Surrey Chambers Business Magazine

SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

The OffiM cial Surrey Chambers ofGCommerce A AMagazineZ

LAUNCH ISSUE

The new magazine for Surrey Chambers of Commerce

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Issue E 1

BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS In Cranleigh & Epsom

UNDERSTANDING LEASING Mercedes-Benz of Guildford

THE BROOKLANDS EXPERIENCE

THEO PAPHITIS Exclusive Interview with the Weybridge Entrepreneur

PLATINUM PUBLISHING G R O U P

CUBA Open for Business

TACKLING CYBER CRIME Advice from NatWest, DMH Stallard and Vantage Professional Risks

THE PGA CUP COMES TO FOXHILLS

WEALTH MANAGEMENT. EXECUTED BEAUTIFULLY. 2

SURREY CHAMBERS

www.pmw.co.uk

With more than 45 years experience we pride ourselves on our ability to provide independent, sophisticated and bespoke financial advice.

Aissela, 46 High Street, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9QY 01372 471550 SURREY CHAMBERS

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Welcome

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THE BIG STORY THE RETAIL CHAMPION Is Theo Paphitis taking over our high streets?

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CYBER FRAUD

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THE MOBILE BOARDROOM

This has become a very serious problem for business. NatWest and DMH Stallard explain how to avoid being scammed.

EMC Corporate Finance launch their mobile boardroom in Surrey

At a Glance 6. Policing Surrey 7. President’s introduction 8. Member News 15. FdK Design 16. NatWest Fraud Awareness 18. Charles Russell Speechlys 19. Herrington Carmichael 20. Protecting your information 22. Wilkins Kennedy 24. Theo Paphitis 30. EMC The Dealmakers 33. Index Property Information 34. Fletcher George Recruitment 36. Guildford College 37. Surrey Business School 38. Epsom & Ewell Business Awards 39. Foxhills

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BUSINESS TRAVEL

40. Chamber Golf Days

Rose travels to Cuba to find out if it is really open for business

42. Yelo Architects 45. Branding your company 46. Business Travel - Cuba

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54. The Brooklands Experience

THE BROOKLANDS EXPERIENCE

58. Motoring

The historic Weybridge site has a lot to offer.

66. Cranleigh Business Awards

64. Understanding Leasing 68. Cyber Insurance

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LEASING DEBUNKED Sandown Mercedes-Benz explain how many ways there are to buy your next car.

70. Members Features 75. Joining the Chamber 76. New Chamber members 78. Chamber events 80. Anger Management

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

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PLATINUM PUBLISHING G R O U P

Cover Image: Theo Paphitis helping to raise money for Sport Relief. www.ryman.co.uk/sportrelief

Issue 1 - 2017

A word from the CEO 2017 is shaping up to be a busy year!

The Surrey Chambers team is back manning the office looking forward to supporting businesses across 2017. In spite of an uncertain year in 2016 our feeling at Surrey Chambers is that people just want to get on with growing and developing their businesses.

We look forward to a new year full of exciting new events and opportunities. The start of 2017 saw the launch of our Power Breakfasts as a new way of breakfast networking.

We designed these Breakfasts to include networking and a bite-sized seminar on a specific topic or subject. Not only is this a great value-add for attendees, as they are able to take away practical tips on how to improve their business, but it also provides the opportunity for our members to share their knowledge with others. As always we will be keeping our audiences up to speed on key issues. We will be covering, amongst others; New marketing techniques, team building, health and wellbeing, Cyber security and Apprenticeships.

We also have the pleasure of announcing our new website. Thanks to website designers AKIKO and IT providers ARCOM we are creating a brand new website for all our members and visitors, with lots more opportunities to interact and find exactly what they need.

This website will essentially become a hub for members to promote their news, offers and events and connect with other businesses.

The new website will feature all the need to know information for new members, potential members and existing members.

Brexit The last couple of weeks have been very important with regards to making sure the UK is a great place to do business. There has been a key speech on Brexit, the launch of the Industrial Strategy and the results of the Supreme Courts vote on triggering Article 50.

Following Theresa May’s Brexit speech businesses now have a clearer sense of her top-line priorities but we know little more about the likely outcome of the Brexit negotiations than we did before. In business, what you achieve in a negotiation - not what you bid for - is what really matters and the Brexit process is no different. In conversations with our members it is clear that they are carrying on regardless. Their message is that Brexit must not become all-consuming, and that having the right skills, infrastructure and business environment across the UK will play a far bigger part in our future success than any eventual Brexit deal. A strong Industrial Strategy could go a long way to preparing the country for the future and we will imput into this development through the British Chambers of Commerce.

Exporting As always we are here to help people to start exporting, which we are keen to encourage. Of all the customers in the world only 4% are based in the UK so by reaching out to the rest of the world there is so much opportunity. Surrey Chambers has direct links with more than 40 countries who would love to hear from British suppliers! We look forward to hearing from our members and are here to help in any way we can.

Louise Punter CEO Surrey Chambers of Commerce

The Team PUBLISHER The Platinum Publishing Group Directors: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com Tel: 07966 244046 Ian Trevett Ian@ platinumbusinessmagazine.com Tel: 07989 970804 Website: www.platinumbusinessmagazine.com

Advertising Director: Lesley Alcock Tel: 07767 613707 lesley@platinumbusinessmagazine.com Chamber Editor: Molly Edwards Head Designer: Amanda Spicer Travel Editor: Rose Dykins Sub Editor: Kate Morton Food Editor: Amanda Menahem Photographer: Sarah Walker-Bennett Accounts: Julia Trevett Motoring Editor: Maarten Hoffmann SURREY CHAMBERS

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Policing Surrey

POLICING SURREY David Munro, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey

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ne of the tasks I have to think about at this time of year as your elected Police and Crime Commissioner, is deciding on the policing element of the council tax for the next financial year.

Part of this involves consulting with the residents of the county to get their views.

We are currently carrying out a short online survey on whether or not Surrey tax-payers would support a proposed 1.99% increase in the annual cost of policing which would mean around an extra £4.31 over the year for a ‘Band D’ property in the county.

I would like to get the views of as many people as possible, including the business community, so please spare a minute if you can to fill in the survey here: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PoliceFunding I am keen to use this column as an opportunity to both share my thoughts on policing issues effecting Surrey and on

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occasions ask for your help in communicating any relevant safety messages to you and your employees.

One such issue which has been in my thoughts over recent weeks has been the increase in people using their mobile phones at the wheel. A recent report carried out by the RAC found there was a significant national rise (31%) of people admitting to using a mobile whilst driving.

I am sure you many of you will have seen recent cases highlighted in the media where a driver has been distracted by their phone resulting in the most dire of consequences.

Too often drivers are prepared to gamble with their own and others safety and I believe we all have a role in trying to change this behavior. There will be many businesses in the county that require their staff to drive whether that be part of their day-to-day work or the occasional off-site meeting.

We need to get the message across that if you need to use your phone whilst driving, be that making or answering a call or texting, pull over where it is safe to do so. Equally there is a responsibility for employers to think carefully about trying to contact staff when they know they are on the road. Whilst in-car hands-free systems are legal, they can still be a distraction to people behind the wheel.

Tougher penalties due to brought in by new government legislation in 2017 are expected to tackle this issue by doubling fines & points of people caught using phones. More than that, I want it to become commonly recognised that being distracted by a mobile phone whilst driving is socially unacceptable and can be as dangerous as drink-driving.

This is something that none of us should take lightly as that momentary lapse in judgement or concentration can have deadly consequences.

President’s Column

A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT Surrey Businesses to stay Positive in 2017

W

elcome to yet another New Year and one that will be very interesting for a number of reasons and either will, or already has, the potential to impact business in many ways.

The intention to trigger “that Article” in March is now in sharp focus,

particularly given the Brexit speech by Theresa May. Much like the referendum decision, the speech produced a wide range of responses from the media and politicians spanning all aspects of “it’s a disaster” through to “who needs the EU anyway – we will be Great Britain again”.

Once you throw out all the hyperbole and disregard the completely ridiculous, what it comes down to is the start of the process of changing our political relationship with the EU, which will of course be complicated and take some time. I’m fairly certain we knew that some time ago!

Bear in mind that multi-nationals are choosing to stay in the UK or even move to the UK and Surrey is going to be able to feed off that momentum. Business both here and in Europe will carry on wanting to work together and clients/customers will want access to the products and services that they have become used to getting. There is no reason to be completely pessimistic and assume that mutual cooperation for mutual benefit is now wholly impossible. In the business world pragmatism goes a long way and businesses will be working out wrinkles a lot faster than the politicians.

Coupled with Brexit – we have also seen the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the USA - and whatever you think of him, 2017 is not going to be boring. There will be opportunities in all sorts of global directions for those Surrey businesses bold enough embrace the situation.

I am not a great believer in New Year resolutions, but one I would strongly recommend to Surrey businesses is to be positive and seek to look for and seize the opportunities that present themselves during 2017, rather than dwell on the negative.

Changing the subject completely – I came across an interesting snippet recently. A autumn Business Bank study revealed that UK business owners lose, or forget to pay in, a combined £550m worth of cheques every year. One in five of those surveyed said forgetting to pay in cheques was a weekly occurrence. That is a bit scary when you consider that electronic transfer of money is becoming more the norm. Which reminds me – I really do need to check down the back of the sofa!

I do wish you all the best for your business in 2017.

Frankie Tierney President, Surrey Chambers of Commerce Managing Partner, Herrington & Carmichael LLP

SURREY CHAMBERS

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News

MEMBER NEWS ALL THE WEYBRIDGE CITYINFORMATION YOU NEED CityInformation has helped put Weybridge on the digital global map thanks to an intelligent new ‘app’. CityInformation is the world’s biggest online platform for CityApps and provides the ultimate onestop-shop for thousands of towns and cities across the globe.

The Weybridge App is free to download from anywhere in the world and has been developed to put the consumer first; to make information even more accessible and, importantly, all in one place. It enables business people in and outside of Weybridge to select from an array of real-time listings to check the local news, local events, train times, to book a restaurant or a taxi, to hire a car and even enquire on hotel room availability.

The idea of CityInformation is to make the searches quick and relevant, so you can check anything that’s going on in your city in just a couple of clicks or swipes of the phone.

Download the free CityInformation App for Weybridge at http://onelink.to/e4t5sj

JOIN THE CLUB

❝ Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.

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Steve Jobs

The Spelthorne Business Forum (SBF), an initiative backed by Spelthorne Borough Council, are launching a new entrepreneurs club.

The SBF Entrepreneurs Club aims are to promote, encourage and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit within the borough. Open to budding entrepreneurs of all ages from 15 years old and upwards.

Many people have some great business ideas, but do not know how to action them or whether their idea is viable. The SBF Entrepreneurs club hopes to bring together ambitious, creative and talented people and help them engage with the local business community.

Staines-upon-Thames has been dubbed as the new UK ‘start-up capital’ having witnessed the biggest jump in new businesses created per capita in 2015. The Spelthorne Business Forum hopes to harness this entrepreneurial spirit and create one club where like-minded individuals can network, meet and gain advice from the local business community. They aim to host quarterly meetings, allowing individuals with impressive ideas to receive rewards and recognition for their efforts. www.spelthornebusinessforum.uk/ec/

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SURREY CHAMBERS

News

ROUSING NIGHT FOR RAMSAC

Surrey-based IT provider ramsac are celebrating receiving two awards at the Surrey Business Awards 2016. They were awarded with Menzies Accountant’s Service Excellence Award and Surrey County Council’s Business of the Year (greater than 50 employees).

The Surrey Business Awards celebrates the achievements of a wide variety of Surrey based organisations, they are sought after accolades of achievement, and endorsement of an organisations hard-work, determination and enterprise in business.

The first award presented to ramsac was the Service Excellence Award which recognises organisations who give outstanding assistance and advice to those who buy or use the organisation’s products or services. Dan May and Sally Cooper from ramsac didn’t have to wait long before they were called back to the stage to collect their second award for Surrey County Council’s Business of the Year (for businesses with more than 50 employees).

Reflecting on winning this prestigious award Dan May, Commercial Director from ramsac, said, “This award was very special to win, we pride ourselves on being a Surrey based business and take every opportunity we get to support this great county. The criteria for this award was to show outstanding initiative, boldness and imagination in the enterprise, as well as sound management practices. 2016 has been such an exciting year for us here at ramsac and to be named Surrey County Council’s Business of the Year has been the icing on the cake.

“We have exciting plans for 2017 including recruiting 10 more members of the Godalming based team, launching several new services including a Cyber Security training unit and further expanding the client base using our innovative ‘totalIT’ support and IT management service.” www.ramsac.com

GET ACTIVELY INVOLVED Active Surrey is a not for profit organisation who work to promote sport and physical activity across the county. Every June we run an event at the Surrey Sports Park for young people aged 6-15 which pits borough against borough in sporting events ranging from badminton to boccia (a sport especially suited to disabled contestants). Around 3-4,000 children take part in trials and training for their borough / district with 2,000 taking part in the Games weekend itself which is covered by BBC Radio Surrey.

From 2017 Specsavers will be the headline sponsor, taking over from Procter and Gamble.

However in order to keep the Games going we need smaller ‘community’ sponsors as well, and are keen to hear from any local business that wants to associate themselves with such a positive event county-wide and wants to gain exposure to all the parents who turn up to support their children. www.activesurrey.com

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The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

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H. Jackson Brown

SURREY CHAMBERS

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News

MEMBER NEWS BUYING A STEAK IN WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s conservation grazing cows are not only helping the county’s wildlife habitats - they’re now providing local sustainable food reared on some of Surrey’s most important nature reserves.

Two traditional Surrey butchers have started selling quality beef from the Trust’s Belted Galloway herd - Seabright’s in Haslemere and Surrey Hills Butchers in Oxshott.

“Our animals have a vital role to play in the conservation of heathland and chalk grassland habitats in the county and the preservation of the wildlife that lives there,” explained Steve Proud, the Trust’s Farm Manager. “The meat is a natural offshoot of our conservation grazing herd and the income generated will be ploughed back in to help pay for the costs of running the herd.

“People like to know where their meat comes from - animal welfare, traceability and food miles are big considerations these days. I’m proud to say our animals have a lovely life, grazing in some of Surrey’s most stunning landscapes – they are very happy cows!”

The Trust started its conservation grazing project with just three animals in 2007. As well as nearly 400 cattle, it now has goats and sheep. It also uses red deer for managing more inaccessible habitats in the county. www.surreywildlifetrust.org/what-we-do/ conservation-grazing

Photos from top: • Oliver Seabright of Seabright’s butchers in Haslemere with Surrey Wildlife Trust Farm Manager Steve Proud.

• Simon Taylor of Surrey Hills Butchers in Oxshott with Surrey Wildlife Trust Farm Manager Steve Proud.

• Belted Galloway cow from the Trust’s specialist conservation grazing herd.

All photographs courtesy of Surrey Wildlife Trust.

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SURREY CHAMBERS

News

A WEALTH OF TALENT Julie Man, Partner and Head of Private Wealth at Cobham-based law firm Mundays, has been named Best Private Wealth Lawyer UK in the ‘2016 Women in Wealth Awards’.

Julie joined Mundays as a Solicitor in November 2006 and progressed to Associate, Partner and most recently Head of Private Wealth in 2013. The detailed knowledge and experience that Julie has acquired over the last ten years of continuous progression at Mundays has helped to establish her as a solid legal adviser in the private client arena. This has been complemented by an approachable and grounded style, which has earned her an enviable reputation for success amongst her loyal client base.

Her ability to distil complex points of law and clearly explain them based on the nuances and practical objectives of each client has been highly praised.

Valerie Toon, Managing Partner at Mundays said, “Julie believes that there really is no ‘typical’ client. It is important to be flexible and adaptable to the needs of the client. Julie leads a hand-picked team that are chosen for their exceptional abilities. Julie deserves this award for the commitment she has shown to her career over the last 10 years at Mundays.”

Awards Coordinator Daisy Johnson added: “Women’s contribution to the finance industry cannot be underestimated, and as such this awards programme is showcasing the most committed, successful and professional women from across the market. www.mundays.co.uk

LIGHTING UP THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS The Lightbox gallery and museum in Woking has created a range of creative and artistic workshops for the children of all ages over the half term holidays.

As well as being great fun, it ensures that children can learn valuable new skills.

The Lightbox will also have three exhibitions on display during half-term for visitors to discover. In the Main Gallery, Henry Moore: Sculpting from Nature draws works from the Henry Moore Foundation, exploring the inspiration he found in natural objects and forms. In the Upper Gallery, the 100th anniversary of artist John Minton’s birth is commemorated in John Minton and the Romantic Tradition: The Ingram Collection. And in the Art Fund Prize Gallery, young local talent is exhibited in University for the Creative Arts Farnham’s Graduate Show for their MFA Photography course. www.thelightbox.org.uk

PERFECT PATRONS Godalming-based Telemarketing & Sales Training Consultancy, Perfect Pitch have become Patrons of The Anthony Knights Foundation Trust.

The trust works tirelessly across the Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire area to offer gifts and help to carers and families managing disabilities throughout their everyday life. It has already aided many families in the region and looks to increase its efforts in 2017.

Perfect Pitch will be supporting the foundation by attending its numerous fundraising events and activities, and also providing telemarketing support and promotional staff to the Trust, from its extensive team of trained actors and sales professionals.

Perfect Pitch MD Nigel Blake and Director Jaz Blake with Trust CEO Nicky Banger (centre)

The ultimate aim of the Trust is: “To build and maintain an eco-friendly, sustainable property along the South coast, which is amenable for those with restricted abilities, to enjoy stress free family holidays and have the use of a facility, free of charge, to allow them to do this.”

❝ We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.

❞

Joseph Campbell

Perfect Pitch MD, Nigel Blake, said, “We are lucky to have a very talented team of telemarketers here and we look forward to working with The Anthony Knights Foundation Trust in helping it to achieve its goal!” http://theknightsfoundation.org SURREY CHAMBERS

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News

MEMBER NEWS IT’S A YES! Businesses in Staines-upon-Thames have overwhelmingly backed a project that is set to deliver £1.6 million investment in a range of exciting town centre projects over the next five years. The majority of businesses have supported plans to set-up a Stainesupon-Thames Business Improvement District (BID).

The backing will allow Staines-upon-Thames BID to improve the visitor experience, increase footfall and enhance business performance.

Over 76% of businesses supported the proposals to establish a BID in the town centre, and the yes votes represented 72% of the rateable value.

The money will come from each business paying between 0.75 and 1.5 % levy on the rateable value of each company to a newly formed BID company, depending on whether or not they are in a serviced area.

“I am absolutely delighted that so many businesses have backed the plans that we put together,” said Steven Harvey, Chairman of the BID project and owner of Oasis Estate Agents on Clarence Street. “The BID represents a really bright future for Staines-upon-Thames and by working together, we will be able to achieve great things for the town with this £1.6m of investment over the next five years.” www.staines-upon-thames.bid

DRUG-FREE DOCTOR A Surrey doctor has launched a new medical practice in Weybridge and Harley Street to challenge the medical establishment’s treatment of diabetes, fibromyalgia, obesity, heart disease and other chronic conditions.

Dr Sharief Ibrahim FRCP, a UK-trained consultant with over 35 years’ clinical experience, is convinced that mainstream health services are taking the wrong approach to chronic conditions and prescribing far too much medication. He has left the NHS and set up The Vitality Clinic to provide a pioneering, drug-free treatment to the over 50s.

The new clinic is adopting a philosophy of positive health creation rather than disease management. It will design a precise, tailored healthcare plan for each patient based on rigorous scientific tests to reveal any imbalances in their body systems.

The clinic specialises in type 2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and muscle weakness. It can help people with one or a combination of these conditions, those who want to avoid them and people simply seeking to stay fit and healthy for as long as possible.

The clinic’s philosophy stems from Dr Ibrahim’s personal health experience as well as his medical practice and studies. Having been so unfit he was unable to walk half a mile to the train station, now in his 60s he recently completed his 100th marathon.

Dr Ibrahim explains: “Mainstream medicine is excellent at treating acute conditions. If you break your leg or have a heart attack, there’s nowhere better than a British hospital. But it’s on completely the wrong track with chronic conditions, which are now reaching epidemic levels. Most doctors treat them in narrow isolation and prescribe far too many tablets instead of addressing the underlying causes.

The great news is there’s a much better way forward. With a holistic, patient-centric approach, most patients could see one consultant instead of several, cut down their medication and achieve long-term exuberance - increasing their ‘health span’ to match their life span. There’s absolutely no reason to accept illness and weakness as an inevitable part of ageing.”

Dr Ibrahim is offering free ten-minute phone consultations to explore whether people are suitable for treatment. www.thevitalityclinic.co.uk

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❝

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!

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Audrey Hepburn

News

NEW FACE AT HOLIDAY INN Guildford’s award-winning Holiday Inn hotel has appointed Cliff Culver as the new Director of Sales. With close to 30 years of sales experience, much of it specifically within the hospitality industry, Cliff brings a wealth of knowledge to the hotel along with a passion for customer service.

As well as working for other well-known chains he has enjoyed spells at independent properties including the role of Sales Manager for Goodwood Estate and The Goodwood Hotel.

“I’ve joined the hotel at an exciting time. Guildford currently enjoys a strong corporate market, but with the changes that have happened in the UK and now in the US over the last few months, no doubt we will have challenges ahead. I am incredibly lucky to be joining such a great team. Every time I meet a client I am bowled over by their praise for our hotel staff. From restaurant, reception, reservations, housekeeping, to meetings and events, all do an amazing job and make mine that much easier.

Cliff is also a Regional Rep for Surfers Against Sewage, and is always happy to discuss his love of the ocean and how we can all make a difference to protect it. www.higuildfordhotel.co.uk

DOUBLE WIN FOR HART BROWN Hart Brown scooped the award for best client satisfaction and customer service, plus the Young Lawyer of the Year trophy, at LawNet’s flagship event.

The firm was recognised for its outstanding performance on LawNet’s independently assessed mystery shopping and client satisfaction measurement. It is awarded to firms based on internal performance and activity data looking for those who are most improved and proactive.

Danielle Collett-Bruce, Commercial & Corporate solicitor, was awarded the Young Lawyer of the Year trophy. The award was given to her based on her understanding of the importance of putting clients first, communication and relationship building. A member of the Commercial & Corporate team, she is already leading on multi-million pound deals.

Nigel Maud, Chief Operating Officer said: “As a firm we strive to give the best client service that we can. We measure this using tools such as satisfaction surveys and mystery shopping. Having been benchmarked against national law firms we consistently beat the average score being achieved in the legal industry and are working towards being even better. To have the efforts of our people recognised by LawNet is wonderful for every member of staff.”

LawNet was established in 1989 to enable a collaborative, mutually-owned national network where independent law firms could access big firm resources and benefit from collective purchasing, shared knowledge, best practice and expertise. www.hartbrown.co.uk

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Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

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Warren Buffett SURREY CHAMBERS

News

MEMBER NEWS BUSY TIMES FOR ROFFE SWAYNE Despite the Brexit uncertainty, inward investment into UK business is very much the order of the day for investors keen to look at British companies. Roffe Swayne has recently advised on three such transactions in the space of two months across a variety of sectors.

Veragon, a pioneer in the environmentally friendly “Air to Water” sector, servicing sectors where water is a strategic asset such as military, humanitarian and CSR projects, has invested in Italian technology to develop products which convert the humidity within the air into clean mineralised drinking water, on a commercial scale.

Bolney Wine Estate has raised growth capital from a UK based private investor to fund growth and expansion into new international markets. Bolney’s award-winning wine is sold in Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, and their Pinot Gris is served at Wimbledon and to British Airways trans-Atlantic first class passengers. They are developing new wine making facilities to launch into Asian, Scandinavian and US markets.

Kettering organisation VP Packaging, the UK division of a German–headquartered packaging group, has acquired competitor Envelopemaster, based in Rotherham, with the help of the Roffe Swayne team who supported the transaction providing due diligence through to deal negotiation and completion. The addition of Envelopemaster’s strength in the bubble film market provides a strong synergy between the two companies.

“I’ve been really impressed by the numbers of investors keen to transact with British businesses and the international demand for UK businesses products, “ Paul Butler, Corporate Finance partner commented, “the UK is buoyant and attractive as a marketplace, and it is certainly keeping our valuation, due diligence and deal advisory experts very busy.”

PREMIER FX COLLABORATES WITH PACE INVOICE Premier FX, the boutique currency exchange company with locations in Algarve, Portugal, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, and Reigate, is entering into collaboration with London-based technology start-up Pace Invoice. Together, the companies provide cross-border invoicing solutions and multi-currency payment capability to businesses with international customers.

Premier FX contributes currency exchange expertise and services for the platform.

“Currency exchange is a key component of our service,” says Pace Invoice CEO James Shattock. “Given Premier FX’s solid reputation in the currency exchange sector, we are pleased to welcome them aboard the project as our money transfer provider.”

Pace Invoice enables businesses to issue invoices, which their clients can pay locally, in their own currency. This service provides clients with a simple transfer process that encourages prompt payment. For businesses, this platform reduces currency exposure and has proven to reduce payment

delinquencies. Pace Invoice, therefore, becomes beneficial to both sides of a transaction.

“We are thrilled to be involved in this unique new platform,” says Premier FX Founder and Chief Executive Peter Rexstrew. “Pace Invoice’s tech-savvy objective of providing efficient and secure money transfers, for both clients and businesses, is a direct match to our company’s strategy, vision and philosophy.”

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❝

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.

Milton Berle

SURREY CHAMBERS

❞

Chamber Patron - FdK

CALM AND CREATIVE Design Thinking taps into the creative within us all says Oliver de Kretser at FdK Design Consultants

Last November, 40 delegates attended our morning workshop at the Surrey Technology Centre to hear about ‘Design Thinking’ and how anyone can use it to innovate and grow their business. The event entitled Wake Up Design!, was a collaboration between ourselves, Oxford Innovation and Enterprise M3 Growth Hub. Lukasz Liebersbach of Oxford Innovation described the origins of Design Thinking and its potential as a unified framework for innovation, and FDK’s Simon de Kretser explained how any business can utilise Design Thinking, regardless of experience, industry or size.

Design Thinking is a process that can help anyone be more creative and innovative. David Kelley, founder of the design and innovation company IDEO, coined the term and set up the design school at Stanford University, to promote a collaborative and user-centric approach to problem solving.

A vital part of Design Thinking is to empathise with your customer or end user seek to understand the problems they may face when using your products or services, but also find out about their positive experiences.

Interviewing customers (or employees or

stakeholders for that matter) face-to-face can be much more effective than general market research in achieving this, as people can be encouraged to tell stories and share experiences that you may not have considered.

❝

If you were asked to draw the person next to you, you’d probably feel embarrassed to show the results, whereas you wouldn’t have worried about it when you were a child

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The problem with conventional market research is that whilst it can deliver a large sample size, you tend to get the answers you want, rather than the answers you need.

Observation is another key process. Only by watching people using a product or service and seeing the customer journey through

their eyes, can you appreciate their stories and experiences and use them to create and innovate.

But, is Design Thinking only for those who consider themselves to be creative? The fact is that we all have innate creativity, but for many, it’s been suppressed over the years.

If you were asked to draw the person next to you, you’d probably feel embarrassed to show the results, whereas you wouldn’t have worried about it when you were a child, in fact you were probably very keen to show off your creations!

Giving people the opportunity to express ideas without fear of judgement is a fundamental part of the Design Thinking process and to do so, they need to be in an environment that encourages divergent thinking.

Encouraging fun and playfulness in the ideation stage will help make people feel more comfortable about expressing their ideas and even if they are a little too crazy to be viable, they might just spark another more practical idea (known as ‘the adjacent possible’).

Once you recognise that everyone in your organisation can contribute, you can also tap into a wider range of people and you may well find that the best ideas, stories and experiences come from the most unexpected of sources!

If you want to start implementing it in your business, a good way to begin is by simply running through the process of interacting with your products or services from a new user’s standpoint. Put your preconceptions and your knowledge aside and you might just be surprised at what you find. And remember, everyone is creative.

Oliver de Kretser FdK Design Consultants 01483 685515 www.fdk.co.uk

SURREY CHAMBERS

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Cyber Crime

DON’T LET YOUR BUSINESS BE A VICTIM OF FRAUD! Peter Quilter, Director of Commercial & Corporate Banking.

Almost six million fraud and cyber crimes were committed last year, according to the Office for National Statistics’ Crime Survey for England and Wales*. In this article, NatWest’s Peter Quilter highlights some of the most common cyber scams and the simple steps you can take to protect your business.

What could falling victim to fraud mean for your business?

primarily affecting business customers at present are as follows:

• A financial loss that could lead to pressure on cashflow

‘Bogus Boss’ or CEO Fraud - A payment request, usually urgent and/or one-off, is received by one of your finance team, purporting to come from a senior person within your organisation (email addresses can easily be spoofed). The recipient assumes the instruction is genuine and pays the requested sum to the beneficiary account quoted in the email.

• An adverse impact on morale within your business • Lack of confidence with your suppliers/ customers • Regulatory issues, especially where clients monies are impacted In addition to computer viruses, the frauds

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You must:

• Ensure that you and your staff challenge and question what is received - do not take things at ‘face value’ • Contact the sender of the email independently to verify the request • Not use any contact details within the request Invoice Redirection Fraud – Fraudsters pose as a supplier, sending a fake but realistic email or letter which claims that their bank details have changed. You are tricked in to updating the sort code and account number

Cyber Crime payments • Regularly reconcile bank statements and other accounts to help uncover irregularities

Summary Financial fraud increased by a quarter to £399.5 million in the first six months of 2016^.

Businesses from all sectors and of all sizes have been targeted by the scams outlined in this article, so please remain vigilant at all times.

Banks’ security systems continue to prevent the majority of fraud attempts, but employees who use online banking services and other financial products on behalf of their employers also have a key part to play in the battle against cybercrime.

Further information can be obtained from the following sources: Little Book of big scams business edition – www.met.police.uk/ docs/little_book_big_scams_business_edition.pdf Action fraud - The national fraud and cybercrime reporting centre -www.actionfraud.police.uk/

NatWest Security Centre - www.natwest.com/security you have on file for that supplier, meaning that the next payment you make will go to the fraudster’s account instead.

You must: • Be vigilant - challenge and question any amendments to account details

References / sources: * Crime Survey for England & Wales - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ uk-36854413 ^ Financial Fraud Action UK - https://www.financialfraudaction.org.uk/ news/2016/10/12/scams-and-online-attacks-drive-fraud-increase-figuresshow/

• Contact the supplier independently to verify the request • Not use any contact details within the request

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Businesses from all sectors and of all sizes have been targeted by the scams outlined in this article, so please remain vigilant at all times.

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Overpayment Fraud – A new customer places their first order with you, for say £5k. Payment is made direct in to your bank account for a much larger sum, say £50k, using a counterfeit cheque. An urgent request is then received to send back the £45k overpayment. You make the refund using an immediate electronic transfer, but then the cheque bounces, leaving you out of pocket.

You must: • Undertake due diligence on any new customer • Check to see if the payment has cleared – victims are lead to believe the cheque is actually an electronic payment • Be wary of pressure to make the refund – the fraudster knows the cheque will be returned Insider Fraud – an employee with access to internal financial systems or banking services exploits their privileged access and knowledge to steal from the company. You must: • Ensure you have a robust pre and post-employment screening process • Have clear segregation of duties, particularly for staff dealing with SURREY CHAMBERS

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Chamber Patron - Charles Russell Speechlys

BE SMART Smart buildings are the ‘New Real’ says David Savage, Partner and head of Construction & Infrastructure Sector at Charles Russell Speechlys

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he digital revolution that is happening in almost all areas of business and personal life, is impacting our real estate and construction sectors as much as any other sector. Whether you are an owner or occupier, funder or investor, builder, developer or a technology provider, the built environment offers real opportunities for the forward thinking.

If our parents’ generation were digital aliens, most of us today are digital converts.

But the millennial generation within our organisations - the so called generations Y and Z - are all digital natives. We have explored through research, the buildings that they will want to inhabit in the context of their working lives. The very terminology of the workplace will change. Work is no longer one place, it is potentially everywhere. As a consequence, buildings may be changing but so are the commercial real estate models that finance, design, build, let, manage and redevelop buildings.

Digital advances are driving a new reality in commercial real estate Our report, ‘The New Real: Unlocking new gains through smart buildings’, shows the commercial and organisational gains to be made by understanding what is

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happening, planning for it, and recognising the opportunities for outperforming your competitors in the ‘New Real’ environment as it increasingly manifests itself. This all from the earliest stages of building design and inception, to occupancy and use, through to building repurposing and recycling.

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If our parents’ generation were digital aliens, most of us today are digital converts.

But the millennial generation within our organisations - the so called generations Y and Z - are all digital natives.

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There are significant gains to be made from smart buildings over the next five years With the smart buildings debate now moving into the boardroom, our research shows that of those surveyed:

• 56% of those surveyed think smart buildings will open up new revenue streams • 59% think smart buildings will deliver business gains beyond energy efficiency • 38%, a large minority, are already taking the lead, stealing a march on others, changing their behaviours and acquiring new capabilities to benefit from smart buildings.

Legal and commercial challenges to a smart building revolution in Britain We have identified four main areas of focus to ensure we unlock the gains to be made from the smart building revolution: Firstly on valuations and leasing, the commerciality of smart buildings needs greater clarity as we quantify the benefits of smart buildings. Secondly new collaborations will need to be forged as developers seek partnerships with the tech industry. Thirdly we risk building obsolescence unless buildings are upgraded to suit occupiers’ technological demands, and changes are made in the construction process for new buildings. Finally, managing data privacy and cyber security is a significant risk.

david.savage@crsblaw.com You can download the full report at www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com

Legal

MIND THE GAP Robert Frampton of Herrington Carmichael, on the requirement to publish gender wage differences

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s has been well reported in the mainstream media, employers with over 250 employees are going to have to publish information about the difference in pay between male and female employees.

The hope for these new regulations is that it will narrow the difference in pay between men and women by effectively highlighting the issues. Unfortunately, even in 2017, a substantial gap exists between the pay of men and women. There can be no doubt that the motivation behind the regulations is virtuous and, in theory, this should be simple. However, throughout the consultation a number of issues have arisen. Examples include: • Should employees on Statutory Sick Pay or Statutory Maternity Pay be included in any report? Their inclusion could skew any data.

• What is “pay”? Does this include all benefits or simply your basic salary?

• Will reporting take into account geographical differences in pay?

• Will the reporting requirements apply to each company or will it only apply on a group level?

• How, if at all, will employers be punished for a large gender pay gap?

As is often the way, what is easy in theory has become unclear and uncertain.

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There is still minimal bite in the regulations.

It does not seem that there are any provisions to penalise those employers with large gender pay gaps.

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Fortunately, the latest draft issues have resolved some of these issues. For example,

employers, to their dismay, will have to report on the gender pay gay at the level of each subsidiary entity. Further, employees on reduced pay are not to be included in an employer’s gender pay gap report. Also, the updated regulations have made it clear that if an employer does not comply with their obligations the Equality and Human Rights Commission could take enforcement action against them.

However, there is still minimal bite in the regulations. It does not seem that there are any provisions to penalise those employers with large gender pay gaps. It seems that the Government is hoping to utilise the always fair and just court of public opinion (please note the sarcasm). Although, we should note that the gender pay gap report may give affected employees the ammunition they need to pursue an equal pay claim. However, this reliance on the existing equal pay law suggests

that the Government believes the barrier to an equal pay claim is a lack of information rather than, for example, tribunal fees.

The latest regulations are not perfect, and it is unclear whether they will make a difference.

At the time of writing, we are still awaiting the Government Guidance which will “hopefully” shine more light on to the issues in the areas of concern.

It is expected that gender pay gap reporting will come into force from 6th April 2017 with the first reports due within a year.

Therefore, employers should take steps to prepare for reporting. For those with lots of employees, over several sites or several subsidiaries, this will be a laborious process. If you have questions or require any assistance in preparing for gender pay reporting, please contact employment@herrington-carmichael.com

SURREY CHAMBERS

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Intellectual Property

PROTECTING IP AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION Sarah Cook, Associate in the Technology, Media and Telecommunications team at DMH Stallard, offers her top ten tips on protecting your intellectual property

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rotecting intellectual property and confidential information is a huge challenge for businesses. The recent data breach at French defence contractor DCNS, where over 20,000 pages of documents exposing the combat capabilities of submarines DCNS is building for the Indian Navy, highlights just how difficult it can be to keep IP safe in today’s world.

Whilst most businesses do not have access to such sensitive information they will possess confidential information in one form or another and, in the 21st Century, all businesses are operating in an environment plagued with sophisticated attackers. IP and confidential information is notoriously difficult to protect so businesses should develop a security conscious culture and focus on raising and maintaining awareness of the changing threat landscape with its employees.

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Top 10 Tips to help you protect your business’ IP and confidential information: 1. Educate employees. Employees must understand the importance of information security and we recommend developing appropriate policies so that responsibilities are clear.

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Ensure that even if one layer of security is compromised there are still other layers to prevent unauthorised access.

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2. Implement an on-going awareness programme. The threat landscape changes constantly so it is important your employees understand new threats particularly when they can be targeted i.e. social engineering.

3. Implement and enforce a stringent password policy. This will help prevent unauthorised access to systems operated by the business. Ensure strong passwords are put in place by all employees which are of a reasonable length with varying characteristics, i.e. numbers, letters, and special characters, and do not permit employees to use personal information in their passwords to make them more difficult to guess.

4. Operate a clear desk and clear screen policy. Avoid the risk of sensitive documents containing confidential and

Intellectual Property sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

5. Implement “defence in depth”. Layer your security, particularly with your most sensitive or confidential data so that even if one layer of security is compromised there are still other layers to prevent unauthorised access.

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One of the biggest threats to IP and confidential information are employees

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6. Regularly review and investigate logs/alarms. Look for suspicious and unauthorised activity and consider implementing Security Incident Event Management (SIEM) software to automate the log analysis process.

7. Implement a data loss prevention solution”. One of the biggest threats to IP and confidential information are

employees. Protect yourself from this insider threat by preventing users from sending certain data to an external source and which tracks and monitors data movement that is prohibited.

Sarah Cook

8. Only grant the minimum access required. Restrict access to sensitive and confidential files with access only to be authorised on the basis that it is essential for an employee’s role, reviewing access permissions regularly and removing access when it is no longer required.

9. Include appropriate IP and confidentiality terms in employees’ contracts. Protect your IP and data and outline the consequences of failing to do so.

10. Disable employee access to sensitive information upon resignation.

enable us to consider potential areas of risk and enhance your business’ IP protection and enforcement strategy.

Should you require any further information regarding protecting your IP and Confidential Information. please contact Sarah Cook on sarah.cook@dmhstallard.com.

To find out further information, or to book your free consultation, please contact David Paling on 01293 663512 or david.paling@dmhstallard.com.

To help you put in place a robust system to protect and enforce your Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and to ensure that the business is aware of, and complying with, applicable laws and regulations, we offer a free 30 minute IP Consultation for your business. The information you provide will

dmhstallard.com Tel: 01483 302345 1st Floor, Wonersh House The Guildway Old Portsmouth Road Guildford GU3 1LR

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21

Chamber Patron - Wilkins-Kennedy

PROPERTY: JAM TOMORROW? Steve Hoare, Tax Director from Surrey Chambers’ financial patrons, and accountancy firm, Wilkins-Kennedy, discusses some of the recent government announcements and how they will affect the property sector

W

e all eagerly awaited to see what the Chancellor had in store for his “first and last” Autumn Statement.

There were certainly a few things on the wish lists of businesses and individuals alike, but the Chancellor set his sights on the ‘JAMs’ or the Just About Managing sector of society, where he aimed to improve living standards.

One of the ways the Chancellor hopes to achieve this is by simply building more affordable housing and as a way of meeting new housebuilding targets, the Chancellor announced an investment fund for more new low-cost homes. The new Fund, thought to be worth around £3bn, is administered by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and is available to all house builders, both large and small, in the form of a loan for the development and infrastructure of housing.

Loans via the Home Building Fund are available on both a long and short-term basis, and are secured against property assets. It is hoped that by increasing the amount of

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housing available in the UK, the rental market will become more competitive, preventing skyhigh rents. It would also improve the standard of living available, because if you increase the standard at the top, then other properties would be required to follow suit in order to maximise market rent.

This would have been very welcome news for tenants and perhaps for property investors too as they seek to make the most of this new gap in the market. In turn this would further increase demand for new-build properties, keeping house builders happy too. The announced ban on letting agents charging fees to tenants may not result in the intended savings benefitting tenants. Landlords may incur higher costs passed on by letting agents resulting in increased rents for tenants.

Elsewhere in the economy, the Chancellor also announced that he would be heavily investing in infrastructure, including HS2 and Heathrow Airport’s extra runway. There will also be funds for improved road and rail,

and investment in the Hinkley Point power plant in Somerset. Furthermore, there will be an additional £2bn budget for research and development projects. Hopefully this will allow more businesses to make valuable R&D tax relief claims.

Whilst on the topic of tax, for individuals there was sadly very little to report, however, the new personal tax allowance from 6th April 2017 of £11,500, having increased from its current level of £11,000, should give some people a little extra help. In fact, a typical basic rate tax payer will pay around £1,000 less in tax each year than they did in 2010/2011, when the personal allowance was just £6,475.

If you have any questions about how the Autumn Statement may affect you, or if you would like to know anything further in relation to taxation advice or guidance, please contact your local Wilkins Kennedy representative in our Guildford and Egham offices.

www.wilkinskennedy.com

Business Survey

RISKS? WHAT RISKS? Jane Gregory, Head of Client Services at Haines Watts, reports on some alarming findings in the company’s survey of UK businesses

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isks are part of life – fact – and sadly it’s impossible to remove all of them when running a business. But, they can be managed in the context of an organisation.

In our “For Love or Money” campaign*, which we conducted to get underneath the skin of UK entrepreneurs to understand what really motivates them, we explore and uncover many uncomfortable home truths.

They include business owners’ attitude to risk management, which features very highly.

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More than two-fifths of business owners confess to having a single major customer that they couldn’t live without

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activities, including key services so that they have a clear view of the areas that they couldn’t operate without. Having a comprehensive business plan can make this process easier, but above all ask as many “what if” questions as you can. Once you’ve identified the risks, analyse the likelihood and consequences of them occurring and then come up with options for managing them.

For example how would your business cope if a key member of staff decided to leave or you became sick or even had to take time off suddenly to look after your family for a period of weeks or even months?

As a leader, as well as an owner, it’s primarily your responsibility to consider these angles, and therefore finding the time to think as well as “do” is of paramount importance. So to all business owners out there - take time to

look in the mirror and question your approach and your subsequent decisions. *The Haines Watts Research is based on interviews with 514 owners of UK businesses, which are at least two years old, have a turnover of between £1 million and £50 million and have between 10 and 249 employees.

The study was conducted in 2016. The survey findings can be found at: https://www.hwca. com/for-love-or-money/

Jane Gregory, Head of Client Services, Godalming T: 01483 425724 E: jgregory@hwca.com Surrey offices in Godalming and Esher www.hwca.com

Most worrying of all is the fact that business owners are adopting an “all eggs in one basket” approach by investing heavily in their business but at the same relying too much on a few key stakeholders. More than twofifths (43%) confess to having a single major customer that they couldn’t live without, while over a third (36%) admit their biggest customer generates more than 40% of their monthly revenue.

The range of risks that business owners face is vast and hence considering your broader exposure to certain business sizes, specific sectors or different markets is important. Your customer landscape may well have changed dramatically since you started up, and is still evolving, perhaps even quicker than before.

To help cover all the bases, we suggest that our clients first assess their own businesses so that they can really analyse their critical

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Exclusive Interview

THE RETAIL CHAMPION T

Exclusive Interview with Theo Paphitis

heo Paphitis may be best known for his stint on Dragons’ Den, but perhaps his real legacy will be as a determined champion of retail, an entrepreneur who continues to invest in the high street.

This year, December’s sales across the sector dropped by 0.1 %, which may not appear too bad, but this is only because it is compared to an incredibly bleak set of figures from 2015.

Who would consider investing in the high street in such a climate. Well, Theo Paphitis, for a start!

The Surrey entrepreneur has demonstrated time and time again that he can spot a winner, and he is sure that the party is not over yet for our retail industry. He also puts his money where his mouth is.

Although he originally built up his portfolio through ventures in property, finance and telecoms, it’s retail where his passion lies. He took on well-known lingerie chain La Senza, which he sold in 2006 for £100m. Today he owns stationery firm Ryman, homeware chain Robert Dyas and Boux Avenue, another lingerie outlet which he launched from scratch, all of which he has gathered together under The Theo Paphitis Retail Group umbrella.

Is the focus on retail just a nostalgic glance back, a rose-tinted trip down memory lane, back to the days when shoppers thronged to the town centre, happily spending their hard-earned cash?

Clearly, any nervous would-be entrepreneur who entered the Dragons’ Den, would testify that getting the dragons to part with their cash is never the easiest thing to do. No successful businessperson can survive without intensive scrutiny of the risks and rewards. And it seems that Theo’s faith in retail is not misplaced.

Amid all the despondency in the lead up to Christmas, Boux Avenue saw a like-for-like increase in sales of 16.6%, Ryman’s sales rose by 1.4%. and Robert Dyas reported a 2.0% hike. The strategy behind this success was combining the strengths of e-commerce with those of bricks and mortar.

I sat down with Theo for an exclusive interview for the first issue of the Surrey Chambers Business Magazine and asked him, amongst other things, about the future of the high street:, “I have never known a more dynamic time for retail. Working with heritage brands, Ryman and Robert Dyas that have both been around for over a century, the pace of change is more challenging and opportunistic than ever. Having started the Boux Avenue business only five years ago, even in this relatively short space of retail history, we have seen our business plan adjusted to take into account the momentous changes in shoppers’ habits.

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Exclusive Interview

“Retail, especially within bricks and mortar in the UK, is facing the perfect storm. It faces changes in consumer habits, the impact of the weaker pound against the dollar and euro, coupled with increasing labour costs, the apprenticeship levy and the sucker punch in the lack of an honest and equitable reform of what is an archaic system of business rates.

“With regard to the so-called recent business rates reform, retail has changed dramatically over the years but is faced with a tax that was introduced in a different world. The facts are that footfall and activity on our high streets and town centres are in decline but businesses like ours are about to see an overall increase instead of a decrease in their rates bill in the next 12 months.

“Retail is facing many challenges but at the same time we see opportunities that come with the continued development of technology that makes shopping as convenient for customers as it has ever been. We will continue to invest in this area to ensure that our much-loved brands interact with customers in ways that suit them best.

“We have invested significantly in the last two years building and modernising our infrastructure, in particular commissioning a new warehouse and distribution facility in Hemel Hempstead and new websites for Ryman and Robert Dyas to meet the changing needs of today’s consumer. Boux Avenue will be moving to a new e-commerce platform this quarter.”

It appears that rumours of the death of the High Street may have been greatly exaggerated.

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The shock of Brexit was definitely felt, but there have been lots of positive signs since and we need to remember that.

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How much did your upbringing influence your entrepreneurial spirit?

“My upbringing had a huge effect on my work ethic and my entrepreneurial spirit. My family are Cypriot and both my Father and Grandfather worked on the British bases there. When the British government granted independence to Cyprus, all those who worked for them were given a British passport, and this became their greatest asset.

“We moved to Manchester when I was seven, before eventually moving to London.

After my parents divorced my brother and I were raised by my mum in a council flat and were often left to our own devices, which really helped later in life, as we had faith in our own abilities and were never afraid to make decisions.

“There wasn’t any extra cash so I never had pocket money. I think this is what inspired me to go out and get a job in my early teens, I worked in a Wimpy Bar and delivered cab company cards for a bit of money. I realised what you could have if you worked hard.”

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Exclusive Interview

What advice would you give to a small business or a start-up?

“Always stack the cards in your favour, and reduce the risks. My business success relies on a risk to reward ratio. You have to be honest with yourself. I have had numerous people say that “everyone thinks my idea is fantastic”, but it is so important not to delude yourself. Learn to understand your competition, do your research and always take advice.

“You will not have a million pound business over night. You start small and work your way up. Not everyone is entrepreneurial and faking it can be a long, frustrating road. Not

everyone is a premiership football player… some are Sunday league – but that doesn’t mean they don’t love what they do just as much!”

Do you miss Dragons’ Den? “Leaving the Den was a decision I did not take lightly. It was a wonderful experience and a lot of fun but I had started up Boux Avenue, over five years ago now, and it seemed like the right time to leave and concentrate on growing my own businesses. It is something I look back on with great fondness but all good things eventually come to an end. I’m still in touch with lots of the dragons, and Peter Jones and I co-own Red Letter Days together.”

You are very active on twitter, is the Small Business Sunday (#SBS) project still ongoing?

“Twitter is a great way for me to interact with small businesses. The competition runs between 5.00-7.30pm every Sunday and six winners are given a boost every week via a retweet to my followers, and becoming part of the #SBS network. It is a free boost for them and Small Business Sunday (#SBS) is now in its sixth year, with over 1900 #SBS winners so far.

I have had some businesses who have tripled in size in the space of a year, grown their twitter following and gained entrepreneurial confidence as a result.

“The sense of community amongst the winners is incredible and this is particularly evident at the annual #SBS winners event. It is their opportunity to build upon the boost, network, learn and help their business. It is their network to make of what they will.”

You have spoken of a perfect storm for retail ‘within bricks and mortar’, with the low pound, internet competition and high business rates. Is the High Street doomed?

“The concept of “bricks and clicks” makes for a successful business. There has never been a more exciting time for retail and this is due to the irrevocable change e-commerce has given the industry. The potential is huge!

This does not mean the high street is over but a combination of the two is a winning formula.”

You have also spoken about the problem ahead with business rate reform.

How would you like to see business rates decided to protect retailers?

“The facts are that footfall and activity on our high streets and town centres are in decline but businesses like ours are about to see an overall increase instead of a decrease in their rates bill in the next 12 months. I would like to see a more balanced approach - something that will help rather than hinder businesses. It is an archaic system that is being used in an ever changing, modern business world.”

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Exclusive Interview

You have combined Boux Avenue, Ryman Stationery and Robert Dyas into one retail brand. They seem unlikely bedfellows. How has the unified branding helped with the growth and management of very different markets?

“They are all stand-out brands in their own right. Robert Dyas and Ryman are rich in heritage and Boux Avenue is a vibrant fashion brand that is leading in its marketplace. In November last year I completed the acquisition of the iconic London Graphic Centre, the leading supplier of materials to the art and design community, adding a fourth business to my portfolio. The unification of the brands under the Theo Paphitis Retail Group has been a great success and there are many ways that they all compliment each other and many employees work across all four brands.”

Aside from the three big retail chains, are there any other business which you are actively involved in?

“I am chairman of MB Partners, a boutique sports management agency as sport is a huge passion of mine. As many people know, I was Chairman of Millwall for 8 years and I have a long-standing love of F1 too. Working with MB Partners gives me an opportunity to pursue this interest. Alongside this I also co-own Red Letter Days which sells experiences, anything from sky diving to spa days for consumers and businesses! “

What plans do you have for the three retail chains?

“In the last two years we have invested heavily into building and modernising our infrastructure. In particular, we have a new warehouse and distribution facility in Hemel Hempstead and also developed new websites for Robert Dyas and Ryman, to meet the ever-changing world of retail and e-commerce.

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Direct Debit Processing Donor Development Campaign Planning Marketing Resources

www.charityline.org.uk

Call us on: 0800 368 9701 or email: info@charityline.org.uk

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Exclusive Interview We are looking to do the same for Boux Avenue this year.”

Was taking Millwall to the FA Cup Final your greatest achievement!?

“Millwall getting into the FA Cup final against Manchester United was certainly a day in a million, and not a day goes by when I don’t reflect on my time at Millwall. There were good times and challenging times, but I’ll never forget Wembley, the semi-final or the final. These were all dreams and ambitions, that as a kid you wouldn’t have dreamt you’d be part of. Certainly one to remember.”

Can you tell us more about The Paphitis Charitable Trust “The Paphitis Charitable Trust distributes fees from TV appearances, speeches and my book to causes close to my heart, especially children’s charities. Funds received are then distributed by a panel of trustees to a variety of registered charities.

“I typically like to assist smaller UK children’s charities that have difficulty in gaining funds from other organisations and I’m pleased to donate to many different ones every year.”

Now you are successful and money is not an issue, what drives you to keep going?

“I am inspired by many things in my life, from friends and family to my businesses and the people I work with. I love working, and to not work would be to stand still and in retail, is you’re standing still you’re dead in the water and if that’s not what’s going to get me out of bed in the morning. Retail is vibrant, passionate and, of course, particularly challenging at the moment, and I wouldn’t want to miss out on what’s coming next.”

Finally, where do you see the UK economy going in 2017 (Trump, Brexit…)?

“The shock of Brexit was definitely felt, but there have been lots of positive signs since and we need to remember that. In recent weeks we have seen many important countries, including the US, being very positive about trade deals with the UK after Brexit, suggesting it may not be as bad as the ‘fire and brimstone’ scenario we’ve been warned about. We need to look at the opportunities and build on those, not wallow in the predictions of doom and gloom, as that isn’t going to get us anywhere. Britain is open for business and we need to remember that.”

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Mergers & Acquisitions

DEAL MAKERS EMC’s ‘mobile boardroom’ takes off in Surrey

Terry Rainback (standing second left) with England international Marland Yarde (standing third left) and other guests at the Zeus Events-organised National Rugby Awards dinner

“W

e can only speak as we find, but 2016 has been a great year for us and the Brexit vote has had very little impact on our business or our clients.” So says Terry Rainback, the man who leads EMC’s operations in Surrey.

Indeed, since the 23rd June referendum, EMC has actually seen an increase in activity, not only in the mergers and acquisitions market where it already holds a commanding position in the region, but also in its interim support services focused around its ‘mobile boardroom’ of senior business advisers.

The firm, whose CEO Nik Askaroff has been named Insider South East’s Dealmaker of the Year for the last two years, completed a record 17 deals in 2016. And there are plenty more in the pipeline to give the firm encouragement

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that the current impetus will continue for some time yet.

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A lot of my colleagues… could quite easily have slipped into a fairly cosy retirement, but they feel they still want to offer something to those who are just starting out on the often bumpy entrepreneurial road.

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“I’d be very surprised if there’s another corporate finance firm as active as we are currently in our part of the South East,” Terry said. “While the stats show that the M&A market generally is down on last year’s record levels, partly caused by the uncertainty created by the decision to leave the EU, we are finding that there is still a healthy appetite for getting deals done, particularly at the smaller end of the SME market.

“Many larger companies are holding cash at the moment. What do they do with it? The banks, combined with low interest rates, aren’t exactly falling over themselves to encourage businesses to keep hold of it. So many of them are scouting around to see if they can invest

Mergers & Acquisitions the money by making strategic acquisitions.

large national or international companies.”

“At the same time, many owners of small businesses are recognising that this may be a good time to capitalise on the years of hard work they have put into building and running their companies. The profit multiples aren’t what they used to be but, good, well-run businesses can still attract a premium. With the future somewhat unpredictable in terms of values, many owners are deciding to cash in while the going is still relatively good.”

Terry is a case in point. He held senior management positions in one of the world’s leading international banking groups before joining EMC in 2003. The experience he gained and the contacts made over nearly two decades of dealing with domestic and international corporate finance, syndicated and asset-backed finance, mergers and acquisitions, as well as significant recovery and turnaround operations, has proved invaluable in the work he has done subsequently to help businesses and their owners.

Terry, who operates out of EMC’s office at Global House, 1 Ashley Avenue, Epsom - one of five offices the firm has across the South East - was the firm’s lead adviser in the recent £6m sale of Lancing-based Pasante Healthcare to Malaysian company Karex Bhd, the world’s fastest-expanding condom and sexual health manufacturer.

Pasante, which was formed in 2000 by local entrepreneurs Lawrence, Dominic and Paul Boon, had been a long-standing EMC client throughout its years of growth.

Terry said: “In lots of ways this was a typical EMC success story where we had worked for many years with business owners and then, when they decided the time was right, to help them to exit successfully.

“We are able to do this because of the type and calibre of the people who make up our team, nearly all of whom have had many years’ experience either running their own businesses or working at a very senior level in

Terry Rainback

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A recent survey carried out by Close Brothers showed that almost half of UK SMEs have experienced barriers when attempting to access finance.

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One recent start-up with which Terry has been closely involved is Zeus Events, started and co-owned by three professional rugby players. The company has grown rapidly to become a leading provider of corporate and hospitality events in the UK spanning rugby, cycling and cricket.

It founded and runs the National Rugby Awards, which recently saw over 700 guests experience a night to remember at Twickenham, and has had the pleasure of running and organising a massively successful 2016 testimonial year for the Harlequins and England International, Chris Robshaw.

“It’s the opportunity to work with clients like Zeus that make this work so enjoyable,” Terry said. “It has been incredibly rewarding to see the company grow and blossom since the first seeds were planted in 2014.

“It’s why I and most of my colleagues made the decision to join Nik Askaroff at EMC. The opportunity to work with businesses of all shapes and sizes across a range of sectors is something we all enjoy.

“A lot of my colleagues have been tremendously successful in starting, building and selling their own businesses. They could quite easily have slipped into a fairly cosy retirement, but they feel they still want to offer something to those who are just starting out on the often bumpy entrepreneurial road, as well as those who are already well established but may be in need of some short or long-term support.”

It’s this ability to attract top-end consultants that prompted the Financial Times some years ago to describe EMC as being akin to a ‘mobile boardroom’.

The epithet sums up perfectly what former Accountant of the Year Nik Askaroff set out to achieve when he formed EMC in 1989 at the start of what turned out to be a fairly lengthy and deep recession.

Terry Rainback (far right) celebrates the completion of the £6m sale of Pasante Healthcare to Malaysian company Karex with (from left) David Gordon of Mayo Wynne Baxter, Paul Boon, Dominic Boon and Lawrence Boon.

“Lots of businesses wanted help back then just to survive,” Terry said. “EMC very quickly

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Mergers & Acquisitions possibly the most important transaction of your life.”

Terry’s background and experience in corporate and international banking is often put to good use when assisting businesses and owners looking for borrowing and financial support.

A recent survey carried out by Close Brothers showed that almost half of UK SMEs have experienced barriers when attempting to access finance. Just under a quarter have been turned down for finance when they were seeking to expand.

“It is true that it can be a bit of a minefield,” Terry said. “But for borrowers with a good business proposition, it is one that with the right knowledge and approach will often be successful.

established a reputation as corporate first aiders, particularly for smaller firms that either couldn’t afford or didn’t feel the need for topend advice full-time. That’s still an important part of what we are and still do today.

“Companies still turn to us for help when they’re in some sort of crisis, just as they did back in our early days. But importantly lots more of them now choose to seek our support and advice when they are doing better as well.

“For many owner-directors, their business is their biggest asset. It therefore needs protecting and nurturing. Plans and strategies need to be developed and followed to ensure that, when the time comes to sell, it is in the best possible shape to give them the maximum reward for their years of hard work. That’s why we are increasingly getting involved in businesses at an earlier stage as owners start to make plans for maximising their exit.”

Terry added that he finds it strange, and even a little worrying, that some business owners still question the need to engage a corporate finance adviser when selling their businesses.

“Let’s face it, you wouldn’t climb a mountain or venture into uncharted waters without a proper guide,” he said. “It’s the same with selling your business. It is important to get support, advice and guidance to help you through what will be an exhausting, challenging and often frustrating journey.

Your adviser’s job is to ensure that you get to the desired outcome with minimum pain and disruption. The work and effort will still be significant, but with the right support you should get there and not regret the journey.

“That means having someone by your side who has all the right attributes and skills. They

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need to have the knowledge and experience to be able to provide you with the critical advice and guidance through what will usually be a complex process. Then they need to have a strong track record of having successfully been through the deal process many times, and having dealt with the seemingly endless array of scenarios that will arise and be thrown at you along the way.

“Last, but by no means least, they’ll need to be people you can trust. This is vital as you are going to be relying on your adviser and their professional team to help guide you through

“I have, over the years, helped many business owners to secure funding arrangements vital to their growth and success, and knowing what works and what doesn’t can make the whole process easier.

Banks and other business lenders often welcome receiving proposals that have been prepared with the help of specialist advisers because of the clarity and structure that such proposals usually provide.”

You can contact Terry Rainback by email at terryr@emcltd.co.uk or to find out more about EMC visit www.emcltd.co.uk

IoD Chairman joins the EMC team The latest person to join EMC’s ‘mobile boardroom’ is Howard Wilder, an award-winning Chartered Director and Chairman of the Sussex Branch of the Institute of Directors.

Howard founded Billingshurst based company Genitrix in 1997, growing it from scratch into a top 20 UK veterinary pharmaceutical business before exiting via a trade sale to Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC in December 2010 for a seven-figure sum.

He said: “Joining EMC gives me an opportunity to use the experience I have gained over more than 30 years in industry, to help the owners of small and medium sized businesses to develop the same sort of winning strategies that set me on the path to a successful exit.

“EMC has a tremendous track record in providing board-level expertise to companies on a short or long-term interim basis, as well as being able to field a corporate finance team without equal in the South East. It’s a unique offering that enables the firm to support businesses throughout their lifespan.”

Howard adds his considerable knowledge and experience in strategic planning and direction to a team that offers expertise across all the main professional disciplines – finance, sales, marketing, production, logistics, and strategic IT.

Property Investment

2017

REASONS TO BE OPTIMISTIC An uncertain year? Most certainly, but Kevin Johnson, from Index Property Information, is upbeat about the UK’s property market

2

016 was not the best in recent history— conflict horrors in Syria and Iraq and the resulting migrant crises; earthquakes, human casualties and destruction of communities in central Italy and New Zealand; the Brexit referendum uncertainties and Trump winning the White House; world of entertainment losses; Wogan, Rickman, Prince and Bowie to name just four. It feels like the whole world shifted ever so slightly on its axis.

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Despite the uncertain economic outlook, demand conditions have strengthened, reflecting the impact of solid labour market conditions and historically low borrowing costs.

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But it wasn’t all bad news; Sir Andy Murray took Wimbledon again and became world number one; Queen and country celebrated in spectacular style her 90th birthday; Team GB were awesome at the Rio Olympics; Major Tim Peake’s successful mission to the International Space Station; conservation successes in India, Russia and Nepal resulting in significant increases in tiger numbers for the first time in a century; Pokemon Go got everyone outside and walking more; the US and China ratified the Paris Climate Treaty; Juno went into orbit around Jupiter; Prince Harry found himself a girlfriend and Nestlé announced a revolutionary discovery so that it uses 40% less sugar on chocolate without changing the taste!

What could 2017 possibly hold for us after such turbulence? Well, according to

Nostradamus, China could make bold moves to cure the “economic imbalance” in the world with far-reaching effects; Italy could face financial hardship making it the “epicentre” of a fresh Eurozone crisis; the US is expected to become increasingly ungovernable and incompetent under Trump; a new truce will break out between Russia and Ukraine; there will be a “Hot War” over global warming and diminishing resources; and, in technology, Nostradamus predicted that cloud computing would simply become known as computing, solar power would become more widespread, and commercial space travel would take off with orbital flights around the Earth.

In the UK property orbit (my world as part of the Index network), generally the market has outperformed very low expectations since the shock Brexit referendum and resulting economic uncertainty. ‘Hipster’ pockets are enjoying better times than other parts of the country; the top six hotspots are Dalston, Shoreditch, Stratford, Stockwell, Stoke Newington and Tooting in London, where prices have increase by more than 50% in five years. Elsewhere, Montpelier in Bristol, previously dubbed one of the ‘coolest’ places to live in Britain, has seen property price growth of nearly 40%; the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham has experienced rises of 31%, Chorlton in Manchester and Headingly in

Leeds of 28% and Ecclesall Road in Sheffield of 25% over the same period. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily help with the issue of affordability.

Despite the uncertain economic outlook, demand conditions have strengthened, reflecting the impact of solid labour market conditions and historically low borrowing costs. Mortgage approvals increased in October, and surveyors report that new buyer inquiries have increased.

The Index philosophy was formed following the demise of the Home Information Pack era.

Simply put; utilise modern technology where it enhances the service but, at all times, a client’s needs come first. With everything that we do, we ask one question first; “does this help the client?” The success of the Index philosophy has been unprecedented, with multiple offices opening throughout the country on a yearly basis, we continue to be the UK’s fastest growing independent search provider.

In uncertain times, I do hope that in 2017 you will consider the benefits of working with Index. If nothing else can be guaranteed at least you’ll know that your conveyancing search requirement is in safe hands. A very happy and prosperous 2017 to one and all.

kevin.johnson@indexpi.co.uk www.indexpi.co.uk

The Index team

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Interview

FINANCIAL RECRUITING IN CAREFUL HANDS Lisa Wintrip, Director at Fletcher George Financial Recruitment, explains to Ian Trevett why the company values its commitment to offering a quality service

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ith uncertain times ahead, Lisa Wintrip and Darran Crellin can be excused if they were to say, “Been there, done that!” Darran set up Fletcher George in 2007 as an independent finance and accountancy recruiter, joined soon after by his co-director Lisa Wintrip. It doesn’t take a degree in Economic History to recall what came next. Almost as soon as they had taken the plunge into independence, the worst recession of recent times spread like wildfire across the globe with many companies reevaluating or indeed freezing recruitment.

It was a tough time for the most robust established businesses, but for a new start-up looking to establish a new brand it could have been fatal. The only way to survive was through a determination to succeed and a refusal to lose confidence. As Lisa Wintrip says, “If you can ride the storm and come through, then you have proved that you have

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something special about your company.”

In fact, she believes that starting in such a recessive market gave Fletcher George a real opportunity to prove themselves.

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We saw a gap for an agency which offers the level of service expected from a London company, but operating on a local level.

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“It was a challenging time,” recalls Lisa. “. If you don’t have a brand, people won’t pick the phone up. They will call you last or not at all.“ “On reflection, the way the company started out was actually a positive thing. We networked and worked hard to get ourselves

in front of firms of Accountants and we built relationships. We pride ourselves on how we build relationships that are long-term and developed with mutual trust, and the start of that was during the early years. We still enjoy working with many of those early clients today” The two directors met when they were working at Michael Page Recruitment. Darran had previously been a cost accountant for Corus before moving to London in 1990s, joining Michael Page, and then relocating to the Kingston office looking after industry and commerce. Lisa was based in the southern Home Counties and had found her niche of establishing new offices. The pair had a firm belief that their combined skills would excel in a boutique agency, focusing on the accountancy market.

“We wanted to take this level of expertise into a smaller owner-managed business and

Interview

Lisa Wintrip

focus in one area,” says Lisa. “We aimed to develop a brand which was slightly different to the other companies. We saw a gap for an agency which offers the level of service expected from a London company, but operating on a local level.”

“It was a very exciting time. We did notice the difference as we were used to working for a large corporate organisation and we had taken all the back office services for granted.

Also it was a new experience not having a well known brand and it was a case of working at the coal face.”

The first job was to decide what the company should be called, and they followed the industry convention of using a combination of people’s names, hinting at blue-stripe respectability. That’s where the convention ended. Fletcher George is not the combined surnames of the founders, but actually an old family name. But then again, Lisa and Darran pride themselves on doing things slightly different, and this is most noticeable in their absolute commitment to providing a bespoke service to both recruiter and candidate.

Lisa explains this ethos: “What makes us different is the individual touch, we offer a boutique service. One of our clients recently said to us: “You guys really care. It’s not an act.

It is genuine. You have a real interest in my company and you look for what’s best for the company.”

“It is key to match the right person to the right job, so they stay there and add value to the company. We believe the person we place represents our company and our reputation.

We are not after the quick commission. We want the client to know that we have spent time finding a good long term solution. We have had many instances where we placed

It will be no surprise to learn that finding the candidates with the right skills and experience is difficult: “Candidates are scarce and we use all our experience to source the right people. The traditional job boards still work, however our best candidates are usually through referrals and recommendations. Also there are the people who may have registered four or five years ago but for whatever reason we didn’t place. We stay in touch with them and keep the relationship going, so when they come back to the market, they are very likely to get in touch.”

Darran Crellin

a candidate who has worked up through the firm and become the recruiter, and they remember the service that we gave them.”

Fletcher George works with finance and accounting professionals resident locally in South West London and Surrey, including the Hampshire and Sussex borders. They recruit for both Public Practice and also for commercial businesses in the local area.

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We believe the person we place represents our company and our reputation. We are not after the quick commission. We want the client to know that we have spent time finding a good long term solution

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The typical client is quite diverse and includes firms of Accountants who are in the Top 20, Top 30 and Top 50 and have a local regional presence, as well as local independents. They recruit at all levels across a firm.

“Our core business, about 60-70%, is recruiting Accountants into Accountancy firms,” says Lisa. “The other 30% of our business is in placing Financial Controllers, Finance Managers and other senior Finance Professionals, usually where one of our clients in Practice sees the need for one of their clients to have their own Finance Professional in house. As we have the relationship with the Accountancy firm we will recruit the right person, usually on a project basis.”

It is also important to keep an eye on the local business scene to recognise opportunities, such as mergers or acquisitions.

Lisa comments, “When independents are taken over it is often a move with retirement or succession in mind. Once the acquisition or merger is complete, often one of the partners may step down creating a new managerial role. Also, mergers can unsettle people or there may be a relocation, so firms joining together can often create recruitment opportunities.”

Change is often a positive thing for recruiters, so what about the unpredictable situation we find ourselves in? “Brexit doesn’t overly worry us as we have our own niche market and we are well established. We want to continue with organic growth, so we are moving forward without losing any quality of the service we offer. We intend to further develop the brand within the Surrey market.

“Surrey is one of the leading economic centres in the UK. In the early years we faced quite a lot of competition in the financial recruitment sector, but the reason why there have been many financial recruiters is that there is a strong market in the county.

But we offer something a bit different. We view ourselves as a boutique agency, where the relationship with clients and candidates is of paramount importance.”

www.fletchergeorge.co.uk For further information, please contact LIsa Wintrip at lisa@fletchergeorge.co.uk, 01372 364160

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Chamber Patron - Guildford College

WHAT’S ON YOUR AGENDA Building lives for the future at Guildford College

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ervices to Business is part of the Guildford College Group and is dedicated to working closely with employers to make a positive impact on their business. We have established an outstanding reputation for our commitment and knowledge of what employers want from training programmes and can support organisations in accessing any available funding.

Essentially, we want to make your business, our business. To enable us to do this, we can: • Design and deliver courses specifically tailored to your industry or individual requirement.

• Train your staff at a time and place to suit you; at your workplace or at College.

• Provide certificated courses on a distance learning basis (including NVQs) and e-learning.

• Deliver courses over a timescale to suit you whether intensive, short courses or less intensive courses over a longer period of

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time leading to a professional qualification.

Our strength is the ability to recognise specific areas that may benefit from

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We have established an outstanding reputation for our commitment and knowledge towards Apprenticeships, and provide ongoing support for both the employer and apprentice throughout their training

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training development, by offering free Organisational Needs Analysis to identify the most appropriate training solutions for your

business. Our flexible approach removes many barriers that can stand in the way of your development needs.

With decades of experience, we have also established an outstanding reputation for our commitment and knowledge towards apprenticeships, and provide ongoing support for both the employer and apprentice throughout their training. We currently work with over 600 local employers and offer Apprenticeships in over 20 subject areas, so contact us today to discuss your requirements and we can work with you to identify which Apprenticeship level best fits your requirements.

Services to Business at Guildford College currently works with over 1000 employers across the Surrey and Hampshire area and delivers over 600 apprentices. To contact one of the team to discuss your training or Apprenticeship requirements, please email employers@guildford.ac.uk or call 01483 448530

Chamber Patron - Surrey Business School

BUSINESS HEAD Connecting people across the world of business, with Surrey Business School

S

urrey Business School is working on business solutions across the spectrum, with start-ups to blue chip companies, to develop business know-how using innovative teamwork techniques in our new Business Insights Lab. The lab draws together research, teaching, brokering and problem solving, tapping in on our strengths across the University, to foster new business innovation strategies. The Business Insights Lab is designed for the Digital Age, we don’t just study theory; we shape and develop new practice through collaboration and experimentation.

Furthermore, innovation has never been as important for business as it is today with challenges including slow economic growth, technology advances, globalisation and, more recently, Brexit. In turn, governments are increasingly looking to small and medium size companies (SME’s) to lead this charge for economic and job growth.

However, the biggest challenge to innovation is funding. How do companies finance

growth? What kind of finance should they consider? What are the changes in the financing landscape over the past year and what may they be, as we look to the future?

For these reasons, Access to Business Funding Forum, an event organised by the Surrey Business School in conjunction with Surrey Chambers of Commerce, could not have been more relevant and proved to be a big success with more than 80 attendees.

The panel included Business Growth Fund, Crowdcube, FSE Group, Alternative Business Funding, UK Export Finance, Santander Bank and many more.

technology, engineering, marketing, business and third sector industries.

Paul Stone, Former Vice President Strategy & Portfolio, Shell International and Surrey Business School Advisory Board member said: “My mentee has been a delight to work with, always keen to meet up or chat with over Skype and delve into areas of interest.

Having the chance to work with one of today’s professionals as their mentor is stimulating and keeps you in touch with today’s business realities.”

The event looked at a broader context for funding innovation, from traditional sources such as debt and equity to other means such as tax credits, grants and pension-led borrowing.

If you would like to attend the next Access to Business Funding Forum in October or would like to enquire about mentoring or research opportunities, please get in touch with Abi Bradbeer, Business Manager sbs@ surrey.ac.uk.

Another way we are connecting people to valuable business expertise is through our Surrey MBA Mentoring Programme; pairing students with a mentor relevant to their sector, profession and personality. Our mentors are experienced executives, CEOs and leaders from

You can also access our new Executive Education leadership courses which have been developed together with our new Centre for Leadership and Decision-Making. Please get in touch with Erin Mcleod, Executive Education Manager, e.mcleod@surrey.ac.uk.

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Business Awards

EPSOM & EWELL BUSINESS AWARDS 2016

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he Epsom & Ewell Business Awards celebrated business excellence in the local community at the Awards Finals held at the University for the Creative Arts in November. Winners were announced for each of the nine categories and the Best Overall Business sponsored by Radio Jackie was awarded to The Personal Agent.

The winning businesses and individuals were awarded some great prizes which included a tour of the House of Commons, £1000 worth of radio advertising courtesy of Radio Jackie, a full page advertisement in Out & About in Epsom, Ewell & Ashtead.

Membership of Surrey Chambers to all winners and annual membership to thebestof Epsom & Ewell to the Best New Business winner.

Chris Grayling MP, said, “We had a really good mix of winners who are a great tribute to the depth and variety of the local business community in Epsom & Ewell. Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up for all their handwork and success.

“I am particularly delighted that The Personal Agent has been awarded The Best Overall Business. Set up in 2004, The Personal Agent have demonstrated how to successfully launch a new business and then grow to become leaders in a highly competitive market.

Focus on outstanding customer service and personal attention are key to their success.”

Rupert Briggs, from The Personal Agent, said, “All of us at The Personal Agent are so proud to have won the Best Overall Business in Epsom & Ewell Award. It means so much to us. We launched our business 12 years ago with no money in a small room in a serviced office above McDonalds and through hard work, belief, many great members of our team and the support of the local community, we are proof that anything is achievable if you put your mind to it.”

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WINNERS: BEST NEW BUSINESS The Stitch Mouse BEST BUSINESS FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE Bills BEST BUSINESS FOR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY Mary Zoeller Associates BEST BUSINESS FOR COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT Organico BEST YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR Jolyon Brooks – Brooks Gardening

BEST SMALL INDEPENDENT RETAILER Ooh La La Hair & Beauty Salon BEST SME BUSINESS The Personal Agent BEST BUSINESS FOR FOOD & HOSPITALITY Bamboo Basket BEST WEBSITE OR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA What’s on in My Town OVERALL BEST BUSINESS The Personal Agent

Golf

FOXHILLS TO HOST PGA CUP Surrey Chambers of Commerce patron chosen for trans-Atlantic golf showdown

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oxhills Club & Resort, a patron of Surrey Chambers of Commerce, has been announced as the host venue for Great Britain & Ireland’s eagerly anticipated PGA Cup clash with the United States in 2017.

The Surrey club will stage the 28th playing of the matches which will be contested over three days in a Ryder Cup-style format from September 15th-17th.

GB&I will be bidding to retain the Llandudno Trophy following their thrilling, and historic, first triumph on US soil at CordeValle, California in 2015.

Foxhills enjoys a long tradition of hosting elite level golf having staged a number of prestigious tournaments such as the European Tour’s Tournament Players Championship and the Tour’s Qualifying School where Open champion Sandy Lyle tasted victory.

the Longcross or the Bernhard Hunt courses, but after playing both, he and vice captains Cameron Clarke and Martyn Thompson plumped for the former.

PGA chief executive Sandy Jones commented: “Foxhills is a perfect venue for the PGA Cup with a great history and a fantastic course that will be ideal to showcase the talents of the leading PGA players from either side of the Atlantic.

The tree-lined Longcross, which plays 6,750 yards off the back tees, is set to provide a perfect setting for the 28th PGA Cup from September 15-17 which will see GB&I bidding to retain the trophy they won in California in 2015.

“The victory in California last year has really whetted everyone’s appetite for this next chapter in this great event.

MacKenzie said, “I feel the Longcross is more British in its style, it is heavily tree-lined with a huge emphasis on precision.

“With GB&I also having tied at Slaley Hall in 2013, and grabbed victory on the last hole in 2015, it promises to be another equally close fought and exciting contest between the teams.”

“It is also a great matchplay course from a risk and reward point of view - many of the holes, particularly on the back nine, fall into that category.

The PGA Cup is a biennial matchplay competition contested between The PGA and the PGA of America. Ten players from each Association compete in a Ryder Cup-style format of foursomes, fourballs and singles played over three days.

“It is tight with tree-lined fairways and smaller greens which have got more subtle slopes.

The event was first played at Pinehurst Country Club in 1973. 2017 will be the 28th staging of the matches.

“There is a strong emphasis on hitting fairways and keeping the ball under the hole.

I couldn’t be happier. It is a wonderful golf course and I know our guys will enjoy the challenge that it presents.”

www.foxhills.co.uk

Marc Hayton, the managing director of Foxhills, added: “The PGA Cup is an excellent showcase of the world’s best club professionals and we are delighted to host the 2017 event.”

Great Britain & Ireland’s captain Albert MacKenzie was given the choice of either

Foxhill’s director of golf Chris Reeve, added: “Longcross is a splendid course which really challenges golfers. Length isn’t an advantage; players need to be tactically astute and manage their game if they’re going to do well, something I think will favour the British and Irish players.”

Longcross is a regular feature in top 100 courses lists while its 536-yard par five 14th was voted one of the greatest holes in golf in a listener poll on BBC Radio 5 Live.

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Golf

SURREY CHAMBERS GOLF SOCIETY Why not join a thriving Business Networking Golf Society?

Now in it’s 21st year, it is open to all business people to join.

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Golf

2017 FIXTURES WEDNESDAY 22ND FEB

WED 21ST JUNE

St George’s Hill GC

Hayling Island GC

Bacon rolls, tee off from 8.45am, 18 holes and lunch. Ends at 5.30pm.

Coffee, tee off 9.30am, 18 holes and 2 course lunch. Ends 6pm.

SCGS & SCC Members £85 + vat

SCGS & SCC Members £85 + vat

Guests £95 + vat

Guests £95 + vat

TUESDAY 28TH MARCH West Hill GC Full English breakfast, tee off from 8.30am, 18 holes and carvery lunch. Ends by 5.30pm.

SCGS & SCC Members £70 + vat Guests £85 + vat

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Excellent Society, brilliantly run, can’t fault anything JASON LURIE

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WEDNESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER

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I think we must be pretty unique to have such regularly well attended golf days throughout the year – testimony to the quality of the courses and the fact that we have a really big core of business players that enjoy meeting up with each other ANDREW LANE

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WEDNESDAY 5TH JULY

WEDNESDAY 5TH APRIL

Worplesdon GC

Walton Heath GC

Bacon rolls, tee off from 9am, two tee start,18 holes and 3 course carvery lunch.

Ends by 5.30pm.

Bacon rolls, tee off from 9am, 18 holes (Old Course) and carvery lunch. Ends 5.30pm.

SCGS & SCC Members £150+ vat

SCGS & SCC Members £120 + vat Guests £135 + vat

Guests £165 + vat

TUESDAY 16TH MAY

TUESDAY 1ST AUGUST

Coombe Hill GC

Cuddington GC

Bacon rolls, tee off 8.30am, 18 holes and 3 course lunch. Ends by 5.30pm.

Tee off 1.30pm, 18 holes and 2 course supper. Ends 9pm.

SCGS & SCC Members £120 + vat

SCGS & SCC Members £70 + vat

Guests £135 + vat

Guests £85 + vat

New Zealand GC Coffee and bacon rolls, tee off from 8.45am, 18 holes and late lunch. Ends 5.30pm.

SCGS & SCC Members £125.00 + vat/ Guests £140.00 + vat

THURSDAY 19TH OCTOBER Camberley Heath GC Bacon rolls, tee off from 10am, 18 holes and late lunch. Ends 5.30pm.

SCGS & SCC Members £70 + vat Guests £85 + vat

THURSDAY 9TH NOVEMBER Swinley Forest GC. Bacon rolls, tee off 8.45am, 18 holes and late lunch. Ends 5.30pm.

SCGS & SCC Members £125 + vat Guests £140 + vat

TUESDAY 5TH DECEMBER Woking GC Bacon rolls, tee off 9.10am, 18 holes and lunch. Ends 5.30pm.

SCGS & SCC Members tbc Guests tbc Membership of the golf society runs annually. Members of Surrey Chambers can register for free. Non-members £50 +VAT (per person) or 2 years at a discounted rate of £85 +VAT

SURREY CHAMBERS

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Interview

ARCHITECTS OF WELL-BEING Yelo Architects are flying high, winning big project bids and the award for Professional Services at the Sussex Business Awards. but for founder and MD Andy Parsons, nothing matters more than having a happy and healthy workplace. Interview by Ian Trevett.

“I

’ve always wanted Yelo to be somewhere where I want to work, an environment where work is good fun,” says Andy Parsons, founder of Yelo Architects.

It’s not the first time I have heard such a statement, but in this case, the actions certainly match the words.

“Our philosophy is very much focused on ensuring our staff are happy and healthy. We don’t have a culture of long hours. In fact, my remit for business is to try and reduce stress as much as possible. When we take on clients, I will go with my gut feeling of whether those people are going to be the right fit for the office. We had a client a few years ago who made one of my staff cry and we stopped working for them straight away.

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Our growth curve is crazy – our turnover is almost doubling every year.

❞

“We run meditation sessions on Thursday mornings, we have staff lunches and trips, we have a social event every month and we have a table tennis table. We have a tournament to encourage people to come in here and play. We encourage people to take breaks and go on holidays. We also support staff with courses, including degree and masters courses. We utilise the Brighton Chamber a lot for training and they are brilliant, they put on loads of courses for staff about how to present in front of groups of people or how to manage your time.

“The feedback from entering or winning awards encourages you to do even more. This

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year our whole remit is about health and wellbeing. January is always a challenging month so we organised healthy treats like massages and acupuncture for our staff and reduced their hours for the month. It went so well we intend to carry on. We’re now doing a lunch each month which is focused on well-being, so we’ll have speakers on mindfulness, nutrition and sleep. It all feeds back and ensures that everyone’s happy and healthy.”

created a horrible work environment. I knew exactly how I would run my own company after these experiences.”

Andy’s passion for staff welfare is rooted in his own experiences as an employee before he struck out on his own.

After graduating from an intense seven year course, Andy joined a local firm working for working on residential projects. After five years, he joined a London practice and took over the management of their Brighton office. It was the best of both worlds: “I was able to keep up with what was happening in London but I was also learning how to run an architectural practice at the same time.” It was all good until 2007.

“I always remember the first architectural practice I worked for. When my Nan in Devon became seriously ill, my boss literally handed me his car keys and said “Go, take my car and see your nan. Don’t worry about getting back until you are ready.” I just thought that’s brilliantly supportive. When I was working in London I was working under an ‘angry boss’, and you never knew what mood he would be in when you walked in each morning, which

“I had been there for three years and then the recession kicked in. Architects are always hit really early in recessions as we are right at the front line. The company closed all of their sub offices and moved everyone who was left up to London. I commuted for two years and absolutely hated it, and the trains then were a lot better than they are now! Also, I couldn’t see a long-term future at the place I was working at.

Interview that’s a nice niche – We’re really enjoying that.

The wine industry is an amazing industry.

“We’d like to see more commercial work, particularly outside Brighton, in Sussex and Surrey. It’s hard for commercials in the towns and cities as the planning system is now set up to encourage more residential. We are seeing a lot of industrial or commercial in rural areas, often in converted farms.”

“Over Christmas I decided to leave, and after chatting to a client who promised me work, I decided to start my own business. I literally started the business from the end of my lounge. It was just me for about 18 months. I chose the name Yelo as I have always liked the colour and wanted something memorable and distinctive” “I won a project for the Brighton Dome ticket office and decided it was the time to get an office and take the next step of taking on staff. I didn’t want to be a one-man band fighting for scraps; I intended to build a larger business, bidding for the big projects I was used to working on in London.

The residential side is even busier and the practice is currently working on two big projects: one of 200 flats and another with 180.

The firm is growing fast and they are very ambitious, as Andy explains: “Our growth curve is crazy – our turnover is almost doubling every year. Our market has been growing all the time as more and more people hear about us because we’re quite young still, so we’ve always got people coming in who are new clients.

“We’ve always worn a slightly bigger coat than we needed, and put things into place before we grow. We’ve always been set up

to expand and in our office we have interior designers, architects and technologists. We also have a virtual reality specialist working for us as well, which is really unusual.

“In our office we’ve got Jo, the practice manager, bringing in all the systems. We’ve got a system which programmes all our work, resources and invoicing. We’re very digitally focused here. We also have an office manager, a finance director, a full time digital marketing expert – companies our size don’t normally have these things in place.

“I like the idea of serving London from Brighton. The Brighton brand is quite strong up in London anyway. Certainly when we pitch projects up there, they really like the way we work. However, we also see the need for another regional office. The plan is to expand in Sussex and Surrey and keep growing.”

With such ambitions, it no wonder that Andy need his team to stay healthy and motivated!

www.yeloarchitects.com

❝

Our philosophy is very much focused on ensuring our staff are happy and healthy.

We don’t have a culture of long hours.

❞

“When it was just myself and Naomi in the office, we won a big project - One Hove Park, on the condition that we could prove that we could resource it. I rang round all my architect mates, who were on short weeks or had been made redundant. I got all of them in to work for me for a period of six weeks and we just delivered this planning application. It got us noticed and triggered more offers.

“We now have a team of 15, which, outside London, is a good size for an architectural office. And we’re working over a really broad scale of projects.”

One area that Andy is keen to expand on is commercial work. “We’re working with Bison Beer, doing the Bison Arms, which is a crowdfunded seafront pub. That’s a really cool project. We’re also working with 64 Degrees restaurant and Oliver Heath is doing the interior design.

“We’re doing more vineyard work as well, SURREY CHAMBERS

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Branding

A SENSE OF PURPOSE Sam Farrow, Managing and Creative Director, Farrow Creative, explains why your branding has never been more important

In uncertain, unpredictable times, your brand is – or should be – one of the true constants in your business.

That means looking beyond the logo and making sure your brand is robust, cohesive and effective at every level.

T

his time last year seems like another universe – politically, economically, socially and financially. And if so much can change in just 12 months, it’s anyone’s guess where we, and our businesses, will find ourselves come January 2018.

In such volatile times, our thinking can quickly become more tactical than strategic.

We look to cut costs, make savings, say ‘yes’ to anything and everything that could help ensure the doors stay open. This is perfectly natural, and also not necessarily wrong: it’s the basic will to survive, which overrides every other instinct.

❝

A brand is a top-to-bottom statement of who you are, what you do, why you do it and what you stand for.

❞

In that sense, your brand acts as a benchmark or set of standards – a kind of moral compass for the business, informing your decision-making and helping you stay true to the values that your customers identify with and appreciate about you. Chasing

they require and deserve. There’s reason to hope that in 2017, businesses will continue to take this more strategic approach to their brands.

a particular piece of business may make commercial sense now, but if it harms your brand long-term, it may be better to let it go.

Similarly, an off-the-shelf template website will get you a presence on the web (reasonably) quickly and (possibly) cheaply, but it almost certainly won’t allow you to express your brand personality fully or precisely.

right things. To be effective, a brand must be consistent and cohesive. Defining your identity, tone of voice, values, position and proposition is essential in ensuring your brand hangs together. If something doesn’t fit or ring true, people won’t trust it; and trust is at the heart of a successful brand.

❝

Your brand acts as a benchmark or set of standards – a kind of moral compass for the business

❞

For years, the received wisdom was that when times got tough, marketing budgets were the first against the wall. The 2008 recession seems to have altered that.

Businesses, happily, have realised that brands are among their most valuable assets, and are giving them the time, care and investment

But as with any investment, you need to be sure you’re putting money into the

No one knows your business better than you do, of course; but working with a specialist agency gives you that vital independent perspective. Your chosen partner should also be able to handle all the practicalities, from design, images and copy to website construction and hosting, to deliver a seamless brand experience.

For businesses, things have rarely been so uncertain. Which means your brand has never been more important.

For branding, design and digital advice ask the expert at sam@ farrowcreative.co.uk www.farrowcreative.co.uk

However, there’s a danger that what’s good for the bottom line in the short-term may be less beneficial to your brand in the longer run.

Because, as we all know, a brand is much more than just a logo, strapline, fonts and colour palette. It’s a top-to-bottom statement of who you are, what you do, why you do it and what you stand for. Put it another way: it’s what customers buy into as well as what they buy from you.

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Travel - Havana

Shake hands in...

HAVANA

With all eyes on Cuba, how will the nation evolve to meet the increasing demands of tourists and business travellers? Rose Dykins reports.

“H

avana is a beautiful lady,” says my tour guide Michel, his white smile appearing in the rear-view mirror of his scarlet Mercury Monterey 1957. “The only thing she needs is a new dress.”

We’re discussing Cuba’s impending American tourism boom as we cruise down the Malecon esplanade with top down, the warm breeze caressing my face and shoulders. To my right, the Gulf of Mexico’s polite waves break against an austere, grey seawall, where locals linger in pairs. To my left, is Havana. And Michel’s not wrong about the change of outfit.

❝

People aren’t exactly salsa-ing in the streets, as some travel agents would have you believe. They’re doing what they need to get by.

❞

Havana has a haunting beauty – a bit like the debris from an unforgettable party. Decay has knawed away at her architecture; colour has bled from the splendid Spanish colonial buildings, from the beguiling art deco frontages. And it’s a hard place to thrive. Citizens queue outside dinghy ration shops, while scam artists linger by the Maceo Monument, trying to seduce tourists into coming to a “rumba festival” with them – only to lead them to a fate of expensive knock-off cigars. People aren’t exactly salsa-ing in the streets, as some travel agents would have you believe. They’re doing what they need to get by.

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Revolution Square

Travel - Havana We drive on to the lush embassy district of Vedado, where trees are blanketed in creepers, their chunky trunks the texture of melted wax, and the flamboyant casas are considerably more well-kept. Their owners fled to the US in the 1960s - leaving behind their belongings and their beloved luxury cars – as Fidel Castros’s new regime meant these ostentatious mansions were now property of the state.

Now, they are inhabited by the descendants of the lucky beneficiaries of the Cuban Revolution, the country’s poorest people.

My visit to Cuba coincides with the end of the nine-day mourning period for Fidel Castro, after he passed away on November 25th. At the time, there was an international flurry of forecasting – what would his death mean for Cuba’s future? Though his mark on Cuba is immeasurable, it’s worth remembering that Fidel has not been in the driving seat for almost a decade. “His death really is not going to make a whole lot difference in where Cuba is on press freedom, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and political freedom,” says American journalist Karen DeYoung in a video for The Washington Post. “I think for those people who still believe in the revolution and consider Fidel Castro the epitome of the revolution – and there are many of them in Cuba – I think that he’s a sort of symbolic figure, but not a real figure anymore in their

Michel and his Mercury Monterey 1957 lives, and hasn’t been for some time.”

Slow-forming but significant changes have come into play since Castro handed over power to his brother, Raul, in 2008. That year, Cubans were permitted to purchase wifi for the first time, and they were allowed to leave the island freely, without the need for exit

visas or invitations, in 2013. Since 2014, the Obama administration has worked with Raul Castro to reopen mutual embassies in the two nations, re-launch direct air travel between them, and re-establish trade relations, subject to ongoing negotiations. This has seen US companies such as Google and Starwood

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6103

Travel - Havana Hotels and Resorts seek opportunities in Cuba.

And, despite Trump’s threats that he will undo the ‘deal’ if Cuba “is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban/American people, and the US as a whole”, he has been reportedly scouting out locations in Cuba for expanding his hospitality empire…

However, plenty has stayed the same and there won’t be a sudden idealogical leap from evolved socialism to outright capitalism. Free medical care is provided to all citizens, including weekly zika checks in a community if a case is reported there. Monthly food rations are supplied to everyone - essentials such as rice, beans, meat, sugar, salt, baby food and matches. Free university education is granted to all who perform well enough at school, and the nation has a 100% literacy rate. Despite this, salaries average at US$25 per month, with half the population earning US$300-US$400 annually, with little variation between professions.

In terms of private enterprise, Cuba’s attitude has shifted over time, thanks to reforms led by Raul Castro, who recognised that if the economy failed, then so did his brother’s ultimate vision. In 2012, there were more than 385,000 entrepreneurs, accounting for 7.5 percent of the

Hemel Street

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More destinations than any other UK airport

50

Source: OAG schedules 2016

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Travel - Havana return to Havana for a luxurious end to my trip. Situated in Vedado, Paseo 206 opened in September 2016, and is hopefully a sign of things to come for the Cuban capital.

Ration shop

“Our family has been in the hospitality business since 1999, operating from our home in Vedado,” says Diana Sainz, the hotel’s coowner and general manager. “Our guests were always interested in our stories and our family history, they were captivated by my father’s stories of the revolution and his overseas trips with Fidel and Che Guevuara.

“These memories left a mark on me. I knew that one day I wanted to open a hotel that offered the best rooms and service in town. After all these years, I’m proud to offer an authentic Cuban experience with the sophistication of a boutique hotel.”

national workforce. Cuba’s niche economic conditions have cultivated a generation of hungry self-starters, and there’s a tangible sense of aspiration, from the striking number of locals converting their homes into restaurants and casa particulares (homestays for tourists), to the overqualified hotel staff,

❝

The time-warp vibe somewhat hinders the pace of doing business, and you would need to have a long-term perspective, resourcefulness, and patience in buckets

❞

eager to earn money and create a better life for themselves. A few entrepreneurs have even created a version of Uber, called Yotellevo (yotellevocuba.com). Due to the lack of ubiquitous 3G coverage, the service currently works over email, meaning you contact Yotellevo days in advance, stating when and where you need to travel around Cuba, and they send over three different potential drivers. (I tried the service, but my driver cancelled on me, and, for long-distance journeys, there are more competitive rates to be found on the ground with a service called Cubataxi).

Given the current fervour for visiting Cuba ‘before it changes’, and factors such as its

educated population, its growing economy and its (hopefully) improved relations with the US, the tourism sector and other service-based industries present promising opportunities for international investors. However, the time-warp vibe somewhat hinders the pace of doing business, and you would need to have a long-term perspective, resourcefulness, and patience in buckets. Cuba is hard work, mainly due to the limited infrastructure and imports.

Wifi is hard to come by (patchy and expensive when you do find it) and operations at Jose Marti International airport are far from slick – my flight home from Havana was delayed by 2.5 hours as there was only one ramp available to offload bags from every single plane. However, developments are taking place to accommodate the rising number of traveller, which increased by 15% in the first half of 2016 compared with the same year. In Havana for example, plans are underway to create two new cruise terminals.

Paseo 206 retains the framework of a 20thcentury Vedado mansion - including a grand marble staircase, wood panelling and detailed cornicing in its eight rooms – but washes it in cool, uplifting colours and adds pops of contemporary European furniture. Its wifi is free and fairly reliable, its staff are excellent, and the handmade fettucini pasta served in its restaurant is perfection.

Above all, it’s tasteful… a careful renovation of the city’s fascinating and precious history, rather than a rude intrusion. A new dress for Havana, rather than a new body. And it suits her.

After ten days travelling around the island – rumbling down its highways in vintage cars, hiking around the tobacco plantations of Vinales, and shaking maracas with a Old Town Havana salsa band in Trinidad – I SURREY CHAMBERS

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Travel - Havana

WHERE TO MEET HOTEL NACIONAL

➠

If walls could talk, this iconic 1930s hotel would have some stories to tell; it has hosted reams of Hollywood stars, world leaders and even mafia conferences. The statuesque property has an executive floor, a business centre and ten meeting spaces, plus vast sea-facing lawns for outdoor events. hotelnacionaldecuba.com

PASEO 206 Homey yet refined, this design-led boutique hotel has a coolhued, oval-shaped room for private dining, featuring a carrera marble floor and a mollecular light fixture. It has space for ten people. A rooftop spa with a health bar and plunge pool is due to open in March. paseo206.com

➠ MELIA HABANA

➠

Set in the affluent Miramar district, opposite the Miramar Trade Centre, this business hotel offers an executive floor named The Level, with PCs and space for informal meetings.

There’s also a fitness centre, three outdoor freshwater pools and a range of restaurants suitable for business lunches. melia.com

Go for a spin For a vintage car tour of Havana, with themes ranging from Ernest Hemmingway to ‘Havana at night’, contact vintagetour-cuba.com or book via the Malecon633 hotel, which opens this month.

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The Brooklands Experience

THE BROOKLANDS EXPERIENCE

By Maarten Hoffmann

B

rooklands is an important historical site located in Weybridge and it’s not until you really look into the site, that you realise quite how historically important it really is.

Today the site is occupied by three exciting venues – the Brooklands Museum, the Brooklands Hotel and Mercedes-Benz World.

As a dedicated petrol head, spending the day here is nirvana and l didn’t waste a minute.

THE MUSEUM This is one of the most important historic sites in England’s long and illustrious motor racing heritage and was the birthplace of British motorsport, and aviation. The banked circuit was constructed by Hugh F. Locke King in 1907 and was the first purpose-built race circuit in the world. As if that were not enough, it was also one of the country’s first aerodromes, and was a leading aircraft design and manufacturing centre producing a remarkable 18,600 new aircraft of over 260 types between 1908 and 1987. The

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‘Daily Mail Round Britain Air Race’ of 1911 started and finished at Brooklands, and both the event and the location later influenced the theme of the classic 1965 Twentieth Century Fox British film comedy ‘Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines’ (based at the fictitious but remarkably similar ‘Brookfield’). Vickers purchased the site in 1946 for £330,000, which allowed them to produce civilian aircraft. The most notable of these was the Vickers Viscount, of which 444 were built between Brooklands and Bournemouth. In 1959 the Vanguard was test flown from Brooklands. In 1962 the test flight for the prototype VC10 also took place at Brooklands, and subsequently all 53 production VC10’s were flown out as well before being completed and test flown at Wisley.

Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd operates the independent Brooklands Museum as a charitable trust and a private limited company incorporated on March 12th 1987; its aim is to conserve, protect and interpret

the unique heritage of the Brooklands site.

In February 2015, it was announced that Brooklands would receive a £4.681 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will substantially help to fund the £7 million The Bank

The Brooklands Experience Mercedes at Brooklands

Brooklands Aircraft Factory and Race-Track Revival Project. This will consist of the dismantling and restoration of the 1940 Belman Hangar, construction of a new Flight Shed exhibition building and restoration of the Finishing Straight plus a completely new “Aircraft Factory” exhibition area within the reconstructed Hangar.

Because Brooklands was the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit, there were no established rules to follow. To begin with, many of the procedures were based on horse racing traditions, partly in an attempt to attract a ready-made audience to this new and curious sport. Cars assembled in the ‘paddock’, were ‘shod’ with tyres, weighed by the ‘Clerk of the Scales’ for handicapping and drivers were even instructed to identify themselves by wearing coloured silks in the manner of jockeys.

On the morning of 15th February 1913, in front of a large crowd of press and public, the small but courageous Brooklands racing driver, Percy Lambert, achieved a world record 103.84mph. Tragically, while trying to improve his own record a few months later, after promising his fiancée that he would attempt no more, he crashed and was killed. Many still

Concorde resides at the museum

Racing at Brooklands

say his ghost regularly walks at Brooklands in full racing attire.

Motor racing stopped at Brooklands in 1914 with the outbreak of World War 1 but resumed in the 1920’s when the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club (BARC) took over and hosted a glittering array of races such as the first-ever British Grand Prix in 1926, the British Empire Trophy race in 1929 and the Double Twelve Hour Race, so named as 24 hour racing was banned due to noise restrictions. Not to be deterred, they split it into two 12 hour daylight races. It was not long before racing at Brooklands became as fashionable in the society calendar at Henley, Wimbledon and Ascot.

With the outbreak of World War Two, the aerodrome was requisitioned by the Government and devoted to the production of Vickers and Hawker aircraft, including Hurricane fighters and Wellington bombers.

When peace returned, everyone lived in high hopes of the Track’s eventual recovery but the anticipated costs were too high. Temporary hangars had been erected on the Track, German bombs had exploded on various parts of the Track in 1940 and camouflage was used

heavily in the form of tree planting and canvas houses to obscure Brooklands’ distinctive shape which made it an easy target for the Luftwaffe. The government could not see its way to releasing Brooklands until 1949 and consequently the shareholders of Brooklands (Weybridge) Ltd voted in favour of selling the track to Vickers-Armstrong Ltd in 1946 and motor racing at Brooklands became no more than a memory.

But visiting the Museum today is like a trip back in time. Many of the original buildings are still there along with a short section of the original banked circuit. It is not until you actually step foot on the 30ft high bank that you realise quite how terrifying it must have been, thundering around at over 100mph with no safety equipment and the death rate would have been frighteningly high. Brooklands CEO, Allan Winn treated me with a drive on the remaining length of track in a beautiful old Triumph to gain just a glimpse back to the day of such heroic daring. Oh what l would give to have been alive there and to have raced this circuit.

If you haven’t visited Brooklands Museum, you are missing an absolute treat and l urge you to go.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang SURREY CHAMBERS

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The Brooklands Experience

THE BROOKLANDS HOTEL

T

his beautiful hotel is directly opposite the Museum and boasts an iconic, art deco inspired interior with the occasional nod to the sites heritage. Built atop the original site of the Brooklands Solomon straight, the fastest section of the circuit, the hotel has a steel strip running through the lobby at the exact location of the historic straight.

Little expense has been spared in the construction of this beautiful 4-star hotel with sumptuous rooms, spa, gym, meeting rooms and an award winning restaurant, aptly named 1907 as a nod to the circuit.

Upon check-in, ones eye is taken by the art deco interior so superbly crafted into a modern building and it is no surprise that it was voted one of the Sunday Times top 100 ‘best small companies to work for’ as the staff cannot do enough for their guests. As for my room choice, there really was only one option. An executive suite with an enormous balcony

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overlooking the Mercedes-Benz World track.

This might not be to everyone’s liking but being woken up to the sound of V8 engines thrashing around a track is as close to heaven as l can think of. Oh sorry, and my wife beside me of course!

My suite was huge and l mean huge.

Complete with a sitting room, office area, dining table, bedroom and exquisite bathroom.

I wanted for nothing and, to be frank, could have lived here quite happily. Every window looks over the track with the Museum beyond and there is a certain air of tranquillity even when the track is in use as the glazing is superb. After check-in, we wandered down to the Spa and had an excellent massage that left me floating and then sat on the Spa balcony in the huge open air Jacuzzi and watched an SLS roaring around. When l was then delivered of a glass of chilled Chablis, l honestly could have died happy right then and there.

Dinner was taken in the 1907 Restaurant and l really could not fault the service.

During an interview with Marco, the General Manager, l mentioned my favourite tipple was a fine Chablis and there at the table was a bottle of Chablis Grand Cru. A nice touch and one that I assume epitomizes the service philosophy; listening carefully to customers and striving to delight and exceed expectations.

I selected Duck Liver Parfait with Prosecco Jelly and Sourdough and my wife settled on Rosary Ash Goats cheese and poached pears.

The prosecco jelly was an eye opener and one l will attempt to order wherever l go. This was followed by a succulent Fillet steak with béarnaise sauce and roasted Salmon tail that was poached in green tea. An odd combo but one that really worked. In an attempt to slaughter the menu from top to bottom, we then had peanut butter popcorn crème brulee that was an utter revelation.

The Brooklands Experience

Before retiring, l was toured around the meetings rooms and there is certainly wide selection and variety to suit every company need and with such a unique location, where better to hold that meeting.

Sated, l returned to our room and we slipped into an extremely comfy bed with excellent pillows and drifted away safe in the knowledge that in 6 hours, l was to be presented with the keys to a 190mph supercar that l was going to thrash within an inch of its life.

Does life get any better than this?

The Brooklands Museum

The Brooklands Hotel

Brooklands Road, Weybridge, KT13 0NQ

Brooklands Dr, Weybridge KT13 0SL

Tel: 01932 857381

Tel: 01932 335700

www.brooklandsmuseum.com

www.brooklandshotelsurrey.com

I think not!

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ADD FRIENDS. ADD EXPLORING. ADD STORIES. THE NEW BIGGER MINI COUNTRYMAN. ARRIVES 11 FEBRUARY 2017.

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Motoring

THE WORKS

by Maarten Hoffmann, Motoring Editor

I

t seems to be hot hatch month for this issue but if they send ‘em, l will drive ‘em.

This 228 bhp JCW model is the fasted Mini ever produced. It reminds me a tad of an old Wood & Picket 1275cc Mini l had back in the day. It was fast, furious and an absolute hoot to dart around London. The quick Minis have always been fun as with good power attached to such a tiny frame, fun was always going to be the order of the day. 30 years later, we have the Works and it certainly, well, works!

It’s a great engine with a rich baritone sound emanating from the central fat twin pipes and you need that noise as with the tiny rev counter, the exhaust note tells you when to change up. This little rocket will hit 62mph in around 6 seconds and will roar onto 153 mph. The crackle from the exhaust is a little like a box of Rice Krispies being shot at with a Purdy 12-gauge.

The new 330mm Brembo brakes do their job well with special intake vents in the cars face flooding them with air and they are impressively progressive and although the ride is a little firm, there are optional adaptive dampers that you would be well advised to select especially is you plump for the larger 18 inch rims.

A new electronic front diff sends the power to where it is needed and assists in avoiding the toque steer that causes the horrid front wheel scrabble as you try to get off the line, and with 228 horses to contend with, it’s just as well.

You do have to play around with the drive settings to get away from the hard ride at the same time as avoiding the skittish behaviour and this is best achieved by popping the dampers into their soft mode and the engine into Sport. You are then rewarded with a decent ride and a peppy engine that seems to be just right.

The starting price is fair but there are many options that you should really have and that can push the price north of £30,000 and then we are stepping into Focus RS and Audi S1 territory. Although there are many reasons to chose the other models mentioned the Mini gets by on the one thing that cannot be created if it’s not already there - and that is character.

The Mini has a hyperactive personality all its own and is quite unique and if that’s your thing, this is the hot hatch for you.

TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: John Cooper Works Mini Engine: 1998 cc, 4 cylinder, turbocharged Power: 228 bhp Performance: 0-62 mph 6.1 seconds Top Speed: 153 mph Economy: 49.6 combined Price from: £23,155.00

Vines of Gatwick Vines of Guildford

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Motoring

WHO PUT THE E IN EXCELLENT?

By Motoring Editor, Maarten Hoffmann

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hen a manufacturer decides to totally revamp one of their most important models, you can normally stand by for oodles of disappointed or bundles of joy. It’s a brave thing to do - as they say “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and although the Mercedes-Benz E-Class was certainly not broken, it was time for a redesign. And oh boy, what a cracking job they have done.

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Don’t tell Mercedes, but l could not resist driving towards a brick wall to test it. I am overwhelmed with joy that it works.

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The E-Class has been with us since 1993 with the E, as a suffix, initially standing for Einspritzmotor, (German for fuel injected engine). Once all models had that feature, it

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was moved to a prefix to denote the model.

The E-Class is Merc’s best selling model with over 13 million of them sold as of 2015. This new model will continue this trend, l am sure.

There are few better badges to have on the bonnet of your car than the three-pointed star and most agree, hence it won the Best Business Car in the 2016 Telegraph Car Awards.

The body is a handsome beast although rather understated but climb inside and you understand why the Germans are the masters of their craft. It is luxurious, brilliantly bolted tougher and with more safety equipment than l have space for - even if l had another eight pages. The large colour screen dominates the dash with the option of another screen that makes the dash totally virtual with assorted customising options.

Mercedes models are all renowned for their pillow-like drive and although the less powerful models come with standard suspension, they can all be upgraded to air suspension, which to me is a no brainer.

We also have another of the company’s trade marks - the noise, or lack of it. It is

virtually silent on the road and even with the diesel engine, there is barely a whisper. The compromise is some wobbling on bumpy B-roads but l will take that compromise any day.

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The E-Class has been with us since 1993 with the E, as a suffix, initially standing for Einspritzmotor, (German for fuel injected engine).

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I am a bit of a sucker for great leather seats and here l was in my element. Beautifully hand-stitched with only the finest unblemished leather - l could sit here all day without ever driving.

Mercedes is still the only manufacturer offering the auto control on a stalk off the

Motoring mode that will, supposedly, stop an idiot like me from crashing. I tried it and it works although it is still a surprise event even to someone like me who drives 52 new cars a year. l am just not used to the car taking control but it really is quite mesmerising and, don’t tell Mercedes, but l could not resist driving towards a brick wall to test it. I am overwhelmed with joy that it works (as, l am sure, are Mercedes!)

You will never notice the automatic changing gear as it does so with sublime efficiency and the steering is equally effortless with an impressive turning circle. The other thing that impresses is the linear movement of the pedals. There are no jerks or stuttered action when you accelerate or brake just a smooth fluid movement and this is something that has only ever really been evident in top of the range Merc’s. I have personally driven an S-Class for years and am very used to it but when l had an old E-Class Estate this fluidity was absent. This is quite a class act.

steering column thus leaving acres of space between the front seats and they have made good use of it. Assorted storage bins take the space, below a real old fashioned clock - yes an actual clock in this annoyingly digital age.

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The new E-Class, like all Merc’s, does not come cheap and you can certainly get a cheaper car that will do some of what this will do but for the money, you will not find a car on the market that will do everything this will do. The compensation here is the residual value, the astonishing build quality and the pure pleasure of driving. Go and test drive it and you will understand.

Your local dealer:

There are few better badges to have on the bonnet of your car than the three-pointed star and most agree, hence it won the Best Business Car in the 2016 Telegraph Car Awards.

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Mercedes-Benz of Guildford Mercedes-Benz of Hindhead 0330 0197893 |

www.sandown-group.co.uk

TECHNICAL STUFF Model tested: E-Class E220d Engine: 1,950 cc

Amongst the engine line-up is a brand new 2.0 litre engine, codenamed OM654, capable of 0-62 in 7.5 seconds and with enviable economy and emissions. There is also a 3.0 litre V6 diesel, a 2.0 litre petrol hybrid and a 3.0 litre V6 AMG model.

Power: 194 bhp

Driving is made easier with all the tech gizmos such as the new Drive Pilot enhanced adaptive cruise control and it has a semi-autonomous

Economy: 72.4 combined

Performance: 0-62 mph 7.3 seconds Top Speed: 149 mph Price from: £36,230.00

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The Family Zone

The Leasing Zone

The Car Care Zone

The Classic Motors Zone

The Innovation Zone

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The Leasing Zone. As contract hire, leasing and eet management become increasingly prominent in the motor industry the way in which people fund their vehicles is changing. To find out more about these options and how you could benefit, be sure to visit this zone.

The Car Care Zone. If you are looking at ways in which to maintain your vehicle, both mechanically and aesthetically, then this is the zone for you. From dent removal and paint shop work to oil and lubricant specialists this will be an enjoyable and educational visit.

The Classic Motors Zone. For a step back in time and a dose of nostalgia this zone offers the classic car lover a variety of models to view and Falmer Classics will be conducting a classic car auction on the day. Watch this space for details of beautiful classic cars that you can buy and take home.

The Innovation Zone. Motors are not just for petrol heads as manufacturers continually advance technology to produce more efficient and effective vehicles, the future is set to be very different for motorists. For a fascinating glimpse into the future, visit the Innovation Zone.

The Motorcycle Zone

The Test Drive Zone

The Family Zone. The Motor Show is family friendly and you can be sure to see a huge variety of activities for small kids and big kids alike! From active simulators to advice on family vehicles, this zone is not to be missed.

The Motorcycle Zone. For the lover of two wheeled transportation this zone is a must. Whether you are interested in learning how to ride, road safety, the latest equipment or new deals on bikes, you will find all your answers in this zone.

The Test Drive Zone. Unlike other motor events and shows, visitors will have the option to test drive the latest vehicles. If you have a vehicle you would like to test drive keep updated with all motor show news.

The Motorsports Zone. As motorsports continually battle to edge seconds off lap times, improve engines and The generate more and more divisions, Motorsports the motor show will bring you bang Zone you to date with what is happening and the headline sponsor, Mobil 1, will be presenting their Formula 1 simulator to enable visitors to get a taste of the fastest sport in the world.

The Go Karting Zone

The Go Karting Zone. QLeisure, also known as Brighton Karting, will be offering kart rides for visitors to test their driving skills. Karts will be available for both adults and children and a few prizes may even be up for grabs.

www.brightonandhovemotorshow.com SURREY CHAMBERS

We are delighted to announce that Mobil 1 will be the headline sponsor for the Brighton & Hove Motorshow. Not only will they be offering a unique insight into their involvement in performance and motorsports vehicles but they will also be demonstrating their exciting Formula 1 simulator – the closest visitors will ever get to understanding what it’s like to drive one of the fastest cars in the world.

The Motorshow is growing so fast we can barely keep pace and this event will be the most exciting motorshow ever to have been mounted in the South East.

Pre-registered tickets are free but you must register here: www.brightonandhovemotorshow.com

EXHIBITORS

SPONSORS HEADLINE SPONSOR

CHANDLERS EXCLUSIVE MEDIA SPONSOR AND OFFICIAL EVENT PROGRAMME PUBLISHER BRIGHTON | HAILSHAM WORTHING

PLATINUM PUBLISHING G R O U P

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Motoring

UNDERSTANDING LEASING

There are a myriad of ways one can finance a vehicle purchase, be it one car or a fleet, and professional advice needs to be taken on the best financial route for your company. There are four regular options that can be highly beneficial and we take this opportunity to explain each option.

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easing is a long-term rental agreement offering the exclusive use of a vehicle for a set period of

time at a fixed monthly charge. Leasing helps you avoid any unexpected costs by

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Driving a new car every two, three or four years is just one of the benefits of leasing.

offering a fixed monthly payment for the term of the lease, meaning you don’t have to worry about depreciation or selling the vehicle as this is taken

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At the end of the contract, usually 24-48 months, the vehicle can simply be handed back without any further obligations. Driving a new car every two, three or four years is just one of the benefits to leasing.

Not only will you be driving a brand new car every few years

care of by the leasing company. At the start of a leasing contract,

but leasing also allows you to drive away with fixed lower monthly

you will pay an initial rental fee - usually equivalent to the sum of

payments, lower deposits, inclusive road tax and breakdown

three monthly payments - and then make monthly payments for the

recovery, flexible contract duration and mileage terms and all

duration of the contract term.

vehicles include standard manufacturers warranty.

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Motoring CONTRACT HIRE is a finance solution available to sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. It’s a very popular choice for VAT registered companies as they can claim back fifty percent of the VAT on the finance element. Rental costs take into consideration estimated annual mileage, selected models and optional maintenance packages. Once the agreed term has finished you can return your vehicle at no extra cost, provided the vehicle has not exceeded its mileage allowance. This leasing option is an excellent choice for businesses with quick changing or updating fleets, who are looking to minimise their short-term expenditure.

LEASE PURCHASE allows your business to gain eventual ownership of your chosen vehicle. The arrangement consists of a series of monthly repayments, culminating in a ‘balloon’ payment at the end of the contract at which point you can decide to own the vehicle outright or hand the vehicle back. Your business will also benefit from having the time to assess whether they want to take permanent ownership of the vehicle and this can be particularly useful to smaller businesses that want to confirm the reliability and practicality of the vehicle before committing to ownership.

CONTRACT PURCHASE allows you to choose whether or not it is in the best interests of your company to take ownership of the vehicle when the agreement ends. With contract purchase your vehicle has a value guarantee and you are also protected against a future drop in the value of used cars. As such, companies benefit from increased security and flexibility. This makes a contract purchase agreement an excellent option for businesses that are looking to take ownership of a vehicle, without risking its value depreciating, or the financial commitment being too restrictive.

HIRE PURCHASE begins with the payment of a deposit, which is usually between 10 and 50% of the retail value of your chosen model. A term of repayments, usually between 12 and 60 months, is also negotiated. The level of monthly expense that you pay is dependent on three factors: the retail price of the vehicle, the size of the deposit paid and the length of the repayment period. In the short-term, hire purchase can appear an expensive option but in the long run if your company is looking to take ownership of the vehicle, it can work out considerably less expensive in the long term.

One of the central advantages of each of these options is the delivery of a brand new car that will set the tone of your company every time you arrive in a clients car park. What better way to make the statement that your company is at the top of its game than arriving in a beautiful new Mercedes-Benz and at Sandown Mercedes-

Benz, we have every model available from the compact and stylish A-Class, the vast capacity of the E-Class estate, the rugged all-wheel drivability of the GLE and the smooth luxurious style of the new S-Class Coupé. Whatever your needs and desires, Sandown MercedesBenz offers the most comprehensive range of cars available today.

Stuart Head, Group Head of Fleet Sales, Sandown Mercedes-Benz Telephone: 0330 0197893 Email: stuart.head@sandown-mercedes.co.uk www.sandown-group.co.uk

Mercedes-Benz of Basingstoke

Mercedes-Benz of Guildford

Mercedes-Benz of Poole

Mercedes-Benz of Dorchester

Mercedes-Benz of Hindhead

Mercedes-Benz of Salisbury

0330 0197893

www.sandown-group.co.uk SURREY CHAMBERS

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Chamber News

THINK BIG

Dedication and professionalism were recognised at this year’s Cranleigh Big Awards

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llr Chris Storey, Mayor of Waverley Borough Council and Cllr Mary Foryszewski, Chairman of Cranleigh Parish Council joined 80 business representatives last month at the Cranleigh Business, Innovation and Growth (BIG) Awards 2017.

Organised by Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce, and held at the Cranleigh Arts Centre, six local businesses had been shortlisted as finalists for two awards by a prestigious judging panel. The evening was compered for the second year by Philip Calvert, renowned social media expert and speaker.

Each finalist was judged in eight categories including innovation, initiative, sound management, marketing, customer service and skills development. The audience enjoyed short videos of each finalist demonstrating their passion and growth ambitions for their business.

Cllr Chris Storey, Mayor Waverley Borough Council with Cllr Mary Foryzweski, Chair of Cranleigh Parish Council

The ‘Five Employees and Under’ award was sponsored

by Cllr Alan Young of Surrey County Council who has been involved in the BIG Awards since their conception.

He presented a trophy and bottle of champagne to each finalist - the Furniture Emporium, Idyllic Beauty Day Spa and Moooh! Ice Cream. Idyllic Beauty Day Spa was announced as the winner and founder and owner, Harriett Levitt was presented with a £2,000 cheque and trophy. Idyllic also received a social media consultancy and makeover session from Philip Calvert.

Harriett said: “To be awarded this requires the highest level of dedication in all aspects of the business, such as customer service and professional standards. We set out three and a half years ago to be recognised as one of the best beauty salons, and so to receive this award is a testament to what we have achieved.”

The second award for ‘Six Employees and Over’ was sponsored by Jim McAllister, of Dunsfold Park amongst others. Out of the three finalists, Atrainability Ltd, Cranfold Physical Therapy Centre and the Hair Company, Atrainability Ltd was the winner and received a £2,000 cheque and trophy from Jim McAllister.

Atrainability delivers training to operating theatres using aviation principles to reduce surgical mistakes. Managing Director, Trevor Dale said: “Our team are all passionate about what they do, and to be recognised locally is a real reward for the dedication and loyalty that the entire team have demonstrated. Since most of our staff are based remotely and some have not met each other, we will be investing the prize money in business-focused meetings so that we can harness the gifts of all our team and plan ahead for the future.”

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Atrainability Ltd, winners of the ‘Six Employees and Over’ award, presented

by Jim McAllister of Dunsfold Park and Richard Graham, President of the Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce

Idyllic Beauty Day Spa, winners of the ‘Five Employees and Under’ award

Chamber News

The finalists and winners

The finalists of the ‘Five Employees and Under’ award. Furniture Emporium (back left), the Hair Company (back right), Idyllic Beauty Day Spa (front). Cllr Alan Young – sponsor (centre back)

The finalists of the ‘Six Employees and Over’ award. The Hair Company (back left); Cranfold Physiotherapy Centre (back right). Atrainability Ltd (front) Photos by Martin Bamford SURREY CHAMBERS

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Insurance

IT COULD BE YOU! Caroline Gregory, specialist broker at Vantage Professional Risks believes many companies are unaware of the implications of a cyber breach. As she explains to Ian Trevett, lack of cyber cover can be fatal for a company

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nsurance is an unusual sell. The reason we take out any insurance is, if we are honest, through fear. We insure our home because of fear of burglary or a plumbing emergency; we insure against death and injury; we take out travel insurance because we worry about getting sick abroad. So when I met with insurance broker Caroline Gregory for a coffee and she brought up the subject of insuring against cyber crime, I knew what to expect.

“Ok, I know what’s coming,” I say to Caroline. “This is where you try and put the fear of God into me.”

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“No,” she denies. “Trying to scare people is not what we do.”

And then she proceeds to scare the life out of me!

“Cyber is the most pressing issue,” says Caroline. “Most businesses are unaware of how the law will change. You are responsible if a cyber breach affects your clients or the data you hold for them. The compensation a company would have to pay would take most small companies under. Every business should be looking at this.

“There are two elements to cyber coverage.

The first is your own cover, where you can insure against being hacked or a phishing attack and it covers the cost of the business interruption. It also insures against the cost of loss of data.

“Then there is the third party insurance, which is similar to Professional Indemnity.

If you have a breach and someone accesses third party data, such as happened to Talk Talk, you have the cost of notifying the people affected and then there is the cost of the PR. Trying to redeem yourself is an expensive business. There is also the cost of defending yourself in the event of a claim. You have

Insurance “There are large business hubs in the south east. The more people you meet, the more you realise how dynamic the business scene is in Sussex and Surrey. It is much more vibrant than many people realise. It is an exciting opportunity for Vantage to have a sustainable local growth of the next few years.”

Vantage Group is a London-based insurance broker which was originally best known for its specialised services for travel and tour operators. It has since grown into a group of companies each striving to provide high quality insurance products and expertise in their respective markets, such as the classic car market. to offer 12 months of credit monitoring for anyone affected. If you have a large number of company records, it is a high cost, as you are charged for each record. It has been calculated that the average cost of a breach for an SME is between £600,000 to £700,000. A company needs to ask if they can cover that cost. The answer would almost always be no. Cyber cover is fundamental to any business.”

So this isn’t being scary?

“It does happen,” stresses Caroline. “The stories you hear on the news are only about the big companies. When a small company is hit, it isn’t reported. If I had a pound for everyone who says that it won’t happen to them, I’d be very wealthy.”

Of course, Caroline is totally correct. Few companies insure against cyber crime, but we are all vulnerable. We regularly feature advice on avoiding cyber crime, but a skilled hacker would easily overcome the defences of an average company, and the financial liabilities are huge.

Caroline specialises in the placement of niche insurance policies, and helps companies with their risk management and analysis, to help them mitigate against unforeseen problems. Her experience can be invaluable for companies and she adheres to the core values of Vantage, which include respecting the customer, understanding their needs and ensuring that they are treated fairly.

“We have a service called Vantage Point Review which is effectively an insurance and risk health check,” she explains. “We go in to a company and understand the business to calculate the risk to the company. We look at policies in place to see that they are properly covered, and advise on areas where they are exposed. We offer advice and share our knowledge.”

Caroline certainly has amassed plenty of knowledge of her industry. She started out in the City, working in claims on renewable

energy, before switching over to underwriting for a Lloyds syndicate specialising in professional indemnity. After moving closer to home by joining Vantage, she retained the links to Lloyds of London, and Vantage works closely with the London underwriters.

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The stories you hear on the news are only about the big companies. When a small company is hit, it isn’t reported. If I had a pound for everyone who says that it won’t happen to them, I’d be very wealthy.

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“We value the security of working with the Lloyds market,” says Caroline. “It is a strong brand and features well-established companies. One difference I have noticed is that the Lloyds underwriters work in a much more collaborative way than is often the case outside of the Lloyds market. Outside Lloyds, it can be more competitive. I think the reason is that Lloyds underwriters are often very niche and specialist, so it makes sense to work together. They often deal with unusual requests. Lloyds underwriters tend to share the risk around, so an underwriter is at less risk of being over-exposed in a market. They have more options available to them.”

South of London, Vantage has an office in Worthing which serves Surrey, Sussex and Kent: “We work mainly with the professional services, advising on professional indemnity, medical malpractice and management liability.

“There are six of us in the Worthing office - it is a small team, but it is a more personal approach. We also work in manufacturing and logistics - any company that is looking for a bespoke cover package.

“We are ambitious but we want to maintain our levels of personal service. It is better to have more of the right companies and not grow too quickly. We want to remain at the level where we are are offering a personal brokerage service. But we are expanding quickly, particularly in cyber cover.”

It might not be enjoyable facing up to the risks a company faces, but it is essential and it is always worth getting expert advice.

caroline.gregory@ vantageprofessionalrisks.co.uk www.vantageinsurance.co.uk • Caroline will be running the Brighton Marathon for Breast Cancer Care. Please support her efforts to raise money for a very special charity. Her just giving page is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ VantageInsure

“It is good to combine the advantages of London with the benefits of working locally. I spend more time with clients now. It is actually a dual-facing role, where I deal directly with clients and also with the London insurance markets. I am now focussing on developing the Sussex and Surrey markets.

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Promotional Features

MEMBERS’ PROMOTIONAL FEATURES BROOKSCOMM

By Mandy Brooks, Strategy Director at brookscomm

What’s the difference between PR and advertising?

Put simply, advertising is paid media, public relations is earned media. PR is content in the form of a story or news article that a media editor deems timely, relevant and newsworthy to the audience.

When printed or posted, it is perceived as a trusted third-party endorsement of a brand.

Advertising is a method of paying the publication to ensure a brand’s messaging will be included. Through advertising, you can control the exact wording and image of your brand and the timing of publication but this has less credibility than PR as it can be perceived as a company shouting about itself.

An advertorial is a combination of an advert and an editorial piece.

A company pays for a piece of written material to be placed within a publication. It reads as editorial, offering a third party endorsement of a company, but the timing and content of the piece is guaranteed, offering the certainty of an advert. When using advertorials make sure that there is a call to action such as “quote a reference”. This makes it easier to measure its success.

In our experience a combination of both advertising, advertorials and PR is very effective and maximises the reach and exposure for your company.

The most important factor to consider is the strength of the relationship with the account team you’ll be working with. With some larger agencies, it’s possible that the senior person you initially meet with won’t be working on your account. This can cause misunderstandings and quality issues.

You should look and ask for testimonials and examples of work to gauge the suitability of an agency. Other factors to consider include how long the agency has been in business and its size. The agency should have a good understanding of your industry, and contacts with relevant publications. This will make it easier when placing your stories and increasing your brand awareness. www.brookscomm.com

JAMES HALLAM LIMITED

marketing campaign by Company C.

By Nick Thomas, Head of Redhill Office, James Hallam Limited

Company B transacts a malware virus and transmits the corrupted raw data and malware to Company A. The corrupted data cannot be used and results in the crashing of Company A’s server leading to network and sales interruption. Despite neither company suffering a physical loss, Company A is incapable of providing the contractually agreed data. Company C’s marketing campaign fails and it suffers loss of income. Company A faces loss of income, loss of digital assets and forensic IT recovery costs for its system restoration. Traditional BI cover will not respond and the companies face severe financial consequences.

Is Cyber Business Interruption the greatest risk to your business?

Business Interruption (BI) insurance traditionally provides cover for lost business income sustained from physical perils such as a flood or fire.

However, the world has changed.

Businesses today are increasingly reliant on cyber technology, and on data from other businesses to conduct their daily operations; the efficiency of the cyber supply chain is critical. Furthermore, statistics show that 90% of large organisations and 74% of smaller businesses had a security breach in the previous year.

Traditional BI policies do not cover losses flowing from ‘non-physical’ causes; so as a result of technological advancement, the most serious and likely interruptions to a business are not covered by traditional BI insurance.

Claim Example Company A is a digital marketing company that uses consumer data supplied by Company B to identify advertising trends to support a

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However, there is a solution at hand; most cyber insurance products provide cover for cyber BI events. Such policies typically cover reimbursement for loss of income, interruption expenses and mitigation costs. Mitigation costs could include the costs incurred to avoid or mitigate the effects of a system outage or network interruption as well as the cost to prevent the degradation of the insured’s business network.

So whilst many business owners and CFOs are scrupulous in ensuring they are adequately insured for traditional losses, they needlessly fail to protect their company from what are often the most likely and business critical losses it faces.

James Hallam are one of the UK’s leading independent corporate Insurance Brokers.

Nick Thomas heads their recently opened office in Redhill, Surrey

Promotional Features

ALFX The technology available for the domestic market has never been so varied or highly sophisticated. With a choice of multi-room audio and video systems, home cinemas, advanced lighting, home CCTV/security and occupancy simulation, on top of the numerous data and communication systems, it is only sensible to have a company who can advise sensibly at hand.

ALFx Limited is fronted by Barry Jones, who has over 30 years’ experience in the audio visual industry, spanning the corporate and leisure sectors. Barry says, “Home owners are demanding more and

TANTE MARIE The Restaurant at Tante Marie first opened its doors back in 2015.

Our aim was to offer a unique and distinguished dining experience, to compliment the striking redevelopment of Woking. Combining the freshest of ingredients with award-winning culinary excellence and first class service.

Although The Restaurant is our newest venture, our roots are firmly placed in Woking, where over 65 years ago the internationally acclaimed, Tante Marie Culinary Academy was first established.

As a new member of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce we are delighted to introduce our bespoke services to fellow chamber members. Whether you are looking to enjoy a quick bite away from the office, a working lunch or a business networking event, our stylish and relaxed restaurant offers the perfect setting. Our menus are adapted daily according to the freshest ingredients in season.

more of audio visual systems without necessarily knowing what’s available or how it goes together – that’s where we come in with our technical know-how!”

Barry has a particular interest in IFTTT systems, a series of custom apps that link the control of technical devices together over a WiFi network.

Did you know that nearly all devices in your home can be linked to each other where needed, to gain the exact control you require – and operated either on a PC or tablet at home, or remotely via a mobile phone when you’re out and about?

ALFx offer a no obligation initial consultancy visit and their comprehensive demo kits can be brought to you for assessment.

Contact: Barry Jones, ALFx Ltd, 108 Weymede, Byfleet, Surrey KT14 7DJ Tel: 01932 400223 Email: sales@alfx.co.uk Web: www.alfx.co.uk

Tante Marie Live! Here, our Academy’s professional teachers are on hand to host private ‘cook & eat’ events where you can turn your hand to a bit of cooking before settling in the restaurant to enjoy your creations. Or, if you prefer to leave the cooking to the experts, our dedicated restaurant team can assist you in creating the perfect corporate event – perhaps a pasta masterclass demonstrated by our Head Chef Valentino Gentle, or simply a pre-ordered 3 course meal ready for your arrival after a busy day of client meetings?

Tante Marie would like to offer Surrey Chambers of Commerce members a complimentary drink on arrival to every guest of corporate meals held at The Restaurant. Please contact our restaurant Manager Stephanie Martin-Frouillou for more information or to book a table, quoting Surrey Chambers.

If you are looking for a fun team building event or something a little different to wow important clients, we recommend our open kitchen

ARCHOVER PEER-TO-PEER BUSINESS LENDING

By Jonathan Reeves, Regional Director – South East, ArchOver When a company needs money for growth, there are two ways of obtaining it; borrowing or through selling equity.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both ways of raising capital. However, there are some questions to ask yourself.

The first question is, ‘how much of a control freak am I?’ Many larger investors will insist on equal, or even overall, control, and even someone who is happy to invest for a minority stake will have the right to see the books and be consulted on major decisions. If that makes you uncomfortable, then funding through equity is a non-starter.

However, before you dismiss this route completely, remember that someone with the kind of money you need may well have the business experience that could benefit you. Having someone on the board with his or her own contacts, can help immensely when trying to gain new business or find other finance in the future. If you are a predominantly young boar, it never hurts to have a little grey hair involved in key meetings.

While a loan will cost more than selling equity in the short term, it does allow you to keep control of your business, but it is not always an easy process; traditional loans can be hard to obtain and require personal guarantees, while invoice financing needs extra administration and can be unpredictable.

Obviously, my preference would be for a peer-to-peer loan through ArchOver, which is fixed term, fixed rate and, most importantly, requires no personal guarantee. If you want to know more, please contact me on 07764 193094, jonathan.reeves@archover.com www.archover.com

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Promotional Features

PITMAN TRAINING Pitman Training has come a long way in the last 180 years.

Once seen as the industry standard for secretaries to learn typing and shorthand, we have since evolved into the complete office training service for businesses, organisations and their employees.

As the office has changed, we’ve responded with the times and now offer a wide range of courses to develop the individual and group technical skills that matter in today’s competitive environment.

Our online courses allow users to develop skills across a wide range of business functions and software packages. With more than 250 courses available for all aspects of office life, we now provide one of the most comprehensive training packages in the world. We offer training for all business functions including PA & Secretarial, Microsoft Office, Finance & Accounting, IT Training, Web & Graphic Design and personal career development.

You can study with Pitman Training in several ways, either by visiting the local centre or working online via distance learning. Most students

decide to do a mixture of both with a blended learning approach. We have trained advisors on hand at the Guildford centre to help you work through the range of courses and pick the ones that are best for you or your company.

It’s not only individuals we help at Pitman. Our dedicated staff work with businesses and organisations to provide block training for their employees, helping them to excel in everything from bookkeeping to web design. Courses and workshops are regularly scheduled across a range of subject areas and businesses can arrange to have sessions tailored to their specific needs at a time that suits them. Training sessions can take place either at the training centre in Guildford or our trainers can run courses at your business premises.

Contact Pitman Training in Guildford today on 01483572855 or visit www.pitman-training.com/Guildford

FARROW CREATIVE Throughout the year, we get a lot of enquiries from businesses asking if we can help them ‘get to the top of the Google rankings’, or simply make them ‘look fresh and exciting’. Such requests, however, tend to hit a peak in early January. For some, it’s a positive, proactive move: new year, new start, all that jazz. For others, it’s a slightly panicked response to a slow start, and the need to regain momentum quickly after the festive lull.

And yes, of course, we’re always ready to help (although the top-of-Google thing is not something we’d ever promise!) But before we start drawing, writing or flicking through colour swatches, we ask one crucial question: why?

Because if our first 10 years in business, which we celebrated in October 2016, has taught us anything (and believe us, it has!) it’s that good design depends on sound strategy. Your brand is one of your most important and valuable business assets, and needs to be treated accordingly. Tearing it up and starting again should be approached with the same circumspection as rebuilding a factory or relocating your entire operation to another country. Tempting as it is, especially in uncertain times, change for change’s sake is rarely a good idea.

For example: say your logo is now five years old. Are you still the same company you were in 2012, with the same offering, values, customer base and competition? If things are substantially unaltered, why go to the trouble of reinventing yourself? A new brand – of which your logo is just one small, albeit vital, element – requires an investment of time and effort that reflects its true importance.

If, however, you conclude that your brand no longer reflects who you are and what you do, it’s definitely time for a rethink. Again, though, the actual ‘design’ work is just part of a longer, deeper process. Done properly, it’s a journey of discovery, in which you get to the heart of what you offer your customers beyond your products and services, what you stand for and what makes your business unique. Then you have a sound, reasoned and objective basis for shaking things up – and a much greater chance of making it a change for the better.

Sam Farrow is a professional graphic designer with over 20 years’ experience. She is the founder and managing director of Farrow Creative, a full-service design agency with offices in Petersfield and Guildford. She is also a mentor and regular speaker on the MBA programme at the University of Surrey. www.farrowcreative.co.uk

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Affiliated Chambers

TOWN CHAMBER FOCUS CRANLEIGH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

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ranleigh Chamber of Commerce is an active group which has been representing the local business community since 1948. It draws its members from all sectors ranging from large companies to sole traders and retired individuals.

They offer members the opportunity to grow their business through networking, promotion and inter-trading, as well as the chance to enhance and grow the local business environment as a whole.

Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce is responsible for organising monthly networking breakfasts, a networking event for International Women’s Day, an annual dinner and summer BBQ, the annual Cranleigh & District Business, Innovation & Growth (BIG) Awards, Cranleigh in Bloom, and the Cranleigh Christmas Lights. It also works in partnership with Cranleigh Arts Centre to arrange the annual Cranleigh Food & Music Festival.

Through strong links with local government, we give members a voice on local issues affecting the local business community, helping to protect business and environmental interest in the Cranleigh area.

Recent projects have included the introduction of superfast 4G mobile Internet in the village, pay-on-exit car parking as part of a trial which will be introduced across the borough, fighting to retain employment

land at a local industrial estate, and exploring options for improving the Downs Link between Cranleigh and Guildford for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

As a thriving Chamber with a large and growing membership, Cranleigh Chamber of Commerce is a positive voice to attract, retain and encourage growing businesses. More information can be found at www.cranleighbiz.co.uk, on Twitter @cranleighbiz or on Facebook at facebook.com/cranleighbiz.

WOKING CHAMBER

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oking Chamber of Commerce kicked off the year on Friday 20th January with a very successful New Members/ Networking event – an occasion where nine new members displayed their services at the regular monthly networking event that took place at New Victoria Theatre, Woking. The event which attracted over fifty local business visitors, gave the new members the opportunity to get to know some of the existing members and the other guests.

The Chamber is also looking forward to staging its first Breakfast Networking event at DoubleTree by Hilton on Friday March 3rd where guests will enjoy a traditional English Breakfast, some excellent networking and a guest speaker.

This event will be run in association with Surrey Chambers of Commerce.

which will be open to all – business visitors and general public.

The exhibition will, as always, start the day with Woking Borough Council’s Pre-Show Breakfast Forum, where Council officers and councillors have the opportunity of updating attendees with news of the latest developments in the town.

Full details about the Chamber can be found at www.wokingchamber.org.uk and about the exhibition at www.wokingmeansbusiness.com

Plans are now very much underway for the Chamber’s annual business exhibition, Woking Means Business, taking place this year on Wednesday 18th October at HG Wells Conference & Events Centre, Woking.

Some exciting new elements are being introduced into the show including a Health & Wellbeing area, recognising the importance now being attached to this subject by many more local companies.

Organisations in the hospitality, leisure, food and drink business will also be actively encouraged to exhibit in the main exhibition

Woking Means Business

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SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND As we celebrate the best of business 2017

T HE GATWI CK DI A M O N D B U S IN E S S AW A RD S 1 6T H MAR CH 2017 Join us in the Millennium Suite of the Copthorne Effingham Park for a pre-dinner reception hosted by Irwin Mitchell, before taking your seat for a sumptuous three course dinner with wine.

Our presenter for the evening will be the acclaimed actor Stephen Mangan, who has appeared in some of the UK’s best TV comedy of recent years, including Episodes, with Matt LeBlanc.

This Strictly Black Tie event will see the very best of the Gatwick Diamond Business community come together in celebration of the World-Class businesses operating in this World-Class destination.

6.30pm - Evening starts with Pre-Dinner Reception Sponsored by Irwin Mitchell 7.15pm - Take your seats for Dinner 9.30pm - Stephen Mangan 10.00pm - Presentation of the Gatwick Diamond Business Awards 11.00pm - After-Show Party 01.00am - Carriages

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

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Surrey Chamber

JOIN THE CHAMBER Can your business afford not to be a member of Surrey Chambers of Commerce?

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Surrey Chambers of Commerce is the county’s largest independent, not-for-profit business support organisation that helps businesses to connect locally, nationally and globally in order to gain customers, suppliers and knowledge.

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itting at the heart of the business community, Surrey Chambers of Commerce connects you to opportunities, skills, knowledge and valuable contacts. We can help you grow and develop, by promoting your business, introducing you to new customers, keeping you informed and representing you locally, regionally and nationally.

With a membership representing businesses of all sizes across every sector of the economy, the Chamber works hard to ensure that the continued prosperity of Surrey takes into account the needs of business, as well as providing a range of high quality services to help businesses to grow and meet new potential customers, including making introductions into over 40 countries.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce is an integral part of the Surrey business support network and alongside its partners offers specialist advice, knowledge and information on a wide range of issues facing local businesses.

We can: • Help you to find new customers – raise your profile, increase your brand awareness and generate new business by using our

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website, publications and database to communicate with thousands of business people.

• Connect you to other businesses – we run over 100 events a year that give you the chance to enhance your business network, find new customers and meet like-minded and other successful business people.

• Expand your network overseas - we provide friendly, professional advice and assistance and help you obtain necessary export documentation. Our relationship with 28 accredited overseas British Chambers means we can introduce you to our global network of experts to make your journey much easier.

• Develop you and your workforce’s knowledge and skills - we run a range of training events throughout the year and can introduce you to a variety of training providers

local borough councils, district and 2 Local Enterprise Partnerships and we feedback and provide input to the British Chambers of Commerce who talk directly to government, influencing policy and strategic decisions.

• Support your local community - we are passionate about contributing to the wider community and encourage you to work with us. We support a variety of local initiatives, providing you with the chance to give something back, whilst raising your company profile.

• Save you money - We can provide you with a variety of discounts designed to save your company money. As well as national deals you will benefit from exclusive discounts offered by other Chamber members. You too can offer a special member to member deal.

• Represent you – we believe it is important that you and your business are fairly represented locally, regionally, nationally and where appropriate, internationally on issues affecting business. We work closely with Surrey County Council, the eleven

WANT TO KNOW MORE? If you would like any further information about joining Surrey Chambers of Commerce please contact us: We look forward to hearing from you.

Call: 01483 735540 Email: molly.edwards@surrey-chambers.co.uk Visit: www.surrey-chambers.co.uk SURREY CHAMBERS

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New Members

NEW MEMBERS Surrey Chambers of commerce welcomes it’s latest member companies BANKS HSBC Bank plc Guildford Contact: Andrew Steer Tel: 08455 830195 www.hsbc.co.uk

BUSINESS CONSULTANTS

HEALTH & WELLBEING Lauren Elizabeth Beauty Boutique Contact: Lauren Jarrett Tel: 01483 715001 www.laurenelizabethbeauty.co.uk

HOTELS/ RESTAURANTS/VENUE Bills Restaurant Contact: Katy Miller Tel: 01372 730245

Agama & Associates Limited Contact: John Agama Tel: 07980 804645 www.independentbankers.co.uk

www.bills-website.co.uk/restaurants/epsom

PESL Limited Contact: Adesoji Adewusi Tel: 08448 849700 www.prestige-grp.net

The Runnymede on Thames Hotel Contact: Emma Andrews Tel: 01784 436171 www.therunnymede.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPORT JTHR Human Resources Contact: Judith Tidnam Tel: 07775 915535 www.jthr.co.uk Surrey Translation Bureau (STB Ltd) Contact: Marya Jabeen Tel: 01252 733999 www.surreytranslation.co.uk

CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY Surrey Rooms Contact: Tom Maloney Tel: 07491 139954 www.surreyrooms.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES Dominic Marcus Financial Consulting Ltd Contact: Dominic Brockes Tel: 01372 897755 www.dominicmarcus.co.uk

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LEGAL Mihail Florin Gavrila Notary Public Contact: Mihail Florin Gavrila Tel: 07853 430310

LEISURE & ENTERTAINMENT Travel Counsellors Contact: Carrie Sellwood Tel: 01483 342160 www.travelcounsellors.com/carrie.sellwood

Quintessential Tours Contact: Judy Blackett Tel: 07754 841852 www.quintessentialtours.co.uk

MANUFACTURING/ ENGINEERING Dunelm Aviation Ltd Contact: David Roberts Tel: 01483 423200 www.dunelmaviation.co.uk

MARKETING & PR Ardent Creative Contact: Paul Squires Tel: 01483 267915 www.ardentcreative.co.uk What’s On In My Town Contact: Paul Taylor Tel: 07720 398024 www.whatsoninmytown.com Mary Zoeller Associates Contact: Mary Zoeller Tel: 02088 731633 www.maryzoeller.co.uk CityInformation Contact: Bengt Lundmark Tel: 07500 500443 www.cityinformation.com 360TV Contact: Laurence Koe Tel: 07788 743561 www.360tv.media

PUBLIC SECTOR Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Surrey Contact: Rachel Lupanko Tel: 01483 630200 www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk

RECRUITMENT & HR The HR Dept - Elmbridge Contact: Sandra Porter Tel: 07387 101637 www.hrdept.co.uk/offices/ south-east/elmbridge The HR Dept Guildford Contact: Brian Wilson Tel: 07393 017230 www.hrdept.co.uk/offices/ south-east/guildford-0

New Members

RETAIL/WHOLESALE

TRAINING & EDUCATION

Team Tops Contact: Kelvin Hewlett Tel: 01276 623088 www.team-tops.co.uk

The Performance Business Contact: Michael McNulty Tel: 01932 888885 www.theperformance.biz

Will International Ltd Contact: Sally Morris Tel: 01932 454929 www.willinternational.co.uk

GBC Learning Contact: Maggie Love Tel: 02072 566668 www.gbclearning.co.uk

Insightful HR Contact: Uwaila Uwaechia www.insightfulhr.com

The Stitch Mouse Contact: TBA Tel: 01372 579384 www.thestitchmouse.co.uk Ooh La La Hair & Beauty Contact: TBA Tel: 01372 877010 www.oohlalahairandbeauty.co.uk Bamboo Basket Contact: Alice lijie Tel: 01372 728428 www.bamboo-basket.co.uk

www.surrey-chambers.co.uk SITUATIONS VACANT

PARTNER WITH A DEFINED ROUTE TO EQUITY SHARE IN LEADING SURREY BASED PRACTICE Salary £90,000 - £120,000 depending on skill set plus benefits and private car park space.

Are you a Junior Audit Partner or perhaps a Senior Audit Manager in a recognised firm who is currently looking for a special opportunity to drive forward not just the Audit Division however the overall success of a dynamic firm ?

The firm really does punch above its weight and holds an interesting and significant portfolio of clients including complex Groups, entrepreneurial companies of some size across London and Surrey many with International interests plus a significant number of HNWIs, both UK and non-domiciled.

The current Partners are now considering this key hire to complement the existing Partnership and to secure the next generation of key stakeholders within the firm, ensuring the firm can deliver all their service lines to the highest standard; Audit, Business Services, Corporate Finance and Tax. To achieve this appointment the right candidate will be an entrepreneurial, client facing Senior Audit Professional.

Without doubt possessing the energy, persona and commitment to continue building upon an already hugely successful Audit Team as well as working alongside the other Partners in the running and further growth of the Practice.

Please call Lisa Wintrip in the strictest of confidence to discuss this opportunity. Fletcher George is a Financial Recruitment specialist acting as an employment agency to source suitable candidates for the above role.

Lisa Wintrip, Director

lisa@fletchergeorge.co.uk

01372 364 160 07795 431 718

SURREY CHAMBERS

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Chamber Events

SURREY CHAMBERS EVENTS DIARY 2017 To find a full list of our 2017 events visit http://my.surrey-chambers.co.uk/eventcalendar.aspx

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17:30-20:00pm

17:30 - 20:00pm

Location TBC Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT | Non Member Rate: £25.00 +VAT

HG Wells Conference & Events Centre, Church Street East, Woking, GU21 6HR Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT | Non Member Rate: £30.00 +VAT

th FEBRUARY

MASTERCLASS WITH DAVID SWIFT

How You Can Grow Your Business by Doing Less Surrey Chambers Masterclasses are a perfect opportunity to learn from an expert about a particular topic, with new content every month.

David Swift from Paradigm Marketing has been helping great businesses like yours to achieve their potential for the last decade across Surrey and South West London. Before that he headed up marketing divisions of both Sony and Dell Computers.

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th FEBRUARY

HAVE YOUR CAKE & EAT IT! AFTERNOON NETWORKING 14:30-16:00pm Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, GU9 8EP Member Rate: £8.33 +VAT | Non Member Rate: £12.50 +VAT | Surrey & Hampshire Chambers of Commerce invite you to our afternoon networking. Following on from last years success, this enjoyable event is the perfect opportunity to grow your business connections by meeting a wide range of companies from locations around the Surrey and Hampshire border.

th FEBRUARY

HEALTH AND WELLBEING FORUM

Did you know the top reason for employee absence is work related stress? According to a study by Mercer, 73% of employees are worried by this.

Do you know what’s even scarier? The impact this has on employers.

Surrey Chambers is holding a Health and Wellbeing Forum to discuss, review and analyse various aspects of health and wellbeing in the workplace.

Join us where we will hear from a panel of experts from every aspect of workplace wellbeing; to help you understand how to be healthy in the workplace and how to notice health issues in your employees.

Throughout the event there will be various stands set up with plenty of key information on the topic. Keeping in line with the event theme there will be healthy food options available throughout.

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th FEBRUARY

CHAMBERS POWER BREAKFAST WAVERLEY 07:45-09:30am Lythe Hill Hotel Ltd, Petworth Road, GU27 3BQ Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT. Non Member Rate: £30.00 +VAT Ian Windle from Vistage International will lead this Power breakfast and speak about ‘Building a Healthy Organisation - the seven leadership behaviours that will transform your business’ - a talk on leadership and building a strong team from the top down.

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Chamber Events

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08:00-10:00am

12:00-14:00pm

Haines Watts Chartered Accountants, 46 High Street, KT10 9QY FREE

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Millbrook, Guildford GU1 3UX Member Rate: £15.00 +VAT | Non Member Rate: £25.00 +VAT

rd FEBRUARY

NEW BUSINESS ESSENTIALS WITH HAINES WATTS

Top Finance Tips for new businesses made simple!! When you start a business you usually concentrate on your product or service and finding customers to sell to. Before too long you realise that good financial planning is critical to the survival of your business. We sometimes forget to up-skill people in this area and concentrate on such things as exciting social media plans.

Haines Watts invite you to join us for an informative breakfast where we will provide some top tips for dealing with the financial aspects of your business.

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rd FEBRUARY

th MARCH

YVONNE ARNAUD THEATRE NETWORKING LUNCH

Teaming up with Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre will be hosting a new lunchtime networking event which will be a great opportunity to meet some new clients in the area.

Running from 12 until 2pm you have the chance to pop out for a buffet lunch, make some new contacts and find out what is happening locally.

These events have been created based on demand so make sure you don’t miss out and BOOK now.

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th MARCH

MASTERCLASS WITH AMANDA SEABROOK

MEMBERS NETWORKING EVENING

17:30-20:00pm

18:30-20:30pm

The Hogs Back Hotel & Spa Farnham - GU10 1EX

Toyota (GB) PLC, Great Burgh, Burgh Heath ,KT18 5UX Member Rate: Free Non Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT |

Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT | Non Member Rate: £25.00 +VAT |

Join members and non members for another networking opportunity.

Networking is a sure fire way to creating sales and ultimately growing your business. Developing fresh, new and long lasting business contacts is a constant need for any business wishing to succeed. The question is, “Are you networking enough?”

The speaker is Amanda Seabrook, who started her career in Investment Management, working as an Investment Analyst at Fuji Lord-Abbett and ABN Amro Asset Management (Australia). She set up Workpond in 2011, initially as a marketplace for flexible work.

This developed into full-service recruitment. In 2016, Workpond launched its Consultancy business providing support to businesses looking to develop more agile business structures, integrating flexible working with their overriding company goals.

The event is absolutely free to members and refreshments and canapés will be served throughout the event. What do you have to lose? Just don’t forget your business cards!

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st MARCH

CHAMBERS POWER BREAKFAST EPSOM

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nd MARCH

CHAMBERS POWER BREAKFAST SPELTHORNE 07:45-09:30am

07:45-09:30am

Mercure London Staines Upon Thames Hotel (Thames Lodge) - Thames StreetTW18 4SJ

Epsom Downs Racecourse, Epsom, KT18 5LQ

Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT | Non Member Rate: £30.00 +VAT

Our expert for this Power breakfast is Nik Moore from Mindset Communications.

Our expert today will be Ian Smith from Shield Associates. He will cover the key aspects of Personal Protection, specifically highlighting how your staff can benefit from the knowledge he provides on being safe while operating on the move. Come and find out how you can make sure your staff are safe.

SURREY CHAMBERS

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Anger Management

ANGER MANAGEMENT

THE DAY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

by Maarten Hoffmann

I took this image in 1993 - they were all around me

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n a previous restaurant review, I admitted that I don’t eat fish, an odd admission for a restaurant critic, and I have been endlessly questioned over the statement all month, the standard question being, ‘Why? Don’t you like the taste of fish?’ I have a very personal reason for my views, but I will get to that later.

It has absolutely nothing to do with my taste buds, as I quite like the taste of fish.

It has to do with a moral imperative, my 20 years’ living in the tropics, and my blinding fury at the total and indefensible ignorance of all of you who do eat vast amounts of fish.

All fish are endangered, and when they are gone, so is the human race. Long before climate change, nuclear war or ISIS get us, the lack of fish will do for us all. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence, the world still consumes billions of tonnes of fish every day with gay abandon, in a selfish and ignorant lemming charge over the cliff to annihilation.

An international team of ecologists and economists has made an incredibly scary

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prediction. In just a few short decades, the world’s oceans will be empty of fish. While that dire prophecy may seem a little alarmist, the scariest thing about it is that it is backed

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On the way back to the dock, I would often see a fishing crew on a small island and wonder what they were doing, until the day I pulled my boat onto the beach and went to investigate.

What I found changed my life forever

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up with good ol’ science fact. It was published in Science, a publication that, if nothing else, does not publish rumour or emotive stories.

Cue terror in the streets.

Back in 2006, the study was done by a man named Boris Worm (whose hilarious name should not detract from his horrible prediction), a man with a PhD from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Along with colleagues in the U.K, U.S., Sweden, and Panama, Worm has predicted that by the year 2048, the ocean will be devoid of fish – which, if it occurs, would effectively end life as we know it on planet Earth.

In an effort to discover exactly what would happen to the world if there were no more fish in the ocean, the researchers analyzed all kinds of data. What they found was much worse than they suspected. “I was shocked and disturbed by how consistent these trends are – beyond anything we suspected,” Worm said in a news release.

After doing 32 thorough experiments on a variety of marine environments, the team of researchers looked at the history from the past 1,000 years in 12 different coastal regions

Anger Management around the world. Then they analyzed fishery data from 64 marine ecosystems and how nearly 50 protected ocean areas recovered after their protection.

Just some of the carnage I found

The news was not good. Overfishing, habitat loss, climate change (yes), and pollution are driving numbers of most species into a faster and faster decline. Keep in mind that this study was published back in 2006, but since then not much has changed. When the study was released, just over 1% of the ocean was deemed protected. As of last year, the World Database on Protected Areas – run by the United Nations Environment Programme – reported that only 2.8% of the ocean is protected, and much of that is only token protection that isn’t effectively enforced.

“This isn’t predicted to happen,” said Nicola Beaumont, a PhD at the Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK, “This is happening now”.

The team of researchers responsible for the study said that the loss of species isn’t a slow moving phenomenon, either. We’re accelerating the problem even as we talk about fixing it. And it’s not an issue of food for humans at all, just in case you’re thinking that no fish only means no more cod and chips.

Everything in the ocean plays a vital role; think of it as the greatest balancing act ever, and everything involved depends on everything else to stay in sync.

Human beings are the proverbial brick in the washing machine, if you will. Species in the ocean play a vital role in our own survival; among their accidental benefits to human life is filtering toxins from the ocean and controlling algae blooms, which, if left uncontrolled by nature, can have disastrous effects on the planet.

My son and I releasing a Loggerhead turtle we rescued from becoming turtle soup

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breathable air, but without phytoplankton, oxygen would decrease by about 50%.

The world still consumes billions of tonnes of fish every day with gay abandon in a selfish and ignorant lemming charge over the cliff to annihilation

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Of course, mass slaughter and over consumption are not the only problems.

Climate change, created by humans, also plays its part. Around 50% of the oxygen we breathe is present in the atmosphere thanks to phytoplankton (photosynthetic organisms that live in the surface of oceans). People often think that trees are the reason we have

Scientists estimate that the oceans absorb around a million tonnes of carbon dioxide EVERY HOUR. As a result our seas have become 30% more acidic than they were 30 years ago. This increased acidity plays havoc with levels of calcium carbonate, which forms the shells and skeletons of many sea creatures, and also disrupts reproductive activity. These threats have led to the phenomenon of ocean acidification being dubbed global warming’s ‘equally evil twin’. The acidity of seawater will increase dramatically and that would alter the rain that falls on our crops. Our livestock eat grass and crops.

No fish - no crops - no livestock - no humans.

Simple.

If we were to lower consumption it would give us the time to reduce emissions, but at this rate you will have eaten them all long before we get the chance.

In my youth, l lived all over the world but it was whilst developing a PADI/BSAC Scuba Resort on the Sea of Cortez in Baja California, Mexico and living my life obsessively diving at a site called El Bajo, that my eyes where opened.

El Bajo is a seamount, a mountain under the sea that reaches to within 30mt. of the surface having risen from the depths, and famous for schooling Hammerhead sharks. This social display of up to 3,000 Scalloped and Great Hammers circling the mount is one of the most awe-inspiring signs l have ever witnessed. Now bear in mind that with economically vital dive tourism, all fish, but especially the headline act, are worth far more alive than dead. Eat it once, or charge people to view it a thousand times. The maths doesn’t lie.

On the way back to the dock, I would often SURREY CHAMBERS

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ANGER MANAGEMENT see a fishing crew on a small island and wonder what they were doing until the day I pulled my boat onto the beach and went to investigate.

What I found changed my life forever. A large mound of juvenile Hammerhead heads. The stink was appalling and I counted 750 in eight piles. Why just the heads, I wondered, until I questioned one of my dive staff and learnt that their bodies go into ceviche, which is a cheap local dish sold by the hundredweight to tourists and natives alike. They were fully aware they were not supposed to use shark, so they chopped the heads off, finned the carcass and pulverised the lot so that no one would know. A friend of mine dived there last year and over the course of 14 dives he didn’t see one single Hammerhead. Not one…..

exactly how many we have. We can help them breed and maintain their lifestyles. You cannot count fish, and when they are gone, they are gone and we will never know it until some lump of lard sitting in a sushi restaurant somewhere in the world eats the last one!

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Human beings are the proverbial brick in the washing machine

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This is the problem. Take the babies and there are no more of anything. I was so furious I started the Cortez Conservation Club, and after taking guerrilla action day after day - including cutting gill nets, sabotaging boats, handing leaflets to tourists, pestering the authorities and publishing pictures – in an attempt to draw attention to this economic tragedy, l was ‘requested’ to leave the country and my life was threatened if I ever returned.

The second is: ‘Oh, there’s plenty of fish and they will never run out’.

The words I have for you on this question, I have been informed by the legal team, I cannot print. Total, blindingly stunning, stupendous, embarrassing ignorance!

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It is too simplistic to say ’stop eating fish,’ but for pity’s sake, reduce your fish intake and give them time to recover. It has been shown that if humans ate 50% less fish, the ocean stocks could recover within 25 years. But no, you are all too busy to bother with silly things like this; therefore, you will join the other lemmings and eat them all. What will you tell your grandchildren when they ask, ‘Grandie, where have all the fish gone?’ Your response: ‘We ate them all’.

It takes 4 kilos of dried fish to feed 1 kilo of farmed fish. You do the maths!

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Now we have thousands of factory boats across the globe netting 100,000 fish at a time, the Japanese government slaughtering whales, dolphins and every single fish species no matter how foul or diseased.

Whilst on the subject, 10 years ago their fishing boats reported a dramatic fall in the catch of Blue Fin Tuna, so favoured by those who like to eat raw fish (Sushi), so instead of investigating and launching urgent research, they simply agreed to a raising of the price of Blue Fin, which sent every able-bodied captain rushing to the boats. Utter madness. This year a world record was set for the sale of a single large Blue Fin Tuna - $1,76 million US Dollars – FOR A FISH! They will not be content until they have eaten every last one and will then proceed to eat everything else in the ocean. The same goes for every other fish eater amongst this planets ever-expanding population, munching their way through the world’s fish stocks at a rate that can never, ever, be replenished.

It’s a chain. Think of a necklace – remove one link and the entire thing falls apart. Now imagine that the links can never be re-created – there we have the problem. No matter how smart we humans are, we cannot replicate a species once it has gone. When one type of fish has gone, it will begin the rapid collapse of the entire system.

Tuna: going. Cod: going. Sharks: going. Turtles: going. Whales: going…….

Three comments I heard with annoying regularity when I used to lecture on this subject were: ‘You eat cows, pigs and sheep, what’s the difference’?

For any of you out there who might be thinking the same thing, your total ignorance defies belief. We can count the cows and know

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The third is: ‘No problem, we can survive on farmed fish’. Farmed fish eat their own waste, so go right ahead. Also, it takes 4 kilos of dried fish to feed 1 kilo of farmed fish. You do the maths!

There might be time. Reduce your fish intake by 50% and show this article to your children. Or die.

In another pile of death, they had creatively placed a swordfish head

Award-winning pest control services

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HEALTHCARE • MEDICAL RESEARCH • PHARMACEUTICALS • SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY

GUILDFORD

The Surrey Research Park Where advances in science and technology are helping to grow the UK and local economies

The Surrey Research Park is recognised as a centre of excellence in technology, science, health and engineering. Owned and managed by The University of Surrey, The Surrey Research Park currently houses over 120 businesses, including leading players such as the satellite company SSTL, BAE Systems Applied Intelligence Limited, IDBS, Optegra and many start-up businesses.

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01483 579693

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sales@surrey.ac.uk

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World famous science park in Guildford

Flexible letting from 150 sq ft.

Serviced suites up to 20,000 sq ft

Accommodation for start-ups right through to major corporates

Fast links to major airports, motorways, road and rail networks

Excellent amenities on site or close by, including: sports park and gym, cash machine and café.

Close links with the University of Surrey knowledge base

Idyllic waterscape and park location

Low density development

Management team on site

www.surrey-research-park.com SURREY CHAMBERS

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Plug-in and drive...

Experience the Hybrid technology today with our limited offer New C 350 e Sport Plug-In Hybrid From

£370.00 + VAT Per month ¹

Advanced rental ¹

£ 3,330.00

Contract Length

24 months

Annual Mileage

10,000 mpa

Payment Profile CO2

9+23 months 48g/km

Excess Mileage

9p per mile

Currently featuring the most advanced form of hybrid technology, the electrical energy storage unit is a high-voltage lithium-ion battery which can be charged from an external power source and so makes an effective contribution to the low consumption and emission figures. With the possibility of driving up to 31 kilometres in all-electric mode, thus completely free of CO2 emissions locally, combined with the comfort and power of a sports car, the C 350 e makes an obvious company car choice for your business.

For more information on other models available or to take advantage of this limited offer, please visit: www.sandownlease.co.uk Or call us on: 0330 042 3183

Mercedes-Benz of Basingstoke Mercedes-Benz of Poole

Mercedes-Benz of Hindhead Mercedes-Benz of Guildford

Mercedes-Benz of Dorchester Mercedes-Benz of Salisbury

0330 042 3183

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¹ Business users only. Mercedes-Benz Contract Hire agreement. Guarantees may be required. All payments exclude VAT at 20%. Vehicle conditions, excess mileage and other charges may be SURREY CHAMBERS payable. Rental includes Road Fund Licence for the contract duration. Orders/credit approvals on selected C 350 e Saloon models, stock cars only, between 1 December and 31 March 2017, registered by 31 March 2017, excluding Mercedes-AMG models. Subject to availability, offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Some combinations of features/options may not be available. No ownership option. Prices correct at time of going to press 12/16.