B4 magazine issue 51 by B4 Magazine

E D A

’s s re es hi in K ds us e E 24 or B in LIN xf g az OFF O din ag N & a M HIP O Le RS

B4 MAGAZINE ISSUE

MARCH

2018

OXFORD INNOVATION Oxford Innovation’s Managing Director, Jo Willett, celebrates 30 years of ground-breaking work across the country.

FREETHS

W W W . B 4 - B U S I N E S S . C O M

BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018

CITY SIGHTSEEING

B U I L D I N G B R I D G E S B E T W E E N B U S I N E S S E S

BROADEN YOUR BUSINESS HORIZONS TODAY Connect your business with over 600 members and raise your profile through our established B4 promotional platforms.

Magazine One word sums up B4 Magazine: Quality. Not only is B4 Magazine designed to the highest possible standards, the print finish is excellent and the magazine oozes style and sophistication. In terms of content, B4 covers a wide range of businesses from mainstream as well as niche sectors, providing our readers with excellent insight, opinion and advice. B4 is published bi-monthly and distributed to 9,000 business decision makers in Oxfordshire and beyond with a growing number of multi copy outlets.

Social Media

20,000+

Not only do we use Twitter and LinkedIn to promote everything B4, the real news we push out to the world is YOUR news. So if you post a press release on the B4 website, we’ll post it out to a network approaching 20,000 connections. Why not use us for specific campaigns where we can schedule your messages to go out to our growing networks? An increasingly effective platform for B4.

SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS AND RISING

Website Connect on line with the growing network of B4 members through our excellent new website and post unlimited press releases, events, offers and job vacancies. You can also recommend and review other members, introduce members to each other, not to mention we will post any articles you have in B4 Magazine on the website. Get recognised as a business or an individual, build your following and establish yourself in the B4 network.

NO 903 5

B4 Classic Events: High quality sums up B4 events. Superb venues, excellent hospitality, access to some of Oxfordshire’s more exclusive locations and great networking. B4 Classic Events are not to be missed opportunities to relax and develop your networks. B4 Platinum Dinners: Connect with senior representatives from some of Oxfordshire’s leading businesses in some of our most spectacular locations. A great way to build and cement invaluable business relationships. Business In Oxford: Oxfordshire’s leading business to business networking and showcase event. Approaching in excess of 700 delegates with over 70 exhibitors and 80 presenters at BIO2017, make sure BIO2018 is on your radar. www.businessinoxford.com

45067

Events B4 EV ENTS ADMIT

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Video Video is proven as one of the most effective means of absorbing information and that’s why we use B4TV to capture the latest news and interviews with our members. Get to know our members and find out more about what makes them a success with B4TV. To get your message and personality across to our growing network and beyond, contact B4 and we’ll do the rest. All you’ve got to do is make sure you don’t fluff your lines...

“ B4 is the trusted and respected B2B network in Oxford and for Conference Oxford: congratulations on your 50th edition” Mike Naworynsky, Chair, Conference Oxford

Colin Rosser Chairman

Keith Simpson Senior Designer

Lorna Dodson Production Manager & Assistant Editor

Rob Scotcher Design & Photography

Emma Davis Design & Social Media Co-ordinator

Ed Rosser B4 NXT

A great start to 2018 for B4 with lots of our exciting plans for the future coming to fruition. More on that later. One of our longest standing supporters of B4, Jo Willett and Oxford Innovation, take pride of place on our cover and as our lead article. This fantastic organization celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2017 and they have some great plans for the future. Read more about these plans and see the video of our interview with Jo on the B4 website. Congratulations to Philip Marsh who takes over as Office Leader at Knights 1759 and welcome to Royds Withy King who re-join B4 and kick off with an editorial feature written by Simon Bassett, Head of the Family Law team – ‘Divorce: Are you Worried About Your Business?’ Sexual Harrassment is very much in the public eye following the Harvey Weinstein scandal and Freeths’ Employment Law Partner, Mark Emery, highlights an increase in enquiries from HR Managers on this very subject. Did you know that 93% of all Oxfordshire jobs are in SME’s? Oxfordshire LEP have some great news of funding to boost their growth. Wellers tell us about the importance of Management Accounts and Hayley Monks of Think, Inspire, Create tells us about improving and growing through change. Hayley is also featured in our BIO2018 spotlight section where we highlight some of the forty plus speakers who have already confirmed their presence at this year’s event on 23rd May. If you haven’t got your ticket yet, make sure you register before 31st March to take advantage of our Early Bird rates. So what else has B4 got in store for 2018? Twelve more B4 Classic events; B4 NXT launching at BIO2018; B4 Oxfordshire Voice which will give the business community a chance to voice their opinion on issues facing us all in business; and a fantastic new website launching later this year! Our welcome lunches, in association with The Manor Country House Hotel, are already going down a storm with our new members so why not join the community and some fantastic hospitality!

Official E-mail Marketing Partner

Richard Rosser Editor

More about B4 Sue Rosser Credit Control

Sandra Dibling Business Development Executive

Jess Palmer

p2. What is B4? p3. Introduction, Meet the Team p6. Platinum, Gold, New & Renewing Members p8. B4 Membership Application p9. B4 Advisory Board p10. Recent B4 Events p12. Forthcoming B4 Events p14. B4 Members’ Events p15. Good News from the B4 Community p16. B4 Connectors p17. B4 Distribution Partners

B4 are proud to support Sobell House, our chosen charity for 2018.

Official HR Partner

Official Cloud Partner

Official Charity Partner

ON THE

Richard Rosser Chief Executive & Editor

welcome to 51

PARTNERS

HILL

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“ There’s no doubt that B4 unites Oxfordshire’s business community, connecting and championing it’s people and the work that happens across this dynamic county. Happy 50th edition!.” Olivia Lane-Nott, Founder & Director, Spacecraft Consulting Ltd

Contents lead

28 Sexual Harassment at Work: Mark Emery, Employment Law Partner of Freeths, talks about what you need to know.

20 30 Years of Innovation: Oxford Innovation’s Managing Director, Jo Willett, celebrates their ground-breaking work across the country.

30 Gifts from Income: Richard Mead of Gardner Leader talks about what you need to know about reducing your IHT bill.

economy 32 Purpose in Action: Grant Thornton introduces us to the local faces of a vibrant economy.

advice 39 Cultural Chemistry: B4 reviews Patti McCarthy’s informative book on bridging the gaps between different cultures. 40 Improving through Change: Think, Inspire and Create talks about how you can create a bespoke learning culture in your business. 43 Building Your Brand From Inside Out: LightBright Communications explains how your employees are the biggest spokes people for your brand.

34 Support for Oxfordshire SMEs: Find out about ELEVATE, an OxLEP programme helping small businesses to prosper and grow.

news 19 News from the B4 Community

marketing

finance 36 Management Accounts: Wellers talks about management accounts, what they are and what you need from them..

legal 24 Knights’ Oxford Leader: Philip Marsh takes on the role as Oxford Office Leader at Knights 1759. 27 Divorce... Worried About Your Business?: Simon Bassett, head of the Family Law team at Royds Withy King answers this common question.

44 HOTH Knowledgebase: This issue we talk about Social Media, the do’s and don’t and how to make the most of the platforms. 47 Ginspired: Joy from Haiku Consulting gives us the run-down on Oxford University’s very own gin.

property 48 VSL & Partners: Check out the latest commercial properties. 51 Signet Hill Barns: B4 took a look at this beautiful new build by Savvy Group. 53 Search, Acquire, Let: Finders Keepers are fantastic at what they do, and this recent case study only goes to prove it.

B4 events

services

54 Make 2018 a Tri-umphant Year!: Find out how you can get involved in the Bloodwise Blenheim Palace Triathlon on 2-3 June 2018.

94 Celebrating a 10th Anniversary: Read about how Oxford Duplication Centre has grown into a highly reputable digitisation company.

56 Welcome (Lunch) to B4!: Read about our New Member Welcome Lunches we kicked off in January this year to great success.

96 Your New Website Starts Here: House on the Hill have a great portfolio of websites - How about getting in touch for your next project?

59 BIO2018: Business in Oxford 2018 is becoming even bigger than 2017 - Read more about the event here.

98 Love Your Workplace: Let Aston & James tell about the various office solutions available that can transform your workplace.

hr &

recruitment

venues 88 Creating Memorable Experiences: Oxford University Venues has a new caterer and could not be more pleased with their attention to detail.

corp. life 101 Boy Racer: 11-year-old Kyron is the UK’s youngest Motocross racer. Find out how you can support him here.

79 Who’s Who: Jonna Mundy: Meet You HR’s CEO Jonna Mundy, a wonderful team leader since the young age of 22.

103 The H Club: Read about London’s most anticipated Members Club at Tottenham Hotspur’s New Stadium.

80 Can We Attract World-Class Talent?: At a recent OxLEP Round Table event, over 50 senior leaders discussed their thoughts on the matter.

104 Seeing the City: B4’s French interns Alice and Ambre were given the opportunity to explore Oxford via a City Sightseeing tour. 107 Visiting Palma, Mallorca: B4’s Travel Editor gives us the low-down on visiting Mallorca for your next holiday.

csr & charity

it &

technology

82 Flex Your Corporate Muscle: Reciprocate talk about how you can share your time, talent and skills in local communities.

90 Secure Your Future: CIS talk about how securing your data is a must, to prevent yourself from becoming just another statistic.

87 Bang, it’s 2018!: Catch up with Berkshire Vision, supporting the Visually Impaired since 1910.

93 Digitizelectric: Find out how digital solutions could be the answer you’re looking for for your business.

Contacts 109

Platinum & Gold Members PLATINUM

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â&#x20AC;&#x153; The team at B4 are an extremely valuable business partner to Aston & James but more than that we also see them as part of our team.â&#x20AC;? Darren Aston, Managing Director, Aston & James

B4 New & Renewing Members

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“ We have been proud to have been a supporter of the B4 Magazine since it’s inception many years ago. It is the must-read business magazine in Oxfordshire” Sarah Foster, Managing Partner, Freeths

B4 Membership

All B4 Members, from Standard to Platinum Membership, receive the following basic benefits: B4 Magazine Directory listing: With a readership of 24,000 B4 Magazines, the B4 Business Directory is a fast growing and key part of the Magazine. Make sure you are listed and get seen by influential business decision makers. Attend B4 Classic Events: Network with other B4 Members in fantastic venues across the Thames Valley. No extra charge to attend B4 Classic events.

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“ Congratulations to B4 on reaching it’s half-century and on becoming Oxfordshire’s leading business magazine - the ‘must read’, ‘must see’ and ‘must have’ bible!.” John Hoy, Head of Rural, Bidwells

B4 Advisory Board

Orhan Ertughrul Executive Vice President Europe - G-SMATT Europe Media | www.g-smatteurope.com Orhan is an innovator and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience of product innovation and development within high tech industries. He has helped shape product portfolios in companies as diverse as Liberty Media, Comstor and UCAS. At the beginning of 2017 Orhan set up G-SMATT Europe Media in Oxford as the European headquarters of the Korean based company G-SMATT Global. He is passionate that the company’s Smart Media Glass product has the ability to transform our cities into places of light, wonder and beauty. He’s also equally excited about the potential of the G-SMATTs modular media-enabled event structures within the events industry. Orhan believes that GSE has a great team and is set to deliver some iconic projects in 2018. He’s sure his wife thinks he has far too many hobbies. He designs, crowdfunds and publishes board games in his spare time and enjoys a range of outdoor pursuits including climbing, field archery, cycling and walking. The most fun he’s ever had over 30 minutes was probably driving a Russian self-propelled gun.

Thank you to our Advisory Board for taking the time to support B4 as we develop our ideas and plans to make B4 an even more effective community.

Wendy Ball Head of Events Ashmolean Museum

Darren Aston Managing Director Aston and James

Colin Rosser Chairman B4

Richard Rosser CEO B4

Dominic Hare CEO Blenheim Palace

Lorna Dodson Production Manager B4

Greg Barnes Director Breckon & Breckon

Richard Marsh CEO CIS Ltd

Mike Foster Commercial Director CRM

Stewart Elliston Freeths Principal Manager, Business Development

Helen Fallon Director Global CTS

Toby Newman Growth Advisor Grant Thornton UK LLP

Jonna Mundy CEO You HR Consultancy Ltd

Nicola Poole Managing Director Hedges Law

James White Owner James White Sales Success

Andy Cowie Marketing & Business Development Director James Cowper Kreston

Jarl Severn Managing Director Owen Mumford

Gavin Jones Group Finance Director Owen Mumford

Edward Rosser Founder B4 NXT

Phil Southall Managing Director Oxford Bus Company

Jo Willett Managing Director Oxford Centre for Innovation

Bob Price Leader Oxford City Council

Cheryl-Lee Foulsham Business Manager Oxford Digitisation Centre

Jayne Woodley CEO Oxfordshire Community Foundation

Sebastian Johnson Head of Innovation & Inward Investment Oxfordshire LEP

Claire Thompson Managing Director Papa Romeo Public Relations Ltd

Tim Wraith Corporate Partnerships Manager Sobell House

Phil Strachan Owner Strangebrew

Katherine Bertram Founder The Career Boutique

Richard Venables Director VSL & Partners

John Kennedy Brand Protection Wildbore and Gibbons

“ From the very first edition, B4 has provided us with the perfect platform to reach and engage with our audience within Oxfordshire and presents some great networking opportunities. ” Greg Barnes, Managing Director, Breckon & Breckon

B4 Event Stats

B4 WELCOME LUNCH AT THE MANOR

B4 CLASSIC EVENT AT HARTWELL HOUSE

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24th January 6pm - 8pm

Northampton Rd, Weston-on-the-Green, Bicester OX25 3QL

31st January 12pm - 2pm

 Oxford Rd, Stone, Aylesbury HP17 8NR

HOST

Matthew Johnson, General Manager, Hartwell House

Michael Stevenson, General Manager, The Manor

ATTENDEES INCLUDING

• Digitizelectric Limited • Freeths • Global CTS • Gray, Baynes + Shew

• Oxford Fine Dining • Stoke Park • ads advertising & design solutions • Conifers Guest House “Fascinating to hear the stories of Hartwell House and Historic House Hotels at tonight’s B4 Event. Thanks for a great evening”

“Thank you for making me feel so welcome. Looking forward to more events and meeting everyone this year”

– Lucky Eckley, Build Your Brand Story

– Dawn Lillington, Brand New Dawn

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SOCIAL STATS LinkedIn 27  1,798  7  e-Newsletter 768 

DID YOU KNOW... Hartwell’s most famous resident was Louis XVIII, exiled King of France, for five years from 1809.

SOCIAL STATS LinkedIn 41  4,953  8  e-Newsletter 795 

DID YOU KNOW... The Manor was originally built within a 13th Century moat.

SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

Networking and Meet the Manager

Meeting other new and existing members

“ I feel a real sense of belonging and as I have attended more meetings, sharing experiences with familiar faces, a real bond and sense of trust grows ever stronger.” David Mulholland, Owner, Mulholland Landscapes

B4 EXCLUSIVE TOUR OF WEBMART

B4 50TH EDITION CELEBRATION AT BLENHEIM PALACE

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Woodstock, Oxfordshire, OX20 1PP

1st February 6pm - 8pm

13-15 Wedgwood Rd, Bicester, OX26 4UL

19th February 9pm - 12pm

125

HOST

Dominic Hare, CEO, Blenheim Palace

Simon Biltcliffe, Founder & MD, Webmart

130

ATTENDEES INCLUDING

• Breckon & Breckon • COEL • Experience Oxfordshire • OxLEP

• The Wonky Food Company • Abingdon & Witney College • Explosive Learning Solutions Ltd • Oxford City Council “Excellent night at Blenheim with B4. Well done Richard and the team for a great landmark achievement. Looking forward to more B4 activity this year.”

“This was an excellent event - so much to learn from here. Thanks to all at Webmart” – Hayley Monks, Managing Director, Think Inspire & Create

– Andy Cooke, The Imageworks

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SOCIAL STATS LinkedIn 63  7,504  18  e-Newsletter 787 

DID YOU KNOW... Sir Winston Churchill was born at the palace on 30 November 1874.

ATTENDEES INCLUDING

SOCIAL STATS LinkedIn 13  2,069  1  e-Newsletter 750 

DID YOU KNOW... Webmarts Oxfordshire HQ office is painted a preposterous yellow!

SPECIAL EXPERIENCE

B4 50th Edition Celebrations

Exclusive tour of Webmart premises

“ Many congrats on 50 not out and for being a champion of local business. All the best from everyone at Finders Keepers.” Dan Channer, Director, Finders Keepers

? B4

B4 Forthcoming Events B4 Classic Event at Milton Hill House Date: Thu 8th March 2018, 6-8pm Venue: Milton Hill House, Steventon, Abingdon, OX13 6AF

Dress code: Smart Casual Price: Free

This B4 Classic Event will involve networking with drinks and canapés, followed by welcome speeches from B4’s Richard Rosser and Ben Sanders of Milton Hill House, with tours of the beautiful venue taking place afterwards alongside further networking opportunities. Milton Hill House is a stylish, elegant venue & hotel in Oxfordshire. Surrounded by 22 acres of tranquil parkland just 13 miles from Oxford, Milton Hill, Abingdon seamlessly blends a graceful Georgian manor house with modern amenities. You’ll feel the history the moment you arrive at this charming Georgian mansion house.

B4 Platinum Dinner at TBEC Date: Thu 22nd March 2018, 7-10:30pm Venue: Thatcher Business Education Centre (TBEC), Saïd Business School, Roger Dudman Way, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 1HS

Dress code: Smart Price: £150.00 + VAT pp

Join B4 Platinum Members and Guests for a wonderful evening of fine dining in the impressive Thatcher Business Education Centre (TBEC), Saïd Business School. Conference@OxfordSaïd is one of the UK’s leading conference, meeting and event providers. Located in Oxford we have high quality function and event spaces along with superb bar and entertainment facilities. Enjoy award winning catering and private dining with panoramic views over Oxford’s dreaming spires.

B4 Classic Event at Pint Shop Date: Thu 19th April 2018, 6-8pm Venue: Pint Shop, 25-27 George St, Oxford, OX1 2AU

Dress code: Smart Casual Price: Free

Join B4 members and guests at the lively and inviting Pint Shop in Oxford for an evening of relaxed networking with Hop & Beer tasting activities. Pint Shop is inspired by the original ‘Beer Houses’ or ‘Tom and Jerry Shops’ as they became known, which are viewed by many as the birth place of today’s pub.

B4 Classic Event at Milton Park Date: Thursday 10th May 2018, 6-8pm Venue: Milton Park Innovation Centre, 99 Park Drive, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 4RY

Dress code: Smart Casual Price: Free

Join B4 Members and guests for an evening of networking in this fantastic, innovative venue. Milton Park is a hub for businesses located both on and off the park, featuring cutting-edge science, technology and innovation. It’s a place for networking, partnerships and collaboration.

Business In Oxford 2018 Date: Wednesday 23rd May 2018, 8am-6pm, Venue: The King’s Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford, OX2 0ES

Price: Ticketed

Organised and curated by B4 each year and the biggest business-networking and showcase event in the county, Business in Oxford is a one-day event that brings together hundreds of business owners, leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals united by their passion for business. Come and learn from and be inspired by some of the UK’s most prominent figures from business and beyond - a great combination of content comprised of CEO’s, entrepreneurs, innovators, thinkers, artists and sportspeople.

“ Happy 50th Edition B4! In print, online and in person, B4 has proven to be an invaluable partner to the Ashmolean and the wider university, business and not-for-profit community in Oxfordshire” Wendy Ball, Head of Events, Ashmolean Museum

B4 B4 Classic Event at Weston Library Date: Venue:

Mon 11th June 2018, 6-8pm Weston Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG

Dress code: Smart Casual Price: Free

Join B4 Members and Guests for an evening of networking, guest speakers, drinks and canapés in the beautiful new development of Weston Library, part of the historic Bodleian Libraries. During the event guests will be welcome to view the galleries and visit the roof terrace for stunning views of the Oxford skyline. The Weston Library provides a new home for the Bodleian’s special collections and its £80m refurbishment was designed to create high quality storage for its collections.

B4 Classic Event at Rhodes House Date: Venue:

Thu 6th September 2018, 6-8pm Rhodes House, South Parks Rd, Oxford, OX1 3RG

Dress code: Smart Casual Price: Free

A hidden delight situated in the heart of Oxford, Rhodes House is a beautiful venue steeped in history – ideal for dinners, business meetings, product launches and weddings. For nearly a century Rhodes House has been the gathering place for Rhodes scholars and distinguished guests. Now, the House is available so that others can enjoy the peace, quiet and unique atmosphere of this private, exclusive venue. It is ideal for both corporate and private events, for large and small functions. Join other B4 Members and their guests at this stunning venue, home of the Rhodes Scholars.

B4 Classic Event at Divinity School Date: Venue:

Mon 29th October 2018, 6-8pm Divinity School, Bodleian Library, Broad St, Oxford, OX1 3BG

Dress code: Smart Casual Price: Free

Join B4 Members and Guests for an evening of networking, guest speakers, drinks and canapés in the beautiful and historic Divinity School of the Old Library, part of the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries. The Grandest room in the Old Bodleian Library was designed to impress. Completed in 1488, the Divinity School is a masterpiece of late gothic architecture with a magnificent stone carved ceiling. This splendid medieval room is the oldest teaching hall and earliest examination hall of the University. During the event guests will be offered tours of the Duke Humphrey Library.

The B4 / MGroup Golf Cup 2018 Date: Venue:

Wed 20th June 2018, 2-7.30pm Frilford Heath Golf Club, Oxford Rd, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5NW

Entry: £125+vat per pair of players. Enter online today.

We will be holding the annual competition on the Red Course at Frilford Heath Golf Club on Wednesday 20th June 2018 with the first tee time at 2pm. There will be sandwiches and tea served from 12.30pm, and rolling buffet and prize giving after the game. Usual rules as follows: • Pairs competition with the better Stableford score on each hole counting. • Maximum handicap 24, and at 3/4, the maximum number of strokes for any player is 18. • We play off the yellow tees in groups of 4.

Visit www.b4-business.com to register for these events Please note for all events. The following conditions must be observed by all B4 members and guests: • If you are unable to attend a B4 event for any reason, please notify us in writing no later than 72 hours before the event • If we are not made aware of your inability to attend we will be charging a fee per ticket which will be passed on to our preferred charity for each particular event, nominated by the host. Fees as follows: -- With more than 72 hours notice there will be no charge made -- With less than 72 hours notice there will be a charge of £10+VAT made -- With no notice there will be a charge of £25+VAT made • Please note we regret there are no exceptions to our no-show / no notice policy. Failure to pay outstanding invoices will impact on your ability to attend future events as follows: -- Members: You have one “no notice” of a no-show allowance per annum for your company as a whole. Once this has been used then any registration privileges you are entitled to will be removed for up to two events and all future ‘no notice instances will be charged as per the rates above -- Non Members: You will not be allowed to register for future B4 events as a guest until your invoice has been settled • It is not appropriate to leave stacks of flyers or business cards on tables at the venue. Any found will be disposed of.

“ In my previous life at Barclays, I was the banker that helped get the first edition published. Just goes to show Oxfordshire is such a small place where friendship and communities can make great things happen.” Jayne Woodley, Chief Executive, Oxfordshire Community Foundation

B4 Members Events B4 Members are encouraged to post their own events on the B4 website. Here is a selection of upcoming events from the network:

GDPR – Are You Ready? Date: 22nd Marchm, 2018. 1-4pm Milton Park Innovation Centre, Oxfordshire Venue: Organiser: Royds Withy King This interactive session will provide an overview of the key legal principles and practical advice through worked examples to help you ensure your organisation is complaint with the changes to data protection law.

ELS Facilitation Course Date: 12th-16th March, 2018 Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0SG Venue: Organiser: Explosive Learning Solutions Facilitation™ is a common word used in a variety of different contexts. However, ‘being a facilitator’ for a group and ‘facilitating meetings/events’ requires key skills and a deep knowledge of the principles and concepts. The skill of Facilitation assists organisations to tackle difficult challenges using best practice facilitation methods, to make certain robust solutions that can be delivered in an effective, timely and constructive way that won’t compromise on the key issues and to enable organisations to involve and engage people at all levels, using a collaborative approach to facilitate change.

Hedges Law Breakfast Seminar Date: 22nd March, 2018. 8-9.30am. The Cotswold Lodge Hotel, Banbury Road, Oxford Venue: Organiser: Hedges Law We are pleased to invite you to the next Hedges Law Property and Business Breakfast Seminar at which experts from our Property, Business Services and Employment teams will provide you with an update on all the latest legal developments that you need to be aware of. Our last seminar was over-subscribed so please reserve your space as soon as possible.

An Evening With Les Robinson Date: 29th March, 2018. 7-11pm. Venue: The Cotswold Lodge Hotel, Banbury Road, Oxford Organiser: Oxford United The Les Robinson Testimonial Committee presents ‘An evening with Robbo and guests’. This is special event is a unique opportunity for Oxford United supporters to come together to enjoy the company of numerous club legends as part of Robbo’s Testimonial Year.

Making Tax Digital - Breakfast Seminar Date: 22nd March, 2018. 8:15-11am. Venue: The Oak Room, Old Town Hall, Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 1BB Organiser: Whitley Stimpson Making Tax Digital (MTD) is part of the government’s plan to make it easier for businesses to stay on top of their day-to-day accounts. HMRC wants to be one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world – improving efficiency, effectiveness and ease of compliance. The plans signal the end of paper accounting for millions of businesses across Britain.

CH A RT ERED A CCO UN TA N T S A N D BUS I NESS ADVISORS

Visit www.b4-business.com for more information on any of these events.

“ B4 has been an excellent partner in helping us launch our business into Oxfordshire and meet lots of new faces.” Paul Wood, Managing Director, Indulge Media UK Ltd

B4 Good News

Excellent Sign Up for B4 / MGroup Golf Cup at Frilford Heath Golf Club On Wednesday June 20th we will be holding this year’s Golf Cup at the fantastic Frilford Heath Golf Club. With over 40 golfers set to battle it out for the cup it’s not too late to secure your place at https://www.b4-business. com/event/b4-m-group-golf-cup-2018/ We look forward to seeing you there!

Over 450 Tickets Sold for BIO2018 B4 and BIO2018 Welcomes New Partners Unipart on board as B4 Gold Member and BIO2018 Key Note Speaker sponsor; D’Overbroeck’s renew B4 Gold Membership; Bicester Vision on board as B4 Gold Members and BIO2018 Networking Partners; Oxford United FC sign up to B4 membership and become a BIO2018 Networking Partner; Land Securities (The Westgate) join B4 as members; Oxford Brookes University join BIO2018 as Gold Sponsors; Barclays join BIO2018 as Gold sponsors and renew their B4 Platinum sponsorship; STL renew their B4 membership and sign up for a BIO2018 exhibition stand; Sheldon Grange to exhibit at BIO2018; Crossland Solicitors join the B4 community.

Tickets are selling fast for Oxfordshire’s biggest networking and showcase event. See inside this issue of B4 to meet some of the speakers who will be attending this year’s event where we are expecting to smash past our total of 850 delegates from BIO2017. To get your Early Bird tickets before March 31st, visit http://www. businessinoxford.com/tickets.html

James White Sales Success Supports B4 Thanks to James for helping the B4 sales team with their new campaigns for 2018. Great advice and looking forward to more excellent sessions. View James’ website for sales help, tips and resources www.jameswhite.business

The Career Boutique – 5 new clients from B4 feature Katherine Bertram of The Career Boutique featured on the cover of B4 Issue 49 and was delighted with the response. “I contacted Richard because I knew the best way to re-engage with the Oxfordshire business community after a period of change was to get on the cover of B4. I was amazed at the response and had 5 new clients as a result! B4 certainly is the best way to get your news out to the Oxfordshire business community.”

Congratulations to Niraj Kapur (formerly of G-SMATT) on his new book Well done to Niraj for getting his book ‘Everybody Works in Sales’ published. Niraj commented, ‘This was an incredible experience, made more challenging by trying to balance my sales and marketing job with my family and charity work.’ B4’s Editor, Richard Rosser, features in the book as one of Niraj’s case studies. “It was the longest interview in the book because it was so good, but I still had to cut it down.” (No change there then!) Niraj already has his sights set on his next book ‘Failing Your Way to Success’. Get your copy of the book on Amazon or connect with Niraj at @Nirajwriter

New Community Relations Manager One of our most loyal B4 members, Cheryl Lee-Foulsham, has agreed to become our new Community Relations Manager. Cheryl will be responsible for finding out more about your good news – something we’ve not been very good at reporting in the past. So if you have had success working with another B4 member, let us know about it and we’ll get Cheryl onto it so we can shout about it in B4! Read more about Cheryl and her company, Oxford Duplication Centre, inside this issue of B4.

To read the latest B4 News visit www.b4-business.com

“ B4 serves as a great platform for us to expand our network, generate awareness of our brand and to promote the personal side of our business, this is vital for our business relationships and how we deliver our solutions” Richard Marsh, CEO, CIS Ltd

Meet the B4 Connectors We’ve all been there…a networking event where everyone is a stranger and they all know each other. It can be quite a lonely feeling and can give you the wrong impression of an otherwise friendly group. We always try and integrate guests at B4 events into the group, introduce them to a friendly face or find out what sorts of businesses they are interested in meeting. But, we can’t always be there to make that valuable introduction, so we’ve called on the support of some of our fantastic B4 Members who will be regulars at B4 events in 2018, ready to make that connection. Thanks to all of you for your support and if you’re interested in becoming a Connector, please get in touch. There’s no doubt B4 works – we don’t think the community would have grown quite so big if it wasn’t effective – but we’re not the best in shouting about good news. So, if you have made a valuable connection with another B4 member and won business, tell us about it and with the permission of both parties concerned, we’ll plug your goods news in B4 and on the website. We’re pleased to also announce that Cheryl Lee–Foulsham has agreed to be our Community Relations Manager so when we hear about your good news, we’ll tell Cheryl all about it and she will get in touch to get all the details!

Zena Kennedy

Mike Foster

Owner Two One Services 07730 927888 www.facebook.com/twooneservices/

Commercial Director Chapman Robinson & Moore Accountants 01865 379272 www.crmoxford.co.uk

Two One Services is a Sales and Marketing Consultancy, that provides Sales and Marketing solutions, through appointment setting, new business development, and the generation of sales leads, through various marketing channels such as Social Media. “By being a part of the B4 community, I have found B4 to be an invaluable asset to Two One Services. I find that the B4 events, are a fantastic way to make some great business connections, but as a guest, I can appreciate that it can be quite intimidating, to attend an event when you do not know anyone. I am really looking forward to introducing myself to as many new faces as possible, and welcoming them to the B4 community. Please come and say hello to me at the next B4 event.”

As one of Oxfordshire’s leading providers of accountancy and proactive business advisory services, we combine our Compliance support (accounts and tax returns) with our Business Development Service. With the application of our unique 8 steps, all designed to help you build your business, we strive to Make Your Numbers Work. “I’ve been a member of the B4 community for a number of years and look to attend most of the events. I have personally built some great connections, found trusted suppliers and of course, gained valuable new business. I have personally been networking in Oxfordshire for a number of years and know many of our members personally. I know any networking event can be daunting, until you make a connection or find the right people to talk to. I enjoy connecting people, so look out for me, tell me who you would like to meet and I look forward to introducing you.”

Cheryl-Lee Foulsham

Darren Aston

Director, Oxford Duplication Centre B4 Community Relations Manager 01865 457000 www.oxfordduplicationcentre.com

Managing Director Aston & James 01993 706900 www.aston-james.co.uk

Oxford Duplication is the centre for all duplication, conversion and digitisation of analogue material to digital formats. From wedding VHS tapes to archival collections, to disc duplication for musicians and bands, we offer a complete service for archives, images, text, video and sound into digital formats, for use in machines, computers and cloud.

Aston & James, a Family business, established 28 years ago. A leading local workplace supplies specialist. Providing everything a workplace needs to function effortlessly. Focussed on working with Oxfordshire-based businesses to understand their office and workplace requirements . By combining the right products and services into one solution.

“I am proud to become a B4 connector because I truly believe that B4 Business provide an important platform in building bridges between business. It is this belief that makes me happy to integrate guests into the network. Having been a member for 10 years I have watched B4’s successful and passionate growth in becoming one of the leading network companies. This has encouraged myself to advocate businesses to join the network. Through my experience of being a member I have benefited and gained valuable support. Having started as a home run enterprise 10 years ago to now one of the leading duplication companies in Oxfordshire, my successes come from well organised networking and business events of a valued and respected company.”

“It’s great to be a part of the B4 community and having been so for 8 years I have found B4 an invaluable asset to us. I get to as many events as possible because they’re so well organised but, as a guest, I appreciate it can be quite intimidating going to an event when you don’t know anyone. I’m really looking forward to saying hello to as many new faces as possible and introducing them to the very friendly B4 community. Do come and say hello at the next B4 event.”

So for all of you who want to be a Connector or tell us about your good news, call us on 01865 742211.

“ B4 has become an institution. I always look forward to their events. If you are serious about your business, can you afford not to be a member?” Alan Hine, Director, Finance.work

B4 Distribution Partners

B4 Magazine is delivered to the desks of named, key business decision makers. However, we are also proud to work alongside the following great establishments in order to bring B4 Magazine to more readers: Abingdon and Witney College Acanthus at Macdonald Randolph Hotel ads advertising & design solutions Aidan Meller Galleries Alberon Ashmolean Museum Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant Aston and James Office Supplies Banbury Road Medical Centre Barclays Beard Construction Begbroke Science Park Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons Bicester Roofing Bicester Village Blake Morgan LLP Blenheim Palace Bloxham Mill Bodleian Library Bombay Sapphire Distillery Breckon and Breckon Brethertons LLP BrookStreet Des Roches LLP Carter Jonas Cazenove Capital Management Chiltern Railways CIS Ltd City Sightseeing Clinic 95 College and County Conference Oxford Corpus Christi College Examination Schools Executive Alarms Ltd Experience Oxfordshire Finders Keepers Findlay Chauffeur Service FOCUS Oxford Risk Management Ltd Freeths Grant Thornton UK LLP Grove Business Park G-Smatt Europe Haiku Consulting Hedges Law Helen and Douglas House Helen Money Nutrition Hilltop Consultancy Holiday Inn Oxford Howbery Park James Cowper Kreston London Oxford Airport Macdonald Randolph Hotel Malmaison Oxford

Minuteman Press Newbury Racecourse North Oxford Property Services Old Parsonage One St Aldates Owen Mumford Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes Venues Oxford Bus Company Oxford Business Park Oxford City Council Oxford Digitisation Centre Oxford Fine Dining Oxford University Rugby Football Club Oxfordshire LEP Pembroke College Penningtons Manches LLP Rhodes House Richardsons Chartered Accountants Ridge and Partners LLP Ridgefield Consulting Royal Oxford Hotel Saïd Business School Savills Savvy Group Shaw Gibbs Sheldonian Theatre Sobell House Tara Tripp Hearing Care The Career Boutique The Lady Nuffield Home The M Group The Manor Thompson and Terry Recruitment Turpin and Miller LLP Unipart VSL and Partners W Lucy and Co Wallers of Oxford Wellers Wenn Townsend Whitley Stimpson Ltd Wiseman Gallery You HR

Howbery Business Park

“ Over the past six years, since we

became part of the B4 network, B4 Magazine has provided us with excellent editorial opportunities to help raise the profile of Howbery Business Park. We are now distributing B4 Magazine to all of the Park’s 50+ businesses and organisations

”

Donna Bowles, Estates Manager, Howbery Business Park

Holiday Inn

“

B4 is a well put together, informative and professional magazine with relevant content for all local businesses. In order to help B4 reach a wider audience, why wouldn’t we be a distributor?!

”

Jo Radford, Sales Manager, Holiday Inn Oxford

And many more...

If you would like to stock B4 Magazine for your visitors, please get in touch today on: 01865 742211 or e-mail: lorna@b4-business.com

“ The opportunities, contacts and events offered, as being part of the B4 network are unrivalled with the team’s exceptional delivery.” Mike Foster, Commercial Director, Chapman Robinson & Moore

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B4 Community News Hartwell House & Spa B4 delegate rates and Luton airports and only 35 minutes by train from London Marylebone, this magnificent country house is readily accessible.

Hartwell House & Spa, in the Vale of Aylesbury, is ideally situated to accommodate business meetings, conferences and social occasions. With good links to the M40, London Heathrow

Business users will find that Hartwell House provides separate meeting rooms away from the main house; all equipped with the latest technology, yet adjacent to the Hartwell Spa with its indoor pool, gymnasium and treatment rooms. Backed up by a dedicated team providing the support necessary, you cannot fail to have a successful and enjoyable

meeting at Hartwell House. Take advantage of special delegate rates for B4 network members in January and February 2018. The eight hour day delegate rate is only £65 and the 24 hour residential package only £225 per person (both ex VAT) Call the Meetings & Events office on 01296 746502 to discuss your requirements in detail. www.hartwell-house.com

Carter Jonas Joins Team As Local Letting Agent For Silverstone Park Carter Jonas has been appointed as the local letting agent for Silverstone Park – joining national agent DTRE, which has worked on the Silverstone Park instruction for the last four years. The 130-acre estate sits at the heart of the Silverstone Technology Cluster and Carter Jonas’ experience of the region – across the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford Corridor – proved instrumental in it being awarded the contract by Silverstone Park developer MEPC. Jon Silversides, Partner, Commercial, Carter Jonas,

said: “We are delighted to have been selected by MEPC as local agents for this iconic high profile instruction and very much look forward to both promoting the existing and new schemes coming forward as well as ensuring that Silverstone Park’s offer is more widely recognised. Whilst the appeal of this location to the motorsport community is obvious, we believe that the offering here will be of interest to a much wider scope of occupiers for either geographic reasons given the Park’s central role in the Cambridge-Milton Keynes-Oxford corridor or the attraction of the locally based and

highly skilled precision engineering workforce which, in turn, has a cross-over into a myriad of technologies.” www.carterjonas.co.uk

Silverstone Park, Jon Silversides and Roz Bird

Experience Oxfordshire brings together UK travel industry experts for their annual ‘Insights from the Experts’ event Experience Oxfordshire, the Destination Management Organisation for the County is hosting its annual Partner Conference ‘Insights from the Experts’ at Jurys Inn, Oxford on the 26th April 2018. Now in its second year, the full-day event brings together experts from the across the Visitor Economy sector to share their expertise and insight on a range of issue that affect the industry. This is a great opportunity to meet leading figures in the Visitor Economy sector and ask them questions.

The ‘Insight from the Experts’ is free for Experience Oxfordshire Partners and is part of a programme of events, seminars and networking events organised by Experience Oxfordshire for its Partner network. Non-Partners are welcome with tickets priced at £99 per person plus VAT. For more information and to order tickets, visit www. experienceoxfordshire.org/partner

Alice and Ambre Internship at B4 We have had the pleasure of working with Alice Salive and Ambre Poibeau for the past month as they complete a two month internship with B4 from Audencia Business School in Nantes where they are both studying for a Business Bachelor’s Degree.

interviewed customers for B4 Magazine and spent lots of time researching, all good experience hopefully! Alice added. “We have really enjoyed our time at B4 and loved being in Oxford. It’s been a great experience for both of us and has helped us to develop our spoken and written English, as well as meet lots of great people. Thank you B4.”

Alice and Ambre have experienced B4 events,

www.b4-business.com

Years of Oxford Innovation

B4’s Richard Rosser sat down to chat with Jo Willett, Managing Director of Oxford Innovation, to talk about how far they’ve come, the challenges they face and their hopes for the future. Interview by: Richard Rosser

Words: Alice Salive & Ambre Poibeau

Photography by: Studio8

What does thirty years of Oxford Innovation mean to you?

have been created it’s just so exciting. That’s the thing that makes me most proud actually, seeing the companies that we’ve helped do so well.

Well I think it was just a really nice opportunity to celebrate some of the things what we’ve done over the last 30 years, and in particular focus on some of the companies that we’ve supported. So, it was a nice opportunity to create a load of case studies of some companies, that we’ve helped across the country. It was a really nice opportunity to have a great social event, to have a bit of a celebration. We’ve supported some companies in developing countries through some charity work that we did at the same time, so I think it was just a nice way of reflecting on why we started as a company, which was essentially about helping interesting start up companies, and it reminds ourselves and others that’s what we do. And so I think for me it was about coming back to a point where we’re true to and understand what we’re trying to achieve and what we do as a company.

You’ve just opened your 25th centre. Can you give us a bit of an idea of the footprint of all Innovation Centres that you’ve got?

And that celebration also coincided with a new role for you as MD of Oxford Innovation, didn’t it? It did, yes. That was really nice. I guess the timing worked quite well and serendipitously, but I’ve been with the company for 17 years so I’ve seen it evolve and grow over that period of time and I am immensely proud to be Managing Director. When I joined 17 ago and opened Culham Innovation Centre, I never believed in my wildest dreams that I’d someday be MD. It’s just such a nice company and I love what we do. Some of the companies that we’ve helped start, support and grow and seeing now the number of people and the jobs that they have created and wonderful devices that change our lives that

Yes, we’ve opened our 25th centre and it’s in Bordon in East Hampshire. It’s a regeneration project; the building is owned by Homes England and we’ve been involved right from the start really. It’s an ex-MOD site and there aren’t many jobs there, you can imagine when the military goes a lot of the infrastructure and pretty much everything disappears in the area, so that’s about creating new job opportunities for people and I guess that’s the thing that runs through a lot of Innovation Centres that we run. Some of them are in big vibrant cities like the one we’re sitting in today in Oxford, but others are in places where traditional industries are in decline, like in North Nottinghamshire where it was coal mining communities, and in parts of the south coast where it’s a peninsula with not a lot of industries other than ports that again have been in decline. And I guess what’s really nice about our Innovation Centres is they’re changing people’s aspirations. They’re opening up people’s eyes to being an entrepreneur, being in a community with other entrepreneurs around them and that might help them thrive and grow and so there is a real mix of buildings and a real mix of locations, and that’s one of the things that we pride ourselves on. Because it’s not just a box and everyone is the same, they’re all different, and they all have their own local personalities. .

You’re ambitiously looking to double in size, is that correct? That’s right. We’re just working on our 5-year strategic plan and if we’re successful it would see us double in size over the next 5 years. We all know that there’s been a proliferation of flexible work locations, and we’re just expanding all the time. You know entrepreneurs need flexible space, we know that there is more demand than ever before for what we do, and we like to think that we’re different to others - we are recognised as the leading Innovation Centre operation in UK, with a study done by Nesta that confirms that. And we are seeing more and more opportunities, both with private building owners, with the public sector and with charities and universities for us to open more Innovation Centres across the UK. I’m really confident, we are in a growing market, we have a product and a service that we know delivers what entrepreneurs need and we help local authorities create jobs.

Fantastic. And how is your partnership with The Oxford Trust looking? Really good. We’re really excited about opening another centre within the ring road in Oxford. There is so much demand for space for small companies in Oxford, and there are very limited opportunities to have a new building right in the city centre. The site at Stansfeld is absolutely stunning. I grew up in Headington and I had no idea there was a 15-acre nature reserve at the bottom of what is essentially Shotover Hill, so the first time I was on site I was amazed. And thinking about the lifestyle and the environment of that as somewhere for young companies to work and grow, it’s just lovely being able to walk around at lunch time and be able to enjoy the the surroundings and the quietness, but

www.b4-business.com

B4 lead

really nice about “ourwhat’s Innovation Centres is they’re changing people’s aspirations. They’re opening up people’s eyes to being an entrepreneur, being in a community with other entrepreneurs around them

”

Jo Willett, Managing Director - Oxford Innovation

www.b4-business.com

TRANSFORMING WORKSPACE FOR OVER 30 YEARS Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re revolutionising workspace by partnering with building owners, local authorities and knowledge institutions to build outstanding innovation centres that drive business growth and regional success.

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INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOU? Call our experienced business development team about your project on 01865 261489 or for more information visit oxin-centres.co.uk

B4 lead

still be in a city and be well connected. I think it’s a fantastic location and we are really excited about it opening. In fact, we’re starting to talk to some companies interested in space there already and it’s not even built yet.

If you could pick any people, alive or deceased, to support you in your business who would you choose? I was going to say Margaret Thatcher. We were talking about our Myers Briggs personalities yesterday, and I am the same personality type as Margaret Thatcher and so that was the first person that popped into my head. Do I think she made a good advisor? No, I think she was awful at times, and I remember being a child, you know “Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher” and I remember as a student, marching when she took away our student grants. So, I can’t possibly want her on my advisory board, except she made really tough decisions in a really tough time. She was a female leading a country, and I am a female leading a company. There aren’t that many female role models that I could draw from and that I could talk to and ask advice like “how do you deal with these situations”. I think it’s interesting what we’re seeing in the entertainment industry at the moment with women fighting for equal pay and saying it’s not ok for you to touch us or treat us in an inappropriate way. Women have had a tough time. One of the nicest things for me when I was made MD was all the emails that I got from my colleagues, female colleagues saying how inspiring it was to have a female MD. Hm, who else? Maybe Barack Obama. I saw an interview the other night with David Letterman and he is just such a personable, enigmatic man and the www.b4-business.com

ease with which he can talk to seemingly anybody, is impressive. I saw him on Bear Grylls as well and you just got a real sense of the man. Even if you don’t agree with his politics, to be able to be that articulate, that funny, that unassuming and just a nice guy is great. I’m sure behind close door he is not always that nice, he isn’t always that articulate, but you know he just seems like a nice guy. He’s balanced his work, life, family nicely. I’m sure he would have some things that I would benefit from hearing and learning about.

We’re just working “ on our 5 year strategic

plan and if we’re successful it would see us double in size over the next 5 years

”

Thatcher, Obama… Trump?

No! Could you imagine anything worse? The man can’t even speak properly! The worst thing is, I was in Texas when it was the elections and even the Texan Republicans were embarrassed about Trump. Who were these people that voted for him?

of Blackbird Leys, but also realistic about what could be achieved. And I remember when I moved back to Andrew’s constituency, and it was the time of the election and he was the only one of the candidates that came and knocked at my door and spoke to me and was actually interested in what I was saying. Now at the time I wouldn’t have necessarily been a Labour voter, but I voted for him not because of his politics but because of the man, and because I wanted that man representing me, because I knew he really understood the challenges of his constituency and really understood what it was to be a good local MP. So, for that reason I would pick one or both of them. Val, sadly, has died but I think they were both role models for what it is to be a good public servant.

Thank you very much for you time today Pleasure, thanks Richard.

Watch the full interview on the B4 YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/b4businesstv

We will never know. Anybody else? Maybe a local one: Andrew Smith, ex labour MP, and his wife Val. I started my career in Oxford at that time I worked for a community project in Blackbird Leys and that was where they lived - They didn’t move out to some big posh house and they were so active and caring and vocal about the challenges

   

info.centres@oxin.co.uk 01865 261 489 www.oxin-centres.co.uk @oxinnovation

Philip Marsh takes on the role as Oxford Office Leader at Knights 1759 Written by: Knights 1759

Oxford is a unique City, and has a thriving and diverse economy. It is home to not only two universities, but also motor manufacturing, education, publishing, house building and a large number of science and technology-based companies. Attracting the best professionals can be challenging in a competitive market, so how do businesses ensure they secure the talented professionals that they need? Knights 1759 is delighted to announce the appointment of Philip Marsh as office leader of the Oxford office. Philip brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as he looks to lead the growth of Knights 1759 in the region. Philip explains how Knights plans to grow in 2018 and to continue its involvement with the Oxfordshire business community. “I began working within Oxfordshire as a real estate lawyer more than ten years ago. Oxford is a fantastic city to work in and I’ve never looked back on my decision to work in Oxford after training and working in London for many years. “The quality of clients is as good as it is in London but from not working in the capital, we benefit from a much better work-life balance , spending less time travelling to and from the office and increasing productivity for the time you are in the office. Of course, it’s a different market here, but no less competitive. “At the start of the year I took on the role of office leader with one of my main

focusses to grow the Oxford office. I will also continue working for clients in my role as a real estate lawyer, which is facilitated by the huge amount of support provided to the office leaders to enable us to combine the roles of fee earning and management.

Our streamlined corporate structure, “ totally different from standard law firm partnerships, means that we make decisions for the benefit of our business, our people and our clients without the personal conflict which exists between partners

”

Philip Marsh - Office Leader

The 100-strong team at Knights 1759 has plans to expand “Based at Midland House in Botley, our team is part of a wider network of six regional offices in Cheltenham, Chester, Derby, Staffordshire and Wilmslow. Having the support of a larger team gives us the ability to deal with an extremely broad range of complex and high value transactions, by harnessing the support of experts across the business.

www.b4-business.com

B4 legal Philip Marsh Office Leader at Knights 1759

I would be very “ interested in speaking to talented professionals and expert teams who share our forward-thinking culture and who may be looking for a new opportunity

”

Philip Marsh - Office Leader

“We focus on delivering excellent quality work for our clients and offer a range of non-legal services to support our portfolio of law services. Our streamlined corporate structure, totally different from standard law firm partnerships, means that we make decisions for the benefit of our business, our people and our clients without the personal conflict which exists between partners. “Recruitment is well underway for this year. Our team will be growing further as we welcome new professionals into the corporate, real estate, private client and the insolvency teams. I would be very interested in speaking to talented professionals and expert teams who share our forward-thinking culture and who may be looking for a new opportunity.”

Investing in the community As Knights 1759 commits to growing the Oxford office, the business continues to show its support for the wider business community. Knights sponsors the Oxfordshire Business Awards and for 2018/19 Knights is looking forward to supporting The High Sherriff Corporate Challenge.

www.b4-business.com

“We’re really pleased to be involved in the Oxfordshire Business Awards. It’s a key event in the Oxfordshire business calendar and is a really good opportunity to meet new and exciting Oxfordshire based businesses. The quantity and quality of the entrants is always very impressive and I’m looking forward to being much more involved this year.

We’re in a great “ position to welcome

“In my new role as office leader, I’m excited about growing the team and will ensure that we continue to be heavily embedded in Oxford. We’re in a great position to welcome even more talented and ambitious individuals or teams to further increase our client offering across the region.” Find out more about Knights 1759 below.

even more talented and ambitious individuals or teams to further increase our client offering across the region

”

Philip Marsh - Office Leader

“We’re also pleased to be supporting Oxford’s new High Sherriff, Richard Venables by entering the High Sheriff Corporate Challenge. We’ll be looking forward to the OXLYMPICS in July as well as all of the other events which have been planned.

   

Jane.Reeve@knights1759.co.uk 01865 811 700 www.knights1759.co.uk @Knights1759

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DIVORCE: ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?

Simon Bassett, head of the Family Law team at Royds Withy King answers a question he is frequently asked by business owners facing divorce

My wife and I have amicably decided to part ways after a 20 year marriage. We’ve both contributed to our joint assets but I’m worried that my business, which I set up before our marriage, could be sold in the proceedings. What can I do?

It is important that your advisers understand the nature of your business and how its income is generated so that they can work closely with you and other experts to ensure that its value is preserved for the long-term and a sale avoided.

Firstly don’t panic! Much depends upon the nature of your business and whether or not it has any capital value that can easily be extracted. The family courts generally try and avoid a sale of a business unless it’s not possible to achieve a fair outcome without doing so.

We recommend clients, that are business owners, come to us prepared. Your solicitor will need to know a great deal of information about the business such as when and by whom it was set up, the income generated, its capital value and any future growth or succession plans. The more information you can put together beforehand, the less time and money you’ll spend while your solicitor obtains a detailed picture of your business. You should also be honest with any business partners about your situation in advance, as they will inevitably be involved in financial discussions about your business interests.

Frequently it is the business that generates income for the family and the court will understand that any sale would inevitably deprive the family of that income. However, you should be realistic. The business is one of those assets that the court will consider in the event of an application for a financial order and often specialist accountants are instructed to advise on its value.

www.b4-business.com

Make sure that you choose an experienced family lawyer who is used to working with clients who are business owners. Royds Withy King also has strong corporate and commercial teams that our family solicitors work closely with in complicated divorce situations.

Our Family Law team recommend, wherever possible, that our clients use mediation or a collaborative approach to settle their financial affairs together. This allows clients more control of any asset division – especially when businesses are involved and it is often a much more cost effective approach to separation than going through the courts. For advice on divorce and separation issues contact Simon Bassett.

 simon.bassett@roydswithyking.com  01865 268 692  www.roydswithyking.com

Sexual Harassment at work As more and more media stories emerge of sexual harassment in the film industry, the fashion industry, and in politics, I have been approached by HR managers concerned about the possibility of similar allegations in their business, as well as by individuals who are contemplating taking action for sexual harassment against their employer. Coupled with this is the steep rise in employment tribunal claims following the abolition of fees by 100% compared to last year, a double-risk for employers Written by: Mark Emery - Employment Law Partner Photography by: Freeths Solicitors

It’s not just allegations of the ‘Weinstein” variety – allegations of rape, sexual assault, intimidation and potentially career ending consequences for rejecting his advances – that are of concern. Sexual harassment can occur if an employee is not promoted because they have rejected a colleague’s advances; or by comments, touching, or repeated ‘banter’ of a sexual nature. And, obviously, sexual harassment is not solely men harassing women; what is common in work-related harassment is a power imbalance. If you’re concerned that sexual harassment may be occurring in your business, what can you do about it? If it’s, say, a junior manager harassing a colleague, your processes can handle this as an act of potential gross misconduct. But what if the issue is at the top of the organisation, with directors or owners potentially harassing junior colleagues? Or what if you’re concerned there may be a general culture of more senior managers ‘hitting-on’ junior colleagues? What can you do about it? It’s worthwhile considering the definition of sexual harassment as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Note the names below are not contained in the legislation.

1. Harassment Albert harasses Brenda if Albert engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature which has the purpose or effect of either: • Violating Brenda’s dignity, or • Creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for Brenda.

-- In deciding whether conduct shall be regarded as having the effect referred to above, the following must be taken into account: • The perception of Brenda. • The other circumstances of the case. • Whether it is reasonable for the conduct to have that effect.

“ ...And, obviously, sexual harassment is not solely men harassing women, what is commen in work-related harassment is a power imbalance. Mark Emery - Freeths Solicitors

”

2. Rejection of or submission to conduct of a sexual nature. -- Albert also harasses Brenda if Albert or another person engages in unwanted conduct of a sexual nature. -- The conduct has the purpose or effect referred to above. -- Because of Brenda’s rejection of or submission to the conduct, Albert treats Brenda less favourably than Albert would treat Brenda if Brenda had not rejected or submitted to the conduct. As can be seen, there’s no need for the harassment to be ‘deliberate’;

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B4 legal

pictured: Mark Emery

even if unintended, it will be harassment if it is intimidating, and it’s reasonable for the employee to feel intimidated. This means that, for example, Albert may be harassing Brenda if he continues to pursue her after she has rejected his advances, or he refuses to promote Brenda because she has rejected a colleague’s advances. The Equality & Human Rights Commission Code of Practice highlights the following as sexual harassment: • unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. • unwelcome sexual advances, touching, forms of sexual assault, sexual jokes, sexual ‘banter’ displaying pornographic photographs or drawings or sending emails with material of a sexual nature. • even where the employee has ‘participated’ in some of the ‘banter’. One case illustrates this: Miss Smith was employed by a car dealership, and claimed sexual harassment, alleging her manager said that he had not heard what she was saying because he was thinking about having sex with her, pestering her about her private

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life and making speculative comments about her sex life. One of the employer’s defences was that Miss Smith had actively participated in the conduct. The tribunal accepted that it would be harder for Miss Smith to complain and that employees can feel compelled to join in. It said that training of managers was not a defence, and a manager had been allowed to harass a junior employee. What can you do if you suspect harassment may be occurring:

Publicise your anti-harassment policy.

Even if no complaint is made, consider whether you need to be proactive – for example management training, conversations with those whose conduct you suspect (and take a record of the conversation).

Consider having a helpline for employees to complain – and make it clear that any allegation will be properly and impartially investigated.

If there may be a ‘culture’ of banter which may be offensive to some staff; highlight this as unacceptable.

Take disciplinary action, not just training, if harassment is proven.

Remember:

training is not a defence – you must take active steps, particularly if there is a complaint, or if you suspect harassment is occurring. If you are concerned that your current policy and procedures regarding sexual harassment are not fit for purpose or if you believe you may have issues of sexual harassment at work, then please call Mark Emery, Employment Law Partner.

 mark.emery@freeths.co.uk  01865 781 079  www.freethsoxford.co.uk

REDUCING YOUR INHERITANCE TAX BILL Gifts from Income Written by: Richard Mead, Senior Associate – Inheritance Protection Team

Most people with an interest in Inheritance Tax are aware that they can give away up to £3,000 per year without any Inheritance Tax (“IHT”) consequences. They also know that a larger gift is usually exempt from IHT if you live for at least 7 years after making it. However, there is another very valuable IHT exemption which is less well known. This is the “normal expenditure out of income” exemption. In very general terms, regular gifts out of an individual’s surplus income are completely exempt from IHT as soon as they are made. There is no requirement to survive 7 years in order for the exemption to apply. In the right circumstances there can be scope to quickly achieve substantial IHT savings. Income for these purposes includes non-taxable income from ISA accounts and investments but does not include regular withdrawals from investment bonds. For the exemption to be available you must have surplus income after all regular expenditure has been deducted (for example household expenses, the costs of running a car, holidays, care fees and

Income Tax). A frugal individual with an annual income of £50,000 could have more surplus income than someone earning £100,000 a year who lives a lavish lifestyle. In order for the

Surprisingly, “ there is no limit on the amount of exemption that can be claimed.

”

HM Revenue & Customs (“HMRC”) do understand that some people have a fluctuating income. They will look at the pattern of income and expenditure over several years to decide whether the exemption should be granted. A grandparent with surplus income could utilise the exemption by paying school fees for grandchildren. As long as there is sufficient surplus income to cover the fees it does not matter that the amount due each term is different. Surprisingly, there is no limit on the amount of exemption that can be claimed. All that matters is that the gifts must continue for a reasonable period of time (typically several years). After the gifts have been made the donor must be left with sufficient income to maintain his or her usual standard of living.

Richard Mead, Senior Associate - Inheritance Protection Team

exemption to apply there must be a pattern of regular gifts so this exemption won’t help if you can only commit to occasional gifts.

A parent with two adult children and annual surplus income of £12,000 could make monthly contributions of £500 into an ISA account for each child. If the parent died after 5 years there would be an IHT saving of up to £24,000 (40% of £60,000). It is worth noting that the £3,000 annual exemption can be claimed on top of the

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B4 legal

“ HMRC require

full and frank disclosure, therefore maintaining meticulous records is essential to successfully claiming this relief

”

Marie Verney - Senior Associate, Inheritance Protection Team

Richard Mead, Senior Associate - Inheritance Protection Team

normal expenditure exemption. There is no requirement to notify HMRC when gifts from income are made. However, after you have died your executors will have to formally claim the exemption for each of the 7 tax years up to your death. It is therefore vital to keep accurate records of income, expenditure and regular gifts. If not, it may be an almost impossible task for the executors to try and compile this information retrospectively. HMRC do not grant the exemption lightly as often a considerable amount of IHT is at stake. The relevant information should ideally be recorded on the HMRC form which the executors will eventually have to complete. However, records only have to be retained for 7 years. After that the gifts are exempt in any event. Spouses and partners should remember that they are treated individually for tax purposes. It is therefore important for each of them to keep a separate record of income and expenditure. Gifts should ideally be made from individual accounts rather than a joint account.

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Sometimes an individual intends to make regular gifts but dies after one or two payments. In these circumstances HMRC will still allow the claim if

In the right “ circumstances

The normal expenditure out of income exemption should always be considered at an early stage if you are in a position to make lifetime gifts. Over a number of years the exemption can provide a very tax efficient method of transferring significant funds completely free of IHT. For those individuals with substantial wealth the normal expenditure exemption can of course be used alongside gifts of capital (the latter are subject to the 7 year rule).

there can be scope to quickly achieve substantial IHT savings.

”

Richard Mead, Senior Associate - Inheritance Protection Team

there is evidence of an intention to make regular gifts. It is therefore a good idea to record this intention in a letter or statement when the first gift is made.

   

r.mead@gardner-leader.co.uk 01635 293 637 www.gardner-leader.co.uk @GardnerLeader

Faces of a Vibrant Economy: Purpose in action Written by: Jim Rogers, Practice Leader, Grant Thornton UK LLP

Last year, we conducted research which found that company vision, culture and purpose is a top-five investment priority for more than a third (35%) of mid-market businesses. For high-growth businesses, this rises to 40%.

and business visionaries – united in their commitment to developing a vibrant economy in the UK.

To demonstrate the value of purpose in action, the Grant Thornton Faces of a Vibrant Economy list was curated to showcase and celebrate UK businesses, public and third sector organisations that are clearly doing so.

Now in its second year, Faces of a Vibrant Economy is building and shaping a community of people who are inspirational leaders of some of the most exciting and dynamic organisations operating in the UK – and it’s great to see such strong representation for the Thames Valley.

These Faces are drawn from across the UK and represent diverse sectors and industries. Among them, entrepreneurs, technologists, policymakers

Here we share our 2017 Faces of a Vibrant Economy from the Thames Valley, what motivates them and why they were chosen.

Karen Curtin Managing Director, Graven Hill Village Development Company South of Bicester, Oxfordshire and spread over 188 hectares, sits Graven Hill, the UK’s largest custom build. The area is earmarked for households of all sizes and will include the possibility for people to build as a group and as individuals. The first plots were released for sale in August 2016. “Helping others achieve their dream home, building a vibrant community and delivering the objectives of my shareholders – that’s what keeps me motivated,” says Karen. When complete, Graven Hill will have a primary school and a community centre. There will be premises available for shops, a local pub and pre-school nursery. The site will also create jobs and attract new investment into Bicester. Karen is keen for the development to be as green as possible. The company advocates the use of energy efficient materials and every home built at Graven Hill must comply with Fabric Energy Standards, which go beyond the Building Regulations requirements and are unique to the development.

Craig Burkinshaw Co-Founder and Director, Audley Travel Audley Travel provides responsible, unique travel experiences, delivering bespoke travel itineraries for more than 75 global destinations. It was voted the Best Luxury Tour Operation in the Times and Sunday Times Travel Award 2016, as well as the 2015-16 Telegraph Awards’ Best Tour Operator. With access to one of the company’s 250 country specialists, Audley also helps local communities seize commercial opportunities. As co-founder, Craig takes an active role in developing responsible tourism. He recently visited Rajasthan, the Ecuadorian Amazon and Kenya to advise local third sector organisations.

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B4 economy

Jamie Hartzell Founder, Ethex Jamie is one of the UK’s leading social entrepreneurs and an investor in a wide range of social businesses. He is the chair of fair trade companies Divine Chocolate and Spare Fruit and was previously chair of Zaytoun, an importer of food products from Palestine. Jamie is also founder of Ethex, which acts as an alternative to the stock exchange, making it easier to make ethical investments. The investment platform enables its 10,000 registered users to back organisations with a positive social purpose. Jamie had the idea to start Ethex after raising money for his business, Ethical Property Company. He decided against joining the London Stock Exchange, feeling that traditional exchanges would not understand offering social, financial and environmental returns in equal measure. Frustrated with a lack of alternatives, Jamie stepped down from the Ethical Property Company in 2011 to create Ethex.

Jackie Wild Managing Director, TSL Projects TSL Projects started in 2002 with the ambition to be the best Design and Project Management Company in the world. Jackie says: “Our passion is to simplify the delivery of capital projects and support UK manufacturing in maintaining its enviable reputation around the world for quality, innovation and engineering excellence.” The design and project management organisation specialises in food, beverage and pharmaceutical facilities. Clients include Amazon and GSK. Under Jackie’s leadership the organisation has recorded sector-leading growth, with a 90% increase in revenue in 2015 alone. Impressively, double-digit growth is predicted for the next three years.

Mark Goldring CBE CEO at Oxfam What began life as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief has grown into one of the most wellrecognised charities in the world. Today, having celebrated its 75th anniversary, Oxfam stands as an international confederation of charitable organisations directly helping alleviate the suffering of more than 20 million people every year globally. “We help people move out of poverty, challenge injustice, offer humanitarian support to those affected by disaster and tackle the issues that keep people poor,” says Mark. “My motivation is helping people live their lives with dignity, opportunity and free from poverty and suffering. Current campaigns include responses to the East Africa Food Crisis, Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, and conflict and cholera in Yemen.

These leaders demonstrate how business can be a force for good in society and how passion, coupled with purpose and a great idea can change the world for the better.

across the UK, to learn, share ideas, and ultimately continue to grow. By curating this community and sharing their stories we hope to inspire others to follow their example.

At Grant Thornton, we are committed to building and connecting this network of inspirational leaders and their organisations, in both the Thames Valley and

To find out more about Grant Thornton’s Faces of a Vibrant Economy, visit: https://faces.grantthornton.co.uk/

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 jim.n.rogers@uk.gt.com  01865 799 938  www.grantthornton.co.uk

Boosting Oxfordshire’s SMEs with support that is priceless Small businesses are a huge part of Oxfordshire’s economy. 93% of jobs are in SMEs. ELEVATE, a programme run by OxLEP Business with £2 million of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is helping small businesses to prosper and grow. Rod Macrae has been hearing how businesses are making the most of it. Written by: Rod Macrae

It is no surprise that business news headlines are dominated by large companies with big workforces. They matter to the local economy and their success brings huge benefits. However, that coverage overlooks the importance of small businesses, an unsung people’s army working in small enterprises and micro businesses which is vital to the county’s future. Oxfordshire has already seen strong growth in the number of small businesses – with over 40,000 new jobs being created over the past five years. Between 2014 and 2016, Oxfordshire has seen the number of VAT-registered businesses in the county go up by 8.5%. Behind the statistics, there is a need for practical support. For the last year OxLEP Business has been promoting its ELEVATE programme aimed at helping people looking to set up a new enterprise or grow their existing business. According to Helen Brind, who manages the programme of grants, free workshops and support, the package is making a real difference. “We have had 600 people engaging with Elevate since it launched last June.” She says there has been real enthusiasm about the workshops: “There is a special series for growing businesses because their needs are different to people setting up for the first time. We also have a tailor-made series for people starting a new venture. All of them are delivering the kinds of tools, insights and skills needed to be successful in business. Backing this up is a team of Network Navigators, all experienced in business themselves, who are on hand to provide one-to-one support, really to point people to find the right resources and contacts.”

Andrew Colwell, runs Abingdon-based company Sunflower Windows. He says his approach to business planning has been transformed after attending an Elevate growth workshop: “The planning workshop was a revelation to me. I have run businesses for a long time, but only ever produced a business plan if I needed it to secure funding. In other words, to keep other people happy. Now my attitude has changed completely. I have a plan which is a kind of road map for the company. I have completely changed my approach.” Human resources company, SYLO Associates, has also made a significant step after recognising it could not just rely on organic growth. Co-director Sarah Stevens comments: “We attended the Elevate digital marketing and sales for growth workshops. In fact, the half-day session on launching a new product really captured our imagination. It prompted us to change our approach to digital marketing and encouraged us to focus much more on marketing and sales.” Following on from that they were amongst the first businesses to be awarded a grant. They successfully applied for £3,000 in match-funding to launch a new service for retained clients after identifying a market opportunity to offer outsourced legal services alongside HR, health and safety bringing it all together under “one roof”. After speaking with OxLEP Business, Sally White applied for funds to launch the new service: “It’s a significantly new proposition. Getting an Elevate grant award is a competitive process, but there is good advice available about making a successful application.”

There is a need for “ practical support. For the last year OxLEP Business has been promoting its ELEVATE programme aimed at helping people looking to set up a new enterprise or grow their existing business. Helen Brind

”

Up to £3,000 is available for start-up businesses

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B4 economy

The planning “ workshop was a

revelation to me. I have run businesses for a long time, but only ever produced a business plan if I needed it to secure funding. In other words, to keep other people happy. Now my attitude has changed completely.

”

Andrew Colwell - Sunflower Windows

and up to £9,000 for more established, growing enterprises. Over £60,000 has been awarded in two competitive rounds of applications for ELEVATE grants so far. Helen Brind, the Growth Hub Manager at OxLEP, says “These grants are important because they can help small businesses to grow more quickly and to create jobs. We have four more opportunities to apply for grants before Summer 2019. The quality of applications so far has been excellent, and we are on hand to help companies thinking of applying, so it is easy to submit an application. We can provide the extra incentive with our injection of match-funding grants for new skills, new products or professional support for a new business, then Oxfordshire SME sector is going to really benefit.” To find out about the ELEVATE programme of workshops, grants and one-to-one support visit:

   

www.b4-business.com

enquiries@oxfordshirebusinesssupport.co.uk 01865 897 181 www.oxfordshirebusinesssupport.co.uk @OxLEPBusiness

What are management accounts? What you need from them Management accounts are a summary of accounting data, containing the financial information business owners and key management need to make fully informed decisions on the day-to-day running of their organisation. Examples of what you might expect to report on include monitoring sales, stock, margins and cash. Written by: Debbie Austin

Management accounts can be produced at intervals to suit your requirements however, they’re usually put together on a monthly or quarterly basis. Their overall purpose is to inform you how well your business is performing. Such information is vital because it allows you to understand performance - where you’re at and what needs to be done to reach your goals. This means management accounts can inform strategic and investment decisions which in turn will help you identify when the business will likely need additional funding.

What should they contain and what is their use? There is no legal requirement to produce management accounts. That said having this package will provide you with essential insight into your business and better equip you to run your organisation effectively. We usually recommend that management accounts are tailored to the individual needs of our clients. Often they will contain financial information that is compared to: • Historical trading • Forecasts • Key performance indicators If you have a business spread over different divisions or office locations, then your management accounts can be reported in a departmental or geographical basis. This can help you understand where the most profitable areas are or, if a segment needs extra attention. You will probably have noticed by now that management accounts take a somewhat forward looking perspective. This makes them useful for informing your next move and guiding where and when the business will need investment to achieve the desired level of expansion. By comparison end of year financial accounts tend to look at more historical data.

The role of your accountant in this process As part of your management accounts package you should also be supported by your advisor in your business decisions through the provision of advice based on actual financial evidence. This can assist with product development and innovation planning while your accountant should also deliver an assessment as to potential areas of risk in your finances. Combined with practical business advice, you’ll then be well informed as to the level of performance which can help guide strategy. If you have a finance team then they may feel comfortable in compiling these documents themselves but the crucial element offered by an accountant is the structured analysis, guidance and counselling on how to proceed with the business given its financial position. A good and experienced accountant is likely to have seen most situations before. They’ll have first hand knowledge of many of the issues and challenges you face, having acted for many clients of different sizes and sectors over the years. They should draw upon this to help you achieve the next goal by informing on what did and didn’t work based on past experience.

Why management accounts are vital to success In looking forward and predicting potential results, the decisions you have to make can become easier. Having data to hand as evidence will likely help you take less time to reach conclusions. Trends that you maybe were unaware of will emerge and that can bring opportunities. As part of this you should expect reviews of expenditure and its relationship to turnover to establish the specific costs that go into producing your product or service. Consider the cost of your customers and where your customer base is most profitable? How should you focus future attention

and effort? If you manufacture a product for example, should you be making or buying a component from a supplier as part of the production process. A make or buy analysis can help provide the most cost effective option. Many small businesses measure performance by the amount of cash they have in the bank. This provides an indication but not the whole picture. It needs to be reviewed in conjunction with the balance sheet, profit & loss and forecast sales & expenditure. As an example, the balance sheet shows you how much money you owe suppliers at any one point, information that isn’t accessible when just looking just at the bank balance.

The price of quality advice The management accounts service, and what it relays, can be incredibly powerful to helping you achieve growth, by becoming more efficient in your operations and more effective in your decision making. Despite the cost pressures associated with purchasing business advisory services, think long term as to what you’re looking to get from the accounting relationship and thus how much that is worth to your business. Ultimately when it comes to running an organisation remember, knowledge is power!

 debbie.austin@wellersaccountants.co.uk  0333 241 6000  www.wellersaccountants.co.uk www.b4-business.com

B4 finance

In looking forward and predicting â&#x20AC;&#x153;potential results, the decisions you

have to make can become easier. Having data to hand as evidence will likely help you take less time to reach conclusions. Trends that you maybe were unaware of will emerge and that can bring opportunities. Debbie Austin - Wellers

www.b4-business.com

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To find the top 100 Sales and Letting offices in the country over 25,000 branches were independently reviewed by

ts were The requiremen

so high only

87 made the grade

were in Oxford

Guess who? Headington Office

Summertown Office

Sales: 01865 750200 Letting: 01865 763999

Sales: 01865 310300 Letting: 01865 201111

headington@breckon.co.uk

summertown@breckon.co.uk

See how your agent ranks: www.bestestateagentguide.co.uk

Thanks to our friends at Harcourt Arboretum.

B4 advice

CULTURAL CHEMISTRY The B4 community recently welcomed Patti McCarthy as one of our newest members. Patti attended our Classic event at Worcester College in December and when I asked if she would consider joining B4, Patti suggested I read her book and that I should then let her know if she would be a good fit! We went one step further. B4’s Richard Rosser explains more.

At the end of January we welcomed Alice Salive and Ambre Poibeau on a two month internship at B4. What better assignment to give them than to read Patti’s book in the context of their first hand experience of cultural differences. Herein, Alice, Ambre and myself outline some of our favourite lessons learned from reviewing Patti’s book.

OVERVIEW Cultural Chemistry is about cultural variances, often overlooked and underestimated when traveling on business. In fact, familiarising yourself with another culture before going to a new country could help you living there, learning how people live and how they think could permit you to easily create true relationships instead of appearing like a an impolite tourist. We selected five of our favorites section from this book to give some of a taste of it. Adapting to a new culture is vital to establishing working relationships in any business. A new culture doesn’t necessarily mean a new country – businesses in the UK have diverse cultures and these are difficult enough to adapt to, but throw in a new language, local customs and driving on the other side of the road (!) and life can get very tough indeed.

LEARN TO LISTEN How often do you listen? Be honest. How often are you listening with half of your brain but the other side is bursting to say something? Patti explains how Westerners are more inclined to be thinking about what they want to say during a conversation and don’t really pay much attention to what’s being said by the other person. By contrast, Asians are more attentive and interested in what you have to say, culminating in a more considered response and a slower conversation. www.b4-business.com

WORK TO LIVE OR LIVE TO WORK? Work-life balance is a Western concept where we ‘work to live’. In Japan, work is an integral part of life where people ‘live to work’ and sacrifice their home life, many Japanese aspire to work in the same company with the same colleagues for life.

ACCESSORIES AND GENERAL APPEARANCE Carole Kinsey Gorman explains the importance of first impressions in Forbes Magazine:

commonplace and eating alone is frowned upon. The way you work could also send the wrong signal. ‘Chat and gossip’ are part of office life in some countries whereas other cultures are more focused and hardworking without time for idle chit chat.

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL ‘Employee of the Month’ – prize or punishment? In Ecuador, such an award would not be appreciated. It would be seen as embarrassing to the point of being shameful. This would set the recipient apart from their colleagues and the colleagues would also feel underappreciated.

‘You meet a business acquaintance for the first time. The moment that stranger sees you, his or her brain makes a thousand computations: Are you someone to approach or to avoid? Are you friend or foe? Do you have status or authority? Are you trustworthy, competent, likeable, confident? These computations are made at lightning speed – making major decisions about one another in the first seven seconds of meeting.’ That’s all very well, but when different brains are making those decisions, what the eyes see gives different impressions in different countries.

IT’S IN YOUR HANDS Have you got a firm or limp handshake? A handshake can communicate a lot about you…the pressure, the duration, the positioning etc…. You have one chance to make a good impression so make sure that first encounter is spot on and learn the right way to do it – it can be the difference between success and failure.

CONNECTING WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES Eating at your desk is an accepted Western habit but in Asian culture, eating with colleagues is

To grab your copy of: Cultural Chemistry, Simple Strategies for Bridging Cultural Gaps See: culturalchemistry.com.au/book Patti McCarthy will be speaking at Business in Oxford (BIO2018) on 23rd May – read more on p73

IMPROVING AND GROWING THROUGH CHANGE THINK, INSPIRE & CREATE • CREATING YOUR BESPOKE LEARNING CULTURE • IMPROVING YOUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE • ACTIVELY MANAGING CHANGE WITHIN YOUR BUSINESS

How do you get engaged employees to deliver great customer service? We all know that an engaged workforce contributes to greater productivity and higher returns for a business* and we also know that a good leader has an enormous part to play in inspiring their people to achieve this. But with change now constant in organisations, how can businesses motivate and encourage their people to go through the necessary change to be more engaged and focused on customers? In this issue, we look at Oxfordshire-based management consultancy, Think, Inspire and Create. Their approach in helping businesses across the country look at things through a new lens to more effectively manage change and achieve greater returns is proving to be a huge success. Think, Inspire and Create was set up two years ago and their unique people-centric approach helps organisations to improve, largely through helping their people to think and operate at a different level. The approach of the team of five handpicked and highly skilled professionals together with their technical knowledge and combined years of experience, enables Think, Inspire and Create to support and challenge leaders and organisations in a constructive and productive way.

“

Whatever your business, if you have great leaders who can listen, have a clear vision and encourage their people to follow through with clarity and integrity, you will have engaged employees – and that’s paramount

”

With significant operational and customer service leadership management experience, Hayley Monks, Managing Director, tells us more. “Whatever your business, if you have great leaders who can listen, have a clear vision and encourage their people to follow through with clarity and integrity, you will have engaged employees – and that’s paramount. Employees who are engaged will make time and effort to listen, learn and understand more about how they can help to deliver the vision, in the job they do.” So how does Think, Inspire and Create do this? Firstly, they encourage ‘Active Listening’. People can speak up to 175 words a minute but we are capable of effectively listening to as many as 300. So if our brain is only having to use half its capability when being spoken to, we are naturally exposed to distraction. Hayley and her team work with organisations to help their people learn how 40

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Case Study Think, Inspire and Create worked with Solarplicity, one of the UK’s leading renewable energy providers, to identify areas of improvement within their operation. Over six weeks, Think, Inspire and Create worked with the wider Solarplicity team to carry out a thorough diagnostic review of each function to identify any issues. They then observed the entire customer journey from the very first touch point through all activities right to the end. The last step was to go through the findings with the team and managers in a final review. This was when each issue was explained in detail highlighting the root cause and providing the evidence to support the finding.

Think, Inspire and Create presented their recommendations on how to address and solve these issues, using their skills, experience and expertise to group each issue into one of three areas: training, leadership development or process improvement. They were then asked to deliver these improvements by working with the Energy Management Team. David Elbourne, Solarplicity’s CEO, says: “We are committed to outstanding customer service at Solarplicity and Think, Inspire and Create has identified opportunities to further enhance it. “Their detailed work and people-centric approach is helping our teams to stride through the changes recommended with confidence and enthusiasm. Our employees are fully engaged - the key element in delivering change effectively and with great results.”

to fully concentrate and be engaged on what is being said, rather than just passively hearing the message. And this approach is something the team prides itself on. Hayley tells us more. “Before a change can even be considered, an organisation’s customers and people need to be listened to and heard. If you are not focused on listening, you are likely to miss the detail. Success will come from listening to your people and your customers.” The team works collaboratively with clients to recognise opportunities, encourage change and support business leaders to effectively share those ideas for change with their people. “Engaged employees create happy customers, and that’s because the service - whether it’s front or back office - will be better if everyone buys into the idea and understands why they do what they do. And, most importantly, engaged employees care. This all impacts the bottom line because ultimately, happy customers create profit and growth.” Hayley. Think, Inspire and Create has created a peoplefocused approach, based on the philosophy of active listening that helps businesses embrace change through engaged, caring employees. And it works. *A Gallup assessment reported 22% higher productivity in engaged organisations

 nfo@thinkinspireandcreate.com  0844 414 6056  www.thinkinspireandcreate.co.uk

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CLIENT SUPPORT AUDIT ACCOUNTANCY CHARITIES COMPANY SECRETARIAL CONSULTANCY FINANCIAL PLANNING FORENSIC ACCOUNTING MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS PAYROLL TAXATION TRUSTS

OXFORD 30 St. Giles, Oxford OX1 3LE Tel . 01865 559900 email . information@wenntownsend.co.uk CIRENCESTER 5 Gosditch Street, Cirencester GL7 2AG Tel . 01285 659778 email . partners@wenntownsend.net ABINGDON 10 Broad Street, Abingdon OX14 3LH Tel . 01235 548700 email . abingdon@wenntownsend.co.uk www.wenntownsend .co .uk

B4 marketing

BUILDING YOUR BRAND FROM THE INSIDE OUT Whatever the size or shape of your business, your brand is important. But often we forget that the biggest ambassadors for our brand are our people. Create a culture that they love, and your business will thrive. But what does it really take to do this? Written by: Lucie Davison

Are you engaging your employees in open and honest communication? We all know an engaged workforce makes for a productive environment. Not only that, but businesses with highly engaged teams find innovation comes more easily. All the elements of employee engagement are supported by an essential building block; open and honest communication. Of course, it’s important that we give people a workspace they can thrive in, reward them fairly, be great leaders and managers, give them opportunities to learn and develop and recognise their efforts. But even if you have all this going on the businesses that have the cultural edge are those that foster an environment of open and honest communication.

Communication or conversation? It’s easy for businesses with strong leadership to get into a habit of ‘telling’ their employees what’s going on and how things are. And they are really good at it. Don’t get me wrong there are occasions when this is OK. But it’s equally important to shut up and listen! Open and honest communication is in fact about engaging in an ongoing conversation which flows both ways and is not dominated by one side or the other. Whatever channel or format you are using to communicate, you should always be thinking about how people can engage, respond and how you will make time to listen.

Using communication to achieve your vision. As a leader, having a vision and a clear path to the future is great. But you’ll go nowhere fast if the people in your organisation can’t see it, hear it or feel it. The final building block of engagement is all about your vision, mission, values and behaviours it wants employees to adopt and believe in. None of this can be realised without some pretty hefty communications activity. The kind of communications that connect emotionally to each and every one of your people. There is a well-used story about a cleaner sweeping the floor at NASA. When he was asked what he did he said he was helping put a man on the moon. This was the result of a pretty inspiring vision, but no doubt he will also have been engaged in some pretty inspiring communication activity.

amplified and beefed up communication will be the key to soothing any headaches. Believe it or not, if you get into good habits with your day to day communication, people are more likely to embrace change when it comes.

How can I help you? I set up LightBright Communications because I am passionate about helping companies and leaders articulate their vision, tell their story and engage people through inspiring communication solutions. Whether you need help to start a brilliant conversation or support with the tactical delivery, I can coach, mentor, support and just plain ‘do’. Please get in touch about your communication challenge. I offer a free 60-minute consultation for new clients. Also look out for signposts to useful resources through my linked in profile and website.

You’ll miss it when you need it most Whether you are gently evolving or embarking on a major transformation, change is inevitable in business. Just look at the horizon right now; GDPR and Brexit are surely giving us something to think about. But, the biggest barrier to riding these changes successfully are in fact our people. No one likes to feel ill-informed or that their voice doesn’t matter. While its unlikely to ever be completely pain free,

   

lucie@lightbrightcommunications.co.uk 07811 180 388 www.lightbrightcommunications.co.uk @lightbrightcomm

CASE STUDY The challenge - a client in the construction industry came to me with a common challenge. They were struggling to engage a remote frontline, customer facing workforce made up of subcontractors. The solution - I created ‘The Site’ newspaper. Delivered to welfare facilities on construction sites. Featuring news about people, health and wellbeing, innovation and projects in a light hearted and typically tabloid style. Packed with competitions and incentives to contribute. What started as a trial, it’s been adopted as a regular channel for the business.

www.b4-business.com

“

Without using online networking as a major aspect of your marketing strategy, you’ll experience issues reaching anybody outside of your normal client circle.

”

Emma Davis - House On The Hill

www.b4-business.com

B4marketing marketing B4

HOUSE ON THE HILL Social Media & Your Business Web-based social networking can create extraordinary exposure for your organisation, and is currently a significant piece of every marketing procedure. The advantages of utilising social networking are so great that anybody not utilising this financially savvy asset is passing up a major opportunity for an incredible showcasing chance. Written by: Emma Davis, Design & Social Media Coordinator

As per Social Media Examiner, around 96% of advertisers are as of now taking an interest in web-based social media promotion, but 85% aren’t sure which techniques and tools are the best. With our assistance, we can lessen the perplexity by clarifying the benefits of social networking to showcase your business.

Improved Brand Recognition Online networking is of one the most cost-effective advertising techniques used to increase your business’ visibility. Actualising a web-based social networking technique will extraordinarily expand your brand recognition since you will draw in a wide gathering of consumers. To begin, make online networking profiles for your business and start collaborating with others. Get workers, colleagues, and patrons to “like” and “share” your page. Each post that is shared will be visible to more groups of people, which can lead to getting potential clients, and the more individuals who think about your business, the better.

More Inbound Traffic Without advertising your business via social media, your inbound traffic is restricted to your usual clients. Without using online networking as a major aspect of your marketing strategy, you’ll experience issues reaching anybody outside of your normal client circle. Sharing content on as many platforms as you can enables different people to find your business.

Customer Satisfaction Making a voice for your business through online networking is imperative in humanising your company. Clients value knowing that when they post remarks on your pages, they will get a human response as opposed to a mechanised message. Having the capacity to reply to each comment demonstrates that you are mindful of your users’ / clients’ needs and expect to give the best customer experience.

Cost-Effectiveness Social media advertising is potentially the most cost-effective piece of a marketing strategy. Joining and making a profile is free for almost all platforms, and any paid options you choose to put resources into are a generally minimal cost contrasted with other advertising strategies.

Market Insights What better approach to knowing the thoughts and wants of your audience than by conversing with them? By observing the activity on your online profiles you can see clients’ interests and sentiments that you may not generally know about if your business didn’t have an online social media presence. It’s obvious that social media has its advantages, so if your business doesn’t currently have that online presence, get on it today! With routine posts and fresh content, a good social media marketing strategy will prompt more traffic, better SEO, higher conversion rates, enhanced brand & customer loyalty and much more.

Improved SEO Let’s be honest, everybody uses Google to search the web, and they likely won’t go past page 1 on the grounds that their answer usually is on that first page of results. On the off chance that your business’ website isn’t ranked highly in search engines, you ought to think about some improvements. To give yourself the most obvious opportunity with regards to SEO, make top notch content that co-ordinates your keywords or catchphrases. Blogs, articles, infographics, business information and employee photographs will affect your business’ SEO profile positively.

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 01865 742211  studio@hothdesign.co.uk  www.hothdesign.co.uk

B4 marketing

GINSPIRED!

HOW OXFORD UNIVERSITY STARTED MAKING GIN. Another day in PR, another gin. Well, not just any gin – this time it’s one for the University of Oxford. Could there be any finer endorsement for the country’s favourite tipple? Written by: Joy Le Fevre

Photography by: Claire Williams

Just six months after the opening of Oxford’s first distillery, The Oxford Artisan Distillery (TOAD) has just unveiled its second premium gin - a complex, richly botanical ‘Physic Gin’ created for the University of Oxford’s Botanic Garden. It is the first spirit to come out of an extraordinary 25-year licence, believed to be the first of its kind granted by the university, allowing the distillery to cocreate with the university bespoke, Oxford-branded spirits. Like many fabulous stories which begin with a smart bit of networking, it all started three years ago when Professor Simon Hiscock, Director of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum met Tom Nicolson, founder of TOAD. “I had always felt that gin would go down well in a botanic garden” said Professor Hiscock “so when I met Tom and discovered that Oxford was about to get its first craft distillery, the opportunity was too hard to resist.” Other factors made the partnership compelling. The distillery grows its own heritage grain close to Oxford, farmed in traditional eco-friendly ways which support soil health, flora and fauna. Professor Hiscock explains: “It’s quite rare for a distillery to make spirits completely from scratch, let alone use the historically interesting varieties of ancient grains grown by TOAD. It’s also working seriously towards improving biodiversity with its genetically diverse cereals – an incredibly important issue that people are only just beginning to understand. As botanists, this is very close to our hearts.” www.b4-business.com

TOAD and the Botanic Garden set off on a threeyear collaboration, allowing the distiller exclusive access to university resources and expertise. The result is a gin which celebrates the 400-year history and current usage of the Garden – the oldest of its kind in the country.

“

I had always felt that gin would go down well in a botanic garden, so when I met Tom and discovered that Oxford was about to get its first craft distillery, the opportunity was too hard to resist.

”

Distiller Cory Mason says “This gin is medicinal – in a good way. Botanicals like wormwood, rue and sweet woodruff bring a deeply complex flavour to bear and take us back to the time when plants formed the base of all medicine. Expect rich, earthy notes from this gin – like nothing you have tasted before”. Tom Nicolson says “This is a true Town and Gown partnership – the city’s distillery working closely with university departments, academics and experts to create superb spirits. We are of course hugely privileged and can confidently promise a range of world class spirits, all bearing the revered Oxford brand”. Physic Gin (42.1% abv) is available in 50cl bottles priced at £34.95. See www.spiritoftoad.com for stockists.

Professor Hiscock

Founded in 1621 as a physicke (physic) garden for the teaching of herbal medicine, Oxford Botanic Garden was planted during the 1640s by its first keeper, Jacob Bobart the Elder. In 1648, Bobart created a catalogue of all the plants which he grew, now preserved as a treasured ancient manuscript at the Garden. TOAD is the only distiller in the world allowed access to the catalogue and Garden to both inspire and flavour its recipes. Twenty five botanicals, mostly from Bobart’s list and many grown and foraged in the Garden today, give Physic Gin its unique personality and flavour. Master

   

joy@haiku.consulting 07885 066 163 www.haiku.consulting @Haikuconsulting

GLENMORE BUSINESS PARK Langford Locks, Kidlington, OX5 1GL TO LET/FOR SALE Units from 1,066 sq ft STEELS UP! COMPLETION SUMMER 2018 14 self contained B1 & B8 commercial/industrial/ warehouse units within an established commercial area.

NETWORK @LINK 9 Ring Road, Bicester, OX26 5AF TO LET Units from 13,981 sq ft THREE UNITS REMAINING – Ready Summer 2018 New development of 7 production/warehouse units each with large dedicated service yards and car parks.

SEACOURT TOWER, WESTY WAY Oxford, OX2 0JJ TO LET 1,704 sq ft High quality fourth floor offices within landmark building. To be refurbished.

11 & 12 THAME PARK BUSINESS CENTRE Wenman Road, Thame, OX9 3XA TO LET 3,647 – 7,294 sq ft Well arranged warehouse/workshop with two storey offices. 6.4m eaves and electric loading doors. To be refurbished.

unrivalled local and regional expertise Richard Venables rvenables@vslandp.com Tom Barton tbarton@vslandp.com Duncan May dmay@vslandp.com

news 2017 - The strongest year for Oxfordshire commercial property in a decade VSL & Partners annual commercial property market review shows that 2017 has been a year dominated by the ‘technology and science’ sector, record take up figures and new high rental levels. Two key statistics stand out for the office market in 2017. Firstly, total take-up reached 488,999 sq. ft. - the highest on record and a 50% increase on the 2016 level. Secondly, VSL recorded that 70% or 342,000 sq. ft. of all office take up was to the technology sector. The report states there are a combination of factors driving demand from the technology sector in Oxfordshire. There is a clear environment for entrepreneurship and innovation emanating from the Universities, closely backed by newly available finance from Oxford Sciences Innovation plc and the emergence of new flexible start up space throughout the county. A number of these companies are now emerging to dominate at the larger end of the market such as Immunocore and Apdaptimmune at Milton Park and Oxford Biomedica and Oxford Nanopore Technology in Oxford. VSL recorded a total of 53 office transactions in 2017 with 31 or 58% accounted for by the technology sector. Likewise, the technology sector continues to drive demand in the industrial market, now totaling some 28% take-up which is similar to 2016 but up from just 5% in 2015. The industrial market saw the best year for take-up since 2003 with total take-up reaching around 1.1 million sq.ft and supply levels stable at 1,033,000 sq. ft.

Co-director Tom Barton added, “Industrial buildings that are suitable for the technology markets have seen the focus on rental growth and rents at Oxford Industrial Park have now reached £12.00 per sq. ft. following a letting to Oxford Photovoltaics. It is likely that these properties will continue to be the focus of rental growth during 2018.” “Oxford is the focus of considerable attention from Whitehall and the announcement in the Autumn Budget Statement of £215 million of funding towards its infrastructure will further improve the prospects for this area. We are confident of the continued expansion of the technology sector and its positive impact on the commercial property market.” The VSL annual report provides an analysis of the office and industrial market focusing on central Oxford and the A34 ‘Innovation Knowledge Corridor’ for offices from 3,000 sq ft and above and industrial from 5,000 sq ft and above. 2017 marked VSL’s 15th anniversary when the firm was ranked as the most active agent and dealmaker of the year by leading property publication Estates Gazette Interactive (EGi) for the eighth year running. In 2017 VSL transacted 19 office deals and 20 industrial deals equating to a 40% market share for both sectors. For further information or to speak to one of the VSL experts, please call 01865 848488 or visit www.vslandp.com

Richard Venables, director at VSL & Partners says: “Rents in both the office and industrial market have continued to increase. Prime office rents in Oxford city centre have now reached £30.00 per sq. ft. which will give further encouragement to developers to consider speculative development throughout the market.’’

Deals...

51 St Clement’s Oxford 494 sq ft. Let to Everybody Studio

6 Station Field Kidlington 1,650 sq ft. Let to Core Evolution

Suite F1 The Kidlington Centre 938 sq ft. Let to OxIT Solutions

D & E Windrush Court Abingdon Business Park. 5,133 sq ft let to Conrad Energy

Gordon Way Witney 980 sq ft. Sold to private buyer

17 Glenmore Witney 2,263 sq ft. Let to Alto Energy Ltd

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Need to freshen your Design, Video, Photography or Website?

Call us on 01865 742 211 or see www.hothdesign.co.uk

B4 property

Savvy Construction: Building in the Cotswold Countryside B4’s Richard Rosser met Paul Mitchell, Site Manager for a stunning development of six high end properties. Signet Hill Barns is a truly unique development. Written by: Richard Rosser Photography by: Rob Scotcher

I met with Paul on a cold winter’s afternoon surrounded by diggers, a thirty two strong team and mud, lots of mud! It’s hard to imagine how anything so majestic could be constructed in such difficult working conditions, but Paul and his team are almost there. A £4M Design & Build project for a private developer, Signet Hill Barns is accessed through the beautiful Cotswold countryside north of Burford. The stonewall lined country lane leads to a copse of mature tress with the development nestled in behind. Cleverly designed to retain the charm of the site, although of the original piggery, hay barn and seed barn, it is only the latter which remains, now converted into a spectacular two story dwelling. These are homes for life, built with care, precision, passion and, as Paul reveals, no shortage of challenges. “It is an unusual site and, to be honest, when I first arrived, it was a real head scratcher. It’s probably the first time it occurred to me that I had met my match. I really couldn’t see the vision but here we are, a year on from gaining planning and well into the build and it’s all coming together nicely. For our client, planning wasn’t as much of an issue as it could have been and the planners have worked well with us to make the vision become a reality. Working on a combination of new builds and a

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conversion of one of the original barns has been a challenge, balancing all of the different trades. I have complete autonomy when it comes to ordering supplies and getting it right has been a real test, but I’m pleased to say we’ve come through it. “I’m in at 6.30am before the rest of the gang get in around 7.30am. It gives me that thinking time to assess what is needed for the day ahead and how we are going to make progress. With the light fading around 4pm, the diggers have to call it a

It’s a project I am very “proud of and I am sure

whoever is lucky enough to live here will be very happy.

water at one stage and had to pipe it in 800 metres from the A361! “The Cotswold Stone we build with is also very difficult to work with but our suppliers have been great. Being in a rural setting is actually easier than working in a town. The neighbours have been very accommodating and you don’t always get that in town locations. “It’s a project I am very proud of and I am sure whoever is lucky enough to live here will be very happy.” To find out more about Signet Hill Farms visit www.carterjonas.co.uk and enter the site reference OXF170179

”

Paul Mitchell, Site Manager

day however the crew working on the interiors can keep going until later on…although they were in high demand at Christmas! “The site is in perpetual motion, with the challenge of regular changes and the nature of the site being very muddy has also caused us problems. We lost

 info@group-savvy.co.uk  01865 920 040  www.group-savvy.co.uk

TICKET GIVEAWAY! Win a PAIR OF ticketS to The Photography Show* E-mail: giveaway@b4-business.com before Friday 9th March. Conditions apply*

DEVELOP YOUR PASSION The Photography Show returns to the NEC for its fifth year, between 17-20 March 2018. Full to the brim with everything a passionate photography enthusiast or a well-seasoned professional photographer could possibly dream of; including the latest technology from all the leading brands, demos of the latest kit, conference sessions and a complete range of talks and seminars guaranteed to meet your needs, whatever your level. Join like-minded photographers at the must-attend event in the image making community’s calendar.

EXHIBITORS From cameras and bags, to albums and clothing, you can find the latest kit and accessories from 250 leading photography brands at The Photography Show 2018. *

• We are offering two pairs only. • Entrants must provide an email address. (these are e-tickets, each winner will be emailed an individual code which will need to be used to redeem their pair of tickets) • Tickets are limited to one pair per winner and are valid for one day only. • Free tickets are for entry to the show plus a selection of theatre and stage programmes. Additional tickets must be purchased for the Masterclasses, Super Stage sessions and VIP upgrades.

w w w. p ho t og r aphysho w.com

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B4 property

Searched, acquired and let on the first viewing Finders Keepers started out as a search and acquisition service (it’s the “Finders” part of our name) and is something we have continued to offer over the last 45+ years.

you, again, “ Thank for all of your help, support, and professionalism in this search and resulting purchase, we are both very excited about it. I hope that we get to do it again sometime! Mrs. Williams, Inspired Investment Client

”

Written by: Victoria Lyall Photography by: Floorplanz

At the end of last year one of our Property Managers was talking to a client following an inspection at their North Oxford rental property who mentioned in passing that she was considering investing in another Oxfordshire property. Her Property Manager Simon Lear offered to put her in touch with Inspired Investment, our search and acquisition division, to help her source and purchase the right property, a family home in North Oxford. Maxine Allington, Inspired Investment Manager, made contact with Mrs Williams – who currently lives abroad – and discussed the criteria for the search. Following this, Maxine created a document detailing six potential properties she had found after her search, which was then emailed to the client. Mrs. Williams then returned to the UK to visit the three properties she liked the look of, and a fourth ‘wildcard’ which had come up in the interim. Two www.b4-business.com

properties stood out from the shortlist: the wildcard, and a rare brand new North Oxford family home. She wanted to proceed with the family home: a 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom semi-detached house in a quiet Summertown road in North Oxford. The property has a stunning open-plan kitchen/dining area with sliding doors leading to the private garden (which has a large wooden decked area by the river). Maxine dealt with the negotiations and was able to secure a substantial discount on the purchase. As the client lives overseas, Finders Keepers collected the keys on completion (a Friday). A viewing was booked for the Saturday prior to completion with a great family who were already in touch with our North Oxford letting team. They were looking to move from London for their children to attend a North Oxford school and they liked the location of this property being close to the school but also a

short walk from Summertown shops, restaurants and amenities. The added bonus was the proximity from Oxford Parkway with direct trains to London. The let was agreed on the Monday. To be kept up to date with the latest opportunities or to start your search, call Maxine on 01865 302314 or email inspired@finderskeepers.co.uk

 inspired@finderskeepers.co.uk  01865 302 314  www.finders.co.uk

Make 2018 a tri-umphant year! The Bloodwise Blenheim Palace Triathlon is back on 2-3 June 2018.

The Bloodwise Blenheim Palace Triathlon is the UK’s second largest triathlon and, without doubt, one of the world’s most picturesque. Last year over 7,500 participants of all ages and abilities made their way to the spectacular World Heritage Site in Oxfordshire to take on the challenge — with more than 1,000 of them together raising an incredible £300,000 to fund ground-breaking blood cancer research. From first-timers to seasoned triathletes, participants swim in the Great Lake, cycle around the beautiful countryside and finally run around the 18th-century palace and landscaped gardens, at what is fast becoming one of Oxfordshire’s showpiece events. Among the inspirational athletes tri-ing to beat blood cancer last year was Luke Ponsonby, who took on the sprint distance to celebrate five years in remission from acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Luke was diagnosed in February 2012 after experiencing many of the classic symptoms of the condition – including exhaustion and nose bleeds. His road to recovery wasn’t easy — he describes his chemotherapy as “brutal” but thanks to research, he was able to undergo a stem cell transplant from twin sister Checca which saved his life. 54

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Bloodwise’s supporters, investment in research has contributed to transforming quality of life for thousands of people living with blood cancer. It’s because of research funding that two thirds of people diagnosed with blood cancer will still be with us in five years’ time.

is an ideal “wayThetoevent promote health and wellbeing, and friendly competition in the workplace, as well as providing an excellent focus for corporate charitable fundraising.

”

But this is not enough. 39,000 people of all ages are diagnosed with blood cancers and related disorders every year in the UK. And the agonising effects of aggressive treatments are devastating for the

families affected. Bloodwise is committed to finding cures, improving diagnosis and care, and developing kinder treatments. They’re proud to currently be funding a team of researchers at the University of Oxford who are trialling a new immunotherapy in people with the most common and aggressive form of blood cancer who are not responding to current treatments, or who have relapsed. Everyone taking part at Blenheim this year is a hero — none more so than the inspirational fundraisers who are all running, swimming and cycling to fund research into all types of blood cancer. They’ll be testing themselves on terrain that has played host to Olympic champions, the Brownlee brothers, as well as celebrities including “Sporty Spice” Mel C. The stunning setting of Sir Winston Churchill’s ancestral home also draws over 500 corporate participants representing a variety of companies, many of whom return year after year. The event is an ideal way to promote health and wellbeing, and friendly competition in the workplace, as well as providing an excellent focus for corporate charitable fundraising. www.b4-business.com

B4 csr And for those who’d prefer to challenge themselves as part of a team, the Sprint Team Relay is a great introduction to triathlon – with one team member swimming, one cycling, and one running. Team members then meet up to proudly cross the finish line together. So if you’re feeling motivated in 2018, there really is no better event to start with. Whether you choose the Super Sprint (swim 400m, cycle 13.2km, run 2.9km) or Sprint (swim 750m, cycle 19.8km, run 5.4km) distance, or the Sprint Team Relay, Blenheim makes for a memorable setting for a varied sporting challenge. And by raising just £400 you could help pay for the genes of a blood cancer patient, like Luke, to be scanned and analysed — potentially sparing them harsh and unnecessary treatment. To find out how we can beat blood cancer together — and how you can get your hands on our highspec tri suit and access to professional training days from RG Active, one of the UK’s leading sports coaching companies — visit bloodwise.org.uk/blenheim.

About Bloodwise Right now there are more than 230,000 people in the UK living with blood cancer. We know that it’s the fifth most common cancer. We know that it’s the third biggest cancer killer. And we know that research is the only way to beat it. We’re the UK’s specialist blood cancer research charity. We fund world-class research into all types of blood cancer and support all those affected with expert information and advice. We couldn’t do this without you. To find out more, visit bloodwise.org.uk

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www.b4-business.com

info@bloodwise.org.uk 0207 504 2200 www.bloodwise.org.uk @bloodwise_uk

B4 events

A WARM WELCOME TO B4

The introduction to B4 for new members has always been an area we wanted to give some attention to and partnering with our new neighbours at The Manor Country House Hotel, we had the perfect opportunity to do just that. Photography by: Rob Scotcher

With two new welcome lunches now under our belt, it’s safe to say the welcome lunch has been a success. We look forward to more new B4 members combining an introduction to the B4 team with finding out more about the benefits of B4 membership, not to mention the superb hospitality of Michael Stevenson and his team at The Manor in the months ahead. Here’s what some of our members have had to say about the lunches: “A fabulous welcome to the B4 community. Thank you so much Richard and team!” Lucy Eckley, Lucy Eckley Communications “Thank you to the team at B4 for another lovely 56

lunch and chance to meet new members. Looking forward to the next event!” Victoria Glancy, Managing Director at Libreea Limited “Great lunch and exciting times for B4.” Rhys Griffiths, Venues Marketing Manager, Oxford Brookes University “It was lovely to meet you and the other members of the B4 group. Many thanks again for a lovely lunch.” Sarah Colgan, Commercial Director, Nielsen “Thank you to all at B4 for a lovely lunch - great to meet some new members in a lovely setting. See you at the next one.“ Sian Bruce, Selective Recruitment Solutions Ltd

“Thanks Richard and team. Learnt more about B4’s ethos, which i love! Great lunch and lovely to meet and chat to other members. See you soon.” Lucie Davison, Change Management and Employee Communications Specialist “A really lovely lunch and exciting for me to be joining his group. I look forward to other events soon.” Sally Addis, Director, Addis Law “Thanks for the hospitality Richard Rosser - a great morning and afternoon and great to meet so many great people.” James White, The UK’s Leading Prospect Conversion Expert “Lovely to meet all new members, thanks for a www.b4-business.com

New and Existing Members in Attendance

31ST

JAN

fab afternoon.” Jonna Mundy, Owner - You HR Consultancy “Excellent platform for networking. Well done B4.“ Stewart Elliston, Principal BD Manager at Freeths LLP “Thank you for making me feel so welcome. Looking forward to more events and meeting everyone 2018.” Dawn Lillington, Brand New Dawn Design and Branding

The 16th-century front was replaced in about 1820 and the Hon. Rev. F.A. Bertie then went ahead with further alterations and renovations in 1851. Weston Manor is now a hotel.



Scan to see the event photos:

About The Manor

B4 Classic Event at Pint Shop : Apr 19 2018 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm B4 Classic Event at Milton Park : May 10 2018 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm

In the 16th Century, the house was re-fronted, with the beautiful entrance hall and Tudor fireplace within also of this period. The house was assessed at 20 hearths in 1665 with the introduction of Charles II’s hearth tax.

www.b4-business.com

Forthcoming B4 Events B4 Platinum Dinner : Mar 22 2018 @ 7:00pm - 10:30pm

Built for Osney Abbey’s bailiff, Weston Manor House is a late 15th/early 16th Century building. It was originally built within a 13th Century moat, but only two sides of this survived until they were filled in 1908.

The drawing room panelling dates from just before the turn of the 17th Century, from the reign of William and Mary. Around 1780 the 16th century Great Hall was revamped with a timber rooftop outline and linenfold paneling that had been transferred from Notley Abbey in Buckinghamshire.

Addis Law ads Advertising & Design Ashmolean Museum Brand New Dawn Brethertons LLP Build Your Brand Story Chesterton Yeates CIS Ltd Coaching Mindset CRS Document Solutions Cultural Chemistry Digitizelectric Limited DWA - Connecting to Excellence Freeths Global CTS Gray, Baynes + Shew InTouch CRM James Cowper Kreston Kingerlee Ltd Libreea Limited LightBright Communications MJF Moorcrofts LLP Nielsen OUFC Oxford Brookes Venues Oxford Castle Unlocked Oxford Event Hire Oxford Fine Dining Oxford Town Hall OxLEP Pembroke College Pint Shop Pro-Eco Ltd RIFT Group Royds Withy King Selective Recruitment Solutions Sheldon Grange Smokin Donut Sobell House ST Hampton Ltd Strangebrew The Plastic Goldfish Company Two One Services You HR

Business In Oxford 2018 : May 23 2018 @ 8:00am - 6:00pm B4 Classic Event at Weston Library : Jun 11 2018 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm B4 / MGroup Golf Cup 2018 : Jun 20 2018 @ 2:00pm - 7:30pm

   

reservations@themanorweston.com +44 (0)1869 350 621 www.themanorweston.com @themanorweston

B4 Classic Event at The Manor Country House Hotel : Aug 8 2018 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm B4 Classic Event at Rhodes House: Sep 6 2018 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm 57

Supporting the regions businesses, and their owners, through the provision of expert accountancy, taxation and business advice 01865 861166 jamescowperkreston.co.uk info@jamescowperkreston.co.uk

We have offices in: Oxford • Newbury Southampton • Reading • London Henley-on-Thames James Cowper Kreston is a member of Kreston International, the global network of independent accountants and business advisers. Registered to carry on audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investments business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Simon Biltcliffe - Webmart

2018

BIO

OXFORDSHIRE’S BIGGEST BUSINESS SHOWCASE & NETWORKING EVENT

UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH TICKETS BUSINESSINOXFORD.COM

WEDNESDAY 23RD MAY 2018 THE KING’S CENTRE, OSNEY MEAD, OXFORD OX2 0ES

xLEP

driving economic growth

THINK

INSPIRE & CREATE

WHAT IS BIO2018? BIO2018 is the one-day thought-provoking event that help’s ‘Unlock Your Business Growth’. Organised and curated annually by B4, Oxfordshire’s most trusted business network and magazine, Business in Oxford is the biggest business-networking and showcase event in the county. Now in its 5th year, BIO2018 brings together over 900 of the county’s business owners, leaders, entrepreneurs and executives.

2018

BIO

OXFORDSHIRE’S BIGGEST BUSINESS SHOWCASE & NETWORKING EVENT

UNLOCK YOUR BUSINESS GROWTH TICKETS BUSINESSINOXFORD.COM

BIO2018 will look at how to cultivate the right behaviours and adopt proven best practices to achieve and expand commercial business success. Come and learn from and be inspired by some of the UK’s most prominent figures from business and beyond - a great combination of content comprised of CEO’s, entrepreneurs, innovators, thinkers, artists and sportspeople. In a world of information overkill, Business in Oxford focuses on the issues most pertinent to you and your business, invigorating new thinking and inspiring action. We aim to promote and deliver an engaging event where the county’s leading businesses can discover, learn, celebrate and shape the future of business in Oxfordshire together. BIO2018 focuses on 7 key areas that will help you cultivate the right behaviours and adopt proven best practices to achieve and expand commercial business success: 

Business Model Innovation: Adapt or Die?



Generation Z is here: Are you Ready?



Strategies for Stimulating Business Growth



Funding, Investment & Finance



Attracting, Nurturing and Retaining Talent

+ MEET EXPERTS WHO CAN HELP



Growth through Collaboration



MLS - Management, Leadership & Strategy

+ DISCOVER PRACTICAL

HIGHLIGHTS

WEDNESDAY 23RD MAY 2018 THE KING’S CENTRE, OSNEY MEAD, OXFORD OX2 0ES

GROW YOUR BUSINESS

SOLUTIONS TO DRIVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD

+ EXPAND YOUR SUPPLIER NETWORK + STRENGTHEN YOUR BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

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driving economic growth

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018

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 Just wanted to say a big “ thank you to you and team for a really successful BIO event this year. I think the venue was great and having all the stands in one place worked really well.

JOHN BLAKEY

EMILY FITCHETT

SIMON BILTCLIFFE

ALISON EDGAR

THE TRUSTED EXECUTIVE

FITCH BREW CO

WEBMART

THE ENTREPRENEUR’S GODMOTHER

Stephen Schneider Blake Morgan LLP

I just wanted to say how “impressed I was with the event and the event team. It was extremely professional. Please pass my thanks to everyone who helped make it happen. David Edwards Oxford City Council

JONNA MUNDY

DONALD SLOAN

HAYLEY MONKS

TONY DAVISON

YOU HR CONSULTANCY LTD

OXFORD CULTURAL COLLECTIVE

THINK INSPIRE AND CREATE LTD

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

Cyril Legrand Oxford Leadership  Jim White The Telegraph  Marcus Taylor Venture Harbour  Richard Venables VSL  Patti McCarthy Cultural Chemistry  Mark Beard Beard Construction  John Hoy Bidwells  Dominic Hare Blenheim  John Kennedy Wildbore & Gibbons  James White James White Sales Success  Adrian Harvey Elephants Don’t Forget  Helen Brind Oxfordshire LEP  Helen Brind Oxfordshire LEP  Nigel Tipple Oxfordshire LEP  Phil Southall Oxford Bus Company  Richard Marsh CIS Ltd  Vicky Hernandez Hedges Law

+ MORE BEING ANNOUNCED DAILY



READ MORE  SPEAKER INTERVIEWS p62. Dominic Hare - CEO  Blenheim p63. Alison Edgar  The Entrepreneur’s Godmother p64. James White - Founder & CEO  James White Sales Success p65. Hayley Monks - Managing Director  Think Inspire & Create Ltd p67. John Blakey - Executive Coach  The Trusted Executive Foundation p69. Jonna Mundy - CEO & Co Founder  You HR Consultancy Ltd p71. John Hoy - Partner & Head of Rural  Bidwells p73. Patti McCarthy - Director  Cultural Chemistry p75. Richard Marsh - CEO  CIS p77. Tony Davison - Commercial Manager  Tottenham Hotspur FC

+ For more information or to BOOK YOUR TICKET TODAY visit WWW.BUSINESSINOXFORD.COM

You can get in touch with Business In Oxford by:  businessinoxford.com  info@businessinoxford.com  01865 742 211

“

Well done yesterday... It was a great event – exactly what Oxfordshire business needs. I hope the feedback is all excellent – it certainly should be! Very well done. John F Kennedy Wildbore & Gibbons LLP

“

A great event indeed. The main hall with all the exhibitors had a real buzz about it. It was a challenging place to present in, but the presenting in that space added to the buzz, so I think it worked. Sebastian Johnson Oxfordshire LEP

had a very engaging “andWeinsightful time as well as being enjoyable. The best yet in my view. The team took away a lot of positives, we met a lot of like minded people which has laid the foundations to develop what I hope will be long term relationships. Darren Aston Aston & James

62 BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

DOMINIC HARE CEO BLENHEIM

What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? We are the longest-term stakeholders in our area – everything we do is for the very long term. We flourish only when everyone around us flourishes, so we start by getting that right. What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? In the visitor attraction, we focus very clearly on out target markets. We benchmark a lot against our best peers. In property, we focus more and more on building and supporting proper communities. How does your business recruit and retain your employees? Shared purpose which we all believe in is key – we are much more than a day job, we are changing the world around us for the better. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? Answering the question “why should a landed estate even exist today?”. How did we overcome it? Watch this space!!

houses in this area. We prepare for these changes by leading them. What’s your favourite business book? Start with Why – Simon Sinek. How could you become a better leader? Don’t start me off – it is a long list. Sometimes too close to the detail, sometimes too far from it. I need to consistently support our people and learn how to work in the right way with each of them. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? Our belief that businesses can do extraordinary good while still pursuing profit. “For profit” is not a bad thing. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? Anyone who thinks landed estates are elitist and should be condemned to the dustbins of history.

What inspired the launch of your business? John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, winning the Battle of Blenheim in 1704 and turning the War of the Spanish Succession decisively in Britain’s favour. What is the number one factor in your business success? Having the right “why” - people don’t buy what you sell, they buy why you sell it. Explain your growth-funding path? We are blessed by having a very supportive Duke and Duchess and trustees group. They have supported our reinvestment at every point.

“

We flourish only when everyone around us flourishes, so we start by getting that right.

What technology has made the greatest difference to your business? The 1st Duke invented a 2 wheel cart which horses could pull more quickly across Europe. This was one reason he was able to surprise the French at Blenheim and defeat them. The estate would not exist without this. What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? We need to change the nature of the tourist market towards multiday visits (more value to the local economy). We need to help local people on normal incomes fulfil their aspirations to live in or own

Dominic Hare - Blenheim

For more information on Dominic Hare visit: www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-hare-b3259136 www.blenheimpalace.com

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018 63

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

ALISON EDGAR THE ENTREPRENEUR’S GODMOTHER

What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? My motto is “When it’s delivered correctly, sales and customer service is exactly the same thing”. I don’t teach pushy sales techniques, I educate around my methodology ‘Four Key Pillars of Sales’ which is proven to work and that is my unique selling point. What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? I am a people person and that doesn’t stop when it comes to my customers. I always make sure that every communication I have is a positive one. With my online courses, I can see how a customer is progressing, and so one strategy I always implement is giving them a call to see if there is anything I can help them with. I have endless testimonials thanking me for my contribution to their businesses. It may only take a few minutes out of my day to improve somebody else’s massively. How does your business recruit and retain your employees? I recruited my last employee through Indeed – I think it’s a great tool. Previously, I teamed up with Bath Spa University via the Santander Internship programme. I believe working with young people gives my business a fresh approach and new lease of life. I believe in a relaxed environment for my employees. As an example, we have “think-tank Monday’s” where we do our Monday morning ‘stand up’ in the hot tub to get our brains churning. It is really important to me that my employees should have a good work-life balance. When they are having a good time, they are more likely to be more productive, and I think that is just common sense! What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? When I incorporated my business, there was government funding which helped subsidise coaching and training, unfortunately this ceased at the end of 2015. The lack of subsidy meant startups, micros and owner managed businesses struggled to afford consultancy rates. As a result, we created The Entrepreneur’s Godmother to work with them in groups to make it a more costeffective way for them to learn. What inspired the launch of your business? I spent 25 years working in BlueChip sales and realised there was a clear difference in sales technique between the high flyers who were hitting and exceeding target such as myself, and the ones who were struggling to hit target each month. This inspired me to investigate the differences and create my ‘Four Key Pillars of Sales’, an easy to understand sales technique which guarantees results.

Working in and around small businesses on a daily basis, I found one of their biggest challenges was to pro-actively sell so I thought “Not on my watch!” and made it my mission to teach them. What is the number one factor in your business success? Me! People buy people, I always try to get along with everybody and a positive mental attitude goes a long way. I always believe that I can do anything I want and that’s got me as far as going to Downing Street, attending The Queen’s garden party for my work with enterprise, and becoming one of the UK’s Top 10 business advisers. Describe your business model and what makes your business unique? My business has two sides, Sales Coaching Solutions, the more corporate side, which works with larger organisations and sales teams. The Entrepreneur’s Godmother, on the other hand, works with start-ups, micros and owner managed business and promotes a more fun approach to learning. There are lots of sales trainers across the world, but there is only one ‘Entrepreneur’s Godmother’ What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? Social media is already a huge part of the way we do business; however, I definitely see this expanding massively. I’ve spent hours learning about social media, we even visited Facebook’s HQ in Dublin, and I’ve developed a new course called ‘The Secrets of Social Selling’, which I will be discussing at the BIO2018 event. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? I will discuss my ‘Four Key Pillars of Sales’: Behaviours, Process, Strategy and Confidence. This is my award-winning methodology and it proves to have seriously great results – just check my testimonials on LinkedIn! I will also discuss the ‘Secrets of Social Selling’, and how social media and influencers are shaping the way we do business in today’s society. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? Anyone, everyone will walk away having gained something.

For more information on Alison Edgar visit: www.linkedin.com/in/alison-edgar www.alisonedgar.com

+ For more information or to BOOK YOUR TICKET TODAY visit WWW.BUSINESSINOXFORD.COM

You can get in touch with Business In Oxford by:  businessinoxford.com  info@businessinoxford.com  01865 742 211

64 BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

JAMES WHITE FOUNDER & CEO JAMES WHITE SALES SUCCESS

What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? My philosophy is simple. I want to change entrepreneurial mindsets to achieve even greater results. If you invest in yourself and in what you know then there is no limit to the business you can achieve if you solve a real customer problem.

What technology has made the greatest difference to your business? I think the ability to access your key business tasks, information and contacts wherever you are is vital as a business owner and so I think the development of great online business applications allows me to work wherever and whenever I choose.

What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? Everything I do as a sales mentor is about understanding my customers and how they tick and then challenging them to think differently and evolve to get the real results they want. The world of sales is so much about how you think and act and when you adjust those behaviours, you get better results. I work with my customers to help them become sales experts which in turn helps them achieve more.

What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? The challenge for all businesses is going to be how Automation comes in and replaces tasks that humans currently do now. The key is to ensure you build your skills and profile to be able to do what technology cannot! Selling is one of those things I have yet to see a robot do effectively .

How does your business recruit and retain your employees? By making them see there is a bigger picture involved than just what we do on a day to day basis. We are changing peoples lives as a result of the support, training and mentoring we give them. Being able to do that is far more important thing to do than just pick up a pay slip!. What inspired the launch of your business? I founded an online CRM business and ran that for 13 years but around 6 months ago I realised my REAL passion was in helping good businesses get incredible sales results. The software companies use is important but it’s the foundations, skills and prospect journey they take prospects on which is key to. Describe your business model and what makes your business unique? My business model is simple. I work with only 12 clients at anyone time and I give them access to me and my years of sales experience to ensure they hit the sales targets they set for themselves. I am unique because no one is quite like me in how they help, advise, support and yet challenge business owners to get the sales results they want. Explain your growth-funding path? I plan to work with a smaller group of just 12 clients this year but I am busy creating lots of content and digital assets so that I can take my knowledge and experience out to a wider audience through an online training portal.

What’s your favourite business book? I am an avid book reader/listener and so its hard to pick just one. Key Person of Influence by Daniel Priestley has definitely changed my focus but I also loved the The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. How could you become a better leader? There are always areas where we can all improve. I know that I need to improve the planning and organisation that I do so that I don’t put those I work with under pressure. I work well under last minute pressure but others don’t enjoy that!. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? The secrets to achieving consistent sales success in a modern business world - What actions do you need to take in business to ensure you avoid sales spreadsheet fantasy land!. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? Business owners, sales professionals, coaches, consultants, entrepreneurs and anyone who understands sales but who wants to get better at sales and hit the sales targets they have!.

For more information on James White visit: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jijwhite www.jameswhite.business

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018 65

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

HAYLEY MONKS MANAGING DIRECTOR THINK INSPIRE & CREATE LTD

Please introduce yourself to our readers My Name is Hayley Monks, I am Managing Director of Think Inspire and Create Limited, a people centric transformation consultancy. Having done many years in FTSE 100 & 250 businesses I took time out and enjoyed some ‘travel research’ before starting Think Inspire and Create. Delivering transformation in organisations and seeing real value of it in both business performance and people development, is what drives me. What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? Listening to your people and growing them where they are planted. We help businesses in leveraging the value of people within their organisations and optimise technology and digital solutions. What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? At Think Inspire and Create we have a strong focus on the customer. Actively listening to Customers is a key strategy of ours. In today’s frenetic society people have lost the art of listening to understand and as a result, customer interactions have become more automated and robotic. We coach Active Listening as a foundation principle in achieving a people and customer centric cultures. How does your business recruit and retain your employees? We have grown and recruited through referrals. Our people have recommended people who they have identified have that the same values and passion as we do. People stay with us for many personal reasons, but the key one is one of our shared business values and that’s team-ship. Team-ship is about working together and being there for each other. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? Our biggest challenge has been recruiting people that are likeminded and have the same values as us to continue to deliver value to the organisations that we work with. What inspired the launch of your business? Having worked with many consultants over the years I wanted to bring a new angle to the role that operations and business improvement consultants bring. Experience has taught me that change led by engaged people who actively participate is more successful and have great longevity than change that is done to people.

What is the number one factor in your business success? Actively listening- Listening to understand. We are great at listening, real, active listening where we take time to really understand our customers’ goals so that we can help them achieve them. Describe your business model and what makes your business unique? We have unique blend of strategy, operational customer service and financial skills that are blended and developed through a people and customer centric lens. The result is an ability to help business develop and utilise their people knowledge skills and behaviours and digital capability, so they can optimise their processes to leverage on what the human is great at and deliver for the customer. What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? Our customers use of advancing digital technology in servicing customer and how they can optimise this in conjunction with maximising the value of the human interaction. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? The Power of People – how engaged people drive profit and growth. Research shows that business with a clear vision and strategy, shared by positive and inspirational leaders, create engaged employee. Employees are often a businesses biggest asset and whilst it is often recognised on the balance sheet, their value in driving efficiency, value and growth in a business is frequently overlooked. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? Business who are looking to realise the potential of their people to facilitate their growth plans. Focusing on having a motivated and inspired workforce is what we do. We can help businesses that have under-utilised resource or those whose people are not engaged.

For more information on Hayley Monks visit: www.linkedin.com/in/hayley-monksmcicm-grad-4262a817 www.thinkinspireandcreate.co.uk/

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018 67

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

JOHN BLAKEY EXECUTIVE COACH THE TRUSTED EXECUTIVE FOUNDATION

Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is John Blakey. I am a leading executive coach, author and board advisor helping CEOs and elite sport coaches around the globe to develop high trust leadership styles What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? My brand philosophy is to walk-the-talk as a Trusted Executive. In a world that is losing trust this gives me a competitive advantage because when the room gets darker it is an opportunity for your own light to shine brighter; and the room is getting very dark right now in terms of trust. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? I was brought up to believe that nice guys come last. I was told time and time again that if I wanted to become a successful leader, I must nurture my psychopathic tendencies. But I decided to resist and challenge this ‘dog eat dog’ Darwinian mind-set. My work on trust was inspired by an incident in a corporate boardroom 17 years ago where I was told I was ‘too f---ing nice!’ by my then boss, the CEO of a major plc organisation. This sparked a drive in me to prove that nice folk, i.e. folk who can be trusted, can also deliver outstanding results. What is the number one factor in your business success? Given that we are a start-up foundation, the No.1 factor in our business success is listening to the market and refining our proposition to meet what the market needs rather than what we think the market needs. We have to walk the tightrope between having a passionate, inspiring vision whilst also staying highly flexible to respond to the immediate opportunities and needs of our clients. What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? The market for leadership development needs to respond to the shifting expectations of the leadership role. We now expect our leaders to have a broader vision than simply making lots of money. We expect them to have a view on broader societal issues and to make a positive contribution to these issues. We expect our leaders to care, to show some vulnerability, to be humble and to coach people rather than tell them.

These are all skills that 10-15 years were not core components of business leadership, and so many leaders need help to navigate into this new world successfully. We are preparing to help them with that challenge by getting ahead of the curve with research, writing and speaking. By working with the early adopters, we can create models, tools and techniques that will help other leaders tread the path. Also, by walking-the-talk ourselves we can empathise with the challenge and be credible as role models for this new style of leadership. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? I will be inviting attendees to engage with the nine habits of trust that have arisen from my research. I’d like to challenge them to understand that we have a trust crisis raging around our institutional leadership. There is an opportunity for them to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem, but that role involves examining their own leadership and doing the hard yards to change leadership habits. I am passionate about banging the drum for trust at events such as BIO2018 and I believe it is time people became aware of a new way of leading a crowd, a workforce or a cause. I hope that my message will inspire the audience to try out bold new ideas that nurture hope, positivity and resilience. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? Anyone who leads others, either at work or at home or in other spheres of their life. As Stephen Covey said, ‘Trust is the glue of life. It is the essential ingredient in all effective communication. It is the foundational principle of all human relationships’. Therefore, trust is a universal message for everyone.

For more information on John Blakey visit: www.linkedin.com/in/johnblakey http://johnblakey.co.uk

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018 69

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

JONNA MUNDY CEO & CO-FOUNDER YOU HR CONSULTANCY LTD

What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? Our brand strapline is “it’s all about the people” – we exist to share our unique way of building long lasting client relationships where we can demonstrate how much we care, through great people management solutions, client growth, success and the benefits of HR good practice through its people. What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? Our organisational values underpin our client strategy, where we; listen, understand, action, and achieve. We work alongside our clients every step of the way in scoping out plans of work to address their HR needs. We then monitor our progress and success through progress reports, client experience surveys and client review meetings. We recognise that feedback from our clients is vital to ensure we provide the right standards and quality of work expected of us that really makes a difference for our clients. How does your business recruit and retain your employees? At every opportunity we try and practice what we preach, so we lead our own campaigns to recruit, and to retain our employees, we have a multitude of employee benefits that can be applied depending on each individuals’ circumstances and future aspirations. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? Learning on the job and all the challenges you face in running a business. I have discovered levels of persistence and resilience that I never knew I had until I started running my own business. These and my deep routed ethos of ‘customer focus’ have enabled me to keep going, learning and growing the business. I’ve often referred to running a business like the biggest pot of marmite I’ve ever opened – there’s days where you love it, and days where you don’t, but… I wouldn’t have it any other way. What inspired the launch of your business? Originally, I started out as a sole trader, however, business flourished rapidly so within the first year I was given advice to setup as a limited company… I must be honest and explain that it was never my intention to set-up a business, I didn’t appreciate at the time my hidden passion of being an entrepreneur. This, coupled with my desire to succeed in demonstrating the value of good HR practice, inspires me year on year to take the business to a new level and really make a difference to the communities we work within.

What is the number one factor in your business success? Where our clients recognise the positive difference we create for them and their local communities. What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) is an obvious topic where clients will need to look at what needs to change in their existing systems, processes and data management. Equality and Diversity is widening its focus a lot more on ‘Inclusion’ which is great, and already this year we’re seeing progress with a spotlight on Neurodiversity, paving a new wave of support and opportunity for people in work who have dyslexia, autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyspraxia and other neurological conditions. Brexit… This is going to open up a whole wave of change in industry labour forces and shortages of skills and experience, along with greater demand on improved productivity and a new generation of remote workforce – one could say there’s collectively a tidal wave of change approaching how the UK workforce will look like by 2020. And as our service line tree demonstrates… workplace wellbeing is a key branch in nurturing and supporting employers and employees to achieve sustainable levels of improved productivity and performance, whilst striking the right work-life balance to reduce emerging concerns, such as those around mental ill health at work. Levels of stress, anxiety, depression and related conditions are on the rise – 131 million working days are lost on average each year due to sickness absence, costing around £60 billion… Are we entering into a mental ill health crisis? Something needs to change. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? Setting out a fresh and vibrant new journey for ‘You’ of sustainable growth and business success – It’s all about the people. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? Not for Profit organisations and SMEs that have a purpose to support their local community.

For more information on Jonna Mundy visit: www.linkedin.com/in/jonnajp www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

JOHN HOY PARTNER & HEAD OF RURAL BIDWELLS

What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? Always striving for quality and excellence, and always demonstrating that we are “well informed” as well as offering an indepth knowledge of the area and a wide range of quality services. We are fully committed to delivering long-term success for our clients.

What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? There are a number of risks and opportunities on the horizon – the rural sector needs to face the challenges to come from Brexit whereas Oxford and Oxfordshire can grasp the growth opportunities on the radar as well as the Oxford-MK-Cambridge corridor potential.

What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? Always putting the customer first; always responding quickly and efficiently to client requests and requirements; and always ‘going the extra mile’ to exceed customer expectations and to deliver for them on-time and on-budget.

What’s your favourite business book? “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. Why some companies make the leap from good to great… and others don’t!

How does your business recruit and retain your employees? Always searching for excellence and working hard to retain staff for the long term. Excellent graduate programme to get staff in at the ground floor and then ensuring that they are inspired, trained and mentored for their emerging forward careers. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? Life is about challenges – how we face them and how we come through them. Leaving Knebworth House to join the Tussaud’s Group in 1997 was a good career challenge; leaving Blenheim Palace to join Bidwells at the end of 2016 was another such challenge as it took me out of my comfort zone and into a new area with new challenges. What inspired the launch of your business? Bidwells started life as a rural practice in Cambridgeshire in 1839 and today Bidwells is one of the UK’s leading property consultancies with a strong dominant presence around the Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London.

How could you become a better leader? It is always a challenge to be visible enough to colleagues and to make enough time for them on an individual basis – especially across a multi-site division – making more time and becoming more visible would make me a better leader.

“

We are fully committed to delivering long-term success for our clients. John Hoy - Bidwells

What is the number one factor in your business success? Client retention and client endorsement. Describe your business model and what makes your business unique? We thrive across the rural, residential and commercial sectors and we have a strong presence in Cambridge and a growingly strong position in Oxford

For more information on John Hoy visit: www.linkedin.com/in/johnhoy www.bidwells.co.uk

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018 73

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

PATTI McCARTHY DIRECTOR CULTURAL CHEMISTRY

Please introduce yourself to our readers My name is Patti McCarthy and I have a business called Cultural Chemistry, which has nothing to do with science, but everything to do with helping people from different cultural backgrounds to bond rather than repel. I have spent about 2/3 of my life as an expat, so I have a clear understanding of the challenges people face when bumping up against a culture different to their own. What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? If I have one – and I’m not sure I’d call it a brand philosophy – it’s only that I won’t work with clients whose products or services I don’t feel comfortable with. This means my training is more likely to be successful, and that’s good for growth. What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? All my coaching and training is tailored to suit the needs of the client. While there are commonalities, no situation is ever the same, there are hundreds of variables and every person deserves to be treated as an individual. How does your business recruit and retain your employees? I’m a sole practitioner, but I have partnerships all over the world with consultants who share my approach and my values. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? When I lived in Australia, I found it very difficult to sell the idea of cross cultural management and cultural intelligence. You just have to keep knocking on doors – or move to Europe! What inspired the launch of your business? I have been an expat most of my life and been through some difficult times. I wanted to help others to have more positive experiences of cultural differences – challenge can also mean opportunity and different doesn’t always have to be difficult! What is the number one factor in your business success? Experience. Whether they are moving countries, expanding their business or nurturing their employees, I give my clients strategies that I use or have used myself and that I know will work for them too. What makes your business unique? Being able to combine intellectual rigour with real-life experience.

Explain your growth-funding path? Be more realistic and value both my time and my IP. Potentially nearly everyone could be a client, but realistically not everyone has the budget or the desire. Recognise those people who want you to share your IP for the price of a coffee. What technology has made the greatest difference to your business? Video calls like Skype and Facetime. They allow me to maintain rapport and a real relationship with my overseas clients. What future advancements do you foresee in your market and how are you preparing for them? Clients want more online & digitised learning because it is cheaper to deliver. I am happy to incorporate these strategies, so long as the personal element is not removed entirely. What’s your favourite business book? The Business of Happiness by Ted Leonsis How could you become a better leader? If I had a team, I would need to learn how to delegate. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? That cultural diversity is great for business, but only if we understand how to manage it. Working across cultures is not business as usual. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? SME’s and larger companies who either have expatriate employees who need supporting, or have culturally diverse employees and clients whom they would like to motivate, engage and generally build stronger relations with.

For more information on Patti McCarthy visit: www.linkedin.com/in/pattimccarthy www.culturalchemistry.com.au

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You can get in touch with Business In Oxford by:  businessinoxford.com  info@businessinoxford.com  01865 742 211

Charity Golf Day In aid of Sobell House

STUDLEY WOOD GOLF CLUB

Calling all B4 members, please support Sobell House, our chosen charity for 2018 by getting involved in their Charity Golf Day

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018 75

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

RICHARD MARSH CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CIS

What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? CIS has a strong brand, we leverage social media platforms to engage with our clients and simplify the very complex world of Information Technology. Our brand is clearly defined across 4 key pillars of our organisation and is clear to our customers, we make technology work smarter for your business, removing jargon along the way. What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? We believe partnership is the key to mutual and sustainable growth. We aim to give all end users the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, harnessing the power of IT to connect and optimise business objectives. Our vision serves as the framework structure for our Roadmap, providing guidance at every aspect of our business by describing what we need to accomplish to continue achieving sustainable, quality growth. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? Within the past 12 months we have achieved the ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certification for Information Security Management. This came as a direct response to the needs of our banking clients, reaffirming our commitment to security and data protection in an ever-evolving environment. It was difficult to implement the relevant processes whilst already adhering to most of the practices as well as getting the report together our auditors to validate. We celebrated when that award and certificate was finally granted to us. What inspired the launch of your business? The organisation was built upon the foundation of honesty and building longevity with our customers. Delivering solution and not just products, leaning our trade, owning our trade and delivering the best we could deliver to our clients – building 20 year+ relationships in many cases. What is the number one factor in your business success? The staff are our biggest asset, we empower our people to make decisions in the best interests of the client every day. We encourage training, growth, expansion into new areas of technology or even a full career change. Our team are supported by the management team and we like to help staff strike a balance

between their careers and their personal interests and goals and support development in both areas, our clients’ most common feedback “you have a great team and amazing people!”. Happy staff = Happy Clients = Simple! Explain your growth-funding path? CIS has grown organically 30% year on year over the last 5 years, the organic growth has been bolstered with multiple acquisitions of other organisations. We have further acquisitions planned in the future to help us achieve our eventual goal of becoming Oxfordshire’s primary IT support company. Exciting times for 2018– watch this space! What technology has made the greatest difference to your business? This is a difficult question to answer because technology is always changing and advancing. Initially we were first to the cloud market some 9 years ago, ahead of everybody. The latest product that has made a huge difference is our bespoke and exclusive, GDPR compliant encryption platform. With GDPR coming into force in May, encryption is becoming more prominent to ensure data security. This solution delivers better than every other market offering, believe me, we tested them all! What’s your favourite business book? I have two favourite business books - ‘Losing my Virginity’ and ‘Finding my Virginity’ - Richard Branson’s Autobiographies. Richard belief in enabling the right people and letting them deliver the vision you have is exactly our ‘MO’. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? I will be discussing the General Data Protection Regulation and the importance of data encryption specifically, I will also be in the CIS tech zone demonstrating the latest and greatest technologies to our clients and prospects. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? All businesses.

For more information on Richard Marsh visit: www.linkedin.com/in/richard-marsh-7686774 www.cisltd.com

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You can get in touch with Business In Oxford by:  businessinoxford.com  info@businessinoxford.com  01865 742 211

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BUSINESS IN OXFORD 2018 77

BIO2018 INTERVIEW 

TONY DAVISON COMMERCIAL MANAGER TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

What is your brand philosophy and how does it give you a competitive advantage? “To Dare is to Do” is the Club motto and this manifests itself in the way we approach our dealings on and off the pitch. We are not afraid to try something different and approach every task with a positive mindset.

Describe your business model and what makes your business unique? “No excuses”. This is a motto you will see and hear everywhere at the Training Centre and is something we strive to deliver from a business perspective. This is all about delivering the right framework for our people to deliver their best work every day.

What customer-centric strategies do you use and why? Our ground-breaking SPVRS (Stadium Project Virtual Reality Suite) uses state-of-the-art technology to bring the premium options at the New Stadium to life and has been designed around the customer experience rather than the other way around. We needed to find a way of showing the future of Tottenham Hotspur yet still deliver an enjoyable and interactive buying experience which we believe we have delivered.

What technology has made the greatest difference to your business? The SPVRS virtual reality marketing suite has enabled us to sell off plan and bring the New Stadium to life in a way which wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago. It has enabled us to engage clients to a degree where they feel confident in both buying longterm and referring the buying experience to their friends.

How does your business recruit and retain your employees? We are an organisation going through massive change and we have put in place a pathway to recruit and train hungry, enthusiastic people so that as we grow, we have developed our team to be ready and able to move up through the Club. Being part of making history and a culture of excellence makes it a vibrant and exciting place to work, who wouldn’t want to be part of that. What is the biggest challenge you have faced in your business and how did you overcome it? To grow 500 loyal, recurring, clients buying 2,000 seats to fourtimes this number in just two years. To achieve this, we have changed our approach from account management and upselling to proactive “New business” sales and marketing while giving existing clients priority.

What’s your favourite business book? “What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School” by Mark McCormack. Not the most imaginative choice for someone who worked at IMG but it is an enjoyable read and shows Mark’s common sense approach which gave birth to the sports marketing industry. What will you discuss in your BIO2018 presentation? I will be demonstrating the SPVRS experience live and discussing how important it was for the tech to follow the process rather than the process being driven by cutting-edge technologyr. Who is the Target Audience for your BIO2018 presentation? It should appeal to people looking for practical uses of VR and AR technology. The presentation will also appeal to football fans looking for a glimpse at what will be the most technologically advanced stadium in Europe!

What inspired the launch of your business? Football clubs rarely describe themselves as the launch of a business! In our case Hotspur Cricket Club members Bobby Buckle, Sam Casey and John Anderson met under a lamppost on Tottenham High Road and decided to form a football club to give them something to do in winter! What is the number one factor in your business success? Focus on people. I spend a great deal of time and effort recruiting and developing staff and hope to provide a culture where my team are encouraged to deliver 100% every day.

For more information on Tony Davison visit: www.linkedin.com/in/tonydavison1 www.tottenhamhotspur.com

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You can get in touch with Business In Oxford by:  businessinoxford.com  info@businessinoxford.com  01865 742 211

FANTASTIC MARCH FOOD! Residential conference guests staying at Holiday Inn Oxford this March will receive a ÂŁ5 discount per person on food and drink! Dining as a group? Why not book a private dinner with us and get the room hire free! Offer available on all meetings and events taking place in March. Terms and conditions apply. Subject to availability.

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B4 hr

WHO'S WHO...

Jonna Mundy CEO, YOU HR CONSULTANCY LTD MEET JONNA Growing up in London and being the youngest of 24 grandchildren, Jonna’s upbringing was 3 generations in one house, with very traditional values. Starting work in the big city at the age of 15, by the time Jonna was 22, she was recognised nationally as the youngest corporate manager in Royal Mail. Employed as a project consultant at the time, Jonna was given a new career opportunity to become a Human Resources (HR) professional when others realised her passion and potential to create commercial people solutions. Now a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD), Jonna has 20 years’ experience of HR and Organisational Development (OD). Keeping with her traditional values, Jonna has fulfilled her ambition to set-up a business to provide a service that really embraces every aspect of ‘people’ in organisations.

ABOUT YOU HR CONSULTANCY Founded in 2010, You HR Consultancy, the name was created from wanting something meaningful and memorable. Naming the business ‘You’ obviously connects to every person the company works with and also relates back to Jonna’s childhood when her Nan and Aunt would always read the Sunday magazine! The strapline “it’s all about the people” reflects the Consultancy’s pride in delivering a people-centric service for organisational development and growth. The Consultancy’s service line tree sets out the four services on offer: Transactional HR, People Management and Organisational Development, Organisational Change, Workplace Wellbeing. You HR’s passion for people doesn’t stop there… with an ethos to achieve a purpose not just to make a profit, they only work with Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and organisations within the Not for Profit (NfP) sector.

CONTACT ME      

Fugro House, Hithercroft Road, Wallingford, OX10 9RB Jonna@youhr.co.uk 01491 820752  07703 719464 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk You HR Consultancy Ltd @youHRconsult  @youHRconsult

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HOW CAN OXFORDSHIRE ATTRACT DEVELOP AND RETAIN WORLD-CLASS TALENTED PEOPLE? Over 50 senior leaders attended the Q&A event, which was hosted by British Bakels in Bicester. The experienced panel comprised: Adrian Lockwood – Chair of Oxfordshire Skills Board (Panel Chair) Nigel Tipple – Chief Executive, OxLEP Pat Cole – Site Director, Abbott (Witney) Paul Morrow – Managing Director, British Bakels Simon Newton – Commercial Director, Darke & Taylor

Do Oxfordshire businesses have a problem recruiting skilled employees?

the communities where they are located, especially if they are conservative about communications and are cautious about embracing social media.

Nigel Tipple kicked off OxLEP’s first business leaders’ Q&A, highlighting the unique challenges posed by full employment.

Pat Cole observed that prior to recent ‘outreach’ efforts, Abbott had largely been regarded as simply “that big brown building” and many people in the community didn’t realise that the site employed hundreds of people.

He observed that Oxfordshire is fortunate to have less than 0.6% unemployment – with fewer unemployed people than vacancies being advertised across the county. Many of the jobs in the county are skilled and found within highly-specialised industries, meaning businesses are competing for talent in a competitive and often global marketplace. The panel noted that there is increasingly-fierce competition between employers to attract employees at all levels within organisations. They agreed that rather than expending huge resource bringing in ‘heavy hitters’, Oxfordshire needs to identify sustainable talent development initiatives that ensure a steady supply of skilled people from the local area. During the discussion it emerged that companies that aren’t consumer-facing – despite having a global footprint – often struggle to develop a presence in

In 2016, Abbott urgently needed to recruit 150 people and took the decision to host two open recruitment sessions to help people learn more about the business and the opportunities it offered. The effort paid off, with the events being attended by more than 450 people, many of whom secured jobs.

How do we attract the brightest young people? There was considerable enthusiasm about the mutual benefits of partnership working with schools; where businesses can supplement career advice available from teachers and promote their own apprenticeship programmes. Paul Morrow spoke about how offering work experience had also helped young people contextualise their school work, students gaining a great understanding of the important role science plays in food manufacturing.

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What are you doing around social responsibility? What are you doing around the environment? So, do you really care or is it just something you write in your annual report?

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Pat Cole from Abbott emphasised the importance of following through on corporate social responsibility. Younger people are readily challenging companies’ credentials and employers need to be able to show how they deliver against their mission statements.

The attitudes of different generations towards employment were discussed, especially in respect of how employers can minimise the expense of people churn. Young graduates were perceived as less likely to buy into the culture of a business; they are ambitious and may regard their first job as a stepping stone – unless persuaded otherwise. Nigel Tipple highlighted the experience of Nielsen in Oxford, who have found that a mixed cohort of graduates and apprentices led to improved retention rates. There was a strong feeling, also reflected in comments from the audience, that young people should proactively consider vocational training opportunities and that university is not the only

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B4 hr

A suggested ‘Oxford salary weighting’, the need to foster engagement between business and education and the value of investing in employee development were three key themes to emerge at the inaugural Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) Business Leaders’ Q&A event. Written by: Andrew Baud Photography by: Chris Rowland

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of OxLEP

route to a successful career, especially with the development of degree level apprenticeships. A straw poll in the room revealed that around 35% of the business leaders attending had started out in vocational training.

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You can make promises in your interviews about your company’s policies, your development policies, flexible working and anything else that your employee wants to hear. But then you’ve also got to make sure that’s what you actually do in practice

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Paul Morrow stressed that companies need to deliver on promises to employees

How can we attract people, given Oxfordshire’s relative high cost of living? The possible concept of a salary ‘weighting’ scheme – as a way of mitigating the high cost of living in the county – was something the panel felt may potentially struggle to work in practice.

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There were concerns about whether it would be restricted to certain roles or industries, especially given that businesses are sometimes struggling to recruit for entry level positions. Panellists also discussed the impact it would have on competitiveness, especially with businesses that have Oxfordshire based staff but operate across the country. The lack of competitiveness might ultimately deter investment and only serve to encourage businesses to relocate to lower-cost areas.

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We bring on apprentices and we train them. Some of those end up on the tools or managing sites, others come into the office and become estimators. Perhaps the best example is our MD, who has been with the company for over 40 years and is now running the business. It gives you a good sense that there really are good opportunities for progression Simon Newton spoke about the many progression opportunities for apprentices.

”

“

If you put another £4,000 per head on a wage bill in Oxfordshire I don’t know many businesses would be able to afford it. This is something that has built up over many years in London, it’s market forces to a large extent.

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Nigel Tipple was concerned about the impact of an Oxford weighting on competitiveness.

Details of the next OxLEP Q&A event – with a focus on ‘Place’ – will be available via: www. oxfordshirelep.com/qandaevent. To register your interest, please email Rob Panting – OxLEP Communications Manager – via: robert.panting@oxfordshirelep.com

xLEP

driving economic growth

 robert.panting@oxfordshirelep.com  01865 897 195  www.oxfordshirelep.com

Flex your corporate muscle: Sharing time, talent and skills in communities Charities might be looking for the corporate pound, but they also highly value the corporate ‘muscle’ – the wealth of professional skills, talent, knowledge and experience that businesses possess. Some of the skills you might take for granted are priceless to charities and community organisations – and our next Reciprocate event will explore how you can share them in the most effective way. Written by: Kate Parrinder, Oxfordshire Community Foundation

Charity staff and volunteers at a Reciprocate Encounter workshop

Mark Beard

On Tuesday 10th April 2018, Reciprocate businesses will explore how they can support the community and engage their staff by empowering them to volunteer. The morning symposium will take place at Worcester College’s stunning new Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre. Here at Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF), we know that businesses want to help the communities they sit within. Indeed, many are doing amazing things already – for example, commercial property specialists VSL & Partners places a strong focus on helping the community via its directors’ involvement with various local charities and boards. Other businesses, such as Reciprocate member Royds Withy King, have pledged to support staff to become mentors to disadvantaged people in the community, such as women who may have experienced abuse or are starting a new life on leaving prison. VSL’s Richard Venables chairs OCF’s Reciprocate responsible business group, and is on a mission to get more local companies contributing their time and talents in this way. “Businesses are looking for more guidance about which activities have the most impact when it comes to community engagement,” he says. “Oxfordshire Community Foundation, via 82

Reciprocate, is well placed to advise us on this. They have a comprehensive understanding, not just of the local charitable landscape, but also of the most pressing social problems affecting Oxfordshire.”

are looking “forBusinesses more guidance about

which activities have the most impact when it comes to community engagement. Oxfordshire Community Foundation, via Reciprocate, is well placed to advise us on this.

”

Richard Venables, Director – VSL & Partners

Alongside this, Reciprocate member businesses tell us that having a proactive approach to community engagement gives them a competitive edge, from both a customer and a staff perspective. Companies with staff who are engaged in volunteering report that this helps them attract and retain employees

in a competitive job market. And from the point of view of these staff, the experience gained from skills-based volunteering in particular can boost their career trajectory, making it an important element in HR departments’ career development planning, especially for high-potential middle managers. Mark Beard, Chairman of family-run business Beard Construction, is keen to promote employee volunteering as a mutually beneficial activity – one that supports the charitable sector, but also brings significant benefits to businesses in developing the leadership and professional skills of their staff. He sees this personal and career development aspect as a crucial way for Beard to remain a local leader, and is keen to share and encourage other businesses to adopt the same approach. The Beard Charitable Foundation, set up by the Beard family to support its own staff in their charitable activities, is delighted to be lead sponsor for Reciprocate’s ‘Corporate muscle’ symposium at the Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre – an impressive construction project that was completed by Beard in 2017. This event will be the chance to hear from other leading businesses about the voluntary roles their staff have taken, and to attend interactive seminar sessions on practical topics such as how to link www.b4-business.com

B4 csr & charity

Mike Jennings and Ryan Howe present at an Encounters workshop on brand strategy

Business people at a Reciprocate event at Saïd Business School Sultan Nazrin Shah Centre

An audience with John Lewis at a Reciprocate event

volunteering with career development, and where to go to find opportunities to share skills with charities. It is planned that speakers will include William Downing, a Partner at Blake Morgan who is Chair of Homeless Oxfordshire; Graham Beith, who is Branch Manager at Handelsbanken in Reading and volunteers as a charity trustee; and Clive Johnson, Group Head of Health, Safety and Security at Westgate developers Landsec, who has championed the company’s innovative and highly successful CSR initiative. We hope that this symposium will build on the experience our Reciprocate member companies have of sharing their expertise with charities, in particular via our ‘Reciprocate Encounters’ programme, where businesses run free professional skills workshops for charity staff and volunteers. So far our popular Encounters workshops, coordinated by Clark Howes, have upskilled charities in strategy, law, HR, social media and branding – just a few of the areas where charities say they would value input from business volunteers. The symposium will run from 9.30am until 2.00pm on Tuesday 10th April, and will include refreshments and a buffet lunch, and the chance to network with like-minded businesses. There will also be a www.b4-business.com

series of ‘marketplace’ stands where you can make connections with community sector partners who can help you take action on skills-based volunteering. Businesses are encouraged to invite their wider staff teams as well as their senior leaders to the

Giving my time, “skills and financial contributions doesn’t just benefit the organisations I support, it benefits my community as a whole. Ryan Howe, Director – Monchü

Local design agency Monchü is a member of Reciprocate, and Director Ryan Howe led a recent Encounters skills workshop. He says: “In this time of unprecedented austerity, it’s vital that we the business community support those organisations who work in the voluntary sector. Giving my time, skills and regular financial contributions doesn’t just benefit the organisations I support, it benefits my community as a whole.” If you would like to attend this event, please visit our EventBrite page: https://tinyurl.com/yayo5eje.

”

symposium as a chance for them to explore their personal development and how it could be enhanced through volunteering. This could be especially relevant to companies that offer employees time off work for volunteering, but don’t see the uptake they might like.

 reciprocate@oxfordshire.org  01865 798 666  www.reciprocateox.org Reciprocate is hosted by Oxfordshire Community Foundation

A spectacular day to remember

Berkshire Vision

Shooting Event Thursday 19th April 2018

We invite you to join us for this prestigious and thrilling shooting event at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School, Pangbourne.

The day promises to be full of excitement, with a competitive edge! Arriving at 9am to a warm welcome and breakfast the day starts with a briefing. Shooting will commence at 10.15am Each team will shoot ten stands, including a simulated pheasant flush.

At midday snacks and refreshments are served from within the school pagoda, located at the heart of the valley. Enjoy a Taittinger champagne reception and three course lunch followed by speeches and prize giving for the winners. www.berkshirevisionshooting.co.uk

Exclusive

Exclusive & Available

£6,000

BENEFITS INCLUDE... Key Branding on all event literature Berkshire Vision website presence + web-link Programme Advertising – Full page Programme Editorial

Headline Sponsorship

Meeting CSR commitments supporting local charity Berkshire Vision Client Opportunities PR in follow-up Media & Photographs Gun Team all-inclusive entry x8 guests – 2 teams

Branded Board on Shooting Box

10 Packages Available

£1,950

BENEFITS INCLUDE... Branding on all event literature Berkshire Vision website presence + web-link Programme Advertising – half page Meeting CSR commitments supporting local charity Berkshire Vision

Client Opportunities PR in follow-up Media & Photographs Gun Team all-inclusive entry x4 guests – 1 team

Supplementary Sponsorship in Marquee/Lodge

Silver Available

£1,550

BENEFITS INCLUDE... Branding on all event literature Berkshire Vision website presence + web-link Programme Advertising – quarter page Meeting CSR commitments supporting local charity Berkshire Vision

Client Opportunities PR in follow-up Media & Photographs Gun Team all-inclusive entry x4 guests – 1 team

Branding on all Event Literature

Available

£1,350

BENEFITS INCLUDE... Berkshire Vision website presence + web-link Programme Advertising – logo only Meeting CSR commitments supporting local charity Berkshire Vision

Client Opportunities PR in follow-up Media & Photographs Gun Team all-inclusive entry x4 guests - 1 team

Please contact Berkshire Vision for booking details.

www.berkshirevisionshooting.co.uk 0118 987 2803 info@berkshirevision.org.uk www.berkshirevision.org.uk

B4 csr & charity

Bang it’s 2018! Berkshire Vision, supporting the Visually Impaired since 1910.

Seeing is believing… More than two million people in the UK live with sight loss that is severe enough to have a significant impact on their daily lives. Every day another 250 people start to lose their sight. It is estimated that 4 million people will be diagnosed with sight loss by 2050. Berkshire Vision, the local Berkshire sight loss charity was established in 1910 and supports over 2,000 visually impaired and blind people across the county. The charity needs to raise over £300k each year to maintain its current level of support.

Why your support is vital Berkshire Vision is leading the way for blind and visually impaired people to take part in activities and sports and leisure activities for all ages. Its inspirational members are helped to participate in a wide range of sports including, dragon boating, tandem cycling, cricket, football, athletics and even archery! The Metro Games in 2017 saw a haul of 26 medals from competitors taking part in athletics. The charity works hard to offer opportunities to individuals that they would not be able to take part in without the charities support. “It made me feel that if everyone else can do it… so can I.” Berkshire Vision carries out over 1,000 home visits over the year and supports many more visually impaired people at over 150 craft and club meetings across the county.

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Home visiting is a vital and important part of the service as it provides a life-line to vulnerable and elderly blind and partially sighted people who feel cut off from the world around them. “I don’t get out much now I’m losing my sight. I really appreciate the company and advice that is provided, I feel that if I needed anything, I know that I could call my home visitor for support.” Sight loss does more than take away a person’s sight. It can take away their self-confidence, independence and sense of wellbeing, leaving them feeling isolated and alone. “I wouldn’t know how to manage without you. I’m so grateful.”

How can your company get involved? The charity is hosting a prestigious shooting event which will be held at the award winning Royal Berkshire Shooting School situated in a beautiful valley just outside Pangbourne. The school is recognised as one of the finest facilities of its kind with one of the most expansive shooting grounds in the south.

Simply come up with a team name and join us for a thrilling competition and memorable experience. It will be an excellent opportunity to network as well as providing a bespoke event to invite clients/ staff to enjoy. Find out more at http://www.berkshirevisionshooting. co.uk. “4 million people will be diagnosed with sight loss by 2050.”

Packages available The event has been tailored to meet your corporate requirements. There are a range of packages available which include: Platinum – Headline Sponsor | Key branding | Web links, social media, PR | Full Page Programme Advertising | Editorial content | Meeting CSR commitments | Presentation on event day | Gun team all-inclusive entry 8 guests (2 teams). £6,000 Gold – event package with benefits - £1,950 Silver – event package with benefits - £1,550. Bronze – event package with benefits - £1,350.

The event promises to be a thrilling day of competition and excitement. You can be a seasoned shot or complete novice but the day will leave you with unforgettable memories. Each participating gun will shoot clays and enjoy competing against the other teams.

 info@berkshirevision.org.uk  0118 987 2803  www. berkshirevision.org.uk

CELEBRATING A NEW CATERER AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY EVENT VENUES Planning an event takes time. You have a million things to think about – guest lists, invitations, entertainment, décor and much more. Catering logistics can be difficult to understand, so having a good venue and good caterer who can deliver stunning-looking and tasting food while paying attention to the small logistical details really matters. This is particularly true when it’s often the highest or second-highest cost associated with an event and so much of the event’s success revolves around the food – food creates memorable experiences Written by: Kay Miles

Oxford University Event Venues, who look after four venues – The Examination Schools, The Sheldonian Theatre, St Luke’s Chapel and Osler House – tell us about the appointment of their new catering provider, and give their top tips when booking catering at your next event.

Our partnership agreement A key part of our plans to keep growing our venues business is working with a trusted partner who understands our venues and who has bought into a long term relationship. After a long and involved tender process last year we appointed Compass – one of the largest hospitality providers in the world – to supply catering services to a number of cafes, restaurants, and hospitality and event venues across the University for the next ten years. Compass is better known for large scale contract catering, but the team turned our perception of what the company could offer on its head. For instance, they proposed creating a central production unit

in Oxford to drive down costs and deliver a much better, more consistent product. They also suggested setting up an innovation board to keep ahead of UK high street food fashions and ensure our venue catering remains bang on trend, and show a strong commitment to sustainability and sourcing food locally. They are always on hand to meet customers, seeking to understand their food needs from the outset and offering tastings for special events such as weddings and dinners.

under two different brands, ‘Occasions’ and ‘Only at Oxford’. The first is our most popular and is about delicious everyday eating while ‘Only at Oxford’ provides high-end dining experiences. Recent events have included creating an urban street food market for 400 guests, which served an eclectic mix of food.

“Working on catering has given us a big opportunity to improve the sustainability of the University’s food.” Harriet Waters, Head of Environmental Sustainability, University of Oxford

opportunity to improve the sustainability of the University’s food.

Our catering concepts – ‘Occasions’ and ‘Only at Oxford Our in-house catering team provide food for a wide variety of events – including dinners, conferences, drinks receptions, day meetings and weddings –

on catering “ Working has given us a big

”

Harriet Waters, Head of Environmental Sustainability, University of Oxford

Much of this focused on regional food from the UK, including mutton curry from Mr Lloyd’s farm in Llangybi, Wales, and spud wraps filled with braised beef short rib from Mr Kidner’s farm in Bristol, Oxford

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Blue cheese, celeriac mash, watercress and a tasty jus. Desserts included a customisable crème brulée bar, freshly bruléed to order in seconds, and an apple bar with a selection of delicious seasonal apples finished with a choice of toffees, custards and creams.

See our venues and sample our food for free on Friday 13 April If you organise meetings and events then don’t miss out on the chance to see our venues and sample our food for free on Friday 13 April. You’ll enjoy a private tour of each of our central Oxford venues – the Examination Schools, the Sheldonian Theatre, Osler House and St Luke’s – and learn about their fascinating history. You will get to savour some of the best indoor panoramic views of Oxford, meet our friendly team and enjoy a two-course buffet lunch in exquisite surroundings. Registration is free and is open until Wednesday 28 March.

Our top tips for booking catering

venues

offer a fuller service than others. For instance some will provide just food whereas others can hire in tables, chairs, decorations and more.

Whatever venue you choose, here are a few tips to ensure your food creates memorable experiences….

• Meet the caterers in person and find out who will be looking after you

To register for our showcase trip or to find out more about hiring one of our venues, contact us below:

• Find out what others think of them by asking for references and testimonials • See if they will tailor menus to suit your needs – adaptability really makes a difference • Request past catering photos to gain insight into how events are set up, what sort of glassware they use and other small but important details • For special events (large dinners, weddings) ask if you can taste the food in advance

   

venueenquiries@admin.ox.ac.uk 01865 276 905 www.venues.ox.ac.uk @OxUniVenues

• Find out what they can supply –some caterers

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Encrypt and Invest to Secure Your Future Securing data is a must to prevent yourself from becoming just another statistic, says Gareth Johnson

When Warren Buffett suggested that cyber attacks were the ‘number one problem with mankind’ during Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder’s meeting in May last year, he raised a valid point. His logic was that nuclear was less likely than biological and cyber warfare. The numbers make for stark reading. According to the 2016 Cybercrime Report from Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime is set to cost the world in excess of $6 trillion within three years, which according to some suggestions now makes it more profitable than the global trade of all major illegal drugs combined. Indeed, it’s a fair assumption that we’ve reached a tipping point in the battle against cybercriminals, as firms continue to fight what now feels like a never-ending battle against those that would seek to breach the perimeter and cause chaos within the corporate network. Almost every day we’re exposed to new narratives in the cat and mouse game of IT security as firms strive to keep one step ahead of hackers and those attempting to disrupt the business. Over the past twelve months we’ve been witness to a spate of new attacks from cybercriminals that have attempted to pierce the over-stretched resources of IT with ransomware in particular coming to the fore. Names such as WannaCry, Petya and NotPetya have

become all too familiar as those within the enterprise and public sector suffered business disruption at the hands of cybercriminals and ransomware – where computer data is hijacked and a fee demanded.

“

According to the 2016 Cybercrime Report from Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime is set to cost the world in excess of $6 trillion within three years, which according to some suggestions now makes it more profitable than the global trade of all major illegal drugs combined.

”

When WannaCry struck, disruption was wide and swift. According to to NHS England, more than 81 NHS trusts were affected, with some even turning of devices and shutting down computers

as a precaution. With a further 603 primary care organisations also reporting disruption, there were said to have been nearly 20,000 cancelled appointments, with 600 GP surgeries returning to pen and paper and five hospitals simply diverting ambulances as they were unable to handle any more emergency cases. Although that ransomware attack was stopped within a matter of days, reports suggested more than 300,000 computers across 150 countries had been affected. WannaCry was also significant in being the first ‘ransomworm’ the world had seen – a self-replicating piece of malware that bounces from computer to computer in much the same way that diseases in the real world do, feeding and growing off the best connected computers. Indeed, WannaCry was seen as a necessary wakeup call in many respects. Particularly when experts revealed the number of ‘unpatched’ IT systems stood somewhere in the region of 40m. That degree of carelessness and cyber criminals upping the ante are just two reasons that the frequency of these attacks are set to increase to one very 14 seconds in 2019 if figures from Cybersecurity Ventures are to be believed. Although this represents just one aspect of policing the perimeter it really does put into perspective just

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B4 it & tech

how much firms have to think about when it comes to securing the business today and that’s before considering how you manage and police mobile devices and IT assets. After all, it’s not just those on the outside you need to consider.

the data of EU citizens being handled by firms – and most have their hands more than full. It can all appear very daunting even to the most seasoned of professionals and is certainly one reason many firms are now looking to trusted partners for help and in some cases secure outsourced solutions.

It can all appear “ very daunting even to

Imagine, for instance, being able to forget about certain elements of this by using secure encryption and modular services that protect your devices before they even boot up? What about encrypting both these and hard disks right down to individual folders and segments of data? Wouldn’t it also be wonderful if you could do this via a centralised management system that ensures seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure and meets the FIPS 140-2 security standard for full disk encryption; a certified mark of quality expected by security experts the world over? Imagine being able to produce a report at the click of a button, demonstrating your organisations compliance with the GDPR.

the most seasoned of professionals and is certainly one reason many firms are now looking to trusted partners for help and in some cases secure outsourced solutions.

”

This is forcing businesses to strategically look at and reconsider their approach to IT security with a fresh pair of eyes. Factor in impending regulations such as the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – the EU’s attempt to drive better standards of cybersecurity to provide increased protection for

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It’s actually easier than you think and with the correct encryption solutions deployed across the business, you can deliver measurable improvements to your bottom line whilst at the same time being able to reassure customers that they are taking the correct precautions when it comes to customer data and compliance.

Need help with securing your data and the GDPR? CIS recognises that security and compliance can be difficult to understand. To help with any confusion and issues we offer modular support services that are available 9-5 and with emergency support 24/7. We take data security very seriously and our secure encryption keys are held within an ISO27001 certified militarygrade data centre. For further information on this or the GDPR please contact Gareth Johnson.

 Gareth.Johnson@cisltd.com  01367 700 555  www.cisltd.com

HOW ARE YOU MAKING YOUR EVENT BETTER ? BAGP provides a reliable and unique service to meet your individual staffing and event management needs. Whether you are looking for good, friendly and outgoing Promotional Staff, hardworking Host & Hostesses or focused Event management BAGP can help. As Oxfords leading supplier of event staff, BAGP has staff positioned at many high profile events at any given time. What we offer is a bespoke staffing and events management service that is aimed at public, corporate and private needs. Supplying the best people in the market with prices that are competitive. BAGP have a very hands-on approach to our clients to ensure complete satisfaction Our Clients include - University College(s), Oxford City Council, The Westgate Centre, Virgin Sport, Carlsberg, Templars Square, Yarnton Nursery, BMW/Mini, Maddox Events (London).

GET IN TOUCH Call Our Oxford Office: 01865 595717 Call Our London Office: 0207 167 6874 Email: contact@boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk

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B4 it & tech

is on “howTheanykeynewfocus solution

they may contemplate, will help reduce capital expenditure, reduce operational expenditure or drive new business to the top line through new products and services that their customers can adopt as significant solutions for their businesses.

”

Digitizelectric Limited Digital Consultancy Over the past 15 years, in between full time roles at Sonus Networks, Genband and Metaswitch, Digitizelectric (DEL) has built a successful consulting sales and business development business helping a range of companies develop their business across Europe. This has been achieved through managing a growing network of business contacts at all levels of potential customers and partners and positioning a range of solutions to meet current and future market requirements. Before this, the owner, Richard Dorey, had had full time roles at start ups, ilotron (Optical switching) and PhotonEx (Optical Transmission), and large companies GEC Plessey Telecom and Alcatel, successfully positioning early core broadband networks and pioneering broadband Britain with the first ADSL deployments with BT using Alcatel DSLAM’s. Again, building on the wide range of solutions Richard has had exposure to over the 26 years he has been selling in telecoms, Digitize Consulting is able to position software, applications and technology across a range of networks and enterprise customers providing value for both his direct customers as well as the end user customer.

The Technology Solutions The solutions that DEL markets as a consultant depends on the companies being represented at the time. If you take a look at the website www. digitizelectric.com, you can see a range of case studies. The solutions can vary from access hardware and software all the way through to software only

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solutions running in virtualised environments in the cloud. As communication service providers take on the challenge of Network Functions Virtualisation and Software Defined Networks and opportunities enabled by new software based solutions, the key focus is on how any new solution they may contemplate, will help reduce capital expenditure, reduce operational expenditure or drive new business to the top line through new products and services that their customers can adopt as significant solutions for their businesses. Currently DEL is working with an interesting mix of customers, some of which appeal to telecoms operators and data centre operators, such as Lumina Networks for SDN solutions, Immersion4 for providing a new way to cool IT resources, NetworkMining which is all about managing optical networks and making them more efficient, Nova QC who provide technical resources and skllls to the telecoms industry and Tridium who provide software for managing a wide range of sensors and IoT based products to make buildings and cities more efficient in their use of resources, One company that is worth highlighting though is Smart Networked Environments (SmartNE) which is a start-up based at the Knowledge Gateway Business Park, Colchester and with an office with Innovation Martlesham at BT’s research labs in Suffolk. SmartNE started out by trying to solve a problem for a disabled team member who found it difficult to find the best path or route to get from the car park at Essex University to the different locations she was having to get to for her work. The university is built on a hill with paths, staircases, lifts that don’t stop on every floor and certain doors that are locked at certain times etc.. all making life quite challenging

for a wheelchair user. Smart NE devised a solution for rendering CAD diagrams in software and then applying some complex routing algorithms to the different floor plans and corridors linked to entrances to rooms, which then enabled them to develop an application to route the user to the right location taking into consideration the different path or lift restrictions. The routing is presented on a map of the university and directs the user straight to where they want to go. It is fully interactive in that if paths are closed for any reason, the routing automatically changes to take this into consideration.

Since the solution has gone live, it has now developed to provide a wide range of information which is presented to the user of the application via mobile phones, interactive kiosks or the web. This includes apart from routing to a destination, smart building information, travel information, availability of rooms, PC’s, desks, directory information, car parking, bus timetables etc. If there is information that exists on a database and the customer wishes to display it, then SmartNE has a solution to be able to do so. This is an ideal solution for adding value to campus environments, shopping centres, town centres and smart cities looking to provide excellent information to a wide range of users.

 hello@digitizelectric.com  01865 517 018  www.digitizelectric.com

Celebrating Our 10th Anniversary Founded in 2008 by Cheryl-Lee Foulsham, Oxford Duplication Centre has successfully grown from a small home enterprise to a highly reputable digitisation company. Written by: Cheryl-Lee Foulsham

We are proud to be celebrating our 10th anniversary and wish to thank all our clients and business partners that have made this milestone achievable. Many of our clients have been with us since the beginning and their continued support is greatly appreciated. But most of all I wish to thank our dedicated team, who have taken on all the challenges faced and have contributed over the years to the growth of the company. Not only do they deliver the high standards expected at ODC but they constantly look at improvements and new ideas for development. I would like to thank Ali Martin, Leigh Taylor and Natalie Rogers who have helped to make our company one of the leading specialists in Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley.

WHAT IS OUR EXPERTISE? We are one of the leading specialists for all duplication, conversion and digitisation of any analogue material to digital, ready for online presence. To include transcoding from old digital formats to current H.264/H.265. From your wedding VHS tape to corporate and archival collections, we 94

offer a complete service for the transfer of archives, images, text, video and sound into digital formats, for use in machines, computers and the cloud. We offer 3 dedicated departments to support our clients:

Duplication Ali Martin supports clients within CD DVD USB duplication preparing discs from 1 unit to 1000’s. Services include artwork support, digital printing and fulfilment.

Conversion Leigh Taylor supports clients wishing audio and video conversion to include professional broadcast tapes, audio restoration, post production, data loss recovery and transcoding of old media to current formats.

Archive Cheryl-Lee Foulsham and Natalie Rogers support clients in digital archiving of photographic film, motion cine film and documents to digital formats up to A0 size.

OUR GROWTH OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS! It has been an exciting time for our team. Not only have we firmly established highly specialist departments but over the past 2 years we have been working together on developing our archive department which has grown exponentially. Currently we are preparing a 2 year scanning project for World History Archive to Getty image specifications, a family archive consisting of 17,000 negatives and The Open University digitisation of U-matic and audio reel tapes. New orders include Blenheim Palace, whereby we are very proud to be one of their preferred suppliers for digital archiving.

OUR SERVICES IN 2018 HAVE EXPANDED EVEN FURTHER We now include wide format scanning of maps, engineer drawings, aperture cards, microfilm, artwork and rare formats. Document scanning services for www.b4-business.com

B4 services

Testimonials

“

Cheryl is not only highly professional, she also has a real passion for her work which is clear in the quality of everything she does. I have used Cheryl’s services for the past ten years and have never had anything but a perfect job. Without any doubt, Cheryl and her team are dedicated and highly skilled, a solid gold supplier.

”

Richard Rosser - B4 Business

“

The staff take time to ensure they really understand my requirements and pricing has always been particularly competitive; it is not a one size fits all, you can discuss options available. They are superb at meeting tight deadlines too which has helped me tremendously. I suppose encompassing all of this is that I trust them….what more can I say.

”

Deb Prior - Oxford High School

all types of files, all sizes and either small or large volume. To include book scanning, magazines, newspapers and wide format solutions.

MARKET LEADERS Over the years we have grown to become one of the leading specialists in Oxfordshire and surrounding areas. Our experience and expertise is paramount to ensuring that the corporate and consumer works we undertake are prepared to the highest specifications.

OUR REPUTATION We have an outstanding reputation working with leading businesses in Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley areas. These include B4 Business, Blenheim Palace, NHS Trust, University of Oxford, The Open University, Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxfordshire County Council, World History Archive, Sobell House, Oxfordshire Soldiers Museum, PACE, Nightshift and Turan Audio Mastering. Supplying services to private clients, corporate businesses, museums, heritage and libraries, educational sectors, publication, production and Oxfordshire’s musicians and bands.

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CELEBRATING AS A B4 MEMBER Words of advice in my first year of business: “Find someone you look up to and emulate them”. I was fortunate enough to meet Richard Rosser and we have worked together over the past 10 years, preparing his family archives and he offered valuable editorials and mentoring advice. I have seen my business grow by being a B4 member. Already a BIO Influencer, I am now their Community Relations Manager, bringing successful news from B4 members of whom “build bridges between business”.

THE DUPLICATION CENTRE

   

cheryl@oxfordduplicationcentre.com 01865 457 000 www.oxfordduplicationcentre.com oxfordduplicationcentre

“

We have been delighted with the work that Cheryl and her team at Oxford Duplication have done for us. We would only send these precious things to someone we trust completely - Cheryl ticks that box. We look forward to working with her in the very near future Dominic Hare - Blenheim Palace

”

“

ODC has supported our musicians for many years with artwork and CD duplication. They are the best in their field and are always highly recommended to other musicians who also have wanted a quality product to reflect their recorded music.

”

Alvin Roy - Oxfordshire Jazz Federation

 Alison Haill  www.alisonhaill.com  Live end of March

 Headington Carriers  www.headingtoncarriers.co.uk  Live end of March

 Bicester Roofing  www.bicesterroofings.co.uk  Live end of March

 Westwood Hotel  www.westwoodhotel.co.uk  Live

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B4 marketing

HOUSE ON THE HILL More than just print At House On The Hill, we don’t just do design and print. We also make beautifully designed, responsive Wordpress CMS websites. We can make your company stand out from the crowd online. We make sure our clients’ websites look good on mobile devices and desktops and that your site is easy to use and update. From design and build through to delivery, make HOTH your choice for your next website. Written by: Keith Simpson

Design From the beginning of a website build, we have discussions with our clients about their vision for their website. We then create a clear design based on those talks, this is then proofed, and, when our client is happy, signed off. One thing we make sure of at House On The Hill is that when your website is delivered, it will actually look like the designs you saw. We won’t promise something that we can’t deliver.

Structure

 Business In Oxford

A clear structure is important from the beginning. A site plan of all pages that the client requires is built and this clarity can stop any potential issues later, which could slow a build down. This also allows for a methodical approach to the build keeping us on track with deadlines.

 www.businessinoxford.com  Live

 PB Conway Opticians

Functionality Some websites just need to be simple and some need more functionalty to them. We discuss what the client wants to get out of the website and how best this can be implemented. This can include simple things like pulling in your social media feeds to the website, through to custom content types and e-commerce.

 www.pbconwayopticians.co.uk  Live end of March

Not leaving you in the lurch One of the great things we do do for our clients is produce a visual manual of how to use your website (pdf). We don’t just hand over a site and say ‘bye bye’. We want our clients to feel comfortable and happy using their website. We are also never more than a phone call away if a client needs some help.

 01865 742211  studio@hothdesign.co.uk  www.hothdesign.co.uk www.b4-business.com

LOVE YOUR WORKPLACE Local business Aston and James are running a 3-month awareness campaign to educate local businesses on the importance of active movement in the workplace to encourage wellbeing. The campaign’s called Love your Workplace, and features blogs, advice, discount offers and free trials on products designed to improve wellbeing at work. This article gives you an overview of the importance of workplace wellbeing, along with some practical tips which you can implement today for a happier, healthier working you. WRITTEN BY: DARREN ASTON

Sedentary office working is seriously damaging our wellbeing and happiness We all strive to be happy in our workplace. It’s where we spend a vast proportion of our week. However, studies show that 47% of us are unhappy in our current working role. That’s a lot of time to be gloomy. Our working environment has a massive impact on our wellbeing and happiness. Many of us are working longer hours, skipping lunch breaks and sitting down for up to 10 hours a day which contributes to our feelings of frustration and inertia. It’s steadily being recognised that sitting at a desk all day has a serious impact on health. A staggering 60% of us claim that sitting for too long has affected our performance at work. It’s costing businesses money; a whopping €73 billion annually across businesses in Europe through employee absenteeism. It’s in everyone’s interest to tackle this growing problem. Our bodies are designed to move. Sitting for prolonged periods of time means our muscles are inactive and our metabolism slows down. This leads to a greater strain on the heart, increases the risk of blood clots, cancer and obesity, and increases our susceptibility to mental health issues.

Fall in love with your lunch break again Many of us find it hard to take a lunchbreak. Sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day. The UK has the longest working day in the whole of Europe, with the average lunch break lasting just 34 minutes. All too often employees feel unable to take their full hour, regularly grabbing a sandwich at their desk instead of taking a proper break. Working through a lunch break is counter-productive. It’s a fact that we can only concentrate for a maximum of 90 minutes at a time. Skip lunch and you lose some essential quality down time away from your computer to reboot and come back refreshed for the afternoon. It’s not necessary to need to eat super food salads and hit the gym every lunch time. But it is imperative for workplace wellbeing and happiness that regular breaks are taken to improve state of mind, physical health and productivity. 98

A walk around the block, a quick meet up with friends or even a lunchtime art class will help give bit of midday revitalisation.

Be a more upSTANDing you It’s recommended that we move around for 2 – 4 hours per working day. Standing up promotes calorie loss and works the muscles leading to better health and wellbeing at work, and as such improves productivity. Polls have shown that the Scandinavians are the happiest workforce in the world. It’s the only culture to have a specific word for workplace happiness: arbejsglaede. These nations recognise the health benefits of movement incorporated into office working and actively promote them to their employees. So how can you incorporate more movement into the workplace? It may be as simple walking over to a colleague instead of emailing them. You may consider taking the stairs rather than the lift, or if you are really pushed for time simply take a few moments for some deep breaths, stretch your arms, legs and back whilst still at your desk. There are also many new and innovative products now available which help promote movement, such as the Fellowes Lotus Sit-Stand workstation and the Elev8 desk ranges: Fellowes Sit Stand work station and Elev8 desk image to go here along with testimonial. Possibly in a light blue background to help lift this from the page You can see these revolutionary products in action and try at Aston and James’ dedicated furniture showroom in Witney.

Straighten up your act Recent research conducted by Fellowes has revealed that 48% of workers suffer from back problems, 42% from neck problems, 39% from fatigue and 38% from headaches caused by sitting at a desk incorrectly or for too long. As well as it being essential to move around more, it’s also essential that your workstation promotes good posture to prevent unnecessary ailments. Here are five tips to ensure your workstation is a healthy one: www.b4-business.com

B4 services

“ Polls have shown that

the Scandinavians are the happiest workforce in the world. It’s the only culture to have a specific word for workplace happiness: arbejsglaede. These nations recognise the health benefits of movement incorporated into office working and actively promote them to their employees.

”

SitStand Testimonial Having always been an outdoor personal trainer, purchasing an office desk and setting up an office was the last possible job on earth that I thought I would be doing! Well that’s the way things seemed to have developed over the years! Not that I’m complaining as I do the job I love and have a passion for it. Being a preacher of all things health & wellbeing related and a firm motivator for people to ‘get off their backsides’, the Sit Stand desk was right up my street. The ordering of my new desk was actually a very exciting experience… I was thinking what exercises can I encompass while writing an email; maybe I could put it on auto so that I could do endless squats up & down, up & down all day long! The option of having the desk at a range of heights gave me such good flexibility in how I laid out my new office. I normally would work at my breakfast bar which had a really nice height so wanted to replicate this. I have been using the Sit Stand desk for nearly a year now and it’s absolutely brilliant. The way in which you can work and keep your body’s key functional muscles active is of huge benefit. Being stood up actually encourages you to move more whether that be to the printer, or in my case going downstairs and making a cappuccino and giving the dog a good nuzzle. These Sit Stand desks work. They encourage you to think about your body. Human beings are not built to sit down all day long. We already spend 40-50% of our time lying down asleep so I cannot recommend these Sit Stand desks enough. Tom Alden TLA Fitness

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Tip 1: Ensure your seat is pushed as close to your desk as possible, and that the chair supports your curve of your spine. A chair that can tilt may help you. Tip 2: Avoid slouching as it causes your lumbar spine to lose its natural curve. This can result in strain on your lumber discs leading to lower back pain. Your head should be balanced and not craned forward. Tip 3: Ensure your keyboard is not too far away, and use wrist supports if required. Tip 4: The screen should be adjusted so the top is at eye level and approximately at arm’s length. Tip 5: Your feet should be flat on the floor. If not, a footrest should be used. Are you looking for more guidance? Aston & James can assist your local business with free DSE (Display Screen Equipment) Assessments and give advice on the best ergonomic office furniture for your needs. As local leaders in workplace wellness, Aston and James are available to answer any questions you may have on wellbeing in the workplace. You can get in touch via any of the means below:

Everything for the Workplace

 sales@aston-james.co.uk  01993 706 900  www.aston-james.co.uk

The Sobell House B4 Race to the Stones Challenge We are looking for five very special people to tackle an unforgettable 100km along Britain's oldest path

Calling all B4 members, please support Sobell House, our chosen charity for 2018 by getting involved in their Race to the Stones Challenge

14th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15th July 2018 Humans have walked the length of the Ridgeway for over 5,000 years. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your turn to take on the challenge of following in their footsteps. Voted Best Endurance Event in the UK, Running Awards 2016 We are looking for five people from the B4 membership to take up this incredible challenge, represent their company and raise money for Sobell House Hospice, B4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chosen charity for 2018. Could that person be you?

If you would like to know more please contact Tim Wraith, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Sobell House. Tim.wraith@sobellhospice.org or 01865857066 For more information log on to

www.sobellhouse.org or call 01865 857066

Registered Charity Number 1118646

BOY RACER

We’ve had the chance to meet Kyron Carron, an eleven year old motocross biker. This boy has surprised us with his kindness and his maturity even at his young age. He told us about his story, his passion for motocross and his experience touched us.

Written by: Alice Salive & Ambre Poibeau

Photography by Rob Scotcher & Arenacrossuk

He had his first motocross bike at the age of 5, but then rapidly had his first fall and didn’t get back on it for two years because he was scared. But the fact that his family were really into motocross encouraged him to try it again. In this way, Kyron hit the track for the following 2 years in August 2014 and his family started to see potential in Kyron’s talent. In the words of his uncle, “He was crazy quick.” During 2015 and 2016 Kyron didn’t stop motocross and became even more talented with every passing month. He won lots of races, a holeshot prize, and participated in championships with outstanding scores. In 2017, Kyron was put into a national championship with all of the fastest riders in the country and managed to come 10th, and he was in the top 6 for Arenacross UK in January 2018. Kyron is passionate and hopes to win lots of others races and championships in the future. Motocross can be dangerous, even more so for a young boy of eleven. Kyron wears lots of different protective equipment when he is riding to guard him from any injuries. This side of the sport doesn’t seem to disturb him though: “I’ve had quite a few big crashes, but it didn’t really stop me”, he tells us, looking very enthusiastic and determined. It could also be complicated for a boy of his age to find a balance between school, friends and his passion which takes up a lot of time in his life, but Kyron knows how to combine these things and stays at school even if he wants to ride his bike, just in case

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he couldn’t become a professional motocross biker. It’s also difficult for Kyron because motocross isn’t a “regular” sport in England, as his mother explained to us: “He doesn’t get recognised like a football player,

“ We were all moved by his passion, dedication and politeness – all qualities we hope to see in the entrepreneurs we support

”

for some support to help Kyron to live his passion as much as possible, “We would greatly appreciate absolutely anything that people would be ready to offer” explained his mother. One local company who have already pledged support for Kyron is Oxford Innovation. Jo Willett, MD, explains why: “Kyron wrote to us a while ago asking for support, and we were all moved by his passion, dedication and politeness – all qualities we hope to see in the entrepreneurs we support. There are a lot of parallels between top sports people and top business people, so it seemed appropriate to try and do what we could to help and encourage Kyron to carry on. I hope other companies can dig deep to allow this dedicated young man to fulfil his potential.”

Jo Willett, Managing Director, Oxford Innovation

just because it’s a different sport that not many people know”. But even with all the difficulties that a boy of eleven could meet by doing motocross, Kyron is still very ambitious, “I’ve never known anyone as passionate as Kyron” affirmed his uncle. Kyron dreams to become a professional motocross rider in the future, but it’s very frustrating for Kyron and his family as his friends in his motocross bike class have a training program whereas Kyron doesn’t. It’s difficult to find the funds necessary for this kind of program. Kyron is full of potential but this difficulty could stop his progression in its tracks. That’s why today Kyron and his family are asking

Kyron is now considered one of the top 10 riders in the country. He’s still training at his best so that maybe one day he’ll become the next Ken Roczen, his idol. If you would like to support Kyron’s motocross dreams, please email his mum Lauren at laurendallimore@hotmail.co.uk

Contact Information

 Lauren Dallimore  laurendallimore@hotmail.co.uk

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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MEMBERS CLUB

Football stadiums and fine dining are two phrases that don’t often go together. However, this is about to change with the opening of The H Club—London’s most anticipated Members Club at Tottenham Hotspur’s state-of-the-art New Stadium. Written by: B4

The New Stadium “ offers us the opportunity to raise the bar once again for the entire events industry. And we are enjoying doing just that, for the benefit of our members.

”

The H Club carefully crafts every detail of the member experience—from a menu designed by Michelin-starred chefs, to a temperaturecontrolled vault holding clients’ favourite tipples, and naturally, some of the best views in the house when it comes to the on-pitch action. But with many restaurants and even new sporting arenas offering exceptional food and service, Tottenham Hotspur’s Commercial Manager Tony Davison says it is choice which truly sets The H Club apart. “You will be presented with five dining options, all with menus carefully crafted by our impressive roster of celebrity chef partners, a level of choice never before achieved within a sporting venue,” Davison says. The six chefs; Michel Roux Jr, Albert Roux, Emily Roux, Chris Galvin, Bryn Williams and Dipna Anand, run a combined 18 restaurants across the world, stretching from London to Dubai. Bryn Williams’ traditional British style and Dipna Anand’s vibrant Indian style of cooking, join the classical French cuisines offered by the Roux family and Chris Galvin, to create a Michelin-calibre offering never seen before at a sports and entertainment venue. www.b4-business.com

Davison says every element of The H Club will epitomise quality, with expert sommeliers, gracious staff, and a maximum of 90 like-minded members.

“Myself and many members of my team have been involved in the events industry at the very highest level for many years, hosting private events, dinners and gatherings,” Davison says.

“The one thing that members wanted was an experience that kept them close to the action while having numerous dining options, allowing them to change their experience depending on their guests,” Davison says.

“The New Stadium offers us the opportunity to raise the bar once again for the entire events industry. And we are enjoying doing just that, for the benefit of our members.”

Bringing your most important clients? It may be time to sit at The Players Table, hosted by Club ambassadors and former Spurs greats including Ossie Ardiles, Ledley King, Pat Jennings, Gary Mabbutt, and Clive Allen.

For further information and to register your interest in one of the now limited Founding Memberships in The H Club, please visit tottenhamhotspur.com/the-h-club or call 0344 216 2018.

Time with family and friends may be more suited to the Brasserie or Luminarie Bar, while a special occasion may call for a visit to the Chefs Table for a live theatre dining experience with a celebrated chef-of-the-day like Michel Roux Jnr. The H Club occupies a premier space at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, set to open in August. The multi-purpose stadium is designed to be London’s most unique sports and entertainment destination, with a commitment to the best possible fan experience, and a venue for every occasion.

 onfour@tottenhamhotspur.com  0344 216 2018  tottenhamhotspur.com/premium

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DISCOVERING OXFORD

If you want to discover the wealth of sights that Oxford has to offer, let a famous City Sightseeing tour bus be your guide! Written by: Alice Salive and Ambre Poibeau

All Aboard We started our day at Oxford Train Station, where you can easily pick up your City Sightseeing tickets for the bus tour. You can choose between a 24 hour ticket or a 48 hour one. The 24 hour ticket is sufficient to discover the main sights of Oxford, but the 48 hour ticket gives you the possibility to go back and revisit places you perhaps wanted to see a little more of. The tour will take you one hour but you can stop wherever you want to and hop back on without having to wait more than 15-20 minutes at each stop. Your ticket will allow you to catch the red or green bus and they are easily identifiable because they don’t have any roofs! So checking the weather forecast before you hop on the tour might be a good idea. On top of that, you have the possibility

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to combine your ticket with Oxford Castle & Prison, Carfax Tower and Oxford walking tour tickets to create a full day of sightseeing. Along with our tickets we were also given a map and some headphones, so you can listen to a live guide during the tour who explains the different stories and provides interesting anecdotes about Oxford life. There are eleven languages available, so everyone can enjoy! Moreover, there are some commentaries tailored towards kids so that children can also enjoy the tour. On top of that, there is also wheelchair access on all tour buses. Everyone, from all walks of life, is totally welcome.

The Tour Now, let’s talk about the tour itself: You can jump on at 20 bus stops all around the city, but we started

right from the beginning at the Park Street stop (which is directly in front of Oxford Train Station). This area has a lot to offer in terms of food, so perhaps you can grab a bite for lunch before you hop on, and the tour guide will explain a bit of history about this area too. Back in the bus, don’t miss the chance to hop off at the New Road stop to explore Oxford Castle & Prison (a fascinating tour of the old castle and its history as a prison) and visit the gift shop. The castle is an unmissable destination for anyone visiting Oxford. After that, you will be able to go to the new Westgate Shopping Centre, which will allow you to shop in more than seventy stores, with plenty to eat and drink along the way. We have been shopping there and it is very pleasant to walk around the place, which is covered and very modern and clean. Moreover, there

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B4 corp. life

“ You can listen to a live

guide during the tour who explains the different stories and provides interesting anecdotes about Oxford life

”

is a gorgeous city view at the top of the building. The next stop sees you visiting Christ Church, one of the oldest and most recognized colleges of the University of Oxford. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you have to visit it - numerous scenes were filmed there! Christ Church is a very relaxing place. You can walk around the beautiful college grounds, all the way down to the river front to watch the boats drifting past. Nearby, you can also find Alice’s Shop, a little shop where you can be immersed into the Lewis Caroll universe. Your experience could continue by visiting the Covered Market, which is in the middle of the city and where you’ll find local crafts, food and drink. Afterwards, get a brief respite from the busy city by visiting the Botanic Garden, which is the oldest in

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England. The next step of your journey will be to listen to the guide who will regale you with stories about the University Science Area and University Parks.

Discoveries Our favorite discovery has been the Sheldonian Theatre and Bodleian Library. This area contains a lot of splendid buildings that you can stop to visit, including the Bridge of Sighs where graduating University of Oxford students famously toss their caps into the air. After that, the bus will drive you outside of the city center where you can observe the historic architecture of local houses. Otherwise, if you prefer to warm up a bit, you can have a tea and some snacks at the Macdonald Randolph Hotel. In front of the hotel, you’ll find the Ashmolean Museum, which has world-famous collections ranging from

Ancient Egyptian mummies to modern art. So there you have it - A bus tour is perfect for family and friends of all ages, and we think it is the best way to discover Oxford and its secrets

 info@citysightseeingoxford.com  01865 790 522  www.citysightseeingoxford.com

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B4 TRAVEL

Welcome to The B4 Travel Section. Please get in touch with your feedback, articles suggestions, hot travel topics and top tips! Written by: David Gambier, B4 Travel Editor

A TRIP TO PALMA, MALLORCA Unlike many Spanish cities that no longer have a ‘Main Square’, Palma does, and in keeping with its importance, Palma’s Plaza Major truly is right in the heart of this lovely city. It’s out the Cathedral Door and turn right and it really should be amongst the first places that you should head towards if you are looking for real Mallorcan atmosphere, and the shops, cafes and tapas bars that create this. For many people, the idea of heading off to Mallorca for a short break with all its connotations of the party excesses of Magaluf, is not one that will fill them with much joy. Obviously, of course, if you are looking for a mad party holiday when you will undoubtedly spend too much time burning up on the beach, followed by partying and drinking too much through the night, and almost inevitably ending up with a tattoo that you will live to regret, then there are few places better. However, as this description seems unlikely to match the demographic of the readership of B4 very closely, staying in the heart of historic Palma and using this as a base from which to explore the lesser-known areas of Mallorca, will be time well-spent. Palma is only a short flight from the UK, and is served www.b4-business.com

by virtually every airport and by a wide variety of airlines. This makes it a great, and flexible, choice for a short get-away destination, as you can pretty much choose any time of day or night for your flights, and any time of year. Although not really a ‘winter sun’ destination, Palma still has temperatures well-above the UK average through the winter months. Whilst you may not be able to lie around by the pool, and swimming in the sea may be best described as ‘bracing’, you will still be able to dispense with several of the layers of clothing that you would expect to be wearing at the same time of year. The city has many fine, and characterful hotels, across the budget-range especially around the centre of the Old Town, and which are only a short transfer from the airport. Palma’s skyline is dominated by its incredible Cathedral, which is just as impressive once inside as it is from outside. Its position and dominating presence make it a very easy meeting and navigational point, especially if you are searching for the much-vaunted Plaza Major which is only 300ms or so away from the Main Door. Palma has many great shops, interesting art galleries and museums that highlight the difference between the Mallorcan culture and its mainland Spanish

neighbour. It has a fantastic marina area where the mega-yachts of the rich and famous come into dock, as well as numerous cafes and tapas bars. If you are interested in night-life, it has many sophisticated clubs, where the entertainment is a little less raucous than jumping into a taxi and heading off to the beach-front of Palma Nova or Magaluf. For many people a trip out to the west coast resort of Puerto de Soller is enough. It’s easily reached from central Palma by Mallorca’s only railway-line. Soller’s curving sandy beach is a great favourite with visitors from Palma, and the little trolley-train that plies its trade from one end to the other means that you can save your shoe-leather or flip-flops! Whether you stay in Palma, party in Magaluf, or enjoy Mallorca’s hospitality around the Island, your time will be well-rewarded – you’ll just want to stay longer.

 david-g@greatexperiencetravel.co.uk  01993 627 814  www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk 107

“Stress-free ordering process, service was second to none, equipment is high standard & you can return dirty! I have no problem recommending OEH”

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11/01/2018 16:05

OXFORD BROOKES VENUES

01865 980 980 oxfordphil.com

Oxford

Philharmonic

Orchestra

Orchestra in Residence at the University of Oxford

2017/18 artists include: Piotr Anderszewski Avi Avital Alfred Brendel Seong-Jin Cho Julius Drake Richard Goode Steven Isserlis

MEET, TRAIN AND TEACH Get 20% off room hire for all bookings made in January and February and qualify for 10% off all further bookings throughout 2018. e venues@brookes.ac.uk t 01865 488400 w brookesvenues.co.uk

OXFORD

VENUES

Anne-Sophie Mutter Emmanuel Pahud Marios Papadopoulos Menahem Pressler Anne Queffélec Sir András Schiff Yuri Temirkanov Maxim Vengerov

Contacts