Corporate Vision July 2016

PROFESSIONAL HIRING UP 1% YEAR-ON-YEAR

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BUILDING KNOWLEDGE HINDERS INNOVATION, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH

Exclusive Interview with Billionaire Dr. Andy Khawaja www.corp-vis.com

Andy Khawaja is a winner of the American Genius Award and founded globally renowned payments company, Allied Wallet.

Dr. Khawaja speaks with us about how he has successfully set up his company and what is next for his multi-billion dollar business.

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Vision Housing Annys Darkwa

Closerstill Media Healthcare Ltc

MOST INNOVATIVE BUSINESSWOMAN Vision Housing is a London-based charity and social enterprise providing housing and ongoing support to ex-offenders.

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Page 18 Corporate Vision l July 2016

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EDITOR’S NOTE

EDITOR'S NOTE Welcome to the latest issue of Corporate Vision Magazine.

In this quarter’s issue we speak to the CEO of Allied Wallet, Andy Khawaja, about his billion-dollar online empire, and how the firm is setting high standards in the e-commerce industry. Annys Darkwa of Vision Housing gives us an insight into how the organisation has helped members of the London community, who were ex-offenders, lead a better lifestyle.

CloserStill Media’s COO/CFO, Jonathan Wood, shares his industry experience and how the company has grown over the years to achieve such recognition in the industry.

Other award winners, whose achievements we recognise and reward within the magazine, include Blacktower Financial Management for One to Watch in Offshore 2016, pensions provider Assurance des Travailleurs du Sénégal, Centaur Asset Management in the Hedge 100, SCM Group for Best for Woodwork Machinery Italy. Also awarded with Fund Manager of the Year are ARA Management Pte Ltd, Genero Capital LLC and Harwood Capital.

Alongside this we explore a number of relevant corporate issues, such as five reasons why business schools should invest more in ‘online’, taking the first steps to simplifying the card payment process, professional hiring goes up 1% year-on-year and the hidden benefits of being ill and coming into work.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

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CONTENTS

IN THIS ISSUE NEWS 6. BUILDING KNOWLEDGE HINDERS INNOVATION, ACCORDING TO NEW RESEARCH 7. FIVE REASONS WHY BUSINESS SCHOOLS SHOULD INVEST MORE IN ‘ONLINE’ 8. MARKETING WORKERS LEAD THE WORKPLACE ILLNESS EPIDEMIC 9. NFL CAREER ADVICE: WHAT YOU KNOW MATTERS MORE THAN WHO YOU KNOW

RECOGNITION 10. EXCELLENCE IN E-COMMERCE - ALLIED WALLET 12. SAVEUTEL COMMUNICATIONS INC. - TELECOMMUNICATION EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2016 14. MOST INNOVATIVE BUSINESS WOMEN - ANNYS DARKWA - VISION HOUSING 16. CEO OF THE MONTH - ACTIVTRADES ALEX PUSCOS 18. FINEST IN BUSINESS - CLOSERSTILL MEDIA HEALTHCARE LTC. 20. BEST PENSIONS PROVIDER - SENEGAL 22. BEST CONSTRUCTION INVESTMENT COMPANY - GAUTENG TEBATSO HOLDINGS PTY LTD 23. CAPE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS 26. ONES TO WATCH IN OFFSHORE 2016 - BLACKTOWER FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 28. CORPORATE VISION RECOGNISES CENTAUR ASSET MANAGEMENT IN THE HEDGE 100 30. BEST FOR WOODWORK MACHINERY ITALY - SCM GROUP 31. FUND MANAGER OF THE YEAR 32. GETTING YOUR VOICE BACK - SESUI

FEATURES 34. IT’S TIME TO SIMPLIFY THE CARD PAYMENT PROCESS 36. MORE THAN A THIRD OF M&A PROFESSIONALS BELIEVE ONLINE DEAL SOURCING WILL REVOLUTIONISE THE M&A INDUSTRY 38. POCKET APP SIGNS OFF ON SUCCESSFUL CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN 40. POLL IDENTIFIES HOW YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INSPIRED BY ENTREPRENEURISM WHEN EXPOSED TO SMALL BUSINESSES 42. PROFESSIONAL HIRING UP 1% YEAR-ON-YEAR 44. SICK AND AT WORK? THE HIDDEN BENEFITS 45. VERIPHY LIMITED 46. THREE IN TEN SAY CHANGES TO BUSINESS RATES WON’T HELP HIGH STREETS

Corporate Vision July 2016 l 5

NEWS

Building Knowledge Hinders Innovation, According To New Research Building knowledge, if managed incorrectly, can hinder innovation, according to new research from HEC Paris business school.

PhD student Pier Vittorio Mannucci, demonstrated that the trend amongst professionals for developing specialised knowledge can become a detriment to their ability to be creative over the course of their careers, negatively impacting their organisations.

His study examined the ebb and flow of creativity over a 35-year period in Hollywood animation studios such as Pixar, Disney, and DreamWorks, analysing the awards of a selection of core members of creative teams to determine individual creativity.

Mannucci says: “There are dangers that arise after around 10 years when over-specialisation can occur. The more the employee knows about something, the more it becomes the only thing they see. By realigning the focus to areas outside of the field, managers can promote agility of the mind and fresh perspective, which will translate as renewed creativity.”

He found that a focus on building specialist knowledge early on in a career can help foster innovation over a four to five year period.

However, beyond this, specialism can cause individuals to become increasingly inflexible.

He concludes that creativity over a long career is dependent on an ever-evolving balance of specialised and diverse knowledge-building.

Managers should support specialisation throughout an individual’s early career, yet new stimulation is needed later on to enhance creativity. Offering new methods of output, further education is the most successful means of achieving this.

Mannucci identified two different types of knowledge-building which, when employed concurrently, can enhance creativity across different stages of an individual’s career; specialised knowledge – building skills and abilities in one particular area, and diverse knowledge – building skills and know-how in other areas of the company, or in another discipline altogether.

Mannucci adds: “Is it any coincidence that much HR research suggests that employees are most likely to leave after about 10 years’ service? This is because a lack of diversifying knowledge leads to reduced creativity, making work dull – and resulting in a loss of valuable human capital.

This is a huge risk for businesses that are relying on individual creativity to stay ahead of the curve in business.”

By allowing employees to diversify and broaden their focus to other interests, Mannucci says managers can avoid over-specialisation in their staff, and keep perspectives fresh.

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NEWS

Five Reasons Why Business Schools Should Invest More In ‘Online’ There are five distinct reasons why business schools should be investing more in ‘online’ learning, according to Sophie Gay Anger, Head of Pedagogical Innovation at SKEMA business school.

1.

The ability to individualise student learning paths and feedback – This makes these processes more tailored toward the student and encourages their participation and engagement.

2.

Moving online allows a shift in the learning relationship from professor to community – Online and distance programmes encourage autonomous learning by allowing peers to review activities, adding value to their input and creating a more global dynamic.

3.

The need to develop key competencies for global managers – Distance team and multicultural management skills are more crucial than ever in the global business environment. Students who develop these skills early will be at a distinct advantage in the job market.

4.

The ability to offer new teaching experiences and challenges – This allows teachers to demonstrate their expertise through diverse and interesting methods of learning.

5.

Online facilitates the development of a ‘continuous learning’ attitude – New and innovative learning tools and practices mean all activities are an opportunity to make links with fellow students and reflect on study topics collaboratively.

Sophie says: “Online courses are revolutionising the way business schools teach. Logistical problems such as organising seminars, workshops and courses across global campuses and time zones are currently impossible without a digital presence. Yet these online courses and platforms allow students around the world to join academic activity independently of time constraints.”

“Of course, blended and face-to-face courses still represent the major part of learning, but the work we are doing to pilot new ways to deliver online learning is demonstrating that it is possible to work together online as effectively as if they were in the same classroom together, a huge head start for those entering – or already working in – global careers. I believe that in five years’ time, it won’t matter where the student or teachers is.”

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NEWS

Marketing Workers Lead The Workplace Illness Epidemic Marketing workers are putting their health and that of their colleagues at risk, by not taking time off work when they are sick with infectious illnesses.

Survey findings published in the Digital Healthcare Review by PushDoctor.co.uk, an online service that allows patients to connect live to a UK-based GP via video, have revealed 86% will go into work with an infectious illness, whilst almost two-thirds (64%) of marketers would go into the office with flu or a throat infection.

And 86% of marketing workers admitted they don’t feel comfortable calling in sick when they are unwell, regardless of how ill they are.

The data suggests this is in part due to a problem with workplace culture, as almost 1 in 3 of those who work in the marketing industry (29%) claim they feel under pressure to go into work when they are ill.

Almost one in six (14%) marketers say their boss would prefer them to be at work if they had an infectious illness, as long as it wasn’t serious suggesting many companies are not recognising the impact contagious conditions can have on the workforce’s health and, therefore, productivity.

This isn’t, however, lost on workers – over a third (36%) of marketing employees feel uncomfortable being around their colleagues when they are infectious.

The illnesses marketers are most likely to go into work with are coughs and colds (59%), tonsillitis, sinusitis (33%), throat infections or strep throat (32%), flu (22%) and the norovirus (15%).

Eren Ozagir, CEO at PushDoctor.co.uk, comments: “Work pressures can mean finding the time to see a doctor and get advice about whether sick leave is necessary can be difficult.

UK marketing firms must provide their staff with working cultures that encourage seeking medical advice and time off to recover.

“Providing employees access to a GP who can give expert diagnosis or opinion on when it is best to stay at home, or whether they are fit for work, can save the rest of the office from contagious diseases and illness. Accessing a

GP can be made less time consuming and more convenient - services like PushDoctor.co.uk ensure patients can attend GP appointments wherever they are, including in the office.

“Having employees in the office while they’ve got contagious illnesses is not good business sense, and it has a detrimental effect on productivity, morale and staff turnover.

Dr Adam Simon, chief medical officer at PushDoctor.co.uk, added: “When you are ill, your body needs to dedicate a lot of energy to fighting the infection or virus - and if workers are having to make their way to the office and perform to their usual levels, that means there is less energy available to aid recovery. As such, quite often, when sick workers are given the time to recover, they will do so faster, allowing them to return to focusing 100% of their energies on their work.

“Being pressured to recover in the office also means there is a greater chance of the illness being spread amongst the workforce - which can be disastrous for company-wide productivity.

“There is a reason why Fit for Work notes exist and workers and employers alike need to ensure that medical advice is being sought and acted upon, in the event of illness.”

This culture of presenteeism is worst in the marketing industry, where 50% believe their boss would prefer them to be at work if they had an infectious illness, unless it was serious.

Meanwhile the utility industry (39%) and manufacturing (27%) followed in second and third place.

Marketing workers (29%) were second only to utilities workers (34%) in feeling pressured to work from the office while unwell.

PushDoctor.co.uk is an online service connecting patients with friendly and highly skilled, GMCregistered UK General Practitioners, via secure video consultations, wherever they are.

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NEWS

NFL Career Advice: What You Know Matters More Than Who You Know Working for a high-profile manager can secure a promotion at another organisation, but being hired based on a connection might not lead to a successful career in the long run, NFL-based research from UCL School of Management reveals.

Professor Martin Kilduff studied the National Football League (NFL) in the US to see if the protégés of successful head coaches were also successful. He found that football assistants who worked under star coaches were 52% more likely to get a better next job than those with less impressive backgrounds, but the benefits were short-lived and often harmful in the long run.

The findings indicate that employers often rely on the reputation of connections as a measure of ability.

Professor Kilduff says: “The NFL is an intense, hyper-competitive environment where performance can easily be measured. The effects we see here are actually likely to be stronger and last longer in the corporate environment.

Hiring managers should consider more than the reputation of the famous connection, the professor advises, and ask how much success is attributable to the person rather than their past boss.

In the end, a competitive job market will selfcorrect over time, and those with impressive endorsements won’t be resistant to the impact of their performance.

The study, co-authored by Craig Crossland, University of Notre Dame; Wenpin Tsai, Pennsylvania State University; and Matthew Bowers, University of Texas at Austin, looked at the career outcomes of almost 1,300 coaches over 30 years. The findings were published in the journal Academy of Management.

“A high status connection might reflect well on you, but if you’re hired on your own merit, you’re more likely to be promoted and less likely to be demoted.”

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RECOGNITION FEATURE

Excellence in E-commerce Allied Wallet is a pioneering online payment firm offering a wide range of services which support both merchants and their customers. We caught up with the firm’s CEO Andy Khawaja to find out more about the latest developments in the e-commerce market.

Allied Wallet offer a vast array of services to throughout the international e-commerce market, and are now among the largest firms in the industry.

Andy Khawaja, CEO and founder, discusses the latest emerging trends he has encountered in this constantly evolving industry.

“In the e-commerce market today the key trend is for mobile payment services, as clients are constantly reliant on their mobile devices and services such as Apple Pay make it easier for them to make purchases on the move. As such Allied Wallet is increasingly focusing on supporting electronic transactions through devices such as iPads and smartphones.”

Allied Wallet is currently growing at a rapid pace, with increased sales reported around the world, including a 25-30% increase in US business per quarter and a 20-22% rise per quarter in Europe.

Andy explains the reasons behind this vast success and how the firm is continuingly pushing to be the best in the industry.

“Recently my firm has experienced a real surge in growth thanks to the vast improvements we have been making to our technology. Downtime is a real issue in the e-commerce industry, and some banks and payment providers have their systems down for hours at a time when whilst they are updated, and this can cause serious issues for their clients who rely on their technology to support their business.

“Therefore Allied Wallet prides itself on never having had any downtime in the 10 years it has been in business. Our system is also more reliable than our competitors’ as we have relationships with banks around the world, and are able to remotely connect to their systems and ensure that clients are supported wherever they are.

“We also offer our unique Next Generation Gateway, which means that when traveling clients are connected to our system in the region they are in, not the one in which their card was registered.

This means that they do not have to deal with the hassle of verifying that they are using their card each time they travel to a new country, which both prevents fraud and reduces the inconvenience for the customer.”

Another key issue that e-commerce firms face is the prevalence of local payment forms. Whilst Visa

and MasterCards are accepted throughout the world, whereas local payment sources are often only accepted in their country of origin. According to Andy, this is an issue which his competitors are failing to address.

“When a customer goes abroad, they often take with them their local credit card, and sometimes struggle to make purchases or have to visit a bank because merchants in other countries are not able to accept all forms of payment. This is a shame, as my motto is “Never turn money down”.

“As such Allied Wallet has worked hard to integrate a wide range of cards into our system, and will accept even cards which are usually restricted to specific countries or regions, allowing greater ease for the client and more business for the merchant.

“This integration extends beyond just credit cards, and we aim to offer our merchants the same level of convenience by providing a platform which comes fully equipped with every shopping cart software available so that they do not have to integrate them into their own software. This endeavour has taken us a long time, and it is still ongoing, but it is worth the effort to provide the ultimate platform for my merchant clients.”

The future is an exciting time for Allied Wallet, as Andy explains his riveting new business venture which will allow him access to a new market.

“My latest project is a new virtual shopping mall, which will be a combination of eBay and Alibaba, with full social media integration. Users will be able to use visual search technology to take a picture of the item they want, then search through every available shop. They will then be able to hold an auction in which the sellers bid to offer them the best price.

“Once they have purchased an item they will be able to share it with their friends on social media, which is a key aspect of the technology as social media platforms are an ever growing market.

“Ultimately the project will be a serious challenge, but it is one I am looking forward to. I am always searching for new ways to innovate and disrupt the market, and I am eager to see how both my competitors and clients will take to my new platform.”

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CONTACT DETAILS FEATURE Company: Allied Wallet LTD Website: www.alliedwallet.com

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RECOGNITION FEATURE

Saveutel Communications Inc. Telecommunication Excellence Awards 2016 Founded in 2004, Saveutel is a Technology Expense Management (TEM) company that specialises in managing IT and telecom expenses. We spoke to Robert Benchetrit, President of Saveutel, to find out more about their company and how they have continually saved costs for their clients.

We only know one dance at Saveutel, and that’s to save our clients as much money as possible. We probably could make more money selling services or products, but we stick to what we know best and that’s to audit our clients wireless phone bills for savings. We achieve this by providing the most thorough wireless audit possible. We also help our client better understand their options and educate them on what to look out for in their billing before they pay it.

cost effective wireless rates available with their current cell phone provider. In fact, our company has audited more wireless invoices than probably all our competitors combined. Our experience in working in almost every industry has taught us a lot. We in turn use our experience in helping our new and existing clients improve their bottom line. As such, we are now seeing many of our old clients’ coming back to Saveutel to have their wireless bills audited for a second time.

Saveutel understands companies don’t have the time, expertise or resources to make sure their billing is accurate. They certainly can’t count on their wireless provider to assist them. I often ask our client “when was the last time the carrier called you to review your bill?”, and the answer for most is never. We exist and continue to exist because most wireless carriers do a very poor job at making sure their clients are not losing money.

From my experience, we are working in an industry that is getting more confusing and complicated.

The service providers are offering more and more services than ever before. In terms of billing, we see most carriers do a very poor job at making sure their clients are not losing any money. We have been in business over 13 years as a result of wireless companies making so many billing mistakes and over charging their clients.

Alongside our TEM services, Saveutel also acts as a mediator for its clients between U.S. and Canadian carriers such as Bell Canada, Rogers Communications, Telus Mobility, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint. This service is primarily offered to small and medium enterprises. We also get to work with major companies like Nike, BMW and Cisco, which certainly makes our job exciting. Regardless of the client, it is always rewarding when we see them save money as a result of our expertise and service.

Going forward, I would like to see the CRTC in Canada do more at protecting businesses in general. They have implemented many new rules helping consumers. However, many of the new rules do not apply to business accounts.

As a result, businesses in Canada continue to have one of the highest cell phone bills in the world. However, we hope that more and more businesses will learn the value of the work we do, and we will continue to lower the costs of business across the country. With this recognition from Corporate Vision magazine, we are confident that we will continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our clients.

Working with the carriers to clean up a client’s invoice is no easy task. It’s especially frustrating when they acknowledge an error has taken place and they still refuse to issue a full credit. Many times we are able to get around their 90-day policy by explaining the client was not aware that an error occurred.

In terms of my background, I have been in the industry since 1995. Having worked at Rogers for almost ten years, I have known from day one that most companies today are overpaying for cell phone services. We estimate that Canadian business are losing over 300 million dollars a year due to billing errors and not having the most

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CONTACT DETAILS FEATURE Company: Saveutel Name: Robert Benchetrit Email: rben@saveutel.com Web Address: www.saveutel.com Address: 400 Applewood Cres., Suite 100, Vaughan, Ontario, L4K 0C3 Telephone: 416-559-5555

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RECOGNITION FEATURE

Most Innovative BusinessWoman Annys Darkwa - Vision Housing Vision Housing is a London-based charity and social enterprise.

Founded in 2007, it was set up to provide housing and ongoing support to ex-offenders as well as vulnerable people living on the streets within our London community.

Annys Darkwa, the founder and director of Vision Housing, maintains a simplistic view of her business strategy, one that is borne out of genuine care for people in the most vulnerable communities in the London boroughs.

“The main goal of our work is to process vulnerable people, getting them housed in an environment in which they can feel safe and receive support, which will benefit their lives in the long term. The way we do this is all part of a tailored package; we house ex-offenders in the private rented sector, focussing on working towards improving care, whatever form that may take.”

Discussing how Vision Housing attracts its clients, Annys is forthcoming. “We receive referrals through statutory and third-sector organisations. We bring these clients in to our offices and assess them. If they fulfil all of our criteria, then we will work closely with them in order to secure suitable sustainable accommodation for them.

“When locating accommodation, we might need to adjust our scope based on the client’s individual needs, requirements, or the nature in which they were referred to us. A lot of the work involves tailoring packages to specific clients, based on available accommodation and the support that we can provide them, within whatever community we resettle them back into.”

Looking back on her past experiences, Annys highlights the positive effect that she regularly gets to witness in her line of work.

“I recall one young lady that was referred to us five years ago. She came to us as a very frightened former inmate, but under our watch, she gained a voluntary job, she exceeded in this position. I then proceeded to successfully apply for funding to pay her wages, and she was able to gain employment. While there’s nothing that I could learn from that, per se, being an ex-offender myself, what I did get from that experience – what I get from all such successful experiences – was a great deal of satisfaction

and pride. It was a genuinely joyous thing to see someone like her turn her life around in that sort of way, with realistic opportunities in front of her for the first time in a long time. This young lady went onto manage the London Probation Service Level Agreement, completing her Information Advice and Guidance Qualification, followed by a management course, in both of which she exceeded.”

Vision Housing has been able to take advantage of its expanding clientele to offer a greater range of services. Providing accommodation to homeless individuals as well as ex-offenders is only the first step in an ongoing expansion plan.

Having recently become an approved Training Centre with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), Annys can provide Level II mentoring and training in Substance Misuse.

“With this training, our clients can subsequently go away and visit prisons so that they can train and mentor inmates. This has a knock-on effect for us, because when people are released from prison, they might well come to us. In this way, by spreading positive messages that we are having a positive change in people’s lives, we gain the exposure necessary to help even more people.”

While most of Vision Housing’s business is done by relocating ex-offenders between the boroughs of London, there have been occasions when Annys has successfully negotiated a client’s resettlement elsewhere. “We have in the past been able to allocate housing for clients in Kent, even as far away as Cornwall. It all just comes down to practicality – if we can do it, and if we feel that it would be the best thing for the client, then that’s what we will do.

“Ultimately, the work we do is designed to provide close support for the people that we have housed. It is about tailoring the package of support for each individual.

“This is vital, because we move people out of their offending area, and when the client is in a new area with which they are unfamiliar, we need to be able to access any form of service,

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make contact with any organisation in that borough, on behalf of that person. We extend this same level of service to all of our clients.”

Sticking rigidly to this goal for the last nine years, Vision Housing has successfully resettled and rehabilitated a great number of ex-offenders within the London area, attracted by the prospect of a better quality of live outside of prison. Vision Housing completed the first UK study linking offending rates with housing; conducted by MMU and the police, the results demonstrate that Annys’ work has reduced offending across London.

Juliette Martin of the Epsom and Ewell Borough Council bears testimony to this success.

“The assistance Vision have given to us to find accommodation for some of our single homeless clients has been invaluable, particularly as the people we refer are often difficult to house or would find it difficult to find their own accommodation. I hope Vision are able to continue with their service as it has been a huge resource for our department over the last two years.”

With such a firm base in the nation’s capital, Annys expresses her interest in expanding her reach, whilst also reacquainting herself with her native Wales. “Having just bought a house there, it seems only right that my company come with me, so that we can expand our operation there.”

Sam Pearse and Megan McNutt, Pillsbury Law Sam Pearse is a Partner and Megan McNutt is an Associate in Pillsbury’s corporate and securities practice in London.

CONTACT DETAILS FEATURE Company: Vision Housing Email: info@visionhousing.org.uk Phone: 0207 924 6727 Web Address: www.visionhousing.org. uk/visionhousing.org.uk/index.html Address: Suffolk House, George St, Croydon, Greater London CR0 1PE

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RECOGNITION FEATURE

CEO of the Month – ActivTrades Alex Pusco ActivTrades is an online finance broker, which offers a range of services including Spread betting, Forex, CFDs and Indices. Having seen continuous growth since its launch in 2001, the firm celebrates 15 years in the industry this year: a milestone for its performance in managing its global customer base. Initially founded in Switzerland, the company’s central operations are now carried out in its headquarters in London, with two other offices across the globe.

Alex Pusco, the founder and chairman of ActivTrades, saw the company establish itself initially as an online trading platform, with a principal role as a Foreign Exchange (Forex) brokerage. Being based in Switzerland, this placed the company in an ideal starting position from which to invest in a number of deals trading between the currencies within Europe. However, it was the decision to transfer the central operations of the company to London in 2005 that enabled ActivTrades to penetrate a greater range of European markets, as well as undertake Cross-Atlantic trade between the Euro and the Dollar.

This watershed period enabled Alex Pusco to expand his company’s online product range, when in 2007 ActivTrades became counterpart to the FX market through the MetaTrader 4 platform, dramatically expanding the product and service offering.

The following year saw ActivTrades experience growing demand from traders for leveraged products, which could enable them to gain greater exposure to the market without increasing their capital investment. To meet this demand and break further ground, the addition of CFDs on indices, commodities and interest rates to the corporate portfolio was an important step in allowing a greater range of clients to take a position that was worth more on the market than their initial outlay, and one which proved historic in Pusco’s ambitions to grow the company.

By expanding its product range yet further, Pusco has successfully broken new ground in assisting traders with developing their strategies.

ActivTrades’ new Virtual Private Server (VPS) and Molanis software tools paved the way for the introduction of the Trading Central Portal, in addition to Autochartist and a host of additional add-ons to enhance its user-friendly interface.

In 2016, Molanis still takes pride of place as one of ActivTrades’ frontline products. This suite of products is specifically designed to enhance the latest versions of MetaTrader, enabling private

and institutional investors alike to maximise their trading potential through a graphic display and a leading-edge MQL code generator. Doing away with the hassle of coding, programming and attaining intimate MQL knowledge, these products remain well -placed to take advantage of a market in which industry professionals seek to minimise in-house expenditure, instead opting for reliable products that can do the job of an entire IT department and placing them at the fingertips of traders.

In light of this, the Chinese investment market has recognised the achievements and international accomplishments of ActivTrades.

A large feather in their cap has been added through being awarded ‘Best Non-Dealing Desk FX CFD and Futures Broker’ at the 8th International Investment & Finance Expo (Guangzhou). Closer to home, in Italy the company has gained further recognition as ‘Best Forex Broker’ at the ‘Internazionale Le Fonti’ in 2011 and 2012 and Best Forex Operator this year.

Naturally, ActivTrades’ in-house staff, across its three offices, has grown and diversified in tandem with the company’s international scope and penetration into global markets. To handle the dramatic increase in their scope, customers may call one of ActivTrades’ helpdesks and seek assistance in just about every major world language, including Russian, Hungarian, Italian and Chinese, alongside English, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.

Alex Pusco comments on the current state of ActivTrades in facilitating this successful enterprise, whilst keeping ethical conduct close at heart:

This level of international support is an indicator of the wide influence that ActivTrades has on traders across the globe. While a significant portion of their business remains focussed on transactions in Europe, the elusive and tempting markets of Russia and China have also yielded before ActivTrades’ quest to provide dedicated and professional service to Forex markets across the globe.

China in particular represents an exciting opportunity for ActivTrades. The country is in a transition from an export-led economy towards a more domestic consumer led economy; the impact of that transformation is being felt by other global economies. The fact that global commerce has likewise metamorphosed into a digital frontier means that an increased data flow coming in and out of China will have a key role in determining the behavioural patterns of foreign investors. ActivTrades is well placed, with its broad range of products aimed at simplifying and aiding the challenges faced by traders in this key transformative period, especially as the Chinese economy continues to show signs of continued growth.

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“There isn’t a written formula for running a successful business – the most important thing is to ensure clients are at the centre of everything we do, and this is definitely a key philosophy within the company. Every new innovative product, technical analysis or trading seminar we launch is focused on making the trading experience even better for our clients.

“Our philosophy of keeping clients at the centre of everything we do definitely sets us apart from other companies. This is evident with the extra measures we have introduced, such as negative balance protection for clients and further FSCS insurance which individually covers clients up to £500,000.

“One of my aims was to have a company that values every client, no matter how large the business grows – I believe that we do this on a daily basis.”

Indeed, ActivTrades maintains a focus on clients’ security as well as transparency. All client money is held in segregated accounts, meaning that their deposits are kept away from company funds and cannot be used for any other purpose than to support those clients in trading. This is an especial area of attention for Alex Pusco as he introduces the ActivTrades Trading Solution for Asset Managers; easily integrated into MetaTrader 4 and 5 platforms, this allows

CONTACT DETAILS FEATURE Company: ActivTrades PLC Email: rsam@activtrades.com Phone: +44 (0) 207 6500 500 Web Address: www.activtrades.com Address: ActivTrades PLC, 1 Thomas More Square, London, E1W 1YN

one Master Account to simultaneously trade on several client accounts, reflecting aggregate balance, equity and margin available on each, whilst guaranteeing the same execution price for all clients.

The diversification in the range of products on offer by ActivTrades is evidence enough of their commitment to enhancing online market trading, and it goes without saying that this stems from a close-knit relationship between the company and its employees, based on their understanding of technology and the way that its evolution is impacting on their industry.

“Our experienced marketing team continuously assess changes in the industry, to enable us to meet the evolving needs of our clients. They monitor trends, conduct customer research, and evaluate competitors.

“We proactively innovate within the market, always aiming to introduce new services or products to our clients. For example, we were one of the first brokers to introduce ActivTrades

Rewards: this is a rewards programme that allows traders to receive reward points for their trading activity. Rewards Points are exchangeable for amazing prizes, such as Samsung Televisions, Apple MacBooks and iPhones.”

Where to go from here? What does the future hold for a financial broker with a stake in almost every major market on the globe? Alex Pusco has some ideas.

“We are launching our own trading platforms for Web and Mobile, which will give our clients more flexibility and control over their trading. We are also exploring other countries to expand the company and open additional offices in cities such as Dubai.

“ActivTrades has already grown exponentially since its launch in 2001 and with large projects in the pipeline, the next five years could prove to be the best yet.”

Written by George Millar.

Disclaimers Leveraged products carry a high degree of risk to your capital.

Terms and Conditions apply to ActivTrades Rewards. Apple is not a participant in or sponsor of the Rewards Programme iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

The ActivTrades Excess of FSCS Insurance is subject to the Terms and Conditions of the policy wording, eligibility to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme depends on the nature and status of the claim.

ActivTrades PLC is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA registration number 434413.

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RECOGNITION FEATURE

Finest in Business CloserStill group limited Often described as the fastest-growing business media company in Europe, CloserStill Media specialises in high-value, contentdriven events and the nurturing of Business-to-Business and other professional communities. With a special focus in the healthcare and technology markets, CloserStill’s teams and professional events have been trendsetters in an increasingly competitive industry, in which successful companies must show a deep commitment to their clients and maintaining an authoritative integrity in their work.

The global exhibitions market is one of the most important business-to-business marketing channels – valued at $28 billion in 2013. The industry continues to show growth rates of around five per cent as thirsty investors seek to gain more intimate access to lucrative deals before making key business decisions.

It is this lucrative vein that Phil Soar and Andy Center were keen tap into in 2009, when CloserStill was founded alongside Phil Nelson and Michael Westcott. This team including Jonathan Wood, formed from the same management team that sold Ithaca Business Media, identitifed an appetite among major media groups for mid-sized exhibition businesses.

The team have since operated content-led exhibitions across the UK, Europe and the Far East. The rapid growth of their international footprint led the company to secure Inflexion’s Partnership Capital as an investment partner; this allowed them to facilitate their targeted acquisitions, and came to underpin the CloserStill philosophy of conducting business face to face.

This determination to maintain a personal link with potential clients and business partners is a curious counterpoise to the increasing prominence of online digital business. By and large, global markets since the millennial dotcom bubble, have been the site of orchestrated campaigns combining digital transactions with one-on-one marketing and events.

To the founders of CloserStill, however, the new premium that came attached to face-toface contact was a ripe target, and a significant gap in the market. Today, they maintain that real business comes from sharing the kind of in-depth and intimate interaction that can only take place in the flesh, and which cannot

be replicated online. Rather than forming a secondary component to online campaigns, CloserStill led the way in showing that it could form the centrepiece instead, in equal measure to a complimenting online market strategy.

“When undertaking a new project,” explains Jonathan Wood, the current CFO/COO, “the most important thing is to make sure that we understand the market that we are going into.

We always undertake extensive due diligence and do the groundwork, so that when we implement it, it is a simple process rather than a learning curve.”

It is certainly true that, in the face of contrast with digital strategies, markets are demanding in the way that their media shows they have a deep commitment towards their projects, and demonstrate the utmost respect for the communities they are featuring – it is, they pose, a privilege to serve the community in this way.

Jonathan, recognising this, reflects upon his own qualities, as well as his own role within the CloserStill operation. “Given the nature of the market, I would say that it is my ability to communicate and also my drive to see a project to completion that gives me the necessary qualities to do my part in making this a successful, profitable, and conscientious organisation.”

directly to marketers that are expecting events to be rich with content, delivering real value for visitors, sponsors and exhibitors. Facilitating structured one-on-one meetings while walking the show floor, and representing the market through sharp, personalised communications across bold new frontier channels – these are all qualities that Jonathan has already seen incorporated into CloserStill events. with this kind of experience under the company’s belt, their vision is only set to expand.

While this represents a grand vision, and a highly accomplishable one at that, Jonathan voices some niggling cautionary feelings about the challenges facing the industry “I think that the main challenges at the moment are concerned with the unknown impacts surrounding Brexit.

It is difficult to predict what impact this will have on all businesses in the UK. We do not yet know how it will affect our inbound sales and our international business, as we have events in Germany, France and Asia.

“In addition to that, the lack of exhibition space in London is an ongoing challenge that the industry faces.”

“Innovation is something that we definitely strive towards at CloserStill, which we manage to achieve by keeping up to date with the market, using the right contractors, staying ahead of the game and the competition.”

Speaking on a personal level, Jonathan explores how his own role has evolved on par with CloserStill Media’s reach. “The challenges and opportunities have largely been the same for me; continually growing the business year on year at a rapid rate, managing an ever growing team, and moving between different funding structures. These were all definitely challenging circumstances that have dramatically enhanced the way in which that we operate.

When it comes to delivering on these exhibitions, CloserStill maintains a philosophy in going one step beyond. Seeing the days of traditional, onedimensional trade shows as being numbered, Jonathan wants to see his company appeal

“This developed the role I worked on; I have gone from FD to CFO, and from there to COO. I have had to develop multiple different skills – leadership being just one among many – to be able to achieve what I needed to do to reach the next level.

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CONTACT DETAILS FEATURE Company: CloserStill Media Email: jonathan.wood@ closerstillmedia.com Phone: +44(0) 20 7348 5250 Web Address: www.closerstillmedia.com

“Eventually it all turned out to be an amazing opportunity, and one that we didn’t shy away from. Having become a fantastic opportunity at the end of it, I feel a great swelling pride for having gotten through those challenging times.”

With that in mind, Jonathan believes that CloserStill has benefitted from their perseverance, not only in breaking into a challenging market, but in proving themselves to be head and shoulders above the rest of the competition.

“The thing that sets us apart from other companies in our sector is undoubtedly our small, engaged senior management team, who have the ability to make key decisions quickly.

We also take great pride in our disruptive business model.

The accomplishments at CloserStill Media are, Jonathan elaborates, down to the efforts of collaboration, not a business-to-business level, but also, most especially, within the company itself. “The team at CloserStill have all worked together to achieve what we have over the past few years; it is not down to one individual, but it is instead very much a group achievement. For that, we are very proud. We have a very engaged staff structure, in which everyone in the company plays an important role.

“Really it all comes down to hiring the right people and having the correct team in place, that is what we have found is the most important thing in ensuring that the way we work is constantly being updated through innovative and fresh ideas.”

“The most important thing that I have learnt it to be all inclusive – listen and consider opinions in the decision making process.”

With this focus on maintaining a positive working atmosphere and robust structure, Jonathan inspires great things for the future of the company. While he still may harbour reservations about the long-term impact of the British exit of the European Union, he looks forward to what the company may yet achieve.

“In regards to CloserStill, we aim and strive to include everyone within the benefits of the company, as demonstrated by the share scheme where every employee is a part owner of CloserStill. Beyond that, we hope to carry on growing the business in the way we have been, to move into the next phase of business development and to deliver our aspirations.”

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RECOGNITION

BEST PENSIONS PROVIDER - SENEGAL Assurance des Travailleurs du Sénégal is dedicated to supporting and educating workers in Senegal, providing pensions products to suit all needs. We spoke to Bécaye Guindo from the firm about the services it provides.

Assurance des Travailleurs du Sénégal supports anyone working in Senegal, and offers a range of pensions products designed to meet the needs of all our clients, whether they have a lot of invest or not.

When it comes to dealing with clients I work hard to ensure that they are comfortable with the pensions product they are investing in and understand exactly what they will receive before they make any definite agreement.

As a firm we are very proud to have received an award last year from the African Corporate Excellence Awards, as the firm is only one year old and achieving something this momentous so early on in a business’s life is exceptionally encouraging.

Partnership and a collabertive work ethic are vital aspects of my work, and moving forward I am keen to cultivate more partnerships and work with other firms in the industry to support the growth of the company.

The pensions market in Senegal is competitive and difficult to penetrate, and therefore I am proud of how much I and my company have achieved in such a short amount of time.

In addition I am eager to continue with my current high level of service, offering quality advice and support to all of my clients so that they can be assured that they receive the right pensions product.

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RECOGNITION CONTACT DETAILS Company: Assurance des Travailleurs du Sénégal Name: Bécaye Guindo Email: guindo.guindo4@gmail.com Web Address: www.assurancedestravailleursdusenegal. e-monsite.com Address: Cité Imprimerie (Près rond point SOCABEC) N°2930 Rufisque SENEGAL Telephone: 76 285 6519 / 70 113 29 07

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RECOGNITION

BEST CONSTRUCTION INVESTMENT COMPANY - GAUTENG TEBATSO HOLDINGS PTY LTD Tebatso Holdings Pty Ltd is a dedicated South African construction investment firm dedicated to providing quality services.

Tebatso Holdings Pty Ltd is based in Gauteng Province, which provides a niche market for the firm’s services.

Operating internationally through their subsidiary NAMOIL (PTY) LTD in Windhoek (Namibia), the firm are an investment company with interests in the construction; mining, rural development, and related fabrication sectors.

The company’s operational activities are undertaken through a number of joint ventures and consortiums locally and international. The firm’s key competencies are in technical field such as mining engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, construction, information technology, business management and project management.

Ultimately the firm’s key objective is to provide high quality projects and services at competitive cost and exceed their customer’s expectations, with the firm committed to delivering on-time project completion.

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CONTACT DETAILS Company: Tebatso Holdings Pty Ltd Address: : 8 Hillside Rd, Parktow, Johannesburg, 2193 Telephone: 011 480 4853 Email: tumip@accountant.com Corporate Vision July 2016 l 23

CAPE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS Cape Software Solutions are experienced in developing e-commerce sites, dynamic websites and web applications which are secure and efficient giving you some competitive advantage.

The firm specialise in offering e-commerce sites that are both user friendly and scalable.

Software development is a growing market around the world, as the service is a necessity for businesses that require a bespoke solution to solve a unique business problem.

Software is critical to the daily operation of most businesses, and IT solutions tailored to the specific needs of a business are required more than ever before. This is because the changing business market has meant that technology is vital not only to maintain competitive advantage, but simply to remain operationally viable.

Phone +27 (0) 73 417 5959

Email info@capesoftwaresolutions.co.za

Subscribe to Corporate vision RECOGNITION

Asia 11,600

nORTH America 41,000

Europe 41,768 South America 9,100

oceania 7,500 Africa 10,100

Readership Stats

Corporate Vision July 2016 l 25

Subscribe here www.corp-vis.com/subscribe

RECOGNITION

Ones to Watch in Offshore 2016 Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited (BFMI) is an International Wealth Management firm specialising in Financial Planning Advice to the cross-border expatriate, ensuring that they manage their wealth in a tax compliant manner wherever they may live.

We spoke to John Westwood and Robert Mancera to find out more.

BFMI is part of the BFM Group which operates over 14 offices around the EU and on the Cayman Islands. BFM UK was established in 1986 and as John explains, it is this vast history, alongside the firm’s focus on client service, which has led it to the success it enjoys today.

“Our clients’ best interests are at the forefront of everything we do. We provide a thorough Financial Planning services. We collate a comprehensive Fact-Find (Know Your Customer) and seek to appreciate the client’s appetite to investment risk.

“This, along with the great reputation we have amassed over these 30 years with providers, places us in a strong position to advise clients on the best course of action to take.”

Robert adds that risk is another key topic which the firm takes very seriously in order to safeguard its investors’ capital.

“The Board of Directors of BFMI are always meeting to discuss risk, strategy and development for our business.

“It is also interesting to see that the providers within our industry will normally pick up the phone to one of us to seek a BFMI opinion. Whether that be with a new product/service or with regards to regulatory changes.

“BFMI’s Board of Directors therefore feel in a privileged position to able to influence the way our industry moves – giving us the tools to be at the forefront; thus passing on the benefits to our clients.”

“Therefore BFMI does not have a ‘Hard-Sell’ approach; we are keen to establish branches in locations where Expatriates are; so that they can approach us and feel confident that there is a strong infrastructure behind.”

Looking ahead, John outlined the firm’s exciting plans for further growth in order to expand and offer its quality services to an even greater client base.

“Growth for BFMI has been good in recent years, and looking to the future we wish to continue to grow and are considering expanding further throughout Europe. We will consider markets as and when the opportunity arises – ensuring that we have the appropriate people and infrastructure behind us to continue to deliver the appropriate service/solution.”

Robert concludes by adding a comment on the financial industry at present and how this will affect the firm moving forward.

“There are a huge amount of Regulatory changes coming done the line as the EU attempts to bring all Countries within the Union to follow the same legislation.

“This coupled with rising Professional Indemnity costs are likely to see many of the smaller IFA firms join Networks and/or disappear. We expect to see only the larger IFA practices survive – which will be similar to the UK following the changes over there.”

Compliance is also key, and as such John stresses the importance of being in line with industry regulations at all times.

“BFMI comes from a highly regulated environment.

We have strong principles which are embedded in everything we do. We always strive to do the best for our clients, not just from day one but throughout our relationship with them.

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CONTACT DETAILS Company: Blacktower Financial Management (International) Limited Name: John Westwood and Robert Mancera Email: info@blacktowerfm.com Web Address: www.blacktowerfm.com

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RECOGNITION

Corporate Vision Recognises Centaur Asset Management in the Hedge 100

United Kingdom, July 2016- Corporate Vision Magazine has recognised Centaur Asset Management as part of its Hedge 100.

The Hedge 100 profiles the firms, professionals and funds who are the most innovative, consistent and well established in the industry. Corporate Vision’s in-house research team have scoured the hedge fund market in search of the very best of the best, and have selected just one-hundred winners.

Centaur Asset Management is the multi-award winning international asset management and investment advisory division of Centaur, providing investment structuring and management/advisory solutions for individuals, advisors, fund sub-advisory clients, institutions and other divisions, portfolio companies or subsidiaries of the Centaur Group. The firm’s dedicated investment team provides research, investment strategies, due diligence and structuring services and advice, investment advice and ongoing investment management or advisory services with a global mandate.

Ash Corbett-Collins, Head of Publications, shares his pride at the firm’s success. “The Hedge 100 is a prestigious list of some of the very best companies from across this vital and dynamic industry. It is a true honour to be able to recognise Centaur Asset Management, and I would like to congratulate them on their success and wish them the best of luck for the future.”

To learn more about the Hedge 100 please visit our website: www.corp-vis.com To learn more about Centaur Asset Management please visit their website where you can read all about the firm’s innovative investment strategies: www.centaurasset.com

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RECOGNITION CONTACT DETAILS Company: Centaur Bermuda Address: Cedar House, 41 Cedar Avenue, Hamilton, HM12, Bermuda Telephone: +1 441 296 2211 Website: www.centaurasset.com

Corporate Vision July 2016 l 29

RECOGNITION

Best for Woodwork Machinery Italy SCM GROUP SpA is a group of specialists creating cutting edge technologies for furniture, housing industries and for artisans.

Operating as an integrated team of experts transforming complexity into new opportunities and true innovation, the group states that their mission is “Designing, producing and distributing machinery, industrial components and iron castings.”

In order to achieve this, the group, which consists of a number of specialist manufacturing brands, invest 7% of its annual turnover in research and development, technology and know-how. This significant figure ensures that the group are able to offer customers high performance solutions which set the technological benchmark for the market.

Applied development of new products is guaranteed by the individual divisions and technological units, and the group uses of an advanced PLM (Product LifeCycle Management) system which allows the rationalisation of design through a rigorous process for product development and the identification of shared functional platforms and modules.

The group’s flagship firm, Scm, developed the group’s first solid wood machining centres and door and window systems, which has helped place them as world leaders in the sector.

Much of their success comes from working alongside other companies in the group, with the group acquiring Morbidelli in order to lead the machinery for panel processing sector.

Later, by acquiring Routech and by developing new technologies, Scm Group became a leader in machinery for the wood building components and has most recently moved into technologies to process plastics, composites, glass and stone by acquiring Cms, a leader in that sector.

Offering a wide range of products, the firm’s most innovative range is their woodwork machinery, with products including beam saws, boring machines and presses, offering clients both choice and quality.

CONTACT DETAILS Company: SCM GROUP SpA Email: scmgroup@scmgroup.com Address: Via Emilia 77 47921 Rimini (RN), Italy Phone: +39 0541 700.111

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Fund manager of the year RECOGNITION

Real Estate ARA Management Pte Ltd

Address: 6 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec Tower 4, Singapore, 068986 Telephone: +65 6835 9232 Website: www.ara-asia.com

Private Equity Genero Capital LLC

Address: 8th Floor, Shangri-La Hotel Offices, Sheikh Zayed Road PO Box: 9434, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Telephone: +971 4 354 6311 Website: www.genero.ae

Harwood Capital

Address: 6 Stratton Street, London, W1J 8LD Telephone: +44 20 7640 3200 Website: www.harwoodcapital.co.uk

Corporate Vision July 2016 l 31

RECOGNITION

Getting your voice back Online, digital and social channels may have redrawn the landscape of global communications, but research repeatedly reveals that nothing quite beats human-to-human dialogue over the phone. With the telephone here to stay, Lee Bryant, Managing Director of Sesui, outlines how Cloud telephony can transform this unsung commodity into an indispensable business tool.

Over the past decade, organisations have made it increasingly difficult for customers to make direct contact over the phone, opting instead to channel communications through email, web mail, online chat tools and even social media. Yet with 72 per cent of people still preferring customer contact via the telephone*, the digital approach seems to be at odds with businesses’ oft-quoted commitment to customer-centricity. Since telephone dialogue is often the final, pivotal conclusion of the sales or customer service process, incremental moves away from telephony appear all the more perplexing. Thankfully, however, the pendulum is swinging back the other way. Voice is making a comeback.

The advent of Cloud telephony is putting the telephone back on the map, and giving executives access to real-time metrics that were previously out of reach. In the process, telephony is finally being recognised as a business tool that supports strategic decision-making. The most proactive organisations are discovering that there are not only value-added alternatives to telecoms ‘establishment’ like BT, but better still, they don’t need to rip and replace their legacy systems to enjoy the benefits of Cloud telephony.

Finding your voice Recent developments suggest that telecommunications strategies have come full circle. Having ‘lost their voice’ in favour of online communications platforms, major businesses are now recognising the limitations of a digital-only approach and returning to more familiar human engagement pathways. Meanwhile, many of the UK’s high street banks have also replaced muchcriticised overseas call centres with British-based Customer Service Centres that operate 24-7, with a hoard of other bluechip businesses following in their footsteps. But optimising the value of telephony goes beyond geography – it requires a system that can turn mundane voice calls into an incubator for analytics to inform responsive business decisions. The answer is in the Cloud.

Prior to the development of Cloud technology, BT was still the major game in town, with virtually all UK telephone calls routed through its public switch telephone network. That largely remains the case

today. However, as technology has advanced, the control of routing calls has moved from the on-site hardware at each end of a call, to a new scenario where everything can potentially sit at the centre. This Cloud-based approach allows end-users to manage their own service via the web and, crucially, gain access to businesscritical information in real time. It’s changed the marketplace and reinvigorated telephony.

Real-time informatics Many years ago, BT coined its infamous tagline: it’s good to talk. And they were right. But unfortunately, although it was indeed good to talk, you’d have to wait weeks before you got your bill and the accompanying call metrics were disappointingly basic. Moreover, the delay in correspondence typically meant that call logs were effectively nothing more than an itemised bill while the opportunity to respond to trends or manage activity had long since disappeared into the ether.

In that old world, call management activity and transactional data was kept under lock and key by the networks. As a result, evaluating telephone activity was a narrow, retrospective exercise rather than a gateway to insightful business informatics.

Cloud-based telephony has changed all of that. It has unlocked previously elusive call management information and made it freely available to businesses. What’s more, users no longer have to wait weeks to review call activity and assess vital metrics – they can have them in real time to help inform data-driven business decisions.

Every Cloud…

The development of Cloud telephony is a gamechanger. It can be leveraged by the full range of business professionals: from the c-suite and senior executives to marketers, operations, shared services and commercial functions. And it’s already being deployed to meet common productivity, efficiency and resourcing challenges across public sector and commercial organisations.

For example, in the commercial sector, consumer marketers are using Cloud telephony to measure the real-time response to regional TV advertising campaigns and target crucial marketing resources responsively and effectively. In the retail sector, call

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RECOGNITION

centre operations are pooling resources across large geographic areas, including pan-European, to maintain consistent standards of service, improve customer satisfaction, and offer a service in regions where there might not be a physical presence.

What’s more, real-time call data is not only proving instrumental in improving the customer experience, it’s benefitting employees too. One NHS organisation has successfully managed to retain disenchanted doctors on the verge of early retirement simply by using Cloud telephony to enable home-based tele-health consultations. The implications for patient engagement have been significant, whilst the Clinical Commissioning Group has ensured that the local health economy has not lost valuable knowledge and experience.

Conclusion The benefits of Cloud telephony are transferrable across all sectors and industries. Furthermore, because the smartest solutions are interoperable with all legacy telephone systems and painless to implement, organisations can reap the rewards quickly and without disruption. The cost-savings and efficiency gains of the Cloud-based approach are, on their own, enough to demonstrate a speedy return on investment for any business. But in a modern era where consumers still rate the phone as their preferred means of customer contact, the Cloud can also help all businesses find their voices and establish telephony as an indispensable business tool.

Sesui is an intelligent Cloud-based call management and contact centre innovator working consultatively with clients to deliver business value through resilient, scalable, flexible and functional telephony solutions. Recent accolades include a 2016 Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation and 2015 winner of the Technology Innovator Awards’ ‘Best Cloud-Based Call Management Solutions’ and most ‘Innovative Telephony Platform’. *CallCentre.co.uk survey of multichannel communications, 2016

Brady deploys pan-European Sesui Virtual Contact Centre to provide centrally managed customer support at local level Brady, an international manufacturer of identification and safety solutions, has established a unified Technical Service Team for inbound and outbound calls across 22 European countries using the Sesui i-Platform to provide a Cloud-based Virtual Contact Centre solution.

To look after its established customer base of some of the world’s leading brands, Brady employs approximately 6,500 employees in 90 locations across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Having deployed Sesui’s Cloud-based telephony solutions in a number of European locations since 2009, Brady was looking to further unify its Technical Service Teams to make better use of resources, provide location independence for its employees and support expansion into new territories.

Timothy Raemdonck, Technical Service Manager, Brady EMEA, explains: “Previously the telephony function had been fragmented by country, with limited unity and flexibility in allocating and managing resources for upcoming or emerging regions. Although we had an idea of how we wanted to unify support for customers across Europe, the concept of a contact centre hosted in the Cloud was new to us.

“Sesui’s approach is different to other vendors in that it looks for the solution that is right for the client, rather than asking the client to bend to the solution.

As such, it wasn’t until talking to Sesui that we discovered options that could also centralise call management and support future European expansion.”

Sesui initially established a pan-European virtual contact centre for the Technical Service Team that managed four main regions and languages – English, French, Dutch and German – from the Brady site in Zele, Belgium.

Now, all teams across the region are supported. “For the customer, it doesn’t matter where the team is based. What matters is the manner in which they are supported from a language and skills perspective,” adds Timothy.

Brady uses dedicated numbers for the different languages and geographical regions, referred to as ‘queues’. When a customer calls into one of the queues and there is no agent available, the call is automatically re-routed to another agent that speaks the language. “This results in better use of resources for us, more freedom for our agents and a more efficient service for our customers,” Timothy says.

“Perhaps the most significant benefit of Sesui’s solution is the ability to tailor resource allocation to expansion, and launch in a new region without the need for a physical presence. This mitigates any risk of committing to that territory during the initial expansion stage,” he concludes.

Sesui has enabled Brady’s Technical Service Team to measure, monitor and control call management across the entire continent. The flexibility of Sesui’s Virtual Contact Centre solution, coupled with its partner-based approach to service, has allowed Brady to structure its business in the most appropriate and relevant manner for customers; the relationship and solution continues to expand and evolve across a variety of Brady’s European operations as a result.

CONTACT DETAILS Company: Sesui Ltd Email: info@sesui.com Web Address: www.sesui.com Address: Magdalen Centre, The Oxford Science Park, Oxford, United Kingdom, OX4 4GA Telephone: 03445 600 600

Corporate Vision July 2016 l 33

FEATURE

It’s Time To Simplify The Card Payment Process!

Take the first step by ditching the three-digit CVV code, says Encoded

Rob Crutchington, Director at Encoded takes a closer look at the three digits on the back of a card and dispels two common myths around the card verification value (CVV) code Paying for goods and services with a debit or credit card is now so commonplace that those wielding a fist full of bank notes are often regarded with suspicion. Card payments make life easy but the process behind making them happen is a lot more complex than you might think, with verification taking place every step of the way. We’re all familiar with giving our card details by telephone or entering them online but what happens next?

There are 14 steps in card authorisation and settlement, involving merchants, payment service providers, payment gateways, the merchant’s bank, card schemes and finally the customer’s own bank and this whole process can take a minimum one day and often far longer.

Authorisation is essential but how much information is really necessary?

For those paying online or over the telephone there is often one more step required in the authorisation process. They are asked for the card verification value (CVV) code or three-digit number on the back of their MasterCard or Visa card (four-digits if paying by Amex). The rationale behind the CVV code is that it is further validation that the customer physically has the card in their presence. But is this true and is it absolutely necessary?

Time to dispel the myths around CVV codes There are several rumours in the industry which relate to why merchants seem to think the CVV code is necessary. One thing is for sure it cannot be retained once a transaction has been processed. Keeping it would contravene the very foundation of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) which prohibits the storage, hand-written or in computer files, of a customer’s confidential card data. The two most common myths around CVV codes are:

Myth One: Merchants benefit from reduced interchange fees by using CVV codes in transactions Many merchants believe that by insisting on CVV codes, they can benefit from a reduced interchange fee based on the transaction being deemed “secure”. The interchange fee is the amount charged by Card Schemes such as VISA to the acquirer for using their services.

However, as of the 1st of March 2015 VISA capped the rate at 0.2% for debit card transactions and 0.3% for credit card transactions across the EU irrespective of whether the transaction included the CVV or not. All mail order telephone order (MOTO) transactions are deemed as non-secure.

Therefore, it is not true that there is any financial benefit from requesting the CVV and given the huge importance PCI DSS places on the CVV, Encoded’s advice is to simply not request it in the first place. What is true is that by including the CVV code should a dispute or chargeback occur, when a merchant submits a transaction for authorisation, the processor and/or card brands will reduce their fees on the dispute or chargeback. However this small business cost is dwarfed by the PCI DSS costs of protecting it, if accepted.

Myth Two: Merchants conducting repeat transactions need to submit the CVV for the original and all subsequent transactions Again, this is a myth. There are two ways to conduct such recurring transactions. The easiest way is to use a payment service provider that supplies a reference number from the original transaction and then processes all subsequent transactions using the same number or token.

The other option is for an organisation to store the cardholder’s name, account number and expiration date, providing, of course, these details are stored securely either by encrypting them if on a computer, or if using a manual system, they are physically secure.

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Is it time to ditch CVV codes?

Interestingly, in a country that is often at the forefront of data protection and security, the United State of America does not use CVV codes and we should follow suit. Until recently VISA Europe and VISA Inc. were two separate organisations.

However in November 2015 VISA Inc. bought VISA Europe for $23.4bn. As such we can all expect changes in the European payments market to follow the US way of handling card details. In actual fact all that is really required is the 16-digit card number and this can be stored provided it is encrypted and “deemed� unreadable as per sections 3.3 and 3.4 of v3.1 the PCI DSS requirements.

This latest development is good news because, from a PCI DSS compliance perspective, storing cards and making use of automated recurring payments will be much easier. Eliminating the need to provide CVV codes and partnering with a technology provider which has invested in the top level of PCI DSS compliance and tokenisation technology will go a long way towards simplifying the payment process for customers and protecting them against major security threats such as fraud and cybercrime. There really is no time to lose to get the right levels of security in place while ditching the three-digit CVV code.

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More Than A Third Of M&A Professionals Believe Online Deal Sourcing Will Revolutionise The M&A Industry Online deal sourcing is becoming the “new normal” as one in three dealmakers use specialised deal networks Intralinks Holdings, Inc. a global content collaboration company for high-value content and processes, has revealed the results of its latest Intralinks Dealnexus survey of more than 700 merger and acquisition (M&A) professionals.

The “Deal Networks and the Evolution of Getting M&A Deals Done” global survey sheds light on the growing use of social networks and online deal sourcing communities as a way to improve the close rates and volume of deals, while making it easier for more organisations to promote and compete in these transactions.

Intralinks is a global content collaboration company that provides cloud-based solutions to control the sharing, distribution and management of high value content within and across organizations according to the highest-level of security and the most stringent compliance regulations. Over 90,000 clients and 99% of the Fortune 1000 companies have depended on Intralinks to digitally transform and simplify critical business processes, and secure highvalue information. With a 20-year track record of enabling high-stakes transactions and business collaborations valued at more than $28.1 trillion, Intralinks is a trusted provider of easy-to-use, enterprise strength, cloud-based collaboration technology.

In 2013, Intralinks conducted a global survey of M&A dealmakers to understand how technology and specialised deal networks influence M&A deal sourcing. Intralinks conducted a follow-up survey to measure how attitudes towards, and adoption of, these technologies have shifted since the last report. Highlights of the follow-up survey include: •

•

Online Deal Sourcing Is the “New Normal” More than 31 percent of dealmakers currently use an online deal network to support deal sourcing. Of sell-side M&A professionals using online sourcing platforms, nearly 50 percent have marketed at least one deal online in the last 12 months and 28% have marketed more than five deals online in the last 12 months.

Awareness of the Value of Online Deal Sourcing Is Growing 36 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that online deal sourcing will

•

•

•

eventually revolutionise the M&A industry. In 2013, that number was only 23 percent.

Online Deal Sourcing Leads to Closed Transactions Among users of deal sourcing platforms, 45 percent of buy-side and 39 percent of sell-side professionals have closed a deal that was sourced on an online network.

Online Deal Sourcing Expands Reach to New and Qualified Counterparties 62 percent of deal-makers agreed that online deal sourcing allows them to identify counterparties they otherwise would not have found.

Conventional Social Media Platforms Are Losing Favour At least in terms of supporting dealmaking activities, dealmakers are eschewing the larger, conventional social networks in favor of “specialised” deal networks with more customised functionalities, with respondents citing lower daily usage of the former, but higher daily usage of the latter.

Our survey shows that dealmakers are realising the importance of incorporating online deal sourcing into their broader dealmaking and social media strategies. This is especially the case as online deal sourcing networks continue to gain ground while social media businesses continue to soar.

On the buy-side, nearly 85 percent of respondents who use deal sourcing networks reported that they source deal opportunities online and 44 percent reported that their firms source between 11% and 50% of their total deal flow online.

“As online deal sourcing continues to go mainstream, it is more critical than ever for M&A professionals to at least gain an understanding of the online deal sourcing landscape,” explained Tony Hill, director of Intralinks Dealnexus. “In an otherwise fragmented industry, online deal sourcing networks offer the only true ‘gated’ communities of any substantive scale where qualified dealmakers can find one another and interact. After surveying members of the largest dealmaker community in the M&A industry, our research proves that the prevalence of social dealmaking within the M&A industry is rising.”

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FEATURE Donald W. Grava, founder and president of Versailles Group, Ltd, a Boston-based investment bank, said: “The most important thing in middle market M&A transactions is to make sure that the buyer or seller receives exposure to as many targets or buyers as possible.

“Digital tools, such as Intralinks Dealnexus, provide an excellent way to expose a transaction to multiple parties virtually instantaneously. The same type of coverage that Intralinks Dealnexus provides would take an enormous amount of time and resources.

Intralinks Dealnexus generated exposure to almost 400 possible buyers for a single transaction we posted. That’s the power of a robust tool like Intralinks Dealnexus in the digital age.”

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Pocket App Signs Off on Successful Crowdfunding Campaign Pocket App closes crowdfunding campaign after overfunding to 111% of its investment sought target

Pocket App, the UK’s largest independent app developer, has announced that its Seedrs crowdfunding campaign, which successfully overfunded to 111% of its sought target investment of £750,000, is now closed. The campaign, which went live on the Seedrs crowdfunding platform on 8th February, raised £837,115 and closed with 436 investors on board.

Pocket App is pleased to offer its 436 new shareholders not only the benefit of being part of this innovative and disruptive business, but also a comprehensive package of investor perks, including a 10% discount on app development, a one-year subscription to Pocket Events, free, dedicated mobile workshops, a free set of user interface designs and a free interactive application prototype.

With mobile being at the forefront of not only consumer, but also enterprise thinking, and with continuous industry developments enabling and disrupting operations in every industry sector, Pocket App is now primed to take advantage of this technology revolution by building relationships with the world’s leading global consultancies.

Pocket App CEO and co-founder, Paul Swaddle, comments, “The crowdfunding campaign has been an overwhelming success, and with 436 new investors on board, it just goes to show that people are really beginning to believe in the value of mobile. We feel that the impact mobile technology has had in the six years since we founded Pocket App is just the beginning and to have the additional faith and support of over 430 new shareholders is a real fillip for our company.”

The business also continues to receive critical acclaim in numerous prestigious industry awards for its innovative approach to app development, having most recently been named a finalist in the ‘Best Use of Mobile Payment’ category of the Drum Marketing on Mobile Awards (MOMAs) 2016. Already the proud winners of a UK Digital Experience Award and a UK App Design Award, Pocket App has been nominated in the MOMAs for its work on cab:app, the only mobile booking and payment app that connects passengers in over 90 cities across the UK and Ireland with professional, fully-licensed taxi cab drivers.

Paul Swaddle continues, “The additional funding will not only enable us to strengthen our management team, but also provide the means for us to increase our mobile offering exponentially.

We’ve long felt that we are at the forefront of the mobile revolution, by building ground-breaking apps and mobile solutions for our clients, and now that we are the largest independent app developer left in the marketplace, following the acquisitions of Mubaloo and The App Business, that affords us tremendous opportunities to advance our business yet further.”

Andrew Hull, co-founder and Strategy Director at Pocket App, adds: “The culmination of our successful crowdfunding campaign marks a particularly exciting time for Pocket App. Not only were we able to reach our target investment amount of £750,000, but we were actually able to exceed it by over 10% which is particularly gratifying. With the mobile application and development market estimated at being worth around £100bn and continuing to achieve unprecedented growth, it’s fair to say that almost every new business idea, regardless of the vertical market, has an app or mobile element to it. We are now uniquely placed to take maximum advantage of this growing trend and this additional funding will enable us to further support individual clients, consulting businesses and agencies by adding our mobile expertise to consult, design and develop the mobile services and applications that they need.”

Crowdfunding has become an increasingly popular method of raising finance in recent years, as firms disillusioned by the financial crisis sought innovative ways of funding their ventures. The success of this latest campaign highlights the viability of crowdfunding platforms for obtaining finance in the future.

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Poll Identifies How Young People Are Inspired

By Entrepreneurism When Exposed To Small Businesses The Entrepreneur’s Circle and Skillwise interviewed apprentices to understand views on entrepreneurship, in response to recent Google survey that indicated a lack of appetite Off the back of a YouGov survey by Google, which reported how only one fifth of people aged between 15-18 would consider starting their own business, The Entrepreneur’s Circle (The EC), conducted an informal poll with young adults participating in the Skillwise Apprenticeship Programme and identified a very different attitude from those already exposed to small businesses and entrepreneurs.

41 apprentices aged between 16 and 24 participated in the Skillwise poll, which found that 51% said they were “very likely” or “likely” to launch their own start-up in the future, compared to just 22% of those involved in the Google study. While 70.7% of the apprentices questioned confirmed they feel positive about entrepreneurship in the UK today.

In comparison, when asked their views about starting a business, 51% of Skillwise apprentices said it would a “responsible” decision, compared to 56% of Google’s YouGov pool suggesting it would be “risky” and a further 11% considering it to be “reckless”. Starting a business is however not seen as high risk by the majority of apprentices interviewed, with 58% perceiving it only as a moderate risk and a further 10% stating it as low risk, compared to the YouGov research that reported how 45% of females and 39% of boys “fear failure”.

One major differentiating factor that stands out between the groups is exposure to business environments: in the Google study, a third of respondents added that they didn’t know anyone that had launched their own company, while over 90% of apprentices said they know someone who has launched, or is running their own business.

Nigel Botterill, founder of The Entrepreneur’s Circle said: “Almost all of the apprentices we spoke to have been working in small businesses via the Skillwise programme for at least three months.

It’s clear that as such they already have a very different attitude to entrepreneurship. What this tells us is that we’ve got to expose apprentices to small businesses as they are the life blood of the economy. Over 47,000 businesses have

launched in the last month alone and the reality is that a significant percentage will flourish and succeed; therefore it is in everyone’s interests to get apprenticeships into small businesses.

Skillwise and The EC connect business owners and apprentices every day and we can clearly see the benefits from both sides of the fence.”

Further findings identified that 58.5% of Skillwise apprentices felt that having their own business would make their future more stable, while 73% said that they would like to be in control of their own destiny and “to be my own boss”, with a further 70% suggesting that growing a successful, profitable business would give them real pride.

Added Ian Simms, Director of Skillwise: “We look to offer something different and place apprentices with entrepreneurs who are actively looking to grow their business; this means apprentices are able to support this growth and, as such, they too personally thrive. Our retention figures demonstrate the value of this, as 80% of apprentices retain their job and go into full-time employment following their first year. Our placements aren’t simply ‘learning episodes’ but a real opportunity for them to make a difference and deliver real value. For example, we’ve had apprentices on the Skillwise and EC programme deliver a return on investment of over 500%; I think this clearly shows that young people are positive towards business and entrepreneurism when given the right opportunities.”

The EC is the UK’s largest membership organisation dedicated to helping businesses grow. Since launching in 2010, it has helped over 7,500 UK businesses become more successful via teaching, training and mentoring. In particular, The EC’s step-by-step Implementation Plans are designed as the ultimate ‘how to’ guides and support owners in all aspects of successfully growing a business.

As a partner of the Skillwise Apprenticeship Programme, The EC has placed 177 young adults into work within small businesses across the UK and provided them with training from the best marketing minds in the country.

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Professional Hiring Up 1% Year-On-Year Permanent vacancies increase 1% year-on-year The latest data from APSCo reveals that vacancies within the finance and accounting sectors continue to climb rapidly despite uncertainty surrounding the upcoming EU referendum, increasing by 10.2% year on year. This is in line with the latest data from specialist recruiter, Morgan McKinley, which found that available jobs in the City increased by 11% month-on-month to April.

In contrast, APSCo’s data found that engineering vacancies have dipped by 14% year-on-year. This comes at a time of huge uncertainty for the sector as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) warns of the potential ramifications if the UK were to leave the EU. The future of the British steel industry – and the associated impact on jobs - is also currently in limbo as Tata Steel considers investment partnership bids.

APSCo’s figures also reveal that median salaries across all professional sectors dipped by 0.1% month-on-month following a sustained period of growth. This figure is characterised by notable fluctuations in terms of sector, with education, for example, recording an uplift of 11.2% while salaries within property and housing fell by 2%. Year-onyear, professional salaries rose by 3.4% across the board which exceeds the national increase in salaries as reported by the ONS which found that average earnings grew at an annual rate of 2% in the three months to March 2016.

Ann Swain, Chief Executive of APSCo commented on the findings.

“The relatively soft 1% growth in demand for both permanent and contract roles indicates that Brexit uncertainty is no doubt affecting the professional jobs market. This is further illustrated by the fact that average salaries dipped month-on-month in April for a fourth consecutive month.”

“The recruitment firms that we work with have reported that employers are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach to future workforce planning. Other indicators of market confidence also reflect this hiatus in confidence and associated activity.

May’s Markit / CIPS services business activity PMI stood at 52.3, the lowest since February 2013. The construction sector PMI is also at a three-year low, and the manufacturing PMI has now fallen below that critical 50 figure, sitting at 49.2. Meanwhile, the Bank of England’s rate setters have said they will wait for evidence of stronger wage growth before raising interest rates from their record low of 0.5 per cent. Although salaries have increased yearon-year, the marginal month-on-month decrease in pay is further indication of a wider hesitancy in confidence.”

“Amid this lull in hiring activity, the one clear exception is the financial services industry.

Although George Osborne has warned of “tens of thousands” of potential job losses in the sector

if Britain leaves the EU - claiming that 285,000 jobs in the sector are linked to business with Europe – it seems that the current landscape means that hirers in this area cannot afford the luxury of breathing space to reassess talent needs.

The pace of change surrounding legislation and technology, as well as several high-profile relocations, means that continual hiring of specialist skill-sets is required just to keep the sector’s wheels in motion.”

Temporary and contract vacancies have increased across the professional staffing market with opportunities up by 1% year-on-year. Demand within finance and accounting was particularly strong, with vacancies increasing by 29%. This can most likely be attributed to increases in workload in the run up to the 2015/16 financial year-end.

Swain continues; “According to official figures, the number of selfemployed people in the UK increased again by 182,000 in the three months to March. This means there are now 4.69 million self-employed people in the country, accounting for 15% of the workforce.

Consequently, as we have long anticipated, vacancy swing for temporary roles is now more closely aligned to those for permanent roles, rather than acting as a bellwether for future recruitment trends.”

Freelancers contributed £109bn to the UK economy in 2015 and this trend for flexible working shows no sign of abating, with a recent survey from the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self Employed (IPSE) finding that over two thirds (68%) of UK freelancers are as or more confident in their business’ performance for the year ahead than they were last year. The professional staffing sector, as you would expect, is working with employers to respond to this shifting recruitment landscape.”

John Nurthen, Executive Director, Global Research for Staffing Industry Analysts, which compiled the report for APSCo, comments: “The EU referendum is conveniently taking the blame in many quarters for the recent softening in economic performance, however, this could mask a fundamental weakness in the UK economy.

As well as GDP growth easing in Q1 2016 and further easing forecast in Q2, business investment has fallen, manufacturing and construction have slumped, and growth remains reliant on consumer spending. Against this background, a modest 1% increase in permanent and contract vacancies compared to the prior year sounds like a pretty good result. Nevertheless, the increase in professional vacancies, has noticeably softened since the autumn and we’ll have to wait until we get past the 23 June to see how much the referendum is truly to blame for this weakness.”

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Sick and at Work? The Hidden Benefits Being at work while you are ill may not be such a bad thing after all, suggests a new report on so-called ‘Presenteeism’ by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES).

The report challenges the idea that workers have to be 100 per cent fit before going back to work and argues that the workplace can have a beneficial effect on rehabilitation and recovery, even for workers with serious health conditions.

speedy and sustained return to full capacity.

The report also acknowledges that managing Presenteeism positively can be a challenge to line managers and supervisors. Dr Garrow explained:

The report, ‘Presenteeism: A Review of Current Thinking’ by IES Principal Associate Dr Valerie Garrow, looks at research from across the world on the causes and impact of ‘Presenteeism’ – defined as ‘showing up to work when one is ill’. While the report acknowledges that Presenteeism can be a negative phenomenon (risking cross-infection and increasing the chances of making some health conditions worse) it also suggests that employers should look at the positive benefits of some Presenteeism at work.

‘The difficulty for line managers is that it can often require talking about sensitive subjects, which calls for trust that the line manager has the employee’s best interests at heart. The situation often demands some knowledge of the illness itself; what to expect and how to respond.

Line managers need to balance the interests of the individual with those of the team.

‘Of course we don’t want people to endanger their health further by coming to work unnecessarily’ said Dr Garrow today, ‘however, our report shows very clearly that if people with ill-health are on the journey back to work after an illness or injury, having access to a phased or graduated return to work where they perform reduced duties or work fewer hours can benefit both them and their employer.’

All this means that line manager training and their collaboration with Occupational Health and HR is critical. They need to feel confident that they are acting appropriately, and giving correct guidance to their staff.’

The report highlights that people with some forms of mental illness, those who have financial worries, and those fearful of losing their jobs are among the workers most likely to go to work when they are ill. It acknowledges that, in many cases, Presenteeism can be damaging to health and also represents a hidden cause of reduced productivity – becoming an even bigger burden than sickness absence from work in some sectors.

Commenting on the report Professor Stephen Bevan, Head of HR Research Development at IES, said ‘this report challenges employers to create environments where people with health problems feel confident to disclose them to their bosses so that they can get the help they need to use a gradual return to work to build their confidence and speed up recovery. For some conditions a good-quality job and a supportive boss can have genuinely therapeutic benefits and, for many people, being away from work for weeks can undermine their physical and psychological health.’

The report argues that, although Presenteeism as workers recover and return to work can represent a short-term reduction in productivity, it can also increase the chances of making a

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60 second interview - Veriphy Limited We recently spoke to George Stark at Veriphy Limited to find out more about the company.

What does your business do?

Veriphy is a specialist at creating innovative online solutions to support clients with people and company checks such as anti-money laundering and security checks. In addition to our core AML product, checks such as credit screens and company reports, amongst many others, are available.

Who are your clients?

Our clients are predominantly from the regulated sector and include law firms, accountants and estate agents but a much wider range of firms involved in the broader human resources market are increasingly turning to Veriphy.

What makes you unique?

Firms use many sources of data to satisfy their due diligence needs but Veriphy provides the breadth of checks needed under a single access point and our whole offering and process is fully transparent.

Unlike competitors, we openly display our pricing, we don’t demand any set up costs, we don’t ask for minimum usage commitments and we don’t impose lengthy contract tie-ins. If clients like dealing with us, then they will stay with us.

What is the biggest challenge facing your firm?

We constantly seek innovative solutions to issues which our clients are facing. This requires a keen awareness of what our market is confronting, an inventiveness to come up with practical solutions and the resources to implement them at a price which is acceptable to our clients. This will always be a major challenge we face.

What is the aim for your business?

It is our ambition to become the first port of call for any firm in the regulated sector. We can achieve this by continually improving the experience of our clients and continue to drive the business forward through the recommendations of those clients.

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Three in Ten Say Changes to Business Rates Won’t Help High Streets A third of business owners unaware of changes to business rates in the budget.

There is a long list of hurdles that local businesses have to overcome. However in the most recent budget George Osborne announced the government’s plans to help the UK’s small businesses; from April 2017 businesses whose properties have a Rateable Value of up to £12,000 will not have to pay business rates at all, a rise from £6,000 previously. Property with a Rateable Value between £12,000 and £15,000 will receive tapered relief. Mr Osborne said the “typical corner shop in Barnstaple will pay no business rates at all”.

Despite this, a brand new survey, that comes from the Business Rent and Rates experts CVS, shows over a third (36%) of business owners are unfamiliar or unaware with the changes put in place by the government.

What’s more, 3 in 10 small business owners, with between 1-49 employees, said the changes in business rates aren’t enough to help local businesses and our high street. The amount that could be saved is up to £5,900 for those with a rateable value of less than £12,000 per annum.

Both large corporations and small businesses are able to have their property revalued by specialists, yet on 2% said they were aware this was even a possibility. Mark Rigby, Chief Executive at CVS Business Rates and President of Wasps Rugby Club, has provided advice around 5 key areas for any business owners: What do the changes mean for local businesses?

“On the whole, the changes are very positive for local businesses. For many small firms, it will mean smaller overheads, less administration and an overall cost saving of as much as £5,900 in some cases. This is money that could be reinvested back into the business for better marketing, trialling a new product, or increasing staff hours, for example.”

When will the changes come into play, and what do I need to do beforehand?

“The changes are scheduled to be introduced from 1 April 2017. This is also when the next business rates revaluation takes effect – the process by which each commercial property has its rental value assessed by the Valuation Office Agency.

This rental value is then used to calculate the business rates you pay each year on your bill.

The Valuation Office will publish its draft new values for each property on 1 October 2016 for consultation with local billing authorities.”

What about the regional differences, who gets the best deal?

“When the next revaluation comes into force, some businesses will move outside of the £12,000 threshold for rates relief, and some will fall within it.

This largely depends on the specific nature of your property and where in the country it is located.

Business rates are currently based on rent levels assessed in 2008. So where rental levels have fallen since this time – such as for retail property in northern England – business rates will also fall.

Where rental levels have increased – such as in London and the South East in particular – business rates are likely to go up.”

How can I have my businesses property revalued, and will it save me money?

“The Valuation Office Agency is responsible for valuing businesses and it will often request information from a business owner via a ‘form of return’. However, because there are so many properties to evaluate – some 1.8 million – it’s easy for the Valuation Office to make mistakes in this process. Every ratepayer has the right to challenge their business rates bill at any time between revaluations. There is only one opportunity to do this however. Your chances of achieving success through an appeal – and therefore saving money – are improved if you get advice from professional, accredited surveyors.”

I need further advice, who is best to speak to?

“Information and advice is available on the Valuation Office Agency website. But businesses interested in saving money on their business rates should speak to a firm of professional surveyors such as CVS.” Small and medium-sized companies account for 99.9 percent of the UK’s businesses and over 66% believe that local businesses in their area add value to the community. A further 50% said local businesses are good for the economy, and 55% argued it was important to utilise their local shops where possible. They are a crucial part of the country’s economy and their success and survival depends on us all.

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