard to time and money, is to contact an Some companies have asked us to help them

opportunities totalling £2,363,537.72 over

set up bespoke travel websites as part of that

eight months within the Focus membership. It

policy and certainly that can help to coordinate

also has the added advantage of automatically

travel, and often the simplest systems are the

inputting all the required data in about 15

easiest to ensure 100% buy-in by all personnel.

seconds. Not surprisingly FareFinder is

We’ve found that self-booking tools are well

keenly sought by non-member TMCs as well.

used by companies who have simple travel

In addition, I have formed a partnership with

needs, for example they may have employees

TMCs around the world to give us access to

who only need to fly twice a month from

lower rates that might be quoted to agents

Heathrow to Manchester or make a one-off trip

abroad.

for an event in Tokyo.

So yes, that makes it difficult for a layman

It has to be said that cities such as Tokyo

to compete. However, even if a company isn’t

are more frequently on the agenda, popular

committing to long haul travel it is wise to

as a conference or event destination, however,

develop a travel and entertainment policy.

it’s not unusual for a business traveller to add

Not least this will help an accounts team with

additional stops on to his Tokyo trip – as a cost-

billing and expenses receipts.

saving measure.

experienced TMC with contacts and knowledge in all the relevant destinations.

The future does include long haul business travel so take a tip from someone who knows, invest in experience to keep your business ahead of the game with teams that are at their best no matter what corner of the globe you send them to.

43

Travel Shake hands in...

TOKYO

The 2020 Olympics’ host city is full of fascinating culture and meeting venues with mesmerising views. Rose Dykins reports.

W

hen you think of Tokyo, what images come to mind? Extreme freneticism, neon signs stacked on top of each

metro network, and a solid language barrier.

Or, maybe you think of the 2020 Olympics

How about the fact that Tokyo came out

– which if the rumours are true, will involve

on top of the Economist’s Safe Index 2015 –

man-made meteor showers at the opening

other like Jenga pieces, crowded streets,

which ranked 50 cities based on factors such

ceremony, and robot judges that will measure

steaming bowls of ramen noodles, geishas? Or

as digital security, infrastructure quality and

the precision of gymnasts’ rotations to the nth

perhaps scenes from Lost In Translation – Bill

personal safety? Or the fact that Tokyo is home

degree?

Murray and Scarlett Johansson negotiating

to more Michelin-starred restaurants than

their way through karaoke bars, a sprawling

anywhere else in the world (226 to be precise)

Oiran Dochu Geisha Parade

44

“With the Olympics coming up, Japan presents a big business opportunity, and the

Travel desire to deal with the outside world is strengthening,” says Chiara Terzuolo, Tokyo resident and market manager for an online travel company. “They are adding hotels at a rather extraordinary rate here, and renovating the train systems in preparation to deal with having four times the usual number of people coming and going through them – Japan prepares!”

Being the largest city in the world, with more than 98,000 hotel rooms to offer already, Tokyo is better placed to cope with an Olympic-sized crowd than most destinations.

Chidorigafuchi Cherry Blossoms

The buzz surrounding the Japanese capital right now is attracting the attention of investors and meetings organisers alike. “Japan is fast becoming one of the most popular meetings and events destinations in Asia, with the prospect of the 2020 Summer Olympics expected to bring spectacular opportunities,” says Scott Pawley, General Manager of Global Travel Management (GTM).

“Tokyo is an amazing, beautiful city with stunning views. You have places such as the Asakusa

Meiji Jingu

District, the Imperial Palace, Meiji Jingu Shrine representing Tokyo’s 400year history, as well as state-of-the-art skyscrapers and cutting-edge design.

It’s also an economic powerhouse, and is home to the headquarters of many major corporations.” For conferences, the Tokyo International Forum is the one. The city’s largest venue’s soaring atriums and immaculate theatres are world-class, with 34 meeting spaces to choose from, and a 5,000 sqm exhibition hall. For sparkling city views, Roppongi Hills Club on the 51st floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower is a refined setting for a drinks

Roppongi Hills PHOTO CREDITS: Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau

45

Travel reception for up to 300 guests. And on the fifth and sixth levels of Tokyo Skytree – the highest freestanding broadcasting building in the world – you’ll find the Sumida Aquarium, which can be hired exclusively for a networking event for 300 people. The 50-metre long “Jellyfish Kaleidoscope tunnel” adorned with neon artwork and tanks filled with glowing jellyfish would certainly be a talking point.

The ideal time to visit Tokyo is in Spring. From March to May, temperatures tend to top off at 20ºC, and the city’s cherry blossom season provides a magnificent backdrop for outdoor events.

September to November is also a great time to visit, when the cooler temperatures return after extremely humid summer months, and the maple trees’ leaves turn a fiery orange hue.

When planning travel to the Japanese capital, be sure to choose the arrival airport carefully, if you have the option. “Narita is the big international airport, and it’s extremely disappointing,” says Terzuolo.

“It doesn’t have the amenities you would expect from a major airport, such as 24-hour food – dinner is over by 8pm, so if you have a latenight flight, good luck to you.

Skytree

“Haneda is really the best airport – it’s much closer in, and they put a lot of money in to making it quite beautiful and interesting. It has great food and lots to took at, and is only a 40-minute train ride into the city rather than two hours – definitely fly into there if you can.” BA flies into both airports from London Heathrow, codesharing with Japan Airlines (JAL) on its Narita flights.

We all have our preconceptions of Japan, which create a definite sense of anticipation essential for boosting attendance to any corporate event or conference. A sensory feast, full of intrigue and quirkiness, Tokyo certainly won’t disappoint. “For me, it’s the hospitality and attention to detail,” says Pawley. “You just fall in love with the place.”

Maple Trees

46

Haneda Airport

Travel BEST TOKYO DISTRICTS FOR BARS Looking to impress a new client, or explore Tokyo’s nightlife with your colleagues? Consider which of these areas of the city might be best…

Ginza

– a good area to take potential clients that you’re looking to impress. It’s fairly quiet, with high-end, established options.

Nihonbashi

– close to Tokyo Station, there’s great choice here from reasonably-priced places to extremely expensive ones.

Shinjuku - Robot Restaurant

Roppongi

– often quoted as the best place to go for nightlife, though quite seedy in places (the “hostess bars” might be less popular with certain members of your group)

Shinjuku

– as above, though, if you’re after something outrageous, Robot Restaurant (shinjuku-robot.com), where bikini-clad dancers share the stage with robots, is definitely different.

Ebisu

– cheap, cheerful and local, with plenty of izakayas (Japanese gastropubs) and street hawkers selling yakitori (grilled chicken skewers).

Ebisu food

IDEAL ITINERARY Scott Pawley recalls an unforgettable Tokyo trip GTM arranged for a corporate group: “We recently booked an event with a stay at the Mandarin Oriental, which is truly stunning, with views of Mount Fuji and state-of- the-art conference facilities.

“The group took the chance to see the city and shop. They dined in unique restaurants and took a boat ride in Tokyo Bay - the colours and the atmosphere of the busy streets did not disappoint.

We also arranged for the group to take the bullet train out to Mishima Skywalk, which, at 400 metres long, is the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Japan. It is the newest location for a brilliant view of Mount Fuji, the highest peak in Japan, and also Suruga Bay, its deepest bay.

The bridge shakes a bit, which made it a little more fun.

We then took one of the piratestyle ships on Lake Ashi, which gave the group some fantastic photo opportunities.”

Mount Fuji

47

Travel DOING BUSINESS IN TOKYO THE LOWDOWN Originally from the US, Chiara Terzuolo, has lived and worked in Tokyo for five years. Here are her tips for those doing business in the Japanese capital.

• For business people coming here and dealing with Japanese companies, one thing they’ll immediately see, is that the amount of bureaucracy is much greater than elsewhere. Everything needs to be approved, and you usually have to ask three or four managers for things that don’t normally need asking. This is something that typically frustrates foreign business visitors.

• You need lots of patience, and to be prepared to follow up. Getting a response is very complicated, you need to understand that even if people say “yes, let’s go forward with this,” there’s still the chance it will take six months to get there – even if it would normally take a month elsewhere.

• Being overly pushy is definitely a no-no. In Japan, it’s all about the harmony of the group. That’s slowly dissipating, as start-ups are gradually taking over, which is great, so people who are very driven can do well. But being very blunt is not good either. Couch your words carefully: “That idea sucks” should be replaced with “I see what you mean, but…”

• Be careful with business cards – you don’t stuff them in your back pocket, that’s near your butt, don’t do that! Put them in a case or your front pocket.

Don’t bend them or rip them and take them with both hands. It’s basically seen as an extension of that person, it’s their calling card. Take it, take a look at it, and thank them for it.

• Wear a suit. Japan is still a relatively conservative country. If you’re a music producer, you can get away with leather trousers, but otherwise it’s not going to fly. However, summer here is really hot and muggy, and so from June until September, polo shirts are ok – no ties or jackets needed.

• There’s a good chance that nobody will speak English very well, with the exception of the elite companies, or it will be very basic. However, people might understand more than they speak – most can understand a degree of English, so no badmouthing people on the metro!

• Going out drinking with potential business partners is very useful at times. You’re out of the office, in an informal situation, and it’s a very good opportunity to drag bits of information out of your counterparts. Do they actually think it’s a good idea? Will they go ahead with it? Is there anything they’re worried about? These are the kinds of things you can find out in this situation.

• Most Japanese businesspeople are aware that their norms are not the same as other countries – unless you’re dealing with super traditional small places.

• General practice is to be polite and respectful.

48

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GATWICK ANNIVERSARY

GATWICK IS 80 2.

1.

T

his summer marks the 80th anniversary of the very first flight from Gatwick Airport, to Paris.

Since then Gatwick has grown to become the World’s most efficient single-runway airport, with a flight taking off or landing nearly every minute.

Gatwick’s first flight was to Paris with the single fare costing 4 pounds 5 shillings (the equivalent today is approximately £160), including the first class train fare from London Victoria. Paris was one of just five scheduled routes served from the airport in its first year of operation, the others being Malmö, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Copenhagen. The number of routes at Gatwick has grown considerably since then with the airport flying to more than 200 destinations in 90 countries today.

Over the course of the last 80 years, Gatwick has played host to many prominent figures including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and John F Kennedy plus key aviation milestones including the first ever Virgin Atlantic flight taking off from the airport on 22 June 1984.

50

3.

4.

GATWICK ANNIIVERSARY

5.

6.

7.

9.

8.

PHOTO CAPTIONS: 1.

10.

6th June 1936: Crowds gather at Gatwick Airport after it was opened by the Air Minister Lord Swinton.

2. 9th June 1958: Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with Captain Spencer on her arrival to open the new Gatwick Airport.

3. 29th June 1963: Mr John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, with Mr Harold Macmillan after the President’s arrival at Gatwick Airport.

4. 28th July 1967: Bob Monkhouse joins ‘The Beat Girls’ at Gatwick Airport.

5. 28th May 1982: Pope John Paul II kisses the ground as he arrives at Gatwick Airport for the first papal visit to the UK. 6. 14th April 1985: Wham! singer George Michael at Gatwick Airport after flying back from a two week tour of China.

7. 9th March 1988: Midge Ure, of Ultravox, spraying a message on a water tanker at Gatwick Airport.

8. 18 March 1988: The North Terminal being opened by Queen Elizabeth II 9. 22nd September 1988: Diana, Princess of Wales listens to pilots as they come into land at Gatwick Airport during her visit to the Control Tower.

10. 1st June 2010: Lily Cole launches Gatwick Runway Models, a modelling competition organised by Gatwick Airport and Storm Model Management.

51

ANGER MANAGEMENT

ANGER MANAGEMENT

by Maarten Hoffmann

THE BIG LAND GRAB C

uba. A beautiful island in a shining sea inhabited by intelligent, honest and downright good folk. Suffered they have

could drive, not crawl, to your job at the tobacco

Child Catcher that is Karl Lagerfeld wafted into

factory. Imagine if the first things you actually

town with trollies full of dollies for a fashion

got after the recent resurrection of said

show, along with 400 fashion editors who

after years of posturing revolutionary figures

economic ties was not the shiny new roads and

spent their time complaining of the awful hotel

who, with the aid of the Soviet Union, held the

21st century technology but Donkey Bum, the

rooms, ghastly food and lack of decent Wi-Fi.

country in their icy grip and sentenced the

Child Catcher and the man who got Tango’d!

population to a life of poverty and communist propaganda.

The talentless vanity project that is Kim Kardashian and her philosopher-lite, and

Imagine that you have begged, through

barking mad, accessory, Kanye West, breezed

rum-tinged tears and cigar smoke, for trade

into Havana within six days and demonstrated

ties with America to be reinstated so that you

to the Cubans what they had been missing. The

The original orange Tango man, hotel billionaire Sol Kerzner, will no doubt buy up the finest beaches and construct horrific themed Atlantis Hotels, complete with authentic Cuban nights so that guests don’t have to venture outside its walls and deal with the undeveloped horror of the real world.

And not to worry, even if you go off piste and book your own journey, as McDonalds have 43 sites leveraged and KFC, Taco Bell and Chucky Cheese are not far behind. Within a decade, the US will consume Cuba, following the blueprint of what they did to Hawaii. Economically invade, wipe out their culture, replace it with their own, reinvent theirs into entertainment, and proceed.

Trouble is that American culture, an oxymoron if ever l heard one, is totally vacuous. Or at least, that bit that will invade Cuba.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, JFK Centre for the Performing Arts or the Boston Symphony Orchestra will be conspicuous by their absence, and Cuba’s entire heritage will be fully appropriated and turned into tacky merchandise as hundreds of enormous, heavily basted, pink-pant-suited Floridians arrive and it becomes a vacation park before anyone has blinked. Most distressing of all was the arrival of the first cruise ship with 700 obese

52

ANGER MANAGEMENT

“And not to worry even if you go off piste and book your own journey, as McDonalds have 43 sites leveraged and KFC, Taco Bell and Chucky Cheese are not far behind. Within a decade, the US will consume Cuba following the blueprint of what they did to Hawaii.”

passengers waddling down the gang planks, loudly requesting directions to the nearest Ben & Jerrys and Starbucks.

Cuba is a time warp, the likes of which might only ever be found again when North Korea falls. Due to the blockade by the US

hotel lawns and golf courses watered. It’s nothing but cheap labour for the continuation of conspicuous consumption. The British did it in India and now the Yanks are at it.

I have seen it first-hand, having lived in a couple of so-called ‘third world countries’ close

after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the isolated island is a time capsule and could have been a stupendous human experiment in the reversal of our culture vandalism - and it’s not just the US, as we’re all at it. They have just perfected the art of totally talentless, vacuous celebrity and a culture centered on copious amounts of food, guns, sport and conspicuous consumption.

Today’s self-absorbed stars will never grasp the severe problems that dog the country, the poverty, crumbling buildings, human rights abuses and, with the exception of their health system, failed public services. They will lead a tribe of ignorant, self-absorbed tourists, who will pay top dollar so that giant corporations

“The talentless vanity project that is Kim Kardashian and her philosopher lite, and barking mad, accessory Kayne West breezed into Havana within six days and demonstrated to the Cubans what they had been missing..”

missed opportunity. If only the West could give them trade, technology and financial support for the regeneration of services, Cuba would surprise the world. When Columbus arrived in 1492, there had already been a civilisation in place since the 3rd century A.D. Only when La Pinta, La Niña and the Santa Maria landed

Western Hemisphere, and this, over all else, is

manning the vast kitchens pristine

they are on a hiding to nothing, but what a

of the lowest internet penetration rates in the

proud Cuban’s into wage slavery, washing hotel and keeping the

superb climate and land as cheap as chips,

did the trouble start. Even now Cuba has one

can pay bottom dollar and imprison the once sheets,

Of course, Cuba needs trade to develop and prosper, and with beautiful sandy beaches, a

what has kept the culture, heritage and their to US borders. They can’t help it, but it’s like a Tsunami of bad taste coupled to their urgent need to populate the entire area with their own food outlets and hotel chains. Look at Hawaii. Look at Cabo san Lucas in Mexico.

Look at the Bahamas.

passion alive.

We should foster it and not eradicate it with bubble-gum bullshit that will be gone faster than it took to create.

La Cuba es muerta. ¡Viva la Cuba!

53

MOTORING

JAGUAR XF

By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

T

he XF was the first effort by the then new owners of Jaguar, Tata, who purchased the company from Ford when they didn’t have a clue what to do with it. That might go down in the annals of history as the most fortuitous purchase in history, as look

what Tata have done with this famous and much-loved, iconic British brand. They rebuilt it

“It is a very good all-rounder and only back-to-back comparisons will tell if we have a new class leader.”

into a Stuttgart-threatening monster.

The effect of the original XF was pretty seismic as it was well built and drove beautifully.

For me, a tad of an old man’s car, but that has been erased by the rapidly changing range of cars Jaguar now offer.

The new XF is predominantly aluminium and therefore lighter, yet bigger inside. The new Ingenium engine appears in this model for the first time and the difference is obvious.

It drives beautifully, is stable and sure-footed, smooth and agile and looks gorgeous. I really like the seating position. Not quite sure what it is about it, but there is the feeling of lying down and calmly pointing it where you want it to go and eating up the miles.

Inside, the roofline and wheelbase have been fiddled with, therefore conveying a sense of space. With 24mm more for the passengers’ knees and 15mm for their shoulders, it now has the rear space that it should always have had, and that sense of space has been realised. The seats are supportive and move wherever you want them, and the 10-inch InControl touch screen offers everything needed, including touch screen navigation, which, l really feel, is the way to go. All this is backed up by a quad-core processor that likely has more computing power than the one used to send Neil Armstrong to the moon.

Outside, the overriding rule is that it should be instantly recognisable as a Jag. Tick. And this is the first Ian Cullum-designed Jag to replace a Callum-designed Jag, after his F-Type replaced the XK -a sad sad loss and a great gain. The body is very slippery in a drive for

54

MOTORING TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: XF 3.0 V6 S Engine: 2995cc Power: 271 bhp Performance: 0-62 - 5.1 seconds Top Speed: 155 mph Economy: 34.0 mpg combined Base price: £32,300.00 As tested: £59,780.00

efficiency; order it in the right colour, with the

arrange the XF, Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and

right wheels (and the big engine), and this is a

E-Class Merc together. On paper it has a lead

very handsome car.

as it is cheaper to insure, predicts a higher

The 296bhp engine is a world-class drive, and all six-cylinder XFs get configurable dynamics, which quickens shift times on the eight-speed auto and remaps the throttle response and steering. Sure, it has borrowed some stuff from the XE parts bin, but only the good stuff, it would appear.

It is a very good all-rounder and only backto-back comparisons will tell if we have a new class leader. What a perfect excuse for me to

“The effect of the original XF was pretty seismic as it was well built and drove beautifully.”

residual value and offers two five-year service plans - a 50,000 miler costing £525 and a 75,000 miler for £750.

That, if nothing else, shows that this car is aimed squarely at the business sector; add in around 50mpg in normal driving and you can see that Jaguar might have a case for the title.

Throw in the optional four-wheel drive and, finally, Germany has a contender.

A little corker.

55

MOTORING

VAUXHALL ZAFIRA TOURER

By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

86.9 mpg. For those that don’t do much mileage, the 1.4-litre is worth a look but with 7 up, it might struggle.

On the road it is supple and competent with a good driving position, great allround vision and pretty good suspension that soaks up all but the largest bumps.

My only gripe would be the funky A pillar that affords you an extra triangle of glass and a sweeping windscreen but effectively leaves you with 2 A pillars and restricted vision which, oddly, is exactly what it is designed not to do.

It does have some interesting gizmos. The

T

he original Zafira was the first compact seven-seater on our streets and now, with the launch of the Tourer, it is even

Vauxhall OnStar system although with the use of acres of plastic, it does

alerts the emergency services if you have a

all look a tad drab but everything is solidly

crash, offers a Wi-Fi hotspot, stolen vehicle

bolted down and based on the tiny hands

assistance and engine diagnostics.

more practical. The seating arrangement

that will be pulling, twisting and yanking at

has been much copied since its launch and is

everything in sight, it’s just as well. There are

probably the ultimate way to get 7 people into

well and has enough grunt to get you up the

enough cubby holes and storage areas to keep

a car.

road but this car is not about power and speed.

anyone happy.

The average buyer has a horde of kids, does

It must of taken an age for the OCD Vauxhall designers to come up with it. It has three individual seats in the second row and two in the back row. The SE and Elite spec cars have a seat in the centre of the middle row that folds into an armrest and the two remaining seats can be moved inwards and back, affording the occupants extra leg and shoulder room. Full loaded there is not much room left for luggage but with only 5 on-board, there is ample space on the flat floor. The dash is well laid out

TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: 2.0 SE CDTi 170ps Engine: 1956cc Power: 170 bhp Performance: 0-60mph: 9.1 seconds Top Speed: 129 mph Economy: 57.7 mpg combined Base price: £25,450.00 As tested: £26,800.00

56

The engine line-up is impressive, or

For a tall car, it corners and handles pretty

endless school runs and numerous tours

confusing, whichever way you want to look at it

around the Asda car park therefore versatility,

but whilst the 1.6-litre diesel used to be a noisy

space and the ease of driving are the really

old lump, it is now vastly improved and as quiet

important things.

as anything else in this sector and manages

And in this regard, it hits the spot.

LET MINI DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS. If you run a business, MINI has a range to suit your needs. With compelling monthly rentals, unrivalled design and first-class performance, it’s time to find out which MINI works for you.

To find out more please contact our Local Business Development Manager, Dean Eaton, on 0800 915 47500 or visit www.vinesofgatwickbmw.co.uk/business

MINI Business Partnership Official Fuel Economy Figures for the MINI Range: Urban 27.2-72.4 mpg (10.4-3.9 l/100km). Extra Urban 47.9-91.1 mpg (5.9-3.1 l/100km).

Combined 37.7-83.1 mpg (7.5-3.4 l/100km). CO2 Emissions 175-89 g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.

MOTORING

JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

I

have fond memories of the early Jeep Wrangler when it first came to the UK, must be over 30 years ago now, and l was

turning out Dodge Chargers, Ford Mustangs

stick in a couple of fold flat seats but they are

and 8-litre Cadillacs as long as the Titanic,

not to be found.

that the country’s most famous marque would

given one for a few days by Levi Strauss as it

be owned by a small Italian manufacturer

came with denim covered seats. In those dark

better known for the Fiat 500. A car that would

days of crap British Leyland cars and French

of fitted into the boot of most Yank mobiles

rubbish that broke down every five minutes

and certainly the Jeep could of driven over it

and bounced around on suspension so soft

without even noticing.

that a nodding dog was not required in the

To be frank, the Americans never could build

It drives pretty well with a slick eight-speed transmission that keeps the diesel engine revs in the strong mid-range band and it cruises the motorway with ease, but the noise does let it down a tad. By now you will know my hatred of all diesel engines as the spawn of the devil and now, dare l say it, l have been proven right.

back window, it was a revelation. Sitting high,

cars. Ok, they turned out a few classics but

They are proven to pollute far more than petrol

with no roof or doors, a great auto box and the

said classics represent less than 5% of their

and the government is about to slap a tariff

wind in my once flowing locks. Flitting around

production. The remaining 95% were rubbish

on all of you that didn’t listen to me and went

London from club to club (Samantha’s and then

and that is why they had virtually no export

and purchased a diesel car. You cannot say

onto the Valbonne, in case you are interested)

market as none of us wanted to buy them.

you weren’t warned and l shall bathe is self-

on a warm summers night with the Bee Gee’s, Barry White and Minnie Riperton screaming out of the 8-track stereo. Good days.

But much has happened to the company

So what on earth to make of a Jeep built by the Italians?

Well, it certainly has presence and is big

satisfied smugness. Alas, not so smug, as you are killing my children with your silly cars.

But l digress. Diesel engines, and this one

and spacious, well-equipped and can handle

is no exception, are noisy and rattle like an

since then, not least of which is that it is now

the mud plugging if you take it off road but for

old Transit van or London cab. The premium

owned by Fiat. Can you imagine the glory days

such a large car to come with only 5 seats is

German marques have almost cracked it but all

of US car manufacturing, when they were

an error. There is plenty of room in the boot to

others are just plain horrible to listen to.

58

“To be frank, the Americans never could build cars.”

MOTORING TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD V6 Summit Engine: 2987cc Power: 247 bhp Performance: 0-63mph - 8.2 seconds Top Speed: 136 mph Economy: 37.7 mpg combined Base price: £51,995.00 As tested: £52,715.00

“You cannot say you weren’t warned and l shall bathe in self-satisfied smugness. Alas, not so smug, as you are killing my children with your silly cars.”

My answer to this is to order the 6.4-litre SRT8 HEMI petrol version that will get you to 60mph in less than 5 seconds, but obviously that is not an economically wise choice as you will rarely hit 15mpg. The 3.0-litre V6 diesel will give you 247bhp and has ample pulling power and gets up the road at quite a lick.

The interior is quite nice and well laid out with a 8.4in screen, climate control, auto wipers, USB, Bluetooth and electric seats. I had the Summit version that also gives you a fabulous 19-speaker Harmon Kardon stereo and if could have found a Barry White tape, we would of been off and running back to the 70’s but alas, Radio 4 cannot quite offer the beats of yesteryear. The one thing l could never live with is the gear lever. When sliding it into forward or reverse, it is just not intuitive and it is so easy to select the wrong gear. We all change gear on an auto box without even thinking or looking but with this, l had to think, look down and consider if l had got it right and it annoyed me endlessly.

The trim is OK but a little cheap in places and the shiny metal in the cabin is actually shiny silver plastic. That said, the 782-litre boot is big enough for most and with the back seats folded flat it is cavernous. The Summit and Overland versions use the Quadra-Lift sport air suspension and performance brakes and this certainly makes the ride and handling impressive although still a bit of pitching and rolling through the corners.

The biggest hurdle the Cherokee faces is the sector competition. The BMW X5, Audi Q7, VW Touareg and Lexus RX are tough customers to beat and at a base price of £48,000, it has a battle on its hand. But if you want to be different and stand out from the crowd, this is not a bad shout.

59

MORE TIME FOR BUSINESS MORE TIME FOR BUSINESS

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FORD VIGNALE THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY PRESENTS

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Mondeo Vignale range: urban 27.2-100.9 (10.4-2.8), extra urban 47.9-68.9 (5.9-4.1), combined Birchwood Ford 7.2-67.3 (7.6-4.2). Official CO2 emissions 176-99g/km.

Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne, BN23 6PX 01323 407099 he mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

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FORD VIGNALE

Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (l/100km) for the Ford Mondeo Vignale range: urban 27.2-100.9 (10.4-2.8), extra urban 47.9-68.9 (5.9-4.1), combined 37.2-67.3 (7.6-4.2). Official CO2 emissions 176-99g/km.

The mpg figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results (EU Directive and Regulation 692/2008), are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.

READING MATTER

HOW CAN THIS BOOK CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

I

magine what your life would be like if you could follow your dreams in your business or career. Now imagine doing just that and enjoying extraordinary financial success as a result.

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This visionary book is written in a quirky, intimate and, engaging manner. It will inspire you to: ♦ Escape the rat race ♦ Overcome the fears that paralyse you from ‘giving it a go’ ♦ Be remarkable ♦ Thrive on your passion ♦ Enjoy financial success, and... ♦ Be free!

Now, more than ever, it is the time to set yourself free and join the revolution!

Penina is a multi award winning entrepreneur, business lawyer and founder of ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW, a ‘Top 50 Innovative Law Firms in the UK and Europe’ (Financial Times). In The Freedom Revolution, she shares her compelling story and approach to being remarkable in this new and extraordinary business world.

“As an entrepreneur I wholeheartedly agree with Penina’s views of the modern revolutionary entrepreneur. If you take her words to heart, you can follow your dream and be profitable.”

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Available now on Amazon and on www.penina.biz/The-Freedom-Revolution 61

CHARITY NEWS

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS… C

hestnut Tree House, the children’s hospice service for Sussex, has launched a new campaign that aims to increase the number of children it cares for in the Brighton & Hove area, and we’re asking

The Elliotts - with Hugo

local people what little things they can do to help to make a big difference to local life-limited children.

We care for 300 children with life-shortening conditions and their families, including 23 in the Brighton & Hove area. We have a Community Team which cares for families in their own homes and the hospice building near Worthing has 10 beds providing specialist short breaks, emergency care, step-down from hospital and end-of-life care.

A bath at bedtime. A swim on a Saturday afternoon. Maybe just a few hours uninterrupted sleep. All these things become even more precious when you have a child with a life-shortening condition. The care that Chestnut Tree House offers children and their families in their own homes and in the hospice means that families get to enjoy more of these little things.

sick child, a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on can help make a big

One family who have experienced Chestnut Tree House’s care firsthand are Laura and Peter Elliott, whose sons Sam, 13 and Owen, 9, both have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

difference to these families.

“As well as reaching out to local families, we are asking people what little things they could do to help. You might want to get your company

Laura says, “The boys have been able to enjoy wonderful experiences,

involved in fundraising, spend a couple of hours volunteering, donate to

thanks to Chestnut Tree House, but for us it’s the little things, like being

our shops in Brighton and Hove or play our lottery. Whatever little thing

able to spend time reading, swimming in the pool and creating happy

you could do will mean a great deal to the children and families who need

memories together as a family, that are the really big things. Those

our care.”

precious moments together mean the world to us.”

Linda Perry, Director of Children’s Services at the hospice explains, “A

Anybody who would like to pledge their support to Chestnut Tree House can find out more at chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/littlethings,

recent study has shown that there may be over 160 families in the local

telephone 01903 871820 or email fundraising@chestnut-

area who need our help but may be put off by the thought of coming to

tree-house.org.uk. Any family who thinks they may be

Chestnut Tree House or even just by the word ‘hospice’. We are here to

eligible to receive support from Chestnut Tree House and

support families who have a child with a life-shortening condition. Little

would like to find out more can also visit the website or call

things like a few hours’ break from the responsibilities of caring for a

the Care Team on 01903 871800.

CALL FOR PRIZES TO HELP CHESTNUT TREE HOUSE Tables for this year’s Snowman Spectacular Fundraising Ball on Saturday, 3 December are already sold out, but we are still in need of help from local businesses to assist with our fundraising activities. We are interested in hearing from companies and individuals who would like to donate prizes for our main auction, silent auction and our Christmas Gift Tree, for which we need over 600 prizes. If you can help in any way with prizes, large or small, quirky and original, please contact Terrina Barnes on 01903 871846 or email terrina.barnes@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk .

62

Sussex & The World Weekend THREE HUGE DAYS OF LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL FOOD & DRINK SATURDAY 27 - BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 29 AUGUST 2016 HOVE LAWNS, BRIGHTON FREE ENTRY

MEDIA PARTNER

PHOTO JULIA CLAXTON

www.brightonfoodfestival.com

brightonfoodfestival

brightonfood

brightonfoodfestival

Table Talk

A Month of Food

By Amanda Menahem

The Food Lab team

W

ell… I thought last month had been

sausages. These turned out to be the best

premises and seem to have a cult following. I am

full-on food wise, but oh no. In May

item – more like pork kofte than a sausage.

assuming they were having a duff night. Cough.

there was the Brighton Festival and

I gobbled these appreciatively as the rest of

the fantastic Brighton and Hove Food Festival,

the food was frankly rather dire. The pork was

providing a dizzying array of innovative dining

extremely gristly to the point that it was almost

experiences. And of course there’s the free

inedible. The salad that accompanied the

Hove Lawns event (my excuse to gorge on

kebab and feta was comprised of flavourless

pulled pork), curated and organised by a

tomatoes, diced white onion (who puts raw

local team of passionate food fanatics, led by

white onion in a salad ffs?) that I had to pick

officially appointed ‘outstanding Brightonian’ Nick Mosely. More about all that later.

First up, my inaugural experience of the bohemian Spiegeltent. Residing in Steine

out. The potato was greasy and not crisp.

Further afield I enjoyed a fantastic lunch at Le Magazin in Lewes. What a little gem this is.

Good quality well executed Mediterranean style dishes that you really want to eat. I enjoyed a sharing plate of charcuterie, a mozzarella, avocado and tomato salad with excellent homemade pesto followed by a beautifully cooked slow roast pork belly. The fat had

If you’re going to do street food you have to

been rendered away (as it should be) leaving

do it well. Papa Pitta are looking for permanent

just meltingly soft meat and crispy crackling.

Gardens, what a magical place this turns into at this time of year. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to discover this wondrous pop-up mini hippy festival. Me being me, I was more excited about trying out the street food than any of the shows on offer, in particular the pop-up Cypriot café Papa Pitta. I’d read a local food blogger wax lyrical about it. I do crave a bit of street food and the odd dirty burger here and there, and as I was with my skinflint ex-boyfriend, I knew the price point would please him immensely. It did.

We ordered the pork souvlaki for which they are well known, a feta salad, and fried potatoes.

We were given some complimentary Cypriot

64

Bollywood fun at the Curry Leaf Cafe charity banquet

Table Talk The wine is great value and the outside seating great for people watching especially given its location on the main drag. Highly recommended.

Other highlights included a decent Thai dinner at Mango Tree, (full review to follow) just a stones throw from Victoria station, (except for the appallingly made gin and tonic at their bar – don’t go there, head to the bar at the nearby Goring Hotel instead) and locally in Brighton at

chefs at work at the Food lab

Chef Simon Mackenzie at the Taste of Guernsey lunch

Semolina. Here I discovered excellent cooking, a great wine list and an unfortunate location (just off the London road area), but don’t let this put you off. I will review this place more fully in the coming months.

Then came the food festival – the highlight of my gastronomic year. I have to carefully choose which events I attend as I could easily book myself in for lunches, dinners, cocktail and wine events all day every day. As much fun as

Hove lawns

me at the Taste of Guernsey Lunch at the Market restaurant

that would be, I wouldn’t survive it.

My absolute favourite of them all is Food Lab at 64 degrees. This is an ingenious event where top local chefs pair up with local food producers to create a six-course tasting menu.

I go every year and it always turns into a wonderful boozy party.

This year Matt Gillan’s beef with horseradish ice-cream (provided by Boho Gelato) was

me at the Food lab

the star of the show. A flavour and texture sensation. It was also good to see up and coming Tom Griffiths of Flank making his first appearance. His food is sublime. Look out for him in a future chef profile.

I also attended the Curry Leaf Café charity banquet which was brilliant Bollywood fun, and the Taste of Guernsey lunch with the excellent Simon McKenzie at the Market restaurant.

Great venue, great cooking. Do look out for similar events later in the year.

Finally I spent much of the bank holiday weekend helping out at the Hove Lawns event.

Hove lawns

I was kept in Ridgeview and gin. It was such a hardship. So hard in fact that I had to book a spa break to Portugal the very next week.

Below - left to right: Matt Gillan’s beef with horseradish ice cream at Food Lab; dessert at Taste of Guernsey lunch; fish course at the Curry Leaf Cafe Charity Banquet, the tomato starter by Terre a Terre at the Food lab.

PHOTOS: Julia Claxton

65

Table Talk REVIEW

The Gingerman

By Amanda Menahem

W

ith an increasingly ‘trendy’ dining

Spanish food in Brighton (review coming

scene here in Brighton, there’s a

soon). He and I are food ‘soul mates’, always

made choosing quite a challenge. Luckily Carlo

danger that our original, brilliant

The menu reads like food heaven, which

agreeing on new openings and food favourites.

is a sharer, and as food soul mates we were

fine dining establishments might get lost in the

He’d been through the mill recently and so I

able to narrow it down quickly enough. An

‘noise’. I must admit, I don’t hear many people

thought this would cheer him up (and frankly I

exquisite pulled pork bon bon with barbecue

talking about the Gingerman restaurant as

wanted the entertainment, his life is better than

sauce arrived as an amuse bouche with freshly

much as, say, 64 Degrees or The Set. But this

Eastenders).

made bread and truffle and honey butter that I

is no bad thing. It’s a bit like the way in which Londoners don’t really talk about Le Gavroche

The new décor is beautiful and subtle. I tire

couldn’t leave alone.

of restaurants with obtrusive décor - the focus

We chose three starters to share; Pear

should be on the food not the wallpaper. Here

Walnut and Chicory Salad with Pear Puree,

it’s exposed brick, comfortable seating and

Pickled Walnut, Caramelised Chicory and

white tablecloths. Simple, informal and relaxed.

Blue Cheese; Guinea Fowl Ravioli with Wild

has been quietly and confidently producing

The perfect ambience for my favourite lunches

mushroom, Parsley Oil and Parmesan; and

excellent food in comfortable, elegant

– those that go on for hours with flowing wine.

a Devon Crab, Roulade and Beignet, Charred

surroundings for years. It’s stood the test of

And that’s exactly what happened.

Sweet Corn, Avocado, Cucumber, Quail’s Egg

or The Square, but rave about Hoppers and Frenchie.

The Gingerman, like The Square in London,

time.

I had been here a handful of times over the

It kicked off with one of my absolute favourites, Ridgeview Rose de Noir sparkling

and Bisque. All were superb. I would say the crab dish was the best, the roulade delicate and flavoursome and offset by the beignet with its

years and always found it great. I’d heard of

wine – quite difficult to find, the other

the recent refurbishment and re-launch with a

Ridgeviews (e.g. the Bloomsbury) being

new menu and had been keen to revisit it. So

ubiquitous. The Rose de Noir (written about in

off I headed one sunny afternoon, for lunch

my review of Ridgeview winery) is rich, fruity

with lovely Carlo, himself a restaurateur and

and creamy with enough structure to drink

cheese turned into a delicious crumb atop the

purveyor of (in my opinion) the best authentic

throughout a meal rather than as just an aperitif.

caramelised chicory, a classic salty / sweet

66

crunchy exterior. The bisque was light yet rich.

A masterpiece.

The pear dish was ranked second. The blue

Table Talk

❝

The menu reads like food heaven, which made choosing quite a challenge. Luckily Carlo is a sharer, and as food soul mates we were able to narrow it down quickly enough.

❞

combination followed through by the pear and walnut combination on the plate. A very clever, complex dish, true to the quality of its ingredients.

The guinea fowl ravioli we both agreed was a little under-seasoned but good nevertheless.

Our mains; I chose a Grey Mullet with Bouillabaisse, Cornish Mussels, Squid, Marinated Salmon, Crispy Cod Cheek, and Jersey Royals.

Carlo chose Aged Rump of Beef, Fois Gras Nugget, Ox Tail, Boudin Blanc, Mashed Potato and Confit Tomato.

I have decided I like all things cheek. My cod cheek ‘fritters’ were delicious, and each element of my dish perfectly in balance. This was an exercise in complementary fishy textures and flavours.

Carlo’s beef was a harmonious meat lovers delight. The fois gras nugget and ox tail stood out, with extraordinary depth of flavour (much needed if you’re serving a simple rump). This chef really understands about balancing flavours and textures without disturbing simple ingredients.

Onto desserts. I recall being impressed with the soufflé when I last dined here so I ordered it again. Carlo - thankfully - chose the Milk Chocolate Delice, allowing me to get my chocolate fix. The soufflé was good but slightly overcooked and therefore the texture a little ‘eggy’ - not as good as I remember from last time, but then, soufflé can be a tricky thing. The chocolate dessert was rich, light and satisfying.

Unfortunately, I cannot recall the pre-dessert or the petit fours (this was a long and boozy lunch you understand) but l know l thought both were delicious and at three courses for £37, this represents very good value for this level of cooking.

We emerged in to the bright sunlight of the spring afternoon with a satisfied glow, knowing that we’d awake in the morning without a hangover. I have decided lunch might be the new

THE GINGERMAN RESTAURANT 21a Norfolk Square Brighton East Sussex BN1 2PD

dinner.

01273 326688

Read my interview with the founder of the Gingerman group in last month’s issue on-line or at PeoplePlacesFood.co.uk.

www.gingermanrestaurant.com

67

Table Talk

Wine Masterclass THREE CHEERS FOR MACON

by Jonny Gibson Pinot Noir red and rosé. A list of approved village names can be suffixed if you want more provenance – eg. Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Fuissé, Mâcon-La Roche Vineuse. There is also the white only Mâcon-Villages AOC, a tighter area of vineyards spread over the region, although somewhat confusingly these wines are often not as good quality as some of the suffixed wines mentioned above. The five communes with the highest reputations have their own appellations – Pouilly-Fuissé AOC and nearby Pouilly-Vinzelles AOC and Pouilly-Loché AOC and also Viré-Clessé AOC and Saint-Véran AOC. In the hands of a good producer like Les

M

Héritiers du Comte Lafon, Bret Brothers,

aybe it’s the fish stall at the Friday

hits the spot

Domaine Gilles Morat, Gerald Talmard and

market in Lewes or the publicity about

with white

Christophe Cordier you can really taste

healthy omega 3 fats but either way

meats, white

the differences between each village and

I’m eating a lot more fish these days. When it

fish dishes

appellation.

comes to meat it’s increasingly a case of eat

and semi

less but go for better quality. There’s a fantastic

soft cheeses.

farm shop five minutes up the road with top

There is

quality free range pork and beef from rare

enough acidity too for them to work as an

breeds amongst many other good things.

aperitif.

The question is which wines to pair with

The Mâcon wine region is a patchwork of

I have been particularly enjoying Christophe Cordier’s wines recently. He describes himself as a “haute couture negociant” buying in top quality grapes from excellent plots and making wine in a meticulous fashion in his modern, gravity fed winery. Wines are vinified by

all this lovely pork loin, free range chicken,

villages, sedimentary soils and terroirs with

terroir, only natural yeasts are used for extra

sea bass, monkfish and scallops? I’ve come

the best villages huddled together in the hilly

complexity and the wines spend time on their

to the conclusion that the answer is the ripe,

limestone amphitheatre around Fuissé to

gross lees before being matured in barrel.

sunshine whites from the Mâconnais region

the south just above Beaujolais. There is the

Check out my list below left for other Macon

of southern Burgundy. There is a suppleness

regional appellation Mâcon AOC for mostly

wines to try this summer

and complexity about these wines that just

Chardonnay whites and a little Gamay and

Some suggested Macon wines for summer dishes: • Mâcon-Villages 2014, Domaine Mallory et Benjamin Talmard – The Wine Society £8.95 • Mâcon “Aux Bois d’Allier”2014, Domaine Cordier – The Wine Society £10.95 • Mâcon-Villages 2014, DomaineFichet – Quaff Wines £12.99 • Mâcon-Milly – Lamartine 2015, Domaine Chene – South Downs Cellars £13.95 • Viré-Clessé Vieilles Vignes 2014, Christophe Cordier – Majestic £13.49 • Pouilly-Fuissé “En Carementran”2013, Bret Brothers - BBR £15.75 • Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine 2012, Les Héritiers du Comte Lafon – Domaine Direct, Tanners, BBR £18-£19

68

Jonny Gibson is the head tutor and owner of Sussex Wine School, an independent company that runs regular tastings and courses including WSET Levels 1-3 in Brighton, Lewes and Tunbridge Wells. www.sussexwineschool.com

Table Talk

Best Places for........

ENTERTAINING BUSINESS CLIENTS

by Amanda Menahem

A

question I’m often asked is ‘Where can I take business clients for

is ever as formal as the hushed environs of some high end London

lunch?’ and this being a business publication, it’s a very relevant

establishments).

question. Here are my top picks.

1. THE GINGERMAN

3. THE SALT ROOM Arguably one of the most stunning dining rooms in Brighton. Funky,

The first and original of the local Ginger empire which includes the

modern, airy, chic. The scale and design would not look out of place

Ginger Fox, Dog and Pig. In my opinion this is the jewel in the crown.

in New York or Chicago. A great seafront location will impress out of

Slightly out the way from the centre of Brighton, this is worth the

towners. Food is imaginative, high end but with good bistro classics

short trip. Arguably the finest food and service in Brighton (read a full

such as burgers, steaks and the unmissable Josper grilled fish of the

review on page 66), this is the ideal place to impress a client. Whilst

day. Service can be inconsistent but you should be fine at lunchtime.

this is unquestionably fine dining cuisine, the dining room is relaxed, informal with a bistro feel. The absence of loud music but with a pleasant hum of busy tables nearby, mean that business conversation is easy without the fear of being overheard.

4. THE CURLEW AT BODIAM, EAST SUSSEX Fine dining in an 2. THE RESTAURANT AT DRAKES

elegant pub restaurant

Another stalwart of the local

set within beautiful

fine dining scene Drakes

countryside. The Curlew,

provides consistently good

serving modern British

cuisine and service with

cuisine, has maintained

attention to detail and an

its reputation for fine

air of luxury. The room is in

dining for over a decade.

the basement of the Drakes

Having won numerous

hotel on the seafront and

accolades over the

has a more intimate feel.

years, most recently

While not as informal a feel

as finalists for the best

as the Gingerman, this is a

dining experience in the

place to come if you want a

Sussex food awards.

more serious environment (although frankly this is all relative as nowhere in Brighton

69

Table Talk SMALL BITES Wine of the month

Marina development

My wine discovery of the month is M&S

I am keeping my fingers crossed

Vintage Cava 2011. This is an

for an improved Marina experience

impressive sparkling wine that

given the huge redevelopment

is just as good, if not better, than

that is currently underway.

many of the more expensive

Malmaison have taken over

sparklers including some of the

the Seattle hotel and are in the

cheaper champagnes. At about

process of transforming it to fit

£15, I shall be stocking up. Please

the Malmaison brand. A recent

buy it and join me in my plight

lunch there gave me hope of good

against the ghastly Prosecco revolution and return Cava to well-deserved glory. I served

things to come. There are lots of new venues opening, including an independent artisan deli amongst the various chains.

this recently when I hosted to celebrate us all passing

HarBAR – new opening

our exams. We each brought

I am quite excited about the opening of the Brighton Harbour hotel and its new bar and

a bottle and had fun blind-

restaurant. We still need good quality venues on our seafront and it will be good to give Hotel

tasting them all. They all

Du Vin a bit of competition. Both will need to be at the top of their game and the new Harbour,

agreed on the quality of this

on the corner of West Street, will be boasting a roof top swimming pool as their trump card. I

Cava.

will be attending the launch event in July and will report back.

a wine gang reunion dinner

Chichester College set for change Students and visitors to Chichester College will soon be benefiting from a major revamp of their kitchens and restaurants. The College is investing nearly £3million in the project, which is partly funded by a significant grant made by the Coast to Capital LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership). As part of the refurbishment, a new state-of-the-art kitchen for student training will be installed and the college will also be unveiling a new studentrun restaurant and bistro, which will be open to the general public.

Café 19 and 64 Restaurant & Bar promise diners a stylish environment to savour culinary delights, cooked and served by the talented hospitality and catering students at the college. I went along to visit and spent some time with Julie Kapsalis, Chichester College Vice Principal: “The refurbishment will provide the college with state-of-the-art training facilities for our students, including new kitchens and restaurants. This work is vital to ensuring we continue to produce students who can meet the catering industry requirements in the region.”

The new facilities will open in the autumn and I will be going along to sample the delights of the kitchen. I’m keen to support and promote anything that nurtures talent in the hospitality and tourism industries for our region. After all, this is a critical part of our economy. More to follow.

Food Awards Celebrate your favourite Brighton & Hove food, drink and hospitality businesses by voting in this year’s annual city-wide food and drink awards.

Public nominations are open until the end of August with categories ranging from best Restaurant and International Cuisine through to Cocktail Bar and Food Pub. During September the panel of expert judges will secret shop and interview the top three in each category to find the best of the best in the city. You can nominate today via the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival website www.brightonfoodfestival.com

70

Luxury Private Dining

BY ALAN WHITE

THE ULTIMATE PRIVATE DINING EXPERIENCE IN SUSSEX Perfect for special occasions & celebrations, client entertainment and high end company dinners.

For bookings or to arrange a viewing of our private dining spaces, please email conference@grandbrighton.co.uk

or call 01273

224300

THE GRAND BRIGHTON, 97-99 KING’S ROAD, BRIGHTON, EAST SUSSEX, BN1 2FW

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

TheGrandHotelBrighton

@GrandBrighton

DIGITAL MARKETING

SEEING IS BELIEVING Live Video and The Future of Business Marketing

by Shea Bennett, Head of Digital Marketing at Identity

O

n September 5th, 1995, the U.S. sports network ESPN streamed a broadcast of a baseball game online to thousands

Facebook Users have been able to share

emerged from an initially somewhat frivolous (and controversial) chat network for teenagers

videos on Facebook for some time,

to a social media powerhouse, with its more

of its subscribers worldwide in what was the

but it was only as recently as 2014 that the

than 100 million daily active users now

world’s first live-streaming event. Fast-forward

functionality really began to take off. Where

consuming more than 10 billion videos per

to the present day, and live video is everywhere,

Facebook separated itself from other platforms

day. Yes, you read that right: for video at least,

used by dynamic businesses to reach and

(such as YouTube) was how video content would

Snapchat is bigger than YouTube and bigger

engage with audiences in real time.

start to play automatically to users as they

than Facebook.

But with so many choices on the market –

scrolled down the Facebook News Feed. This

And it’s easy to see why: Snapchat is fun.

everything from YouTube to Facebook, Snapchat

led to a tremendous upswing both in how video

It’s also the most video-friendly of all the

and Periscope – how do you decide which is the

content was consumed on the platform and

top social networks, letting you immediately

best platform for your business? In this article

how brands began to use Facebook video – and

begin sharing videos which can be effortlessly

I will identify the key players in the live video

video ads – to reach key demographics.

tailored with a variety of filters and what

space, and outline some best practices for

Snapchat calls lenses, which add entertaining

implementing your own live video campaigns

special effects to live video content.

that can be actioned right away.

YouTube Established in 2005, YouTube is the granddaddy of online video.

Boasting more than one billion users, YouTube generates some seven billion video views per day, and the platform actively works with

The platform’s rise in popularity – it’s the

“For video at least, Snapchat is bigger than YouTube and bigger than Facebook.”

and invests in its top video creators, granting

hasn’t gone unnoticed, with brands around the world clamouring to figure out how to use Snapchat in innovative and interesting ways.

Additionally, the company recently announced its own advertising API, and many are suggesting that Snapchat’s new sponsored creation tools – which essentially allow users to create their own

them a share of advertising revenue and other

branded ads to show to friends – could be the

rewards when they reach key milestones.

next big thing in online marketing.

All of which has led to the rise of the celebrity “YouTuber”, with a number of key

fastest growing social network in history –

Today, Facebook generates some eight billion

Periscope

players emerging in the UK over the past few

video views each day, with two-thirds of these

years that, largely self-supported (certainly at

views coming from mobile devices. Facebook

an early innovator in the live video

first), now reach tens of millions of subscribers

Live, its streaming video product, has quickly

space and continues to be popular at events

on their YouTube channels. This has led to huge

proven itself to be an incredibly effective way

and product launches. However, much like

income opportunities, both from the platform

for businesses to reach consumers, offering

Twitter’s other video product, Vine (as well

itself and growing relationships with brands.

instant connectivity and immediate feedback.

as rival video app Meerkat), Periscope’s early

In 2010, YouTube began free streaming of

It’s not just brands, too – the recent

The Twitter-owned Periscope was

growth stalled fairly quickly, and while the

content, pioneering this exciting space, and

“Chewbacca Mom” live video has now been

platform retains a strong core user base it

now regularly broadcasts live video from its

played over 150 million times on Facebook,

hasn’t really taken off as one might have

official channels, including news, sports and

leading to global coverage and worldwide fame.

originally presumed. If you’ve got a strong Twitter audience you can still generate

entertainment. Brands and individuals can also easily create their own live video, choosing to stream immediately or scheduling an event for later.

72

Snapchat Launching just over four years ago, Snapchat has quickly

immediate value from Periscope, but brands looking to enter this space for the first time will get better results from the channels above.

DIGITAL MARKETING

LIVE VIDEO BEST PRACTICES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

than just pointing the camera at one thing

employees (or even clients) you can both

and filming the same spot, try walking

humanise and personalise a company. Ask

Hopefully you’ve seen the potential in live

around and filming different locations and

for questions and feedback during a live

video broadcasting for business and have

people. By becoming the eyes and ears of

broadcast to really bring viewers into the

decided to get involved. So what’s the most

your audience you can immediately keep

effective way for small businesses to use live

them engaged and entertained.

experience.

4. Train & Educate

video to reach audiences in real time? Here

One of the most effective ways to use

are four best practices below to help you get

social media is to provide knowledge

started.

to your audience, and live video tools

1. Show What Happens “Behind The Scenes” A typical stumbling block for brands looking to enter the video space is the feeling that the content they produce must be of really high quality. The reality is that while good content is always valuable, often a “warts and all” approach to brand marketing is well received by consumers.

One effective way to do this is to broadcast

“Live video is a fantastic way for businesses of all sizes and in every sector to reach and connect with customers and peers.”

behind the scenes footage of what goes

a tripod to stablise the camera. If you’re ever privileged enough to speak at a major event, be sure to have a member of staff on hand to live broadcast your keynote to followers.

CONCLUSION costs and almost limitless possibilities, it’s a

access to. This could include, for example,

2. Broadcast Live Events

broadcast from your office, perhaps using

trend that is here to stay. With low start-up

into areas they wouldn’t normally have

project managers, and even the MD!

workshops. This can easily be setup and

Live video isn’t a fad: it’s a rapidly growing

on at your business, giving fans an insight

your workshop, factory line, design team,

are a great way to provide training and

3. Interviews & Q&As Interviews with key personnel at your company are a tremendous way to connect

fantastic way for businesses of all sizes and in every sector to reach and connect with customers and peers. Moreover, often the best results can be achieved by those brands

Attending an exhibition or awards show?

with users. Companies are made up of

willing to risk a more organic, “this is how it’s

Live video is a fantastic way to include your

people, after all, but too often there’s a wall

made” approach, which helps to humanise

audience within your event, making them

between the brand and the employees. By

the company, build relationships and generate

feel connected to your industry. Rather

broadcasting live video of interviews with

leads.

Biography: Shéa has managed the digital campaigns and marketing solutions for both B2B and B2C brands across a variety of industries, including retail, finance, education, healthcare, charity, sports and events. A recognised authority within the digital space, he has published two books and written thousands of articles about social media, and his work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post and the BBC. Identity specialises in the manufacture and implementation of corporate branding, with over 30 years’ experience in the industry. A major supplier of digital marketing, events management and commercial signage across the UK and Europe, Identity is a multi-award-winning company with a very experienced team of industryrespected individuals.

Email: sb@identitygroup.co.uk, Web: www.identitygroup.co.uk

73

style PLATINUM

PHEW! WOT A SCORCHER! Our regular style columnist, Samantha Wilding, raises the hot question of what to wear when the temperature rises.

Samantha Wilding Tel: 07833 084864 Email: Samantha@styleandgrace.eu Website: www.styleandgrace.eu Twitter: @alwayschicUK

W

e Brits do not have a great reputation when it comes to hot weather dressing. As soon as the mercury begins to climb, all sense of decorum seems to go out the window, with acres of pale skin being inappropriately revealed. We never quite

manage to look ‘effortless’ in the sun in a way that our continental cousins do (this is not an argument for Brexit, by the way.)

And men, unfortunately, draw the short straw with a tricky triumvirate: shorts, sandals and swimwear. I’m going to focus on these three in this article, which I hope will help you up your game this summer, whether you’re heading to Bali, Barcelona or Blackpool.

Guys: let’s talk shorts Shorts can be a potential minefield for the average British man. But here are some guidelines that I hope you will find helpful.

First of all, get the length right. Your shorts should end just a couple of inches above the knee – in other words, neither too short nor too long, and ideally, if they suit your frame, they should be slim cut. If you choose denim shorts, no rips please – you are not in a boy band.

Tailored shorts will ensure you look the part. Make sure to choose heavy cotton (chino) rather than linen, which will crease like mad.

Wear your shorts – denim or chino – with a good quality t-shirt that fits. Not a huge holey, baggy thing with a Hard Rock Café logo circa 1987, but a slim fitting, good quality t-shirt in a complementary colour. If it’s chilly in the evening, add a fine knit jumper (keep it fine, you don’t want to add bulk) or a stylish sweatshirt (again, no logos) for when the sun goes down.

Chino shorts, by the way, look particularly sharp with a Breton striped t-shirt – this is a classic look that never dates. You can also add a casual blazer to this look.

Sandals and socks – no, no, no!

It’s hard to believe, but sandals and socks had a brief fashion moment earlier this spring as Bottega Veneta styled dual strap sandals with chunky socks. Thankfully that moment ended. So what are the best styles to go for?

74

style PLATINUM

Here are some of my favourites: • Soft leather sandals will keep your feet comfortable.

Choose classic Birkenstocks (which come in a range of shapes, styles and colours) or Hudson woven sandals (see the box) – all of which can be worn with chinos, jeans and shorts • Rubber pool sliders are waterproof and comfortable.

These have been around for the past couple of years and will take you from poolside to bar with ease • Thong sandals are more substantial (and less sloppy) that a traditional flip flop. Kurt Geiger are doing a lovely navy version this year that would look great with the chino shorts-Breton t-shirt look (see the link below). Make sure your toes are not hanging over the end.

If you can’t bear to bare your feet (or invest in a pedicure), choose breathable trainers, canvas deck shoes or luxe espadrilles.

A pair of classic Converse in white or navy is an easy starting point if you’re unsure. And to keep things fresh, invest in some footie socks that don’t show – they’ll keep your feet happy and your trainers sweet.

Style, fit, colour Whatever style you choose – tailored or casual – they should fit you properly. Tailored swim shorts are usually slim cut and made from polyamide. They often come with a button or popper fastening and are sized by your waist measurement, which usually means a better fit than drawstring or elastic alone.

If you prefer a casual cut that gives you more room in the thigh, choose a traditional short in mesh-lined nylon or polyester. These are less formal than tailored shorts and range from mid-thigh length to more generous board shorts. Whichever style you choose, they should be no longer than just above the knee and no shorter than mid-thigh.

Colour can make the difference between you looking yacht-ready… or not. When choosing colour, consider your skin tone, just as you would with any other item of clothing. Muted and neutral colours (navy, grey, olive green) look better on fairer skin, while brighter and jewel tones (yellow, bright blue, red) look fantastic on darker skins.

If you’re going straight from the beach to bar, choose a subtle tailored style (not board shorts or garish prints) which are easy to pair with a polo shirt or linen blazer. Orlebar Brown is great for this as their swim shorts are made from a quick-drying material - see below for further details.

SWIM SHORTS: • Orlebar Brown: http://www.orlebarbrown.co.uk • Paul Smith: http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/uk-en/shop/mens/swimwear • J Crew: https://www.jcrew.com/uk/mens_category/ swim/65tabswimshorts.jsp • Mr Porter: stocks a range of upmarket swimwear brands including Club Monaco, Vilebrequin and Hartford: http://www.mrporter.com/ mens/clothing/swimwear

SANDALS: • Birkenstock: www.birkenstock.co.uk • Hudson London ‘Matto’ woven leather sandal: available at www. asos.com • Adidas Originals ‘Adilette’ textured rubber sliders: available at www.mrporter.com • Kurt Geiger ‘Kalil’ navy thong sandal: http://www.kurtgeiger.com/ men/shoes/sandals/kalil-navy-leather-kurt-geiger-london

SHORTS: • Denim – HE by Mango: http://shop.mango.com/GB/hebymango/ clothing/shorts • Chino – Scotch & Soda: www.scotch-soda.com

75

INTERVIEW

SPORTING FUN BY THE SEA

The first Sport and Fitness Show, as well as Brighton and Hove Triathlon, will take place on Hove Lawns in September. Co-Founder, Lisa Clayton, explains why Brighton and Hove needs a flagship, inclusive sporting event‌ What are the events all about? Who are they aimed at?

We are running two events over the weekend of September 10th and 11th. We have the only closed-road triathlon on the south coast and we are launching The Sport and Fitness Show.

As a mum, I wanted to create an interactive,

children will be worn out at the end of the day

on a broomstick with crazy Muggle Quidditch,

and hopefully, as the icing on the cake, they will

try bubble football or volleyball. All the have-

have managed to buy themselves something

a-go activities are also free. We will even have

new and interesting from our broad range of

a ski slope, so that kids can ski by the sea.

exhibiters.

Sussex FA are bringing blind football plus

There is a lot going on. Heart Radio will be there with their bus and the angels, we have

women’s football too. The list goes on and on.

You can entertain your kids for a morning

a stage with a variety of classes for visitors to

or an afternoon, eat some great healthy food,

free family event where activity loving people

join in. Zumba UK are bringing a Master Trainer,

have a craft beer or cider or sit by the beach

could spend as long as they wanted. Visitors

Les Mills are organising classes, we have ballet

and watch loads of brilliant competitors doing

can try a multitude of activities, know the

fit, Calesthenics and kick-boxing. You can join in

mad stuff.

76

INTERVIEW

“ I wanted to create a family event where people could get in for free”

Lisa Clayton

Have you always had an entrepreneurial mind-set?

In my pre-children life, I used to put on music events and I learned a lot from my Father who is a music promoter. We used to promote tours from Paul Young to Stiff Little Fingers and we both worked closely with Jim Davidson. I then worked in the marketing and events side of radio, organising their outdoor concerts and parties. I carried that on with my own business, but gave it up when I had the boys.

Presumably, you will be in favour of the proposed 50m saltwater pool on the seafront in Brighton?

I’m so excited about it, the plans are fantastic. We work with Simon Murie at The Brighton and Hove Triathlon takes

John Lunt, London Olympic Competition

SwimTrek. I think it’s really amazing. All the regeneration that is going on down in Madeira

place on the Sunday. Entrants will swim in

Manager, who organised the Olympic triathlon

the sea, then cycle on closed roads from the

and founded Human Race, and I got together

Peace Statue down to Wish Road completing

to discuss The Sport and Fitness Show and

the three disciplines with a fabulous run

whether there may be an appetite in Brighton

on the promenade. We have three different

for a major triathlon. He had always wanted to

race distances so that complete novices can

put a triathlon on here and so it seemed logical

compete for the first time in the safest and

to team up and create a big sporting festival

most controlled environment. You can also

over the same weekend. The council have

38% of adults in the Brighton and Hove

enter in the Corporate Challenge in a relay

been amazing and very supportive all the way

area in Sussex do activity regularly. We are

team, we have some great prizes. We are also

through. This has all been about two-and-a-half

significantly more active than the rest of the

putting on a Scootathlon for both kids and

years in the making with plenty of highs and

country. We’ve got so many great assets with

Adults on the Saturday. I am not sure that we

lows along the way.

the seafront, the Downs plus we have some

could pack anything else into it if we tried!

How did the idea of the events develop?

My business partner, Charlie Hepburn of

How many entrants are you expecting in the triathlon?

We are closing entries at 1,500 in year one, and then next year we will add in some more

Vivid Event Group, and I had been talking

categories. We are up to about 800 entries now,

about putting on a sports event for a while. We

so we’re not far off.

wanted to create something where kids and families can come and try different activities and experience lots of both new and familiar

Are you a sporty person?

I absolutely love running. I run purely for

Drive can only be good for the city. It will be alongside Yellowave, so I am hoping that it will develop that area into the sporting hub of Brighton. We will most certainly be using it and encouraging others to do so.

A Sport England survey shows that about

really good gyms here and great spaces to do activity. We’ve got good, new tracks at Withdean and a Blue Flag Beach. There are no excuses to not be healthy around here.

Who are your headline sponsors?

We don’t have an overall headline sponsor for the event this year. We are talking to some very interesting companies about next year.

We have lots of partners, such as High5, Zone3,

activities. I have been in and around the sports

pleasure. I put my headphones on, take my dog

industry for quite a few years. I have two boys

and escape. I generally run around the seafront

BMW, USN, TravelBag and many other big name

with Daley Thompson, so I have attended all

and up on the Downs. I have had to stop for a

brands. We’d love to see the Sussex business

kinds of sporting events for many years - from

little while to get some treatment for an injury

community get behind the event as this will be

the glitz and glamour of Olympics and Laureus

but hope to be back in my trainers again soon.

the first of many years to come.

Sports Awards to my kids’ rugby tours and

Both of my boys are very sporty so most

community sports days. I know what works to

weekends are spent pitch or trackside,

create a good day out for active people.

somewhere in the South.

www.sportandfitnessshow.com www.brightonandhovetriathlon.com lisa@sportandfitnessshow.com

77

INTERVIEW

HITTING THE TARGET Exhibition company, Target in 1, has launched a brand-new business expo, in partnership with Gatwick Diamond Business. Director Natasha Money tells PBM about the new venture…

Why did you start Target in 1?

I had always wanted to run my own company

What is your background?

My background has, except for two years

and the opportunity arose after working with a

living in Milan, been within the publishing

friend who had a number of years’ experience

arena. My first field sales role was at Johnston

Describe what Target does and what makes the company different?

Target in 1 Limited is essentially a print and

Press, where I was fortunate enough to have

exhibition stand designer and supplier but with

quality sales training which prepared me for

a difference. Our hire kit allows us to create

the fast-paced, highly target-driven role. It

stands for our clients which can be completely

was then that I realised how much I enjoyed

adapted, depending on the event, location and

seeing clients face-to-face and being out on the

planning, Target in 1 Limited was incorporated

stand size. The client can look impressive,

road. Working for the newspaper has without

without the hefty purchase-price tag. The

in July 2013 and started trading in November of

question given me the basics I have needed in

panels can be used time and time again to

the same year. In March 2015, Target in 1 won

most of my working life and has cemented my

create different structures, keeping the interest

Gatwick Diamond New Business of the Year.

passion for sales and marketing.

for the client and stand visitors.

within the exhibition field. With my Sales and Marketing background and Mark Dunn’s knowledge of exhibitions, it was the perfect partnership. After a number of months’

For more information visit www.targetbusinessexpo.co.uk

78

INTERVIEW we agreed there was a definite need.

As a Gatwick Diamond Member I knew that we wanted to work with the gdb team on this event. With our exhibition experience and gdb’s events and networking knowledge, I knew that we would work well together and have all bases covered. For us it is about creating a business event that would offer quality seminars and networking alongside the exhibition, and that is what gdb do best.

What can visitors expect on the day?

Target in 1 Limited win New Business of the Year, presented by Paul Roe The customer is at the forefront of

everything, and it is so much easier to leave

everything we do. We tailor the service

a lasting impression than after a telephone

to suit the needs of each individual client

conversation. As a stand supplier, we believe

and will, in some cases, source, create or

that exhibitions are one of the most targeted

design something completely bespoke for an

and successful ways of meeting prospective

exhibition stand. Target in 1 take care of all the

clients. It is also the part of my job that I enjoy

logistics and will set up and break down the

the most. Target in 1 Limited has seen both

stand, leaving the customer free to focus on

sides of an exhibition, from working with

their team and the exhibition.

clients on their stand to exhibiting ourselves

Jay Hine from Optima Systems said: “Target

to promote our own brand. We believe that we

in 1 take the hassle and pain out of exhibiting.

can use this knowledge to create a Business

We were new to exhibiting, but Target in 1

Exhibition which will be well organised and will

made our stand look professional and made

offer local businesses the opportunity to find

the entire experience a breeze. I cannot

new, quality business leads.

recommend them highly enough.”

Why are you launching an expo in the Gatwick Diamond, and why partner with gdb?

Why did you diversify into organising exhibitions?

I am a strong believer in face-to-face

I have always (apart from two years) lived

networking. For me, first impressions are

and worked within the local area and saw a gap

You will be able to start off the day with the gdb Networking Breakfast before the exhibition doors open. Visitors can start conversations and gain leads whilst enjoying coffee and breakfast. The main doors to the expo open at 10am and you will be able to visit over 150 stands offering services, advice, new products and much more. A schedule of free seminars will run throughout the day and there is no need to book these; just take a seat and enjoy. The gdb Speakers Conference will offer delegates the opportunity to hear from three professional speakers: Lara Morgan, speaking on Business and Entrepreneurship, Geoff Meade, speaking on Europe and the Eu and Rt Hon Lord Andrew Adonis, speaking on Transport and Infrastructure. Tickets to the Networking Breakfast and gdb Speakers Conference can be purchased in advance through the event website.

Why should businesses exhibit?

If you are looking to do business within the

in the market where we felt an exhibition was

Gatwick Diamond, there is truly no better place

needed, and so we created the Target Business

for you to be. You will undoubtedly gain more

Expo. After our first event in Dorking, Surrey,

leads and make more connections on this

we had been looking for venues in Gatwick and

one day than you could on the road or on the

Crawley as we felt there was a strong need

telephone. Stand prices start at just £185.00

for an exhibition of this type in the area. After

+ vat to make it more affordable for small

speaking with a number of local businesses,

businesses as well as large.

79

CHARITY FUNDRAISING

PADDLING TO SUCCESS F

ifteen business teams from Sussex competed in the fourth annual ‘Great Sussex Bath Race’ at a private lake near Chichester in June, with Henry Adams from Chichester taking the Grand Final Winners trophy. The BNI Hove Albion team took home the Demolition Derby trophy.

Natwest Business Banking from Brighton ‘won’ the Wooden Spoon Trophy. Their team was recognised for their all round team spirit and enthusiasm for the fourth year running, as well as their outstanding fundraising effort.

“It was a brilliant day of sporting competition and teambuilding. We have already raised around £11k for our chosen charities, Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice and LifeCentre, with many more pledges and donations to be counted,” said Event Director Neil Laughton.

4.

“I’d like to thank everyone who threw themselves into this whacky contest with such enthusiasm!

Already businesses are approaching us to enter teams for the next tournament on 2nd July 2017!” said Event Organiser, Gemma King of Vivid Marketing.

To enter a team for next year’s tournament, email: gemma@vividmarketing.co.uk Companies participating included: Natwest Business Banking, Focus Group, Caremark UK, Fundraising Auctions, Caterpillar, ICTS UK, Professionals UK, Seven Cellars, BNI Business Networking Group, Virgin Atlantic, Leaders and Henry Adams Estate Agents.

The project was supported by local businesses including Laughton & Co, Vivid Marketing, The Gourmet Chef, Sussex Gold, Tomfoolery, Westbourne House School, Platinum Business Magazine, Third Revolution Media, Marlow Ropes, Seven Cellars Wine Merchants, with CP Hart Bathrooms providing bath tubs.

5.

www.greatsussexbathrace.co.uk Photography: Graham Franks f8focus@msn.com

6.

1.

CAPTIONS: 1. BNI Hove Albion Win Demolition Derby 2. Hugh Lowson and Neil Laughton with Pay for a Day certificate from Chestnut Tree House 3. Natwest Business Banking Brighton 4. Professionals UK Team - Best Dressed Team Winners 5. Race to the finish!

6. Fundraising Auctions swimming ashore 7. Maggie Ellis Lifecentre Director addressing the crowds 8. Trophy Winners with Event Organisers Neil Laughton, Laughton & Co and Gemma King, Vivid Marketing with (left to right) Natwest Business Brighton Team,Henry Adams Chichester Team, BNI Hove Albion Team

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2.

7.

3.

8.

BUSINESS LUNCH

WORLD CUP GENEROSITY T he ‘Best of British’ sporting lunch, held at The Grand hotel Brighton, raised over £38,000 for Sussex-based children’s charity, Rockinghorse.

Gordon Banks OBE, goalkeeper of the winning 1966 World Cup England team had been due to appear at the lunch, but was sadly unable to attend due to last minute health reasons. Guests showed their appreciation when one of his 1966 team mates stepped in at short notice.

Ryan Heal, Chief Executive of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, said: “Brighton was incredibly gracious to welcome our speaker Sir Geoff Hurst, who stepped in at the last minute following news of Gordon Banks’ ill health. He has been suffering from kidney cancer for the past couple of years and our guests began the day with a very respectful show of support for Mr Banks with a heartfelt moment’s applause.”

A charity raffle and auction were held during the lunch to boost funds raised on the day. Items included a signed Lionel Messi boot, a 1966 World Cup winning England shirt signed by 10 of the 11 starting players, plus a very special limited edition piece of artwork entitled ‘The Greatest Save’. Hand-signed by both Pelé and Gordon Banks, the artwork was kindly donated by Castle Fine Art Gallery in Brighton and fetched £2,300 at auction.

Ryan Heal said: “Rockinghorse has traditionally focussed its efforts on clinical equipment and resource. Whilst we very much continue to service these areas robustly, we are becoming far more acutely aware of the importance surrounding the support of children and young people with complex mental health issues right here in Sussex.

“Our Best of British guests never fail to give generously and the money raised will continue the work of Rockinghorse as it looks to celebrate its own golden jubilee next year, having helped tens of thousands of Sussex children lead better and healthier lives.”

Mr Humphrey’s signed canvas

Guests enjoy Sir Geoff Hurst’s speech

Heal family with Sir Geoff Hurst

www.rockinghorse.org.uk.

The Greatest Save artwork donated by Castle Fine Art Gallery in Brighton

Cheryl Piper and Hannah Seltzer with Sir Geoff Hurst

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BUSINESS EXPO

MANOR ROYAL ‘KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOUR’ SUCCESS

H

undreds of delegates from a wide range of businesses across Manor Royal packed Crawley’s Crowne Plaza Hotel conference centre in May for the business district’s networking event of the year.

Manor Royal BID’s event featured 64 exhibitors including Varian, BC&E and Avensys and was organised

by Prowse & Co. on behalf of the Manor Royal BID. Her Worshipful, the Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Chris Cheshire joined Trevor Williams, Manor Royal BID Chairman to formally open the event.

Steve Sawyer, Executive Director of the Manor Royal BID, commented: “This is the fourth time that we’ve run this event and it just gets better. There was a real buzz in the room with people making new connections and getting to know their neighbours alongside stimulating debate about how we want Manor Royal to improve.”

The Manor Royal BID is now into the fourth year of its first five year term, during which time a number of significant improvements have been delivered. Among the highlights so far broadband has been improved, award-winning facilities created, savings to businesses and staff on training and travel delivered, crime has gone down and satisfaction levels increased. The Manor Royal BID, which has been set-up and run by local businesses, is the largest of its kind in the UK.

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BUSINESS AWARDS

TOP 10 TIPS FOR AWARDS SUCCESS

2016 Brighton and Hove Business Awards

E

ntries are flooding in for the Brighton and Hove Business Awards (in association with The Argus) and it is essential that companies effectively showcase their achievements to stand out from the crowd.

Businesses can enter up to three categories, and deadline for submissions is Wednesday, June 29 at 17:00.

Now in their eleventh year, the BAHBAs are firmly established as the city’s premier business awards scheme.

You can also make nominations for Outstanding Brightonian free of charge. This award is for an individual who has made the greatest contribution to the city over the last 12 months.

With free independent assessment from an expert panel of judges, the Awards recognise all-round business excellence. Winning, or even being shortlisted, for a BAHBA delivers priceless opportunities.

The Kitchen Store won Best Independent Retailer in 2015 and Managing Director Alan Margetts has no doubts about the value of winning a BAHBA: “Winning a BAHBA award has really helped our Brighton & Hove store gain an added element of credibility and helped build trust with our customers. In our experience being a part of these Awards genuinely raises your profile and shines a light on the strengths of your business.”

Below are some useful hints and tips to ensure you make the best submission possible: 1. Think carefully about the categories you wish to enter. Choose the categories based on your strengths as a company or individual. Be honest about what you are good at and how you can demonstrate this to the judges.

2. Don’t leave writing your entries until the last minute and make sure you submit on time.

3. To impress the judges your entry must stand out from the crowd.

Use plenty of bullet points and bolding to make your point and ensure your entry is easy to read. State clearly at the beginning precisely why you deserve to win a particular category.

4. The judges will want to see proof of claims you make about being “the best”, offering “great service”, “value for money”, “being innovative” and so on. Avoid vague statements such as “raise awareness,” and avoid cliches.

5. The judges will have lots of entries to read, so keep your entry succinct. Write in plain English and keep it simple. The judges are unlikely to be experts in your particular field, so avoid jargon.

6. Make sure it doesn’t contain typos. Many entries do, and they can be very irritating.

7. Demonstrate that your product / service has a market, that there is a demand from that market and that the business is sustainable.

Provide robust evaluation of your business. Competitor analysis and sales, turnover and profit figures speak for themselves and are not subjective.

8. Don’t hide good arguments in supporting material. Such material often isn’t read.

9. Be sure to answer all the questions the judges ask, too, rather than just the ones that suit you to answer.

10. Avoid letting techies, lawyers or accountants write your entry. They are often not the best at communicating in words, but think they can.

CEOs/MDs often lack the time or patience to do the job well. Award entries are usually best written by the PR / Marketing Department or by external experts.

Entry costs £50 for one entry or £100 for up to three, to cover the administration costs of the scheme.

Previous winners of the title include local DJ Norman Cook, the owner of Donatello’s restaurant, Sue Addis, Director of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival, Nick Mosley and the Brighton & Hove Albion chief executive, Martin Perry.

www.bahba.co.uk

“Winning a BAHBA award has really helped our Brighton & Hove store gain an added element of credibility and helped build trust with our customers. In our experience being a part of these Awards genuinely raises your profile and shines a light on the strengths of your business.”

ENTRY DEADLINE: Wednesday, June 29 at 17:00.

Alan Margetts, Managing Director, The Kitchen Store

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PRINT DESIGN

TACKLING HOMOPHOBIA BY DESIGN A stunning poster to promote a Brighton Fringe performance caught the eye of Gemini Print Group, the judges of the fringe’s ‘Best Design for Print’ award.

Mark Tulley, Gemini Group Sales Director, explains why they value so highly their partnership with the Brighton Fringe, and Tommy, The Queer Historian, explains the idea behind the winning design.

Backing the Fringe by Mark Tulley

G

emini has been a proud print sponsor to the Brighton Fringe for the third year running in 2016. Being the official print sponsor enables Gemini to interact with the local community and to give something back to help the growth of performing Arts in our City. The Brighton Fringe have been at the forefront of championing Arts and performance in our area for a number of years and aside from the many incredible acts on view, the benefit of the Festival to our city’s economy is fantastic, with hundreds of thousands of visitors in May and June.

Both the Family guide and Show guide are sponsored and printed by Gemini acting as ‘Print Partner’ to the Fringe. By also offering subsidised print fees to all venue holders and participants this means the sheer volume of printed marketing is almost doubled for each act/venue due to the lower price bracket. In addition Gemini run a number of free Print

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& Design workshops at various venues in the City throughout the year to help participants plan their advertising and marketing.

Gemini also sponsor the ‘Best Design for Print’ award with two prizes on offer. First prize - £500 and second prize £150 of vouchers for print with social media & publicity exposure.

The Fringe partnership goes way beyond commercial agreements and we act as a willing and engaged partner in every aspect of the festival. Our staff attended numerous events over the five weeks and our clients are now eager to sample one of Europe’s foremost festivals.

To be honest, I couldn’t imagine life without ‘The Fringe’ as the planning and preparation is a 12 month cycle of amazing commitment that is hugely enjoyable. We look forward to working with Julian and the whole fantastic team for many years to come.’

PRINT DESIGN

Why the Print Design Award matters

by Tommy The Queer Historian

M

y debut show, Homophobe, started out as a simple piece of theatre with the goal of looking homophobia square in the eyes and trying to work out if people can change their homophobic viewpoints.

The piece grew into the monster of the show that I performed on the 4th and 5th of June as part of Brighton Fringe. The show ended up offering a much deeper look into one man’s journey (my own!) of homophobia I faced as a teen, interspersed with performance, magic and cabaret. The first

ever showing of Homophobe was well received by the audience and arts industry.

To win the award for Best Design for Print means the world to me. It was important for us to show that words, no matter how small, have results and the consequences of homophobia can be brutal. We wanted to have a poster that would catch people’s eyes but also show the deeper side of the project.

I couldn’t have done this without the amazing work from my team. From my producer, Emily, for supporting my decision on a hard-hitting poster to my film director, Stephen, for offering his amazing eye on the poster. From My Name is Ad for the graphic design, Matt Oliver our photographer, to Roz Gomersall for the amazing make-up.

Now the pressure is on for next year’s Brighton Fringe but we already have some exciting plans for a show called ‘3,597’. Watch this space!

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YOUNG START-UP TALENT

BAKING UP A STORM AT LINGFIELD JubyLee Bakes named as Gatwick 2016 Winner

T

he Gatwick Diamond ‘Young Start-up Talent’ (YST) winner was revealed at Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel. The highlight was the YST ‘Dragons Den’-style film depicting the journeys the five finalists had gone through and their pitches to a panel of leading business professionals. The prize fund, worth £50,000 of business products and services, was donated by local and national businesses.

Zoe Wright of B&CE said, in her capacity as judge, “The highlight has been seeing the amount of passion and energy the contestants have for their ideas and concepts.”

The initiative, for 16 to 25-year-olds with a flair for business, has been searching for this year’s most promising young entrepreneurs. After a series of workshops, 1-2-1-style speed networking events and pitches, the winner was announced as JubyLee Bakes.

A group of six young entrepreneurs, who all met at Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee School a number of years ago, make up JubyLee Bakes, with some now attending Collyers College in Horsham. All of the six have special needs and autism. The group has created a bakery with the tag line, “Special bakes made by special people.”

JubyLee Bakes, comprised of Simon Tomlinson, Aaron Dawson, Alice King, James Connell, Kate Bentley and Siobhain Lee, plan to create their own independence through their bakes. They would like to inspire other young people like themselves while providing a whole host of tasty treats that they plan to sell through a number of outlets.

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Simon commented, “The judges, sponsors and YST team have all been extremely helpful and it’s been such an exciting process.”

Matthew Tyson of Richard Place Dobson said, “The highlights for me are how diverse the group of individuals is, and the level of energy and commitment that they put in.”

Rebecca Glazebrook of PDT Solicitors added, “Regardless of who has won, all the finalists should take a lot of pride in what they have achieved and should continue to pursue their dreams.”

The finalists included: Peteris Sobolevs, a student at Sackville School, with his unique confectionary business - Sweetmans Sweets, Thomas Hussey, who studies at Central Sussex College, with Zaoby, his business online hosting company, and Akan Ekanem a recent graduate, who presented his UK-based transportation network company, SquareMile.

Collyers College Student, Robbie Walder, who tackled the den with a unique, intelligent doorbell business, SyncedIn, said, “Young Startup Talent has turned my idea into something which is almost a reality. I’m working towards something now. The process been very enjoyable and educational throughout. “ With the help of sponsors, Fastsigns, each of the finalists exhibited their businesses at a trade stand, where they demonstrated work that had been put in over the previous months.

www.youngstartuptalent.co.uk

Don’t miss your opportunity to attend, speak, sponsor or exhibit at

BRIGHTON’S BIGGEST FREE BUSINESS SHOW!

BRIGHTON

You’re invited to Brighton’s brand new business show!

BUSINESS

Register to attend Brighton’s local business to business exhibition and largest free networking day!

expo2016 20 October | Brighton Racecourse

1-2-1 Business Clinics Motivational Speakers 70 Local Exhibitors Seminars & Workshops

Thursday 20 October 2016

Brighton Racecourse 10.00am – 4.00pm, last admission at 3.30pm

Exhibition stands are selling fast!

Get your stand booked today

ur o y k o Bo y! a d o t stand

Free Business Advice Speed Networking

BOOK YOUR FREE VISITOR TICKET TODAY OR SECURE

YOUR EXHIBITION SPACE FROM AS LITTLE AS £295 To enquire about exhibiting call 01273 862370 or visit b2bexpos.co.uk

SUSSEX CHAMBER

INVEST IN THE SOUTH

says Ana Christie, Chief Executive of Sussex Chamber of Commerce

E

conomic growth is continuing to soften in Sussex. Following a recent British Chambers quarterly economic survey,

the largest and most authoritative private sector business survey, based on more than 8,500 responses, sales and orders to confidence and investment intentions are showing a decline. This is the inevitable

The lack of investment to the road, rail and connectivity infrastructure in the South is stifling business. So many times I hear how people are affected by problems or delays on major roads or on the rail network which means that employees arrive late to work, people are late for meetings or appointments thus losing essential productivity time and

consequence of mounting global and domestic uncertainties.

Whilst manufacturers are reporting growth

CHAMBER NEWS

from London to the Midlands, Wales and the

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Northern counties, the South East has seen a 19% decline.

Is this really the case though? Talking to various manufacturers in Sussex paints a slightly different picture. Even though exports have slowed down, there does appear to be some expansion and growth. Several major manufacturers are developing and expanding their sites, which will bring employment opportunities, and more growth for supply chains. Many businesses in the professional services sector are also saying how busy they are – growth and expansion is on the horizon. Great news for Sussex!

Nevertheless, for this to continue, the Government needs to invest in the South!

“ The South of England is the worst area for download speeds when compared to the rest of the UK.” costing companies huge amounts of money.

Internet and connectivity problems also add to this frustration with mobile and internet downtime and black spots. The South of England is the worst area for download speeds when compared to the rest of the UK. Recent discussions with the British Chambers of Commerce and Ministers have taken place highlighting the need to plan,

invest and take action. Ofcom are under pressure to open the final phases of the project to other contractors, not just Open Reach to address the connectivity issues.

The National Infrastructure Commission will plan and spend £100bn on infrastructure development over the next 5 years. Over the next 18 months a National Infrastructure Assessment will be conducted which will look at everything from airports to railways and roads and broadband and measure criteria such as business and economic growth, improvements in productivity and quality of life.

But how will that help business now?

Investment is needed immediately to prevent employers from moving out of the county and to ensure that we continue to attract tourism and business growth, and to continue to provide employment and a future for the next generation. Planning is essential, but we all want to see that any investment comes to fruition. Government need to shift their attention back to the economy as the past year has meant far too many economic issues have been given short shrift or have been delayed altogether.

Please contact the Sussex Chamber of Commerce for all of your exporting needs.

Tel: 01444 259 259 or visit our website: www.sussexchamberofcommerce.co.uk

BRIGHTON & HOVE

BRILLIANT SUPPORT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

by Sarah Springford, Director

S

ucceeding in business is hard. Succeeding alone, without support,

is even harder. Nearly all of us need help from experts and our peers during our business journey. Support makes it easier to answer the questions that are fundamental to our success,

The workshops:

such as:

For those with an idea:

• How do you make money and stay true to your vision?

Turn your idea into a live business (full day workshop: 21st July)

• How do you juggle everyday demands while focusing on the future?

• How do you move from idea to startup, and from startup to longterm profitability?

Ride the Wave gives hundreds of aspiring, new and established

Got a great idea, but not sure how to make it into a profitable business? This problem-solving, practical workshop will show you how.

For new businesses:

business people the support they need to grow. It’s a programme of affordable workshops and mentoring, now in its fifth year. Workshops are designed to provide the practical skills, new connections and

Grow your new business smarter and faster (a two-part workshop, half days on 8th and 22nd September) You’ve turned the idea you love into a business. In this workshop,

motivation business people really need.

Ride the Wave started in May, but workshops are still available for

you’ll learn how to make it a profitable long-term success.

booking from now until September. Included in Ride the Wave are

For established businesses:

workshops for:

Intelligent growth for a prosperous future (choice of two half day

• People with an idea for a new business that they want to make real.

workshops: 15th July or 1st September).

How do you grow when you’re always under pressure? In this

• New businesses that want to become established.

• Established businesses that want to grow.

Last year, the programme had an impressive 100% satisfaction

workshop, you’ll learn how to stop juggling and prime your business for effective, efficient growth.

rate, with the majority of those who came saying they were better

For those who want to win tenders:

position to grow their business after attending. Ride the Wave offers

Smart Bidding (half-day workshop, 5th July).

inspiration and practical skills development, for everyone in business

Interested in bidding for public sector and larger private sector contracts, but don’t know how? This workshop will show you the way in.

After the workshop: mentoring One-to-one mentoring is available, at no extra cost, to those who attend all workshops other than Smart Bidding. Attendees can choose the mentor who will best suit their needs, from experts in marketing, finance and business strategy.

To book your Ride the Wave place or find out more,visit: www.businessinbrighton.org.uk/ridethewave, email ridethewave@businessinbrighton.org.uk or call 01273 719097 Ride the Wave is funded & led by Brighton and Hove City Council, and designed & delivered by Brighton and Hove Chamber of Commerce.

Photo by Lauren Psyk

To join Brighton Chamber, get more involved, sponsor an event, find out more – contact us on 01273 719097, membership@businessinbrighton.org.uk or see www.businessinbrighton.org.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

in Brighton and Hove.

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ACES

WELCOME TO THE BUSINESS EAST SUSSEX GROWTH HUB

B CHAMBER NEWS

usiness East Sussex (BES) is one of 39 growth hubs across the country that have been set up over the last two years to help grow the local economy; now every area of England has access to a growth hub.

This is a free service available to all businesses in East Sussex or those looking to relocate into the county, no matter their size or industry sector.

The Growth Hub is all about connections, linking businesses and business people to useful bodies, organizations and other businesses that can provide support, advice or finance and help overcome barriers to business. It’s all about growth, employment and expansion.

There are significant moments in the life of every business when the going gets tough and the Growth Hub team are here to work alongside you, when you need help. It might be when you take on your first employee, move to larger premises or need to find finance to fund that big contract or deal.

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Battle Chamber of Commerce www.battlechamber.org.uk

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce 01424 842892 www.bexhillchamber.co.uk

Crowborough Chamber of Commerce www.crowboroughchamber.co.uk

Eastbourne UnLtd Chamber of Commerce 01323 641144 www.eastbournechamber.co.uk

Accessing the Growth Hub is easy: e-mail, telephone or simply #ASKFRED. Fred Thomas is a BES Navigator and is there to help you find the business support and advice you need. He has a strong commercial background, works closely with ACES Chambers of Commerce and will link you up with independent business mentors if that is what you need.

Here’s what some of Fred’s clients have said…

• “I found the information provided very useful, especially the help with social media” - Sue Robbins; Grass Roots Homes • “The advice offered was fantastic.” - Sarah Sills • “We took on an apprentice after talking to Fred. Working out well.” Bernard Smith; Oldfield Smith

Take the first step to growing your business. Contact the Growth Hub now - #ASKFRED 0844 415 2260 fred.thomas@businesseastsussex.org.uk www.businesseastsussex.org.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

#OURJOBSROCK

O

ur Jobs Rock has launched their Interactive Job Board to the UK. They believe engaging the candidate is the only way true talent stays loyal to their employer.

Part of the innovative RSE Group Ltd, Our Jobs Rock is set to be a lively interactive recruitment platform where candidates can sell themselves to clients and update their skills whilst searching for a new role. Clients can advertise for the best talent around showing why they are an employer of choice and be rated on their performance by applicants who apply for their jobs in terms of speed of response, customer care and being kept informed.

The jobs board offers many free services to candidates who can:

Client and Recruiters can: • Post current vacancies cheaply, quickly and easily, individually or in batches • Improve the company profile with logos and candidate interaction • Ask candidates to do pre-qualifying tests online, such as numeracy and literacy, Word skills, saving time before they even land in your inbox • Use our Client Portal to get fabulous leadership training for hiring managers and access our DISC Psychometric testing packages for candidates • Gain live salary info for the job you are advertising via our free live salary portal, including salary surveys across your whole company • Promote your company as an employer of choice.

www.ourjobsrock.co.uk

ACES – THE ALLIANCE OF CHAMBERS IN EAST SUSSEX - WWW.ACESALLIANCE.ORG You are automatically a member of ACES, representing 4,000 members across the county, if you are a member of the chambers listed below. This entitles you to share your news stories in these Platinum Business pages without charge.

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

• Use Log Your CV and our template to produce a new cv if required • Search for a job UK-wide, quickly and easily, and be kept informed if a new job that suits your skills is registered • Benchmark their salary and benefits in a live salary portal • Improve their skills for your CV, including Word, Excel, copy-typing, project management, brush up on interview skills • Throw a question onto the #ourjobsrockforum via Twitter that can be answered by other candidates or employers • Improve their employability profile

• Play interactively our psychometric games online (to follow shortly) • Learn new skills from the best guest bloggers/vloggers in the UK on all things job-related, from how to get through an interview, land a dream job, decide what to wear and what NOT to say at an interview!

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WORTHING

INSIDE THE SPHERE

J CHAMBER NEWS

ust over six months ago, Worthing and Adur Chamber of Commerce moved into a new purpose-built office at The Sphere on the Northbrook College Broadwater campus. There are office and hot desks available to rent in what has become a thriving business hub. PBM asked chamber CEO Tina Tilley, Operations Manager Tracie Davey and Executive Committee Member Dave Bone about the new initiative…

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You previously had quite small offices at Liverpool Gardens in Worthing. Now you have a modern office with space for meetings and spaces for hot desking.

It must have completely transformed your working life.

Tina: Yes, and and what is nice is that we’ve got an open door policy, so we are interacting with people a lot, which as a chamber is very important. People can come in and ask for advice and we can point them in the right direction. It is a pilot, and the idea is that we can do something much bigger.

Can you describe the facilities on offer at the Sphere?

Tina: What we have at the moment is a mixture of self-contained office space for one, two or three people. We can accommodate people who have got two people in a business or two different people from different businesses working side-by-side in one small, dedicated office.

We also have got a hot desking area, which includes the use of a private locker and a filing cabinet (if you commit to at least three days a week). It is a kind of semi-permanent arrangement, so you can

leave things behind, and it gives you a little bit more of a presence.

Hot desking can be just for the day or even a few hours; we charge £12 for a day rate.

The dedicated offices are £200 a month for a desk, which has Wi-Fi and everything included. You can plug your VOIP phones in, or people come in with their mobiles, and Dave Bone from Barebones Communications can help them set up.

We have had lots of people who come in with laptops, sit there for a few hours, have some free tea and coffee and have a chat when they get bored and need a break. We’ve got break-out areas with acoustic sofas, which are really nice, so you can sit and have more private mobile conversations if you want to come out of the mixed space area.

What are acoustic sofas?

Tina: One of the problems with hot desking in a small area is that, if you have someone with a telesales campaign going on, it’s not exactly nice to sit next to. The acoustic sofas keep the noise in, so a phone call has less impact on others.

Most of the mobile phone signals around here are good, we are putting a booster in to make sure they are very effective as there are a couple of spaces that aren’t quite as good as we’d like it to be. The idea is come in, sit down and start work – keep it simple. There’s a month’s notice on the offices.

With a maximum of three desks in an office, presumably the target market is a small or start-up company?

Tina: It is, and the idea is that we are on hand to offer help and

WORTHING advice. We want them to come in, flourish and get to the point where they need to move on. It’s not very nice to talk about them exiting when they start, but really that is what we are aiming for. We are aiming for them to grow.

We have spoken to all the local commercial agents, and they are going to come and do some talks about what they should be looking for before signing up for a lease on a premises.

Is there anything similar to this in the Worthing area?

Tracie: There is some hot desking / co-working space in the centre of town, but there is a big step up to the next level of office space. The next step from us would be a place such as BasePoint or Columbia House. There isn’t anything with the same sort of mix that we have, particularly with the technology we have invested in.

The connectivity was supplied by Barebones Communications, who are chamber members.

What did this involve?

Dave Bone: Barebones was brought in to look at the technology side of the Sphere, so we brought everything in from the connectivity, the broadband and the phone lines. We looked at the network connectivity, so people can actually hardwire their equipment straight into the network, and we provide a full and secure Wi-Fi system as well. A digital display has been installed for advertising and promotions to broadcast everything that is happening, and the latest news. There are Skype conferencing facilities, with a dedicated meeting room with a 42-inch display unit.

It’s a level up from a normal-standard serviced office. Not only do we have the facilities, but we also have the people on site to help out, set up and run through anything they need to do.

We can offer cloud facilities for the likes of Office 365. We can open source software to customers as well – so we are offering

a plethora of tools now to people within the market for starting a business, building a business and then growing a business.

Are there many other chambers doing this? Are you one of the pioneers?

Tracie: I think we must be one of the pioneers. I would highly recommend serviced offices to take chambers of commerce into the hearts of their projects; it generates a really nice buzzy atmosphere.

It’s a win-win situation. It’s very much peer to peer, which we’ve stood by as a chamber for a long time. The more you work together, the more you get out of it.

Why is the space called the Sphere?

Tracie: The Sphere is all about everything being in a circular movement. What you do, what you give, what you take - it all comes back around in a circle. There is a business theory called the Sphere which explains how you grow by just doing things in circles all the time. The logo is actually the power-up button off my computer. So you power up at the Sphere.

I believe this is just Phase One? Tina: Phase Two is still on the drawing board, but there is an area on the Northbrook College site that we might be able to look at developing and they are quite keen. It would be an extension of this, so we would still be able to interact with the Sphere. I guess it would be Sphere Two, or maybe Stratosphere!

With space filling up so fast, it might not be too far away…

Tina: I think so. Another advantage is that we just secured 12 dedicated parking spaces which are free to use. And we haven’t mentioned the use of the student cafe, where you can get a five-item breakfast for £2.95. But be careful, we don’t want people becoming too spherical at the Sphere!

CHAMBER NEWS 93

EASTBOURNE

NEVA GROWS FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH Staff from Piltdown-based Neva Consultants are celebrating after being shortlisted for a national award for the second time in less than a year.

CHAMBER NEWS

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eva Consultants which offers high-quality contract hire, vehicle finance and fleet management consultancy services was identified by GrowthBusiness.co.uk as one of 17 fast-growth UK successes in the Start-up, SME and Mid-Market business segments to be shortlisted in the High Potential Business Awards 2016. The company has grown by 40% in the last two years and arranged finance for a total of £67 million pounds worth of vehicles in the last calendar year alone.

Neva Consultants is competing against Rant & Rave, Fairsail, Bloom & Wild, Reevoo and Union Hand-Roasted Coffee. Staff will have heard whether they have won on the evening of 22nd June 2016 at a prestigious ceremony held at The Savoy in London. Neva will be joined by other fast-growing businesses, and the finance and advisory organisations that support them.

The Growth Business awards programme is a continuation of the M&A Awards, which have been recognising corporate finance and deal-making excellence for ten years. The rebrand of the event not only celebrates this exciting milestone, but comes with the introduction of several new categories that focus on businesses that have displayed impressive organic growth.

The SME of the Year category is open to any business with an annual turnover between £2m and £10m and a staff of up to 250 employees.

The award recognises businesses that have shown significant organic growth, and can show evidence that they have a sustainable and effective plan to continue and accelerate growth in the future.

Neva Consultants’ Senior Partner Graham Prince said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted again for a national award and that our significant growth has been recognised in this way.

“The team has worked extremely hard in the last two years to grow the company while creating job opportunities and supporting the local community. We are so pleased that our efforts have been recognised once again.”

Last year Neva Consultants was crowned one of the regional winners in the prestigious awards run by the British Chambers of Commerce.

The company won the regional award for ‘Best Use of Technology to Improve Business Performance’ and represented the South region in the national finals last November.

Neva Consultants services all sectors ranging from multi-national companies, SMEs and private individuals. Presently operating a fleet

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size of circa 6,000 vehicles and growing, the company deals with all aspects of vehicle procurement including vehicle choice, tax efficiency, Grey Fleet and Duty of Care obligations.

Established in 1992, Neva now employs 26 staff (an increase of four in the last few months alone) based at Neva Consultants’ Sussex head office in Piltdown and has another 30 plus people working at locations around the country. The company belongs to The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), which is the industry trade body.

www.neva-consultants.com

If you would like to join the largest town chamber in the South East and also become a member of ACES, the Alliance of Chambers in East Sussex, visit us at www.eastbourneunltd.co.uk and join up from £59.00 plus VAT.

CHICHESTER

NEW CHAIR AND NEW EVENTS

All change at Chichester Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as the new Chair and Vice Chair arrive to drive business growth and champion business in Chichester and the district.

A

t the June CCCI monthly networking meeting it was announced that Julie Kapsalis would be appointed as the

new Chair.

Programmes at the South East England Development Agency before fulfilling a lifelong ambition to work on the London 2012 Olympics. She has also served as an advisor to the UK Government’s Women’s Enterprise Taskforce and is currently a member of the Coast to Capital

Julie Kapsalis, has been Vice Principal at Chichester College since 2014 and oversees the College’s commercial business. In Spring

Local Enterprise Partnership Board.

Commenting on her appointment as Chair of CCCI, Julie said: “I am delighted to take up this appointment. I am passionate about

2014, Chichester College became one of the only colleges in the South

supporting business growth and look forward to the opportunity to

East to achieve ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED, placing it in the top ten

represent and champion the views of Chichester businesses. We have

further education institutes in the country.

a strong board and team and I look forward to leading the Chamber in

Prior to Chichester College, Julie worked as Director of Business

representing the views of business.”

MEET THE BOARD!

Alan Edmonds Improbiz

Dianne Lambdin Sussex HR Hub

Jason Miller SteadyGo

Nicki Paddy, Treasurer Nicki Paddy & Co

Steve Oates Chichester District Council

Gareth Sear University of Chichester

Peter Stevens Pure Employment Law

J • • • •

une also sees the publication of the second edition of Chichester Business, a new bi-annual magazine highlighting business news and Chamber events in Chichester and the surrounding area.

We have announced some fantastic new events between July and December including: Curry Club with Chichester Business Improvement District - a brand new event to socialise and network with businesses from the City Centre and District wide, in a relaxed and informal environment over a delicious curry.

Behind the Scenes – a great opportunity to find out more about some of the larger businesses in our area. In July we will be at Chichester New Park Cinema and November – Waitrose.

Summer Social with Chichester Community Development Trust – fish and chips and wine. What more could you want on a hot (hopefully!) summer’s evening.

GetSet for Growth FREE Workshops to Grow Your Business – need more help with marketing strategy or business planning? These fully funded two hour masterclasses will offer expertise on how to grow your business.

For information about Chichester Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or any of the above initiatives, please visit www.chichestercci.org.uk or contact office@chichestercci.org.uk

CHAMBER NEWS

Shelagh Legrave, Vice -Chair Chichester College

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SECRET SUSSEX

EXPANSION ON THE HORIZON The rapidly expanding Recruitment Agency, Pier Recruitment, is opening a new branch in Crawley.

F

ounded in 2012, Pier Recruitment is a bespoke recruitment agency designed to bring service back into the industry – something, they say, that has sadly been neglected in recent years. Their current

Pier is not a company to rest on their laurels and are very excited about their new branch opening on the 27th June. The new office is located in the slightly less picturesque setting of the Crawley Business

head office is in Palmeira Square, Brighton, with idyllic views of the

Centre on Stephenson Way, but is only a stone’s throw from Three

Square on one side and the bustling Brighton promenade on the other.

Bridges Station and the M23 motorway. In such a central and easy-

In four years, the team has expanded from two to fifteen, and with two

to-reach location, the new branch is an ideal base for Pier to continue

branches under their belt there is no sign that this expansion is slowing

servicing their ever-expanding list of loyal clients and candidates from

down.

all across Sussex and South London.

Crawley Address:

Brighton Address:

Pier Recruitment Crawley Business Centre, Stephenson Way Three Bridges, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1TN

Pier Recruitment Intergen House, 65-67 Western Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2JQ

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SECRET SUSSEX “In order for Pier to provide a first-class service, they make sure they put in time and effort to understand exactly what the client requires. ” The founders of Pier Recruitment believe that in recent times their Industry has become too sales driven. The large corporate agencies are more interested in how many candidates are on the books, the numbers of jobs Consultants are working on and how many CVs have been sent to a client, rather than focusing on what actually matters – SERVICE. It is the core of Pier’s ethos to provide 100% customer service to all of their candidates and clients, ensuring that they aren’t labelled as just another recruitment agency but appreciated as a dedicated group of young professionals who will deliver the service all clients deserve.

Such commitment has clearly struck a chord with everyone they work with. This is not only underlined by their evident success, but also by numerous testimonials and fantastic reviews across the board. Examples of these can be found on Facebook, Google+ and Pier’s new website.

In order for Pier to provide a first-class service, they make sure they put in time and effort to understand exactly what the client or job-seeker require.

Founder and Director Katie Gibson The high demand for Pier’s services has enabled them to expand, allowing them to register more and more candidates, resulting in more and more jobs being filled. They fill approximately 80% of vacancies brought to them, when the industry average is just 33%. There is no doubt that opening a new branch in Crawley will bring with it a set of new challenges for Pier, but they have excelled in Brighton and are sure to continue doing so as they spread their wings. It seems that this local and friendly agency will be the breath of fresh air that Crawley is missing.

Pier is proud to employ the industry’s most friendly, motivated and dedicated individuals who are clearly passionate about what they do.

As proud winners of the 2015 Perkbox Happy Teams Competition, the Managers believe that staff happiness is of the utmost importance when it comes to being an effective, efficient and accomplished business as every single member of the team feels responsible for the continued success of the company.

Marketing Executive Emma Jones explains what it’s like to be part of the “happiest team in Sussex”. “I have never worked anywhere quite like Pier. Our Director and Founder, Katie Gibson, always ensures the team is happy, by designing and organising staff incentives, fun events and rewards. For example, last year our team was treated to a trip to Ibiza, an incentive arranged by Katie rewarding everyone for reaching their targets. There is no doubt the team’s success is down to Katie’s leadership, as she leads at all times by example. You never see her without a smile on her face or something positive to say. She is a fantastic boss and role model – something obviously proven by her unrivalled ability to grow and retain the team”.

If you are a job-seeker, Pier make your career their priority, taking an interest in what you really want to do and how you want to progress.

They understand that people sometimes need change, a chance to grow and develop, and occasionally move into a completely different industry sector. Whether it’s a permanent, temporary or contract position you are looking for – Pier will find it for you.

The team also make it a priority to understand their clients’ business, their working environment and their core values. They are committed to ensuring their client can grow their business by retaining employees and being attractive to new recruits.

In addition, and l am not quite sure where they find the time, but they work hard for local charities. Along with this publication, they have chosen the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity as the recipient of their fundraising and recently hosted a Bingo night where they raised £1,500 in just a few hours.

Pier is growing fast and with their new office, new website and hardworking social media platforms, they are a force to be reckoned with.

If you wish to contact Pier Recruitment, please email: info@pierrecruitment.co.uk or call 01273 874154 (Brighton) or 01293 223800 (Crawley).

Facebook: Pier Recruitment Twitter: @PierRecruitment Instagram: pier_recruitment LinkedIn: Pier Recruitment 97

INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS

WALK THE WALK TO TALK THE TALK

A

By Dean Orgill Chairman of Mayo Wynne Baxter www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk • www.iod.com

llegedly, always a good start for a piece written by a lawyer, the latest trend gathering pace for meetings is

be the exception to this, and if so I salute you,

Finally, again bearing in mind time

but a lot of us sit through many meetings that

constraints, you do get a “twofor” in that you

are relatively formulaic and in which we spend

are still working whilst getting some of that

what was referred to in The West Wing as

quite a lot of time routinely going through

exercise that you know you probably need, but

“pedeconferencing”.

ritualistic elements rather than focusing on the

do not quite get round to.

There have been many studies done which

key issues of the moment. A discussion that

confirm that brain activity is improved or enhanced when a person is physically active.

You can find various statistics, such as a 60% increase in creativity when walking, or a 300% increase in electrical signals in the brain compared to when you are sat behind a PC monitor. In schools the benefit of pupils taking a short break for some physical activity to help concentration has long been recognised.

Whatever the measurement or statistic though they do all seem to follow the trend that a degree of mild physical activity can help your thought process.

So how does that fit together with walking meetings, or “netwalking”? I would suggest in several ways.

Firstly in the time-poor environments in

“You can find various statistics, such as a 60% increase in creativity when walking, or a 300% increase in electrical signals in the brain compared to when you are sat behind a PC monitor.“ progresses without an agenda stuck in front of everyone, and which has a slowly changing background providing subtlely changing

which many of us now seem to work we do

stimulation might just help us focus on the

want our meetings to be as productive as

substance rather than the form of the meeting.

possible, and that can surely only be helped by an increase in our brain efficiency.

Secondly, I think it is accepted wisdom that the vast majority of meetings are not as productive as they could or should be. You may

98

Thirdly, that focus, we are told, will come with an increased capacity for creativity, so the issues just might be resolved that much more effectively and quickly.

At this point, I acknowledge, that there may be a group of readers, specifically the golfers, who are looking quite satisfied and are thinking that the box is ticked already. I agree that you can claim to be ahead of the game here (unless you play like me and spend most of your round on a solo hunt for your ball well away from your companions, and indeed the fairways).

For some further thoughts on this, and some scary statistics about the dangers of the amount of sitting that many of us now do, may I recommend a short TED talk by Nilofer Merchant which you can find at:

http://www.ted.com/talks/nilofer_ merchant_got_a_meeting_take_a_walk

JUST A THOUGHT What advice would you go back and give your younger self, as you were starting your business or career?

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