Surrey Chambers Magazine - issue 6

SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

The Official of M Surrey Chambers A GCommerceAMagazineZ

I

Issue 6 - Dec17/Jan18 N E

KATHY SLACK OBE Interview with the Enterprise M3 leader

RAISE A GLASS

Tim Clay, the new MD of Asahi UK

PLATINUM EVENT MANAGEMENT Launching the Surrey Business Awards 2018 GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

Have we achieved

GENDER EQUALITY

in Business?

FOCUS ON WOKING

THE

GROUP

PLATINUM The Platinum Group is expanding...

THE PLATINUM PUBLISHING GROUP PLATINUM EVENT MANAGEMENT THE PLATINUM CLUB

www.platinumpublishing.co.uk

2

info@platinumpublishing.co.uk SURREY CHAMBERS

NEW IN 2018 SURREY

The Surrey Business Awards have been missing from the county scene for a few years but we are delighted to announce that they are back, bigger and better in 2018. The awards will recognise the wealth of world-class businesses in the county and will celebrate all that is special about Surrey. Produced in Surrey for the businesses of Surrey.

Celebrating the 30th year, the Sussex Business Awards are the pre-eminent business awards for the region and a true mark of success for those companies fortunate enough to win one of the coveted trophies. 2018 will see a new and exciting look to the awards, setting the scene for the next 30 years.

Now in the 13th year, the Brighton & Hove Business Awards are the only awards in the City that recognise the diverse range of businesses that comprise this eclectic region. A true mark of merit for any company fortunate enough to win one of the coveted trophies.

Plus our brand new website. Updated daily, the new site launches on 1st December 2017.

www.platinumpublishing.co.uk SURREY CHAMBERS

3

Big, small, techy, traditional, light, heavy, established, growing, merging.

Whatever your business, we’ll help you achieve your goals, deal with the unexpected and plan for the ups and downs.

www.morrlaw.com/wemeanbusiness

4

SURREY CHAMBERS

Redhill | Wimbledon | Teddington | Woking | Camberley

we mean business

Welcome

44

THE BIG STORY

KATHY SLACK OBE Exclusive Interview with the Executive Director of the Enterprise M3 LEP

32

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS

20

RAISE A GLASS

47+ 52

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN

56

BUSINESS TRAVEL MALLORCA

60

Does sexism in business still exist? We invited a panel of female (and one male) business leaders to debate the issue

Interview with Tim Clay, the new UK head of Asahi, the premium beer group

We asked some of the region’s entrepreneurs the secret of their success

The sunshine island is not just a holiday destination...

TOWN FOCUS - WOKING In-depth feature on the thriving town and the big regeneration plans

At a Glance 8 Policing Surrey 9 Chambers President 11 Member News 16 NatWest - Retirement planning 18 Partridge Muir & Warren 20 Asahi Interview 22 Web Design - Akiko 23 Wilkins Kennedy 24 Haines Watts 25 Herrington Carmichael 26 DMH Stallard 28 Shadow Foundr 30 University of Surrey 31 Guildford College 32 Women Business Leaders Debate

44 Kathy Slack OBE 47 & 52 Inspirational Women 48 Caroline Lucas MP 50 Mercer - When women thrive 56 Business Travel - Mallorca 60 Focus on Woking 80 Motoring - Volvo XC90 82 Motoring - Jaguar F-Type SVR 83 Motoring - Audi R8 Spyder 84 Motoring - Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio

86 Mercedes-Benz 88 Chambers Events 90 Golf Society 94 Christmas at Brooklands 95 Christmas at Foxhills 97 Sponsor an Event 98 Join the Chamber

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.

SURREY CHAMBERS

PLATINUM PUBLISHING G R O U P

5

BRAND

STRATEGY

WEB

7532C

warm grey 2c

Profit by design.

At Farrow Creative, we believe in the power of effective design. We also know that any piece of design is only as good as the results it produces. So, we kick off

every project by identifying and analysing your strategic aims and objectives.

Then we’ll apply our creative, technical and commercial skills and experience

to bring you a robust, reasoned brand, digital or design solution that meets your precise requirements.

We deliver practical, effective responses to the challenges you face, while staying true to our design principles. Working together, we’ll help you communicate at a higher level, and profit from putting design at the heart of your business, too.

t: 01730 710033

Petersfield: 2 Spain Buildings, 28 The Spain,

w: farrowcreative.co.uk

Guildford: Surrey Technology Centre,

e: sam@farrowcreative.co.uk

6

SURREY CHAMBERS

Petersfield, Hampshire, GU32 3LA

40 Occam Road, Guildford GU2 7YG

Issue 6 - 2017

A word from the CEO

A

t Surrey Chambers of Commerce we are constantly looking for ways to support our member companies and make sure that we can provide relevant information and advice to keep them ahead of their competition. We are already seeing a significant take-up of our new helpline and resources library. The service consists of a one number helpline covering ChamberHR, ChamberLegal, ChamberH&S and ChamberTax plus access to a document library with over 750 free downloadable template documents covering employment, health & safety and legal matters. As we move towards the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in 2018 this service will be invaluable.

Disappointing exports not seen locally In spite of the drop in sterling there has been a deterioration in the UK’s net trade position in September reinforcing the overall weakness of our trade balance and external position, contrary to a growing level of exporters using Surrey Chambers of Commerce’s documentation services.

The national widening was primarily driven by a sharp rise in imports, particularly in machinery and fuels. While the fall in sterling is helping some exporters abroad, it’s also hurting those that import by increasing the cost of raw materials and capital equipment.

The trade figures from this quarter, and throughout the year, prove that we are a long way from the rebalancing of our economy. There has been an increase in exports to EU countries which underlines the importance of agreeing a deal that safeguards favourable terms of trade for UK businesses with their largest overseas market. Firms need clarity on the nature of the UK’s future trading relationship with Europe, so they can plan with confidence, which means Brexit negotiations must progress on to trade talks as soon as possible. The decrease in exports to non-EU countries shows how important it will be in the coming years to support trade with these markets too. To boost our overall trade performance, more must also be done to support UK companies to begin or expand their export journeys.

With our office next door to Heathrow, and our dedicated International trade team we are ready to help any potential exporters to join the vibrant exporting community in Surrey.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce can be reached on 01483 735540, info@surrey-chambers.co.uk, @surreychambers

Louise Punter CEO Surrey Chambers of Commerce

The Team

PUBLISHER The Platinum Publishing Group Directors: Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com Tel: 07966 244046

Head of Design: Amanda Harrington Travel Editor: Rose Dykins Sub Editor: Kate Morton Food Editor: Amanda Menahem Photographer: Sarah Walker-Bennett Motoring Editor: Maarten Hoffmann

Ian Trevett Ian@ platinumbusinessmagazine.com Tel: 07989 970804

For editorial and advertising enquiries email lesley@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

Website: www.platinumbusinessmagazine.com

CHAMBER EDITOR Molly Edwards Molly.Edwards@surrey-chambers.co.uk Tel: 01483 735545 Web: www.surrey-chambers.co.uk If you have a news story for publication, email molly.edwards@surrey-chambers.co.uk

Advertising Director: Lesley Alcock Tel: 07767 613707 lesley@platinumbusinessmagazine.com

SURREY CHAMBERS

7

Policing Surrey

MAKING PLANS FOR WINTER David Munro, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey

M

ay I take this opportunity firstly to wish you all both a happy and peaceful Christmas holiday and hopefully a prosperous 2018.

It has been a challenging year for policing in many ways, not least in the response to the threat of terrorism which has sadly loomed ever large in this country and beyond in 2017.

Be assured that during the party season our officers in Surrey will be working round the clock throughout the festive period to keep people safe.

In policing, we are a 24-hour-a–day emergency service operation so it is crucial to ensure that any disruption caused by a sudden or unexpected event does not impact on our ability to deliver the service residents rightly expect.

There are plans in place across the organisation to ensure we can respond quickly to circumstances such as snow or flooding whilst equally continuing to operate business as usual.

At this time of year, the cold winter months

should serve as a timely reminder about ensuring your business continuity plans are also in place.

Research commissioned in the last few years by the Federation of Small Businesses discovered that almost 60% of small firms do not have plans in place for extreme weather.

As we have seen in Surrey with the widespread flooding in 2014, these events, whilst rare, can have a serious impact on our county, particularly on our already busy road network.

Although we may experience less snowfall in the UK than some other European countries, we should never be complacent about the impact of extreme winter weather.

Such events can heighten the risk to all organisations of issues such as site accidents, injuries to staff or visitors, closure or limited access to premises, loss of power, water supply or fuel or reduced personnel.

Of course bad weather is not the only issue that can have the potential to hamper your business. IT failure, fire or a cyber-attack can

be equally as damaging.

For more information about business continuity there is a helpful guide provided

by Surrey County Council which can be found here: https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/ people-and-community/emergency-planningand-community-safety/emergency-planning/ business-continuity Any plans should consider what risks you might face, their potential impact and what resources and contingencies you might need in place to maintain your business to an acceptable standard.

I hope most of you will have your own in place but it is worth reviewing and testing them on a regular basis to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

If your staff can’t make it into work or you are unable to provide your usual service due to unforeseen circumstances then solid and workable business continuity plans could be worth their weight in gold.

surrey.pnn.police.uk

Snow in Addiscombe, Surrey

8

SURREY CHAMBERS

President’s Column

A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT Yvette Etcell Modern Slavery We may all be forgiven for feeling that there has been an onslaught of recent legislation affecting our HR and other company policies. It seems like we have only just got our heads around the Apprenticeship Levy, when the focus then switches to the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) due to affect all businesses from May 2018.

Another piece of legislation to be concerned about is The Modern Slavery Act 2015 (MSA); Under the MSA, any organisations with a turnover of in excess of £36m are required by law to produce a Modern Slavery Disclosure Statement. However, it is equally important to understand the Act applies to ALL organisations, regardless of size, irrespective of the need to publish a formal statement.

solution platform designed by Mercer to help organisations drive growth through the active and productive participation of their female workforce. It was fantastic to be in a room full of women (and men) in business, who share a passion to increase and celebrate their female employees.

Each year Business Women in Surrey celebrates International Women’s Day by hosting a large event with a panel of inspirational female speakers. This year’s event was hosted by Surrey Business School and focused on women in the STEM industry and I am very much looking forward to 2018’s celebration hosted at Nescot College.

Alongside this the British Chambers of

Commerce has tied their annual conference to the 8th March too, in order to share in the celebration and highlight women in business on a large scale.

If you feel you would like to be included in the Business Women in Surrey event, please contact a member of the Surrey Chambers team on 01483 735540.

As another busy and unique year comes to an end, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year.

Yvette Etcell President, Surrey Chambers of Commerce

Simply put, the exploitation of labour and involvement in slavery and forced labour is illegal and we all have a duty to ensure that our recruitment and supply chain processes are robust enough to make it impossible for slavery or forced labour to be used.

There are a number of common signs to look out for and the CITB have produced a short useful video which we have used to cascade the warning signs throughout our workforce and which you may find of interest: Modern Slavery Toolbox talk https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=Dzt1ntzdMAc

Women in Business With 2018 just around the corner, our focus is on providing an exciting and vibrant programme of events for businesses to enjoy.

On March 8th, it is International Women’s Day, and although it might seem like a little while away, the planning to celebrate this day has already begun.

At the beginning of November I attended Surrey Chambers’ Business Women in Surrey event with speaker Julia Howes from Mercer. The topic was ‘When Women Thrive, Businesses Thrive’ a global research and

SURREY CHAMBERS

9

10

SURREY CHAMBERS

News

MEMBER NEWS CHARLES RUSSELL SPEECHLYS DOUBLES COMMUNITY FUND Charles Russell Speechlys is doubling the grants it will be offering through the CRS Community Fund which it runs in association with the Community Foundation for Surrey.

The fund was set up by the Guildford-based law firm in 2016 to support projects in and around Guildford which focus on employment, training and skills initiatives. To date, it has awarded a total of almost £4,000 to a range of inspiring organisations.

Grant recipients have included Change of Scene, helping disadvantaged children to gain recognised qualifications; Skillway, providing teenagers with apprentice-style teaching of manual skills, and Challengers, engaging with the siblings of disabled children and young people.

The biggest grant - of £1200 - was awarded to Wey House School’s ‘Team Teach’ project, supporting parents of young people with social, emotional and mental health issues.

Sally Ashford, partner at Charles Russell Speechlys in Guildford said: “Over the last year we have received funding applications from so many worthy local charities and projects in need of support. Every grant we have awarded has been to an impressive organisation with a real desire to improve the lives of people within our local community.

“We are excited to enter the second year of the Fund with a bigger budget and plans to get much more involved with the projects we support.”

If you are a Surrey-based charity which enables people to widen their horizons and aspirations please contact Kate Peters from the Community Foundation for Surrey about funding opportunities. Kate is contactable on 01483 478092 / info@CFSurrey.org.uk

LUNCH BY NUMBERS Shipleys Accountants and Business Advisers recently sponsored their third Chamber Networking Lunch at The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford.

In the beautiful setting of the Theatre’s Vanbrugh Room, this relatively new event is bringing together representatives from all shapes and sizes of local businesses.

Commenting on the success of the event Shipleys’ Partner, Steve Foster, said, “We’re delighted that once again so many local businesspeople joined us on the day. This informal networking event is proving very popular and gives people the chance to forge valuable connections and discuss key issues affecting business.”

In their discussions with the events’ participants, the Shipleys team were delighted to chat through and answer questions on a number of pressing issues for business owners.

For more information about Shipleys’ accounting, business and tax advice for businesses and charities, contact Steve Foster and the team on tel. 01483 423607 or email fosters@shipleys.com .

360TV WINS AN AWARD AT SILAFEST 2017 The award for Best Sports Tourism Video at the ninth Silafest International Festival of Tourism and Environmental Films was picked by 360TV. The festival was established to promote excellence in the world of travel and destination films and to recognise production teams that strive to create stunning and effective films.

It was held on the banks of the river Danube in Serbia, at the Silver Lake resort. The film submitted was a film shot at the Aegialis Hotel and Spa on the Greek island of Amorgos, a beautiful location over looking a bay of crystal clear Mediterranean water over to the old port across the bay.

A link to the film can be found at https://vimeo.com/221886062

❝

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

❞

Albert Einstein SURREY CHAMBERS

11

spe cia lo ffe r

PRINCE2 PROJECT MANAGEMENT ‰

10% discount for Chambers members. Quote ‘CHAMBERS’

Get qualified with this globally recognised professional qualification.

Start dates: 5 February, 9 April, 9 July 2018 Foundation only 3 day course (Mon - Wed) £610 £549 Practitioner only 2 day course (Thu & Fri) £510 £459 Foundation and Practitioner together 5 day course (Mon - Fri) - £1,015 £913.50 Practitioner re registration 2 day course (Thu & Fri) - £550 £495

Courses for your career

Professional qualifications at Guildford College

Get qualified with our professional courses starting in September. Choose from: Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) CILEx – Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx)

For more information or to book a course contact us TODAY:

www.servicestobusiness.net

Tel: 01483 44 85 30 Email: employers@guildford.ac.uk 12 Services to Business Stoke Road Guildford Surrey GU1 1EZ SURREY CHAMBERS

MEMBER NEWS

News

SURREY BUSINESS RANKED TOP IN THE UK Woking-based business, Something Big, has been ranked as one of the country’s leading creative agencies in the highly acclaimed Top 100 Independent Agencies in the UK report.

Conducted by marketing magazine and website The Drum in partnership with the Recommended Agency Register (RAR), the research is a comprehensive review of the UK’s most successful creative and marketing agencies. The strict criteria focuses on financial performance, client satisfaction, award wins, types of clients, and services offered.

With over 30,000 agencies operating in the UK, competition is fierce, so to make the top 100 is testament to the great work Something Big is doing.

Sally Pritchett, director and co-owner of Something Big, said: “With so many creative and marketing agencies around the country, making the Top 100 is no mean feat; we’re delighted to be recognised as best in class.

“Being based in Surrey is also integral to our success, as clients value the London agency expertise we offer right on their doorstep.”

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT A DISAPPOINTMENT

SURREY AGENCY CELEBRATES TWO YEARS

65% of business leaders believe that they lack government support according to the respondents of the latest Enterprise Index research by Smith & Williamson.

SUM, a digital marketing agency based at Chertsey, recently celebrated two successful years of trading.

The Enterprise Index, a quarterly barometer which tests the views of nearly 200 business leaders and entrepreneurs, indicates that political uncertainty is having a real impact on business confidence. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents stated that political uncertainty is negatively impacting their business.

“Businesses are suffering. There was a belief that the government was getting to grips with the scale-up business agenda, and the benefits this offers the economy, but progress appears to have stalled in an uncertain political environment,” said Jeff Selden, partner and specialist in business services at Smith & Williamson in Guildford.

59% of respondents believed that the impact of Brexit is real and nearly two thirds did not expect the economy to improve over the next 12 months.

“Brexit appears to be all-pervading. This appears to be to the detriment of all other policy and the health of the wider economy.

We need strong leadership and coordinated activity to rebuild economic confidence,” said Jeff.

Despite their lack of confidence in the government and ongoing Brexit fears, it seems that many entrepreneurs retain faith in their own business. More than three-fifths (62%) are optimistic about their own prospects in the next 12 months and 58% are still planning to increase headcount in the next quarter.

www.smithandwilliamson.com

Based at The Post House at Longcross, SUM works with start-up businesses, SME’s and corporate companies to deliver online and offline marketing services; including web design, branding, SEO and social media management.

Company director, Jamie Clifton, said: “We’ve grown rapidly from a team of two to a team of nine with a second office in Yorkshire. I never dreamed we’d be where we are today.”

Last month, the design team at SUM created presentation visuals for Greg Dyke, founder of Vine Hotels and former chairman of the FA, who presented in front of 800 people at the Annual Hotel Conference in Manchester.

Hoping to make a real difference to the local community, SUM plan to deliver a programme of free education workshops to help boost digital knowledge within Surrey organisations during 2018.

www.sum.agency.

❝

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

SURREY CHAMBERS

❞ 13

Free SEO clinic worth £2,500 We will provide you with insights into how your business is currently performing online and the opportunities you could tap into without spending any money.

Book today: 01403 592592*

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

Jodie Kidd The Half Moon, Kirdford

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

GROUP

PLATINUM PUBLISHING

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

14

SURREY CHAMBERS

MEMBER NEWS

News

M3 CHAIRMAN APPOINTED BY DIT

NEW TAX PARTNER REJOINS ROFFE SWAYNE

The Chairman of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Dr Mike Short, CBE, has been appointed as the Chief Scientific Adviser by the Department for International Trade (DIT).

Surrey accountants Roffe Swayne have recruited Chris Boulet as a Partner to their tax team based in Godalming.

In the newly created role, Dr Short will build links with research, development and academic communities to commercialise and promote British scientific and engineering exports globally. His expertise and advice will also inform DIT’s policies on science and engineering, particularly in relation to technical aspects of future trade deals.

Short led Innovation South’s Science and Innovation Audit, which underscores the outstanding strength of Southern England in science and innovation amongst businesses, industries, universities and research institutions.

He was also pivotal to the development of Enterprise M3’s Local Industrial Strategy and is currently leading in harnessing the LEP’s digital economy to drive innovation, productivity and competitiveness.

Chris originally joined the firm’s tax department in 1989 as a tax trainee. Post qualification he moved on to Smith & Williamson and began to specialise in private client tax matters. He then moved in-house into international partnership tax roles with Linklaters, Bird & Bird and Coller Capital. In 2008 he started his own tax consultancy practice looking after private High Net Worth clients and partnerships as well as advising on international and domestic corporate tax structuring issues.

Chris advises a broad spectrum of clients from large multi-national companies to SMEs, as well as individuals and families on tax. Much of his work has an international dimension, as he advises many internationally based families on their tax position and has expertise in responding to complex enquires into clients’ affairs by HMRC and related tax investigations.

Outside of work, Chris enjoys a variety of outdoor pursuits including music festivals.

❝

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

❞

01483 444333 www.visitguildford.com WEDDINGS

CONFERENCES

EXHIBITIONS AND MORE

SURREY CHAMBERS

15

Retirement Planning

T

TOP EARNERS PLAN AHEAD

he NatWest Premier Aspiration Index* has revealed that savers in the South East are comfortable with their retirement savings plan. 75 per cent of the region’s respondents said that they are ‘fairly’ or ‘very’ confident they’re saving enough for retirement, with 56 per cent saving at the same levels they did last year.

However the survey also revealed that while the South East’s top-earners’ monthly savings of £442 for retirement is well above the UK average of £418, it is still below what’s needed for retirement. At less than five per cent of their monthly earnings, this is nowhere near the 12 - 20 per cent1 of income saved that’s recommended in order to have enough money to live on after work.

This is despite 84 per cent of this group stating their main priority is to maintain or even improve upon (six per cent) their current standard of living during retirement.

The Aspiration Index, launched to mark NatWest’s new Premier Banking offering, delves into the aspirations and worries of those earning 100k+ per annum (or a joint household income of 120k+ per annum). This group accounts for the top 2.5 per cent of the UK’s earners.2

Phil Northey, NatWest’s MD for Premier Banking the impact it might have on their personal finances.

This group is financially savvy. The survey found that half (50%) of those surveyed in the South East began regularly investing before the age of 30. On average, the UK’s topearners save more than they invest (£426 vs £377).

Phil Northey, Managing Director of Premier Banking at NatWest, said: “What’s clear from the research is that savers in the South East understand the importance of savings but maybe need some more guidance on how they can better prepare for retirement. With our refreshed Premier Banking offering we hope that more customers will take advantage of the support and guidance available to help alleviate some of the day to day pressure and to plan for the long-term.

But economic uncertainty and Brexit are causing some in the South East to hold off from making financial decisions. 21 per cent of respondents who invest said that they decided against investing due to uncertainty around the economic outlook and the associated risks. Meanwhile, Brexit was a concern for 17 per cent who said they were losing sleep over

“We can help and support on a range of financial decisions, including financial health checks to make sure clients are saving enough towards retirement, or by providing guidance on investment goals and aspirations dependent on an individual’s attitude to risk.

We are here to help, no matter the problem or query.”

* All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,140 adults aged 18+, with personal income of £100,000+ and/or household income of £120,000+ and/or investable assets of £100,000+. Fieldwork was undertaken between 12th – 19th October 2017. The survey was carried out online.

1

Figure according to pension experts at Standard Life as reported on This is Money, Feb 2017

2

Figure according to the ONS Personal income by tax year - Income and deductions: 2014 to 2015

16

SURREY CHAMBERS

In Brief • The NatWest Premier Banking Aspiration Index reveals that 75 per cent of the region’s affluent are confident they’re saving enough for retirement • Average of £442 a month being set aside for retirement • 50 % of South East respondents began investing before the age of 30

Retirement Planning

TOP TIPS TO GET YOUR SAVINGS READY FOR RETIREMENT your banking relationship manager you can review your current strategy and how best to utilise your allowances. It is best to take action immediately, no matter your age, to make sure you are on track for the retirement lifestyle that suits you best.

Use

an ISA allowance to top up contributions Another simple way of investing to help achieve your retirement lifestyle aspirations is by utilising your annual ISA allowance, thus growing your investment without incurring a tax bill. The interest you earn or any growth you make on an investment ISA isn’t liable for capital gains tax and any dividends paid on investments are also tax free.*

Start saving when you’re young and save sensibly

Make the most of the annual contribution allowance

Build a regular savings habit at an early age.

75% of respondents to the NatWest Aspiration Index began saving regularly by the time they turned 30. The power of compounding returns is immense for longer investments. To get you into the habit, set up a Direct Debit on pay day and if you get a pay rise, increase your regular savings – you’re unlikely to miss the cash.

It is important to regularly review your finances and make sure you are getting the most from your money. With the new pension freedoms and tax relief on your contributions, there has never been a better time to reassess your financial fitness around retirement planning. Pension rules and jargon can be bewildering, even for those who are financially sophisticated, so you should be regularly reassessing your priorities. By speaking to

Know

when to take risks

The further away you are from retiring, be prepared to take more risk with your investments. Take less risks the closer you get to retiring.

*It’s important to remember that the value of investments can go down as well as up, so you could get back less than you invest.

Understand the value of your assets You should understand your assets and have a plan to liquidate them. A significant portion of the UK population is sitting on huge amounts of housing equity. For some people, downsizing is an option while for others equity release schemes will work better. This may also help mitigate inheritance tax obligations for your beneficiaries.

Sign up for workplace pension schemes and regularly review contributions Automatic enrolment means that joining a workplace pension scheme becomes much easier rather than having to take steps to join.

Under automatic enrolment most workers are signed up, making saving into pensions more attractive by making it compulsory for employers to pay into eligible workers’ pensions schemes and there is added tax advantages of doing so.

SURREY CHAMBERS

17

The Economy

CONFIDENCE - THE ULTIMATE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

By Simon Lewis, CEO Partridge Muir & Warren

I

can’t remember approaching the holiday season with such a depressing backdrop.

We have an apparently dysfunctional government that appears to be making a hash of the Brexit negotiations and an opposition party enthusiastically promoting Marxist economic policies. Not to mention, scandal after scandal; ranging from personal misconduct to tax avoidance on a grand scale by very wealthy individuals and corporations.

To make matters worse, inflation is rising and wage growth is stagnant. Retailers are

18

SURREY CHAMBERS

hiding their heads under their pillows in anticipation of dismal Christmas sales figures.

❝

When you leap off a high object the worst thing to think about is whether you should have jumped in the first place.

❞

Every day there seems to be another depressing news story. The problem is, if you believe the media then it would be easy to believe we are always in a perpetual state of crisis. Every day we seem to be encouraged to believe we are sitting on the edge of the abyss and an unfortunate aspect of human nature is that such negative news is often more appealing than positive stories.

As we approach Christmas and the New Year, I can’t help but think that the world (and Britain in particular) would benefit from

The Economy healthy doses of confidence and positivity.

If we all made a New Year’s resolution to be more confident about the current economic situation and positive about the future, our future would as a proven consequence, be brighter. Of course lots of bad things are happening and have happened, but I can’t think of a single point in human history when that wasn’t the case.

❝

A recovering Eurozone economy will be good news for the UK, because the Eurozone will remain our largest trading partner for the foreseeable future.

❞

Reality check The reality is more positive than we might think. The UK economy is ticking along quite nicely thank you very much. Admittedly, we are not currently growing as quickly as the Eurozone, but they are at a different point in the economic cycle, so comparisons are misleading. Cumulative economic growth over the last 10 years has been much higher in the UK. And, yes, Brexit is here to stay and we have to get on with it. The most important thing for us, given that we are now heading for a pathway that will make us engage more directly with the rest of the world, is to acknowledge that the rest of the world is starting to do a lot better when it comes to economic growth.

When you leap off a high object the worst thing to think about is whether you should have jumped in the first place. It’s too late for that indulgence and the priority now should be to focus on preparing for a smooth landing.

The problem at the moment is everyone is spending too much time wondering if it was right to leave, whereas now we need to put all the effort into landing well and making the best of it.

What the future might hold

same time. It seems this trend will continue in to 2018, which means that the markets where we can sell our goods and services are likely to be buoyant. And this represents a unique opportunity for this country’s economy to get a real shot in the arm. Let’s not forget that a recovering Eurozone economy will be good news for the UK, because the Eurozone will remain our largest trading partner for the foreseeable future.

So rather than looking back, we have to move on and look forward to a bright future.

Great trading nation The UK has always been a great trading nation – we have always seen the world as one great opportunity to buy and sell. And there is no reason why we cannot continue to trade with the world and make some money whilst we do it. And what’s more, mainland Europe will play a big part in that. No matter what the politicians decide, we will still have France, Germany, Ireland and Spain etc as key trading partners. Once March 2019 comes around, trading with Europe won’t just stop.

There may be some additional paperwork, but life will go on and we can flourish because business usually finds a way to navigate around the impediments created by politicians.

Investment often comes down to looking for the opportunities in a given situation. The great investors are those people who say, ‘Okay this has happened, what is the outcome and how can I utilise it?’. Here we have Brexit, one of the biggest opportunities we are ever likely to face, and we are so blinded by the

shock of the outcome that it is becoming almost impossible for us to move forward. It is time that we realised that we cannot change the past, but we can utilise the opportunities this may present and make this a great period for our generation and future generations.

The simple fact is that we need to be more positive as a nation and the media need to start reporting on the positive things that are happening around us. You don’t have to look far to see the positive things that have happened in 2017. Consider the unexpected record highs achieved by many stock markets around the world which have provided some superb investor returns; the rise in global trade; resilient UK GDP, UK and US unemployment continuing its downward trend; the improving fiscal position of the UK Government’s finances. All in all, things could be a lot worse.

The best way for us to make the UK a better place is for us all is to ignore negativity from the media and focus on the positives. If we are all positive in how we think, we will be more positive in the way we behave and everyone will benefit. The economy is most influenced by us, not politicians. If we spend and save in the correct proportions, everything will turn out OK. So altogether now, what do we want for the New Year? We want Confidence! And lots of it.

Tel: 01372 471 550 www.pmw.co.uk

The global economic outlook has improved dramatically throughout the year and what is particularly encouraging is that all the main contributors to the world economy are benefiting from an upswing in fortunes at the SURREY CHAMBERS

19

Interview

BEER BUSINESS ON THE UP The new Asahi UK Managing Director, Tim Clay, talks to us about his upcoming new role at the Woking-based Super Premium Beer business. Interview by Molly Edwards. to Asahi Group Holdings in 2016. Gary aided Asahi’s position as the UK’s leading Super Premium Beer business and oversaw category defying innovations such as Peroni Piccola, Peroni Gluten Free and Peroni Ambra.

Commenting on the change, Gary Haigh said: “I’m delighted to be handing over the reins to Tim Clay who has been a key part of the team and has achieved outstanding results during his time as sales director. It’s been fantastic to work with the company at such a critical time of its evolution, and see how the brands have grown to be such an integral part of the premium British beer landscape.”

Tim joined Asahi in 2013 and is responsible for the brands’ outstanding year on year revenue growth. Surrey Chambers Business Magazine caught up with Tim to talk about Asahi’s premium beer brands, the beer industry and their work in the local community.

“N

ew Year, New You” is a very common phrase at this time of year. However, Super Premium Beer business, Asahi UK, have a slightly different take on this phrase - “New Year, New MD”!

Last month Gary Haigh announced his retirement as Managing Director, and Asahi UK announced the appointment of current Sales Director, Tim Clay, as their new Managing Director, who starts in January.

Walk into almost any UK bar or pub and you will be greeted with a range of premium beers on draft and bottled. Woking based Asahi UK, a subsidiary of Asahi Europe, is a major player responsible for the growth of these Super Premium Beer brands across the UK and Ireland, with beers such as Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell and Kozel in its range.

Current managing director, Gary Haigh, has overseen operations since 2011 and was a key contributor in the sale of Miller Brands UK

20

SURREY CHAMBERS

How do you make people aware of your premium beer brands? “‘World Beer’ is an industry term that has traditionally been used to describe higher-end beers, typically imported from the continent and beyond. The emergence of UK Craft at

the top end of the market and continental flavoured lagers has diluted the term ‘world’.

A premium is happily paid so long as the ‘worth-more’ credentials of a brand are clear to the consumer - great tasting beer, combined with authentic heritage and genuine provenance.

“The term ‘Super Premium’ unites such brands - heritage beers, craft and genuine imports. Created in 1963 as a symbol of quality, style and distinction, Peroni Nastro Azzurro still carries the same Italian passion, creativity and excellence. Every bottle and keg of Peroni Nastro Azzurro is brewed in Italy using the same ingredients now as they were then.

“Super Premium Brands convey such value through their packaging and marketing activity that will equally drive value for the retailer. We conducted extensive consumer research to map out the new market landscape and understand more about why certain brands are considered to be higher quality and worth more by consumers. Interestingly, consumers clustered the brands into three segments, Standard, Premium and Super Premium, which is where the category term was identified and derives from. We then explored the reasons why these brands were

Interview there. In 2018, we want to help develop a CSR platform for our employees to engage in more local charity and community work.

I think there are a lot of great initiatives in Woking that we’re not yet tapped into, so we’re looking forward to doing more in the new year.”

Given you import your products from the EU, are you worried about Brexit?

selected and the perceptions behind those choices. Our research unveiled that higher quality beer brands such as Peroni Nastro Azzurro were felt to have the most authentic brand stories and distinctive taste profiles; whilst some Standard and Premium brands were considered to taste ‘chemically and watery’, with no story to prove their origins and win the heart of the customer.”

How is the current economic environment effecting the beer industry, if at all?

“The Super Premium category is currently growing at 16% in value (total trade), vs. a growth of 13% the year before, demonstrating the consumer movement towards better quality products (source: CGA/IRI to Dec 2016). 40% of shoppers seek products that meet Super Premium occasion needs, and 66% of beer is consumed with food. Retailers need to ensure they have a strong super-premium range and that this is easy to navigate.

“Marketing initiatives such as meal deals can capture these at home dining occasions.

For example, retailers can ensure Peroni Nastro Azzurro is placed with premium Italian ingredients to make the shopping mission simple and appealing. Beer volumes in the offtrade (retailers) have surpassed the on-trade (bars and pubs) for the first time, which means consumers are behaving differently, so some people are feeling the effects.

“But for us, the occasions where our brands are enjoyed are still thriving, and as the leading player, we’ve enjoyed growth year on year. Consumers, pubs and bars are constantly evolving and expecting more from their brands, so it’s our job to stay out in front.”

Asahi is based in Woking; do you have any plans to ‘make your mark’ here?

“Asahi UK has been in Woking for about ten years, originally as Miller Brands UK, part of SABMiller. Now ourselves and the Asahi Europe business being based here, we want to continue as Asahi UK working with the likes of Woking Borough Council and Surrey Chambers of Commerce.

“I also live in Horsell, so as a local it’s important for me to see that local businesses are doing more in the community. I think there will be new opportunities for us in 2018 to strengthen our presence here, develop some local partnerships and increase our activity in the community.”

How do you work locally in the community?

“We have supported the Surrey Wildlife Trust and WWF in the past, and continue to encourage our employees to take part in activities like clearing trees in Camberley and Chobham Common to preserve the heathland

“We will continue to operate as we do now and monitor how things progress, ensuring our interests are represented through the British Beer and Pub Association. The UK’s ties with the continent are not going anywhere any time soon, so we are going to keep bringing in some of the best beers they have to offer, like Peroni Nastro Azzurro.”

What do you think about some of the alcohol problems in the high streets? As a producer, does Asahi do anything to help reduce those problems?

“We take alcohol responsibility very seriously. Not only do we continue to support Drinkaware and their campaigns to tackle harmful consumption, we have a number of internal policies and training sessions to educate and ensure our employees are ambassadors for our products in every respect, including responsible drinking. This extends to how we market and sell our products, where we have principles we uphold to prevent our products from appealing to people underage, or condoning or reinforcing any irresponsible behaviour. It’s all underpinned by an enforcement committee, which assesses our commercial material through that lens.

“The committee is a cross-functional group, but what makes it unique is our chairperson Louise Punter, CEO of Surrey Chambers of Commerce; so we have an independent member who can offer an impartial perspective.

“We are also going to become an active sponsor of the national Best Bar None scheme, which works with the licensed trade, police and local authorities and the private sector to reduce alcohol related crime and disorder in local communities. It has the backing of the Home Office and there are schemes all over the country, growing annually. If we can become involved in schemes which make the night time economy a safer, and more enjoyable place to be, then I believe it’s a great initiative to support.”

SURREY CHAMBERS

21

Web Design

THE WONDERS OF WORDPRESS of pages and posts, and applies a score along with tips on how to improve their SEO performance.

MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT For clients wishing to include apps in their digital offering, plugins are available to quickly and easily convert WordPress websites into fullfeatured mobile applications, that will work on iOS and Android. Once built, the mobile app can be synchronised with a client’s website so all content changes appear automatically on both.

FUTURE PROOFING

W

Every piece of WordPress generated code is in full compliance with the standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This means that websites powered by WordPress will work in today’s browsers, while maintaining forward compatibility with the next generation of browser.

ordPress is used by 28% of the entire internet to create everything from hobby blogs to some of the most famous sites online. Akiko Design has developed and hosted over 200 WordPress sites for clients including Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Healthista, BioGreen and Soaper Duper.

mobile. We use Responsive Web Design to ensure that our websites are delivered seamlessly to different devices. There are various WordPress plugins that allow the administrator to switch between the different views, to check how the content looks on mobile and tablet, and build for all devices simultaneously.

Vanden Horner, WordPress Development Director at Akiko Design, puts the success of the open source content management system down to a number of key factors and explains how WordPress ‘out of the box’ can be further

SEO FRIENDLINESS

SECURITY

We strive to improve the performance of our clients’ websites in organic search which, in turn, increases their visibility and visitor

enhanced…

numbers. We employ numerous techniques before and after a site is launched to ensure it performs as well as possible.

WordPress itself is a very secure platform but by moving all our WordPress websites to industry leader, WP Engine, to host, we can guarantee bulletproof security for clients.

Furthermore, sites hosted by WP Engine run four to six times faster than on other environments, satisfying even the most impatient of users!

CLIENT CONTROL WordPress makes it extremely easy for clients to update and take control of their own websites. Once we have designed and created a website and provided basic training, clients are able to edit the navigation of their sites as well as all the content. There are over 45,000 WordPress plugins that allow for unlimited website functionality including online stores, image/video galleries, mailing lists, forums and analytics.

RESPONSIVE DESIGN It is now a given that for a website to perform well, it needs to be optimised for

22

SURREY CHAMBERS

WordPress ‘out of the box’ is already considered to be a good platform for SEO, however, it can be further improved with the use of a plugin such as Yoast SEO that ensures sites contain the type of content search engines love. Yoast SEO checks the content

New WordPress plugins are constantly in development allowing us to add new functionality to clients’ websites quickly and cost effectively; WordPress also enables easy integration with other software and new technologies.

www.akikodesign.com Tel: 01483 510 510

AKIKO DESIGN PARTNERS WITH CLEVER MARKETING David Evans, Managing Director of Akiko Design comments, “Bringing Akiko Design and Clever Marketing under the same roof has increased both the size and skill set of the team. We can now offer a complete full-service marketing solution including branding, design and print, website and mobile app development, search engine optimisation and digital marketing.”

Taxation

SELF-ASSESSMENT:

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR TAX RETURN Steve Hoare, Tax Director at Wilkins Kennedy, looks at the processes and pitfalls of submitting your tax return.

I

t’s easy to get caught up in the festive period, but we should spare a thought about finances, in particular making sure your tax return is submitted on time.

The world will not end if you do not file your tax return on time; however, the fines quickly mount up if you do. If it’s late, you will incur a £100 filing penalty. You then have three months from 31st January to submit your tax return before your fine will increase by as much as £10 per day thereafter. You will also incur interest on the tax you owe from 31st January. If you are a repeat offender and have a history of filing late, you risk making yourself vulnerable to an HMRC enquiry.

❝

My tax return was on my yacht, which caught fire

❞ People often think they don’t need to file a return because they didn’t trade or didn’t make any money in the tax year. There are various reasons why you would need to file a tax return including where you are selfemployed or rent property, among other reasons. If HMRC has requested that you file a return, then you must submit one. You can check whether HMRC are expecting a tax return from you based on your status at the HMRC website: www.gov.uk/self-assessmenttax-returns/who-must-send-a-tax-return Your tax adviser is the lifeline you need when it comes to submitting your return.

They can often help you to uncover hidden opportunities for tax relief such as pension contributions or Gift Aid payments. For

example, did you know that subscriptions to specified professional bodies are tax deductible? Have you considered any business mileage that has not been reimbursed by your employer? When it comes to self-employment, understanding which expenses are tax deductible is key. These are all things that your tax adviser can assist you with.

In December 2016, HMRC revealed some of the worst excuses for late tax returns including: “My tax return was on my yacht, which caught fire” and “Someone borrowed it and lost it”.

Of course, there are some genuine occasions that HMRC will accept as a reasonable excuse.

Such matters could include a technological issue on HMRC’s part, for example if their site was down, where you have been subjected to floods and your records have been destroyed prior to the deadline, or a death or serious illness. The best solution is of course to file your tax return in good time.

If you need help with any aspect of your tax return please contact the tax team at Wilkins Kennedy’s Guildford and Egham offices for more information.

e: steve.hoare@wilkinskennedy.com Guildford office – 01483 306 318 Heathrow office – 01784 435 561 SURREY CHAMBERS

23

Taxation

PAY ATTENTION TO

ATED ATED or “Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings” may now be affecting you, without you even realising it, says Matthew Farrant, Partner at Haines Watts

F

irstly you might be thinking ATED, what’s that? Secondly, why are we mentioning it here?

You pay Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings or ATED if your property is owned by a limited company and is either empty or is being occupied by a connected person, such as a member of your family.

But, the problem is this - whilst the tax was introduced in 2012 to prevent wealthy investors in residential property worth over £2 million avoiding paying stamp duty by setting up limited companies to buy them, the threshold has now been lowered quite significantly. Given that we in this country seem to be faced with a perpetually buoyant housing market, the reduction so that properties worth £500,000 or more now fall in the net will be a blow to those with more modest investments. It will no longer be a tax suffered by the very wealthy.

❝

The threshold reduction will be a blow to those with more modest investments. It will no longer be a tax suffered by the very wealthy

❞

Constant tinkering to the way in which investors can acquire property efficiently, means that you can never take your eye off the ball. There is an ATED exemption

24

SURREY CHAMBERS

for properties which are being rented out privately, but this doesn’t mean that there’s nothing for their owners to do. It’s an annual tax and even if you discover that your property is exempt and ATED is not payable, a nil return may need to be made. You need to check with an adviser!

As always with the tax system, failure to make the return within the deadline will incur a fine and they can stack up to £1,600 after 12 months. So a lack of awareness of something you might not think applies to you can cost you dear.

The number of people falling into the ATED net has also increased due to the number of landlords who have hastily set up limited companies following the recent changes which now prevent them from obtaining mortgage interest relief.

Summing the situation up, the problem

seems to lie with a lack of publicity about the lowering of the threshold and the 30 day return deadline meaning that it’s likely to be the penalties for failure to file a return that many will fall foul of. Given the fines are levied per property an investor could find himself with quite a bill. What’s more, a valuation as at 1 April 2017 will have to be used from next April and for the subsequent five years.

As property prices continue to hold steady, especially in the south-east, it’s likely that even more people will find their paths crossing with ATED and possibly an unexpected tax bill.

T: 01483 425724 E: mfarrant@hwca.com Surrey offices in Godalming and Esher www.hwca.com

Legal

WISHFUL DRINKING Robert Syms, Partner at Herrington Carmichael, looks at a high-profile case where a ‘deal’ discussed in a London pub ended up in court

R

arely does a night of heavy drinking come under scrutiny by the commercial court, but it happened in Blue v Ashley.

Did a “gentleman’s agreement” made at a London pub on 24 January 2013, form a legal contract.

Jeffrey Blue, a former Investment Banker claimed that during conversations made on a night out with Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley and three others, an agreement was reached that he would receive a bonus of £15 million, if he helped raise Sports Direct shares from £4 to £8 within three years.

❝

The human capacity for wishful thinking knows few bounds…

❞

Mr Blue made no written record and did not raise it with Mr Ashley for months. Three months after the share price reached £8 pershare, Mr Ashley transferred £1,000,000 to Mr Blue’s bank account. Mr Blue took this to be a sign of Mr Ashley’s commitment to their agreement. When relations broke down, Mr Blue issued a claim against Mr Ashley for the outstanding £14 million he believed he was owed.

In analysing the evidence from that night, the Court provided a useful summary of the basic elements of contract formation.

• Agreement The key issue was whether Mr Ashley’s offer to pay a £15 million bonus was a serious offer expressing a willingness to be bound.

The court held that it was unlikely that anyone would reasonably have thought that the words were meant seriously.

• Intention Even where a real offer is accepted it does not necessarily mean that a contract

is created. The parties must also have intended to create legally enforceable rights and obligations. An agreement made in a social context tends to suggest it is not intended to have legal consequences.

• Consideration English law will not enforce a promise for which nothing has been done in return. In this case, the Court found that there was consideration, because the offer was made to Mr Blue and not his company, which was already working under the terms of a consultancy agreement.

• Certainty and completeness of terms The courts are often reluctant to conclude that an agreement is too vague to have contractual effect, but the point was made

by Mr Ashley that the agreement was uncertain and unenforceable.

• The Decision The court found that there was an agreement between Mr Ashley and Mr Blue, but it was never intended to be a legally binding contract.

The judge gave eight reasons: • Mr Ashley often worked in informal settings but there was no evidence that he negotiated contracts at such meetings.

• The purpose of the “meeting” was to introduce Mr Ashley to other investment bankers

• It was clear from the evidence that the conversation was light-hearted. In Mr Ashley’s words, it was “banter” and not serious.

• The offer made no commercial sense and was out of character for Mr Ashley.

• It was not within Mr Blue’s power to move the share price to £8 per share.

• The offer was too vague to be taken seriously.

• None of the witnesses thought that Mr Ashley was serious.

The evidence showed that even Mr Blue did not think the offer serious until the Sports Direct share price began to climb. The judge remarked, “The fact that Mr Blue has since convinced himself that the offer was a serious one, and that a legally binding agreement was made, shows only that the human capacity for wishful thinking knows few bounds”.

No reasonable person present at the meeting would have concluded that the offer was serious and intended to form a binding contract. Mr Blue’s claim was dismissed.

For more information on this subject or any other Dispute Resolution matter, contact Herrington Carmichael on 0118 977 4045 / 01276 686 222 or email: drteam@ herrington-carmichael.com

SURREY CHAMBERS

25

Legal

A GOOD YEAR FOR M&A

I

t’s been a very busy year for DMH Stallard.

In September the Top 100 law firm merged with Rawlinson Butler. The merger brought the number of partners to over 70 and creates an overall team strength of nearly 350. Turnover for the combined mid-market firm is forecast to exceed £30m in 2017/18, two-thirds of which will be in Sussex and Surrey.

Throughout the year levels of business activity have been exceptionally strong, not least in the corporate team. M&A deals completed had already hit 20 before the merger and the increase in the regional team size to 15 partners, led by Jonathan Grant (pictured), Partner and Head of Corporate, has ensured last quarter momentum has been maintained.

❝

I have been surprised at the strength of our regional M&A business, in terms of volume and quality, which counters suggestions that Brexit would put the sector into a tailspin.

❞

Jonathan said: “I have been surprised at the strength of our regional M&A business, in terms of volume and quality, which counters suggestions that Brexit would put the sector into a tailspin. The key to running this number of deals is experienced partners and a great team; Abigail Owen, Kate Norgett and Danos Athanasi have all been busy and we expect a strong start to the new year.”

THE 2017 DEAL ROSTER • “Pre Pack” Acquisition of national charity Lifeline Project for Brighton based Change, Grow, Live; securing 1,000 jobs.

• Sale of specialist insurance brokers Morton Michel Holdings Ltd to PIB Group Ltd. • Sale of trade magazine publisher Unity Media plc to the Mark Allen Group.

• Sale to Palatine Equity of Gatwick based training business Trade Skills4U. • Sale of content marketing specialists BuzzSumo to leading global social intelligence company, Brandwatch.

• Sale of Chichester based independent book publisher Summersdale to Octopus Publishing Group.

• Partial share sale of Posturite Limited to U.S. corporate group, Fellowes.

• Joint venture between Colart International Holding Ltd and Lawrence King Publishing Ltd for Elephant (Art) magazine.

• MBO of Kent travel and tour operator Albatross Group Holdings Ltd. • Acquisition of Luxembourg Property SPV from Europa Funds and Inland Homes plc.

• Sale of The West Yorkshire Printing Company Ltd. • Acquisition of Sinclair Johnston & Partners by international design & project management group, Byrne Looby Partners (UK) Ltd. • Acquisiton by leading global financial printer, Black & Callow Ltd, of Master Mail Ltd. • Merger of Judd Associates Ltd’s web and design agency business with Michael Bell Brand Communications Ltd. • Sale of Pinsure Ltd and PI4U Ltd of their FCA regulated insurance businesses to Brunel Professional Risks Ltd. • Multiple Care Home Sector deals: Sale of Fields Care Home Ltd and Loxwood House, and the acquisition of a large Sussex based care home.

• Advised major shareholder on the sale of Brighton based sports nutrition/supplements business Reflex Nutrition plc to Associated British Foods plc.

• Joint Venture “Texas shoot-out” share acquisition of a company operating an English heritage site.

• Succession Plan and shareholder structuring for professional recruitment firm, Trevose Partners.

• Sale of Bacon and Company estate agents lettings and sales business to the Michael Jones operation.

• Acquisition by AVS Fencing Supplies of a new branch at Hartwell Nurseries, Aylesbury.

26

SURREY CHAMBERS

Legal

Jonathan added: “We have seen a concentration of deals in publishing, professional services and marketing, including online/tech businesses. We can also see our geographical spread widening, which has been a focus over the last three years, with deals on the South Coast, Gatwick, Guildford and in Kent”.

❝

We have seen a concentration of deals in publishing, professional services and marketing, including online/tech businesses

❞

TOP TIER ACCOLADES FOR DMH STALLARD

C

hambers and Partners has bestowed a series of accolades on DMH Stallard.

In its highly regarded annual guide for 2018, DMH Stallard’s position as the leading mid-market firm in the south east has been reflected with numerous senior partners being recognised.

❝

...our determination to continually ‘raise the bar’ remains undimmed.

❞

Richard Pollins (pictured, right), Managing Partner at DMH Stallard, said: “We’ve been fortunate to receive a number of awards and industry recognition in recent times and while I’m always delighted most for how this reflects on the exceptional work of my colleagues, our determination to continually ‘raise the bar’ remains undimmed.”

Heidi Copland, Robert Worthing, Gwen Godfrey and Jonathan Grant all achieved an individual ‘Band 1’ ranking and another 26 individuals achieved Band rankings within their practice area.

Practice areas with ‘Tier 1’ rankings include private client, family and matrimonial, banking and finance, planning, corporate, environment and intellectual property.

www.dmhstallard.com SURREY CHAMBERS

27

Investments

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

W

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

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

28

SURREY CHAMBERS

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

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

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

need honesty and trust.

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

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

Investments

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

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

❝

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

❞

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

❝

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

❞

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

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

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

SURREY CHAMBERS

29

Funding

EXPERT FUNDING ADVICE FOR LOCAL SMES The Access to Funding Forum, co-hosted by the Surrey Business School helps local businesses with top advice and links with funders.

R

ecently Surrey Business School co-hosted the Access to Funding Forum with the Surrey Chambers of Commerce. Now in its third year, the event brought together business experts and local enterprises to build new funding relationships. Past participants have included Metro Bank, Santander, Crowdfunder, NatWest, UK Export Finance and the FSE Group.

Bhaskar Basgupta, COO of UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK export credit agency, delivered the keynote address on the funding challenges and opportunities in the export sector, and was followed by panel discussions about business funding and a networking reception where representatives from local companies could meet with funders.

Bhaskar said: “I was delighted to speak at the Access to Funding Forum 2017. At UK Export Finance, we know that finding the right finance and insurance can make all the difference to a business looking to succeed and grow, so it is great to see Surrey Business School working with Surrey Chamber of Commerce to support local businesses in these important choices.”

The forum will return next year, with an open invitation for business delegates.

30

SURREY CHAMBERS

Surrey Business School does run similar event thorough out the year, bringing together experts and enterprises to build an understanding of the rapidly evolving current business landscape.

To view Surrey Business School’s up to date news and events, visit: www.surrey.ac.uk/sbs To enquire about becoming a speaker or attending an event, contact: Abi Bradbeer, Business Manager E: a.bradbeer@surrey.ac.uk T: +44 (0) 148368 8621

Training

BESPOKE STAFF TRAINING AT GUILDFORD COLLEGE

G

uildford College is working in partnership with the Employees Support in Skills Programme; funded by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and the European Social Fund (ESF), to provide staff training to employers within the local area in South and West Surrey, Hampshire and the New Forest.

specific skill sets to help facilitate opportunities for growth in the key professional areas of IT, leadership and management.

The Employees Support in Skills Programme offers funded training to support the needs of local employers and those who have been made redundant living within the M3 local enterprise partnership area (from Lyndhurst, to Winchester, Petersfield, Camberley and Staines-upon-Thames). The programme offers staff training to small and medium sized businesses within the growth sectors of ICT, digital media, pharmaceuticals, aerospace & defence, animal care and professional business services. Local businesses have identified

• Information, advice and guidance

The programme contains three main training themes: • Skills support for the workforce • Skills support for redundancy and

The extensive range of training programmes, dedicated team of business growth advisers and wealth of local knowledge at Guildford College enables the comprehensive design of bespoke staff development plans to meet individual business requirements.

Guildford College can provide you and your staff with a detailed training needs analysis (TNA), access to an extensive range of flexible workshops and qualifications, one-to-one

advice and guidance, and funding support to provide you with professional workplace training designed around your business needs and operations.

Training courses available at Guildford College include, Business Administration, Leadership and Management, Customer Service and MS Office.

An investment in your staff is an investment in your business. Grow your business today and contact Guildford College to find out more about the Employees Support in Skills Programme and the training courses available.

To find out more, contact Alexa Hipwood at ahipwood@guildford.ac.uk to discuss the training available to you and your employees through the Employees Support in Skills Programme.

SURREY CHAMBERS

31

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

HAVE WE ACHIEVED GENDER EQUALITY IN BUSINESS?

I

n the first of a series of in-depth debates, we gathered together eight successful businesswomen (and one businessman) to discuss whether gender inequality in business has been eliminated. The debate was hosted by the Sandman Signature Gatwick Hotel and chaired by Maarten Hoffmann.

In 2018, we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of women having the right to vote.

The UK of 1918 was a place where women were effectively second-class citizens. How far have we come in the last 100 years? Is there equality of opportunity? Why are there so few female business leaders? Do women face

sexism in the workplace?

We started by asking our panel to rate out of ten how far we have come.

A mark of zero out of ten would indicate nothing has changed. Ten out of ten would represent that we have achieved complete gender equality

Rosemary French OBE Executive Director, Gatwick Diamond Initiative Equality Rating: 2/10

Fiona Schaffer CEO, MD HUB Equality Rating: 7/10

Tamara Roberts CEO, Ridgeview Wine Estate Equality Rating: 5/10

Louise Punter CEO, Surrey Chambers of Commerce Equality Rating: 7/10

Louise Robinson Head of Breakthrough, Santander Equality Rating: 6/10

Katie Hughes Deputy Regional Director for Santander Business Equality Rating: 5/10

Selina Russell CEO, Cheeky Rascals Equality Rating: 7/10

Barbara Quartey CEO, Insights School & Skills Academy Equality Rating: 5/10

Jeremy Burbidge CEO, TicketMedia Equality Rating: 4/10

32

SURREY CHAMBERS

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

EXPERIENCES OF SEXISM IN THE WORKPLACE Maarten Hoffmann (MH): Has anyone directly suffered discrimination at work?

Selina Russell (SR): When I was at ICI, my boss wrote me a letter asking me to go and live with him and be the mother of his children because his wife had just left him. That put me in a very awkward position. I said no, but I never said anything about the incident.

Louise Punter (LP): Back in 1980 I was the first female executive at a factory in Wrexham, North Wales, and they had this very oldfashioned policy where they’d stop for coffee every morning at 11am. For the first half a dozen meetings the conversation was more about what colour my tights were than what was happening in the commercial business.

I was working in a very male dominated environment and was one of only few women working at ICI. By speaking out I felt like I might have jeopardised my career.

❝

Rosemary French (RF): When I was 23, I was at John Menzies and doing really well.

When I went in for my appraisal with the HR and Finance Director, he told me how well I was doing, so I asked for the same salary as my colleague Mike who was at exactly the same stage as me.

He said, “Oh, you don’t need that, Rosemary. You’re going to have children and you’re going to be at home, so you don’t need the same salary. Mike is going to have to bring up his family.” I walked out a bit shocked and I got another job. All that training had been wasted.

I didn’t dream of reporting the matter. I joined Boots where there was a much better culture of working.

Tamara Roberts (TR): When I was working for Price Waterhouse Coopers in banking insurance, there was a very bright girl working in another banking team. I heard that all of the guys she’d been working with had been given an extra bonus and pay rise but she hadn’t. I booked an appointment with the partner in charge and said “Why has she not got that when everyone else in the group has?” It didn’t make me particularly popular.

There was just the assumption: You’re the only female in the room, you will get the coffee.

In the end she did get the bonus because I had ruffled a few feathers. But this was in the late 1990s, and it shouldn’t have happened. I was outraged that something like that could be happening and openly spoken about in front of other people. And what annoyed me even more was that the guys who were working with her said nothing.

SR: At ICI the assumption at meetings was that I would make the tea and coffee, but I never made it once. There was just the assumption: You’re the only female in the room, you will get the coffee.

MH: In 2009 the Bank of England held a seminar for its female employees called Dress for Success where they were informed, amongst other things, to always wear make-up and high shoes. There was no such equivalent for men. Is this the ultimate in sexism?

❞

They just didn’t know how to cope because 1) they’d never had a woman around the table as an equal before, and 2) she said no!

RF: There’s nothing you can say to that except that no woman should work for that company. End of story.

Louise Robinson (LR): When I left university, I applied for their graduate programme at a large high street fashion chain. I fought my way to the third and final interview. At the very end they said, “You need to go into this room now” and they wanted to weigh and measure me because they wanted to have people who worked in their stores who could wear their clothes. At that point I walked out.

My dad asked how it went and I told him what happened. He just patted me on the back and said “Good girl.” That was in 1985.

I just didn’t want to be a clothes horse. I felt I’d worked hard for my degree and I wanted to get a job that reflected the way that I worked.

SURREY CHAMBERS

33

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

WHY HAS SEXIST BEHAVIOUR BEEN SEEN AS ACCEPTABLE? Jeremy Burbidge (JB): It’s down to education.

The people that I find are sexist have usually been in a male-dominated society and that’s where they’ve always been. It’s the Rugby club type of environment where it becomes acceptable, or rather it’s not acceptable, not to be part of the group.

RF: Education, certainly at school level, has improved tremendously and boys and girls are coming out much more equal and ambitious. But what happens is, once they get into the work place the barriers appear. I think it’s an ingrained culture. As long as I’m still expected to cook the meals, do the hoovering and the ironing, wash the dishes or at least load the dishwasher it’s not going to change.

TR: If you’re a child living in a household with very gender specific roles that’s where it starts. I’m very lucky because my household was never like that growing up, and it isn’t like that now.

I go into schools and say: “Try and guess what I do for a living?” I’m still really concerned that when I walk into a secondary schools, they assume that I’m going to be in fashion, design or marketing. Or caring roles. Do I work with children, in a hospital, am I a nurse? I’m immediately pigeon-holed into something because of my gender. I couldn’t possibly be doing other things.

DO WE LEARN STEREOTYPICAL GENDER ROLES FROM OUR CHILDHOOD? MH: Neurobiologists now know that there is no discernible difference between the male and female brain at the point of birth. So do problems begin with the upbringing of children?

Katie Hughes (KH): I think my generation has certainly seen a change in parents staying at home. I’ve got a lot of friends where the male has decided to stay at home. I think it’s changing in that sense. I don’t think it’s automatically that the Mum, the female, is going to stay at home anymore. They can have their career.

34

SURREY CHAMBERS

LP: It’s all about confidence. Our makeup is very different. We can be very successful because of our feminine characteristics, but when you’re young you don’t see that.

❝

We can be very successful because of our feminine characteristics, but when you’re young you don’t see that.

❞

SR: The brain might be identical at birth but by the time hormones have had their play, the brain is a very different thing. By the time you get to puberty and beyond there is a biological difference.

Barbara Quartey (BQ): Whilst education is important, I think we’ve got to remember that the upcoming generation are looking at media and social media, and that has such a big influence. And unfortunately the messages that they’re looking at are very stereotypical.

That’s the big issue.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

ARE GIRLS BETTER OFF BEING TAUGHT IN AN ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL? WHAT INFLUENCE DOES SCHOOLING HAVE? MH: There was research about 20 years ago that showed that boys are better educated with girls and girls are better educated without boys. The benefit of an all-girls school is that they don’t have the fear of putting their hand up and answering questions. They don’t care if they wear make-up to school…

SR: I went to a girls’ convent school and all they were looking for me to do was get married and have kids. I wanted to have a degree in science and they just couldn’t accommodate that.

I was the first intake into Lancing College as a girl; one of only 30 girls. We had a great time. On the first day you would have conversations about which university are you going to go to? I never even thought of Cambridge but they got me into Cambridge.

The attitude was: “You can do it. Go for it!

There’s nothing that you can’t do.”

LR: I don’t think it matters whether it’s a boys’ school or a girls’ school. I also went to a convent girls’ school but I think it’s more around the quality of the teaching and around the culture within the institutions in terms of how people are building your confidence, whether you’re a boy or a girl. It doesn’t matter if it’s an all-girls’ school or not. It’s about how good the teaching is.

diligent, that’s my personality. I could work hard and play hard and I was involved in their businesses. It told me that I can do whatever I want.

❝

I was the first person in my family to go to university. That’s because I wanted to do it, not because anyone said “You should go and do that.”

I went to a girls’ convent school and all they were looking for me to do was get married and have kids.

❞

TR: At some point you’re going to have to stand up with a room full of men and say something. So the sooner you get used to that the quicker you have a voice.

The biggest influence on me has always been home. School was okay as I’m quite

KH: Education isn’t everything. I never actually went to university. When I go to a lot of networking events sometimes the question might be asked which university you went to, and when I say that I didn’t, people are shocked. But I’ve been able to build my career through Santander over the last 15 years just on my talent and my work ethic which I learned through my upbringing by my parents.

I know people who have got degrees and they’re not using them, and that wasn’t the way I chose to go.

SR: It’s about inspiration and mentoring.

You’ve got to have that interaction with someone or something who inspires you. You can get it at school, you can get it at home, or it can be outside of both, as long as you get it somewhere.

LR: Schools need to see entrepreneurship and self-employment as a viable career option. At the recent Santander Universities Entrepreneurship Awards, we had 20,000 entrants and three out of our four winners were young women entrepreneurs. There are definitely more females coming through.

Women are really creative and to be an entrepreneur you have to have a fantastic idea for a business. It’s those skills that we need to build on. It’s one thing having your idea but then overnight you go from being an entrepreneur to being a businesswoman and everything that that brings. It’s all around the support that we can give to business owners to develop, whether they’re male or female.

SURREY CHAMBERS

35

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

ARE THERE ENOUGH FEMALE ROLE MODELS? IS MENTORING THE KEY? KH: At Santander for the last 15 years my role models have been predominantly the women in higher levels that I’ve worked for, because it’s actually given me the belief that if you work hard then there are opportunities and other doors that will open. The area of business that I’m in now is run by a female and this gives me that motivation. Hopefully I can inspire other females in the bank to want to achieve more.

LR: We do a lot of mentorship schemes within the bank which are great. We recently launched an out-of-hours networking programme and I went over to do a pilot in Northern Ireland. We had 40 businesses including a group of young women who were looking at starting businesses. When it got to the networking bit at the end, the women congregated together. It brought home the power of what women do. They got together and helped each other. That is the power of mentoring and women do learn a lot that way.

It is a confidence thing. They saw there were people in the same room who were doing the same thing and they talked to each other. But as they grow their journey and their businesses get bigger, then we need to share

the expertise, whether that’s male or female.

RF: It is important that it’s female to female.

Unfortunately I was of a generation where there were no females in senior positions, though had some fabulous male mentors and some awful male bosses.

❝

Unfortunately I was of a generation where there were no females in senior positions

❞ KH: Female to female can potentially relate to some of the challenges such as pay or being the only female at the table. When you’re talking to a male, they would have heard about it but they wouldn’t have actually experienced it themselves. A female could relate better to a female, but it wouldn’t have bothered me in my mentoring programme whether I was matched with a male or female.

FS: We do have female mentoring and we’ve got some women-only groups in the MDHUB. They actually happened by accident where the guys didn’t turn up one day for a meeting. We found that the dynamic was quite clearly was different and the women who were in this group said “Let’s keep it like this”. They were able to talk about childcare and personal issues that relate to business. But all of those women in the group attend mixed groups as well.

TR: The discussion is more holistic than perhaps it would be in a mixed group. You can go a bit more into personal life stuff that is impacting your work.

It would be wrong just to have women as mentors. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. I need someone to challenge me and say “Why are you doing that?” That’s what you really want when you’re talking to a mentor, regardless of their gender.

MH: If you were mentoring someone, Jeremy, would it make any difference to you whether they were male or female?

JB: Absolutely no difference at all. It doesn’t make a difference, you’re still a human being at the end of the day.

LP: We do have a Business Women in Surrey set of events that we run and we always say that men are welcome to attend. We do them as there is demand from women. There are quite a lot of women who find it difficult walking up to men at networking events.

KH: We’re piloting a Women in Business Leaders’ event in Branch, and one of my male business relationship managers volunteered to run it. On his guest list he’s got both males and females because it needs to be a mixed voice. It really inspired me. He’s got two daughters, and he wants to change their prospects going forward into the workplace and into the world.

36

SURREY CHAMBERS

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

ARE MEN AND WOMEN JUST DIFFERENT? MH: Many women perceive the access to finance as a barrier. Are banks treating them differently?

RF: That’s not what they’re saying. The access to finance issue is about the risk-taking.

Women are more cautious about taking debt and are better at managing money.

LR: Also if you are trying to raise money as a woman in business, there are a lot of male dominated organisations and male investors but not as many women investors.

LP: Whenever anybody says to me: “Can you bring along some female entrepreneurs or senior women”, it is actually a struggle. I could bring you 50 men but finding women is difficult, as there are not as many. I’ve just come from a networking event with 120 people in attendance and I would think there were no more than 20 women. And they were mostly small businesses.

❝

Whenever anybody says to me: “Can you bring along some female entrepreneurs or senior women”, it is actually a struggle.

❞

LR: When males and females apply for a role they look at the job description differently.

My sons’ reaction is: “Yeah, I can do that.” My sister has got three daughters, and they will scrutinise every single objective: “Well, I’ve got an example of this but I haven’t an example of that. I’ve never done that. No, I can’t apply for this job.”

We probably have to encourage young women to actually apply for jobs and help with interview skills.

Women have very different skills, notably in terms of emotional intelligence and the softer skills. Perhaps the world is changing and so we are coming in to our own more.

RF: Women are better at sharing their expertise and their knowledge, they have fear of the person next to them. Many men won‘t share because they want to get to the top.

FS: Your choice of language is really interesting: You say shocking rather than exciting. Aren’t you really excited she was an engineer?

FS: I’m in the privileged position of getting to see men sharing information in peer groups - and it is not about getting to the top, it’s about how they manage their teams and and that’s very encouraging. Also younger entrepreneurs coming through are more likely to be involved in the school run, which used to be only an issue for female entrepreneurs.

TR: This idea that women would not be able to do physical work is really interesting. We bloody well can because it often comes down not just to the ability to do it but technique.

Women can be physically strong. If there’s a 6’ giant of a man, he may be stronger, but if he’s lazy or unfit, I’m going to beat him every single time.

JB: The workplace was very male-dominated when work was physical. You had the guys going down a mine, and you didn’t have women there. That’s changed now. Most jobs can be done by any gender now. With so much automation, the playing field is levelling.

Women didn’t go down the mines as they weren’t allowed to. Sometimes we as women don’t realise how physically strong we are.

It’s still shocking when you find a female engineer. I found one in Scandinavia in charge of a mill who was a very petite lady, and I asked, “How hard did you have to work to get here?” And she said, “Very hard” because she has to be the best. And ultimately she was the best. Why haven’t we grown up? Why haven’t we changed this?

JB: When I first went to work, there were no restrictions on what you could lift up. So if you were physically strong, you could lift more.

There was an imbalance because a man is physically stronger.

Now the law has changed and there is a definition of what is the safe weight for anyone to lift, so we brought equality into it by changing the law.

SURREY CHAMBERS

37

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

IS CHILDCARE THE BIGGEST ISSUE? SR: One of the big problems is the way that we work. For many years now it’s been 9-5, and that doesn’t really work with childcare.

With technology, flexible working is a huge opportunity for women but to make that happen and work for us we’ve got to change the way that we work. If it’s easier to work

BQ: It’s also about being able to afford the childcare. For a lot of the women in my workplace it’s like they’re working for nothing because they’re spending so much on childcare just to get back into work.

evenings, early in the morning or weekends, there is no issue as long as the job is done.

make it easier for businesses to start up in childcare? We create barriers, we don’t have enough nurseries and we don’t subsidise. If anything we’ve been taking money away over the past seven years.

We are employing a new social media person, and I have no idea what hours she’s going to do and I quite honestly don’t care.

She’s got three small kids at home; it’ll work beautifully for her. That’s the way we’ve got to be working and we don’t need to have endless meetings where you sit round and make tea for one another.

RF: Scandinavia has it right. Why do we have to pay for our childcare? Why do we not

RF: And that hasn‘t changed from the 1980s when Charles Handy wrote The Empty Raincoat, where all the men would leave their jackets on the back of chairs to make people think they were still there but they’d gone home.

LP: I’ve just recruited a new Resources

BQ: On our management team we’ve got a balance of men and women but what you find is that the women are working harder if they’ve also got families. Although I’m trying to encourage them to go off and pick up their children and come back, or do the work at home, people still say “Where are they?”

There’s an expectation that they would be there.

We have bought into it. We’re feeling guilty if we’re not able to be there, if you need to take the time off. I think that’s all got to change as well. It’s got to be friendly to women and women’s lives.

38

SURREY CHAMBERS

Manager who told me: “I’ve got a 9-month old and a 3-year old.” She didn’t quite say: “I’d understand if you didn’t employ me,” but that was obviously what she was thinking. She’s already had several days off because there have been issues with the children but she’s delivered the job. She is excellent and she is doing what I need her to do. However, if I’m really honest I know a lot of people would have seen her as too much of a risk.

TR: It comes right back to free childcare.

We’ve got quite a few maternities at the moment. I lost one member of staff who couldn’t afford to come back to work because of the childcare situation and ended up giving up her job.

It really is a struggle in those early years.

You don’t get anything free until the kids are three and even then it’s only a tiny amount.

We’ve done what we possibly can, but what an SME can do is limited. We can’t just put the pay up for three months. It’s so difficult because women want to work.

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

BQ: We need to change the whole view that it’s women only because a lot of our younger male staff are taking paternity leave. They’re asking if they can reduce their days, they’re sharing the childcare. But they find that they’re in a minority and that other people are looking at them as if they don’t want to work.

We should actually be encouraging this.

❝

so you must commit. That gives the employers six months to then decide to do something else.

LR: It’s care, full stop, it’s not just childcare.

The other side of care is now impacting my life, as my father has Alzheimer’s. I’m constantly trying to juggle what I do at work with what I do at home. If we’re looking at changes in governance and laws, then this needs to be looked at.

For a lot of the women in my workplace it’s like they’re working for nothing because they’re spending so much on childcare

❞

RF: We can solve this, and we can solve this with law. Number one is the childcare, which must be free or very heavily subsidised. We’re not getting enough childcare students to the colleges and the reason for that is that they have to get a C in their Maths and English.

Maths isn’t necessarily the skill needed by someone in a nursery. Why did Michael Gove say they had to get a C in Maths? In East Surrey College the numbers have plummeted.

Number two is we ought to change the employment law because it is wrong that employers are left hanging at the end of the year. I would like to say that after six months a mum must commit one way or the other.

Remember you have your free childcare now,

RF: Between 2001 to 2010 Louise Punter and I were together working under a Labour government and there was a lot of focus on giving women business support. The reason I got my OBE was just because I would make a big fuss. We then had a change in government that threw business support out, full stop, never mind business support for women. It became all about the free market. What they don’t realise is that there isn’t the childcare there and where there is the childcare they can’t afford it. It’s so blinkered!

❝

I worry about the loss of monetary value to our economy through this lack of childcare. It just doesn’t add up.

I’m conflicted about politics because I do feel that Labour appreciates the ethnic minorities, the disabled and women. We saw amazing things in the noughties, a big change.

MH: Couldn‘t large corporations provide a day care centre or crèche for children. If we wait for government to deal with this we will all be here for a long time.

FS: It is fine if we’re talking about the corporate sector, but the SME sector makes a massive contribution to our economy, but most won’t have the resources. A lot of people are very accommodating within the SME sector but until we get it into law it’s going to be troublesome. I worry about the loss of monetary value to our economy through this lack of childcare. It just doesn’t add up. It’s ridiculous.

BQ: There’s a need for subsidies, giving funding to companies, because we tried to have childcare. But by the time we’d worked it all out we just couldn’t afford to do it because we’d need someone to do all the administration as well the caring. And then the local authority looked at the space that we were going to use and then that wasn’t adequate. So we just gave up, which was unfortunate.

❞ SURREY CHAMBERS

39

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

IS A MATERNITY BREAK DETRIMENTAL TO A CAREER? KH: I don’t have children and I would like to, but sometimes I think “Do I want children yet or do I want to concentrate on my career first?” Sometimes I think if I have children now, maybe my role may change and flexible working may not suit the role. A lot of young women leave companies and don’t get back in. It is something that certainly plays on my mind so I’m sure it is the same for other people.

If you are going for promotions or that next step on the ladder, does a recruiter looking at you think: “You’re of child bearing age, so was I going to take you on but because you could be off having children, and we will have to put time and development into your cover, I may not. I am conscious that bias plays a role in recruitment.

RF: Dame Fiona Kendrick of Nestlé has got four kids. The Vice President of Thales has got four kids. There are some amazing women out there but they’ve been in good companies that helped them go through the pregnancies.

But we need to have our women having babies earlier, not wait until they’re 35. That’s our problem.

❝

A mother may decide that she doesn’t want to come back to work, so there is a risk to the employee and to the employer.

❞

TR: Lack of confidence is a barrier. When you leave to have your children, you are away from the workplace and you lose confidence in your ability to do the job. If you then have to ask for flexible working it adds an extra barrier in terms of confidence.

40

SURREY CHAMBERS

FS: The issue of confidence is fascinating.

We’ve been involved with East Sussex District Council with some women returning to work in rural areas of East Sussex. It’s been fascinating watching women regain their confidence through the project. But at the very beginning of the scheme I sit there deeply saddened thinking “How has this happened?”

They’ve had fantastic jobs and then they’ve just lost their confidence.

RF: I was off work last year for a year for a caring reason for my husband; happily he’s still healthy. I struggled in the last three months.

As soon as I said I’m coming back to work, I panicked. And in my first three months back in the role I really was overwhelmed. It was frightening and that was just for a year – and that was me, for goodness’ sake! I was still President of the local Chamber of Commerce and doing everything else but returning to my paid job was worrying.

FS: The maternity issue is difficult for employers too. I’ve worked with women-only businesses which have been hugely conflicted in their thoughts when half their team have

gone on maternity leave.

RF: We’re about to go into Brexit. If we have fewer foreigners coming in, how are we going to get employment? We have to get more women back into work otherwise our economy will collapse. We just won’t have the employees at any level. Is anybody thinking of that? I’m not seeing it in government. Nobody is thinking about it at all.

LR: We’ve got a movement at the moment within Santander where we are looking at what we can do to help women returning to work, after a period of time out of employment.

JB: A mother may decide that she doesn’t want to come back to work, so there is a risk to the employee and to the employer.

Uncertainty is not a good thing for anybody’s business. I’ve got somebody going through it right at the moment. She had a child three weeks ago and says she wants to come back. I’ve kept the job open and haven’t recruited anybody else. That’s costing me money but what else do I do?

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

SHOULD WE CHANGE THE LAW TO INTRODUCE QUOTAS TO GUARANTEE MORE FEMALE BOARD MEMBERS? RF: We need to look at what Scandinavia in terms of governance and law. We do not provide enough nurseries and we do not provide free childcare education. Scandinavia has achieved it and they’ve done that through the law.

they are men, regardless of a woman being able to do the job as well, or better.

The reason I gave my two out of ten at the start of this debate is that only 19% of SMEs are women-led and only 22-23% of board members are women. And those board members who are women tend to be the same small group of women. I get loads of offers to be on not-for-profit boards, but what about the big corporate boards.

BQ: We’re not breaking the barrier at the moment. You’ve still got to have criteria in place to make sure that it’s the right people with the right skills because otherwise it’s just a token gesture.

There’s also a danger of just having the wrong people in which then makes a mockery of the whole policy.

TR: But that’s what’s happening with men at the moment: They are taken on because

LP: Could it actually be that sometimes women just don’t really want to do those jobs.

as that. So we know what laws do. Laws are changing businesses’ attitudes towards environmental considerations. We can drive change through law.

RF: I’ve not got one female MP in the Gatwick Diamond and yet I’ve got six Council

TR: I’m looking at it slightly differently. If there’s a quota, perhaps younger women will

Chief Execs who are women. Why do I only have one female MP? Women get turned down every time because they are Tory strongholds and they don’t fit the white, suited, booted person model. There was an appalling scandal in Horsham where women were being turned down.

❝

SR: I’d rather see a quota in terms of recruitment and make it absolutely obligatory that you have 50:50 recruitment. If you’ve got 50:50 recruitment then culturally, slowly, that will feed in with all of us being equal and then hopefully you would get to that equality at more senior levels.

RF: Change can be fast. I remember when they brought in the law regarding seatbelts.

No-one wore seatbelts, but the day it became law we were all strapped in – it was as simple

believe they have a chance, whereas before they might have assumed that they were never going to look at a woman.

Work’s not about going into a battle. I don’t think people are being treated fairly when it goes further up that management scale.

❞

JB: It’s just as much about business and management structure. Many of you have talked about being discriminated on a management board because you were the only female there. An important question to ask is why would a woman want to get on that board if she knows she has to go into a battle?

Work’s not about going into a battle. I don’t think people are being treated fairly when it goes further up that management scale.

TR: You can say all the right things about a CEO of a business being there on merit, and it’s nothing to do with being male or female etc. But deep down when you’re employing somebody, is there that preference? Is there an inherent gender bias?

BQ: With a quota system, it’s about having diversity within those senior roles. And so it is about race, women and it is about the skills.

If you just have a quota then you could still discriminate and not have the strong women or the women with the right skills or the women from different nationalities.

SURREY CHAMBERS

41

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

WHAT ROLE DO MEN PLAY IN THE DEBATE? FS: It would have been great to have more men on this panel today, as we’re not actually having these open conversations with men as much as we should be.

I spoke to some male MDs in the MDHUB about the issue of gender. One CEO who employs about 90 staff responded: “Gender imbalance says more about the lack of leadership in understanding what the business could achieve with a healthy blend of skills, emotions, talents, experience, work ethic and so on and not to forget the tone of the organisation, which really does need both male and females. I’d never advocate recruiting a male or a female into a role just to address the gender imbalance because clearly that’s not fair on the individual, but a business needs both genders to thrive.”

Another MD said: “Perhaps part of the problem is that men like me are just rather unaware of the issue in the sense that we are not consciously thinking where problems may lie and taking suitable action. Certainly I think there is some laziness rather than deliberate ill will on the part of some men, although there are indeed some chauvinistic, sexist men who are misusing their existing positions of power.”

42

SURREY CHAMBERS

Men aren’t just consciously thinking about it. Maybe that’s what’s happening in government.

JB: I would love to swap my job for a female CEO because I think she would have a better ability to deal with all the problems that I deal with across the board. But there isn’t the availability of those females out there. I can’t find them. I’ve got Ten2Two staff looking really carefully, trying to attract people in, but they’ve already got this idea that they won’t get the job. That’s what I find. They’re already saying no.

ARE SOME ‘ROLE MODELS’ POORLY CHOSEN? MH: How on earth can the United Nations promote the busty fictional character Wonder Woman as the honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls for gender equality?

RF: Maarten, why did you say busty? Does it matter if she is busty or not? It’s irrelevant.

MH: Wasn’t the way she was drawn – her breasts, the shape of her body and what she wore – particularly relevant to attract a man?

I’m fascinated why the description of busty gets you going.

❝

Why do they have to choose a role model for women who is a fictional character?

❞

RF: Because she’s a Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman was a woman that led the world, made poor people richer, and the millions of things she did. It’s irrelevant that she was ‘busty’. In fact I looked pretty much like that 40 years ago. It’s not relevant!

TR: It’s a shame it has to be a fictional character, but I don’t have any major reservations. To choose an ambassador of women we have to find somebody who doesn’t exist. Why?

Women in Business

BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS DEBATE In Association with Santander

DOES SIZE MATTER? RF: I’m 6’1’’. I can tell you I am pretty positive that I would not have made it to a director of a Plc company if I wasn’t 6’ tall.

I’m absolutely positive about that. Presence mattered a lot and for that final interview I was in your face. When I walked into a room, especially when I was younger and slimmer and more gorgeous, I would be noticed.

I met Jacqueline Gold of Ann Summers recently and I didn’t realise she’s about 4’8’’ – and she had heels. She talked about the fact that being small had been a problem for her.

❝

If I had been 3” or 4” taller who knows I could well have been running a bigger company

❞

JB: Height can be a problem for men as well.

LP: It is hard when you go into a room networking at 5’3’’ because often all you can see is lots of shoulders. I hate to admit it but if I’d been about 3’’ or 4’’ taller then I’d be running a bigger company.

BQ: I’ve worn very uncomfortable shoes because of this. I remember being told that I look ever so small when I’m wearing flat shoes.”

RF: And therefore small means inferior.

DOES HAVING A FEMALE PRIME MINISTER MAKE A DIFFERENCE? SR: She’s a diabetic and she dropped the sugar tax!

RF: I’m a bit disappointed with Theresa May who is really not a team player and she’s not listening – these are talents that women have, far better than men, they say, and she’s not delivering on that. So that’s a disappointment

to me.

to be a man to make it. It was very bizarre.

One woman is not enough. She may be at the head but for me it’s the influence of the cabinet. It’s the Maggie Thatcher theory: One woman at the top of all men. She just loved men, it was about men. If anything it was the worst possible time for us. We had great hopes and it was the worst possible time for women getting on.

JB: Interesting fact that, as a female, she took us into war.

The recent big increase in women MPs was caused largely by the SNP contingent. As you can tell I’m Scottish and the attitude towards women is quite a bit different in Scotland. It’s not great but in recent years I’ve noticed how different it has been – better different.

Something like 40 women came from the SNP and right down to the age of 19 or 21 – that girl from Glasgow. What confidence to be able to do that! That was just terrific.

So somebody was pushing them, some culture. Was it the schools? I don’t know what the culture was. I wasn’t like that for my generation in Scotland.

MH: I would have thought that Margaret Thatcher’s rise to power would have changed a lot of things for women. Or did she make it through the glass ceiling and pull the ladder up after her?

TR: I thought it would be a Wow moment for women, as it was at a time where you had

RF: I don’t think so. I would go to war for my child, no question. I would shoot you. It depends how far you’re pushed. I don’t have any children but I would protect my country.

I would probably go to war if I was asked to because we’re fiercely protective. And she was fiercely protective of her country.

FS: Women are some of the most deadly people in the world.In British history, we have female warriors such as Boadicea.

FS: I found her very inspiring. I was in my early 20s, we had a Prime Minister who was a woman and I thought it was fantastic. I was then hugely disappointed when we didn’t get another one.

JB: I think she was an awful Prime Minister.

What was the point in the miners’ strike apart from ruining people’s lives? That’s not defending your country, it’s not defending anything.

MH: Do people around the table judge her as a woman or as a Prime Minister?

ALL AGREE: As a Prime Minister, regardless of her sex.

The Breakthrough Moments feature was edited by Ian Trevett.

SURREY CHAMBERS

43

Inspirational Women

KATHY SLACK OBE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ENTERPRISE M3 LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP

K

athy Slack was awarded the OBE in the 2017 New Years Honours List for services to the economy and community of South East England.

The award was made in recognition of Kathy’s dedication and passion for championing collaborative ways of working with the private, public and not for-profit sectors across the South East to grow and strengthen the economy.

She has nearly forty years of experience working with businesses and people to support economic growth. She has in the past helped the long term unemployed get jobs and created a national initiative to get girls to take up computer skills.

While at the South East England Development Agency, she championed economic growth across the South East and now at Enterprise M3 she has successfully secured over ÂŁ250m of funding for the Enterprise M3 area (From Staines-upon-Thames to the New Forest, covering mid to North Hampshire and South and West Surrey) for infrastructure development, skills and enterprise and innovation. As this issue of Surrey Chambers Magazine has an Inspirational Women theme, Maarten Hoffmann asked Kathy about her career journey and the issues facing women looking to make their way in business.

44

SURREY CHAMBERS

Inspirational Women Did you face any discrimination when you were coming up through the ranks?

I’m not immediately conscious of it. I think probably it was there in my early years but there’s something about having an inner strength and confidence that allows you to move forward. It comes down to personalities and I am conscious people deal with these issues differently. Women can sometimes erect their own glass ceilings. It’s about the confidence when you are looking at jobs.

When a woman sees a job advert and say “Oh well, I haven’t got that, that and that and therefore I can’t apply”, but a man will look at it completely differently.

The other thing that’s important in this debate is your partner. It doesn’t matter what gender your partner is. My husband has been hugely influential in my success because he brought our two sons up. People don’t always have that. My husband had his own business but in the early years, it was a financial decision. I earned more, so I went back to work. At the time, in the early 1990s, there was a mother-and-toddler group in our village, and they had to change it to a parent-and toddler group. This wasn’t that long ago!

Do you feel guilty that you missed out on some aspects of being a mother? And do you believe your children respect you for this decision you made?

I don’t feel guilty. I made sure that I had quality time with them. I learnt a lesson early on when listening to a self-improvement tape in the car on time management and it stuck with me. It was about someone reaching the Pearly Gates and there’s somebody there facing an angel holding a basket of stone tablets which say: “I wish I had done ...” The telling thing was that the basket has already got some things in it. I vowed then to keep the tablets down to a minimum. It is no good saying I wish I’d gone to that Christmas play - you need to make the time to attend. So, ever since then I never missed a Christmas play and I never missed a sports day. I didn’t get it totally right but you need to take a conscious decision which means you’ve got to stop doing something else. They’ve grown up very balanced children. I am always so proud of my children.

As someone who has achieved success at work, do you find yourself in the position where you are role a model for younger women?

I always say “You have to be yourself.”

Sometimes that means you’ve got to be quite brave, as the environment I work in tends to be male dominated. With age and experience comes confidence, which is why it is sometimes difficult to advise young people as the help that is needed is about developing confidence.

Women are trying to fit into a male-designed world. How long will it take for that to be truly equal in the way we work?

This comes back to technology as well because what is also changing is the way we work. I am very confident that some of the old ways will start to chip away. You’ve got people moving around and far more flexible working, and I think that is critical. Millennials are less driven by money; what they’re really interested in is flexibility and cultures of organisations. It will change for both men and women.

EM3 TOWNS

SURREY CHAMBERS

45

Inspirational Women One of the things I’ve noticed within my own team is once you start getting some younger people within your team, they make a huge difference because they come with that technology awareness.

They are also keen to throw in ideas and can be gutsy and less worried about where they fit in the organisation. They’re quite happy to make changes and that’s something I really love.

Do you have a healthy work/life balance?

It’s a difficult question as I love work so much. I like to read and Twitter has been joy to me, a brilliant way to pick up on things. Is this life or is it work? It’s only tricky when work is becoming too stressful. I have to rein it back sometimes and be aware that what is good for you is not necessarily good for others. I was advised that you always need to feed your brain. I often ‘feed my brain’ just before I go to sleep and in the morning the solution is there.

I don’t have any particular outside activities.

Quite simply I enjoy the company of my family and friends, and I do try to keep the weekends free

Who were you main influences starting out on your career?

I was the first person in my family to go to university, but I wouldn’t have gone if the school hadn’t spoken to my parents about this possibility. It hadn’t occurred to me before. I clearly remember the two teachers who were most inspirational and I can still hear their voices. Both were women.

What was your biggest break?

been ‘restructured’ which can be quite depressing but each time it forced me to take a different direction and in doing so, take a step up. I didn’t realise that I could do anything different. I lost a good position at the Government Office for the South East due to a restructure and I was very worried, but when I went to a new role, I just flew.

I’m not sure break is the right word. It’s all about what you do when opportunities come along. It’s about being proactive.

Most of my biggest steps in my career have come as a result of adversity. I have twice

It happened again when the new role at the South East England Development Agency was restructured. The job gave me a feeling of being secure, but sometimes it’s good not to feel secure as you HAVE to perform well

46

SURREY CHAMBERS

and keep your eyes open. It’s all about seizing opportunities.

Do you have unfulfilled ambitions?

I have lots! Professionally, I want the LEP, which is known as one of the best in the UK, to be distinguished for the impact it makes on business, and I believe that will come.

Personally I want to keep growing my mind. I am five years away from state pension age but I couldn’t imagine ever fully retiring. I want to do some different things.

Inspirational Women

The Secret of my Success

ABIGAIL OWEN PARTNER, DMH STALLARD What was your biggest break?

Ha-Ha. I wish I had one. I am still waiting for it. Hard work followed by more hard work has got me to where I am today!

How do you manage the work/life balance?

What interests do you have outside work?

I don’t manage my work/life balance particularly well. There is definitely room for improvement. It can be a struggle, particularly as the kind of law I advise on often involves a very intensive process, and a oneoff life changing transaction for the owner, which means it needs all of our attention and time to meet the critical dates.

Outside of work, I like to keep active and enjoy playing golf, horse riding and swimming. I like to meet up with friends and trying different cuisines and restaurants.

What are your personal and business ambitions?

What does your business do and what is your role?

What do you enjoy most about your work?

DMH Stallard is a top 100 law firm operating in the South-East with offices in Crawley, Brighton, Horsham, Guildford and London.

I am a senior partner in the corporate department, advising directors, shareholders, owner-managers and SME businesses in the South-East on all of their corporate law needs, which includes advising on share and business acquisitions and sales, mergers, private equity investments, shareholder and director matters and management buy-outs and buy-ins.

Every day is different. I have the pleasure of working with lots of inspiring people, often entrepreneurs and business owners and helping them with some of the most important business decisions they make in their lives. This can often be helping them navigate through the complexities of the legal process to realise value for them on their hard work over many years. My job gives me great exposure to a lot of different businesses in all kinds of industries and different people from a variety of backgrounds.

I was South East corporate finance lawyer of the years in 2014 and 2015.

To give a great service to our clients whilst maintaining some sort of lifestyle. I love my work and really want to continue to build our business locally.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

Don’t give up. In making a decision, listen to your gut feeling. Get out there, talk to people and try to experience as much as you can - be persistent but above all focused. Try things, if it doesn’t work, analyse the reasons why and then address those points, tweak what your doing accordingly and try again.

Email: abigail.owen@dmhstallard.com Tel: 01293-605022 Website: www.dmhstallard.com SURREY CHAMBERS

47

Women in Business

In 2018, it will be 100 years since women won the right to vote, and the theme of this issue of Surrey Chambers Magazine is the question of how far have we come in ridding business of inequality and discrimination. Caroline Lucas MP has never been afraid to stand up for equality in the workplace and in society in general. So it is fitting that Caroline Lucas has written an exclusive opinion piece on the subject for The Platinum Publishing Group this month.

WE’VE COME A LONG WAY But there is still such a long way to go before we achieve gender equality

By Caroline Lucas, Co-Leader of the Green Party and MP for Brighton Pavilion.

T

he last few weeks in politics have been extremely troubling. Day after day we’ve seen allegations of harassment and abuse from senior politicians and their staff - and there’s been a depressing backlash in some quarters by people who make it their mission to cast doubt on the, predominantly, women coming forward. Parliament should be a leader when it comes to equality in the workplace - but instead the toxic culture in my workplace has been exposed as deeply damaging and even dangerous for people working there.

❝

Three in four mothers endure negative or discriminatory treatment at work.

❞

As a member of Parliament’s working group on harassment I am pressing for swift changes to HR policy to support people who have experienced unacceptable behaviour or abuse, but I’m also looking to address wider changes such as the culture in the Chamber of Commons. Additionally I’m pushing for MPs (all of whom are employers in the present setup) to be given training on equalities and consent.

We need to increase the number of women MPs too. Though it was good to see more in this Parliament than the last, it’s shocking that just 32% of MPs are women - and it’s clear that at this rate we’ll be waiting more than a lifetime for a 50:50 Parliament.

48

SURREY CHAMBERS

Women in Business Of course, inequality in the workplace isn’t just something faced by staff in Parliament, and it doesn’t just take the form of harassment either. In recent weeks a number of specific campaigns on inequality have been gaining ground, and highlighting serious issues around workplace inequality.

Maternity and pregnancy discrimination forces 54,000 women out of work every year - and three in four mothers endure negative or discriminatory treatment at work. Current rules, however, mean that it’s very difficult for new mothers to seek legal redress for this discrimination - because they have to make any claim within three months (which is by its nature an extremely busy time). It’s no wonder that fewer than 1% of women who face this kind of discrimination bring an employment tribunal claim.

This discrimination can affect all pregnant women and new mothers in work - from teachers, to social workers and employees at big firms - and it must be stopped. Thankfully there’s an enormous appetite for changing this legislation – and I’m confident that the work of campaigners will lead to a breakthrough soon.

For self-employed women - and those who own their own microbusinesses - there are huge challenges too. Just this month it was revealed that self-employed mothers are being forced back to work the day after giving birth, because self-employed women do not get statutory maternity pay during the first six weeks. Instead, they have to live on £140.98 per week maternity allowance. With the number of self-employed people rising fast, we should be looking to update protections and benefits to ensure that all new mothers are given the support that’s needed.

It’s not just extra protection for mothers that we need - we must also be looking to giving all children the best start in life. That’s why the Green Party want free childcare for all children - a move which would hugely benefit working mothers too. I’ve also been pioneering Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) to give girls and boys a better understanding of gender and sexuality, prepare them for the world of work and to give children the skills and confidence they need. The Government has agreed to go ahead with compulsory PSHE and I’ll be monitoring progress carefully, with a focus on ensuring that lessons particularly aim to tackle gender stereotyping and help girls reach their potential.

While large strides have been made in the past decade towards increasing female participation in the workplace, boardrooms

still remain highly male-dominated - which is why my Party supports quotas for women at the top of big companies. When Norway called on firms to have 40% representation of women on their boards, contrary to expectations of there being a shortage of suitable candidates, there was a wealth of high-quality female applicants.

❝

Businesses… are served well by equality because it means people being able to fulfil their potential without injustice and prejudice holding them back.

❞

That’s the kind of action I would like to see here - and I believe that action on representation in the boardroom could also spur on more women to be business owner and politicians too.

Businesses, our economy and our society are served well by equality because it means people being able to fulfil their potential without injustice and prejudice holding them back.

In Sussex there are some businesses really pioneering best practices in this area - but more workplaces need to follow suit.

We’ve come a long way when it comes to equality - but with so far to go it’s down to MPs and business leaders in particular to push ahead at full steam in ending the widespread injustice that’s still pervasive.

SURREY CHAMBERS

49

Women in Business

WHEN WOMEN THRIVE F

ounded in 2014, When Women Thrive is Mercer’s global research and solution platform designed to help organisations drive growth through the active and productive participation of their female workforce. The report offers the latest insights from the world’s most comprehensive report on women in the workforce, representing nearly 600 organisations and 3.2 million employees around the globe.

The drive for gender equality is unstoppable and not a case of if, but when. Mercer’s objective for their When Women Thrive research is to create the definitive, global resource for understanding gender diversity trends inside of organisations, and to guide organisations to most effectively drive gender equality. The research examines the current representation of women and forecasts likely changes. The research also collects data on organisational practices and cultural attributes that may drive success in building representation.

Recent developments favour improved

Career Level

Total Hires

future representation of women. With so much emphasis on gender equality, organisations appear to have improved or maintained favourable promotion patterns and have accelerated the hiring of women into senior levels.

❝

A recent report shows that advancing gender equality could add $12 trillion to the global GDP.

❞

While these trends are encouraging, there is concern that they are not sustainable.

The focus has been on the top levels, as organisations have sought to improve executive-level representation. But this focus has not extended to lower levels of the career hierarchy, raising concerns that the internal pipeline for future female managers and

leaders may be weakening. For example, in many regions women are actually less likely to be promoted at lower levels. As a result of these patterns, representation of women in the professional sectors would increase only from 35% to 40%, globally, over 10 years.

To accelerate these paths, organisations need to move from ad-hoc efforts to improve senior-level hiring and promotion and focus on the whole system of talent dynamics. To make advances sustainable, they need to focus on the key drivers of gender diversity to build the inclusive culture required to support the change and to accelerate further the speed of progression for women.

This is not just morally right but companies are losing out on a huge talent pool they are losing from the bottom line too. A recent report shows that advancing gender equality could add $12 trillion to the global GDP. The ILM map below is a graphical representation of the talent pipeline in an organisation—a quick point-in-time “snapshot” of the average survey respondent.

Average Representation and Total Promotions

Total Exits

Female Male

Females 9% Males: 6%

Executive

20%

Females 10% Males: 8%

80%

Females 7% | Males: 6% Senior Manager

Females 8% Males: 7%

Manager

Females 8% Males: 9%

26%

Females 8% Males: 9%

74%

Females 8% | Males: 7%

33%

Females 9% Males: 10%

67%

Females 7% | Males: 6% Professional

Females 14% Males: 14%

Support Staff

Females 18% Males: 21%

38%

Females 12% Males: 12%

62%

Females 5% | Males: 5%

www.mercer.com

50

SURREY CHAMBERS

49%

51%

Females 15% Males: 17%

Overall representation: 38% female | 62% male

Women in Business It summarises, for each standard career level, the rate at which talent is flowing into the organisation (total hires), moving up through the hierarchy (total promotions), and ultimately exiting the workforce (total exits).

Percentages in the middle of the map indicate female and male representation at each career level. Hire, promotion, and exit rates are calculated as the total number of events divided by average headcount, by level and gender, over a 12-month period.

❝

While these trends are encouraging, there is concern that they are not sustainable.

❞

So Mercer took a look at some some key drivers that are critical to achieving gender equality.

1. A BROAD, ENTERPRISE-WIDE FOCUS IS CRITICAL TO SUSTAINABLE CHANGE Success in building diversity requires a focus, throughout the entire hierarchy (not just at the top), on talent acquisition, development, and retention. Neither short-term priority at the top of the pyramid or concentration on a single workforce flow (e.g. equity in hiring) will drive sustainable change.

2. ACCOUNTABILITY IS NOT ENOUGH – LEADERSHIP NEEDS TO BE ENGAGED IN PROMOTING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY Engagement of executives and men in D&I activities are strongly linked to success in building future female representation – HR

programmess alone cannot deliver gender diversity. However, their data shows little improvement in such engagement.

3. THE ACTIVE MANAGEMENT OF TALENT DRIVES MORE FAVOURABLE OUTCOMES THAN PASSIVELY MANAGED, TRADITIONAL PROGRAMMES One of the most significant drivers of progress for women is strong, regular pay equity processes, with clear ownership of the process and related remediation protocols.

Yet, when we look at global pay equity, there is no evidence that this learning has taken root in respondent organisations.

Another area linked to success in building gender diversity is effort to ensure against unintended consequences to those who avail themselves of leave and flexibility programmes. We see that organisations where men are equally likely to take advantage of programmes are better situated to improve representation of women. It is key to train managers to effectively support employees who return from leaves.

4. HEALTH AND WEALTH SOLUTIONS IMPACT FIRMS’ LONG-TERM ABILITY TO ENGAGE AND RETAIN FEMALE TALENT A key driver of success in building diverse representation is monitoring savings behaviour by gender and customising programmes to address differences in such behaviour. Women live longer and are more risk averse, leading to disadvantageous savings patterns.

Organisations focused on female-only financial planning workshops, focused

on helping employees manage their debt as much as their savings, have seen significant impact in terms of their ability to build female representation – likely owing to an enhanced value proposition.

❝

Women live longer and are more risk averse, leading to disadvantageous savings patterns.

❞

5. MEN AND WOMEN OFFER EMPLOYERS DIFFERENT BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT SKILLS FOR DRIVING THE BUSINESS The research identifies the various skills and attributes that are most important for future career success. The top three characteristics identified globally as driving career success include, in order of importance: flexibility/adaptability to change, problem-solving skills, and strategic visioning.

Gender equality is an unstoppable force and it is incumbent upon us all to ensure this is achieved with no further delay.

SURREY CHAMBERS

51

Inspirational Women

The Secret of my Success

LOUISE PUNTER CEO, SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE How do you manage the work/life balance? What interests do you have outside work?

I took on my role at a time when my two daughters were heading to secondary school and I foolishly thought it would be a good move allowing me more free time than my previous international marketing role. The role was much more challenging than I expected but I managed to work around things so that I rarely missed a school show or sports day.

Having access to remote IT played a great part in this and needing to be at Chamber events at all times of day and evening allowed me to slip out in the day if necessary. I walk most mornings at 6.30am feeling very smug as I see everyone else’s curtains still closed and I try to go to two hot yoga classes every week. Many of my interests and activities revolve around my daughters, one a musical theatre actor and one training to be a doctor, who never cease to amaze me with their tenacity and love of life. Keeping up with them is what keeps me fit and jolly!

What does your business do and what is your role?

Surrey Chambers of Commerce is a business membership organisation connecting, promoting and supporting companies, who are based or work in Surrey. I am the CEO, leading the organisation, which employs 10 people and have held this role for 16 years.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I really like interacting with people!

It is really exciting to see the impact we can have by providing support, an introduction or just some key information needed by a business. In order to be able to help a business we need to understand the likely issues they are facing and every day is an opportunity to learn something. From data protection to customs requirements; from LinkedIn to 5G technology my job is to learn constantly.

Having a team of nine other people who

52

SURREY CHAMBERS

love what they do and are passionate about helping people makes for a really enjoyable workplace and the interaction in the office is really positive and vibrant. I also have a Board of Directors who are members of the chamber so I have first-hand input into any strategies we devise.

What was your biggest break?

I think it goes right back to gaining a sponsorship to study a Business Studies degree from Metal Box - a major packaging company at the time. It was called a thin sandwich degree which meant I worked six months and studied for six months across four years. By the end of the four years I had worked in every department including running a production line and learnt an incredible amount from people at around 10 different factories and offices.

What are your personal and business ambitions?

Even though I can’t believe it I am technically at the end of my career. However, I still get up every day with a sense of anticipation and total enthusiasm for the day ahead. I hope that sometime in the next three to five years Surrey Chambers of Commerce will be crowned Chamber of the Year by the British Chambers of Commerce so need to get working on that!

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

Be curious and ask questions, always offer ideas and don’t watch the clock. Hard work is usually what leads to success and a positive attitude is hugely important and effective.

Being able to communicate face to face and on the phone as well as electronically sets successful people apart.

www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

Inspirational Women

The Secret of my Success

SAMANTHA FARROW MANAGING DIRECTOR, FARROW CREATIVE Groucho club once and I can die happy.

How do you manage the work/life balance?

Getting the kids through school was tough.

The playground Mafia used to upset me sometimes with their lycra, coffee mornings and sympathy at me working full-time. I love my kids and husband, I love my work and they both have to fit in. I don’t apologise for that anymore. I’m successful and I want my kids to see that you can have both. There is no substitute for hard work. Thomas Edison said that. I’m a bit of mad gardener and decorator.

I tend to go to meetings on a Monday covered in paint.

Also a catalyst in my life has been getting a dog and bringing him to work. Teddy my Havanese keeps it real. He reminds me to keep things simple. There is nothing like a warm poo bag in your pocket to remind you that you ain’t all that!

What are your personal and business ambitions?

What does your business do and what is your role?

I’m the Founder, Managing and Creative Director of Farrow Creative Limited a multidiscipline design agency. We brand, design and build websites and add profit to organisations.

I have an MA in graphic communication, I’ve always been interested in connections and how they work through different mediums.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Fixing organisations communications so that they can grow and make money. We make things cleaner, clearer and simpler. I love a deadline, if there is too much to do I’m in my element knowing that I’ve got to complete the tasks brilliantly, no matter what because people’s businesses are relying on me. That’s what drives me. Also I believe that design changes lives…saves lives. I would say that though wouldn’t I. I’m on the board of the Surrey Chamber and I really enjoy learning and being part of an amazing team of individuals who each have

a very different skills base to mine. I’m also a mentor for the MBA programme at Surrey University and for Radian Housing who have an initiative to help their tenants set up their own businesses. I’ve met some extraordinary people through doing that. Some of them find it difficult to negotiate ordinary things we all take for granted and it’s humbling to help build their confidence. What’s been amazing is that I’ve built up something that isn’t just about making money, I get to do the things that make me leap out of bed in the morning, help people and pay the mortgage!

What was your biggest break?

Karren Brady, Vice Chairman of West Ham telling me that she liked me, liked my work and wanted me to design and build her website. I’ve done that twice for her now. I love her, she’s the business and she’s a role model of our time for both men and women.

She championed me to get on a board and is an ambassador for Women on Boards in Sport.

She is one of the most professional people we work with. Also, I saw Wayne Sleep at the

My personal ambition is to be a very good potter and open a studio in New York. I’d get there in a red camper van called Rab probably by boat. Business wise I’d like to keep providing a really personal service to our clients. We don’t use account managers, all of the design team answer the phone and we are responsive and professional in everything we do. We are very lucky to work with some of the best creatives in our industry, they have become friends. We always have a laugh.

True creativity and pure communication only comes when you are having fun, being honest and listening.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

Be humble, be young and shiny, and work very hard. If you don’t know something, don’t pretend you do. Be honest. Never mistake kindness for weakness. And lastly, invest in gold or almonds. Oh, and always let your boss walk in to a meeting first.

www.farrowcreative.co.uk

SURREY CHAMBERS

53

Export Services

WHAT IS A NOTARY? If you are exporting then you may well need the services of a notary, says Jo Humphey, Notary Public What is a notary public?

A notary public is a specialist lawyer who authenticates documents and certifies signatures for use overseas. The notary confirms that a document is genuine or has been validly executed.

Why would I need a notary?

If your businesses engages in international trade you may be asked to provide notarised and legalised corporate documentation to prove that your business has the authority to undertake certain activities, for example, setting up companies overseas, litigation, opening bank accounts or confirmation of product compliance.

What is legalisation?

The receiving country may require that in addition to notarisation, a document will need to be legalised, which is the process of having the notary’s signature and seal authenticated by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Legalisation can be achieved by sending the notarised document to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for an apostille.

An apostille is a certificate confirming the authenticity of the document. Some countries, for example in the Middle East or Asia, may require further legalisation from the relevant embassy. Assistance with legalisation can obtained through the Chamber of Commerce or from a notary.

Common situations needing notarised documents This depends on the recipient country and the nature of the transaction. Common activities include: • Certification of product compliance • Incorporation of foreign subsidiaries • Powers of attorney - appointing agents or lawyers overseas to act on behalf of your company • Opening of foreign bank accounts

54

SURREY CHAMBERS

• Signature of documents in the UK relating to foreign transactions • Confirmation of Directors, board minutes and confirmation of company details

How much will it cost?

The cost of using a notary will depend on the complexity of the request but will include verification of the identity of the company and signatories, record keeping, as well as establishing the correct process required to ensure the document is acceptable to the

destination country.

I am pleased to offer Surrey Chamber of Commerce members a 10% discount on Notary services (excluding disbursements).

Tel: 07387 570715 Email: jo@johumphreynotary.co.uk Jo Humphrey Notary is based in Farnham, offering mobile services throughout Surrey, and is regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Frances Rutter CEO & Principal Nescot

What is Nescot, and what’s your role?

Nescot is a Further Education college in Ewell, near Epsom.

Our emphasis is on excellence in vocational education, and we offer full-time, part-time, online and distance learning courses, apprenticeships and university-level qualifications. I joined as CEO and Principal in April this year, after spending more than 20 years working as a lawyer and CEO in local government.

“

Our students are at the heart of what we do, and I love seeing them succeed.

”

We focus on getting our students ready for their careers, whether that’s in Computing or Construction. We work very closely with employers, to make sure our students are getting the skills and qualifications they need to succeed as well as helping employers find their next generation of talent. We also have a range of professional services open to the public, from a fantastic hair and beauty salon to a restaurant and osteopathy treatments. Those assets give Nescot students the opportunity to use their practical skills as well as seeing first-hand how businesses operate.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Our students are at the heart of what we do, and I love seeing them succeed. I’m really proud to be an ambassador for a great local organisation that works to give students the skills they need for their own careers as well as the skills the economy needs for economic and social growth. I enjoy the variety in running an organisation that’s both an educational institute and a thriving business, and the challenge of being in a really fast-paced sector.

What was your biggest setback, and how did you overcome it?

Thankfully I haven’t encountered any major setbacks so far, but building work to the car park and refectory over the summer took longer to deliver than planned. It might sound small, but things like parking and food make a big difference to our students and staff. As well as managing the projects themselves carefully, we made it a priority to communicate regularly with everyone affected.

How do you manage your work/life balance?

What interests do you have outside work?

As an avid reader I always seem to have two or three or three books on the go, although at the moment I’m trying to stay faithful to Graham Greene’s Ministry of Fear until it’s finished.

At the weekends I enjoy cycling in the lanes around my village, or horse riding with my 12-year-old daughter. My other passion is gardening, which gives me time to think and space to be creative. It’s hard to maintain a good work/life balance, but my husband and family are very understanding.

What are your personal and business ambitions?

Personally, I’m happy with where I am. In business, I want to see Nescot flourish and grow. I’m ambitious for it to be the college of choice, a big part of the community and of a size that enables it to be both financially strong and innovative.

“

I’m really proud to be an ambassador for a great local organisation that works to give students the skills they need for their own careers as well as the skills the economy needs for economic and social growth.

What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs?

”

Do your research, talk to as many people as you can and build your networks – but ultimately, don’t be afraid to just give it a go.

Hard work, determination and faith in what you’re doing will get you a long way. Remember the people who helped you be successful, and above all never forget who your customers are.

SURREY CHAMBERS

55

Travel - Mallorca

Shake hands in...

MALLORCA Puerto de Palma de Mallorca

Forget package holidays and Brits abroad, there are many sides to this Balearic destination. Rose Dykins reports on plans for boosting business travel to Mallorca.

W

hen checking into the BH Mallorca hotel, instead of being handed a room key card, a scannable laminated orange band with the hotel’s address printed on it is clamped round my wrist. The following day, I attend a blingy onsite pool party, where a toned dancer in a gold one-piece writhes around in a giant floating martini glass, and former contestants from the reality TV series Love Island pour shots into glitter-cheeked revellers’ mouths. At dusk, thousands gather at the hotel’s music arena to mosh along to live performances from Craig David and Tinie Tempah, before heading two minutes down the road to the debauchery of Magaluf’s strip. At 7am, I’m awoken by

56

SURREY CHAMBERS

someone repeatedly hollering “Scotland!” outside my window. When I arrive at the front desk to check out, a staff member simply whips out a pair of scissors, cuts my wristband in two, and off I go.

Of course, there’s much more to Mallorca than the hedonistic resort of Magaluf.

Although it brings in the crowds, its notorious party scene can overshadow people’s perceptions of Mallorca as a whole. Those in the know – including the 17,000 or so British expats who call it home – adore the Spanish island for its picturesque towns and beaches, its climate, its off-road adventure activities and its easy-going, friendly atmosphere. In fact, in 2015, The Sunday Times named the Mallorcan

capital of Palma de Mallorca the best place to live in the world, even suggesting that it makes a feasible “commuter destination” to London (a two-hour journey by plane).

Outsiders may also be less familiar with the island’s competitive offering for corporate travellers. “The meeting and incentive business is not something new to Mallorca,” says Csaba Boda, executive assistant manager of the Park Hyatt Mallorca, a five-star hotel that opened in the north of the island last year.” It was always part of our business, especially for four and five-star properties that were only trying to cater for traditional holidaymakers, but to stay open all year round. And this is only possible if you have conference facilities.

Travel - Mallorca “Certainly from June, the occupancy of the island’s hotels increases so much that they are not easily able to offer availability for incentive groups. But still, the focus for corporates lasts for the entire year, and there are some opportunities for incentives in the summer months as well.”

A typical shopping square, Palma de Mallorca

❝

The term “smart island’ may not be one you automatically associate with Mallorca, but sustainability and sensible development is definitely on its agenda

❞

Recently, Mallorca has taken some big steps to further attract the interest of international meetings and events planners. Perhaps the most important development over the past three years is the increased connectivity of the Balearic island via low-cost carriers and legacy airlines alike. These include British Airways, which now flies to Palma de Mallorca throughout the year from Heathrow, London City, Stansted and Manchester. Meanwhile, Norwegian, Easyjet, Monarch and Thomas Cook all offer routes to the Mallorcan capital from Gatwick.

“There are many more flights to the island

than before,” says Boda. “Previously, event planners often had to charter their own flights, or find solutions from numerous airlines. Now it’s easier to receive corporate groups from the UK, from German-speaking countries, France and Scandinavia.”

What’s more, there are plans for a further €229 million investment in Palma de Mallorca’s Son Sant Joan airport. The third-busiest airport in Spain - after Madrid and Barcelona - the gateway to Mallorca is often rammed with lengthy queues of people at passport control.

And the airport experienced its busiest ever day in July, with more than 180,000 passengers and almost 1,100 flights in just 24 hours.

With its annual passenger numbers predicted to rise from 26 million to 28.5 million by 2021, Son Sant Joan airport needs to grow.

It will increase its hourly number of flights from 66 to 80 (so a plane will take off every 45 seconds). Its development plans comprise of increasing the surface area of the terminal to improve passenger comfort; adding additional corridors, moving walkways and escalators; renovating one of its runways and modernising its luggage-handling system. The end aim is for the airport to be able to accommodate up to 34 million passengers each year.

Aside from aviation, Mallorca has been working hard to give its hotel offering a muchneeded facelift fit for international business

The Mallorca coastline

SURREY CHAMBERS

57

Travel - Mallorca guests. (see box below). “Many five-star hotels have opened here, but rather than small boutique properties, we’ve gained hotels with more than 100 rooms and conference facilities,” says Boda. “And all of them have proper marketing and sales structures for spreading the news that Mallorca is an excellent destination for incentives.”

An emblem of its ambitions, the Mallorcan capital gained its first convention centre in April. Operated by national hotel chain, Melia, Palau de Congressos is set along Palma’s Paseo Maritimo seafront, just ten minutes from the airport. Designed by Spanish architect, Francisco Mangado, the long, cubic yet flowing structure is intended to represent a “beached fish”. Complete with a “hanging garden”, a restaurant with a sea-view terrace and plenty of natural light, Palau de Congressos is ready and able to welcome 2,400 delegates for a congress.

The historic town of Calvià

The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma

❝

The Sunday Times named the Mallorcan capital of Palma de Mallorca the best place to live in the world, even suggesting that it makes a feasible “commuter destination” to London

❞

Park Hyatt, Mallorca

Also in April, the Mallorcan town of Calvia hosted the first ever international Smart Island World Conference. More than 400 international experts – island leaders, governments researchers and universities – came to Mallorca to debate and devise new ways for island nations to develop and secure their future prosperity, and the same conference will also return to Mallorca next year.

The term “smart island” may not be one you automatically associate with Mallorca, but sustainability and sensible development is definitely on its agenda. For example, Mallorca is planning to shut down its most carbon-emitting coal and gas power station in stages by 2020. Meanwhile, the Balearic islands – Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera – are working to increase their combined renewable energy facilities so that clean sources comprise 10% of all the islands’ energy by 2020.

In addition, at a time where many European destinations are tackling over tourism, and trying to strike a balance between welcoming the world and retaining their local culture, Mallorca makes for an interesting case study. With demand on its services increasing, and many avenues of tourism to explore, Mallorca needs to use its space wisely. Its future will certainly be interesting.

58

SURREY CHAMBERS

MALLORCA: INCENTIVES IN BUCKETS AND SPADES • Arguably the biggest golf destination in the Mediterranean, there are an impressive 27 courses on the island.

• Scuba diving, sailing, speedboat rides and watersports can be arranged for corporate groups.

• The mountains to the west and north provide wild surroundings for group hiking and cycling trips.

• For culture, Mallorca’s villages and towns - such as Calvia, Deia and Arta – are relaxing to explore on foot, and home to beautiful examples of Moorish and Roman architecture.

• For team building, it’s possible to arrange treasure hunts that involve kayaking, caving and snorkelling your way to a hidden chest, with a drone following along to capture your efforts on camera. thechallengemallorca.com

Travel - Mallorca

TOP FIVE PLACES FOR A MEETING/EVENT PARK HYATT MALLORCA

➠

Set in a valley to the northeast of the island, this beachfront five-star hotel has 142 rooms and suites, a spa and meeting facilities. “Our high-ceilinged ballroom can hold up to 200 people and has the latest high-tech equipment, daylight and a terrace for welcome cocktails,” says Boda. “The hotel also has a conference centre with eight board rooms, which are all connected by a typical Spanish garden and a private restaurant with an open show kitchen. We can also offer private dinners on the beach.” mallorca.park.hyatt,com

SON TERMES

➠

This rural medieval estate is just ten minutes from Palma de Mallorca. Its rustic, air-conditioned dining rooms and tiki torch-lit terraces make memorable spaces for dinners for between ten and 1500 guests, and the in-house team prepares excellent cuisine that gives traditional Balearic dishes a contemporary twist. sontermes.com

THE ST. REGIS MARDAVALL MALLORCA RESORT

➠

A 20 minute drive from Palma de Mallorca, this exclusive seafront luxury resort has nine well-presented event spaces, from boardrooms to a 224 sqm room for keynote speeches or banquets. There are four restaurants – one with a Michelin star – a spa specialising in Chinese medicine, a golf academy and 125 airy rooms and suites. stregismardavall.com

CASTILLO MILITAR SAN CARLOS

➠

Dating back to the early 17th century, this sandstone tower of this fortress-turned military museum has spacious walled courtyards for open air drinks receptions or concerts. Its galleries presenting weaponry through the ages can also be hired. museomilitarsancarlos.com

PUERTO AZUL SUITE HOTEL

➠

This four-star Puerto Azul Suite hotel is particularly popular with cyclists during spring, and would be ideal for a physical corporate retreat. Its 148 rooms were recently refreshed, plus there’s a tranquil outdoor pool area, and the nearest beach is 100 metres away. puertoazulsuitehotel.com

SURREY CHAMBERS

59

TOWN FOCUS WOKING

WOKING A thriving art scene, a history steeped in sci-fi, award-winning architecture and a huge regeneration project which will mark it firmly on the map; what’s not to love about Woking.

TOWN FACTS:

Artist’s impression of the Victoria Square development

Population 99,198 Gender 49.54% males 50.46% female Age Groups 19% aged 14 and under 66% aged between 15 and 64 15% aged 65 and over Ref: Census 2011

W

oking will meet its future in 2020 with a construction of a £460 million flagship high-rise development scheme now underway. This landmark development of Victoria Square will contain more than 125,000 sq ft of retail space, along with 429 flats, a multi-storey car park, a medical centre, a 189-room Hilton hotel and two public plazas. Plans follow the previously transformed Jubilee Square, a new public space redeveloped in 2012 to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 60-year reign. This new area of development has transformed what was previously faded public space to a now vibrant retail experience, including two refurbished shopping centres nearby.

“The biggest focus is on improving and developing Woking town centre with the next stage of redevelopment,” says Cllr David Bittleston, Leader of Woking Borough Council.

“One key thing was that Woking was looking old and tired. We made the courageous decision to buy the Wolsey Place Shopping Centre and Peacocks during the recession, and with a £10 million council investment, along came new shopping fronts, new paving and landscaping, which led to new commercial businesses moving in such as M&S. Suddenly Woking became an exciting place to live! This is the catalyst that makes businesses come to Woking,” adds Cllr David.

“As well as the Victoria Square

60

SURREY CHAMBERS

redevelopment, we are currently undertaking huge regeneration at Sheerwater; investing in two new leisure centres, a swimming pool, an eight lane athletics track and a new gymnastics club, along with 1300 new homes. I visited the athletics track recently and it’s fantastic, not olympic size but not far off.”

under half an hour. It also provides direct fast links to international ferry ports at Portsmouth and Southampton. The M25, M3 and A3 are each within ten minutes drive of the town centre, and with no major, heavily trafficked road going through Woking, it’s the idea town to do business in.

Situated northwest of Surrey, Woking is part of the London commuter belt and has one of the busiest railway stations in Surrey, with direct trains to London Waterloo taking just

And a catalyst it is for businesses both large and small. Cllr David comments: “We have a Growth Incubator based in Export House (originally known as the BAT Building during

TOWN FOCUS WOKING THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW

The Living Planet Centre, home of the WWF

• Brookwood Cemetery in Woking is the largest in Britain and is a Grade I historic park. It was opened in 1852 with 2000 acres of land having been secured for the purpose of laying to rest London’s deceased. Among its famous graves are those of Dame Rebecca West, lover of H. G. Wells.

• Members of the Jam - Paul Weller, Rick Buckler and Bruce Loxton were all born and educated in Woking; along with Peter Gabriel, who founded the rock group Genesis, and who attended school in Horsell in the 50s and 60s.

• The McLaren Technology Centre is based in Woking. The complex site consists of four buildings surrounded by artificial lakes one formal lake and a further four ‘ecology’ lakes. This water is used to cool the building and to dissipate heat produced by wind tunnels.

• The Muslim Burial Ground is a Grade II structure, nestled amongst pine trees and was extensively restored in 2015 to honour Indian Army soldiers who died alongside the British during WW1. its tenancy by British American Tobacco). It’s a place where start-ups or small businesses can rent a desk with full IT and telephone services. It’s an excellent resource for growing businesses.” And for bigger businesses? “We believe big businesses will come to Woking if the infrastructure is right.”

London” - and regularly plays host to the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre and Glyndebourne. International musical delights such as Cats, Chicago and Miss Saigon have also been hits at its box office.

The Lightbox is another exciting public space, opened in 2007. A public gallery and museum, The Lightbox is located on the banks of the Basingstoke Canal and was designed by Marks Barfield Architects who designed the London Eye and the Brighton i360. In 2008 it won the Art Fund Prize Museum of the Year award and in 2016 it was awarded a Green Tourism silver award.

The Lightbox hosts around 20 temporary exhibitions per year, the majority of which are devised in-house and have included works from Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol. Renoir and Constable.

With price increases in West London having fuelled the ability for a two bed house in

Putney to be on par with a four bed house in Woking, it’s no wonder that Woking has become a rather desirable place to settle.

But with houses prices on the up within the London commuter belt, Woking’s property market is being driven by excellent transport links and good quality of life, and so in order to meet the demands? Woking council is planning to build higher and more densely in Woking.

AT THE LIGHTBOX: LOOK OUT FOR: Turner in Surrey An exhibition exploring J. M. W. Turner’s work produced on his various travels, stops and periods of residence on the Thames, Wey Navigation and in the county of Surrey.

From now until – 4th March 2018

The Lightbox gallery

Quite evidently, the infrastructure is right.

Global firms such as McLaren Technology Group and the brewing brand Asahi UK have their headquarters here. Tante Marie Culinary Academy, the UK’s oldest independent cookery school, and the first to ever offer a Cordon Bleu Diploma is based here. World Wildlife Fund (WWF-UK) is located in the award-winning Living Planet Centre, and the Ambassador Theatre Group, who own Woking’s New Victoria Theatre, have their headquarters here.

The New Victoria Theatre was described by Cllr David as the “jewel in our entertainment crown and the best regional theatre outside of

SURREY CHAMBERS

61

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

WOKING WORKS Please describe what your business does…

Woking Works is a partnership between Woking Borough Council’s Business Liaison Team and key local firms, underpinned by the Council’s Economic Development Strategy, with the aim of encouraging growth and prosperity in our ambitious borough.

We achieve this aim by working with local business organisations and independent advisers to deliver a wide range of free events, resources and guidance to start-ups and existing businesses.

How long have you been in Woking?

Woking Works began in 2007 as a businessfacing website and directory, but more recently evolved into today’s organisation, working together with corporate partners to broaden the support offered across Woking and beyond, and help create pride of place.

Current partners are Arcom IT, Barlow Robbins Solicitors, Hamlyns Chartered Accountants, and NatWest Bank. Our involvement with a national partner like NatWest particularly helps the members of Woking’s significant thriving SME community to grow their business through its Boost programme.

Sarah Gould, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Barlow Robbins, agrees: “It is important to us to work together with like-minded businesses to help boost the prosperity and vitality of Woking. Through Woking Works, we get involved in such events as partner-led business surgeries, seminars, and breakfast and evening networking to encourage a local supply chain.”

The wide range of services includes start-up clinics, relocation and expansion support, and a calendar of essential business events such as free workshops on data protection, export and recruitment.

Woking Works is a special partnership between Woking Borough Council and leading local firms and business organisations, which aims to encourage, retain and attract businesses in the Woking area in order to boost the growth, prosperity and vitality of our ambitious Borough.

Support includes free business surgeries and seminars, networking events, a commercial property portal, and connection with the heart of the business community.

Great business idea?

Need business advice?

Connect with us

www.wokingworks.com

Want local suppliers?

62

SURREY CHAMBERS

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

Woking is rightly recognised as one of the most innovative and forward-thinking boroughs in the country, and the Council enjoys an excellent reputation for its ‘can do’ attitude. This has helped facilitate the initial regeneration of the town centre, and will continue as the next phase of improvement around Victoria Square takes shape.

By collaborating with our partners, and associates like Woking Chamber and Surrey Chambers of Commerce, the Woking Asian Business Forum and the Local Enterprise Partnership, Woking Works can offer help to businesses of all sizes across the sectors, furthering our aim of becoming the business destination of choice in the South.

www.wokingworks.com Business Liaison Team 01483 743487

Ready to grow?

TOWN FOCUS WOKING “Hugely housed already with 32% of the borough already built on, we are investing £55 million a year in Thameswey Housing to deliver over 900 new homes by 2020. But we are also aware that it’s vital we protect our green leafy areas so Woking council is developing a ‘green corridor’ in order to keep our countryside protected,” says Cllr David.

Jubilee Square

“But it’s not all about building property and looking after business,” he says. “It’s about the people. The councillors really do care about making Woking bigger and better. Luckily we are all walking in the same direction.” And it’s clear they really are on the road to making it a bigger, better and brighter place to live, work and play.

The New Victoria Theatre

WOKING WORKS Woking Works is an example of the forward-thing approach of the town.

It is partnership between Woking Borough Council’s Business Liaison Team and key local firms, including Arcom IT, Barlow Robbins Solicitors, Hamlyns Chartered Accountants, and NatWest Bank.

NatWest has just signed up for another year and the bank’s two leads for the partnership, Peter Quilter and Amanda Shovelton, explain why the collaboration is so important: “NatWest is proud to have been a founder partner of Woking Works and look forward to continuing our work with them and our other partners. Over the past year, we have participated in a number of very successful events, including an economic update for more than 100 SMEs in Woking and a series of business surgeries at Export House with our professional services partners. We were especially pleased to be invited by the Woking Borough Council to hold a mortgage ‘surgery’ for Council staff and to have Ray Morgan, the Council’s Chief Executive, speak at a property event we hosted at the local NatWest branch. We’re really looking forward to building on a successful first year and finding new ways to support Woking businesses and helping to grow the local economy.”

WOKING IN HISTORY Modern Woking was formed to the south of the Basingstoke Canal (opened in 1794) around the railway station, built in 1838.

Steeped in history, Woking has been home to numerous historical figures. King of England Henry VIII (1509-1547) resided at the former Beaufort Manor. Inherited from his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, who obtained Beaufort Manor in 1466, Henry VIII began the process of converting the house into a palace, known as Woking Palace. The royal residence consisted of a great hall and extensive ancilliary buildings within a double moat, and was used by royalty during the Tudor period; the remains of which still stand today.

Sir Samuel Morton Peto (1809-1889), the Victorian contractor responsible for the building of Nelson’s Column, was born and baptised at St Peter’s church in Old Woking. Peto was also one of the main contractors involved in the re-building of the Houses of Parliament.

From land to space, worldly Woking - or more precisely, Horsell Common - is where the martians first landed in the science fiction novel The War of the Worlds. The novel’s author H. G. Wells was living in Woking when he wrote the book, and much of the early story is set in the area. The novel, which centres on an alien invasion of Earth, is still considered one of the earliest success pieces of sci-fi writing. Wells himself resided in Woking when writing the book and it served as his inspiration. To celebrate H. G. Well’s novel, a Wellsian Martian Tripod was unveiled in the town centre in 1998. The seven foot tall tripod is a chrome stainless steel public sculpture which takes Woking forward into the future, highlighting its cultural image through the slogan “Woking: where modern science fiction took off”. A tile mosaic celebrating the penning of The War of the Worlds can also be found in the subway on Chobham Road.

SURREY CHAMBERS

63

Farrans Construction Building & Civil Engineering Contractor

Education / Local Infrastructure / Water / Marine / Healthcare / Onshore Energy / Private Development

Striving to achieve inspiring and exacting solutions that make a genuine difference

Farrans Construction / Woking Business Park, 8 Forsyth Road, Woking, GU21 5SB.

64

SURREY CHAMBERS

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

FARRANS CONSTRUCTION Please describe what your business does Farrans Construction is a leading figure within the UK construction market, operating across both building and civil engineering divisions. Farrans was established in 1941 and became part of the global construction materials group CRH plc in 1978.

We bring a wealth of construction expertise to a wide range of sectors including education, local infrastructure, water, marine, private development and onshore energy.

Four main offices operate across Woking, Belfast, Cambridge and Edinburgh, acting to support site functioning and consolidate Farrans’ ever-growing presence throughout the UK.

What makes your business special?

Having celebrated more than 75 years’ delivering infrastructure and places of lasting benefit to our clients, Farrans understand that our success is reliant on our people.

With a low staff turnover, many of our employees have dedicated their entire career to the company, bringing clients a continuity of personnel, project after project.

Whether new employees or long-standing staff however, what sets Farrans apart is the way in which we do things. Our employees embody our core values in their daily

operations – in everything we do, the Farrans people are focussed, approachable, caring and efficient.

Regardless of what it is that we do, Farrans always ensure that teamwork is at the heart of our work ethic. We were delighted to receive formal recognition of this earlier this when, when we attained BS 11000 Collaborative Working accreditation.

Down through the years, working collaboratively – with Clients, consultants, the general public and each other – has been engrained in everything we do and sustained many long-standing relationships. We look forward to how this approach can really benefit the wider community in Woking.

How long have you been in Woking?

Having had a presence in the regional market for some time, Farrans was delighted to open a state-of-the-art office in Woking in June 2016.

The office currently supports seven sites in the Woking region, including flagship building projects such as Chichester Free School and Marjory Kinnon SEN school.

The 4,000 sq.ft. office space has 10 permanently-based staff and sees a constant flux of Farrans employees throughout the working week.

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

Farrans sought to create a tangible presence in Woking as its increasing population, ambitious plans for economic growth and strategic positioning within Surrey County represents an excellent opportunity for Farrans to deliver our vision of bringing lasting benefit to local communities.

Farrans is excited to play a role in realising the growth potential here – not only within Woking but across the entire South East of England. We genuinely believe that across a wide range of construction sectors, we can help to make a change for the better. Within that process, we are enthusiastic about engaging with the local businesses, council, chambers of commerce and key stakeholders, in order to ensure that the Farrans team understand the needs, wants and vision of the local people.

State-of-the-art projects such as Chichester Free School and Marjory Kinnon School have already proven the major benefits that we can help realise within this region. This has given the Farrans team a flavour of how to bring authentic value and growth to Woking and the wider area in the years ahead.

www.farrans.com

Chichester Free School

SURREY CHAMBERS

65

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

HEADLINE DESIGN AND PRINT Mark Warner, Director Please describe what your business does.

Headline Design and Print is our name, and that pretty much sums up what we do. Clients come to Headline because of our ‘end-toend’ service. By that I mean, from taking the first design brief, through to delivery of the product at the end. We make sure every step is closely managed so that the client receives what they were expecting, when they were expecting it, and at a cost agreed at the outset. It sounds simple, but our industry is littered with examples of poor service and disappointed customers.

How long have you been in Woking?

For over 30 years, although I have owned the business for the past 11 years. We were on the High Street, opposite the station, but

in July this year we took the opportunity to move to bigger premises at Boundary Business Centre near Sheerwater. Access is vastly improved, which helps with our client delivery and collections. The move coincided with the Woking town centre redevelopment of which I’ve been a long-time supporter. Once completed the desirability of the town will be much improved, and that will only be positive for people who live here and the new people that will want to come.

ouncil

For a quote, or to discuss any design or print need, call Mark on 01483 723517 or email mark@helloheadline.com SURREY CHAMBERS

T: 01483 723517

Woking enjoys fantastic connections by rail and road. That puts a lot of businesses within our catchment area, including London. I’ve witnessed significant improvements in Woking over the years. For example, in the retail and restaurant sectors as more people choose to

NOTHING IS T OO MUCH TROUBLE FOR THE HEADLINE TE AM. EVEN WHEN THERE’S A TIGHT DEA DLINE, THEY APPEAR CALM UNDER PRES SURE AND THEY ALWAY S DELIVER.” Woking Borou gh C

66

www.helloheadline.com

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

“

www.helloheadline.com

live here. Woking is home to several blue-chip corporates, as well as traditional family-owned businesses and start-ups. Culture, arts, sport and local events are also thriving. All these sectors have a need for design and print.

Every new business setting up or expanding in Woking provides an opportunity for us. I’m tremendously optimistic about the immediate future for the town.

“

RS’ OF OVER 30 YEA PRINT DESIGN AND ING. HERE IN WOK H MUC THERE’S NOT EN’T THAT WE HAV N ASKED. SEEN OR BEE NCE IS THIS EXPERIE U, SO YOU ” HERE FOR YO B DONE, GET YOUR JO .”

BRILLIANTLY Mark Warner ign & Print Headline Des

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

MORRISONS SOLICITORS Peter Savage, Partner, Head of Corporate & Commercial Please describe what your business does…

Peter Savage

Morrisons is a leading firm of solicitors, serving a wide range of businesses and private individuals from our offices in central Woking, as well as across Surrey and South West London. We’ve been delivering effective, commercially informed advice to businesses of all types for over 285 years and we combine the depth of knowledge, capabilities and resources of a large firm with the approachability of a local practice.

We offer a comprehensive range of legal services to businesses in all sectors covering corporate and commercial work, property, employment, insolvency and dispute resolution including litigation.

We are clear, direct and straightforward in our approach, and relentless in our pursuit of the best solutions for our clients.

What makes your business special?

We’re a modern, forward-thinking law firm but the traditional values of integrity and trust continue to drive our firm and define the service we provide. And that, we think, is what makes our firm a little bit different.

We see our role as being our clients’ partner in business, using legal structures and tools to help them achieve their strategic aims and protect their interests. We understand how business works but we also recognise that every business is unique.

We advise on the most effective and practical way to help clients reach their goals or resolve issues that affect their business; and we choose to do this is in an approachable, down-to-earth and practical way.

To do this, we need a team of high-calibre professionals – lawyers and support specialists – who are dedicated to helping clients achieve

their goals. So we place a very high priority on attracting and recruiting, developing, rewarding and retaining the right people – for our clients and our business.

How long have you been in Woking?

We moved into our central Woking office in 2006. Prior to that, we advised clients in and around the Woking area from offices in Knaphill and Horsell for a number of years.

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

Woking has a great mix of businesses of all shapes and sizes, from large corporates with national and international concerns to one-person start-ups. Woking is also a town that is on the up, with a significant amount of growth and development underway. This, combined with the town’s proximity to major national and international transport links, makes Woking a very attractive place to do business.

www.morrlaw.com/woking Tel: 01483 726 146 Social: @morrlaw

SURREY CHAMBERS

67

A luxury Country House Hotel & Conference Centre situated on the outskirts of Woking in the Surrey Countryside. Gorse Hill is the perfect venue whether visiting the area on business or just for your pleasure. The Hotel features 50 bedrooms, 17 meeting rooms, restaurant, bar, lounge and complementary parking for up to 100 cars

Cont ac t Us Tod ay, Ca l l : 01 4 83 747 4 4 4 Email: sales@gorsehillsurrey.com

68

Visit: www.gorsehillsurrey.com

Gorse Hill, Hook Heath Road, Woking, Surrey, GU22 0QF SURREY CHAMBERS

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

Alison Warwick Please describe what your business does…

Active Hospitality is a bespoke conference and training specialist who bought Gorse Hill hotel and its sister property Villiers Hotel located in Buckingham in early 2017. The hotel provides an ideal base for business and leisure with 17 function spaces, 50 comfortable ensuite bedrooms, an onsite restaurant, bar and gym and 15 acres of gardens to enjoy.

The hotel is a popular corporate meeting and training venue with its beautiful boardroom and functional training rooms. During the weekends the hotel also plays host to a variety of weddings and many social bookings such as afternoon teas, birthday parties, baby showers and wakes throughout the year.

What makes your business special?

The hotel is located just five minutes from the bustling town centre. Previously a private residence the Mansion House is a glorious retreat venue with stunning grounds and functional conference spaces. Upon entry to the hotel you can appreciate our modern refurbished public areas and tranquil location. Customer service is at the forefront of Gorse Hills values with staff encouraged to make every moment memorable for our guests.

How long have you been in Woking?

Gorse Hill has been in Woking since 1910 when the house belonged to John Ingram, an underwriter at Lloyds. John Ingram had commissioned a British architect of renown to design the house especially for him. The hotel has a rich history and, after narrowly surviving a world war two bombing, the house was used as Southern Railways Training College and later The British Transports Commissions Training College.

In more recent years the hotel has been part of some larger hospitality chains until 2017 when it was returned to individual ownership and purchased by Active Hospitality who decided to restore the hotel to its former glory. Since this time the hotel has benefited from a new refurbishment including modernisation to the public areas and a new gym.

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

Woking is a fantastic vibrant town which is always changing. There is a core community of businesses who really want to support and help each other, offering regular networking opportunities and projects to work together to bring new business to the town.

The transport links from Woking connect the town with London and the West making the town and ideal commute for business and tourism visitors alike.

Tel: 01483 747 444 www.gorsehillsurrey.com SURREY CHAMBERS

69

HERE TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS PROCESSES SIMPLER

TVision

+

Microsoft Dynamics NAV

=

Easier reporting, financial management, better business agility

3 Customisation 3 Integration 3 Support 3 Training TVision provides local and national organisations with Microsoft Dynamics NAV, business software that transforms the way you work, driving down inefficiency, improving transparency and supporting growth.

Contact us now for a FREE demo or visit our Woking office on Church Street West.

Call us on: 01483 751 888 Or email: hello@tvisiontech.co.uk

70

www.tvisiontech.co.uk SURREY CHAMBERS

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

TVISION TECHNOLOGY LTD Pippa Odell, Managing Director Please describe what your business does…

We are an IT business working in partnership with our clients to help solve their business problems. It could be issues experienced during day-to-day processing, new innovation to drive growth or a lack of business data that is holding your business back. Organisations often find they need to streamline internal processes, and struggle to provide accurate informed answers to business questions.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV is a solution that allows you to drill down into your business data and make strategic decisions instead of searching through multiple spreadsheets supplied by various functional divisions of an organisation. Find everything you need in one place at the click of a button. How much easier would life be for the CEO, your Finance Director or the senior leadership team if they could do this? We have clients across a number of sectors and whilst each business has unique challenges, we offer a solution that can be rolled out across the different functions within a business. We also cater for companies that have complex financial hierarchies and structures, as well as those in different geographies using different currencies.

Although we have a specialised knowledge of the drinks industry with our “Bevica” product bevica.co.uk and the recruitment and staffing industry solution “Agency Time” agencytime.co.uk, we also support financial services, professional services, distribution and many other varied business sectors.

What makes your business special?

How long have you been in Woking?

Established in 1999, TVision is a Microsoft Gold partner focussing exclusively on Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Whereas some companies sell multiple Microsoft products – our expertise is specifically in NAV the leading business management Enterprise Resource Planning solution. NAV can pull information together from across your entire business, from supply chain and stock management through

TVision Technology have always been a Surrey business. With our HQ office in Woking for the last five years, we were previously based in Walton-on-Thames. This means we have always had a glocal focus of accessible local support, combined with the global availability and reach to support UK clients with offices elsewhere geographically.

accounting, human resources and customer management, giving you a complete, end-toend view of your business’s performance. We have an in-house on-site team that does our development work, and our UK support team sit alongside those developers.

With over 270 NAV years experience and 200+ successful implementations, we love what we do. We make sure the solution fits your business needs and we can integrate with other systems or offer suitable add-ons to ensure business continuity. Talk to us today to find out how we can help and we’ll show you a no obligation demo of exactly what NAV could do for you.

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

With fast rail links to London and easy access from the M25, Woking is a great business hub. A number of big companies have their Headquarters in Woking, and with several business parks nearby it is a thriving area for business.

www.tvisiontech.co.uk 01483 751888 @tvisiontech

SURREY CHAMBERS

71

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

HR DEPT Martine Robins, Director Please describe what your business does.

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

The HR Dept Woking provides outsourced HR support primarily for small to medium sized businesses in and around the Woking area. We work with businesses who typically do not have their own HR person and help them with their people strategies and challenges. For example, helping a business recruit another team member, dealing with a performance issue and general guidance about how to get the best out of their most important asset – their workforce.

Woking is a good place to do business because it has a vibrant and varied business community.

There is a cross section of businesses in this area with new ones starting up all the time particularly in the Tech sector. A recent Forbes survey stated that Woking is the 10th most productive location for SMEs in the UK. So, the diversity of opportunity is huge along with great support to new businesses and practical considerations such as good rail and road links.

How long have you been in Woking?

www.hrdept.co.uk/woking

With my new business nearly 18 months that involves me working with local businesses.

However previously I worked as European HR Director for a Woking based business for nearly 10 years.

72

SURREY CHAMBERS

01483 603001 / 07392 311318

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

Please describe what your business does.

What experience do you have of working in Woking?

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

Madlins LLP is a firm of Chartered Surveyors whose principal activities include Project Management, Construction Cost Consultancy and Quantity Surveying Services and Building Surveying.

Woking is an excellent place for Madlins to do business because of its location, infrastructure and transport links which enable us to easily access the projects that we work on around the South East Region and in London.

How long have you been in Woking?

We are currently acting as Project Manager and Cost Consultant on the new build Space Office Scheme of 85,716 sq.ft. in Church Street East, Woking which is scheduled for completion in April 2019. We are also acting as Cost Consultant on the Victoria Gate Project in Woking, a 66,000 sq.ft. office refurbishment which is due for completion in December 2017.

Based in Woking since June 2009 we provide advice to Clients on the cost, design, construction, repair, maintenance and refurbishment of properties generally located in London and the South East Region.

Previously, we acted as Project Manager and Cost Consultant on the conversion of White Rose Court from an office into the 110 bedroom Travelodge Hotel near Woking Station.

Website: www.madlins.co.uk Telephone: 01483 751600

SPACE Woking

SERVICES PROVIDED

SECTORS:

• Project Management/ Employers Agent/ Client’s Representative

• Offices – New Build & Refurbishment

• Construction Cost Consultants/Quantity Surveying

VICTORIA GATE Woking

• Industrial – New Build & Refurbishment • Hotels – New Build & Refurbishment • Leisure Facilities • Private Housing

• Project Monitoring

• Affordable Housing

• Building Surveying

• Care Homes

• Party Wall Surveys

• Education – New Build & Refurbishment TRAVELODGE Woking

WOKING Nova Scotia House, 70 Goldsworth Road, Woking, Surrey GU21 6LQ Tel: 01483 751600

LONDON 60 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8AQ Tel: 020 3735 9128

www.madlins.co.uk

SURREY CHAMBERS

73

TOWN FOCUS WOKING

WORKING FOR A BETTER WOKING

T

he £460m redevelopment of Woking Town Centre is officially under way, with the first phase of demolition now complete, kickstarting a major regeneration project which will create hundreds of jobs and spearhead a new era of investment. We speak to the people behind the project to find out what it means for Woking, its businesses and citizens, and how you can get behind it.

Thanks to a multi-million-pound investment and planned redevelopment, by 2020, Woking Town Centre will have transformed into a new and improved vibrant town centre fit for the 21st Century which meets the needs of all the businesses and people in Woking, the surrounding area and the broader south east.

The work is thanks to a joint venture between Moyallen, owners of Peacocks Shopping Centre, and Woking Borough Council, called Victoria Square Woking Limited (VSWL), which will deliver the £460 million development with contractor Sir Robert McAlpine.

and operations works, a new multi-media information campaign has been launched to drive greater awareness around the ambitious scheme. #WeAreWoking will include frequent news updates, information and advice about the development, including transport and access arrangements.

Peter Robinson from Moyallen said the recently launched communications campaign would help ensure everyone felt part of the new and improved Woking Town Centre, and encouraged local businesses to get behind the plans for the town and be part of its achievements: “The success of Woking’s future is dependent on everyone working together as a team, exhibiting unity and drive which will attract further interest and investment.

As our community continues to develop, we are excited to help local businesses to come together using our bespoke website and social media channels.”

One of the first elements of the redevelopment is the new Victoria Square, which will encompass the former Woking Market, Post Office, Globe House, Woking Fire Station and part of the existing Wolsey Place Shopping Centre.

Cllr David Bittleston, Leader of Woking Borough Council, said: “This development offers an unrivalled opportunity to shape a prosperous future for Woking and make our ambitions a reality.

Woking Town Centre will soon enjoy a new, vibrant and bustling heart – a great place to work in, visit and live and we’re really excited that the plans are already taking shape.”

In order to keep businesses and residents informed and involved in the major redevelopment throughout the construction

JOIN THE CONVERSATION Follow our social channels Share offers, events and news with our team via hello@wearewoking.com, to be included on our social media channels and website.

Tag us on social media and include #WEAREWOKING @WEAREWOKING

74

SURREY CHAMBERS

@WEARE_WOKING

WEAREWOKING

WOKING IN NUMBERS • Approx. £500 million has been ringfenced for the entire project.

• From 2020, Woking Town Centre will see: • more than 125,000 square feet of new retail floor space • 435 build-to-rent residential apartments • multi-story car parking • a medical centre • two public plazas For updates on progress, travel and transport advice and for information on opportunities available, including retail and residential lettings, visit www.wearewoking.com.

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

WWF Please describe what your organisation does…

networking space, it really is a unique space for any event.

WWF is the world’s leading independent conservation organisation. Our mission is to create a world where people and wildlife can thrive together.

What makes your organisation special?

We work with companies in a number of ways, including large strategic partnerships to develop sustainable business practices and helping to engage employees and consumers in raising funds for conservation. We also work with businesses to call for greener government policies and in multi-stakeholder networks to develop solutions to the big environmental challenges facing industry sectors.

At the forefront of sustainable design and construction, our beautiful building in the heart of Woking is one of the greenest meeting and event venues in the UK. Offering a range of space for your event including a spacious auditorium, bright boardroom and various sized meeting rooms, plus fantastic

Our multi award-winning home, the Living Planet Centre, is not only the home of WWFUK but also a beautiful events venue and visitor centre. From family activities and school workshops, to behind-the-scenes tours and inspiring public talks we have a wonderful range of activities to inspire and inform.

rail, into London and across the South East.

Making connections across Woking is also easy with lots of networking groups and opportunities to meet new contacts.

wwf.org.uk/visitus 01483 426444

How long have you been in Woking?

We moved to the Living Planet Centre in November 2013, and opened to the public in January 2014.

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

The location of Woking is great for doing business, with great transport links, especially

A UNIQUE SPACE FOR YOUR EVENT WWF’s Living Planet Centre is a modern and inspiring venue just a few minutes’ walk from Woking train station.

With natural light, state-of-the-art audio visual technology, adaptable seating and spacious networking areas, it’s the ideal venue for any event.

Contact us for more information and a tour of the facilities: wwf.org.uk/venuehire livingplanetcentre@wwf.org.uk @WWF_LPC #LivingPlanetCentre 01483 426444 The Living Planet Centre, Rufford House, Brewery Road, Woking GU21 4LL

SURREY CHAMBERS

75

LANSBURY BUSINESS ESTATE Lansbury Business Estate has everything your business needs to grow.

We have flexible and secure office and industrial spaces with fantastic location and benefits.

d n a e m o c Why not e w t a h w f l se r u o y r o f see ? r e f f o o t e hav

• On-site overnight and weekend security • Attractive private business park in landscaped surroundings • Free and extensive car parking • On-site cafe and catering services • Close to local shops and facilities • Meeting rooms with AV, fax and photocopying facilities • On-site head office and maintenance

01483 472 571

76

www.lansbury.co.uk

Lansbury Business Estate 102 Lower Guildford Road, Knaphill, Woking, Surrey, GU21 2EP

SURREY CHAMBERS

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Woking Q & A

LANSBURY BUSINESS ESTATE Describe what the business does?

Based in Knaphill, on the outskirts of Woking, Lansbury provides flexible office space, light industrial units and warehouse storage to rent. Full support facilities are available including meeting rooms, AV and conferencing equipment. The site has adequate free car parking and on-site overnight and weekend security. Local shops and facilities are within a ten minute walk to Knaphill.

Great effort is made to keep the landscaped site looking green and pleasant for tenants and visitors. Grass areas are manicured and colourful planting in borders and tubs gives a splash element of nature. The site Café provides everything from a healthy breakfast to a choice of hot lunch in addition to business catering for meetings in the local area.

What makes the business special?

The Lansbury team (which includes five family members) have well over 35 years’ worth of experience in helping small businesses into commercial premises. The management office is located on site and their “door is always open…” and by keeping the paperwork reduced, starting with a 6 month licence, new tenant efforts can be focused on running their company. The Lansbury ethos is to engage with each tenant and assist where possible, for example; effecting introductions to professional services and regular maintenance of buildings. Today there are 40 companies on site which cover a wide range of industries including precision engineering, website development, surveying, subsea systems, instrument calibration, care agencies, bathroom fittings, water-coolers, CCTV systems, photography, PCB services, printers and the Woking Hospice main

warehouse. Lansbury Christmas parties are one of the highlights of the year. All tenants are invited, festive food and drink is provided and distinguished guests include MP’s, Mayors and mere mortals…

How long have you been in Woking?

The current business park in Knaphill has been operating since 1980 (most of the Directors were born in Woking). Early tenants in the 1980’s looking for space to start or grow their business may have been unsure of the exact size required, so quite often the conversation went along the lines: “if you can’t visualise how much space you need, here’s a piece of chalk, draw lines on the floor and we’ll build it that size”. This practical method of determining space worked for the initial period while there were still large open plan buildings available. During the eighties, a number of “starter” units were built around the perimeter of the site. These offered a mix of light industrial space and ancillary offices

in 2,500 sq. ft. units. This type of space was particularly good for new start-up companies and those expanding.

Why is Woking a good place to do business?

“The region’s most ambitious town” with Economic Dynamism, People Skills, Transport and Infrastructure offering a connected, quality environment with a range of first class retail, leisure and cultural amenities as well as high quality, affordable housing and services for its highly skilled workforce.

London Waterloo is just 25 minutes away by train and Woking has excellent links with the south coast. Heathrow and Gatwick are within half an hour. Woking is committed to an advanced vision - a borough where winning businesses are located and people aspire to live. Regular events include networking, briefings and receptions with local Chambers of Commerce and an annual Woking Means Business exhibition at the H.G.Wells centre.

For Office Space enquiries: www.lansbury.co.uk 01483 472571

SURREY CHAMBERS

77

TOWN FOCUS WOKING Promotional Feature

SEND BUSINESS CENTRE

S

end Business Centre offers air-conditioned serviced offices on easy in, easy out terms with 24/7 access, high-speed internet access and ample car parking. We also have on site container storage and warehousing.

which has subsequently merged with a company in the north east, leaving the premises available for rent. A diverse mix of companies is on site from on-line retailers to producers of scenery and backdrops for West End theatres.

An exciting expansion plan is currently in process which will provide in excess of 20,000 sq.ft. of modern offices as well as video and sound studios. Tannery Studios first phase will be available in the summer of 2018. The hub’s focus will continue to be the creative and media sectors

Send is located in a rural, waterside setting, four miles from Woking and six miles from Guildford. It is ideally placed with easy access to the A3 and M25 Junction 10. Woking mainline station is 4 miles away with a 28 minute service to London, Waterloo.

The Business Centre has been in operation since 1998 but the family business has been in Send since the 1940s. Originally a merchant and trading business, it diversified into processing and manufacturing

Tel: 01483 225617 www.sendbusinesscentre.co.uk www.tannerystudios.wordpress.com

• Modern Offices on Easy in/Easy out Flexible Terms

• Waterside Views • All-Inclusive Rents with no extras

• Resilient Fibre-Optic Symmetrical Broadband

• Friendly and family management

• Free Car Parking • VAT-exempt Offices • VoIP Phone Calls

TanneryStudios.com

01483 225617 enq@sendbc.co.uk www.Sendbusinesscentre.co.uk

78

SURREY CHAMBERS

• NEW - sound studios, production and create office facilities available from 2018

Corporate Challenge

11 March 2018 // Woking Leisure Centre AWARD-WINNING RACE

FREE TRAINING PLAN

LARGE MEDAL

CHIP TIMING AND MORE...

Sponsored by

SURREY CHAMBERS

79

Motoring

STYLISH SWEDE Volvo XC90

By Mark Tofts

I

have always been a secret Volvo fan since I was dropped home by a friend’s father in his newly delivered (and remapped) Volvo 850 T5 R in 1997 - I think I spent most of the journey grinning whilst pressed into the rear seat under the force of the acceleration. I was therefore excited to find out that another high powered Volvo was winging its way to me for my weekend in the Lake District - one that was pushing out more than 400bhp in the shape of an XC90 T8 Twin Engine.

The first XC90 was launched in 2002 at the Detroit Motor Show and was the first SUV offered by Volvo. It went on to sell over 636,000 during the lifetime of the vehicle and was at one stage Sweden’s most valuable export product - the second generation which began production in 2015 has some big shoes to fill.

Upon first sight the most obvious thing about the new XC90 is the size, it is so big that the 21 inch wheels fitted to the R-Design model delivered to my house didn’t look at all out of place. I really like the direction that

80

SURREY CHAMBERS

Volvo are taking the styling of their vehicles and the XC90 follows suit. The bodywork is striking, clean and modern and the only element I was first unsure about was the Bursting Blue paintwork of the demonstrator.

Initially it seemed a bit lairy, however it soon grew on me and actually nicely breaks up the sea of the silver, grey and black cars seen on the road.

The sharp Swedish styling is carried on inside the car, all seven seats were beautifully trimmed in perforated nappa leather (a £1,050 option), with a crystal glass gear knob and a diamond cut start button. The focus of the dashboard is a 9-inch tablet like touch screen display, developed with Alpine, and it is like having an iPad inserted into the middle of the dashboard. It really is an excellent system and is at the cutting edge of in-car technology offered by manufacturers.

The seats in R-Design trim are comfortable and supportive with seemingly endless electrical adjustments and the panoramic sunroof provides a light and airy feel even

with dark leather optioned. With the rearmost two seats folded down the boot is cavernous enough space for five people to travel for weeks, but with them up I would have thought they would be useful for children rather than adults, definitely more school run than pub run.

The XC90 comes with three engine options which can then be ordered with one of three trim guises. The model on test was fitted with the T8 Twin Engine with the R-Design option; as the name suggests, there are two engines present - a 2.0 litre petrol engine that is both turbocharged and supercharged producing 320hp and a secondary electric engine adding another 87hp, helping it to break the 400hp barrier. This takes the car from rest to 62mph in 5.6 seconds, quite a feat for a car with a total weight in excess of 3,000 kg.

Motoring

Another startling figure is the quoted efficiency of 134.5 mpg for the hybrid twin engine setup. The only time I managed to get anywhere near this is whilst dismally driving in the 50 mph average speed section of the M42 in hybrid mode. In my time with the XC90 I filled it up three times and averaged 29 mpg, so just the 100mpg off the official figure.

Despite this, the figures can still stack up for the hybrid model; with low emissions of 49 g/km it meets the criteria to receive 100% First Year Allowance (FYA) if purchased by a business, it is London Congestion Charge exempt and it has a BIK of 9% v. 31% for the diesel meaning that for some company car drivers it can still look appealing even if it can’t match the official fuel figures.

With a fully charged battery and Power mode engaged the XC90 can bring out one’s inner hooligan as it deploys the 407 bhp

through all four wheels. It is a monster for single A-road overtaking, quickly dispatching single engined dawdlers. Power mode increases throttle response, lowers suspension and the tightens steering. The difference in steering is noticeable, but I couldn’t help but feel the tighter steering felt similar to front wheel drive torque steer at times. With the optioned Active Four-C Chassis (£2,150) the handling belies a car of this size, it truly is staggering how well it drives and I have driven five-door saloons with more body roll than this three ton behemoth.

The XC90 as tested was £72,460 which puts it into esteemed seven seater SUV company alongside the Discovery 5 HSE Luxury, Mercedes-Benz GLS 350 and the Audi SQ7. If these weren’t competition enough the full size Range Rover Vogue is also in the same price category, a car which a friend who buys a new

one yearly describes as the perfect all round car; “I can take it to work on a building site during the week, to the rugby at Twickenham on Saturday afternoon then to The Dorchester for Sunday lunch”. After a week with the new XC90 it seems that the Vogue has now met its match.

TECH STUFF

Model tested: XC90 T8 Twin Engine R-Design Engine: 2.0 litre plus electric motor Power: 320 bhp plus 87 bhp electric Performance: 0-60 mph 5.3 seconds Top: 140 mph Economy: 134.5 combined Price from: £64,365 As tested: £72,460

SURREY CHAMBERS

81

Motoring

JAGUAR F-TYPE SVR

by Maarten Hoffmann

B

ased on the standard V8 F-Type, the SVR is taken off the production line and secreted into the Special Vehicle Operations department for a few weeks and ‘tinkered’ with. As weight is the enemy of performance, they chuck out anything that is superfluous to requirements and work hard to save every gram possible. The exhaust is made from titanium saving 16kg, the forged alloy wheels save 13.8kg, they redesigned the suspension knuckles to save 0.6kg and the carbon ceramic brakes save 21kg - you get the idea, this thing is supermodel lean and almost causes a sense of shame to sit my fat backside into it, as that adds 13 stone! Then they fiddle with the aerodynamics to reduce drag and then, best of all, they recalibrate the engine to deliver 575bhp and 700nm of torque that delivers 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 200mph. Then they pop an all-wheel drive system in to ensure you don’t die when trying to corner.

I reviewed the F-Type a year or so ago and it is a cracking car. Stylish, smooth and as quick as you like with a 2.0-litre turbocharged, 3.0-litre V6 and the 5.0-litre V8 supercharged, there really is something for everyone. Then you can have it in coupe form or convertible.

But as with everything, that is not enough.

Step up the monster SVR. I know l bang on about exhaust notes but l have to say this is one of the sexiest out there and it just begs you to drive it through a tunnel, so l did. In France, Belgium and Germany over the course of a week

82

SURREY CHAMBERS

We took three cars on the Chunnel and were in France in a jiffy and then out of France as fast as sensible. By the way, a note of caution - if you take very expensive cars on the train book as a high sided vehicle, as then you get a wider wheel track in the carriage. The result of failing to do this was demonstrated as we alighted and stopped to empathise with a guy in a Lamborghini Aventador who was almost crying at the state of his wheel rims that were scarred around their full circumference, leaving him with a likely £5,000 bill.

The SVR leapt into action without pause and the needle was showing 150mph in the blink of an eye and, l know l might bore you with this from time to time, it delivers a gorgeous pop and crack every time it changes gear and the overrun on the down shift was enough to make me realise that even a date with Heidi Klum is a very poor substitute for exactly what l was doing. It is spine tinglingly fantastic and totally addictive. Now a funny thing happens at these speeds. As your focus is absolute, you cannot stop noticing out the corner of your eye that the scenery starts to merge into a green blur as l used to see in the old Star Trek shows when they went to hyper-drive and the passing stars transform into one constant streak of light. I hit the magic number at 17.48 on August 24th 2017 and l note it as l have never travelled at 200mph in a car before and

therefore that is the exact time my cherry was taken.

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

The cornering is remarkable, the speed is frantic and the look of the machine is gorgeous - what more one could ask out of life l just do not know.

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

Motoring

AUDI R8 SPYDER

T

he R8 has been with us for quite some time but never fails to stun. Essentially this is their R8 LMS race car brought to the streets with 40kg saved by cutting the roof off, a 5.2-litre engine that produces 540bhp and add a 7-speed S tronic transmission that changes gear faster than a human can blink, and produces a 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds.

Mid-mount the engine to give it a lower centre of gravity and Audi’s legendary Quattro AWD

family car, albeit a tad quicker, but then make all the required adjustments such as popping it into sport mode that sharpens up the gear changes, brakes and suspension, pop it into paddle manual and turn the exhaust to loud and you have an eye watering supercar that sticks like glue and is quick enough to rotate your eyeballs. The odd thing about the R8 is that you don’t really feel at any point that you might die. I know this sounds banal but there

system and you have a monster waiting to be tamed.

is that thing, that visceral buzz, of being on the edge but with the R8, it is so safe and planted that you feel you can get away with anything.

My two year old could drive this car.

Upon sitting my rump in the R8, l realised that there really are Everyday Supercars in this world. I could certainly drive this everyday. If you dial it all down, it will drive like a civilised

It is a great match with the SVR as we steamed across Europe, smiling like baboons.

Planted is the word for the R8 as it sits so well on the road and corners so flat that it defies logic. The build quality and the attention to detail is superb and pushing the go pedal into the Axminster throws you back in the seat like few others. Oh, and did l mention the noise?

With the Spyder, it is wonderful to hit the button and watch the magic of the folding roof and then let the breeze into your hair. Now here’s a thing - most

cars are designed as a hard top and then they cut the roof off and the R8 is no exception. Is it only me that prefers the look of the coupe rather than the convertible? Every aspect of the hardtop is meticulously designed and then they chop the roof off. I cannot think of a car that looks better convertible than the original hardtop.

The steering is a little like a go kart in that it responds to your every twitch as if possessed and that makes cornering such an absolute pleasure and, with carbon ceramic brakes, it will stop on a penny too.

It would be very tough to beat the R8 as an everyday supercar but at £150,000 it is not cheap but then the finer things in life rarely are.

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

83

Motoring

ALFA ROMEO QUADRIFOGLIO want to shout about their engine being in anything other than a prancing horse. You know it’s serious when you see the carbon front splitter, diffuser, side skirts and ceramic brakes and, with 503 bhp, this trounces the BMW M4 GTS!!

I find it quite reserved when driven normally and, might l say it, a tad dull but this is all about full throttle so l duly gave it said throttle through the Ardennes Forest and l can honestly say that neither of the other two cars could keep up. It’s not the raw power

H

ere l thought l would try to step out of the obvious box and go with something a little left field for our European tour.

Step up the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (four leaf clover to you and l).

Here is Alfa’s new supercar and the most powerful Alfa sedan ever produced. You might hear petrol heads like Clarkson and Evans bang on that you cannot be a true petrol head without having owned an Alfa, which is total poppycock, as in days gone by they were total crap, broke down every five minutes, rusted like the Titanic and your days were peppered with stopping every hour to pick up things that had dropped off. Upon reaching your destination there was more of the car on the back seat than on the bloody car! Yes they were pretty and, when running, went like stink

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

They say this cracker of an engine is the test bed for the plant that will appear in the coming Ferrari Dino and, if it is, then it will be a stunner. Alfa has built a belter.

This is an M3 killer with an aluminium and steel chassis, rear wheel drive and the torque handled by a vectoring diff which can send 100% of power to either wheel. We have to suffer auto or paddle shift manual whereby, l hear, the US will get a full stick manual! This 2.9-litre twin turbo V6 is ‘inspired’ by Ferrari - that means they made it but don’t

84

SURREY CHAMBERS

that causes it, as the other two are right up its chuff, but the Alfa is so well balanced with its 50:50 distribution that it will brake later into the corner and then pull out of it faster, leaving the other two in its dust. On the flat, it will be eaten alive but on bendy roads, it is supreme. The one caveat is the brakes. Carbon ceramic versions tend to be there when you need them regardless of temperature but here, when cold, they are shocking and really make you insecure. But at around £60,000 it is a huge amount of car for the money and fun all day long.

It would appear that Alfa have finally built a world-class semi-supercar and only time will tell regarding its reliability but the signs are good and at this price, it will be very tough to beat.

Now the result of these three cracking cars over the course of seven days and over 2,000 miles. I was looking for the definitive everyday supercar. The Alfa is only astonishing on a tight bendy road. The R8 is astonishing but on tight bendy roads, the Quattro system often kicks in and stops you doing what you are trying to do therefore, all things considered, the F-Type SVR wins the day. It is truly beautiful, is as fast as hades, sits glued to the tarmac and, oh, did l mention the noise……

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

BMW Business Partnership

The Ultimate Driving Machine

THE BMW 420d M SPORT GRAN COUPÉ MONTHLY RENTALS FROM £295 (Plus £1,770 initial rental)*

For more information, please contact your Local Business Development Manager on 0800 9154700 or visit your local Vines Centre.

Vines of Gatwick

Stephenson Way, Three Bridges Crawley, West Sussex RH10 1TN www.vinesofgatwickbmw.co.uk

Vines of Guildford

Slyfield Green Estate, Woking Road Guildford, Surrey GU1 1RU www.vinesofguildfordbmw.co.uk

Vines of Redhill

10-12 Bonehurst Road, Salfords Redhill, Surrey RH1 5EP www.vinesofredhillbmw.co.uk

Official fuel economy figures for the BMW 420d M Sport Gran Coupé: Urban 55.4mpg (5.1l/100km). Extra Urban 76.3mpg (3.7l/100km). Combined 67.3mpg (4.2l/100km). CO2 emissions 119g/km. Figures are obtained in a standardised test cycle. They are intended for comparisons between vehicles and may not be representative of what a user achieves under usual driving conditions.

Business users only. *Prices exclude VAT at 20%. Prices shown are for a 36 month Contract Hire agreement, with a contract mileage of 24,000 miles and an excess mileage charge of 8.91 pence per mile. Applies to new vehicles ordered between 1 October and 31 December 2017 and registered by 31 March 2018 (subject to availability). At the end of your agreement you must return the vehicle and vehicle condition, excess mileage and other charges may be payable. Available subject to status to UK residents aged 18 or over. Guarantees and indemnities may be required. The amount of VAT you can reclaim depends on your business VAT status. Terms and conditions apply. Offer may be varied, withdrawn or extended at any time. Hire provided by BMW Group Corporate Finance.

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

85

86

SURREY CHAMBERS

Mercedes-Benz

Customer Service

Team of the Year 2016

SURREY CHAMBERS

1 87

Chamber Events

SURREY CHAMBERS EVENTS DIARY 2017-2018 To find a full list of our 2017-2018 events visit http://my.surrey-chambers.co.uk/eventcalendar.aspx

18

th December

The Hog’s Back Hotel, Farnham

WOKING WINTER WARMER 18:00 - 20:00 Networking evening Price: Member Rate: Free Non Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT HG Wells Conference & Events Centre, Church Street East, Woking, GU21 6HR Surrey Chambers of Commerce are joining forces with Woking Works and Woking Chamber to create a great evening of networking and festivities. As it is close to Christmas come along prepared to have fun whilst making those last few contacts of 2017, who may become your partners in 2018!

To get into the festive spirt come along in your favourite christmas jumper and the best dressed will win a prize!

Woking Works will be providing a festive buffet so along with some beers kindly supplied by Asahi it’s sure to be a fantastic event.

It is a great opportunity to start the day on a productive note by being able to walk away with some new contacts. This continues our series of Pure breakfasts which provides fantastic networking opportunities for a wide range of businesses across Surrey, all over a delicious, freshly cooked breakfast.

11

18

07:45 - 09:00

09:00 - 10:30

Networking breakfast Price: Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT Non Member Rate: £30.00 +VAT The Hog’s Back Hotel & Spa Farnham, Farnham, urrey, GU10 1EX

Networking breakfast Price: Member Rate: £9.00 +VAT Non Member Rate: £9.00 +VAT The Bulldog, 556 London Road, Ashford, TW15 3AF

th January

CHAMBERS PURE BREAKFAST

Networking brings about the potential for success, which is why we should take every opportunity to meet new businesses and business people that we can.

Come and join us for the first networking opportunity of the year at Hogs Back Hotel & Spa. These events are designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

88

SURREY CHAMBERS

th January

BUSINESS BREAKFAST AT THE BULLDOG

This is a joint networking business breakfast brought to you by Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Spelthorne Business Forum, Hounslow Chamber of Commerce and Ashford Chamber of Commerce and is an excellent opportunity to make some new contacts.

There is no registration needed, just turn up on the day.

Chamber Events

24

th January

MENTORING PROGRAMME 16:00 - 20:00 Mentoring Price: Member Rate: £50 +VAT Non Member Rate: £75 +VAT projectfive, St. George’s House, Knoll Road, Camberley, GU15 3SY Mentoring is defined as a professional relationship between an experienced person (the mentor), supporting another individual (the mentee), through a process of developing and enhancing their career and personal growth.

This pilot scheme will have 10 mentor-mentee pairs in the first instance for a trial period of 5 months. The scheme is open to all members of the Chamber. Launches with the first workshop on January 24th and will run until June 2018. The scheme is being jointly led by Marina Dieck and Nick Allsopp who are both experienced professionals and qualified coaches.

Marina Dieck. Since 1994, Marina has advised and mentored senior executives, managers, and professionals across many sectors. Her consulting specialisms include strategic planning, building high performance teams, developing leadership skills and planning organisational change. Through combining an encouraging and challenging approach, balanced with humour and retaining focus on results and outcomes, she has a reputation for lasting impact.

Nick Allsopp. Nick has worked in a wide range of sectors focusing on individual and team development, Nick has helped companies and individuals achieve ambitious targets through the design and delivery of a range of initiatives including talent management strategies, cultural change, internal coaching and mentoring programmes, management and leadership skills development, teambuilding and work with a number of the UK’s leading business schools.

25

th January

CHAMBERS CONNECTIONS

opportunity to meet new businesses and business people that we can.

Come and join us at these regular informal breakfasts being held at Sandown Park Racecourse.

These events are designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

It is a great opportunity to start the day on a productive note by being able to walk away with some new contacts. This continues our series of Power breakfasts which provides fantastic networking opportunities for a wide range of businesses across Surrey, all over a delicious, freshly cooked breakfast.

31

st January

MEMBERS’ NETWORKING EVENING 18:00 - 20:00 Members’ Networking Evening Price: Member Rate: Free Non Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT Nescot College, Reigate Road, Ewell, Epsom, KT17 3DS Join us at Nescot College for our monthly members’ networking evening and meet business people from a wide range of businesses across the Surrey region.

These relaxed, friendly and informal events showcase some brilliant locations across Surrey and provide a fantastic opportunity to build new relationships, strengthen existing ones and ultimately grow your network of contacts and potential customers. Refreshments and canapés will be served to snack on throughout the evening.

This event is free to members (a charge for non-members and affiliate chamber members applies).

To book any of these events go to www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

Sandown Park Racecourse

07:45 - 09:30 Networking breakfast Price: Member Rate: £20.00 +VAT Non Member Rate: £30.00 +VAT Sandown Park Racecourse, Stable Office, Portsmouth Road, ESHER, KT10 9AJ Networking brings about the potential for success, which is why we should take every SURREY CHAMBERS

89

Golf

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

Now in its 22nd year, it is open to all business people to join.

90

SURREY CHAMBERS

Golf

2018 FIXTURES TUESDAY 23RD JAN

TUESDAY 15TH MAY

THURSDAY 11TH OCT

Hankley Common GC

Coombe Hill GC

Camberley Heath GC

Bacon rolls, tee off from 9:00am, lunch, ends 5:30pm

Bacon rolls, tee off 8:30am, 18 Holes, followed by a three course lunch, ends by 5:30pm

Bacon rolls, tee off from 10:00am, late lunch, ends 5:30pm

SCGS & SCC Members £70.00 + VAT Guests £85.00 + VAT

SCGS & SCC Members £TBC + VAT Guests £TBC + VAT

SCGS & SCC Members £TBC + VAT Guests £TBC + VAT

WEDNESDAY 21ST FEB

WEDNESDAY 12TH JUNE

St George’s Hill GC

RAC GC Epsom

Bacon rolls, tee off from 8:45am, 18 Holes, followed by lunch, ends 5:30pm

Bacon rolls, tee off from 9:00am, Two Tee start (Old Course)

SCGS & SCC Members £85.00 + VAT Guests £95.00 + VAT

18 holes followed by three course late lunch, ends by 5:30pm SCGS &SCC Members £105.00 + VA Guests £115.00 + VAT

❝

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

❞

TUESDAY 27TH MARCH

WEDNESDAY 4TH JULY Worplesdon GC

SCGS & SCC Members £70.00 + VAT Guests £85.00 + VAT

WEDNESDAY 18TH APRIL

SCGS & SCC Members £150.00 + VAT Guests £165.00.00 + VAT

ANDREW LANE

SCGS & SCC Members £120.00 + VAT Guests £135.00 + VAT

❞

THURSDAY 8TH NOV THURSDAY 9TH AUGUST

Swinley Forest GC

Cuddington GC

Bacon rolls, tee off 8:45am, 18 Holes, late lunch, ends 5:30pm

Tee off 1:30pm, 18 Holes, two course supper, ends 9:00pm SCGS & SCC Members £70.00 + VAT Guests £85.00 + VAT

SCGS & SCC Members £TBC + VAT Guests £TBC + VAT

TUESDAY 4TH DEC

Walton Heath GC Bacon rolls, tee off from 9:00am, 18 Holes (Old Course) followed by carvery lunch, ends 5:30pm

I think we must be pretty unique to have such a 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

Bacon rolls, tee off from 9:00am, Two Tee start 18 Holes, followed by three course carvery lunch, ends by 5:30pm

West Hill GC Full English Breakfast, tee off from 8:30am, carvery lunch, ends by 5:30pm

❝

WEDNESDAY 12TH SEPT

Woking GC

New Zealand GC

Bacon rolls, tee off 9:10am, 18 Holes, followed

Coffee/Bacon rolls, tee off from 8:45am, 18 Holes, late lunch, ends 5:30pm

by lunch,

SCGS & SCC Members £TBC + VAT Guests £ TBC + VAT

SCGS Members £TBC + VAT Guests £TBC + VAT

Ends 5:30pm

SURREY CHAMBERS

91

Radio

WALK THE LOCAL WALK TO PROTECT YOUR REPUTATION

By Paul Marcus, Managing Director of Eagle Radio

I

t is not an unrealistic aspiration for a local company to set itself the objective of being famous locally. Media can play a major role in helping small and medium-sized businesses to become global in their local marketplace through creating and reinforcing a strong brand identity.

It is now easier than ever for business owners to reach out to potential customers but it is also important to remember that especially in a local market place, it is the people that set the agenda. If you are claiming to be an authentic, local company then make sure you are walking the local walk.

Being local impacts whom you employ, how you manage your customer service and how you engage with the local community. Most importantly as a local company, you will need to constantly demonstrate that you are engaged in the conversation taking place and remember those conversations could be happening about you on local platforms.

I read a remarkable thread on a local `spotted in...’

Facebook page recently which was shared, viewed and commented on many hundreds of times. The thread was about a well-known and popular barber’s shop in a Surrey village that had allegedly declined a request from a customer for their young child to make use of a staff only toilet. As the conversation unfolded on Facebook there were many strong, negative views expressed and also a number of contributors recommending alternative barbers who would definitely offer toilet facilities.

Regardless of the topic or the rights and wrongs, an intervention from the company - an apology or even a sympathetic understanding and explanation would have helped to protect a local company’s hard-earned reputation.

Being local in a modern world means engaging with our community in ways we might never have imagined, even eighteen months ago. You cannot please all the people all of the time but being aware, agile and ready to be part of the conversation should play a growing part in your approach to marketing.

Eagle Radio has a professional, local marketing team including video, social media producers and digital media experts that can help you to promote your business. Contact us at sales@964eagle.co.uk

92

SURREY CHAMBERS

SURREY & HAMPSHIRE’S BIZ AWARDS RETURN FOR 2018.

We are delighted to confirm that the awards will be returning in 2018. The awards are free to enter, with twelve categories and a gala celebration event in May 2018. The prestigious awards are independently judged with prizes totalling £40,000 in value up for grabs. The awards are your chance to shout about the great work you’ve been doing and we look forward to hearing from you.

Find out more about Surrey & Hampshire’s Biz Awards at biz.964eagle.co.uk or follow us on @Eagle360team.

SURREY CHAMBERS

93

Christmas Promotional Feature

CHRISTMAS AT BROOKLANDS There’s still time

B

e immersed in a traditional winter theme this Christmas as Brooklands Museum is transformed into a winter wonderland.

Shimmering white design and cool blue lighting will transform the chic art deco venue into a magical frosty wonderland guaranteed to amaze and delight all guests.

Enjoy a sparkling drinks reception in the motoring village before the call to dinner. Step through an entrance way of snow-covered trees, down a white carpet. Snap a selfie with a majestic stag or cute polar bear, or simply enjoy the decadent winter surroundings.

A seasonal feast of three courses is served while guests are surrounded by wintery back drops, arctic scenes and snow filled table centres. After dinner, take to the dance floor where the DJ awaits with music and lights until carriages are called at 1am.

At Brooklands Museum we offer a personalised, friendly approach to help you plan your Christmas party or lunch.

We pride ourselves on providing superb service and we understand that every group has different requirements.

We will be delighted to offer you a selection of catering upgrades such as a champagne & canapé reception, wine served with dinner or drinks tokens.

Your Christmas celebration will be truly memorable and your guests will enjoy the charming and unique surroundings of Brooklands museum, making your festive event a resounding success.

THERE IS STILL TIME TO JOIN US Thursday 21st December 2017 £42.5O • Minimum reservation for six guests this is a perfect end of year celebration for smaller bookings.

• Three course meal, followed by coffee and chocolates, private room hire, bottled mineral water.

• Festive theming and Christmas novelties, complimentary cloakroom and car parking.

• Late night bar with resident DJ until 01.00am. Entertainment from our magician, John Pepper.

• Pricing per head from £34.5O to £42.5O available for lunches and dinners Price excludes VAT and subject to availability – bar facilities are available on a cash or account basis

94

SURREY CHAMBERS

Christmas at Foxhills

Christmas Venues

E

xperience the wonder of Christmas at Foxhills Club & Resort in Ottershaw. From glamorous party nights to family-friendly events, it has never been easier to celebrate with family, friends and colleagues.

Spread Christmas cheer at a special joiner party night available on 8th, 9th, 15th and 22nd December. Perfect for groups of up to 60, enjoy an arrival drink and three-course festive feast.

With the addition of half a bottle of wine per person, dance the night away in the Clubhouse to the DJ’s merry music. For a more stately occasion, 66 guests can celebrate in the Library, located on the ground floor of the 19th century Manor House. From £40 per person; upgrades available.

Don’t forget one of the best gifts to have around the Christmas tree is family. Have festive fun with your little ones at the Beauty and the Beast Pantomime, or visit Santa in The Manor and join him for his favourite, gingerbread and milk, and a special gift, if they’re on the ‘nice list’!

For a truly memorable Christmas, make yourself at home with a one, two or three-night retreat during the festive period including dining and access to Country Club facilities. What better way to experience the wonders of the festive season, than at Surrey’s leading family resort.

Discover more at foxhills.co.uk/christmas

SURREY CHAMBERS

95

New Members

NEW MEMBERS Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies.

BUSINESS CONSULTANTS Regus PLC Tel: 01483 243500 Contact: Shelley Walsh

BUSINESS SUPPORT Halcyon Offices Limited Tel: 01372 860700 Contact: Bernice White www.halcyonoffices.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES Xcel Finance Ltd Tel: 07791 792475 Contact: James Lloyd www.xcelfinance.co.uk

Fryer Glass Tel: 01276 301103 Contact: Mark Fryer www.fryerglass.co.uk

IT & COMMUNICATIONS Monochrome Ltd Tel: 08452 020085 Contact: Adrian Munn www.monochrome.co.uk

96

SURREY CHAMBERS

LEGAL Karslakes Tel: 01483 454242 Contact: David Yeates www.karslakes.com RDTM Trade Marks Ltd Tel: 07504 547010 Contact: Rebecca Davis www.rdtm-trademarks.co.uk

RevM Tel: 02032 891000 Contact: Carl Davies www.revm.co

RETAIL/WHOLESALE The Firepod Ltd Tel: 07738 195669 Contact: David Coward www.thefirepod.com

MANUFACTURING/ENGINEERING S Murray & Co Ltd Tel: 01483 740099 Contact: Tristan Murray www.smurray.co.uk

PRODUCT DESIGN Gm Design Development Tel: 02083 377880 Contact: Graeme Maisey www.gmdesigndevelopment.com

MARKETING & PR Magentity.com Tel: 07859 912913 Contact: Jason Russell www.magentity.com

Liven Creative Ltd Tel: 01483 331250 Contact: Andrew Myles www.livencreative.co.uk

TRAINING & EDUCATION Professional Training Solutions Ltd Tel: 01252 712945 Contact: Jackie Denyer www.protrain-solutions.co.uk

Farnham Sixth Form College Tel: 74051 740510 Contact: Ioan Davies www.farnham.ac.uk

Sponsorship

SPONSOR A SURREY CHAMBERS EVENT

S

urrey Chambers of Commerce holds over 150 events a year spread across the county. We host regular breakfast meetings, industry specific forums and corporate dinners perfect for entertaining clients. These events are designed to give you the chance to enhance your business network, find new customers and local suppliers, and meet other dynamic business people.

Sponsoring a Surrey Chambers event allows you to raise your profile and brand awareness within the county and showcase your expertise as a company. By sponsoring an event you can take advantage of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce subscription base and reach your target audience.

It’s the perfect opportunity to make new connections and be seen to be leading and influencing.

What can I sponsor?

With over 150 events a year there can be a lot to choose from. Surrey Chambers hosts a wide variety of events and all of these can be sponsored.

• Hot Topics - We react to the latest news and trends affecting the business community and run a number of targeted events throughout the year. They provide a great opportunity to get in front of senior decision makers but often come up at short notice. They tackle topics such as Brexit, Cyber Security, Pensions and much more.

• Property and Construction Forums - A series of events around issues affecting businesses working in the construction & property industries.

• Business Women in Surrey Events - Business Women in Surrey is a specific stream of events designed to highlight and celebrate the achievements of business women in Surrey.

• Flagship - Our flagship events include, Annual Summer BBQ, President’s Drinks Receptions and Annual Christmas Lunch.

• Chamber Power Breakfasts - Our Power Breakfasts are a fantastic opportunity for businesses to connect in a friendly and relaxed environment.

If you choose to sponsor a Surrey Chambers event, you will receive complimentary tickets to the event as well as your stand/pop-up banners and promotional literature, with branding on badges and your delegates list. You will also receive promotion before, during and after the event across all Surrey Chambers social media channels, and press coverage in the Surrey Chambers of Commerce Business magazine.

If you are interested in sponsoring a Surrey Chambers of Commerce event, please contact: Molly.Edwards@surrey-chambers.co.uk or call 01483 735540 SURREY CHAMBERS

97

Membership

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

❝

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.

S

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 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.

• 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 local borough councils, district and two 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 deal to a member.

Surrey Chambers Members have access to four key services for your protection and peace of mind: • ChamberHR – advice line and website resources • ChamberLegal– advice line and website resources • ChamberH&S – advice line and website resources • ChamberTax – advice lines for taxation and VAT All of these advice lines will be accessed via one phone number – 01455 852037 and the HR and legal lines are available 24/7, 365 days a year.

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

98

SURREY CHAMBERS

More destinations than any other UK airport

99

Source: OAG schedules 2016

SURREY CHAMBERS