West Londoner Spring / Summer 2017

Spring 2017 westlondon.com

WEST WATCH

BALANCE

We interview the Deputy Mayor of London for Business p.08

Business apps that offer big solutions to small businesses p.18

OPINION

IN THE KNOW

Will AI driven automation lead to an auto-pocalypse of mass unemployment? p.26

To realise the rewards of the circular economy, we need a 360° shift in business thinking p.28

Rajesh Agrawal

WEST LONDONER

Rise of the Machines

WORK. LIFE. BALANCE.

Box Clever

Sebastian Steinhauser is disrupting the delivery model with his parcel pick-up company

Parcelly was always for me a social and environmental project to convert local shoppers back into footfall

Tech Control

Full Circle

SPRING 2017

06

10. Carolyn Downs

12. Sebastian Steinhauser

13. Shavata Singh

15. Solveiga Pakštaitė

WEST WATCH

The latest business news and updates from the sub-region.

10



08.

Rajesh Agrawal

Deputy Mayor of London for Business

FACES & PLACES Perceptive and penetrating articles on West London business people.

18

BALANCE

Can you really have it all?

20

ACROSS THE NETWORK Your go to guide for listings, events and our borough-specific ‘Seven Wonders’.

Tech Control Five tried and trusted apps designed to help start-ups and small businesses succeed.

24

SPOTLIGHT The West London Business Awards 2017 – find out who took a gong home in each of the three categories.

26

OPINION Thinkers and business leaders share specialist insight.

28

IN THE KNOW Everything you wanted to know, but were too busy to ask.

Rise of the Machines

Will AI driven automation lead to mass unemployment?

POLYMATERIA: PLASTIC THAT’S PLANET FRIENDLY

To realise the rewards of the circular economy, we need a 360° shift in business thinking

30

SMART CITY Business intelligence, with a focus on technology and innovation.

31

PERKS Ideas to help make business a pleasure.

De-Stress

Proud to have won

Airport of the Year at the National Transport Awards for Terminal 2 : The Queen’s Terminal

Best airport in western Europe World’s best airport for shopping World’s best airport terminal for Terminal 5

ENGAGE, REWARD & INSPIRE WITH PERKBOX Perkbox is the UK’s fastest growing employee engagement platform, working toward the mission of transforming businesses into happier and healthier places to work.

We help businesses of all sizes to boost the financial, emotional and physical wellbeing of their team by providing employees with on-the-go-access to a variety of perks, ranging from free phone insurance to major gym, hotel and supermarket discounts. Our online Rewards & Recognition system encourages both top-down and peer-to-peer recognition and our Wellness Hub and 24/7 employee assistance helpline boosts wellbeing, reducing sick days and helping your team to work at their full potential.

To out more about Perkbox please visit:396 perk.so/wldn Getfind exclusive pricing today by calling O2O8 6812 and quoting ‘WLB’

To find out more please visit:

perk.so/wldn

WEST LONDONER

WELCOME

Foreword Thinking West Londoner tells the stories of the vibrant microenterprises, SMEs and multinational corporations that make up the West London economy from Hounslow to the more northly reaches of Barnet. Chronicling the journey of the UK’s second largest economic powerhouse, a £50bn economy, with each new issue we seek to connect you to West Londonspecific insight and inspiration that helps you work smarter, make informed decisions and enrich your lives.

There has been no lack of change to witness since the last issue of West Londoner was published: a new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, at City Hall; the vote for Brexit, which leaves London having to defend its open city culture and approach, given our huge reliance on EU nationals to fill jobs at all skills levels; and last autumn the Government finally giving its support for progressing expansion of Heathrow.

In this issue in West Watch we interview Deputy Mayor of London Business, Rajesh Agrawal – a Harrow resident.

We profile in Faces & Places how Carolyn Downs has got stuck into her demanding role as Chief Executive of London Borough of Brent, home of the UK’s largest urban renewal project; Sebastian Steinhauser, CEO and Founder of Parcelly, which first deployed in the west side of the city, shares how the business is disrupting delivery; Shavata Singh who founded and now operates 27 Shavata Bar studios explains how important supporting young people transitioning from school to the workplace is for her talent pipeline; and Brunel University graduate Solveiga Pakštaitė introduces Bump Mark, a tech business incubating at The Old Vinyl Factory’s Central Research Lab, which is set to dramatically reduce the amount of food we throw away.

Turn to In the know for the insights of Dan Epstein, who led sustainability at the Olympics and now supports the Old Oak & Park Royal Development Corporation in the same field, on the huge opportunities presented by a circular economy approach to improving business efficiency and reducing West London’s environmental impact. In Opinion, I enter the fray weighing up the pros and cons of the evergrowing impact of automation and Artificial Intelligence on employment and skills. What will this mean for business leaders, policy makers and West London’s workforce?

There has been no lack of change to witness since the last issue of West Londoner was published: a new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, at City Hall; the vote for Brexit, which leaves London having to defend its open city culture... and last autumn the Government finally giving its support for progressing expansion of Heathrow.

CREATIVE TEAM Editor: Production: Interviews: Listings: Photography: Design:

Andrew Dakers James West Nicola Baird Elliott Parker Chris Stokes Richard Waterhouse

A big thank you to our expert guests for their valuable insight across topics of interest pertinent to West London businesses.

ADVERTISING SALES

Ryan Smith 07942 864166 ryan.smith@westlondon.com

Businesses interested in submitting stories for consideration, please email a press release or a brief story outline to editor@westlondon.com

DESIGN & CREATIVE

WEST CREATIVE

West Creative Ltd 020 8144 9547 hello@westcreative.co westcreative.co WESTCREATIVE

PUBLISHED BY WEST LONDON BUSINESS West London Business

WESTCREATIVE The Workary

1 Dukes Avenue W4 2AB info@westlondon.com westlondon.com

From Heathrow and HS2 to the implications of Brexit and leaps forward in technology, these remain defining times for our nation, our city and West London – come and navigate the road ahead with us.

West London Business’ mission is to ensure West London stays the best place to do business. Our commitment is to raise West London’s global economic competitiveness, whilst pursuing social and environmental sustainability.

Andrew Dakers Editor, West Londoner

GOLD

SILVER

LETTING

OVERALL

of the year

of the year

AGENT .

2016 for

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Sales, Lettings, Management

WORK. LIFE. BALANCE.

EDITORIAL

At West London Business the team has been kept busy welcoming new members to our movement, including Appt Corporation trading as McDonald’s, Perkbox and Willmotts.

As we go to press, the four West London policy commissions that spent 2016/17 exploring the future of Transport & Infrastructure; The Built Environment; Education & Skills; and Sustainability & Climate Change, are about to publish their draft findings. Review and comment on their conclusions at www.westlondon.com.

Commercial Agency

WEST LONDONER

AGENT .

2016 for

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Estate Agents

Sales, Lettings & Management

Chartered Surveyors

Building Surveying & Valuation Surveying

Block Management & Service Charge

Willmott House, 12 Blacks Road, London W6 9EU T: 020 8748 6644 E: info@willmotts.com W: www.willmotts.com

WEST WATCH

AN EYE FOR INSIGHT

Air. Traffic. Control.

Heathrow Strategic Planning Group Heathrow airport is a key economic driver for West London and the M3/M4 Corridor. Although the operational airport is located entirely within the London Borough of Hillingdon, Heathrow together with the supporting uses and infrastructure has a significant impact across the sub region spatially, socially, economically and environmentally. With the Government’s backing of the Davies Commission’s recommendation for Heathrow expansion as a preferred option, the new Heathrow Strategic Planning Group is likely to be kept busy in the years ahead. Key consultations are now underway until 25 May 2017 on UK Airspace Policy and a draft Airports National Policy Statement.

It is recognised that the impact of the airport stretches across administrative boundaries and that the collaborative working of Local Authorities and other bodies surrounding Heathrow Airport will result in better spatial planning and the management of impacts, together with maximising the benefits of the airport to the local economy and community. The Group was formed in response to the nature of the location, straddling a number of different administrative boundaries which lacked any formal mechanism for strategic or subregional planning and governance through which to fulfil their Duty to Cooperate.

75.7m

number of passengers travelling through Heathrow Airport in 2016.

Membership of the Group, established in late 2015, is open to all authorities and bodies with a key stake in the sub-regional planning of the area. The purpose of the Group is to: • work collaboratively in creating and delivering a vision for the Heathrow sub-region • enable more coordinated and consistent planning for, and management of, the local and sub-regional benefits and impacts of the airport through strategy and policy formulation • share information and expertise and collaborate where appropriate • build partnership, lobby and be a collective voice on matters of sub-regional planning.

Sub-groups are looking at: • Spatial planning – housing and employment floor space need and demand • Transport – strategic change • Environment – the whole range of impacts, mitigation and improvements • Economic Development – the impact the airport has on the local economy, employment, training and supply chain heathrowstrategicplanninggroup.com aviationconsultations.com

Byte to Eat Responding to concerns that West London's creative and tech community feels under-represented and under-networked, West London Business convened its first corporate lunch – SiliconWestLondon – on 18 November 2016. Hosted by the Annayu Restaurant at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Heathrow, the tech entrepreneurs from businesses of all sizes joined the debate.

Participants concluded that “West London’s culture and food offer needs to be better articulated. …Shoreditch is overrated… [and] West London can be a ‘safe place to do dangerous things’.” There was a strong consensus that the business leadership forum should continue to develop this network to strengthen and promote the sector and location. To support the initiative email ryan.smith@westlondon.com

White Coats think White City Imperial College London’s 185,000 sq ft Translation and Innovation Hub, the I-HUB, is open for business. Operated

by Imperial College ThinkSpace, the I-HUB provides a west London home for research-focused companies and organisations looking to co-locate with Imperial College London’s world-leading academic community in their new 23-acre campus at White City.

The I-HUB is the first research and commercialisation hub at Imperial College London’s White City Campus. It provides space for companies to work alongside Imperial researchers to turn scientific and technological innovations into new products and services for the benefit of society. It is a place where a tech start-up shares a working environment with biomedical engineers and where data scientists can discuss ideas over coffee with medical researchers.

Housing incubator and accelerator space, modern wetlabs, as well as flexible office space, the 13-storey hub has the facilities to support a range of corporate partners, from startups and fast-growth companies to well-established biotech and scientific research organisations.

The I-HUB includes an 18,000 sq ft technology and research incubator specifically designed to provide support for young businesses turning fresh ideas and research into new innovations. The incubator has a mix of fully-fitted laboratory and office space, meeting rooms and conference facilities, purpose built to help laboratory-based start-ups and spinout companies. imperial.ac.uk/thinkspace

©Imperial College London/Thomas Angus

THE BOTTOM LINE Little, known facts

06

Report on London’s Science and Technology sectors by Trampoline Systems and SQW for the GLA reveals that the number of science & tech businesses has grown in West London by 34% over a decade to almost 17,000, especially within the Life Sciences & Healthcare sector (74%). tinyurl.com/londonscitech

“More green jobs in West London than anywhere else in the city” – see full report published by the London Sustainable Development Commission at tinyurl.com/circularjobslondon

£772m

Making a Splash Building plans for the proposed Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre and New Barnet Leisure Centre have been given the green light.

The £35 million investment by Barnet Council will see Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre redeveloped, creating a new facility, and a new leisure centre constructed in Victoria Recreation Ground to replace the existing Church Farm Leisure Centre. The Victoria Recreation Ground site will also be joined by a partnership library, relocated from the current East Barnet Library, from 2019.

Works for both sites will be carried out by Graham Construction, as part of an estimated £150 million contract to deliver infrastructure for Barnet. This comes as part of the council’s investment strategy, which will see £772 million of capital investment between

Planned capital investment in Barnet’s infrastructure between 2016 and 2020.

2016 and 2020 on vital infrastructure including three new schools, an additional Thameslink station, two community hubs, four business hubs, the council’s new offices, road and pavement investment, a new children’s home and the delivery of more than 600 homes over the next five years.

Councillor Sachin Rajput, Chairman of Barnet’s Adults and Safeguarding Committee, said: “Our £35 million investment in these brand new leisure centres is a sign of our ongoing commitment to encourage as many of our residents to take part in sport and physical activity. I am delighted approval has now been given and we can start work on building these new sporting facilities which will serve our growing population for generations to come.”

Harrow is a Go Stanmore Business and Innovation Centre in Harrow has announced the availability of extra new work space in its second and third phases. This will bring a total of 45,000 sq ft of available work space for businesses to hire. The first phase of the centre, launched and opened in September 2012, is now fully let and offers a vibrant work environment for almost 100 small businesses.

Stanmore Place Commercial provides office space, virtual offices and meeting rooms in a professional serviced environment, for entrepreneurs and growing businesses as well as larger companies. For more information: stanmorebic.co.uk or email reception@stanmore-bic.co.uk

Lights, Camera, Action St George commenced construction of the Ealing Filmworks development on 12 December 2016 and confirmed that the borough’s long-awaited cinema will open in 2019. The new cinema, as well as the shops, cafés and restaurants, will create and sustain jobs and help to boost the local economy.

Ealing Filmworks will also deliver much-needed new housing, including discounted market sale homes for local people.

St George breaking ground at Ealing Filmworks.

Hounslow’s Logic School Studio makes Perfect Sense

88%

Brent’s Big on Business

CRL Picks Up the Pace

Convened by Brent Council, a new business board has been established to advise the borough on its approach to business growth and help prioritise workstreams. Founder members include Allpex, D-Link, Quintain, Wembley and Westminster Homecare. The board held its first meeting in November 2016 with a second scheduled for March 2017. Priority issues are marketing Brent for business; the workforce skills gap – next generation skills; and infrastructure for the future.

The Central Research Laboratory (CRL), based in The Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes is expanding.

A number of ambitious new hardware startups have joined CRL’s Hardware Accelerator and Pre-Accelerator programmes, delivered in collaboration with Brunel University London.

In addition, nine of CRL’s first year startups have now moved into the expanded co-working space and are making use of CRL’s four specialist hardware workshops. A number of startups have also been developing their products, visiting manufacturers from the UK to China. centralresearchlaboratory.com

was announced at the National Apprenticeship Awards on 20 January at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. Pickfords began its apprentice scheme in 2015 with a view to filling a skills gap for both HGV drivers and office based staff.

GLA research shows that London's target annual loss of industrial land (37ha) has been exceeded by three times over the past five years; 106ha on average each year.

of businesses think school leavers are unprepared for the workplace.

An innovation in educating Hounslow’s 14-19 year olds has arrived in the borough – with the launch of Logic School. Studio Schools are a new concept in education, which seek to address the growing gap between the skills and the knowledge young people require to succeed.

Assistant Principal, and teacher of Maths, Charlie Young, said unlike many other schools who concentrate on getting their pupils to pass exams, Logic is focused on the future and “embracing the changes that modern technology has, and will continue to have, on the world’s workforce.”

Pickfords has been recognised in the prestigious Centrica Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer list – compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service – recognising excellence in businesses that employ apprentices. The list

07

WEST WATCH

AN EYE FOR INSIGHT

Branching Out Old Oak and Park Royal in west London is the only place where the branches of High Speed 2 (HS2) and the Elizabeth Line (formally known as Crossrail) intersect – the catalyst for a thriving new district. In response, the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) was established by the Mayor of London to oversee the delivery of 25,500 new homes and to generate 65,000 new jobs for Londoners.

As the local planning and regeneration authority for the area, over the next 30+ years, OPDC wants to make sure that both current and future residents and businesses benefit from the significant investment in the area by HS2 and the Elizabeth Line.

OPDC will maximise this potential by strengthening and regenerating Park Royal. With over 1,700 businesses, the area employs more than 43,000 people, OPDC wants to enhance the business area to ensure Park Royal retains its status as UK’s most successful industrial estate.

Second Draft Local Plan The OPDC second draft Local Plan will be published in late Spring 2017 and there will be a whole section dedicated to Park Royal. OPDC will publish opportunities for businesses to feed into these plans with an aim of creating the best business environment in Park Royal.

Park Royal Business Group Connecting like-minded businesses in Park Royal, the dedicated Park Royal Business Group (PRBG) hosts a series of social events year round for businesses of all kinds on the estate. Led by a board of business people, and supported by OPDC, WLB and local authorities to provide support, voice and new connections for local businesses. parkroyalbiz.com

THE BOTTOM LINE Little, known facts

08

250k+

daily commuters will travel through West London’s Old Oak station when completed.

Protecting Business: Broadband Pilot OPDC representatives have spent a considerable amount of time door-knocking business in Park Royal not only to introduce OPDC, but also gain insight into the issues being faced by business and to discuss ideas on how to protect the business environment. Very quickly one of the topics that emerged was that broadband remains a challenge, so OPDC has been working with West London Business, PRBG and BT to establish a pilot scheme in the area to help businesses operate more efficiently.

HS2 Business Disruption OPDC has met with HS2, PRBG and local businesses to discuss how they will be impacted by HS2. The immediate priority for OPDC is to help businesses that are due to be displaced by HS2 through the acquisition of sites to support the construction of HS2. Find out more: london.gov.uk/OPDC/BusinessSupport Skills First OPDC are actively working with a number of businesses, the voluntary sector, schools and colleges for a Park Royal job and skills brokerage hub to explore ways in which recruitment of skilled staff can be made easier.

Watch this space for further announcements.

 OPDC’s 3D model at CoClub

If you’re visually minded, pop into the CoClub coworking space in the Perfume Factory in North Acton.

An interactive, 3D model of the Old Oak and Park Royal development is displayed in the foyer – illuminating each stage of the development from business infrastructure to residential, and you can see how the new transport hubs will interconnect. thecoclub.com

Recently appointed HS2 Chief Executive, Mark Thurston is hoping for a smooth ride following the recent House of Lords’ vote aimed at delaying the process being voted down. The vote was viewed by many as the last hurdle to confirmation of the project.

Insight



Rajesh Agrawal

As a Harrow resident and West Deputy Mayor of Londoner, what do you believe London for Business makes this part of the city such a special place to live and work?

I truly believe that London is the greatest city in the world. It is the beating heart of the global economy and is the best place to set up or grow a business. London has something for everyone and an appeal that clearly extends across the globe. Whether it is our award-winning theatres and cultural scene, our beautiful green spaces or our numerous top sporting venues, London cannot be beaten. This is reflected in the huge number of visitors from overseas who continue to flock to the city.

West London in particular has a thriving small business community and is well-served by excellent transport links. It is now also forging a reputation as a leading place for science and technology companies to thrive.

What do you and Sadiq see as the top priorities for City Hall in supporting business across London?

The greatest business priority for the Mayor and I is securing the best possible deal from the Brexit negotiations – in fact, this is the biggest challenge we now face as a city.

A good Brexit deal is not just in London and the UK’s best interest – it’s in the best interests of every single European nation.

The Mayor and I have spoken to numerous businesses since the referendum and there is no doubt that securing privileged access to the single market is absolutely critical for London.

West London businesses see infrastructure (northsouth transport links and ultrafast broadband) as key barriers to growth in West London. What do you hope can be achieved in these areas?

Now, more than ever, we need to be doing everything we can to support our businesses. We know that there are parts of the capital where digital connectivity needs to be improved and that some businesses find this a real barrier to growth.

The Mayor and I are committed to improving London’s digital connectivity, including tackling the capital’s ‘notspots’ and ensuring providers have better access to public-sector property for digital infrastructure. This is something that we will look to address through the new Business Advisory Board, which was set up last year so the Mayor and I can tap into some of the capital’s greatest business minds.

With regards to transport, we are continuing to put forward the case to Government for Crossrail 2 which would be a brand new railway serving London from North to South. Crossrail 1 is scheduled to open in central London next year and will have a transformational impact. As the city continues to grow, major infrastructure projects such as this are crucial and can drive economic regeneration, new homes and employment.

How can the business community support you and the Mayor in addressing the significant risks facing London with Brexit, particularly in relation to the overseas talent that supports our economy?

London is home to some of the greatest business minds on the planet. Sadiq launched his Business Advisory Board so he can use their expertise to help London’s economy grow.

Sadiq has vowed to be the most pro-business Mayor ever and this is the first board of its kind to be chaired by the Mayor. Members include business leaders and entrepreneurs who want to contribute their ideas and experience. In line with the Mayor’s commitment to gender equality, 10 of its 16 members are female.

Sadiq has also assembled a Brexit Advisory Group of senior leaders across London’s key economic sectors to support him in his monthly meetings with David Davis MP, the Secretary of state for Exiting the European Union. Sadiq is using these meetings to make clear to the government what London needs from our future relationship with the EU to remain the best city in the world to do business.

A big part of this is London retaining access to the lowskilled and high-skilled talent from across Europe and the rest of the world that businesses need in order to grow. With such low unemployment this is absolutely essential to protecting growth and tax revenues across the UK. If the Government ignores the needs of business and pushes ahead with a new system that cuts off access to skilled workers, the Mayor has said he we will have noto choice to look at a London-specific As West Londoner goes press,but five-time recipient of the Football League Community Club be of the Year award, Brentford FC,summit await final solution.

He will soon holding an immigration to approval on plans for a new 20,000 seat stadium which will help to look at these issues. sustain and grow their huge engagement of young people in sport.

Have your say on the UK’s largest regeneration project and the most exciting development in London

Old Oak and Park Royal, west London

We want to hear from you!

It’s the only place where High Speed 2 (HS2) meets the Elizabeth Line (formally known as Crossrail) and will become a thriving new district where people will aspire to live, work and play in.

The second draft Local Plan consultation is due to be published in late Spring 2017.

Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC) Established by the Mayor of London in April 2015 to oversee the delivery of 25,500 new homes and 65,000 new jobs for London by: • capitalising on the investment and potential of HS2 and the Elizabeth Line • transforming and developing Old Oak • strengthening and regenerating Park Royal • protecting and sensitively improving Wormwood Scrubs

Stay in touch Be the first to know the latest OPDC news and activities, including when the second draft Local Plan consultation is launched.

Sign up to our newsletter london.gov.uk/opdc-signup

25,500

new homes thanks to the UK’s largest regeneration scheme

@OldOakParkRoyal facebook.com/OldOakParkRoyal london.gov.uk/opdc

65,000

new jobs generated at Old Oak and Park Royal

FACES & PLACES

CAROLYN DOWNS

Mind the Skills Gap Up to A level our students’ results are about the London average. But post 18 in Brent, less people go to university than in other parts of London, and there is a lower wage economy (although we do push the London Living Wage). We need to vary this economy more and ensure that local people have the right skills to meet the job growth.

10

Carolyn Downs: On the Up

Carolyn Downs.

The iconic and environmentally friendly Brent Civic Centre.

Wembley Park – one of the UK’s largest urban renewal schemes.

Carolyn Downs wants to build better lives. From tackling West London’s skills gap to implementing the UK’s largest urban renewal project, Brent’s CEO revels in her hands-on role.

“It’s at the local level that you have the most impact by a country mile,” says Carolyn Downs, who became CEO of Brent Council in September 2015. “Working nationally is like plaiting sand,” she adds, perhaps thinking back to her years spent at the Ministry of Justice. At a youthful 57 she says that this is the job she most wanted because it is true to her local government roots - her first job was at Haringey Council and she has also been CEO of Shropshire.

Downs’ fourth floor office at the gleaming Brent Civic Centre – opened in 2013 and judged by BREEAM as the greenest public building in the UK – overlooks the building site that is Wembley Park.

“People are constantly saying how much better the area is. It’s not just about Wembley Park, it’s bringing benefits across Wembley Central and the High Road,” she says. “When it is finished in 2025 there will be more than 8,000 new homes, and quite a lot of business and office accommodation for 7,000 new jobs. The original concept was in place long before I got here – but now there’s a masterplan for the whole site and outline planning permission including 34 per cent affordable housing, which is very good in London.”

This part of West London is known for its thriving SMEs, often in industry and manufacturing, and its superfast broadband. But Downs’ dream is to offer higher paid jobs to Brent and that hinges on equipping people with a way to learn new skills, ideally by attracting a university to the area.

“Up to A level our students’ results are about the London average. But post 18 in Brent, less people go to university than in other parts of London, and there is a lower wage economy (although we do push the London Living Wage).

We need to vary this economy more and ensure that local people have the right skills to meet the job growth,” says Downs. “For example in domiciliary caring, which is not well paid, there is no career path into, say, nursing.”

Clearly the right university is going to meet an open door.

In an effort to coordinate the changes in West London seven boroughs including Brent, “are working collaboratively through the West London Alliance, so we are not competing with each other unnecessarily, and so we are more than the sum of our parts. We need to know what issues are important for business and how we as a council can help,” says Downs who recently set up the Brent Business Board to work with the area’s larger businesses including Quintain, Network Homes, United Biscuits and Diageo. “By 2020 we will have an additional 17,000 people living in the borough – and we already have 90,000 people regularly visiting Wembley for football, concerts and NFL (American football),” she adds. So perhaps it’s no surprise she’s also hoping to push for a new commuter service on the underused Dudding Hill freight line to connect Brent Cross with Hounslow’s Golden Mile, via Old Oak.

Quickfire Q&A WHERE DO YOU GO LOCALLY?

“I love the whole of Brent. There’s a really good Thai restaurant, Allso Thai across from Brent Civic Centre (Empire Parade).”

“I’m vegetarian with eclectic tastes: the South Indian restaurants on Ealing Road are good.”

“I’m very careful about not accepting hospitality. If I go to Wembley I largely pay for it. I went recently to the Arena to see Billy Connolly.”

“I do quite a bit of my social life in Kilburn. I love the Tricycle Theatre – last thing I saw was a one-man show, The Man In The Woman’s Shoes. It was brilliant.” www.tricycle.co.uk

Football to Footfall START-UPS AND SMES HAVE LOTS TO CHEER

London Designer Outlet.

Start-ups and SMEs need to think outside of the 18-yard box to reap the growing benefits offered by the regeneration of Wembley Park. The project, designed to turn Wembley into a thriving neighbourhood and business area – with a start-up hub to rival the mighty Silicon Roundabout in East London – is well on the way to realising its vision. One of a cohesive and exciting new West London community.

At the core of that community is the attraction of SME and new start-up businesses to the area – creating jobs and opportunities to assure its long-term economic future.

An example of the excellent office space on offer is York House. Refurbished by leading investment and development specialists Quintain, the 15-storey site already houses many young, growing businesses, who enjoy favourable rent, business support, state-of-the-art facilities, excellent transport links and an embarrassment of parking spaces.

York House is situated next to Wembley’s famous SSE Arena and London’s only outlet shopping centre, London Designer Outlet, with its 70 shops and restaurants, close to the iconic Wembley Stadium.

As the popularity of the London Designer Outlet continues to grow, this also offers smaller operations a chance to benefit from its huge footfall (around 7 million visitors in 2016).

Eager to piggyback on the popularity of household names – Adidas, Gap and M&S for example– the regeneration project is attracting small, independent businesses to the area.

Businesses such as Shaketastic, crowned British Smoothie Champions 2009, 2010 and 2013 as well as being nominated

by HSBC as Best Business Start up.

With the transformation of the 85 acre site continuing to create new and exciting opportunities for businesses of all sizes, we predict football fans won’t be the only crowds walking Wembley’s Way.

11

FACES & PLACES

SEBASTIAN STEINHAUSER

Box Clever

Sebastian Steinhauser: Parcelly Thanks to shopping online our problem isn’t finding stuff to buy, it’s being in when it’s delivered. Step forward Sebastian Steinhauser who is determined to resolve this with his disruptive last-mile click&collect service, Parcelly.

Interview by Nicola Baird.

Disruptive technology challenges accepted approaches.

Disruptive ideas can also be used to create meaningful social change – like Parcelly’s goal to reduce the pollution caused by diesel delivery vans.

12

“You can’t be frightened of moving because the company is growing so fast and needs space for team members,” says CEO and founder of Parcelly, Sebastian Steinhauser.

Steinhauser, who moved to London from Germany in 2008, found that investment banking’s “long working hours meant it was almost impossible to physically shop, so you buy online. Receiving parcels is the main challenge, as you can’t always have them delivered to your office.”

It was his personal frustration with receiving parcel deliveries and an incident when he sent a snow dome from Cambridge as a travel memento for his now fiancée, Melanie Dierich, that the Parcelly business idea took shape. “My gift was so difficult for her to collect. In the end it ended up in the Post Office depot on an industrial estate in Kilburn where she was reluctant to go and pick it up.”

The experience led to the launch of Parcelly in December 2014 from his living room. Soon he had to move.

Parcelly is an app enabling customers to collect packages where and when is most convenient for them – so no more missed packages. At the same time Parcelly works with retailers to provide a collection point near people’s homes including many in West London.

“I’ve got no technology or logistics background, but am passionate about disruption and bringing innovation to the traditional logistics industry. Apart from eliminating failed parcel deliveries for good, Parcelly was always for me a social and environmental project to convert local shoppers back into footfall,” says Steinhauser. “We also have a positive environmental impact on reducing air pollution by cutting down on delivery vans and resolving the last-mile problem in the UK.” Already Parcelly is working with more than 900 collection points nationwide, 50 of which are in West London such as Costcutter (Costcutter, Mace, Kwiksave, Simply Fresh, Supershop), dry cleaners, pharmacies and newsagents throughout West London. “We started in 2014 converting our locations one-by-one but by now most of our growth comes from large chains as well as multiple other chains who want to be part of our network or customers who request new locations ,” adds Steinhauser.

“The New West End Company BID was the first London BID to partner with Parcelly in 2016, providing an innovative solution for corporate companies and their employees to reduce the pressure of personal parcel deliveries on corporate mailrooms. We also help decrease white van delivery traffic on London’s roads, which is seen as responsible for increased traffic congestion and air pollution levels.” linkedin.com/in/sebastiansteinhauser parcelly.com

Disruptive Thinking

Sebastian’s Quick Tips

CHANGING THE GAME

SETTING UP A MOBILE TECH BUSINESS

By definition, disruptive technology is an innovation that creates a new market and value network that eventually disrupts an existing market and value network, displacing established market leading firms, products and alliances. It can be fantastically lucrative if you get it right, think Uber et al., but coming up with game changing tech takes time, research, money and a pig-headed belief in your concept.

You need to ask outlandish questions and be willing to fail.

1.

There will be a lot of unknown variables, so be well prepared and spend a considerate amount of time researching and planning to avoid having to go back to the drawing board each time.

2. Source the best possible talent no matter where – we actually found two team members via our last coworking space, who simply loved what we do and applied to join.

FACES & PLACES

SHAVATA SINGH

Shavata Singh Shavata Singh is as expert at shaping eyebrows as she is shaping the professionalism of trainees working in her salon.

Whether brow or beautician, the end result has to be immaculate.

Interview by Nicola Baird.

The story of Shavata Bar – beauty therapy studios specialising in eyebrows - is worthy of a movie. CEO Shavata Singh, who joined the board of Spark! six months ago, explains: “About 15 years ago I was waxing a Vogue beauty editor’s leg and finally plucked up enough courage – after two years – to say ‘You’ve got bad eyebrows’. She made me do her eyebrows and was so impressed she wrote about me, no more than 30 words, but the phones literally rang off the hook where I was working. Eyebrows give an instant wow factor. Then Harrods called me up to open the very first eyebrow bar in the country. That was very successful. Now I have 27 Shavata Bar studios – including Westfield, Chiswick, Richmond and Victoria – and employ more than 200 staff.”

Singh is a huge fan of West London, thanks to being brought up in Hounslow and living in Ealing, so was keen to use her business to help young West Londoners develop the right skills to find work.

“We employ a lot of girls. When they start with us their confidence isn’t very high and they are very naive. So when I was asked by Ruby Mir to sit on the board of Spark! (which kickstarts careers by offering work experience) in summer 2016 it only made sense. Sometimes we are their first employers and it’s their first job.”

“When they come to be trained we don’t just show them how to shave eyebrows, we teach them how to behave – my girls are working in close vicinity with their client. If I’m lying there I don’t want to smell lunch on fingers, see long pointy nails, chipped nail varnish, strong perfume or body odour. People won’t notice if nail varnish isn’t chipped, but they will if it is.”

“If someone calls in sick regularly we pull them up – it has a spiral effect on all other team members. Nobody gets lost in the system – it’s about making it feel like a family. I continually say to my two children you are not taking a day off school because that’s where the work ethic starts.

“Brow Guru” Sunday Times Style

When we have work experience students they can go into HR, product development, finance, marketing, but what we don’t allow them is to slack. For example we had a lovely young 16-year-old man for work experience recently. The day before the tube strike he said ‘I’m not coming in’. The next day that he came in we said ‘There was a tube strike yesterday, everyone else got in, but you didn’t, why didn’t you?’ He said he’d never do it again. He learnt a good lesson - the same work ethic the rest of the team had. linkedin.com/in/shavata-singh-b8074940 sparklondon.org shavata.co.uk

Shavata’s Quick Tip WHERE TO SHOW OFF THOSE WOW BROWS

I’ve always been a West London girl. I love High Road House, I’m a member of the Soho Club so I love eating there.

Shavata’s mantra greets visitors to her salon.

The stunning interior at High Road House, Chiswick.

13

FACES & PLACES

ˇ ˙ SOLVEIGA PAKSTAITE

Good Food Guide

Britons are chucking out around 4.2 million tonnes of food and drink every year that could have been consumed. Almost half of this is going straight from fridges or cupboards into the bin. One-fifth of what households buy ends up as waste, and around 60% of that could have been eaten.

Every day in the UK we throw away approximately:

5.8m

Whole Potatoes

1.9m 1.5m 1.4m 1.1m

Slices Sausages Whole of Ham Bananas

Eggs

Solveiga Pakštaitė: Bump Mark Few design students would argue with Buckminster Fuller – the creator of the geodesic dome – that: “We are called to be architects of the future, not its victims.” But Industrial Design Brunel graduate, Solveiga Pakštaitė, has gone that bit further future proofing by developing a simple way to cut food waste. Already patented, when her gelatine Bump Mark is added to the corner of any packaging it will feel smooth when the food is edible, but go bumpy when the product inside starts to deteriorate.

It’s all about touch rather than use by dates.

“A huge amount of food is wasted: 60 per cent of food thrown away is still completely fine – that’s the same as it was in 1974 – the year The Exorcist came out,” says Pakštaitė, 24, who developed Bump Mark during her degree. During the programme she did a year in industry working with CCD, a human factors consultancy designing ways to think about travellers’ needs on HS2 in 2050. “Will they need gyms or meeting rooms on the trains? Or bigger seats?” she asks. “Then it was a placement with Guide Dogs for the Blind that got me thinking about exploring how visually impaired people know when food goes off. That was a disincentive to buy fresh food, which was affecting their health.”

“No one in my family has started their own business,” says Pakštaitė, who moved to the UK aged five and is

now based in Hanwell. “I needed an ABC for even the most basic stuff, like keeping receipts or registering for VAT.” Luckily Pakštaitė’s is fearless about asking for advice. She has four mentors including a former head of packaging at Sainsbury’s and John Knetchel, ex McKinsey management consultant who she calls daily at 3pm, at his home in Canada, to “tell him what progress I’ve made”.

Bump Mark has already been trialled at Asda (filmed by the BBC), and is close to being “a fully finished product”, but needs more testing before its planned autumn launch.

Pakštaitė is, “trying to find companies to be in our pilot on milk, yoghurt and eggs.” She’s also still looking for the right investors but she’s realistic. “A lot of investors won’t invest unless you’ve had at least two failures. But they could be small failures… You need to be agile to change and learn from mistakes and still make it better so you can pivot your company from the conversations and insights gained.”

Pakštaitė seems adept at pivoting. She’s already dropped her design’s focus on the visual impairment market because,“It’s quite small and the best way to deliver is to make the Bump Mark appeal to everyone. That way the people who are meant to benefit from it, can too.” linkedin.com/in/solveigap designbysol.co.uk Twitter @BumpMarkTech

The Right Insight

Quickfire Q&A

MAKING THE MOST OF MENTORING

WHERE DO YOU GO LOCALLY?

Source: ONS

Solveiga Pakštaitė’s understands the importance of good advice. She currently has four mentors bringing their unique expertise to her project.

Being mentored gives you new perspectives and lets you learn from someone else's experiences. It's a chance to focus on yourself and your career. However, every mentor/mentee relationship is only as good as the time spent analysing the expectations and purpose of each relationship. Grey areas invariably lead to failure. Map out your career goals then think about how a mentor can help you get there. Be specific about how you'd like your mentor to help. Do you want someone with expertise or good contacts in a particular field? Or maybe you need a sounding board outside of work to discuss tricky situations? Analysing what you want from the relationship will increase your chances of making it a success.

“We’re based at amazing offices - the Central Research Laboratory at The Old Vinyl Factory near Hayes & Harlington station. It’s a nice space and feels highly collaborative.” centralresearchlaboratory.com theoldvinylfactory.com “I love Ealing Broadway – it feels exciting and vibrant and there are nice green spaces nearby like Lammas Park and Elthorne Park.”

“It’s a luxury to be so close to Richmond – just to walk around the park. I’m a big fan of the outdoors. There are very good charity shops in the high street too.”

15

WEST LONDON’S VISION FOR GROWTH, EMPLOYMENT & SKILLS

BOROUGH COUNCILS DEVELOPING CLEAR PROPOSALS FOR SKILLS COMMISSIONING IN WEST LONDON West London borough councils want to see a thriving and inclusive local economy now and for the future. As employers ourselves, we know that staying ahead in a fast-changing world means getting the best people with the best skills and training.

The Department for Education has recognised London Government as best-placed to manage funding and commissioning for adult skills and training from 2019. During 2017 we will be establishing a Skills and Employment Board to lead sub-regional engagement and influence over this work, and we want people to get involved.

To make sure we’re ahead of the game and to help West London businesses get what they need, we want to understand the future training and qualifications that will be required over the next few years. We are doing our own detailed analyses across the seven WLA boroughs and we are keen that this reflects the real world.

We are committed to working with West London businesses, training providers and future employees to ensure West Londoners can access the opportunities they need.

CONNECT: If you’re an employer interested in talking to us about West London’s future skills and training needs, please email info@wlalondon

MOST IN-DEMAND IT SKILLS IN LONDON

MS C#

JAVASCRIPT

JAVA SQL

MS EXCEL

(Source: Labour Insights Jobs, Jan 2017)

FUTURE EMPLOYEES YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS – CAN YOU SUPPORT A YOUNG PERSON INTO WORK?

Better still, by opening their doors, participating companies are finding our young people are making a real and positive contribution to their businesses and results. Employers are telling us that young employees recognise the opportunity, are loyal and dedicated and have a positive impact on customer and employee satisfaction. They are being recruited in high-turnover and hard to fill posts, and are proving to be extremely committed and reliable.

SUPPORTED INTERNSHIPS HELP YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES INTO EMPLOYMENT

Emily Taylor, HR lead, Public Health England, said: “Our supported interns have been remarkable.

They bring incredible benefits to the organisation and we’re always telling other employers about how good Supported Internships and Project SEARCH are – it’s one of the most important things we do as an organisation.”

West London borough councils and businesses have a well-earned reputation for helping young people into work.

Over three years, successful supported internships in West London have particularly helped young people with special educational needs, autism and other disabilities into employment. Through our programme employment outcomes of over 60% are being achieved, whereas elsewhere fewer than 7% of UK young adults with learning disabilities are employed.

The benefits are obvious. West London businesses are transforming the opportunities and lives of young people and their families. With structured training support in work, they are equipping young people with the skills and experience for sustained employment beyond the internship.

120

FUTURE SKILLS YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS – DO YOU HAVE A VIEW?

Brendon Walsh, Executive Director, London Borough of Hounslow, said: “My lasting memory has been of the sheer enthusiasm and positive drive our first intern brought to my team. From the word ‘go’, they knew what this opportunity meant and they weren’t going to pass up the chance to make a real difference to our business”.

Other hosting businesses in West London include: Hilton London T5, GSK, Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust, Sofitel, L’Oréal, Transport for London, Marriott, Hammersmith & Fulham Council.

CONNECT: If you’re an employer interested in benefiting from supported internship opportunities, please email info@wla.london

young people undergoing supported internships in West London every year ...and growing

60+40

Over 60% employment being achieved

Over

100

jobs created... and growing

£1m

Savings per young person who is employed over their lifetime (Source: DWP)

WEST LONDON ALLIANCE: IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR WEST LONDON The West London Alliance (WLA) is a partnership of seven London borough councils – Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow. We are committed to our vision to continue to be a thriving and prosperous part of this premier world city, with highly profitable businesses and investment, successful residents and resilient communities.

FUTURE WORK & HEALTH PROGRAMME – GIVING EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND WORK WEST LONDON BOROUGH COUNCILS ARE TAKING ON DEVOLVED POWERS FOR COMMISSIONING THE GOVERNMENT’S WORK & HEALTH PROGRAMME West London borough councils are building on their success as a sub-region, pooling local knowledge and expertise to design and deliver London’s Work & Health Programme from spring 2018.

improvements in local public services. We’ve created multi-agency teams to develop and scaleup the Working People, Working Places programme; Opportunities for Young People; the Skills Escalator; and a Care Leavers’ programme developed with Future Path.

From February, new support will be available to assist people with mental health needs, such as anxiety and depression, find stable work as an integrated part of their recovery. The Mental Health & Employment Trailblazer will bring together tailored employment support with tried and tested talking therapies to ensure residents secure, sustain and build up their working lives as they overcome their ill-health.

Knowing the issues facing our residents disadvantaged in the jobs market by poor health or disabilities, the WLA – working with London Councils and other London sub-regions – has led the case for a work & health programme that’s better tailored to people’s needs locally.

Julian Bell, Leader of Ealing Council, said: “We are uniquely placed to understand the jobs market in West London, and the issues facing our residents.

This presents an excellent opportunity for us to ensure that support is provided where it is most needed to help people to address their health concerns, and gain the right skills and employment to improve their lives.”

Our track record over the past few years includes great results from delivering transformational

CONNECT: If you’re interested in knowing more, please email info@wla.london

£16m

DWP Work and Health programme funding for West London over 5 years...

+£12m

... additional programme funding from the European Social Fund

£900

saved per person in housing benefits through Skills Escalator

350+ people

CV

into work through Working People, Working Places programme Target number of people to be helped by Mental Health & Employment Trailblazer

0 0 0 1

For more information about the West London Vision for Growth, Employment & Skills or the wider work of the West London Alliance, please visit www.wla.london or contact us at info@wla.london

WEST LONDON ALLIANCE – IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR WEST LONDON

BALANCE

CAN YOU REALLY HAVE IT ALL?

Find Your Small Business Algo-Rhythm Big Solution MakeControl Time Tech Theno total number of cases of It's secret the workplace work relatedHow stress, is changing. wedepression work, or anxiety inand 2014/15 was a collaborate, communicate whopping 440,000, with most with each other is increasingly citing workload pressures, shaped by technology and tools including deadlinesBut as to increasetight productivity. a major factor. there arecontributory so many options out Here are four apps to help get there it can become confusing. time on for Here areyour five side, tried and and one trusted whendesigned it gets the of you. apps tobetter help start-ups and small businesses succeed. dsb_A5_ad:Layout 1 22/05/2015 11:49 Page 1

Timeneye FreshBooks

’Appy Families Stripe

Forget clunky, reports. Timeneye is a smooth FreshBooks is aanalytical cloud accounting software solution that app, with a great tracks makes running yourvisual smallelement businessthat easy,intuitively fast and secure. howsimple you spend your timemeaning on basically anything from work It’s and intuitive, you’ll spend less time on projects to hobbies. a few clicks on it syncs your paperwork and moreWith timejust concentrating your with business. favourite applications like Googletasks Calendar,

Automate time-consuming like Basecamp, organising Chrome Widgets youtime, can track your time up without expenses, trackingand your and following with switching between them.

TheFreshBooks amazing part is how it learns clients with just a few clicks. lives in the cloud about habbits and automatically creates suggested so youyour can securely access it from your desktop, phone timetablet entries for you. you You are. can The evensolution include boasts multiple users and wherever over 10 to track active team projects. million users across the small businesses and selfOne user can access the app for free. Multiples require employed sectrum. an active It costssubscription around £20 -atimeneye.com/plans month to bill up to 50 active clients.

(FREE Web, + iOS) In addition to Andriod the desktop version, subscribers can download the app on Android + iOS. freshbooks.com/uk

Keeping focused a meeting is much easier Whether you’re during creating a subscription service,when an you’re not wondering whetheran you’ve put the recycling on-demand marketplace, e-commerce store, out. or knowing when you’re supposed to pick up your partner, aAndcrowdfunding platform, Stripe’s pay-as-you-go helps you answer your boss’ request withfunctionality confidence. meticulously-designed APIslatest and unmatched isn’tpossible the biggest barrier, it’s keeping helpSometimes you create work the best product for your users. all the other parts of life outside officebiggest balanced…

Hundreds of thousands of the the world’s tech introducing Cozi Family Organizer.

An appby that allows firms are scaling faster and more efficiently building you tobusinesses manage family their on thismembers’ – and it'sschedules, somethingappointments you can even and activies. it with Google Calendar, share to-do/ integrate withSync your accounting software, like FreshBooks.

lists and keep aiffamily collection of recipes shop shopping And unlike PayPal, you decide to leave Stripetothey'll by dish. in your family there’s help youEveryone migrate your credit cardcan datahave in aaccess secureso and PCIno having to whisper through frantic phone to Compliant way.

It's refreshing to know you calls haveata work choice; coordinate scheduleswon't or sethave up doctor appointments. existing customers to sign up again and you (FREEbeAndriod + iOS) won't locked in forever. stripe.com/gb

where heritage meets contemporary elegance. dorsett shepherds bush, london

discover more telephone +44 (0) 203 262 1026 info.shepherdsbush@dorsetthotels.com dorsetthotels.com/london/shepherdsbush

18

Bidsketch

TeamViewer

Wunderlist

Proposals are a resource-draining pain. With Bidsketch, you’ll cut proposal time considerably. You can instantly put together a completely custom proposal with a few clicks. Bidsketch makes it easy to reuse templates, pricing items, content and designs. They also provide you example content to help you get started quickly. Have a very visual proposal to send? Not a problem; embed as many images and videos as you need. You can also link to other files and resources from within your proposal content.

We love their built-in electronic signatures, so your clients can view, approve, and sign your contract right away. The ability to track when your proposal has been viewed, and for how long, is also a great remedy for postsubmission paranoia. bidsketch.com

TeamViewer is an app that allows you to remotely connect to multiple workstations. There are many apps that allow remote control of different systems, but TeamViewer is set up to be extremely accessible, while also being powerful.

With TeamViewer, all parties install the software and then connect to a session. Control of a computer can then be passed from person to person, instead of being a one-way street as is sometimes the case with this type of software. It’s ideal for managing a team of employees as you can switch back and forth to wherever you're needed at any given time. If you're helping someone solve a problem and they need a particular file, a neat feature is the ability to drag and drop files from one computer to another. teamviewer.com

Wunderlist is the easiest way to get stuff done. Whether you’re planning a project, sharing a schedule with your virtual team or managing multiple work projects, Wunderlist will help you tick off all your professional todos. Simple and easy to use, shared lists let you manage your team’s projects and gives everyone in your team a clear overview of who’s responsible for every to-do.

Get updates on team progress without meetings; Wunderlist’s Activity Center keeps everyone in the loop when a colleague creates, completes or comments.

While the app is free to download on Android + iOS, we recommend you look at using the Wunderlist for Business to unlock the features discussed above. That will set you back around £4 a month per user. wunderlist.com/business

A U N I QU E O P P O RT U N I T Y Brand New Premium Grade A offices in the heart of Uxbridge 129,676 sq ft available as a whole or on a floor by floor basis For more information see W W W. B E L M O N T- U X B R I D G E . C O M

Charles Dady charles.dady@eur.cushwake.com

Mark Emburey mark.emburey@colliers.com

Henry Harrison henry.harrison@eur.cushwake.com

Toby Lumsden toby.lumsden@colliers.com

19

ACROSS THE NETWORK

A GO TO GUIDE

Listings Befitting the UK’s second largest economic powerhouse, we invite you to discover a bonanza of business events that are taking place across the sub-region.

BARNET

North London Branch Monthly Networking – FSB Greater London We will be meeting for a morning coffee. A drop in with no agenda, just an opportunity to meet other business owners.

No charge to attend – just pay for what you eat and drink.

WHEN: First Monday of every month: 8am - 9.30am WHERE: Cafe Buzz, 783 High Road, N12 8JY Please email Michael Lassman – chair.northlondon@fsb. org.uk – if you intend on coming or if you would like further information.

Buzzing Business Club – FSB Greater London

With a female focus, Buzzing Business Club is a hub of FSB (North London) Women who work together, share knowledge, experience, support and help each other in growing their businesses. Together with the Federation of Small Businesses we lobby the interests of women who run small businesses.

Tickets cost £5 on the door. Drink and snack provided.

WHEN: Fourth Monday of every month: 6pm - 8.30pm WHERE: Cafe Buzz, 783 High Road, N12 8JY For more information and upcoming dates, visit fsb.org. uk/regions/greater-london or contact Denise Beedell at Denise.Beedell@fsb.org.uk

Link4Coffee – Barnet

Link4Coffee events are informal morning drop-in sessions, created to provide a regular opportunity to unwind, share knowledge and connect with - not just local business people - but all kinds of interesting individuals from your local community.

Just £3 for your tea/coffee and no charge to attend.

WHEN: Fourth Friday of every month: 11am - 12.30pm WHERE: The Arkley Hotel, Barnet Road, EN5 3EP For more information, contact Clare Pilikian; barnet@link4growth.biz or 07774 457577

BRENT

Stadium BNI (Wembley) Weekly Networking

BNI is more than just the world’s largest networking organisation. Its networking events are second to none. BNI provides a positive, supportive and structured environment for

20

the development and exchange of quality business referrals.

WHEN: Every Wednesday morning: 6.45am onwards WHERE: Holiday Inn (Wembley), Empire Way, Wembley, HA9 8DS For more info or to visit the chapter, contact Chapter Director Consultant, Monique Simons on 0208 930 5668

Business Breakfasts – FSB Brent

Meet with other businesses in Brent and have the opportunity to Q&A the Brent business team. Venue location is by Willesden Green Jubilee line. Light hot and cold breakfast options.

Tickets are £5 for FSB members and £10 for non-members WHEN: Every second Monday of the month: 8am - 9.30am WHERE: Mandalin Café, 66 Walm Lane, NW2 4RA Choose your date and make your booking in advance at fsb.org.uk/regions/greater-london/london-diary-events

EALING

Ealing Business Partnership (EBP)

Ealing Business Partnership (EBP) is a forum that provides an opportunity for Ealing businesses to connect with each other and with representatives of Ealing Council, including officers and councillors. The EBP forum is free to attend.

The forum takes place three times a year - in February, June and October at various locations across the borough. It runs for 90 minutes: 7pm - 8.30pm CONNECT: To be added to the mailing list to receive details of events, please send your preferred email address to AnsteeJ@ealing.gov.uk with ‘EBP’ in the subject line.

Fabulous Women and Marvellous Men, facilitated by The Training Pack

The agenda: informal networking, one minute pitches, an informative speaker, a networking tip and an education slot. This is primarily a women’s networking group which welcomes men who understand that women tend to focus on relationship building rather than immediate sales. Visitors can attend three meetings before being required to join.

WHEN: First Friday of every month: 10am - 12noon WHERE: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel London – Ealing, 2-8 Hanger Lane, W5 3HN For more information visit fabulous-women.co.uk

Networking with Ealing Connect

Ealing Connect has been hosting morning and afternoon networking events fortnightly since May 2016 and was founded by Ealing based entrepreneur Anita Wong.

Costs £15 and includes tea/coffee/soft drink from the bar and a pastry. There is no annual fee or tie in, so come along to collaborate, network and introduce yourself.

WHERE: Charlotte's W5, The Old Stable Block, Dickens Yard, Longfield Avenue, W5 2BF Visit ealingconnect.co.uk/calendar for details of upcoming meetings, or email Anita Wong at info@ealingconnect.co.uk

Ealing Business Forum (EBF)

Ealing Business Forum meets once a month and aims to connect SMEs to support the economic wellbeing and growth of Ealing businesses and residents as well as provide a forum for the business community to meet each other and share experiences. Membership / attendance free of charge.

CONNECT: For more details, contact Geoff Langston 07780 605 868 or geofflangston@glconnects.com

Link4Coffee – Ealing

Link4Coffee events are informal morning drop-in sessions, created to provide a regular opportunity to unwind, share knowledge and connect with - not just local business people - but all kinds of interesting individuals from your local community.

Just £3 for your tea/coffee and no charge to attend.

WHEN: Third Thursday of the month: 10am - 11.30am WHERE: Limeyard Restaurant, 8 Ealing High Street, W5 5DB For more information, please contact Dipa Kotak – EalingDL@link4growth.biz or 07855 429415

The Athena Network Ealing Group

The Athena Network aims to put like-minded women together who are passionate about growing and developing their business. Many of our members also benefit on a personal level from the support and inspiration they get from other members as well as from the organisation.

WHEN: Third Tuesday of every month: 12noon - 2pm WHERE: The Duke Of Kent, Scotch Common, W13 8DL To book your place at the next meeting or to discuss membership, please email Joanne Sumner at joanne. sumner@theathenanetwork.com

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM

To book for the next Harrow meeting or to discuss membership, please email Debbie Diggle at debbie.diggle@ theathenanetwork.com

One of London's most successful network groups, with some of London’s most dynamic businesses. Our chapter meets bright and early every Friday morning.

WHEN: Every Friday morning from 6.30am WHERE: St Paul's Centre, Queen Caroline St, W6 9PJ For more info or to visit the chapter, contact Kapil Kapur, Membership Co-ordinator on 0845 163 0149

Link4Business – Harrow

Hammersmith BNI Weekly Networking

Hammersmith Breakfast Networking from Your Business Community

Link4Business provides a structured and educational networking environment for businesses. Link4Business events have two speaker slots. An educational or inspirational speaker and a second slot for a speaker from the community.

WHEN: First Thursday of every month: 7pm - 8.30pm WHERE: Travellers Rest Beefeater, Kenton Road, HA3 8AT To book for an upcoming event, please visit eventbrite. co.uk/o/link4business-8291245270. If you need any further information, contact Dipa Kotak at londonDL@ link4growth.biz or 07855 429415

Join us at this breakfast networking group in the heart of Hammersmith. A few yards from both tube stations, bringing local business owners, the self-employed, entrepreneurs, trades and service/product supplies together. The morning includes a buffet breakfast with unlimited tea, coffee and juice.

Tickets must be reserved / paid for in advance – YBC Premium Members pay £12. YBC free and non-members pay £15.

WHEN: Every second Thursday of the month: 8am - 10am WHERE: Belushi’s Hammersmith, 28 Hammersmith Broadway, W6 7AB Book your place at yourbusinesscommunity.co.uk/events For more information or to discuss membership, email info@ yourbusinesscommunity.co.uk or call 0333 358 3399

HILLINGDON

The Athena Network Shepherd’s Bush Group

Link4Business – Ruislip

The Athena Network aims to put like-minded women together who are passionate about growing and developing their business. Many of our members also benefit on a personal level from the support and inspiration they get from other members as well as from the organisation.

WHEN: Fourth Thursday of every month: 12noon - 2pm WHERE: The Bull, Southern Terrace, London Westfield, Shepherd’s Bush, W12 7GB To book your place at the next meeting or to discuss membership, please email Joanne Sumner at joanne. sumner@theathenanetwork.com

HARROW

London Harrow Breakfast Business Networking with 4Networking

Relaxed, friendly and productive networking which includes 40-second round, three 10-min 1-2-1s with people you choose and a guest speaker. Please bring £15 (cash only), business cards, literature and a big smile.

WHEN: Second and Fourth Friday of the month: 8am - 10am WHERE: Travellers Rest Beefeater, Kenton Road, HA3 8AT To book in for one of our meetings, find the event you wish to attend at 4networking.biz. For more information, contact Harrow Group Co-ordinator Gowan Clews on 07540 987388.

Harrow Breakfast Networking from Your Business Community

In the heart of Harrow with great tube and bus connections, this is a great way to build up your local connections in a relaxed environment while finding new clients, suppliers and friends.

Tickets must be reserved / paid for in advance – YBC Premium Members pay £12. YBC free. Non-members pay £15.

WHEN: Every second Wednesday of the month: 8am - 10am WHERE: The Harrow, 269-271 Station Road, HA1 2TB Book your place at yourbusinesscommunity.co.uk/events For more information or to discuss membership, email info@ yourbusinesscommunity.co.uk or call 0333 358 3399

The Athena Network Harrow Group The Athena Network aims to put like-minded women together who are passionate about growing and developing their business. Many of our members also benefit on a personal level from the support and inspiration they get from other members as well as from the organisation.

WHEN: First Thursday of every month: 12noon - 2pm WHERE: Grim’s Dyke Hotel, Old Redding, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, HA3 6SH (HA3 6SE for satnav)

Gateway 2 Business – Business Breakfast Meeting

In a relaxed and friendly environment, Gateway 2 Business are a long-established group of professionals and tradespeople who meet weekly. This enables us to be ambassadors and salespeople for each other’s businesses. We're always on the lookout for referrals that we can pass to our fellow members.

WHEN: First and third Thursday of the month: 7am - 8.30am WHERE: Barn Hotel, West End Road, HA4 6JB For more information, call 07799 627500 or email info@ gateway2business.co.uk

Link4Business provides a structured and educational networking environment for businesses. Link4Business events have two speaker slots. An educational or inspirational speaker and a second slot for a speaker from the community.

WHEN: First Thursday of the month: 7pm - 8.30pm WHERE: Café Rouge, 10 High Street, HA4 7AW To book for an upcoming event, please visit eventbrite. co.uk/o/link4business-8291245270. If you need any further information, contact Dipa Kotak at londonDL@ link4growth.biz or 07855 429415

B2B Networking Hub – Basepoint Eastcote

The Networking Hub format is largely informal; with a brief talk from a guest speaker, a complimentary light buffet lunch and plenty of opportunity to network with other attendees.

Spaces at our events are limited.

WHEN: Monthly: 12noon WHERE: Basepoint Business Centre, Canada House, 272 Field End Road, Eastcote, HA4 9NA For details of upcoming networking events please email eastcote@basepoint.co.uk or call 0208 582 0234

HUBB Business Breakfast with Ward Williams

A monthly business breakfast offering networking with local professionals to enjoy breakfast; with discussion around a different topic and a guest speaker every month.

WHEN: Second Thursday of every month: 8am - 9.30am WHERE: Bay Lodge, 36 Harefield Road, UB8 1PH We would be delighted if you could join us. RSVP helen. thompson@wardwilliams.co.uk to book your place or for further details.

Hillingdon4Business

Hillingdon4Business is a free, drop-in, business networking group in Uxbridge, supported by Hillingdon Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Bird & Lovibond solicitors, Handelsbanken and Ward Williams accountants.

There is no need to book, just turn up, buy a coffee, and join us in the area we have reserved upstairs.

WHEN: First Wednesday of every month: 8.30am - 10am WHERE: Costa Coffee, The Pavilions, 51-52 High St, UB8 1JP For details, email info@hillingdonchamber.co.uk

Business over Breakfast (BoB Club) Heathrow

Our concept is to facilitate collaboration and synergies between businesses and being part of a team. We commence

networking at 6.30am with the aim to start breakfast at 7am. This half hour slot will provide you the time to get a hot or cold beverage and circulate with other guests.

WHEN: Fridays, fortnightly: 6.30am - 9am WHERE: Mercure London Heathrow, Shepiston Ln, UB3 1LP For details, email info@hillingdonchamber.co.uk

HOUNSLOW

The Athena Network Chiswick Group

The Athena Network aims to put like-minded women together who are passionate about growing and developing their business. Many of our members also benefit on a personal level from the support and inspiration they get from other members as well as from the organisation.

WHEN: Fourth Tuesday of the month: 12noon - 2pm WHERE: The City Barge, Strand On The Green, W4 3PH To book for the next Chiswick meeting or to discuss membership, please email Joanne Sumner on joanne. sumner@theathenanetwork.com

The Bulldog Business Breakfast

This breakfast is a four- way partnership between the Spelthorne Business Forum, Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, Surrey Chambers of Commerce and Ashford Chamber of Commerce Chambers over a full English breakfast. £5 for a full breakfast plus tea and coffee.

WHEN: Third Thursday of the month: 9am - 10:30am WHERE: The Bulldog, 556 London Road, TW15 3AF For further information and upcoming dates, please email sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk

Chiswick Business Lunch with Hounslow Chamber

This Business Lunch regularly attracts 40 guests. Please come along to meet like-minded businesses in a relaxed and informal setting. There is no need to book a place.

WHEN: Last Wednesday of the month: 12.45pm - 2.15pm WHERE: The Roebuck, 122 Chiswick High Road, W4 1PU For further information and upcoming dates, please email sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk

Fabulous Women and Marvellous Men, facilitated by The Training Pack

The agenda: informal networking, one minute pitches, an informative speaker, a networking tip and an education slot. This is primarily a women’s networking group which welcomes men who understand that women tend to focus on relationship building rather than immediate sales.

Visitors can attend three meetings before being required to join.

WHEN: Fourth Friday of the month: 10am - 12noon WHERE: Côte Brasserie, 50-54 Turnham Green Terrace, W4 For more information visit fabulous-women.co.uk

Chiswick Park Business Breakfast with Hounslow Chamber

Parking is available but needs to be pre-booked. To book parking and your place at the breakfast, please contact Sally Smith at Hounslow Chamber.

Costs £5 for networking, coffee and breakfast.

WHEN: First Wednesday of the month: 8.30am - 10am WHERE: Moot Bar, Chiswick Park, Building 3, 566 Chiswick High Road, W4 5YA To book your place or to make parking arrangements, email sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk

Hounslow Business Lunch with Hounslow Chamber

Please come along to meet like-minded businesses from Hounslow in a relaxed and informal setting. There is no need to book a place, just bring plenty of business cards.

WHEN: Second Wednesday of the month: 12.45pm - 2.15pm WHERE: The Indian Gymkhana Club, Thornbury Avenue, Osterley TW7 4NQ To book your place or to make parking arrangements, email sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk

21

ACROSS THE NETWORK

A GO TO GUIDE

West London Business 2017 Events Join West London Business for a series of events that will challenge, connect and communicate to those of us who are fortunate enough to work or live in West London.

If you have any questions regarding events from West London Business, or wish to book your place to attend, please register at westlondon.com or contact Clarence Bretz at clarence.bretz@westlondon.com

Park Royal Social

The Park Royal Social is a fantastic opportunity from Park Royal Business Group for you to meet other local businesses from across Park Royal. With over 30 regular attendees from across the local business community, you're sure to find good company and opportunities to collaborate with potential partners and suppliers right on your doorstep to unlock the potential of your business.

WHEN: First Thursday of the month: 5pm - 7pm WHERE: The Co Club, The Perfume Factory, 140 Wales Farm Rd, North Acton W3 6UG

West London Futures

West London Futures is a half day conference and a key fixture in West London Business' 2017 calendar, with over 200 senior public and private sector professionals from across the seven boroughs of West London expected to attend. The conference will explore the future of West London in key areas such as transport, education, sustainability & climate change, health, regeneration & development and more. This will also be your opportunity to feedback on the draft recommendations emerging from the work of WLB’s four policy commissions.

WHEN: Thursday 9 March 2017: 12noon - 6pm WHERE: The Drum at Wembley & Hilton London Wembley

West London Property Lunch

FOR BUSINESS LEADERS

Corporate Lunches

Throughout the year West London Business convenes intimate, invitation-only lunches for senior leaders in member companies on specific locations, themes and issues. To find out more email ryan.smith@westlondon.com

Business Leaders at the Fullers Hock Cellar

Over 100 businesses attend this annual highlight in the West London Business events calendar which attracts delegates from far and wide and offers a grand opportunity for likeminded businesses to network in the surroundings of the iconic Griffin Brewery.

WHEN: Thursday 14 September 2017

FOR NETWORKING

West London Property Lunch

Our property lunches are the perfect platform to connect with over 70 key influencers from West London’s property, construction and planning sector. Enjoy focussed discussion with guest speakers who will tackle London’s many property challenges and how they relate to your business. With a threecourse lunch as well as unlimited networking potential, the West London Property Lunch is the place to develop ideas and grow new partnerships.

WHEN: Fridays 12 May, 1 September, 17 November 2017

FOR THE SUMMER

Summer Drinks Reception at The House of Commons

Our Westminster reception provides an opportunity for business representatives across all sectors to collaborate and discuss the way ahead. Always popular and always well attended, our summer reception also gives organisations the chance to celebrate West London’s contribution to the London economy. With guest speakers and key political figures having joined us in years gone by, you can be assured of an evening to remember.

WHEN: Thursday 6 July 2017

Park Royal Summer BBQ

Food, drink and plenty of sunshine beckons when Park Royal businesses come together to enjoy a relaxed evening of networking at the Park Royal Summer BBQ. With good food, good company and opportunities to network on offer, all are welcome to come along and unwind in the sun.

WHEN: Thursday 20 July 2017



 Clay Pigeon Shooting

Set in glorious landscape just outside central London in Northwood is WLB member Holland & Holland Shooting Ground. Enjoy an afternoon of clay pigeon shooting coupled with networking. Whether you’re a novice or a crack shot, Holland & Holland’s instructors will ensure a great time is had by all. This is the ideal opportunity for novices to try clay shooting for the first time or for experienced shooters to have an inexpensive practice session to brush up their technique.

WHEN: Friday 31 March 2017

TH E P E RF E C T P L AC E TO MEET T HE WO R LD Over 40 versatile spaces for up to 700 delegates radissonblu-edwardian.com/heathrow E htrwcb@radisson.com T +44 (0)20 8757 7903

SEVEN WONDERS

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

#1

#3

#2

#5

#4

#6

Open Spaces

#7

EALING

HILLINGDON

It’s been proven that work stress is eased by time spent in the great outdoors. Simon Wong shares some West London gems.

The Grand Union Canal runs right through the borough of Ealing into neighboring Brentford, and riverside is the perfect spot for taking in the features of the local area. The real highlight is the Hanwell flight of locks, at the top of which lies the Three Bridges, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

An engineering feat connecting three modes of transport, it comprises of a canal crossing and a railway being crossed by a road. To unwind after your walk, why not head to the canal side pub, The Fox – a fine watering hole.

HIRE: Canals are free. Reservations are taken at The Fox. WHERE: Green Lane, Hanwell, W7 2PJ canalrivertrust.org.uk/places-to-visit/destination/65/ hanwell-lock-flight

BARNET

HARROW

Whether golf is or isn’t your cup of tee, there’s no denying its place as a classic business pastime that transports you away from the workday grind to socialise with partners, prospects and colleagues alike. North Middlesex Golf Club offers a package of corporate away days and guest membership sessions. Events can be combined with their meeting facilities to offer a perfect blend of indoor and outdoor activities.

HIRE: Contact Caroline on 020 8445 1604 or via email at office@northmiddlesexgc.co.uk WHERE: The Manor House, Friern Barnet Lane, N20 0NL northmiddlesexgc.co.uk/visitors/corporate_days

Step back in time and host a team away day at Harrow School.

There are plenty of options available across the 265 acres of space, including fencing, fives and archery. You can book one of three away day activities; Traditional Harrovian Adventure – a day full of quintessentially British sports; WildGoose – a whole School treasure hunt; and Bear Grylls Survival Academy – for those who want a more intense experience, take part in this survival skills experience.

HIRE: Three away day packages available, alongside a variety of other indoor and outdoor hire options.

WHERE: Harrow School Enterprises Ltd, 5 High Street, Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, HA1 3HP harrowschoolenterprises.com

It might not be the Seychelles, but hidden amongst the traffic of West London is a little oasis ready for you to discover.

Ruislip Lido is a reservoir and artificial beach. A great place to escape to for an alternative staff social. Originally opened as a feeder reservoir for the Grand Junction Canal in 1811, the reservoir was reopened in 1933 as a lido. While you can’t don your swimming gear and take a dip, the beach is available for all the normal activities from sandcastles to sunbathing (weather permitting). There’s also a café, fishing platforms, changing area and free parking. Why not book a table at The Water’s Edge, local pub/restaurant, to enjoy the best of both worlds?

HIRE: It’s free, so turn up and enjoy the natural surroundings.

To reserve a table at The Water’s Edge call 01895 625241 or visit stonehouserestaurants.co.uk WHERE: Reservoir Road, Ruislip, HA4 7TY hillingdon.gov.uk/ruisliplido

#1. North Middlesex Golf Club

#3. Hanwell Lock Flight

#4. Harrow School

BRENT

#2. Civic Centre Gardens

Brent Civic Centre gardens stands in the shadow of one of West London’s best known open spaces, Wembley Stadium. This is a gem of a space to host a summer party and can be combined with one of the other spaces to add a covered option to your event. Broken into three sections, each hireable separately, the secluded gardens offer flexibility for a variety of events.

HIRE: Contact the team at Brent Civic Centre direct for details on hiring the garden and other spaces - call 020 8937 1234 or email customer.services@brent.gov.uk WHERE: Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, HA9 0FJ brent.gov.uk/your-council/brent-civic-centre/aboutyour-civic-centre

HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM

#5. Linford Christie Sports Centre

Put a spring in your step and host an event at the Linford Christie Outdoor Sports Centre. Home to one of the UK’s leading athletics clubs, the Thames Valley Harriers – the club has a host of facilities including football, rugby and hockey pitches. If the thought of five-a-side doesn’t float your boat, why not host a company-wide Walking Race for charity.

HIRE: Details of track hire and pitch hire available on their website – various options available. .

WHERE: White City, on Artillery Way, W12 ODF lbhf.gov.uk/sport/leisure-centres/linford-christieoutdoor-sports-centre

#6. Ruislip Lido

HOUNSLOW

#7. Boston Manor House

Boston Manor House, one of West London’s lesser-known gems, is a fine Jacobean manor house built in 1623. Set back from Boston Manor Road in Brentford, the building is situated in parkland containing a lake and ancient cedar trees – and its lawn is the perfect setting for a staff social or summer soiree. And, if you’ve got any jitters about the English summer weather, you can book the grand state room with period features, the dining room or the recently refurbished library.

HIRE: Lawn available for private parties, games and entertainment. Other rooms available for up to 60 people seated or 80 people standing.

WHERE: Boston Manor Road, Brentford TW8 9JX hounslow.info/arts-culture/venue-hire

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simon Wong has been General Manager at Radisson Blu Edwardian, Heathrow, since November 2015. The hotel is a stone’s throw from Heathrow Airport. Simon joined Edwardian Hotels London in 1996 straight from university and has been General Manager at several other Edwardian properties, including Vanderbilt, Grafton and Leicester Square. linkedin.com/in/simon-wong-2137601

23

SPOTLIGHT

AWARDS

West London Business 2017 Awards “OPDC is delighted to be sponsoring this prestigious event for the 2nd year running. There's no better way to recognise the success of Park Royal than by celebrating the achievements of one of the ‘best in class’ businesses. OPDC is committed to protecting and strengthening Park Royal as the UK, and one of Europe’s largest and strategically most important industrial areas, and we're working to ensure local businesses and workers are ready to maximise future opportunities that follow the arrival of HS2 and Crossrail. Congratulations to Co Work Hub for being highly commended and to The Polish Bakery for winning Park Royal Business of the Year Award.”

Parcelly – Highly commended, Logistics Business of the Year Award

L-R: Konnie Huq (host), Jane Milton, Chika Russell of Chika’s Foods

Victoria Hills Chief Executive Officer Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation linkedin.com/in/victoria-hills-6a53a29 West London Business 2017 Awards Winners On February 2, over 300 representatives of business, and their guests, from across seven North-West London boroughs descended upon Wembley Stadium to celebrate the region’s success at The West London Business Awards 2017.

A milestone recognising local business success, the fourth edition of the awards covered three themes: sector leadership, sustainable & responsible business and economic growth.

Five new award categories were also introduced this year, including: Franchise of the Year; Aviation Business of the Year; the Community Investment Award; Responsible Supply Chain Award and Coworking Space of the Year. The new categories, in addition to the existing awards, produced a highly competitive field of nominees, with 23 awards up for grabs in total and the largest ever shortlist for the annual awards ceremony.

Finalists represented all sectors including retail, construction, hospitality, and finance. Traditional sectors such as baking and signwriting were also there, in addition to the very best of West London’s tech firms whose products and services could hardly have been imagined 20 years ago.

Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq joined proceedings as host; alongside DJ’s Rusty Egan and young West London talent DJ Krish and graduates from the London College of Music. The awards also helped raise funds for the official charity of the awards, The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, through a silent auction.

The big winners on the night were The Polish Bakery, who scooped three awards including the prestigious title of West London Company of the Year. Founded in 2003, the Polish Bakery began by supplying Eastern Europeans in London through independent stores, before going nationwide, and now supplying Asda, Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsburys. The awards selection panel highlighted how the Polish Bakery was an outstanding example of how local roots can breed national success.

Victoria Hills, Chief Executive of Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation who were a principal sponsor of The West London Business Awards, said of the winners: “This has been a fantastic way to start the new year by celebrating the very best of business in our area and on behalf of OPDC, I’d like to extend congratulations to everyone who claimed an award tonight.”

Andrew Dakers, Chief Executive of West London Business and a member of the selection panel said of the winners: “I was personally very impressed with the standard of entries we saw for this edition of the awards. Every year the selection process gets that much harder and that’s clearly due to the growing competitiveness and higher standards we’re seeing from West London firms with every passing year. All of the finalists are prospering, creating jobs and contributing to our local economy and are setting the benchmark for the next generation of talent in our area.”

HAVE A SPARKLING CHRISTMAS

L-R: Konnie Huq, Liz Pilgrim from MaternityBuyer.com, Yvonne Ogorek

Christmas Early Bird Offer Book now our Christmas banquet packages and enjoy a 10% discount on your booking, when we receive confirmation of your event by 31 August 2017.

For more information and to book your Christmas party, please contact the Events team on +44 (0) 207 872 2912 or email events.tara@millenniumhotels.co.uk Copthorne Tara Hotel London, Scarsdale Place W8 5SR

THE WEST LONDON BUSINESS AWARDS 2017 – WINNERS IN FULL OVERALL WINNER WEST LONDON COMPANY OF THE YEAR 2017 The Polish Bakery SECTOR LEADERS BUSINESS SERVICES COMPANY OF THE YEAR Alexanders Removals and Storage Ltd. LOGISTICS BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Alexanders Removals and Storage Ltd. Highly Commended: Parcelly Cllr Julian Bell and Cllr Muhammed Butt with Octink

RETAIL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Dreams Limited TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Chargebox HOSPITALITY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Westfield London - Destination Food FOOD AND DRINK BUSINESS OF THE YEAR The Polish Bakery Highly Commended: Chika's Foods PROPERTY AND CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Wilkinson Construction Consultants CREATIVE AND MEDIA BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Maternitybuyer.com FINANCE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Handelsbanken

L-R: Ruth Cadbury MP, Wilson Clarke from Lofbergs, Konnie Huq

MANUFACTURING AND ENGINEERING BUSINESS OFTHEYEAR Chargebox Highly Commended: Everglade Windows FRANCHISE OF THE YEAR Appt Corporation trading as McDonald’s Highly Commended: Recognition Express AVIATION BUSINESS OF THE YEAR En Route International Ltd SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS RESPONSIBLE WORKPLACE AWARD JGA Group

Cllr Julian Bell

Bob Blackman MP

L-R: Cllr Julian Bell, Donna Williams from A Slice of Nice, Cllr Muhammed Butt, Konnie Huq

APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR Alex Hubbard Employer: One Care IT | Training provider: Uxbridge College Highly Commended: Alexandria Achilleos. Employer: Aqua Restaurant Group Training provider: Uxbridge College Jubril Enyoisi. Employer: JGA Group as workplace mentor Training provider: The JGA Group Sinead Fletcher-White. Employer: Colham Manor Primary School | Training provider: Uxbridge College Louie Maggioni. Employer: James J. Hutchinson Building Solutions | Training provider: West London’s College Sukvinder Mahey. Employer: Accendo Pharma Training provider: The JGA Group COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AWARD Shepherds Bush Housing Group Highly Commended: A Slice of Nice | Octink GREEN BUSINESS OF THE YEAR BRITA Vivreau Highly Commended: Kolak Snack Foods RESPONSIBLE SUPPLY CHAIN AWARD BRITA Vivreau Highly Commended: Lofbergs ECONOMIC GROWTH PRODUCTIVITY AND INNOVATION IN BUSINESS AWARD Locata COWORKING SPACE OF THE YEAR Dephna Group Highly Commended: Co Work Hub EXPORT/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR Durbin SME OF THE YEAR vDoc PARK ROYAL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR The Polish Bakery Highly Commended: Co Work Hub

West London Company of the Year – The Polish Bakery Awards Photography: Stephen Johnson Angus

25

OPINION

AUTOMATION

The impact of automation on the West London economy is being closely watched.

It is a significant long term trend that needs to be understood so we can better inform planning decisions and investment in skills.

Nigel Cramb, Partnerships Manager London Borough of Hillingdon

Andrew Dakers asks: With the growing influence of automation and AI on the job market, are we headed towards a techno-topian future or on the verge of auto-pocalypse?

 Andrew Dakers Andrew Dakers is CEO of West London Business. In a voluntary capacity he chairs the regeneration charity for Brentford High Street, which operates Brentford’s Sunday market, as well as Ealing’s Business Partnership. He started his working life as an IT contractor at the BBC in White City and then advised on business change in GSK’s global supply chain. More recently he has led education-business charity Spark!, public affairs at BITC, The Prince of Wale’s responsible business network, as well as the sustainability and business ethics course on the University of Bradford’s Distance Learning MBA.

26

DOWN TOOLS Baxter, a revolutionary new workbot from Rethink Robotics can be taught by unskilled workers to perform their tasks by simply moving its arms into various positions.

EX MACHINA Robo-advisers offering algorithmic automated investment management services are reinventing investing through platforms such as Betterment.

HIT THE ROAD Uber, the disruptive taxi service, has started trialling a fleet of self-driving Ford Fusions in Pittsburgh, picking up Uber riders who opted to participate in the test program.

15m

Work in Progress Auto-pocalypse The world of work as we know it is in a state of flux.

Since its publication in 2013, Carl Frey and Michael Osborne’s The Future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? has fuelled the automation debate, citing that a whopping 47% of US jobs across 702 occupations face the threat of imminent extinction. Subsequent studies have put the equivalent figure at 35% of the workforce for the UK. According to McKinsey, key West London sectors with the most potential for automation are accommodation and food service, transportation and warehousing, retail, and healthcare.

From the self-checkout aisle of supermarkets to the collation of legal papers, robots and computer software will increasingly be taking the place of humans in the workforce for the most automatable activities: data collection, data processing and predictable physical work. But the potential of automation and AI to disrupt labour markets goes way beyond that.

At the heart of the automation revolution is insatiable innovation and processing power. While a future of humanfree factories and driver-less delivery vans may come as no surprise, it is the far-reaching effect of deep learning and AI that poses a previously unforeseen threat to white-collar workers and expands the potential of automation way beyond the factory floor.

In healthcare for example, Enlitic’s technology can interpret a medical image in milliseconds – up to 10,000 times faster than the average radiologist. Enlitic’s system is 50% better at classifying malignant tumours and has a falsenegative rate of zero. In hospitality, Café X is piloting a robotic barista in San Francisco, whilst at Henn-na restaurant in Japan a robot called Andrew (!) is flipping pancakes.

With examples such as these the public imagination has tapped into the idea we face mass unemployment. The posterchild of this thinking is Silicon Valley executive Martin Ford – the author of Rise of the Robots – who warns of an AI run “jobless future” in which robots, once thought of as a threat to only manufacturing jobs, replace humans as teachers, journalists, lawyers, doctors et al. This has spawned debate – particularly alive in Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Silicon Valley – around the need for a Universal Basic Income or Digital Dividend to compensate the potential losers from rapid technological change.

Techno-topia The fear of technological advancement is nothing new.

Predictions that humans would be rendered redundant by the introduction of machinery goes back to the industrial

revolution and the Luddites’ protests. In fact, the introduction of machines in the industrial revolution created many new jobs the machines could not do and through increased production and lower costs led to a boom in the weaving industry. Rather than destroying livelihoods, technology led to a change in skills and the nature of jobs.

To improve the efficiency of their back-office, many West London small businesses are now following their larger competitors and automating more processes. The creative industries for example, who rely heavily on IT, have grown as new software and image sourcing services improve workflows and spark creativity. Book-keeping has gone through a shake-up with new tools such as Xero and Receipt Bank that reduce employment in low skilled tasks, but provide financial savings that can be passed on to customers and shareholders or reinvested in the business.

We must also closely watch robotics. The speed of advances in robotics has completely outpaced that of improvements in human productivity. 64% of the CEOs PwC surveyed feel the gains from this technological leap will not only come in improving existing business functions, but in the new business models and new roles that robotics could create.

TIP: If you are a manufacturing CEO find out if robotics is right for you by taking PwC’s robot-ready self-assessment. http://tinyurl.com/robotready In short, automation doesn't destroy jobs, it changes what jobs are needed. However, it is difficult to predict what the jobs of the future will be. If you described to your parents 30 years ago the virtues of UX (User Experience) design or the role of an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) specialist, they would have been baffled. There is little doubt that automation will eventually replace a swathe of routine tasks previously undertaken by humans, but the upshot will be the creation of roles that are more strategic, creative and consultative, or involve empathy or social interaction – that work symbiotically with and are enhanced by their interaction with new technology.

Boom or Bust?

Is this the end of society as we know it? Or, are we on the cusp of an exciting new future where opportunities abound?

Automation and AI will not lead to the imminent mass unemployment prophesied by some futurists. That theory fails to account for the potential new positions created as a by-product of maintaining these complex new systems

Estimated number of jobs in Britain at risk of being lost to automation – Bank of England study

and bringing to services that improve our quality of life on stream. However, the need to reskill quickly in response to automation will be a huge challenge facing West London’s workforce. We will all have to tackle this head-on or face the consequences of our inaction.

West London businesses and their employees must discuss what the jobs of the future look like in different scenarios.

Adapt or die may sound extreme, but the reality that separates this – the fourth industrial revolution – from its predecessors is the breakneck speed at which change is occurring and the broad base of occupations it impacts. Disruptive technology waits for no one and those who fail to learn the new skills needed may find themselves unemployable.

The lesson we all need to learn is in the future, if you want to succeed, you will want to understand coding fundamentals, think creatively and critically, as well as be socially adept.

That begins with education.

The army of coders that will maintain an economy with more automated business processes and robotics may be better off honing their skills at the vocational level in secondary school and Further Education colleges, rather than going through expensive computer science degrees.

Schools such as Hounslow’s Logic School Studio are focused on equipping pupils with the vocational skills and mindsets needed to embrace change and compete in the new economy.

Mid-life career changers are likely to attend intense monthlong programmes such as Makers Academy and General Assembly. These coders won’t have the deep knowledge to craft wild new algorithms for flash trading or neural networks, but will be able to code JavaScript for their local hotel. Selfimprovers tend to pay for cheap, short programmes that bestow “microcredentials” and “nanodegrees” in, say, selfdriving cars or the Android operating system.

Left to their own devices, there is a danger that these new education providers mainly serve those who already have advantages. This is perhaps why governments are now exploring paying new providers such as Coursera, the online education platform, to reach veterans in the US, youth in Pakistan and would-be financiers in Kazakhstan.

For the continued stability of West London it is crucial that we recognise how business, education and government must work even closer together to help the workforce adapt.

Although future roles may remain unclear, what is certain is that new and exciting opportunities will unfold for people and businesses who embrace technology and upskill to meet the new world of work. makersacademy.com

Look to the Future They say death and taxes are inevitable, but the old adage was coined way before its author knew about technological advancement. Here are three key strategies for business leaders and policy makers to pursue: Strategy #1: Invest in and develop AI for its many benefits.

If care is taken to responsibly maximize its development, AI will make important, positive contributions to your business’ and West London’s productivity growth.

Strategy #2: Educate and train West Londoners for jobs of the future.

As AI changes the nature of work and the skills demanded by the labour market, local people will need to be prepared with the education and training that can help them continue to succeed.

Delivering this education and training will require investment.

Strategy #3: Support workers in the transition and ensure the benefits of growth are shared.

Workers and job seekers must be able to pursue the job opportunities for which they are best qualified and positioned, and receive fair reward for their work.

27

IN THE KNOW

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Full Circle Imagine a world where waste doesn’t exist – where products are designed and optimised for a cycle of disassembly and reuse. Dan Epstein helps us get our head around the thinking behind a circular economy.

During the final week in January 2017, London set records for the most polluted air it has ever experienced.

Kings College London estimate that about 10,000 people die prematurely every year in London from pollution related diseases. Air pollution is not the only issue facing businesses and residents across the city.

Loss of biodiversity and green space, the threats of climate change, including flooding and overheating, are challenging our way of doing business.

Many of these issues are directly connected to the way we consume, move, live, do business, power and heat our industries and cities. The disconnect between the economy and environment is all too clear. However innovation in new greener business models offers an alternative that could decouple growth from our impact on the environment.

The circular and sharing economy models represent new ways to do business. The circular economy is an alternative to the traditional ‘make, use and dispose of’ model, in which very little material is recovered from goods at the end of their useful life. The circular economy seeks to design goods and services in a way that deliberately challenges built-in redundancy and waste by ensuring products and goods retain their value for as long as possible, and allows the embedded materials to be recovered for reuse by industry when they are no longer useful.

The authors of Cradle to Cradle, a concept that seeks to test the idea of circular economy, have eloquently described how we can keep products and materials in the economy by separating biological and inert (technical) materials from one another and ensuring that each group of materials can be reused through careful design.

Park Royal is home to one of the biggest food production clusters in the UK, resulting in an enormous amount of organic waste and creating a major problem for waste collectors. Innovation in food waste management, such as anaerobic digestion, or other forms of nutrient extraction, could generate valuable heat (CO2 gas) for use in power generation and nutrients and fibre that could be converted into building products or other uses.

Imagine if the food waste was taken to a refinery within

£23bn

The circular economy is an alternative to the traditional ‘make, use and dispose of’ model, in which very little material is recovered from goods at the end of their useful life.

the area to be converted, and the valuable materials then returned to greenhouses on the roofs of existing buildings to grow tomatoes, salad, and pulses for use in sandwich production. The CO2 could be used to increase yield, along with heat. While waste water rich in nutrient would provide irrigation, thereby relieving pressure on Counters Creek and the River Brent, which cannot cope with more runoff.

These sandwiches could then be sent to Heathrow by a new fleet of electric barges using the electricity produced by photovoltaic cells, other renewable sources, or from energy generated from the gas from the anaerobic digestion plant. All created at the same refinery. The waste food could also be returned as part of a reverse logistics process, to be treated and turned back into new produce.

Virtually all the heat required to provide hot water and warmth for the Park Royal community could be generated from ‘lost’ heat including energy from waste, heat from the sewers and the Grand Union Canal, heat from the underground aquifer or waste heat from data local centres.

Our demand for carbon intensive heat and power could be significantly reduced with these new methods, thereby helping to meet the Mayor of London’s zero carbon waste target, whilst potentially generating new income for local businesses. These concepts are being tried elsewhere and offer real potential to the area. What is needed is collective commitment to a local energy strategy, with a power and heat network that could be owned by those people who live, work and thrive in the area.

A greener, cleaner, circular economy could be part of a new, more profitable and collaborative way to do business in West London. It needs leadership and partnership but the technology and innovation is here.

Virtually every business in the area could benefit from such an approach.

 Dan Epstein Dan is the Sustainability Lead creating policy and development solutions for Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). Old Oak and Park Royal is home to the biggest regeneration project in London which will deliver 25,500 new homes and 65,000 new jobs.

Dan is also the Founder and Director of Useful Simple Projects, and was previously the Head of Sustainable Development and Regeneration for the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority.

With over 30 years’ experience working on environment and sustainability projects, Dan's strengths are knowledge of the whole sustainability agenda and how it applies to development.

A common theme linking his work has been the degree of uniqueness – his projects are often seen as extraordinary or trailblazing, turning sustainability policy into real and practical outcomes on some of the biggest and most challenging projects.

28

Reinventing the Wheel Amazon estimates that 70% of vehicles travelling around London are empty or partially empty and could carry more goods if those people who needed materials moving could be better connected to those people with the capacity. Car sharing has been here for some time and Uber are changing the face of transport across cities around the world. The same technologies could be used to share space in trucks, tools and materials, and access to space and facilities across estates in West London. Airbnb already fills this role for spare rooms and apartments, supported by ever improving social media and data.

amount UK businesses would benefit per year adopting the circular economy – Defra

70%

360°

Inner Circle If you are thinking about implementing circular economy principles in your organisation, there are a myriad of excellent resources you should explore. Here’s our top recommendation.

While the theory behind the circular economy is relatively straightforward, implementing the approach in your business will take a lot more thought.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation They work with business, government and academia to build a framework for an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design. Their website is packed with useful resources including The Circular Economy Design Guide and CE100 programme, which brings big business and SMEs together to develop new opportunities. ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

The circular economy model is more than being essential to securing materials for future generations, it’s also a serious business opportunity. Adopting circular economy processes sooner rather than later will certainly bring added benefits. But how to get started in order to make it a successful transition? Below are four initial steps to help you on the road to circularity.

PHASE

WHAT IT INVOLVES

BENEFITS

SET GOALS AND CREATE AN ACTION PLAN

Making the shift towards a more circular approach means evaluating all aspects of your business to see where adoption can be effectively implemented. Think about how renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy. For example, can resources in-use be maintained, repaired or upgraded to maximise their lifetime and given a second life through take back strategies. Think about waste streams as a source of secondary resources and how you can recover waste for reuse and recycling. Think big and be bold.

This phase helps companies to fully understand their exposure towards the future risk of operating in a linear fashion vs adopting a circular model.

Depending on the business, weight can be attributed to specific areas such as business planning and strategy, innovation and product development, sourcing and manufacturing, sales and marketing and return chains.

It is critical that you ensure everyone in the company understands its new goals and ambitions. This is a fundamental shift in how your business will be run.

Depending on the size and structure of the organisation, arrange training sessions to ensure everyone knows what it means and how they can participate. When employees are inspired, they’ll be more effective contributors.

When everyone in the organisation understands the principles of the circular economy and is aware of how these need to be integral to your core activities and operations they will be able to contribute multi-fold, not just from a technical point of view.

INNOVATE AND OPTIMISE

What part of the circular value chain stays in-house?

And what portion should be outsourced? Piloting and learning new approaches along each link of the value chain will work best for some businesses—from design to manufacturing, retail and reverse logistics. For others, the optimal strategy will be to focus on, and master, a limited set of capabilities. It’s also vital to define the technology set that best suits your strategy and circular business model.

The evaluation and testing of processes for initial improvement are the key to success. This is a new world of possibilities, fresh discoveries and the pushing away of previously accepted boundaries. Be aware that the most attractive circular opportunities will take time and resources to pursue.

ENGAGE

Start engaging your business partners, suppliers and clients with regard to your new ambitions and actions.

Set up processes that enable you to continuously collect data, listen to users, and evaluate variations in performance. Then make plans about how you can make the necessary improvements to your strategy and your products as you progress.

The community is also a vital part of circular economy success. Many companies already working with circular economy-inspired philosophies are using each other's products, sharing their experiences and developing partnerships. Identify the opportunities available to you.

By adopting the circular economy and its principles, your company can gain real competitive advantage.

Getting ahead of rivals by innovating for both resource efficiency and customer value – and creating change at the intersection of your company’s strategy, technology and operations.

The result will be a future of resource security and opportunity that you can use to position yourself as a leader in your respective field.

EDUCATE AND ACTIVATE YOUR BUSINESS

Take a fresh look at new homes in West London AVAILABLE NOW Oak Grove, Acton W3. Kenton Lane Farm, Kenton HA3.

COMING SOON Wood End Gardens, Northolt UB5. Signal Walk, Marlow SL7.

Sylvan Court, Northwood HA6. Horn Lane/Western Avenue, Acton W3.

Beechengrove, Rickmansworth WD3. Parkview Court, Northwood HA6.

R E G I S T E R YO U R I N T E R E S T N OW

www.clearviewhomes.co.uk

Telephone: 01923 840048

Revolutionists Below are a cross-section of companies who are successfully leveraging the circular economy: Winsun New Energy Co The company uses 3D printing to print houses in less than a day using recycled material—at a cost of less than £4,000 per home.

Michelin They've adopted the Product as a Service model to create an innovative programme in which fleet customers can lease instead of purchase tires outright.

Desso The company developed a separation technique which enables separation of yarn and other fibers from carpet backing for reuse in the production of new yarn.

City Harvest They collect surplus food from all segments of the food industry (Morrisons, M&S, Sainsbury, Whole Foods, Nando’s) to get their nutritious food to desperate people and reduce their waste collection costs.

Reuse

SMART CITY

INNOVATIVE IDEAS

Green Chemistry According to a recent report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “without fundamental redesign, about 30% of plastic packaging will never be reused or recycled.” – meaning ever more plastic into landfill, and into our oceans.

Non-biodegradable plastics are an unchecked and growing source of pollution worldwide. And scientists are increasingly documenting the adverse impact of non-biodegradable plastics on marine life and whole ecosystems. Moreover, when humanity pollutes and damages the aquatic and terrestrial environments with non-biodegradable plastics, it’s putting all of our wellbeing at risk.

That’s why Polymateria’s work is so critical. Using advanced technology, their chemists have engineered the means to biodegrade fossil-based plastics into biomass, water and CO2. Their revolutionary products are 100% biodegradable, recyclable, customizable, and cost-effective. In short, they are setting a new industry standard to combat global plastic pollution, and have already been recognized by international certification bodies such as AFNOR.

100%

Polymateria plastic products’ capacity to biodegrade

Based in the Imperial White City Incubator at the Translation & Innovation Hub, Polymateria is backed by a team of world-class chemists, material scientists, and plastic specialists.

What they have managed to achieve collectively will have a profound effect on the future of the planet.

Every one of their products completely biodegrades, leaving behind zero toxins, resulting in everything being converted into carbon dioxide, water and biomass.

They are even able to create plastic products that have a predetermined shelf life, after which biodegradation occurs. From food packaging and household products to plastic bags and agricultural films, the applications and positive outcomes for the environment are as far reaching as they are profound.

For examples, in open environments their garbage bags will biodegrade completely; when disposed of in landfills after use, the bags do not release any methane gases and will degrade as long they come into direct contact with oxygen. In agriculture, Polymateria’s biodegradable mulching films are unique in the industry, with guaranteed degradation timelines ranging from six weeks to six months, while leaving no trace of plastic residues or toxic metals — only biomass, CO2, water and minerals, so the product is 100% environmentally sustainable.

Their technology was developed with one goal in mind: give business the right tools to end plastic pollution. By doing so, they’re empowering business to fundamentally rethink the way we produce, use and recover plastics, design plastic packaging and implement standards for the common good.

Yoyo Wallet Yoyo Wallet is aiming to become the latest mobile payment craze by conjoining mobile payments systems with integrated loyalty schemes. Yoyo’s personalised basket data transforms customers from anonymous purchasers to individuals with habits, tastes and motivations who can be targeted with offers and loyalty programmes by retailers. In turn, consumers gain from the fast payment transactions and get to consolidate and maximise their loyalty rewards effortlessly in one app. yoyowallet.com

Bright Ideas Wazoku’s collaborative idea management software Idea Spotlight, provides structure to capture, evaluate, prioritise and select ideas. It is a highly flexible platform that allows you to build communities for innovation, employee and stakeholder dialogue and insight.

With this single platform you have access to your entire crowd – whether internal or external, known or unknown, near or far. Tap into the communities you need to capture the ideas that will impact your organisation. Idea Spotlight’s built-in analytics suite also provides insight for data-driven decision making. wazoku.com

For further information, visit polymateria.com

Leading the Charge

Making Code Child’s Play SAM Labs are the creative minds behind the best-selling and award-winning SAM construction kits that are designed to unleash the creativity of children and help them learn to code through play. In a nutshell, SAM is a smart construction kit using blocks to connect wirelessly to the SAM app, enabling you to create amazing inventions.

From building and racing cars to designing a musical conductor’s baton that plays the piano on your laptop, this is serious fun that helps to build the minds of the future. samlabs.com

30

9.5m People currently lack a minimum level of digital skills according to a study by the House of Lords digital skills committee.

4k Number of students doing computer science A-level.

Fewer than 100 are female.

Nexeon Technology has patented a unique way of structuring silicon so that it delivers extended cycle life and significantly increases battery capacity.

In contrast to carbon, Nexeon's silicon anode materials have a much higher capacity for lithium and as a result are capable of almost 10 times the energy capacity per gram (mAh/g).

Silicon anode lithium-ion batteries allow for greater energy storage capacity and smaller battery size, or for greater battery life between charges.

As well as increasing capacity, the technology reduces the amount of material used in the Li-ion battery, providing key advantages to manufacturers of a range of consumer goods. nexeon.co.uk SECTION SPONSOR:

ThinkSpace, operators of The I-HUB, offer the opportunity to be part of a distinctive community and to work alongside companies involved in a variety of sectors, at every stage of their lifecycle. The team provides a full consultation package from workspace assessments and fit outs to IT solutions ensuring your business is supported in every step of its development. imperial.ac.uk/thinkspace

PERKS

DE-STRESS

Pamper Party Nothing relieves tension like an afternoon at the Spa. Relax and rejuvenate in a sanctuary created to heal both mind and body – an escape where therapists and aestheticians provide a personalised spa experience in a peaceful and unwinding environment.

Escape your world at The Park Club MediSpa and luxuriate in ultimate relaxation and wellness, where you can retreat for a time of sheer indulgence with workmates. Why not treat your colleagues to a ‘Pamper Party’ package aimed at corporate clients.

Choose from 30 or 60 minute indulgences including manicure, pedicure, facial or massage. theparkclubmedispa.co.uk

Retail Therapy Massaging the Figures Modern life can be challenging and, at times, stressful. The difficulties of balancing the competing demands of the workplace and our personal lives can affect the most capable of people. We explore five wellbeing ideas to keep staff relaxed and rejuvenated.

A corporate wellbeing initiative should not just be viewed as a staff perk – it’s also good for business. Proven to increase staff attendance, talent retention and productivity. On the flipside however, a whopping 25% of people have had time off work in the last year due to stress related issues according to the BHSF report, Breaking the Cycle.

Given the evidence, it may come as a surprise that 72% of workplaces currently have no formal mental health policy, despite it costing UK employers £26 billion each year in both short-term and long-term absenteeism.

Stress affects us all Young people are working zero hour contracts and multiple jobs, the so-called sandwich generation are working to support the generation below and care for the generation above, and the older generation are working longer and past retirement, with financial worries and debt increasingly becoming the common factor across all of the three generations.

These changing demographics and challenges of modern life are conspiring to create a vicious cycle of sleepless nights, fatigue, sickness absence and underperformance at work.

Life-work stress is not of itself a diagnosable mental health condition. However, multiple stressors and

cumulative stress increase the likelihood of developing a common mental health disorder, where in any one year, one in four people will experience anxiety or depression.

Hands-on help The great news is implementing simple stress-relieving initiatives can have a huge benefit and be really easy to implement. One of our favourites is in-office massages.

Urban Massages specialise in taking the knots out of corporate shoulders, with a team of therapists who visit clients across West London. All of the equipment is provided, including massage chairs brought to your office by the therapist and will only require a small area or corner of the office to get setup.

Mini treatments of 10 or 20 minutes will include head, shoulder, back and arm massages and are performed fully clothed. You will be provided with an online booking forms for your team to secure their slot - so there’s no admin for you to do. Simply get in touch to discuss your team and its requirements and they will tailor a plan to suit your needs and budget.

Want to make a splash at an event? Why not book their event service. On-site chair massages are a great way to attract clients to your stand at busy events or launches. corporate.urbanmassage.com

Treat your team to personal styling tips from Be Styled UK. They understand what it means to excel in business and this goes beyond just helping you choose fantastic clothes. Personal grooming, confidence and finding your own personal style are also key to gaining confidence. Helping you to look good and feel good – this is team building done in style. the-be-group.uk/be-styled-uk

Flexi-Time Yoga trains muscles and the mind in the most efficient way possible. Whether it’s the calming stretches or the fact that you are off your devices for an hour a day, practicing yoga is proven to lower stress levels. A few months of yoga increases gammaaminobutyric (GABA) levels in the brain which are crucial to preventing depression and anxiety. Yoga West offers yoga and pilates classes and courses from London’s best instructors in a relaxed space. yogaat.com/yogawest

Double Barrel If you are looking for stress relief of a different kind, why not take aim at a clay pigeon shooting corporate day out. Holland & Holland offer fantastic facilities set in beautiful North-West London grounds with highly qualified instructors at hand to ensure your day goes with a bang. They also offer archery, quad bikes and mini-hovercrafts if the thrill of clay pigeon competition misses the mark. hollandandholland.com

31

HILTON LONDON WEMBLEY & BRENT CIVIC CENTRE

THURSDAY 9 MARCH 2017 10AM 4.30PM

West London Futures conference is a key milestone in the West London business community’s 2017 calendar, with over 200 senior private and public sector professionals from across the seven boroughs of West London expected to attend.

THE CONFERENCE WILL FEATURE • Keynotes from senior public and private sector leaders • World Cafe workshops • Audience-led debate with a panel of key West London leaders from the public and private sector • Multiple networking opportunities!

KEYNOTE RAJESH AGRAWAL Deputy Mayor of London for Business

KEYNOTE EMMA HINDES General Manager at Westfield

ATTEND TWO WORKSHOPS, CHOOSING FROM: 1 Education & Skills 2 The Built Environment 3 Transport & Infrastructure 4 Sustainability & Climate Change 5 Health & Well-being 6 Creative & Technology 7 Export/International Trade DOWNLOAD & REVIEW THE POLICY COMMISSIONS’ REPORTS Built Environment

Education & Skills

Sustainability & Climate Change

http://tinyurl.com/wlbuiltenvironment

http://tinyurl.com/wleducation

http://tinyurl.com/wlsustainability

Transport & Infrastructure

http://tinyurl.com/wltransport

The draft reports will launch on Thursday 9 March. E-mail your feedback on the draft recommendations to clarence.bretz@westlondon.com

Lead Sponsors:

Associate Sponsors:

Book tickets at www.westlondon.com/events/westlondonfutures/ or call 020 86072500