B4 Berkshire issue 8

13 ial 20 c e an s se th Fin rd ri in r a rp r d de Aw te a 3r tan ia / En e Ye n ed E h Sa M SM of t st tle Be Ti

B4 MAGAZINE I SSUE

8

SUMMER

2014

GARDNER LEADER Recruitment, and the challenges it brings to an employer

WILSON PARTNERS

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

OAKLEY COURT HOTEL

B U I L D I N G

B R I D G E S

BRACKNELL ENTERPRISE & INNOVATION HUB

B E T W E E N

B U S I N E S S E S

With unrivalled expertise in all aspects of commercial printing from business cards to brochures, Advent can accomplish the most sophisticated spectrum of high quality print work with ease.

PROUD TO PRINT

B4 Magazine ADVENT PRINT GROUP 19 EAST PORTWAY INDUSTRIAL ESTATE ANDOVER, HAMPSHIRE, SP10 3LU TEL: 01264 359359 FAX: 01264 359358 EMAIL: info@advent-colour.co.uk www.advent-colour.co.uk

www.b4-business.com Contacts If you want to contact B4 Magazine Telephone: 01494 373183 info@b4-business.com Publisher B4 Magazine is published by Designs On Ltd, The Firs, Headington Hill, Oxford, OX3 0BT Chairman Colin Rosser colin@designs-on.co.uk Editor (Bucks & Berks) Matt Wright matt@b4-business.com Editor (Oxfordshire) Richard Rosser editorial@b4-business.com Art Editor Keith Simpson art-work@btconnect.com Assistant Editor Lorna Dodson assistanteditor@b4-business.com B4 Events Tina Rosser events@b4-business.com Proofreader Sue Rosser Social Media Manager Daria Montella Editorial contributors Rosy Watson Phil Strachan Matt Wright Richard Rosser Samantha Howe Philip Jenkins

welcome to B4 Summer is a fun season, one of growth and opportunities. Seeking to reflect this, we’ve put together an exciting blend of articles; great venues - Cliveden, Oakely Court - new restaurant reviews - Cadmore End - and new local stories for the regions - Bucks Open Studios, and the Mark Webber Youth Challenge to name but a few.

As for new opportunities, we will soon be implementing a number of changes to your B4 magazine – Bucks, Berks and Oxon will merge into one bigger, brighter publication, which will expand to 6 issues per annum, with a focus on more locally-relevant stories. There will also be a revamped website launched alongside this enhanced magazine, to encourage more interaction with yourselves.

Oh, and the final new development, is me - Matt Wright - a new editor for the Bucks/Berks aspects of the magazine. As a long-time writer for B4, as well as a long-time resident of Bucks, I’d harangued Richard for some time about the need for a magazine which reflected the identity of these regions, rather than existing as an element of the (already excellent) Oxfordshire magazine.

Hence, a couple of weeks ago, Richard eventually turned round, and told me to ‘step up to the plate if I thought I could do much better’… or words to that effect. So, not for the first time in my life, I’ve talked myself into a position having promised material improvements.

Time will tell, but hopefully so will you - the reader - in letting us know what you think of the changes, what you like, and what you want going forwards… after all, it’s your magazine.

B4 Photography Rob Scotcher

Matt Wright Editor

Meet The Writers

17. Cliveden House Hotel

By Richard Rosser

32. Frilford Heath

By Colin Rosser

Subscriptions For free Subscription, please contact: Telephone: 01865 742211 info@b4-business.com

54. John Hallam

Each business with a Buckinghamshire postcode is entitled to one free copy per issue.

For additional copies and for businesses outside of Buckinghamshire, there is an annual subscription charge of £25.

© Designs-on Ltd and B4 Magazine.

Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure that the content of this publication is accurate and correct in every way, the publishers cannot be held responsible or liable for any inaccuracies or errors within the publication. Information reproduced from this publication is permitted with the express permission of the publisher and the advertiser, where relevant. All information is correct at time of going to press.

B4 Magazine is printed by

By Kelly Stroud

About

B4

Magazine

B4 Magazine was established to provide Oxfordshire businesses with a clear voice to raise their profile and to help businesses connect. With B4 Berkshire and now B4 Buckinghamshire, we hope to achive greater success now that the model has been established and refined. Direct mailed to three thousand business decision makers in Buckinghamshire every quarter, and with a further four and a half thousand copies circulated to key outlets, featured businesses and made available at B4 events, we hope to make our mark in Buckinghamshire businesses. See more at www.b4-business.com.

B4 is funded by paid for display advertising and editorial, although some editorial is granted without charge at the discretion of the Editor. Please call us to find out how you can get involved.

WHY NOT FOLLOW B4 MAGAZINE AT @B4Bucks

62. Strangebrew

By Phil Strachan

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SPOTLIGHT 22 Australian entrepreneur searches for local talent to inspire business development: Jane Hinde moves her two entrepreneurial businesses into Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub 23 Happy 1st Birthday, Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub: A year of significant growth which looks set to continue with four new businesses

46 Don't Stand Still: Supporting the Employment Journey: James Townsend of B P Collins LLP discusses what employers need to do to get the best from their workforce 56 The Morality of Taxation: Denise Eyles of The Fish Partnership takes a look at the present debate regarding tax planning 65 Flexible Working Hours: Sam Barnes of Right Hand HR discusses the changes that flexible working hours may bring to your business 68 Accessing a Wider Market: Santander's top tips for SMEs considering exporting goods

24 The 2014 Gardner Leader Roundtable: Gardner Leader and clients came together to discuss legal concerns surrounding employment

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35 We Need More Women Business Leaders!: IoD Ambassador, Ross Wilson, ponders the question, "Do We Need More Women Business Leaders?"

LEAD

16 Cliveden House Hotel: Experience the majesty of this luxury hotel with B4's personal review

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MARKETING

62 Distilling What's Inside of You: Phil Strachan of Strangebrew talks about how to stand out from the crowd by thinking 'brand' not 'bland'

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36

11 B4 Event Diary 12 B4 News 45 CIS News

36 Dealing with FRS102: Grant Thornton looks at the commercial implications which businesses should be considering

NEWS

6

ADVICE

www.b4-business.com

B4 contents 67

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67 HealthyStaff, Healthy Profits: Check out this issue's healthy facts and advice from Helen Money

32 Frilford Heath Golf Club is a Gem!: Colin Rosser, B4 Chairman, visited these beautiful grounds to give you the rundown on why this is the place to play

HEALTH

R&R

39 Offers from Magnolia Park Golf & Country Club: Enjoy a full 7-day membership from just ÂŁ19.50 a week!

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50 The Oakley Court: B4 takes a look at this sought after venue for weddings, celebrations, conferences or short breaks 61 The Tree Hotel at Cadmore End: Making a name for itself with the arrival of a new popular chef, Daljit Dusanj

EVENTS

40 Buckinghamshire Business Awards: A recap of the awards which took place on 15th May, organised by Buckinghamshire Business First

70 American Diner in the UK: Check out Chariots & Cherry Pie, a fabulous American diner recently opened up in Faringdon!

49 Another Successful 'Bucks Open Studios': A look at this year's showcase of some of the best artistic talent in the county

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PROPERTY

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54 Re-designing Luxury: John Hallam Associates design Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel's multimillion-pound development

EDUCATION 31 Higher Education Courses at Aylesbury College: Take the next step in your career with a Higher Education qualification 53 The Mark Webber Youth Challenge: Read about how Bucks students have helped to raise almost ÂŁ3,000 for a local education charity

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CONTACTS 7

B UC K I N G HAM S HI R E

B E RK SH I RE

B4 Platinum Members We would like to thank our B4 Platinum Ambassadors for supporting B4 Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. To find out more about joining them and over six hundred B4 Member companies, please call us on 01494 373183.

OX F O R D S H I R E

O X F O R D

Residential Letting · Property Management

meet oxfordshire D E S I G N

&

P R I N T

With annual memberships just £250+VAT*, entitling you to a business directory listing and unlimited press release, event, job vacancy and offer uploads, it’s no wonder our membership is increasing daily.

Members are also invited to events in all B4 areas, up to 12 per annum. Call us now on 01494 373183 to book your membership or e-mail sales@b4-business.com for more details.

The B4 Website – the most efficient way to network your business from your PC! *Quoted rate is per company entitling all employees to attend B4 events. The Ambassador scheme is separate and subject to a different charge of £250+VAT for the first Ambassador and £99+VAT for subsequent Ambassadors. Call us for more information or visit the B4 website at www.b4-business.com and click on B4 Membership.

B4

Take your career to the next level At Bucks New University, we offer a range of career-focused programmes, designed to give you and your company the skills and knowledge to succeed in business.

Our business and management programmes include: • • • • •

Online Executive MBA International MBA MA Human Resource Management MA Leadership & Management MSc Organisational Resilience.

Gain a competitive edge – choose Bucks New University today.

Driving professional and creative excellence since 1893.

0800 0565 660 advice@bucks.ac.uk bucks.ac.uk/postgraduate

B4 diary In Association with Buckinghamshire Business First

Event Organiser

Venues

Date

Time

Event Details

www.rhhr.com

29th Aug

2pm

Webinar: Dealing with Conduct Issues – Common Pitfalls will be delivered by one of our very experienced HR Consultants, a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. To register please admin@rhhr.com

9am

Hennerton Golf Club Senior Open Day on Friday 19th September: 18 holes Better Ball Stableford Competition £55 per pair for coffee & biscuits on arrival and two-course carvery after play. Entry forms are available from the website www.hennertongolfclub.co.uk. For more information email info@hennertongolfclub.co.uk

5 - 7pm

Bucks New University’s next Postgraduate and Professional Open Evening is on Wednesday 24 September, from 5-7pm at the High Wycombe Campus.

Come and find out about the University’s career-focused programmes, meet their specialist tutors and discover what Bucks New University can offer you. To ensure you get the best experience, register in advance by visiting bucks.ac.uk/openevenings or calling 0800 0565 660.

9am 4pm

‘Breaking Big’ Workshop: Breaking Big is all about getting your business ready for breakthrough growth. If you are seeking exponential growth for your business, Breaking Big will give you the practical, achievable steps you need to take to achieve your vision. This is a no-nonsense, straight talking business advice workshop at no charge! Contact Martin Vessey at martinv@businessdoctors.co.uk or 07834 518428 for more details.

11.30am

Webinar: Employment Law Updates October 2014 – How the planned changes will affect you to be delivered

by Hannah Gibson-Patel. Hannah has nearly 15 years experience within HR in fields as diverse as manufacturing, charities, estate agents, finance providers and design companies. To register please admin@rhhr.com

12.30pm - 2.30pm

Ladies That Lunch: Gather with friends old and new to our conservatory and enjoy an inspirational talk from our award winning personal stylist. What better way to spend an afternoon with the ladies? Enjoy a drink of arrival, followed by a 2 course lunch, then relax and enjoy fun company and some inspirational tips. £29.95pp - limited availability. Book in advance on 01753 609988 or specialevents@oakleycourt.co.uk

10am 3.30pm

MCP is launching a brand new Course for Engineering Managers in October. Join MCP at our Reading Training venue on Thursday October 30th and find out about our: City & Guilds accredited Training Programmes for Engineers; The work we’ve done with customers on Assessment Centres; The latest information on ISO 55000, and much more. Contact MCP on 0121 506 9034for more information.

Hennerton Golf Club, Crazies Hill Rd, Wargrave, RG10 8LT

Bucks New University, High WycombeCampus, Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, HP11 2JZ

Montem Leisure Centre, Slough, SL1 2QG

www.rhhr.com

The Oakley Court, Windsor Road, Water Oakley, Windsor, SL4 5UR

MCP Reading Training Venue C1 Lambs Farm Business Park, Reading, RG7 1PQ

19th Sep

24th Sep

24th Sep

26th Sep

26th Sep

30th Oct

B4 Members can feature their events on this page, subject to availability – please get in touch for your complimentary listing.

www.b4-business.com

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Popular Chef returns to Cadmore End The Tree Hotel at Cadmore End is excited to announce the return of their much loved and highly talented head chef Daljit Dusanj, who is looking forward to launching a new European and Indian-based menu which the Tree Hotels are well-known for.

Daljit has over 15 years’ experience in the restaurant business; a career that has taken him all over the world from Mumbai to London including working at One Aldwych. Daljit previously worked

at the Tree Hotels for three years and his return comes at a time when business has been particularly good for The Tree Hotel at Cadmore End, boosted by recent events such as their Holi and Bollywood celebrations.

They have seen food and drink sales increase by 9% in the past year and have also been delighted to see a 17% increase in room bookings over the last six months. www.treehotel.co.uk

Your business is an important part of your pension Missed Opportunity: Many SME Owners are failing to maximise the benefit of very generous tax breaks (Capital Gains Tax of 10% with Entrepreneur’s Relief) when selling their business, through lack of forward planning.

For further information please contact Roger Bibby at Avocet Investments on 01494 726173 or roger.bibby@avocet-investments.com

Improved Business Sale Climate: After the Credit Crunch, there has been a significant increase in well funded Trade & Private Buyers looking for businesses to purchase, but while the climate for selling has improved, the real work should start much earlier.

New Service On Increasing Business Value: To help lonely SME Owners plan ahead, Avocet has introduced the Increased Business Value Programme which comprises: A professional Business Valuation now; A Vision of the future & how the business might look; A Plan to work towards this Vision; Regular visits &discussion on implementation of the Plan & 24/7 access on business issues.

Could you add value to your business in 30 minutes for the price of a coffee?

So often we spend so much time managing our businesses that we do not always see what is happening on our own doorstep.

Do you have the right resources to manage the growth in your business?

Do you understand what finance and funding opportunities are available?

Are there grants available for new product

development and Research & Development credits?

What are the benefits to using third party business advisors and are they relevant to my business?

Martin, a Business Doctor, for over six years, has reintroduced his Business Surgery Health Checks, during the summer months, meeting business owners for an informal complimentary meeting – the cost? You buy him a coffee or it is free in Regus, Beaconsfield Services.

Call Martin on 07834 518428 or contact on martinv@businessdoctors.co.uk to book a Friday morning meeting in Beaconsfield.

The Bodleian Library: An impressive venue for events Surrounded by Oxford’s dreamingspires, the Divinity School, Convocation House and Chancellor’s Court in the Bodleian Library still play an important part in the ceremonial life of the University.

These three historic rooms are now also available for private hire for events.

And at less than half an hour’s drive from the north Berkshire borders, this stunning venue is within

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easy reach! So impress your guests at an atmospheric dinner, an elegant reeception or professional presentation in this grand venue.

Please contact our venue team to make an appointment for a veiwing or to discuss your requirements. t: 01865 277224 e: events@bodleian.ox.ac.uk w: www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/whatson/venue-hire

www.b4-business.com

B4 news Write – Say – Win Summer brings writing and presenting assignments.

We developed promotional material for Ashfold Management Services, a start-up project management business, enabling their profile-raising in various markets.

We wrote a bid for £2bn of infrastructure opportunities for Laing O’Rourke, a building and infrastructure company.

because people’s inboxes are too full of messages that just don’t hit the mark!

We presented at Creative Cumulus, a Business Biscotti Gold club, on writing effective e-mails, precipitating all sorts of emotive comments

See www.mercury-cs.co.uk for all sorts of handy hints and ideas about writing, presenting and coaching.

Our next assignment is back in the infrastructure sector, this time to write a bid to a major water services client….and thereby the Mercury journey flows on to what will hopefully be a wonderful summer for us all.

The Sandhurst Trust: Linking Leaders The Sandhurst Trust is a charity, established to maintain the ethos and traditions of the Royal Military Academy and to promote leadership. As part of this we can offer to the local business community the opportunity to visit and use this iconic venue, steeped in history, the training ground of future military, political and national leaders (Churchill, Montgomery, King Hussein and his son the present King Abdullah of Jordan are among the noted ‘old boys’); where better to inspire your team?

Hold a meeting, reception, lunch or dinner here:

• Unique prestige rooms • Onsite Caterers • Bespoke Packages for meetings, receptions, lunches and dinners Or take a tour: Group tours (minimum 10) last roughly 2 ½ hours, take in the most important historical sites and include refreshments.

For more information please contact us on: 01276 412000, director@sandhursttrust.org or info@sandhursttrust.org www.sandhursttrust.org

Technical Training Enhances Workforce Competence Reading-based, technical training company MCP specialises in City & Guilds’ accredited practical learning programmes for upskilling your engineers, technicians and operators.

Running throughout the year, MCP’s courses cover a range of subjects including Mechanical to Electrical Conversion, Fault Finding, Maintenance Best Practice, PAT Testing and Electrical 17th edition. Customised courses can be arranged too!

MCP focuses on high-frequency, low-risk tasks to make the most impact on your bottom line! The training will appeal to companies requiring

enhanced skills and competency from their people or for self-employed technicians looking to develop their skills.

Just visit www.mcpeurope.com/training for the full programme Open Day, October 30th Why not come along to OUR next open day at Swallowfield near Reading. Bring your technicians, try out the training rigs. Hear how MCP’s courses can help improve your production output and save money. Buffet lunch. Free.

Contact Janet Trinder – 0118 327 1898 or jtrinder@mcpeurope.com www.mcpeurope.com

The M&A Team David Croydon has co-founded The M&A Team with Roger Davies of Gazella HR to help businesses grow by acquisition with greater confidence of success than the current odds (up to three-quarters fail to pay back according to all research).

We start by helping you articulate a clear strategy (what’s the growth for, where’s it going to come

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from, what sort of business acquisitions make the most sense?) before embarking on the rest of the M&A Team process.

Our 3DBizMap™ cloud-based software helps profile your business and your takeover targets in three ways: financially, operationally and culturally, to ensure you get a good fit – and have a meaningful post-acquisition plan to resolve any issues.

We’ll work alongside you for as much or as little of the process as you need us, bringing specialist expert resource to the table as and when needed, working closely with your accountants and corporate finance people throughout www.mandateam.co.uk

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THE O OAKLEY AKLEY COURT COUR UR RT WINDSOR WINDSO R

AN INSPIRED CHOICE OF VENUE The Oakley Court Hotel has vast experience of hosting major major conferences in stunning surroundings m making aking it an inspired choice of venue. Hold your conference at Oakley Court and you’ll you’ll impress, impress, captivate and inspire your delegates.

We guarantee the very best in service standards offering conference suites and executive boardrooms within a prestigious locati location. on. Our unique unique rooms range from original rooms in the Mansion House which are over 150 years old with high ceilings and original features, to a purpose built function room called The Boathouse on the banks of the River Thames. ,WĹŽV QRW RQO\ WKH SLFWXUHVTXH ULYHUVLGH VHWWLQJ WKDW FUHDWHV WKH ZRZ IDFWRU H[WHQVLYH OHLVXUH IDFLOLWLHV ĹšQH GLQLQJ DQG LPSHFFDEOH VHUYLFH DOO SOD\ WKHLU ,WĹŽV QRW RQO\ WKH SLFWXUHVTXH ULYHUVLGH VHWWLQJ WKDW FUHDWHV WKH ZRZ IDFWRU H[WHQVLYH OHLVXUH IDFLOLWLHV ĹšQH GLQLQJ DQG LPSHFFDEOH VHUYLFH DOO SOD\ WKHLU part in creating a m memorable emorable conference.

At A Glance ‡ Dedicated Meeting and Conference Coordinators ‡ Conference facilities for up to 170 ‡ Executive boardrooms for 4 – 30 ‡ Extensively equipped to meet your requirem requirements ents ‡ Extensively equipped to meet your requirem requirements ents ‡ Conference cafÊ ‡ Inspirational TTraining raining ra ‡ TTailor ailor made all inclusive packages ‡ DDR or 24 hour packages available ‡ Business service support ‡ Complimentary water

‡ Fully stocked stationery kit ‡ Use of leisure facilities for or overnight delegates – indoor pool, gym gymnasium, nasium, tennis and 9 hole par 3 golf course ‡ Private dining options available ‡ Private m mooring ooring and helipads ‡ AA 2 Star Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence 2013-14 ‡ Beautiful South Awards for Excellence 2013-2014 Gold LSDGYLVRU &HUWLŚFDWH RI ([FHOOHQFH :LQQHU ‡‡ 7UULSDGYLVRU &HUWLŚFDWH RI ([FHOOHQFH :LQQHU ‡ Laterooms Simply the Guest Awards 2013 To op Rated Top

The Oakle Oakley O akley C Court, our rt, Windso Windsor rR Ro Road, oad, W Wa Water ater O Oakley, akley, Windso Windsor, r, Berk Berkshire shire SL4 5UR Tel: 44 (0)1753 609988 F Fax: ax: 44(0)1628 637011 www.oakleycourt.co.uk www.o www ww .oakleycour rt.co.uk

B4 news One tenth of UK directors are aged over 65 According to new figures 500,000 company directors are aged 65 or over in the UK, says Tim Collerton, Partner at the Reading branch of top25 UK accountancy firm Wilkins Kennedy.

The numbers represent 11% of the total number of company directors in the UK. Influences such as poor pension fund performances and the increase in the retirement age for state pension could be to blame as people plan for retirement.

This number is likely to increase in future years – the retirement age has already risen to 69 for those in their mid-30s. It’s, therefore, expected that the

majority of people will now have to work longer in order to fund their retirement.

37% of self-employed workers are also over the age of 65, as the impact of the credit crunch has meant that most people will now have to work past the traditional age of retirement.

This can be quite daunting for those thinking of setting up their own business, and/or considering their exit strategy, but with the right advisor a successful plan can easily be put in place to maximise their return.

Tim Collerton - Partner, Amersham Office t: 01494 545570 e: tim.collerton@wilkinskennedy.com w: www.wilkinskennedy.com

Owen Mumford works with Cranfield Postgraduates on live manufacturing project Owen Mumford and five Manufacturing Management Systems Postgraduates from Cranfield University, one of the UK’s top business schools are pictured here celebrating the end of a three-month joint project.

Owen Mumford’s Mike Bridgman (General Manger Lancet Production Division) and Modestino Graziano (Group Operations Director) celebrating the end of the project with the Cranfield Postgraduates (Left to right) Xavier Vidal Serra, Jaime Serrano Ojeda, Brunehilde Carniel- Perrin, Vicky Laura Mendoza Figueroa and Francesco Lischi.

The Postgraduates were briefed to closely observe the high speed automated assembly process at the Woodstock site and design an IT tool (using MS excel), which could accurately track every step of the manufacturing process. The students quickly got to grips with the brief and with support and guidance, produced detailed analyses for the team

and a sophisticated IT tool to provide key data for the manufacturing team.

At the end of the project, the Postgraduates presented their findings to Industry at Cranfield University, attended by Owen Mumford. It was agreed the students had made a valuable contribution to Owen Mumford’s continued focus on optimising material usage and that this had been both a very worthwhile and enjoyable partnership. www.owenmumford.com

Aston & James win Superstat Dealer Excellence Award 2014 Aston and James Office Supplies are pleased and extremely honoured to announce that they have won the Superstat Dealer Excellence Award 2014.

They would like to thank the whole team and every

one of their customers for helping them win this wonderful award. Starting out as an office supplies company, Aston and James has grown into what they like to call a Workplace Solutions Provider. Still providing their customers with over 45,000 office stationery products, they have evolved over the

years to include Office Furniture, Business Machines, Workwear, and Business Gifts; as well as a range of services to help with all your workplace requirements. For more information on this award winning company please visit: www.aston-james.co.uk or call 01993 706900.

Eventful Stays Based in Banbury, Eventful Stays is run by Camilla Shaughnessy. She is constantly looking to attract potential owners who might be keen on renting out their properties at key times of the year to make a little extra money.

Eventfulstays.com lists an eclectic collection of private properties, all available to rent for short breaks or weekend stays. Many are close to events taking place across the UK such Glastonbury, Ascot, Henley Regatta and are a perfect retreat for a group.

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Over the past few months, Eventfulstays.com has noticed increased demand for corporate gatherings, combining work meetings and team bonding.

Requests for houses close to Henley for the August Rewind festival and bookings have been made already for groups wishing to watch the Ryder Cup in September.

Houses range in size, for example a country retreat in Oxfordshire that sleeps 20 with outdoor pool and terrace, beautiful gardens, golf next door and activities arranged within the grounds. Further south in Surrey, a new listing is a beautiful house that sleeps 12. Close to Ascot, this property has a tennis court and games room with table tennis and snooker.

For further information visit Eventfulstays.com or call 0333 800 1330.

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‘I AM EASILY SATISFIED WITH THE VERY BEST ’ Winston Churchill

We couldn’t sum up our stay at Cliveden any more succinctly. The very best is the minimum guests can expect with excellence to be found in every nook and cranny. The sheer majesty of Cliveden is enough to take your breath away. Let the pictures speak for themselves and look forward to your very own experience of perfection.

The short trip from Oxford to Cliveden via a hectic M40 was in stark contrast to the tranquillity of the country lanes surrounding the estate which lies on the cusp of the Berkshire / Buckinghamshire border. Surrounded by 376 acres of magnificent National Trust managed Grade I listed formal gardens and parkland, Cliveden, as we found out later at dinner, overlooks the River Thames and is blessed with unforgettable views.

We arrived after the gates had been closed and buzzed through to reception. Magic word accepted, the massive wrought iron gates opened and we made our way to the main house. This is the route every British monarch since George I will have taken, not the M40 part obviously, and others including Charlie Chaplin, Harold Macmillan, President Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw (a frequent visitor), John Profumo and Christine Keeler, whom you will read more about later.

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Cliveden is a Pandora’s box of history, scandal, indulgence and luxury. Nothing could be faulted from the moment Tomasz Mendelski, the Duty Manager, welcomed us, to the moment we drove out past the one hundred foot clock tower (now a fully functioning water tower) and the spectacular shell fountain, known as the Fountain of Love, which sits resplendent at the top of the main lime tree lined drive.

Tomasz showed us to the Mountbatten suite, a split level suite located on the ground floor in the corner of the East Wing. This former billiards room still retains the original score board panel to the right of the bed. Predominantly green with hints of yellow and deep red, wood is a strong feature of the room with a separate bedroom and seating areas and a desk area with window view of the impressive gardens. On entering, the bathroom is on the right and then three steps lead down to the bedroom with a beautifully patterned high ceiling.

At the end of the room is a raised area where we

imagined gentlemen smoking fine cigars watching others fight it out over the green baize below. For us it served as a welcome plinth for a generous bottle of champagne to mark our arrival and the perfect setting for a lazy breakfast the following morning.

Lord Mountbatten was a guest at Cliveden the same weekend that John Profumo first met Christine Keeler at Cliveden. The suite also served as the main lecture theatre during the use of Cliveden as an overseas study centre of Stanford University between 1969 and 1983.

We freshened up and made our way to dinner in the fabulous André Garrett Restaurant overlooking the main lawns at the back of the house. This is a special restaurant, beautifully furnished with splashes of green to give a freshness in keeping with the unforgettable culinary journey we were about to enjoy. Everything tasted better. A Gordon’s gin and tonic tasted like nectar, bread was heaven-

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B4 LEAD

“We felt so relaxed that we placed ourselves in the safe hands of our hosts, both choosing the seven course tasting menu and wine flight.”

sent and the green olives were bursting with flavour.

It was a journey made all the more comfortable by our host for the evening, Jorge and our evangelical sommelier, Daniel who exuded all the confidence of a veteran. We felt so relaxed that we placed ourselves in the safe hands of our hosts, both choosing the seven course tasting menu and wine flight. A menu with such diversity, taste and imagination doesn’t warrant favourites, but, for the record, the highlight for me was the rack of lamb accompanied by a glass of Château Caronnes Ste-Gemme. Tina’s favoured dish was the Fillet of Cornish Turbot with a courgette flower, Dorset crab, cockles and tomato fondue, a real masterpiece.

Read the full menu and wine flight overleaf.

We relaxed in the Library after dinner with coffee, green tea and hand made chocolates which were too good to be true. Home made fruit and nut, now that is a treat! The roaring fire helped prolong the

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dreaminess of our experience but all good things must come to an end, for some of us, and we made our way down the corridors of the East Wing to our suite and a ridiculously comfortable night’s sleep.

Breakfast, as previously advised, was taken in the room. Scrambled eggs and salmon, Danish pastries and fresh fruit to alleviate some of the Danish guilt!

We had arranged to meet Tomasz at 10am for a tour of the property, but even he must have known this was ludicrously ambitious as we made our hastily laid plans the night before. Like naughty school children we arrived in reception to seek out Tomasz for our tour, closer to 12 than 10, but he was ready, amidst organising a wedding drinks party for excited guests.

The tour gave us access to the rest of the house, including the basement where our snooker table had found its new home, creative meeting rooms,

ostentatious private dining rooms and more. We ventured out to The Club Room in the former stables, a must for a Friday afternoon lunch, the spa with its inviting in and outdoor pools and yet more conference facilities for those fortunate enough to mix business with pleasure.

We said our goodbyes to our engaging host and set about exploring the wider grounds ourselves, taking in secret gardens, the water garden and coming face to face with a statuesque Heron which, until we were upon it, looked as if it was exactly that, a statue.

The rain which greeted us at breakfast had given way to glorious sunshine and as we walked back to collect the car, we vowed this would not be the first and last visit to what has to be one of the country’s finest country house hotels. www.clivedenhouse.co.uk

Continued overleaf >>

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“We ardently believe that our products can improve cycling performance. Our dream was to partner up with Team Sky so we could prove it on the world stage, accelerating our expansion into the road bike market. Santander shared our passion right from the off, quickly securing us Growth Capital through their Breakthrough programme. Thanks to this, we’re now Team Sky’s Official Supplier of Bike Care Products for 2014.”

IT

Alex Trimnell MD, Muc-Off

SO

N THE B

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Find out how the Breakthrough programme could help support your business. santanderbreakthrough.co.uk email stephen.bateman@santander.co.uk or call 0780 949 3616 We’re proud sponsors of the International Festival for Business.

Simple Personal Fair What a bank should be

Lending is subject to status.

The Breakthrough programme is available for businesses with a turnover between £500,000 and £25 million and strong, demonstrable growth in turnover, profitability and/or employment over the last three years.

Santander Corporate & Commercial is a brand name of Santander UK plc, Abbey National Treasury Services plc (which also uses the brand name Santander Global Banking and Markets) and Santander Asset Finance plc, all (with the exception of Santander Asset Finance plc) authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Our Financial Services Register numbers are 106054 and 146003 respectively. In Jersey, Santander UK plc is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to carry on deposit-taking business under the Banking Business (Jersey) Law 1991. Registered office: 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, London NW1 3AN. Company numbers: 2294747, 2338548 and 1533123 respectively. Registered in England. Santander and the flame logo are registered trademarks. Santander UK plc is a participant in the Jersey Banking Depositor Compensation Scheme. The Scheme offers protection for eligible deposits of up to £50,000. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period.

Full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered are available on the States of Jersey website (www.gov.je) or on request.

CCBB0423 JUN 14 HT

B4 LEAD

TASTING MENU & WINE FLIGHT André Garrett Restaurantl

1ST COURSE Amuse Bouche

2ND COURSE Tartare of Orkney Scallops And Red Sicilian Prawns lemon, soy, frozen English wasabi Riesling Trocken, Dreissigacker Rheinhessen, Germany 2012

3RD COURSE Pressed Foie Gras Terrine vadouvan spices, mango

Key Facts • 5 Star award winning hotel • Stately home dating back to 1666 • A rich history – 3 Dukes, an Earl, the Astors and a Prince of Wales and lived in and owned Cliveden.

• The River Thames flows through the estate • 38 individually designed Bedrooms and Suites • Spring Cottage (3 bedrooms) set on the banks of the river • The Pavilion Spa • Andre Garrett Restaurant and Club Room • Indoor and outdoor Tennis • Squash court • River cruises aboard the Cliveden Flotilla of Vintage Launches A Brief History Today Cliveden is a privately owned 5 Red Star award-winning hotel and is the sister hotel to the world-renowned Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in Hampshire.

The story of Cliveden is about 300 years of power, politics and parties. A house built for entertaining.

The first house was built in 1666 by the 2nd Duke of Buckingham. A notorious rake, schemer and wit, he created Cliveden as a hunting lodge where he could entertain his friends and mistress.

Since then it has twice been destroyed by fire, only to emerge, phoenix-like, more stunning than before. The house has played host to virtually every British monarch since George I and has been home to three Dukes, an Earl and Frederick Prince of Wales, who created a happy family home here until his death in 1751.

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Queen Victoria, a frequent guest was not amused when the house was bought by William Waldorf Astor, America's richest citizen. When in 1906 he gave it to his son and daughter-in-law Nancy Astor, Cliveden became the hub of a hectic social whirl, where notable guests included everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill, and President Roosevelt to George Bernard Shaw.

While the Cold War was slowly chilling British politics in 1961, Cliveden House was consumed in a sultry summer of sweltering heat. Cooling off in the now famous outdoor pool, was Christine Keeler, a nineteen year old rumoured mistress of a suspected Russian spy.

Attending a hot mid summer's party hosted by the then owner Lord Astor, the young woman was one of a few exclusive guests enjoying the luxurious celebrations held within Cliveden House's magnificent gardens.

Also in attendance was John Profumo, an up-andcoming Conservative Secretary of State for War and husband of well-known actress, Valerie Hobson.

Profumo and Keeler embarked on an illicit affair following their chance meeting at Cliveden House; an affair which was to force his resignation, irrevocably damage the Prime Minister's reputation, and impact on the course of British politics forever.

50 years has passed since that fateful meeting which was to alter Britain's political landscape.

Discover the scurrilous secrets of the times on the Profumo Affair Break at Cliveden House, and find out all about how the political establishment finally thawed out. www.clivedenhouse.co.uk

Sauvignon Blanc, Late Harvest, Errazuriz, Casablanca Valley, Chile, 2011

4TH COURSE Fillet of Cornish Turbot Courgette flower, Dorset crab, cockles, tomato fondue Meursault, Domaine Michelot Burgundy, France, 2011

5TH COURSE Loin and Roast Rack of Lamb “boulangère potato, lettuce, new season garlic and onion purée Château Caronnes Ste-Gemme, Cru Bourgeois, Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 2005

6TH COURSE Selection of seasonal British cheeses Port, Poças, Colheita 1994

7TH COURSE Gariguette strawberries Almond Panna Cotta, Pistacho Cake, Marzipan Ice Cream Moscato, Innocent Bystander, Victoria, Australia, 2013

19

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

“By 2015 I want us

to be a name that people remember and who will want to continue to work with us because they know that we will provide only the best quality service and a first class stand that they will be proud of

”

Jane Hinde - Entrepreneur

AUSTRALIAN ENTREPRENEUR SEARCHES FOR LOCAL TALENT TO INSPIRE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Australian businesswoman, Jane Hinde, has become an inspiration to anyone looking to start-up their own business as she moves her two successful businesses to Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub, to accommodate ambitious growth plans that will see her develop both businesses with local talent.

Ms Hinde’s first business, HindeSite Ltd, was born in 2001 and is a successful recruitment company working with major blue chip organisations worldwide, of which many have worked with the company since established.

With her drive, passion and determination, Ms Hinde decided to start-up a second business, 1 World Xzibitz just last year with the aim of tapping into her creative and organisational side. The company specialises in the design, project management and production of exhibition stands all over the world and is already looking to recruit more designers and project managers.

Ms Hinde comments: “I am looking to grow both companies by developing local talent and moving forward. HindeSite is already a well-known brand within many blue chip corporations and whilst that continues to grow, my objective as the founder of 1World Xzibitz Ltd, is to build this company and make our mark in the exhibition industry for all of the right reasons.”

Ms Hinde continues: “By 2015 I want us to be a name that people remember and who will want to continue to work with us because they know that we will provide only the best quality service and a first class stand that they will be proud of.”

HindeSite and 1 World Xzibitz recently moved from Atrium Court to a 209 sq. ft. office at Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub located at Ocean House in the Princess Shopping Centre.

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Commenting on the move, Ms Hinde said: “Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub offers me a central location which is easily accessible for my clients from the train station and by road. There really are fantastic meeting facilities of both the formal and informal nature with the Club B Lounge if you’re looking for a more casual feel with clients. However, the biggest benefit, aside from the staff, who are all extremely helpful and professional, is the office space itself. It is large enough to have the ability to expand and there is room to grow within the centre.”

Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub, funded by Schroders in partnership with Bracknell Regeneration Partnership and Bracknell Forest Council, is experiencing a strong period of growth since it opened just over a year ago.

Shelley Furey, Manager of Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub, said: “I’d like to officially welcome Jane and her team. Jane has fantastic plans to grow both of her businesses by employing more local people and I’m extremely confident that with the flexibility we provide at the Hub, she will be able to do so without worrying about costly office moves or the shackles of a traditional office lease.”

Managed by Oxford Innovation, the UK’s leading operator of business and innovation centres, the Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub offers a variety of space varying from 100 sq. ft. to 450 sq. ft. light and airy offices with stunning views across Bracknell Forest. Shared and virtual offices are also available. www.bracknell-hub.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

B4 SPOTLIGHT

From left: Helen Shaw and Alex Scarth, Customer Support, Cegos, with Shelley Furey, Manager and Sue Austin, Centre Receptionist, Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY

BRACKNELL ENTERPRISE & INNOVATION HUB Following the opening of its doors to local businesses just one year ago, Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub has experienced a period of significant growth, which looks set to continue with four new businesses already signed-up this year.

Funded by Schroders and in partnership with Bracknell Regeneration Partnership and Bracknell Forest Council, the Hub is located on the 12th /13th floors of Ocean House in Princess Shopping Centre, and was created to provide essential and low risk office facilities as part of the town’s significant regeneration plans.

The first year has been an exciting time for Shelley Furey, Manager of the Hub, who said: “Since opening the Enterprise & Innovation Hub we have expanded within Ocean House to an additional floor and have launched the Club B Lounge, which demonstrates the appetite for a flexible and professional office solution for growing businesses in Bracknell.

“Importantly, the level of interest already received this year, illustrates that Bracknell businesses are looking forward and emerging from difficult times to punch above their weight in helping to revive the local economy.”

The Hub’s Club B Business Lounge was launched in March 2013 and has proved a popular choice for business professionals visiting the local area. It provides access to a working environment and services on an ad hoc basis.

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One of the four Bracknell businesses to have moved to the centre this year, is Cegos UK, the largest management and leadership training company in the world, widely recognised across EMEA with headquarters in Paris.

“

Importantly, the level of interest already received this year, illustrates that Bracknell businesses are looking forward and emerging from difficult times to punch above their weight in helping to revive the local economy.

”

Shelley Furey - Manager, Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub

Sharon Wiggins, Operations Manager, Cegos UK, explains the decision to move to the Hub: “We previously had a traditional office lease arrangement which proved far more expensive and we were also disappointed with the level of customer service received. I’m pleased to say, that really hasn’t been a problem here. Shelley and her team have been fantastic!”

Cegos UK is currently occupying two offices, a 726 sq. ft. office for 13 staff in addition to a 243 sq. ft. office, which has been transformed into a Virtual Meeting Room for Cegos consultants.

Sharon continues: “It is good to know that we can expand quickly without the overheads of buying a building and through Oxford Innovation’s network of centres, it would also be easy for us to open an office elsewhere in the country. The Hub is undoubtedly providing our business with the flexibility we need at an important time, and the staff like it too!”

Other businesses to have moved to the Hub this year include Witten Law, Acclaro, Buffet4Business.

Managed by Oxford Innovation, the UK’s leading operator of business and innovation centres, the Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub offers a variety of space varying from 100 sq. ft. to 450 sq. ft. light and airy offices with stunning views across Bracknell Forest. Shared and virtual offices are also available. www.bracknell-hub.co.uk

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

GARDNER LEADER ROUNDTABLE Clients of Newbury based law firm, Gardner Leader, joined representatives of the firm to discuss legal concerns surrounding employment. With recovery from recession giving many firms reason to recruit once again, local business representatives were asked what challenges they faced in recruitment, employment and the particular problems surrounding terminating staff contracts.

The round table was chaired by Derek Rodgers, Managing Partner of Gardner Leader who was joined by Julie Taylor, an associate in the Employment Team at the firm. You can read more about Derek and Julie overleaf.

The panellists included Owen Hughes of Eyes Wide Open (specialists in developing CRM strategies); Guil Hastings of TopSource Global Solutions Ltd (payroll and purchase ledger payment processing specialists); Kevin Withnall of Vanson Bourne Ltd (an independent and specialist market research provider for the global technology sector); Nicky Goringe Larkin of Goringe Accountants Ltd; Graham Stead of Solsis Limited (providers of IT strategy, service and support to drive business success); Jackie Blaker of Maxx Design Limited (a full service graphic design and digital agency that specialises in graphic design for print and web); and Ashley Snelling of Ad Networks (a specialist provider of IP infrastructure solutions). Read more about all of the panellists overleaf.

With the assistance of B4, Gardner Leader conducted some research earlier this year into staff recruitment, amongst other topics, and found that finding and retaining quality employees was a key challenge in 2013. Together with improving business performance and financial challenges, this issue is also reflected in overall industry reports.

The CIPD Market Outlook report believes employment may continue to grow sharply during the first quarter of 2014, but less strongly than the fourth quarter of 2013. According to Michael Page Recruitment Agency 42% of businesses in the Thames Valley and Home Counties are expecting to increase their permanent head count (compared to 21% who do not) and 70% expect their organisations to pay salary increases.

In terms of attracting and retaining quality employees, the latest CIPD Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey highlighted that only 20% of

24

respondents reported they had no retention difficulties but that managers and professionals/specialists are the most difficult staff to retain. It was found that the most common approach to address retention includes improving the induction process, improving line managers’ people skills and increasing learning and development opportunities. In terms of addressing recruitment difficulties, the most common approach is to develop existing employees for hardto recruit-for positions.

The CIPD Market Outlook report discovered that 23% of their respondents cited retention of staff as the key reason for awarding a basic pay increase to staff. From the Michael Page Recruitment Agency survey 29% of respondents in the Thames Valley and Home Counties saw company image as being important in attracting and retaining employees with 58% believing their organisation does not do enough to retain top talent (this is in line with the

balance or more responsibility.

Attracting and Retaining Staff In light of all of the information provided to the panellists, Derek commenced proceedings by asking how the challenge of attracting and retaining quality employees has been reflected in their organisations and what steps the panellists have taken to find and retain employees.

Owen Hughes: “There’s a reluctance to move in the last six months despite an increase in consumer and customer confidence. We have been trying to recruit at manager level, with 3 to 5 years experience and they tend to want to stay where they are. We are in a market competing with bigger businesses and we aren’t as attractive to our target employees.”

“The challenge for us

Jackie Blaker: “Speed is a problem in our industry. We have to react quickly as the technical people go quickly. It’s expensive and we don’t have long to make up our minds about available recruits.”

”

Guil Hastings: “We see the numbers as we process payroll! We have two perspectives – we see what our clients are doing and we have 560 customers of our own. There is a lot of attrition at the lower end of the job market but there always is, during the good and the bad times.

in our business is building careers for people in an industry which isn’t aspirational

industry average). More smaller companies (with less than £20m turnover) cite high pressure as the reason companies don’t do enough to retain top talent (44%), compared with businesses of £150m+ turnover recording only 30%.

The Office Team Salary Guide for 2014 reports that more than 8 in 10 (84%) HR directors are concerned about losing top performers to other opportunities. Many employees who stayed put during the downturn are starting to look at other opportunities, whether better pay, better work-life

“After 5 years of recession, mid market companies are growing. Big businesses were starting to grow 12 months ago but the smaller ones have shown growth in the last 6 months. The challenge for us in our business is building careers for people in an industry which isn’t aspirational. As we grow, we need to attract quality staff which is hard. But this is regional. In Kent, we had three people coming in asking to work for free – they are now salaried staff. In London, the challenge is the competition for staff, the commute and the cost of living.

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“In terms of addressing recruitment difficulties, the most

common approach is to develop existing employees for hard-to-recruit-for positions

�

www.b4-business.com

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Hosts, Gardner Leader

We have found finding staff difficult and plenty of other companies are also finding the same. My Head of Ops is based in Southampton and I struggle with this but that’s the deal and he works from home.

“It’s relatively easy to find unskilled people, but if they’re good, they don’t want to stay. Our clients are all struggling to find good quality management.

It took us 9 months to find the person who runs

looking for good people and we then develop them. The problem for us is what is the career path? We struggle with that. We’ve just lost someone who had outgrown the business. It gave us the opportunity to recruit someone with different skills. We have done well, we’ve grown, but we still ask ourselves what are we going to do in the next five years to improve career paths?

Derek Rodgers Chair Person – Managing Partner As well as managing partner of Gardner Leader, Derek acts for businesses of all sizes and their owners, helping them to achieve their objectives. This might be the formation of a new business, the acquisition of a business or the sale of a business, and he has handled a large number of venture capital and private equity transactions. Derek also prepares shareholder agreements and commercial contracts including confidentiality agreements, agency & distribution agreements and terms of business. Before joining Gardner Leader in 2005, he was a Partner in a leading commercial firm in Sheffield & Leeds.

“We are a small boutique consultancy and competing with the bigger boys just isn’t feasible.

“We have found if you invest in staff then you get more loyalty. They will also talk to you about leaving instead of just doing it. ” our Kent office. We are very reluctant to jump in at management level. For our private equity clients, there are a lot of casualties at the FD level where this a lot of change. This creates a lot of instability in companies also looking to push for growth.

“We’ve just shut our Leicester office because, predominantly, of staffing problems. When we compare ourselves we are 25th in our sector in the UK. We compete with companies in India that have 200,000 to 300,000 staff!”

Kevin Withnall: “From 1999 to 2007 it was just two of us. We made enough to send our kids to private school but we then started recruiting through the local paper and of our 25 staff, 19 of them came through the paper. We’ve ‘grown our own’. We have used a recruitment consultancy for two people. We feel that we have to grow our own to address the issues you are talking about. We don’t want people coming in from other research houses. It’s a lengthy process we go through, which Gardner Leader have helped us with, but it’s effective.”

Owen Hughes: “We’ve switched to a far more graduate focused approach. We are not fussed if they’ve been to University or College. We are just

26

Also our location isn’t attractive to most. Lots of people want to work in the big cities. Where we try and compete is in the work experience. We can offer much more responsibility. Unfortunately many will look at that and get the experience and move on.”

Nicky Goringe: “We have struggled with graduates. Work experience staff are keener. We have graduates who come in wanting to do everything but they have to be held back. We struggle to find the right ones – the basics of spelling and numeracy are appalling. I respond to CV’s by telling them they are very badly written. It’s very disappointing.”

Owen Hughes: “We have had an intern for two years. We’ve just offered one a full time role when she finishes her degree. It gives us both a getting to know each other phase. It’s the middle to senior side we struggle with.”

Nicky Goringe: “They are great – we have found some great candidates who appreciate the flexibility and aren’t too demanding in terms of finances.”

Julie Taylor Associate in the Employment Team Julie deals with all areas of employment law and advises a variety of clients from individuals to small and medium sized companies. For the companies that Julie works with, she looks to provide straightforward advice aimed at reducing the risk of facing employment litigation as a consequence of crucial business decisions and also ensuring they are appropriately protected with effective contracts and policies. For individuals, Julie advises on the types of employment claims they may have or what risks they may have in pursuing possibly competing opportunities outside of their current employment. Julie also advises regularly on the terms of settlement agreements for both employers and employees.

www.b4-business.com

B4 SPOTLIGHT Panellists developing CRM strategies.

This focused understanding of customers and their behaviour is integral to Eyes Wide Open's approach with each client to develop the best marketing strategy for their business.

More recently, Owen has worked with companies including Brother and Saracens Rugby Club, to develop structures and processes to ensure that their marketing programmes have everything in place to reach their full potential.

Jackie Blaker Operations Director at Maxx Design Limited As Operations Director, Jackie has been with MAXX Design for nearly eight years. Based in Newbury, MAXX Design is a full service graphic design and digital agency that specialises in graphic design for print and web – from branding through to printed literature, advertising, website design, SEO, Email marketing, online promotion and Social Media.

Nicky Goringe Larkin Managing Director, Goringe Accountants Ltd With offices in Reading and London, Nicky has run an accountancy practice for small businesses, for over six years. Goringe Accountants pride themselves on offering a professional, efficient and friendly service, which saw them being finalists in the 2013 British Accountancy Awards and Highly Commended in the Independent Firm South East category.

Graham Stead Founding Director at Solsis Limited Involved with the IT and technology sector since the late eighties, Graham founded Solsis to provide IT strategy, service and support to drive business success (e.g. profitability, more customers, revenues). The business revolves around three core areas: IT Strategy – aligning your IT investments and plans with your business goals, IT Services – implementing the right technology in the right way to underpin the success of your business, and IT Support – working pro-actively to keep your technology running optimally.

Ashley Snelling Ad Networks Formed in 1994, ADA Networks is a specialist provider of IP infrastructure solutions and strives to become the industry benchmark by promoting a culture of excellence that creates long term value for its clients, whilst delivering best of breed technologies and innovative solutions.

Owen Hughes Eyes Wide Open With over 20 years’ experience in developing marketing strategies and programmes for brands such as BAT and BMW, Owen specialises in www.b4-business.com

Guil Hastings Director, TopSource Global Solutions Limited As a co-founder of TopSource Global Solutions Limited, Guil has been integral in achieving our strategic goals. We seek to help ambitious companies grow by removing the headaches of payroll, accounting and administration processing enabling them to focus on running their businesses.

We have four active brands and 185 employees delivering the promised service to our clients.

Established for over 11 years and with over 560 active clients across multiple countries, our Portico software provides a major change in data information, compliance and workflow solutions at a fraction of the cost of other options. In 2014, TopSource will pay over 130,000 employees for our clients whilst also processing 2,500,000 purchase ledger transactions. In March 2014, TopSource was named Pay & Benefits Service Provider of the Year.

Kevin Withnall Owner and Director, Vanson Bourne Ltd Vanson Bourne is an independent and specialist market research provider for the global technology sector. As owner and director, Kevin prides himself on offering a demonstrable track record of helping clients better understand and communicate more effectively in their target markets, providing market research with real statistical rigour. Vanson Bourne’s expertise in sampling, design and assured project management combine with informed data insights and market context delivers highly effective technology marketing.

As Managing Director and founder of the business, Ashley has been with ADA Networks for 20 years and currently employs 15 staff in the Newbury office.

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Ashley Snelling: “We have found if you invest in staff then you get more loyalty. They will also talk to you about leaving instead of just doing it.”

Owen Hughes: “We talk to our staff openly on a regular basis. We work with a lot of large corporates and one of their big problems is that staff hear things and get frustrated because they aren’t kept abreast of developments. Talking to staff is key.”

Kevin Withnall: “By definition it must be easier for small companies to keep hold of their staff with shortened communication times. We used to all be in one room as it was open plan and everyone knew everything!”

Jackie Blaker: “There’s only 15 of us but we had to put communication meetings in place to ensure everyone knew what was going on.”

Nicky Goringe: “We have an open lunch once a quarter which are great for communication.”

Graham Stead: “We have a meeting every Monday where I tell everyone where we are on revenue versus target. This is key because everyone gets a bonus based on performance. We have a lunch every last Friday and have an open chat and it’s great.”

Kevin Withnall: “The best £200 I spent was on a table tennis table. It was struggle to get people out of the office! We have built on this. On a weekly basis we get together in the evening, put up our achievements on white paper around the wall, have a chat. People get the opportunity to reinforce our five values – someone might say ‘Pete did a great job and that represents one of our five values’.

We then play table tennis but the spirit and the vibe in the office is much better!”

Jackie Blaker: “We have Cake Thursday and everyone talks. We have lots of people who don’t talk from day to day so this is a great opportunity for everyone to get together. These things do make a difference.”

Graham Stead: “We can’t lose sight of the fact that a table tennis table can solve all problems and that a false veneer covers people’s problems.”

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The Panel briefly touched on the subject of social media in the workplace.

Graham Stead: “I was at a think tank talking about BYOD (Bring Your Own Device to work). I think there is too much emphasis on looking after personal staff’s personal privileges.”

Julie Taylor: “It’s important to have a policy in place – if a member of staff needs to access their work e-mails then great, but this needs to be secure. Similarly, if the employees use social media, whether or behalf of the company or not, then a clear and sensible policy to address this is advisable.”

The Issue of Unwanted Staff Kevin Withnall: “What about trying to get rid of people? Especially if they have gone through the three month probation period and have been great for the first three months.”

Ashley Snelling: “We have always had three months and then extend to six months. This keeps the person on their toes and if they are putting on a show for three months, they won’t be able to keep it up for six months.”

You need to strike a “ balance between being fair and acting legally and acting quickly to ensure the problem doesn’t fester and affect your business

”

Owen Hughes: “Three months isn’t long enough to judge someone. I wish we could put staff on probation for a year!”

Julie Taylor: “The probation period gives you a marker. You need it in your contracts and the employee will be keen to overcome it. You would normally have just a week’s notice to tie in with the probation period so you don’t have to pay a month or three months if you terminate during the probation period.”

Guil Hastings: “We have a couple of legends in our business that still run around in my mind. The one that sat with his newspaper for an hour before he started to work! These are people we have in our minds to remind us! We have never had legal action taken against us to date but when we know we have a problem we decide we want to get rid and act quickly – it affects the rest of the team.”

Jackie Blaker: “Acting quickly has better results for the rest of the team.”

Owen Hughes: “We had a mature student out of university who looked great but three months down the line things weren’t looking good. So after six months we had a conversation to say things weren’t looking good. She left on relatively amicable terms but I think that’s because we had an informal conversation highlighting our concerns.”

Derek Rodgers: ”Whatever you do you need to do it fairly. If someone has done something wrong, it’s best to go through at least a skeleton of a procedure to cover yourself. You need to strike a balance between being fair and acting legally and acting quickly to ensure the problem doesn’t fester and affect your business.”

Kevin Withnall: “I started talking to Julie 18 months ago about someone who we had on board who revealed to us he had a condition which prevented him from doing his job. I offered him three months salary but he said he wanted to overcome his problem. We had to help him for six months and then another six months. He has recently resigned after two years of supporting him!”

Owen Hughes: “What if someone comes in with a condition they don’t disclose but it later prevents them from performing and we find out about it, what happens then? Especially if it starts to impact on the business.”

Julie Taylor: “It’s very difficult. Legislation is in place which requires the employer to accommodate staff with such difficulties to a reasonable extent. It’s an area that is well legislated because it is designed to help those with disabilities, for example, remain in employment.”

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B4 SPOTLIGHT Graham Stead: “It’s like employing a colour blind electrician – if they can’t analyse your data then they can’t be expected to work for you surely. We always used to make sure that my partner and I were involved in the recruitment process. Other people tell me to let my staff recruit their recruits.

What’s the best way?”

The Art of Delegation Owen Hughes: “You can’t do everything. The question is do you want to empower someone else to recruit. I had to step back, I couldn’t do everything and the business was suffering as a result. Other people will now interview but I will always rubber stamp it.”

Ashley Snelling: “I will do the same. If you’re involved in every recruitment, then they will look to you for answers. Keep a distance and let someone else recruit and then they get asked the questions!”

Selecting the right candidate Kevin Withnall: “What happens if you say you don’t like the look of someone?”

Ashley Snelling: “Funnily enough this happened.

I met someone who was about to be recruited. I knew him. I wasn’t comfortable with him working with us. Two other people interviewed him – they said he could be great or he could be horrific. He was with us for seven years. So sometimes you have to let others make the decision, despite your reservations.”

Derek Rodgers: “There is a London firm which filters the relevant information so they don’t see all of the information and just get the information they need to make the decision about suitability.”

Owen Hughes: “How far are you able to go to say that is the person I want? I struggle with people’s CV’s. There is less and less information required of candidates to put on their CV’s – age, even name I have heard!”

Julie Taylor: “The Equality Act covers nine protected characteristics and the protection from discrimination. starts before the employment starts.

In recruitment it is more common for candidates to be searched on Facebook etc… If you use

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information from that on-line search to decide not to interview a particular candidate then you could be at risk. For example, if that candidate went on to make a subject access request under the Data Protection Act for the information held about them and you had noted on their file that they were not called for interview because they had a particular characteristic, then you could be sued for discrimination.”

Guil Hastings: “Turning this on its head, if we say we want a diverse workforce, is there a way of advertising fairly for a diverse workforce?”

“Working from home

is fine for two or three days a week but where’s the spark? You need interaction

”

Owen Hughes: “There are Government organisations like the Police who say we have to recruit a certain number of minorities. Is anyone going to challenge that? What about a company that says they need to recruit a certain number of female board members? What if there aren’t enough suitable candidates. Surely there’s a fine line between protecting a minority and discriminating against the majority. I think we need to recruit more males because we have too many females. But as a business I have to manage our long term future if we have too many females. I am just managing a business, I’m not discriminating.”

Julie Taylor: “it is a difficult area. Ultimately it is for the employee to initially show that they may have been discriminated against and now there is a fee of £250 to pay before they can present their claim to an employment tribunal – this has resulted in a significant reduction in the number of claims currently being filed.”

Using social media for advertising for jobs:

Owen Hughes: “We have to get used to it – it’s not going away and it’s cheaper! We have clients who have recruitment agencies and they are in a shrinking business.”

Guil Hastings: “Look at ‘Military Spouses’ website – great for re-located military spouses. Also Mumsnet. Our clients have successfully recruited there. I can’t stand recruiters! Anything you can do to build your own network is important in our view.

We don’t lose a lot of people, but when they have, senior people come back to us – we have a 70% re-engagement rate with staff who have left us. This is because we have kept in touch with them – they are our best free recruits because we can avoid recruitment fees.”

Owen Hughes: “I say get a You Tube channel up so you can see the person you are interviewing.”

Derek Rodgers: “Are people having to change flexibility of working? We had someone who worked with us who wanted to relocate to Dorset and she still works for us remotely. She attends meetings through Skype and nine months in it’s working really well. She was a traditional secretary and she has maintained this working remotely.”

Graham Stead: “It depends on the job function.”

Ashley Snelling: “Working from home is fine for two or three days a week but where’s the spark?

You need interaction. The most recent new recruit for me works for one of our security specialists. He approached us for a job and covered this off by saying he was a contractor for our client. He was expensive but he liked to Ski Guide. We had seen him work. He wanted less of a salary because he wanted two months to Ski Guide. So we got the best of all worlds and he covered his costs with a contract he secured for us early on.”

Owen Hughes: “The success of Mumsnet is because people miss that interaction. People can be more flexible and work from home to work on a key report, but at the end of the day the interaction is key.” www.gardner-leader.co.uk

Graham Stead: “Can be a scourge as you see your staff promoting themselves!”

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CIS is offering free tours of our top secret cloud location, the most resilient data centre in the UK. We understand your data is critical to your business. That’s why we look after it like nobody else can. Our data centres are former military command centres, upgraded with millions of pounds of investment in extra power and cooling. They’re not just secure; they’re ultra secure, making your business ultra resilient and your information ultra-available.

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B4 EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION COURSES AT AYLESBURY COLLEGE Aylesbury College offers cost-effective Higher Education courses through our partnerships with local Universities, such as Bucks New University and the University of Bedfordshire. There is significant employer and employee demand for such qualifications – take the next step in your career with a Higher Education qualification at Aylesbury College.

Aylesbury College is graded Good by Ofsted (full inspection May 2013). This means that you can be assured of an excellent learning experience at Aylesbury College.

At Aylesbury College we offer cost-effective Higher Education courses, so you can enjoy excellent teaching in a purpose-built environment while continuing to live and work locally. We organise our timetables so that your time in College is in a block over 1-2 days to make it easier to manage your work and home life.

Our Foundation Degrees offer two years of study at Degree level. After completion you can top up to a full Honours Degree by completing a third year at one of our partner Universities. Many people find this an excellent way to study for a Degree, particularly after having some time out of education.

Aylesbury College students learn real work skills from our expert tutors who have years of experience in the workplace. We also work closely with local employers to ensure that our courses are relevant to today’s job market so that we are equipping you with the skills you need to be successful. Our courses include work on live employer briefs, work experience and visits from senior people working in the sector.

We work closely with our partner Universities to develop and deliver our HE courses. As an Aylesbury College student studying Higher Education, you also get full access to the relevant partner University and its facilities, including online learning resources, the Student Union and much more. Here at the College you will find a fully-equipped learning centre and excellent online resources for your course.

“Aylesbury College students learn real work

skills from our expert tutors who have years of experience in the workplace” Aylesbury College is a friendly environment where people of all ages come to study. Our Higher Education students have access to all the usual College facilities and support, plus they have their own breakout area where they can relax or catch up on course work.

Every student has a personal tutor assigned. We work with small class sizes to ensure that you get the best support and guidance through your course. In addition our dedicated Student Support and Additional Learning Support teams are here to help you with whatever you need. Our courses are flexible allowing you to continue to work whilst you learn.

The Return on Your Investment – the Value of Higher Education By studying in Higher Education you are investing in your future. A recent survey by the Office for National Statistics* concluded that, on average, graduates will earn approximately 50% more over their working life than those leaving education after A-levels. The report also found that graduates are more likely to be employed than their non-graduate counterparts and more likely to be working in high-skilled roles. * Report title: Graduates in the UK Labour Market 2013 www.aylesbury.ac.uk

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FRILFORD HEALTH GOLF CLUB IS A GEM!

Frilford Heath Golf Club is one of the few Golf Clubs in Southern England to boast three separate 18 hole courses, each with its own character. B4's own Chairman, Colin Rosser, visited these beautiful grounds to give you the rundown on why Frilford Heath is the place to play.

Frilford Heath is located just off the A34 South of Oxford making it easily accessible whilst driving from any direction and when you get there it is always well worth the journey. My friends and I played the Green Course. Although the shortest of the courses on offer from Frilford, still requires you to plot your way round to ensure a good score. After the enormous amount of rain we have had this Winter you would expect a lot of water and mud, but thanks to the sandy subsoil the course was dry and very playable.

The fairways and greens were immaculate as they always are. The outward nine is the easier and starts with the only par five, but the 7th is a long par four which is quite rightly stroke index 1!

Coming home there are four particularly tough par fours, the 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th which really gives the course some teeth! They are followed by a long par three and to end with a tricky short par four.

After the game we all had a refreshing shower where towels are always supplied and then went to the bar. There are a great range of both soft and alcoholic drinks available. We were just in time to catch the last of The Green Thai Chicken Curry which went down superbly with a pint of IPA! The food in my experience is without equal in Oxfordshire Golf Clubs, and on the many occasions I have been here I have never had a bad meal.

The Golf Club is hugely popular with Societies and host meetings with up to 200 players. It also caters for a number of Local, National and International Tournaments, which is well beyond the capabilities of the majority of Golf Clubs.

Due to there being three courses available you do not have to book a tee time, however the club will book a tee time if you take a group. The Courses are divided between accepting two, three and fourball games on a rotational basis. It is a very friendly club and a guest or new member would

not have a problem linking up with different groups for a game.

As you would expect Frilford has a well stocked Pro Shop offering a large array of equipment and accessories, and under the leadership of Derek Craik, the Head Professional has the normal Golf lessons available from him and his staff.

For Membership enquiries please contact the Executive Director, Alistair Booth or the General Manager both of whom I have always found very approachable and keen to help prospective Members.

Abingdon, OX13 5NW Tel: 01865 390864 Web: www.frilfordheath.co.uk

THE COURSES Frilford's three 18 hole courses offer a range of delights. With over a hundred years of golf course design heritage, players can choose a classic or a modern challenge as they see fit.

course design at courses such as Royal Birkdale and Royal Mid-Surrey. At nearly 7,000 yards, the Red course will be a test of any golfer's skills.

Red Course The quality of the Red course, has attracted top class amateur golf for many years. Laid out in 1908 by five times Open champion JH Taylor, part of the 'Great Triumvirate', along with James Braid and Harry Vardon, Taylor dominated golf around the turn of the twentieth century. He later turned to

Green Course The Green course at Frilford Heath may be the shortest, at just over 6,000 yards, but playing to a stiff par of 69, it is no pushover. As at the legendary Rye links in Kent, the Green's only par five is the opening hole - from then on, birdie opportunities can be few and far between.

Blue Course Opened in 1994, the Blue course, designed by respected British golf architect Simon Gidman, has a more modern, open look, with a number of water hazards threatening, notably on the early holes. The course offers a stern test, with par five and par three holes in particular facing in all directions.

Greens are more undulating than on the two older courses, and offer a number of interesting and challenging flag positions.

“The Golf Club is

hugely popular with Societies and host meetings with up to 200 players�

32

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B4 R&R

“It is a very friendly

club and a guest or new member would not have a problem linking up with different groups for a game.�

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

the overwhelming “male culture in the board room has proved to be a very difficult environment for women to work in. That needs addressing!

”

Ross Wilson - IoD Ambassador

WE NEED MORE WOMEN BUSINESS LEADERS! IoD Ambassador, Ross Wilson, recently shared a platform with the Home Secretary, Theresa May as well as Fiona Hathorn, MD of Women on Boards UK Limited when the challenge for the packed audience was “Do We Need More Women Business Leaders?”

For many years, Ross wrote a column for Women in Business. He is an Ambassador for Women in Business for Barclays Bank and an Ambassador for the Thames Valley Women in Business Awards.

In answer to the question whether we need more women business leaders his response was “absolutely!”.

Ross shared with the audience some of the things that in his experience might hold women back from being leaders.

Many of the women in his study indicated that they would rather work for a man than a woman, something which took him by surprise and led him to asking the obvious question “why”? If this really is borne out then it’s something which in his opinion needs to be addressed.

He referred to women tending to be more “risk adverse” than men and was quick to point out was not necessarily a bad thing! He believes women carry out more due diligence before making the big calls which often leads to a greater chance of success especially in start-ups.

The culture and ethos of an organisation is also something which will affect women’s ability to reach the top.

He believes there is a low level of engagement while women are off on maternity leave. A year is

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a very long time in business. Things change rapidly and of course if there is little or no engagement for a period of up to a year, then it is not surprising that women may come back to a very different organisation from the one they left a year previously.

His experience suggests that women also tend to return after a period of maternity leave with less confidence. This for him was fascinating given the significant life skills that the women will have added during their period of time off. They and the business community, however, seem sadly to place little or no value on this.

Ross referred to many women who make massive life choices perhaps more so than men which can affect their decision to go for the top jobs. Many of the decisions are linked to the realisation that there is much more to life than money and titles.

Ross referred to the attempts to introduce quotas for women serving on boards, however a recent study has found that women CEO’s are currently more likely to be fired than their male counterparts.

Two main reasons were said to be “the culture and political pressures to appoint a female candidate that led to risky appointments” and secondly “the overwhelming male culture in the board room has proved to be a very difficult environment for women to work in.” That – says Ross – needs addressing!

Another challenge affecting women in business is networking. One of the golden keys for progressing in any organisation would be the quality of the internal and external networks and the way that this is used. For women it can often be very different from the male networks of “old school”, university, golf clubs, rugby clubs and more besides.

And then there is the challenge of balancing business and family life. A topic on its own for another day perhaps!

Ross said that you can’t help but notice the impact that women are having on UK plc which is great to see. He referred to the STEM agenda (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) having really taken off especially in attracting outstanding young female talent to whom in years gone by these subjects were predominately the domain of men.

Ross looked forward to seeing women having an increasingly positive impact on businesses of today and tomorrow. Ross has for many years been a champion for Women in Business and for him it’s a question of whether the environment exists to allow them the same opportunity to do so as their male counterparts – and whether they want it!

One thing is for sure, he looked forward to seeing women continue to make their mark on the business community in leadership roles and to be judged solely and equally by their ability to carry out the role. www.wilson-partners.co.uk

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DEALING WITH

FRS102

The UK’s accounting standards are changing with the introduction of FRS102 for periods commencing on or after 1 January 2015 impacting anyone who currently reports under UKGAAP, other than entities that apply the Financial Reporting Standard for Smaller Entities. Whilst most businesses understand this will affect their financial reporting, there are potentially much broader commercial implications which businesses should be considering.

The introduction of the new standards could result in significant changes to your annually reported results and your balance sheet. The implications of any such changes could be far reaching, from impacting your ability to meet debt covenants or achieve shareholder targets to meeting vesting conditions on employee incentives. Perhaps, more importantly you could see real cash flow implications in terms of corporation tax and any bonuses linked to profit, as well as restrictions on your ability to pay dividends.

We've discussed below some of the key areas however, as clichĂŠ as it sounds, the devil really is in the detail.

Impact to Profit and loss account There are numerous ways the new valuation, recognition and measurement principles may result in differing financial results to those previously reported. A prime example is that goodwill could be written off over a reduced time period, resulting in higher amortisation charges and, accordingly, lower annual results. Other common examples include changes to the way lease incentives are recognised and investment property revaluations being taken to the profit and loss account.

All of these could be significant where, for example, loan covenants are based on the company’s interest cover. If this level drops below an agreed amount this could trigger higher interest rates or even immediate repayment of the debt. Therefore, early communication with the lender to explain any expected reduction in results following the change in accounting, and possibly renegotiation of covenants could be critical to the company.

Company valuations could be affected, particularly where the valuation has been based on an extrapolation of annual results. This would certainly have winners and losers depending on which side of the transaction you sit. Furthermore, future earn outs and contingent consideration could also be impacted by a change in reported results.

Company incentive plans may also be impacted where rewards have been linked to results in the financial statements. Unintentionally higher or lower incentive pay-outs could not only adversely impact on cash flow management but also on employee engagement.

Impact to Balance sheets Certain assets and liabilities, particularly in respect to financial instruments, may need to be brought on to the balance sheet, many with complicated taxation consequences. In addition, more assets and liabilities could be required to be measured at fair value, thus increasing the number of valuations that are required in the financial statements.

Mark Bishop, Associate Director, Assurance (01865) 799 862.

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Therefore, whilst the underlying business doesn't change, the recognition of liabilities on the balance sheet and the increased volatility in results could lead stakeholders to assess the financial health of the company differently. Additionally, in a landscape where raising

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B4 ADVICE

Understanding how your financial “ reporting will look going forward will allow for informed communication with your business' stakeholders so that your first financial statements under FRS102 do not result in any nasty surprises

”

traditional bank finance is more challenging than it has ever been, the impact of apparently weaker balance sheets on negotiating overdrafts or additional lending could be significant.

Increased or decreased annual costs could also arise where the costs are based on the company’s financial statements. For example, Trustees of a company’s defined benefit pension scheme may request higher company funding to compensate for an apparent weakening of the company’s balance sheet resulting in higher costs and additional cash outflows for the company.

Finally the numbers reported in financial statements could have significant taxation consequences. Aside from annual corporate tax liabilities, which will be based on a revised profit calculation with appropriate tax adjustments, there are other potentially unforeseen consequences. For example, many companies will have entered into agreements with HM Revenue & Customs to fix the amount of tax relief they may claim on interest charges based on their debt to equity ratios. Therefore, a company may feasibly see no amendment to annual reported results yet end up with higher corporation tax liabilities due to the recognition of additional liabilities on their balance sheets.

Timing of changes Although at first glance the requirements seems a little while off, due to the need to restate prior year comparable figures in line with FRS102, the transition date for many companies has already passed. For example, a company with a 31 December 2015 year end would need to restate the 31 December 2014 results which would include recalculating the opening balance sheet position at 1 January 2014.

What should I do now?

Past experience has taught us that knowledge and stakeholder communication is key.

Understanding how your financial reporting will look going forward will allow for informed communication with your business' stakeholders so that your first financial statements under FRS102 do not result in any nasty surprises.

Whilst it is not feasible to outline all of the areas of a company's financial statements which may be affected, it is fair to say that if your company has any of the below items, we recommend you start to consider how your business will be affected: • • • • •

significant inter-company balances goodwill acquisitions derivatives investment properties

www.grant-thornton.co.uk

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David Willott, Senior Manager, Tax (01865)799 891.

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B4 R&R Memberships at Magnolia Park Magnolia Park is a thriving, proactive club with a busy competition calendar and a lively, social clubhouse and players of all ages and abilities are always made welcome at Magnolia Park Golf Club. There's no joining fee and we accept new membership applications all year round.

FANTASTIC REASONS TO JOIN MAGNOLIA PARK GOLF CLUB! • Enjoy a FULL 7-DAY Golf Membership from just £19.50 a week!

• Full use of 18-hole Championship Course • Full use of 9-hole Par 3 Course • Full use of the Practice Green & Driving Range • No restriction on advanced bookings - book up to 12 months in advance • FREE JUNIOR GOLF for all Members' children & grandchildren (under 16's) • Discount on the hire of our GPS Golf Buggies - a saving of £5 each time • 10% discount on food, drink and retail purchases • Use of our fully equipped Gymnasium • Use of Changing Rooms, Lockers, Showers, Steam Rooms and Sauna's • Use of our fully stocked fishing lakes • FREE hire of our Function Suite for private parties - a saving of £650!

• FREE Towel Service - no need to bring your own and wash it at home!

• PGA Qualified Professional Mark McGeehan is available for all your teaching needs • 10% discount on all indoor tuition & Cleveland Club & Ball custom fittings • No Joining Fee Flexi Membership Our New Flexi Membership allows you to join Magnolia Park Golf & Country Club on a flexible basis and enjoy the benefits of club membership in an affordable and accessible way! You get to choose when you want to play and how often you want to play, 7 days a week!

Flexi Membership means that for just £295 you can have a membership that allows you to play as much golf as you want without having the long term commitment usually associated with golf memberships.

Flexi Membership also allows you to hold a handicap and play in club competitions meaning the membership gives you everything you would expect from a golf membership.

Our Flexi Membership allows you to play as much or as little as you like, but you only pay for what you use. And when you run out of Flexi Points you can simply top up your points as and when you need them for as little as £100. And the more Flexi Points you top up with each time, the less you pay for every Flexi Point!

ENJOY A FULL 7 DAY GOLF MEMBERSHIP AT MAGNOLIA PARK GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB FROM JUST £19.50 A WEEK!

Apply to become a Magnolia Park Golf Club Member NOW! Call us to apply for membership on 01844 239700 or apply online at www.magnoliapark.co.uk/memberships Our Course With our sweeping championship 18-hole course of around 7,000 yards set in over 200 acres of rolling Buckinghamshire countryside, Magnolia Park is known to many as the closest a parkland course can be to a Links, due to its beautiful water features and sometimes windy conditions. This year Magnolia Park was proud to host the Jamega Pro Golf Tour & Pro Am and it was so successful that we are hosting it again in August 2014!

Our Clubhouse When the time comes to relax, our friendly staff will provide the best of service in comfortable surroundings. Our licenced bar & terrace overlooks the golf course and offers a great menu in relaxed and informal surroundings. Magnolia Park Golf Club is the only UK golf club with the amazing 3D Motion Golf swing analysis system, and is also home to the exclusive Cleveland Srixon Club & Ball Fitting Centre.

Contact Us Feel free to contact us for anything you need to know about Magnolia Park or to book tee times, book a party or even to book your wedding!

Tel: +44 (0)1844 239700. Email: info@magnoliapark.co.uk Web: www.magnoliapark.co.uk Magnolia Park Golf & Country Club, Arncott Road, Boarstall, Buckinghamshire, HP18 9XX

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BUCKINGHAMSHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS IN THE ENTREPRENEURIAL HEART OF BRITAIN The Buckinghamshire Business Awards, organised by Buckinghamshire Business First, took place at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre on 15 May and saw shortlisted candidates, business leaders and companies from across Bucks gather to enjoy a champagne reception and three course dinner and celebrate another year of business success in Bucks. have recognition of what we’ve achieved in such a short space of time.’

The Awards ceremony was opened by Aylesbury Waterside Theatre's Chief Executive, Elizabeth Adlington and was hosted by Alex Pratt OBE. Philippa Batting, Managing Director Buckinghamshire Business First, explains:

The award was presented by Richard Dickson of the Buckinghamshire Community Foundation. www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

of

‘It’s vital that we recognise the efforts of the businesses in the county who all contribute to the economic success of Buckinghamshire and help us maintain our title of ‘The Entrepreneurial Heart of Britain’.

‘We were overwhelmed with the standard of entries this year which just goes to show how high the calibre of businesses is in the county and I know that our sponsors and judges found it very difficult to narrow down the entries to the shortlist and particularly choose their finalists.

‘It was a great evening and we’re looking forward to another great year of business success ahead.’

Business Leader Caron Vetter – The Belmore Centre Born and bred in Bucks, Caron Vetter opened the Belmore Centre in 1989. The centre offers beauty treatments and holistic therapies and Caron’s goal is to offer the most up to date treatments available.

Caron now employs 18 members of staff at The Belmore Centre and is proud to offer the most comprehensive range of treatments available anywhere in the Home Counties.

Caron was delighted to win: ‘Having been born and brought up in Buckinghamshire, it’s a great honour to have been named as Business Leader and recognised by the local business community’.

The award was presented by Martin Reed, CEO of Thomas International. www.belmorecentre.co.uk

THE WINNERS

Brendan said: ‘Winning Apprentice Employer is a great honour. In our industry, apprentices are worth their weight in gold and are a significant part of the success of the business.’

The award was presented by Cllr. Martin Tett, Buckinghamshire County Council. www.brendanhairandbeauty.co.uk 40

CoCredo is a leading global business information provider, which has experienced a phenomenal 40% growth in turnover in the last two years. Its unique service has enabled the firm to extend its customer base and maintain a customer retention rate of 93%.

Dan Hancocks, Sales Director said: ‘We are extremely proud to win ‘Small Business of the Year’ in such a competitive category! This award reflects our passion to be the best that we can be and it is an honour to be endorsed with this prestigious local award.’

The award was presented by Cllr. Tony Green of Wycombe District Council www.cocredo.co.uk

Apprentice Employer Brendan O’Sullivan Hair and Beauty Brendan O’Sullivan Hair and Beauty opened in Amersham in 2013 and the team is committed to maintaining the highest standards in every area of their work, ensuring that every guest who comes to their salon receives the finest treatments. The apprenticeship scheme has produced confident and talented professionals who have made a difference, both to the team and the community they serve.

Small Business CoCredo

Enterprising Charity Helen & Douglas House Helen & Douglas House offers hospice care to children and young adults. Helen & Douglas House benefits patients through its provision of expert respite, acute and end-of-life care and the service is underpinned by its clinical excellence and totally dedicated staff. The hospice offers a ‘total care’ approach through which therapeutic, psycho-social and pastoral care is provided to patients and support offered to their families.

Lindsey Rennard, Director of Income Generation said: ‘We’re delighted with the result. The shop and warehouse only opened last year, so it’s great to

The Bill Bendyshe-Brown award Cerub PR This vibrant public relations agency specialises in helping companies raise their profile through PR activities and targeted communications. Cerub PR helps its clients to achieve their aims by delivering essential, effective PR services, aiming to always ‘under-promise and over-deliver’. www.b4-business.com

B4 EVENTS Ceri-Jane Hackling, Managing Director of Cerub PR said: ‘To win this award is a huge honour and I am delighted that the team have been recognised for all their hard work’.

The award was presented by Cllr. Tony Green. www.cerubpr.co.uk

Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade.’

The award was presented Adam Rainey Area Director, Central England, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking www.globalinfusiongroup.com

Rural Business Brain Tumour Research

Excellence in Customer Service Medical Supermarket

Innovative Business Isagi

Formed by Nick Coleman and Udhi Silva in 2010, Medical Supermarket (formerly Procure Health) was launched to help healthcare companies save time and money. Small healthcare companies were unable to benefit from economies of scale and were not accessing competitive pricing so Medical Supermarket was established to enable healthcare organisations to buy whatever they needed from one place at 25-50% off the RRP. Medical Supermarket has delivered in excess of £2.5m savings to over 2,500 companies.

Isagi manufactures and distributes a unique patented anti-slip material range throughout the UK and northern Europe. Isagi’s commitment to innovation is best summed up by its name, an acronym of ‘It Seemed a Good Idea’. The company was founded in 2007 by Andrew and Jane Guilbert.

Udhi Silva, Co-founder said: ‘The company has gone from strength to strength over the past three years, largely due to the commitment of our staff and we are thrilled to have won at the Buckinghamshire Business Awards for the second year running.’

Andrew said: ‘It’s wonderful to have won the award, but the fact that we received it from Buckinghamshire New University which is an organisation which prides itself on innovation is even more special.’

Brain Tumour Research is a Buckinghamshire based charity situated on Padbury Hill Farm in Buckingham. Launched in April 2009, the charity raises awareness of and funding for scientific research into brain tumours. It is the only national charity in the UK dedicated to granting 100% of its funds to continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours.

Sue Farrington Smith, Chief Executive, Brain Tumour Research said: ‘We’re delighted to have received this award. The award is a tribute not only to the hard work of the staff here but also a testament to the strength of our supporters in Buckinghamshire and indeed across the UK.’ The award was presented by Max Hailey, Managing Director of Mix 96 www.braintumourresearch.org

The award was presented by Professor Ruth Farwell Vice Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University. www.isagi.co.uk

The award was presented by Lisa Williams, Managing Director of John Lewis High Wycombe. www.medical-supermarket.com Company of the Year Global Infusion Group

Leisure Tourism and Hospitality Stoke Park

Exporter Global Infusion Group Global Infusion Group (GIG) is a global catering, logistics and brand support company, with 30 years of experience across the globe. They are made up of a collective of complementary niche companies with operations and headquarters on four continents. It also has an extensive worldwide network of partners and suppliers.

Managing Director, Tony Laurenson said: ‘We are honoured to have received the Lloyds Bank Exporter of the Year Award in recognition of our achievements in international trade. 2014 is looking to be a great year for GIG having also received a www.b4-business.com

This leading luxury hotel, spa and country club is set among 300 acres of glorious parkland, lakes, gardens and monuments. Founded in 1908, it provides a unique combination of the traditions of an exclusive members’ club and the best of today’s leisure, sporting, entertaining and hotel facilities.

Nick Downie, Social Media and Communications Manager of Stoke Park said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled with the result! We are always striving to exceed guest expectations and provide a world class service and bring visitors from all over the world to our beautiful county.’

The award was presented by Elizabeth Adlington, Chief Executive, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and Chair of Visit Bucks. www.stokepark.com

Global Infusion Group (GIG) is a global catering, logistics and brand support company, with 30 years of experience across the globe. They are made up of a collective of complementary niche companies with operations and headquarters on four continents. It also has an extensive worldwide network of partners and suppliers.

Tony Laurenson, Managing Director of Global Infusion Group said: ‘Winning Company of the Year in Bucks topped off a great night of recognition for local businesses and the county! As a local company we are proud to hail from Bucks. We have just launched Bonnie May Events, our local events company which we hope will see us working more and more across Bucks and with the local community.’

The award was presented by Philippa Batting, Managing Director of Buckinghamshire Business First. www.globalinfusiongroup.com

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BR ROW OW N S R E A D I N G U nit R7 he O racle Ce ntre, R eading, RG1 22AG AG Unit R7,, T The Oracle Centre, Reading, Telephone: 0118 950 3137 Email Telephone: Email:: browns.reading@mbplc.com www.browns-restaurants.co.uk ww w.browns-restaurants.co.uk

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B ROW RO W N S W I N D S O R The Promenade Barry Avenue Windsor SL4 1QX Telephone: 01753 831 976 Email: browns.windsoradmin@mbplc.com www.browns-restaurants.co.uk www.browns-restaurants.co.uk

news

CIS Triples in Size!

IT is typified by its speed of development and constant fast moving changes. As a company which lives and breathes technology, CIS moves at comparable speeds to ensure that we’re always ahead of the very latest developments and able to provide the very highest quality of secure cloud hosting and support services to our clients.

The changes the company is currently undergoing are probably the most dramatic in its history. For our valued clients, they’ll mean we’ll have the space, resources and technical capabilities to continue to grow and develop as a company and provide the comprehensive excellence of service to which they’re accustomed.

We’ve added a new site location at Hereford, a large number of new clients, a completely revamped helpdesk, a new billing system and lots of new faces! In fact, our numbers have grown so rapidly that our Gainfield, Oxfordshire offices have burst at the seams, making a move to more spacious accommodation an absolute necessity – see more below!

continue to develop and enhance the services that were already offered. Joining us in 2014 from Bridge3 have come Senior Engineer David Camden, Support Technician Chris Bedford and accounts/solutions specialist Ashley Baker. These staff have already been integrated into the CIS team and although now formally under the CIS banner, they continue to provide the local presence, site knowledge and swiftness of response with which their clients will be familiar.

New Clients on Board Since the turn of the year, we’ve been delighted to welcome a new and prestigious client base previously supported by Bridge3. These include a diverse range of manufacturers, accountants, dental surgeries and other small and medium-sized businesses similar to those in the existing CIS client portfolio. We’re sure they’re already seeing the benefits of CIS’s technical support and expertise and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial business relationship as our respective companies continue to grow and develop.

New Technical Engineers Join CIS

CIS Hereford Branch Office Our new branch office at Hereford comes as part of our acquisition of the technical department of Bridge3 at the end of 2013. We’d worked closely with Bridge3 for some years in the provision of high level technical expertise and consultancy, so we were already well acquainted and impressed with their knowledgeable staff and service ethos. When the opportunity arose to acquire Bridge3 and merge their operation with our own, we jumped at the chance to bring those staff on board and to

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In addition to engineers David Camden and Chris Bedford joining our technical department from Bridge3, we’re also delighted to welcome aboard Dan Hadland, Mark Johnson, Joe Steele, Sam Markley and Daniel Compton.

With a diverse and extensive range of skills, experience and qualifications, these additional engineering resources mean that clients are already experiencing much more rapid responses to support tickets raised. Although our contracted SLA

agreements allow for between one and eight hour responses to client’s support issues depending on the category of urgency, we appreciate and understand the inconvenience that can be caused by even the smallest most niggling problem. With these additional technicians now on stream, we’re not only meeting, but easily exceeding these SLA response times in almost every case.

There’s a pen portrait of each of our new members of staff contained on our website under the ‘meet the team banner’.

On The Move At the time of writing, we have just moved into new purpose built offices in Faringdon, some 5 miles distant from our old Gainfield base. As well as providing much needed space for our everexpanding team, the new offices have also given us access to a much faster internet connection – essential in the IT world. Although we all enjoyed the picturesque rural setting we’re used to out in Gainfield, the associated rustic broadband speed has been an increasing source of frustration. The move became a necessity as the broadband capacity had become ever more sub-divided between a much-expanded team who were squeezed in to every available corner of our old accommodation.

Following the move, our telephone contact numbers and email addresses all remain unchanged. Please update your records - our new postal address will be [Unit 5, RAC Estate, Park Road, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, SN7 7BP] www.cisltd.com

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DON’T STAND STILL:

SUPPORTING THE EMPLOYMENT JOURNEY Employee engagement is a journey, not a destination. James Townsend, Partner, Employment, at B P Collins LLP, discusses what employers need to do to get the best from their workforce – whilst also protecting their investment in human capital. The trick is not to stand still.

It’s a familiar scenario – a CFO asks his CEO: “What if we invest in all these staff, and then they leave?” The CEO replies: “What if we don’t, and then they stay?” And therein lies the nub of employee engagement. How can employers maintain the balance of investing sufficiently in people to ensure the workplace environment inspires growth, whilst mitigating the inherent risks of investing in human capital?

It’s a fact of life: for one reason or another, staff leave. The challenge is to ensure that whilst they’re with you, they remain motivated and productive – and that when they exit, their departure is well managed and doesn’t unsettle business continuity and profitability. From beginning to end, employees’ tenures will be underpinned by policies and guidelines to support their development, but despite the legal small-print, the whole process is a journey not a destination.

The employment environment is dynamic. In an evolving socio-economic climate, where attitudes, regulation and technologies shift at an alarming pace – and the impact reverberates throughout the workplace – nothing ever stands still. And neither, therefore, should businesses’ approach to managing Human Resources and developing responsive employment policies.

Finding equilibrium between the rights of your staff and protecting the profitability of your business is a demanding and complex task. With increasing regulation and the cost of disputes continually rising, companies need support at every level and expert legal advice through all phases of the employee journey.

The journey The employee journey is paved with familiar landmarks and unexpected diversions. It begins with initial engagement around employment contracts, conditions and bonuses, but can subsequently veer into grievances, disciplinary and contractual disputes at a later stage. Journey’s end can encompass aspects such as dismissal, tribunal claims, enforcing/defending injunctions and even post-termination restrictions.

With potential pitfalls throughout the entire employee life cycle, frequent and proactive engagement with a legal partner can help

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companies mitigate risk and protect their business from the commercial and reputational damage of litigation. Moreover, it can help organisations develop employment policies and cultures that support a healthy and productive work environment.

Surprisingly, there are still examples of companies that fail to meet the statutory requirement to issue employment contracts within two months of any employment commencing. The absence of a firm contractual basis for an employment relationship can place a company on awkward footing later in the employee journey.

By establishing an open relationship with a trusted legal partner, businesses can share their long-term goals and ongoing challenges – allowing the legal team to tailor advice and policies that align with identified business needs. This process typically begins with the development of a wide-ranging Employment Handbook, which sets out all of the mandatory terms and conditions of a contract of employment, as well as individual company guidance around aspects such as smoking, company car or flexible working policies.

Companies are, by law, required to publish policies around equal opportunities, whistleblowing, health and safety, grievance and disciplinary matters.

The road less traveled Familiar landmarks along the employee journey include confidentiality breaches, IP protection, discrimination and mass redundancy. Succession planning can also lead to employee disputes. In recent times, there has been an increase in less common employment issues, many of which reflect cultural and technological evolution. A topical example is the issue of workplace immigration in the wake of the UK’s tougher legislative stance on migrant labour.

“Finding equilibrium

between the rights of your staff and protecting the profitability of your business is a demanding and complex task

”

A robust Employment Handbook is designed to provide clarity for employees, and set out a transparent framework of a company’s terms of engagement. It is, however, merely a foundation; it’s not the end of the job, it is just the beginning.

An Employment Handbook reflects a moment in time, and needs to adapt to the demands of the evolving business environment. Though it should never be considered a ‘working document’, regular reviews between HR teams, senior management and legal partners can ensure that company policies reflect present-day challenges, legislative change and protect both employer and employee interests.

Another evolving challenge is social media, the growth of which is beginning to have significant implications for the workplace environment. Social media policies are increasingly common, not only to protect corporate reputations, but also to control employee productivity. A recent case led to an employer seeking a High Court injunction regarding ownership of information an ex-employee had accumulated via LinkedIn during the term of their employment. Clearly, the increased deployment of social and online channels creates new workplace challenges for employers – and legal advice to protect businesses against misuse is highly recommended.

The information age has also become a catalyst for the generation of huge volumes of data – as well as simpler means of transferring and storing information. This has led to an increase in confidentiality breaches and the theft of intellectual property of all varieties. Alongside this, the development of sophisticated data trails has given added stimulus to whistle-blowers, enabling them greater access to documentary evidence of incriminating practices.

Changes to legislation around discrimination presents further challenges for employers. Now covered by the Equality Act 2010, discrimination law has been extended to include age, disability, gender, ethnic origin, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. Discrimination can occur at any stage

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B4 ADVICE

“In an ever-changing

business climate, the importance of sustaining a strong relationship with an employment lawyer cannot be over-estimated

”

of the employee journey, and can have a destructive impact on the workplace environment.

Recent high profile examples indicate the breadth and variability of discrimination matters, and how inadequate protection can engender major reputational damage. Major consumer names such as M&S, Tesco’s and British Airways have each faced national scrutiny over their sensitivities to employees’ cultural and religious beliefs. These examples fall under the banner of equality in the workplace, which compels employers to be reasonable and balance the rights and beliefs of their employees and, indeed, customers. It’s a challenging area, and yet another where proactive advice from a trusted legal partner can help minimise the risk of exposure.

Partnership: for the journey In an ever-changing business climate, the importance of sustaining a strong relationship with an employment lawyer cannot be over-estimated.

The employee journey may contain common and familiar landmarks, but it also differs from individual to individual. It’s only by engaging in an ongoing dialogue with a trusted advisor that companies can respond to – and indeed plan for – the everyday challenges in the workplace. Employment issues often arise quickly and frequently – but a company’s speed of response can make all the difference between a manageable issue and the escalation into more significant crises with farreaching repercussions.

Employees will undoubtedly come and go – but for employers, the journey is never-ending. In a dynamic environment, the challenge of balancing employee rights and protecting commercial interests is a daily event. The job is never done. The answer is to ensure that you never stand still – and to understand that there is always scope to adapt policies to reflect the changing market place. And by working in close partnership with a trusted legal advisor, you can make sure that the journey is safe, enjoyable and fruitful for both your business and its employees.

To contact James or a member of the employment law team, please call 01753 278659 or email employmentlaw@bpcollins.co.uk www.bpcollins.co.uk

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A perfect venue for a productive day Facilities include: • Fully modernised meeting & conference facilities • Excellent road & rail links • Seperate meeting & break out rooms • Also suitable for seminars & exhibitions

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FRILFORD HEATH GOLF CLUB

B4 EVENTS

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL BUCKS OPEN STUDIOS

Sally Fisher

The 29th Bucks Open Studios, which showcases some of the best artistic talent in the county, took place this year from 7th June-22 June.

Tony Ashton

Alex Cox

Bucks Open Studios is the largest visual arts event in Buckinghamshire, with around 500 artists of all descriptions, opening their studios to the public. This year, there were painters, ceramicists, wood turners, basket weavers, workers of glass and metal, makers of books, print, jewellery, and many more, all showcasing their talent through FREE demonstrations, exhibitions and workshops.

Bob and Ann Marshall, the Joint Chairs of Bucks Open Studios declared, “Bucks Open Studios has grown in every way year on year - more participants, more venues, and more visitors - and we want to make sure that it continues to gain in popularity with the public. Artists and Makers in Buckinghamshire are very grateful for the support that they receive from the public and we are sure that Bucks Open Studios will continue to prosper."

They continued, “There is an amazing wealth of talent within Buckinghamshire, and Bucks Open Studios covers a vast array of artistic disciplines and levels of involvement from professional artists with international reputations to passionate hobbyists. So whether you are an art enthusiast or just fancy an interesting day out, Bucks Open Studios is always a great way to talk directly to the artists about their work, watch demonstrations, or even be inspired to take up a new hobby.”

If you are an artist or maker in Buckinghamshire and would like to take part in next year’s 2015 Open Studios event you can now register online at: www.bucksopenstudios.org.uk

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THE

OAKLEY COURT

The Oakley Court in Windsor sits amid 33 acres of immaculately chiselled gardens and lovingly manicured lawns. There is even a private stretch of the River Thames running past the hotel, so no wonder it is a sought after venue for weddings, celebrations, conferences or short breaks.

A short drive to the heart of Windsor, The Oakley Court is the perfect venue for two, a corporate group or, as we discovered, a reunion for four school friends. I was late, as usual, and when I arrived on warm spring evening, the other boys were already enjoying a drink or two in the hotel bar. I made a quick dash to my room overlooking the lawns for a shower and change before playing catch-up as we waited for our cab into Windsor.

The Hotel provided an excellent base for our 24 reunion, perfectly based for the other boys who had taken a car from London and less than 40 minutes from my office in Oxford. As the spring sun burst through this majestic building, excited guests arrived for a wedding, presumably taking place the next day, and families with giggling children enjoyed a pre dinner walk on the lawn. With the Thames at the end of the lawn, it really was a heart-warming site, full of run and laughter.

Meanwhile, back in the bar, it looked as if we were set for the night before we were advised that our cab had arrived. We were eating at Browns in Windsor centre, just a short drive away, but ended back in the hotel bar for a nightcap and, for some reason, a tray of sandwiches – who ordered them, nobody knows. Hopefully they weren’t intended for the wedding party!

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I certainly enjoyed a long and comfortable night’s sleep and made my way to the restaurant for breakfast, not knowing where the others were. But they had beaten me to it, tucking into a royal English Breakfast with all the trimmings.

Playing catch up with this lot was becoming something of a theme! We had a good laugh about the goings on of the previous night, some of which were news to some of us, finished our impressive breakfast and gathered our belongings in a ‘stuff in the bag’ type of way and made our way to Slough Station where the boys were boarding a train to London.

“With impeccable attention to detail, un-

beatable service and within easy reach of Heathrow and London, The Oakley Court is ideal for a range of different events

”

Overview With impeccable attention to detail, unbeatable service and within easy reach of Heathrow and London, The Oakley Court is ideal for a range of different events. Whether you're planning a meeting for 5, a conference for 500 or a teambuilding training day, The Oakley Court has the facilities and space you

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B4 R&R

“an ideal location

not only for business meetings and conferences, but also for entertaining key clients, product launches or quite simply thanking your team

�

need. And with its stunning location and tranquil setting, the hotel is a simply beautiful backdrop for your wedding.

Nearby With local attractions including: Windsor Castle, Ascot Racecourse, Legoland and Thorpe Park and fantastic onsite leisure activities, The Oakley Court is also the first choice for family breaks and weekend breaks in Windsor.

Meetings & Events The Oakley Court is just twenty minutes from Heathrow Airport and forty minutes from London, making it an ideal location not only for business meetings and conferences, but also for entertaining key clients, product launches or quite simply thanking your team.

Choose from a wide range of flexible spaces able to cater for five to five hundred people. Traditional rooms with natural daylight and unique conference

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facilities such as the Boathouse on the river or the Walled Garden, where you can put up a marquee for up to 500 guests or even land your helicopter.

The 7 acre Oakley Court Field is ideal for larger scale team building activities such as quad biking or clay pigeon shooting.

Leisure Facilities Relaxation comes easy to guests with thirty seven acres of landscaped gardens, leading right up to the secluded banks of the River Thames. In addition to boat hire, there is also the croquet lawn, the snooker room and the full facilities of the Oakleaf leisure club, including an indoor swimming pool and gymnasium and beauty treatments.

Within the grounds there is a par 3, 9 hole golf course, ideal for both beginners and more experienced players.

Within the secluded walled garden there are 2 tennis courts that have recently been re-surfaced

and upgraded in partnership with Wilson. Racquets can be hired from the club.

Food & Drink The Oakley Court is a stunning venue for a private dinner or celebration for anything up to 180 people within the hotel, or more within a marquee in the walled garden and grounds.

Flexible dining options offer a range of styles, from an informal hot or cold buffet, a fine dining celebration dinner to a full scale gala dinner.

Throughout the hotel, special historic features such as ornamental ceilings, wood-panelled floors and sash windows, and of course the backdrop of manicured lawns and the meandering river create a stunning dining setting. Take some time out and enjoy the lounge menu and afternoon teas, or perhaps a beverage from the wide selection available in the stylish and comfortable bar. www.oakleycourt.co.uk

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Oxfordshire is guaranteed to get everyone thinking Meet Oxfordshire is the first point of contact for anyone considering the county for a meeting, conference or event. Our services include free venue finding and accommodation bookings.

www.meetoxfordshire.com contact us now call 01865 252799 Follow us on Twitter @meetoxfordshire

B4 EDUCATION

The first ever Mark Webber Youth Challenge was a “great success and we’re delighted with the level of support from local students and businesses ”

BUCKS STUDENTS GO HEAD TO HEAD IN FIRST EVER MARK WEBBER YOUTH CHALLENGE Buckinghamshire students have helped to raise almost £3,000 for a local education charity after taking part in the first ever Mark Webber Youth Challenge.

Teams from Aylesbury College and Amersham and Wycombe College competed against each other in a series of mental and physical challenges in aid of the Aylesbury College Trust (ACT). The event was also supported by a number of local organisations, including the competition’s main sponsors, Prolinx and AVDC. Following a series of gruelling tests, which included a 1 hour 30 minute endurance race, a hand cycle circuit of Silverstone and mental agility challenges, the 12-strong team from Aylesbury College was crowned the winner. Attendees and special guests were then treated to a three-course lunch in the

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exclusive British Racing Drivers’ Club, where a number of fantastic prizes were auctioned off.

Pauline Odulinski OBE, chair of the Aylesbury College Trust, commented: “The first ever Mark Webber Youth Challenge was a great success and we’re delighted with the level of support from local students and businesses. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event and hope to see more teams getting involved.”

The winning team was presented with a trophy and individual medals by high-profile racing driver Mark Webber, patron of the Aylesbury College Trust.

The trust was launched in 2011 to help deserving students who may require financial support to continue in their studies. With the support of local businesses, ACT aims to raise a minimum of £50,000 per year to provide bursaries, grants and scholarships.

For more information please contact Aylesbury College Trust on 01296 588523 or info@aylesburycollegetrust.org www.aylesbury.ac.uk

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RE-DESIGNING LUXURY John Hallam Associates has become the first choice among developers throughout the UK for a large range of architectural services and specialisations in urban and rural locations.

The Chipping Norton based practice has successfully worked with a number of national hotel chains and boutique hotel owners,

Cotswold Water Park Hotel, two of six hotels, located in Oxford, the Cotswolds, Thames Valley and Bristol.

Having demonstrated an appreciation of Four Pillars’ style and challenge presented from combining historic buildings with contemporary luxury accommodation, the practice was a natural

Pillars Hotel to see Hallam’s designs come to life.

“We have a very successful record of preserving heritage both in rural and urban settings to give a new purpose to old and beautiful buildings,” explains Hallam. “It was important to work the local parish and council to ensure the development progressed in a way to meet all concerns and whilst

“We have a very successful record of preserving heritage both in rural and urban settings to give a new purpose to old and beautiful buildings” John Hallam, Principal

specialising in luxury and standard grade accommodation to encompass a high level of comfort for guests, diversity of public areas for social or business purposes and effective staff service areas.

With over 45 years’ experience in architecture and the construction industry, Principal, John Hallam, began working with Four Pillars Hotels in 2000, with the Tortworth Court Hotel, and then the

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choice for the development of the Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel.

ensuring our designs were in-keeping with the Group’s aims.”

The project took two years to overcome planning issues associated with the hotel’s location on green belt land and Grade 2 Listed status, but Hallam remained confident in finding a solution to meet all.

Coinciding with the completion of the project, B4 Magazine had a guided tour of Oxford Thames Four

The 22 new ‘Garden Rooms’ have views of beautiful gardens and the River Thames, all featuring a contemporary style to complement the rest of the hotel. The new bedrooms increase the hotel’s capacity to 84 rooms.

Hallam explains: “The bedrooms have been

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B4 PROPERTY

The luxury four-star Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel combines medieval charm with contemporary elegance. A unique challenge that faced John Hallam Associates, the architectural practice responsible for designing the hotel’s multimillion-pound development, writes Kelly Stroud. created within a two storey block which is linked to the existing hotel via a glazed corridor. This has been designed to complement the original building, incorporating many traditional construction details, such as pegged joints to the oak window surrounds. Bedrooms in the original building benefit from period features such as oak beams and ornate windows so it was important to reflect this in the new building.”

The Oxford Thames Four Pillars Hotel has also converted the existing courtyard area adjacent to

Hallam comments: “The Conservatory is spectacular and links very well to the four differing heights around what was the old courtyard. During the development we have had to conform to strict conservation requirements in terms of colour of brick, tiles and stone. One of the buildings was an old listed barn dating back to the 17th century.”

External works taking place include the creation of a patio area outside of five ground floor bedrooms with enviable views of the River Thames.

Suzanne Bush, Commercial Director of Four Pillars

charm is retained.”

John Hallam Associates has also just completed an extension to the Brasserie Restaurant at Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel as well as creating a glorious balcony to the first floor conferencing facilities that allows guests magnificent views over the lake.

The experience of the practice continues to assure clients of exceptional quality when providing architectural solutions leading to the successful

“The Oxford Thames Hotel development has been interesting. The experienced team at John Hallam Associates provided the utmost attention to detail throughout to make sure the hotel’s original character and charm is retained John Hallam, Principal

the River Room Restaurant into a bright and airy Conservatory for Sunday lunch, afternoon tea and other dining, as well as private events, adding 135m² of space to its choice of nine rooms for private events.

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Hotels comments: “The Oxford Thames Hotel development has been interesting. The experienced team at John Hallam Associates provided the utmost attention to detail throughout to make sure the hotel’s original character and

”

development of hotels, heritage buildings, commercial premises and residential properties. www.johnhallamassociates.co.uk

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THE MORALITY OF TAXATION Denise Eyles, partner at High Wycombe accountants The Fish Partnership takes a look at the present debate regarding tax planning At Fish we provide expert tax planning advice for owner-managed businesses.

At Fish we are pro-active and through spending time getting to know you and your business provide joined-up tax planning to help you and your business meet your objectives.

The present debate and furore in the press regarding the perceived ‘immorality’ of certain tax planning arrangements mainly revolves around large corporates, high profile celebrities and government ministers. Even the Prime Minister described one citizen’s legal tax arrangements as ‘morally wrong’ and the Chancellor of the Exchequer has used the phrase ‘morally repugnant’ regarding tax planning.

A counter argument regarding large corporates is that by existing in the UK, the large corporates may be paying less tax than others but they are providing jobs and boosting the economy for Britain.

Effective tax planning need not be complicated or controversial At Fish we do not pursue ‘exotic’ tax planning schemes but impress our clients by saving tax using sensible, clever application of the tax legislation, our knowledge of HM Revenue and Custom’s (HMRC) current stance on various issues and through getting to know our clients and what would suit them best.

Evidence of our clients’ appreciation can be found on our website.

One over-riding issue that can save significant amounts of tax is choosing the correct structure for your business such as sole trade, partnership or a limited company. Most businesses with profits in excess of £60000 could benefit from incorporation.

scheme. Such payments are tax free for the directors and receive corporation tax relief for the company but are a way of extracting value from the company for personal use - albeit not for some time in the future.

check to be sure before purchasing.

• Child care vouchers for owner directors who currently have young children and pay for childcare as the child care can be paid for by a salary sacrifice arrangement such that no tax or NI arises on the amounts paid under an arrangement.

• 100% tax relief is available for any expenditure on energy saving plant or machinery such as a new boiler or cars with very low CO2 emissions.

• Choosing the best VAT scheme such as the flat rate scheme can increase profits as an estimated average VAT charge is made based on gross sales rather than the actual amounts of VAT noted on the sales and purchase invoices.

• Check the timing of capital investment to ensure that maximum capital allowances are claimed.

A simple change of approach or claim can affect a tax position enormously either in the current year-by taking advantage of a tax relief with limited availability or only relevant when certain prevailing conditions apply or a long term change that could advantageously affect your tax position for years or at a future time - for instance on selling your business or on death.

Tax planning in the spotlight

“

One over-riding issue that can save significant amounts of tax is choosing the correct structure for your business such as sole trade, partnership or a limited company

”

• Benefits in kind are often overlooked for instance if you are a director and are happy to drive a vehicle that is considered to be a van by HMRC and there are lots of chunky robust vehicles – such as the Landrover Defender available on the market which may appeal – then the tax savings are astounding:

Tax planning has never been so much in the news.

The current interest in the morality of tax planning has occurred as a result of a misunderstanding of the distinctions between: • tax planning within the tax legislation, • innocent tax mistakes, • and deliberate tax dishonesty.

The current HMRC penalty regime understands that errors in disclosure occur for different reasons and therefore has different penalties for: • careless error, • deliberate error, • and deliberate error with concealment.

• 100% corporation tax deduction,

Furthermore there are tax offences which can, after investigation and conviction, lead to imprisonment.

• VAT on purchase could be reclaimed by the company if purely a business vehicle,

Most people in the UK regard tax dishonesty as morally wrong.

A few of the other areas where we have successfully reduced our client’s tax bills therefore increasing the profits that can be extracted include:

• the tax due on the benefit in kind of the van, plus fuel, would be only £1870 for the director if chargeable to tax at the higher rate of tax.

• Through corporate pension contributions by a company payment to a company pension

HMRC have very specific guidance about the definition of a car and a van so you do need to

Basic tax planning is used by most individuals for example choosing an ISA or making tax deductible pension contributions within a tax year. They are simply taking advantage of the legislation to organise their affairs in the most tax efficient way.

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B4 ADVICE

Fish we do not pursue “At‘exotic’ tax planning schemes but impress our clients by saving tax using sensible, clever application of the tax legislation, our knowledge of HM Revenue and Custom’s

”

Denise Eyles - Partner at The Fish Partnership

www.b4-business.com

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SOME WOULD TRY ANYTHING TO GROW THEIR ATTENDANCE.

OTHERS WILL MAKE THE SMART CHOICE.

Our Event Technology is optimised to enhance your attendee experience while automating and simplifying the registration process.

Visit Lanyon.com y or call (0) 207 554 0949 to learn about SMART technology for SMART events.

The Science of Bringing People Together OneustonSq, 40 Melton Street, London, NW1 2FD – United Kingdom

B4 ADVICE

Years ago a ‘Window tax’ was introduced to tax the rich. The charge applied when houses had a certain number of windows. It was easy to identify who had to pay and it was logical that those who could afford more than the set number of windows could also afford the tax. Many house owners bricked up their windows to save tax. This was a very practical visible tax planning action and it is interesting to consider if this would have been thought to be morally wrong as the wealthy were not paying their ‘fair share’ into the country’s coffers.

The well-known words of Lord Tomlin in Duke of Westminster v Commissioners of Inland Revenue HOL 1934 are still as valid today: “Every man is entitled if he can to order his affairs so that the tax attaching under the appropriate Acts is less than it otherwise would be. If he succeeds in ordering them so as to secure this result, then, however unappreciative the Commissioners of Inland Revenue or his fellow tax-payers may be of his ingenuity, he cannot be compelled to pay an increased tax.”

Tax planning schemes for wealthy individuals and large corporates on larger transactions resulting in significant tax savings have brought into question whether such effective tax planning within the legislation is considered ‘acceptable’ and responsible within society.

Governments - of any persuasion- need tax revenues to run the country effectively.

General public opinion is however that we should pay no more than the law requires. Most people see tax as a cost in their business or personal lives and most people would like to reduce their costs if they could.

Morality a grey area We at Fish will review your position and will be able to advise you to organise your affairs to pay the minimum tax possible according to your specific circumstances.

Users of advanced tax planning believe that they are simply doing the same.

The moral argument is that although a certain piece of tax planning may be correct according to the legislation, it is ‘morally wrong’ as if earning significant sums it seems only ‘just and right’ that a proportion of profits or income earned is paid to the government as benefits are derived by all of us operating or living within the UK.

“Most people see tax as

a cost in their business or personal lives and most people would like to reduce their costs if they could

”

Morality and the distinction between right and wrong can be a grey area.

The law of the land exists to ensure that each member of society knows what is required and to remove subjectivity.

Certainty is provided by legislation – even if this certain position can be viewed as ‘unfair’.

In Cape Brandy Syndicate v CIR 12 TCp 358 Rowlatt J, it was stated that:

the subject…it means that in taxation you have to look simply at what is clearly said. There is no room for any intendment; there is no equity about a tax: there is no presumption as to a tax; you read nothing in; you imply nothing, but you look fairly at what is said and at what is said clearly and that is the tax.”

We as tax advisers apply the current legislation to our client’s situations.

The skill is in identifying when to apply which piece of legislation and to whom and we pride ourselves in doing just that extremely well.

Thoughtful and appropriate tax planning Since the drawing up of the Magna Carta in 1215 we are all governed by law and not on arbitrary and unexplained ‘moral’ positions.

At Fish we use careful, thoughtful and appropriate planning taking into account the tax legislation, current HMRC thinking and our wealth of experience to ensure that you and your business benefit from the most advantageous tax position to suit your overall circumstances.

As ever we are bound in all we do to comply with the ethical standards of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and Association of Certified Accountants and Chartered Institute of Tax. If you would like to check whether your tax affairs are arranged in the most beneficial way please contact Denise Eyles to arrange a free no obligation meeting.

Call 01628 527956 or denisee@fishpartnership.co.uk www.fishpartnership.co.uk

email

“…in a taxing Act clear words are necessary to tax

www.b4-business.com

59

M,

DIRECT MAIL IS BETTER THAN EMAIL

AND HAS A BETTER RETURN ON INVESTMENT W We e kno know w ho how w tto o gr grow ow your your business. business.

E-mail vs. Direct mail . To get 340 responses, leads or purchases from new bought in data requires you to send nearly 300,000 emails or 10,000 letters. In other words it is really tough to build your business using e-mail unless you have a great lead generation process.

So, wh whyy does dir direct ect mail per perform form so w well? ell?

• The average attention time spent on direct mail is 3 minutes opposed to 3 seconds spent on email .* • Targeted directt mail works with otherr complementary media and will liftt email campaign responses by 26%.* • Direct mail engages the audience 4 times more powerfully than a digital experience.* • The cost per item of a direct mail campaign makes real sense when you measure the quality of the leads it will generate ffor or yourr business. or • Spam-traps are barriers to communicating by email, yet the Royal Mail is committed to delivering your direct mail .

• You can make a direct mail piece look, feel, smell and sound, utterly compelling.

• 93 of ourr cclients send 17 million items every yearr, year on yearr, and they’re all turning a profit by doing it.

Are Ar e you you ready ready to to transform transform yyour our busines businesss thr through ough dir direct ect mail?

Direct mail may well cost more per item than an email campaign. Howeverr, if the consequence of using a media not suited to yourr product causes a ffail ailure to sell, then it doesn’t really matterr how many emails you send.

We can help you untap profits in your direct mail campaigns that you haven’t yet maximised and give you consistent Return on Investment.

Personalisation P errsonalisation

Data D ata Management Management

Testing T esting and and Ana Analysis lysis

* DMA A research 2011-2014. Visit www.firstmove.co.uk /dmisbetter for all links to research.

C Call all me, David David Amor, Amorr, bef before or o e 14th A August ugust tto o sstart tart tr ttransforming ansforming yyour our business bus business through through direct direct mail on 01494 494 539300 orr email emai da david@firstmove.co.uk vid@firstmove.co.uk

Transforming T ransfforming yyour ourr business business through through direct directt mail F First irst Mo Move ve Dir Direct ect Mar Marketing keting 4-5 F Fairview air a view E Estate, state, B Beech eech R Road, oad, High W Wycombe, ycombe, Bucks, Bucks, HP11 1RY 1RY 01494 539300 mail@fir mail@firstmove.co.uk stmove.co.uk www.firstmove.co.uk www.firstmove.co.uk

B4 R&R

POPULAR CHEF RETURNS TO

CADMORE END

Having just announced the return of their much loved and highly talented head chef Daljit Dusanj, who previously worked at One Aldwych, the Tree Hotel at Cadmore End is making a name for itself as a haven for foodies seeking dishes using an array of spices and herbs from around the world in addition to the fresh and where possible local ingredients.

Unusually they offer an Indian and European mixed menu which has been created by Daljit.

“I have loved cooking in different places around the world and it has increased my passion for cooking with authenticity using local ingredients when possible. I am delighted to be returning to work at The Tree Hotels – it feels like I have come home here. The warmth and motivation of the team here has been unmatched.”

MD of The Tree Hotels, Kavita Pal is equally delighted: “In the restaurant business it is important to keep ideas fresh and to keep the customers inspired by the food. Daljit is bursting with new creations that we are excited for our guests to enjoy.”

The Tree Hotel at Cadmore End has seen food and drink sales increase by 9% in the past year, a trend they hope will continue. Additionally, they have also been delighted to see a 17% increase in hotel room bookings over the last six months.

With their Sunday carvery and international buffet hugely popular and a new curry club night starting in July, The Tree Hotel at Cadmore End is constantly looking for new offerings for their loyal customers.

After a successful launch of their traditional curry take-away tiffins for lovers of Indian food and for the eco-conscious, the Tree Hotel at Cadmore are now offering a more extensive take-away menu.

Business customers also receive an exclusive rate for the business accommodation package, perfect

www.b4-business.com

DISHES FROM THE NEW MENU NEW STARTER Rava Mahi Tikka Pan Fried Fish marinated with Indian spices with a beautiful semolina crust

MAIN COURSES Hydrabadi Nalli Korma Lamb shank cooked with yoghurt onions and cashew nuts mint infused gravy Welsh Lamb Welsh Lamb Rump with crushed rosemary and garlic roast potatoes cheesy cauliflower red wine jus

DESSERT Caramel Crunch Toffee flavoured Light fluffy and creamy mousse and caramel crunch

for colleagues who have travelled for an overnight stop and want home from home accommodation.

The hotel is offering event and meeting organisers a package which includes a three course dinner, overnight accommodation and a full English breakfast. Rates start from £85 per person inclusive of VAT.

Watch out for the Wine-tasting and Bollywood nights in September and Diwali Charity Night in late October which are always great fun paired with delicious dishes from around the world.

Questions and Answers with Daljit Dusanj, Head Chef of The Tree Hotel at Cadmore End What sort of chef are you?

I believe good cooking is all about the detail.

Paying attention to all the small things inevitably makes the end product a mouth-watering, delicious and fantastic dish for the consumer. With an Indian background, food has always been incredibly important in my life. It inspires me to play around with new ideas and create new dishes using the best spices and flavours on our Indian and European Menu.

What is your signature dish?

My signature dishes are Murgh Kali Mirch (Indian black pepper chicken), Laal Mass (traditional Rajasthani spicy lamb dish) and Smoked Tomato & Fennel Broth.

What is the best thing about your job?

Two things. Firstly the creativity involved. In my opinion cooking is an art form and it is hugely enjoyable to try out new recipes and to challenge myself to create inspiring food. Secondly the team here at The Tree Hotel are great fun to work with.

Everybody is passionate about doing the best they can and we work well together. www.treehotel.co.uk

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B4 MARKETING

STRANGEBREW

DISTILLIN’ WHAT’S INSIDE OF YOU!

Phil Strachan, founder and owner of Strangebrew, talks about how he encourages businesses and brands of all shapes and sizes to get off the blandwagon and stand out from the crowd by helping them to think brand not bland.

What possible point can there be in any business running the risk of just blanding in with the competition and consequently becoming the bland that time forgot? And yet, there are many examples of exactly that all around us – and you don’t even have to look very hard to find them. At the same time however, you simply tend not to notice them or remember them because they bland in so effectively because they succeed so very well in failing to stand out from the crowd.

They quite simply exude an inordinate lack of individuality, of differentiation, of personality, of character – in short, of any good reason for you or their target audience to notice them or engage with them. They are just bland rather than brand.

Such businesses, lacking any compelling proposition or promise that might enable them to stand out from the crowd, really need to take a long hard look at themselves and have a good hard think about what it is that makes them different and better - and why anyone should choose them over their competition.

They need, in Strangebrew terms, to ‘Think brand not bland’ and in order to do that, they need to understand exactly how they need to be perceived and precisely what they need to be seen to stand for.

They need to identify the territory they want to take ownership of and then to act decisively towards achieving that.

That is exactly where Strangebrew comes in. I help businesses to take a long hard look at themselves and to identify precisely what it is that makes them different and can be built upon to enable them to stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons and provide them with sustainable competitive advantage.

This can often be very difficult for any business to do for itself for the very simple reason that the owners and managers are just too close to their business and too entrenched in where they have come from rather than where they are trying to get to. They often simply cannot see the wood for the trees, being caught up in the day to day running of the business, and it is the injection of a fresh perspective and renewed focus that I can bring to the party.

Strangebrew – distillin’ what’s inside of you It’s exactly what I do – and I make no apology for 62

taking some creative licence and somewhat blatantly ripping off the line from the Strange Brew track from Creams’s Disraeli Gears album.

It is by distilling exactly what a business or brand is really all about - and most importantly what makes it different - that I can help it to connect, communicate and engage effectively with its target audience. At the heart of what I call Business and Brand Alchemy is the need to ‘Think brand not bland’. We live in a world where we are all constantly making brand choices, brand choices that have value to us because we can identify with the brands we choose – the brands connect with us and we engage with them. Simple as that. And it’s exactly the same for any business.

That’s why businesses need to ‘Think brand - not bland’ The brand of a business is what it is seen to stand for and without identifying exactly what you want and need to be seen to stand for in order to succeed, the danger is that you will simply be seen to be bland, to be undifferentiated and therefore you will fail to stand out from the crowd. You run the danger of just becoming another anonymous blot on an already overpopulated blandscape. If this happens, you will not connect, communicate and engage effectively with anyone – let alone your identified key target market.

Is it now the time to make sure that your business is not riding on the blandwagon?

Sure, when a business was first launched, it may very well have connected, communicated and engaged effectively with its target market. But, 10, 15 or 20 years on, is this still the case?

Almost certainly not. Most businesses have more competition than ever before and therefore there is now even greater need for them to hone and finetune their presentation and communications. Even if they themselves have not changed (and they probably have or should have), the market and their competition certainly will have. Doing nothing is not standing still – it is simply going backwards by default.

Every business needs to take control its own destiny if it is to survive and thrive. For existing established businesses, a review of what they are actually seen www.b4-business.com

The brand of a “ business is what it is

seen to stand for and without identifying exactly what you want and need to be seen to stand for in order to succeed, the danger is that you will simply be seen to be bland

”

Phil Strachan - Founder and Owner Strangebrew

to stand for and what they need to be seen to stand for can very often be an eye-opening and truly transformational experience – a transformational experience that not only serves to ensure their survival but also provides them with a new found focus and much needed impetus - in order to once again lead from the front and take their business to a much higher and more stable and more sustainable level.

There really is no value in being perceived to just be A.N.Other anything This applies to all businesses and organisations.

No matter what field you happen to operate within, there is very little value and very little to be gained by being seen to be just A.N.Other anything.

Is there anyone out there really just looking for A.N.Other Accountant or A.N.Other Solicitor, for A.N.Other Architect or A.N.Other IFA or for A.N.Other anything else? Or are they actually looking for - and willing to pay a premium for the services of a business that stands out from the crowd and that they can immediately identify with because it connects, communicates and engages effectively with them because they understand and value what they see it to stand for? In other words, they clearly perceive that what it has to offer is different and why it is better for them and they buy into its brand accordingly. www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk If you would like to discuss with Phil Strachan how an injection of Business and Brand Alchemy could benefit your business or organisation by helping it to ‘Think brand – not bland’, contact Phil on 07770 753 975.

Phil Strachan

Just do it, because you’re worth it, and find out Strangebrew’s special blend of London quality Branding, Identity and Graphic Design at Glasgow prices can help your business to stand out from the crowd.

www.b4-business.com

63

B4 ADVICE

Be innovative and forward “ thinking. Flexibility is increasingly being used as a business tool which allows companies to engage the skills that they need for the time that they need them – offering better value solutions to the business

”

FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS After the 30th June 2014, all employees will be able to request flexible working. Are you prepared for how this will affect your business?

From the 30th June, all employees with a minimum 26 weeks service will be able to request flexible working. While this is great for employees, it could make it difficult for employers to predict who might request it, when and for what, potentially creating a challenge of how to cope.

Requests will come from people at all levels of seniority in all areas of the business – from high flyers to the worker bees, from sales and marketing, to finance and administration – and ask for flexible hours, compressed hours, reduced hours or simply remote working. It is therefore crucial for your business to develop the right policies so that you can respond consistently to them and avoid losing your best talent.

To save you being on the ‘back-foot’ Right Hand HR has come up with some suggestions that should www.b4-business.com

keep employees happy while allowing employers to generate the best outcome for themselves.

When someone asks for flexibility:

allows companies to engage the skills that they need for the time that they need them – offering better value solutions to the business.

1. Consider a job-share arrangement. If an individual wants to reduce their hours, look for someone with complementary skills who can do the other hours. Two brains are better than one – and they will be wanting to prove that they can make it work.

4. If it just won’t work and you have a clear business case for why it won’t work (and remember that the law is specific about what the reasons can be), don’t be afraid to say “No”, but if you want to retain their skills and talent, try to find an alternative role that does suit them.

2. Reduce the scope of the role and recruit someone part-time to fulfill the other side of the role, use outsource providers or bring someone in on a contract basis. Often roles evolve naturally, so redesigning the role may provide an opportunity to improve efficiency.

For advice on complying with Flexible Working legislation and other Employement Law or support in devising the best way to make it work for your business, give Right Hand HR a call on 0844 880 4582 or email enquiries@rhhr.com. We will work with you to make sure that you get ‘the Right people, in the Right place, at the Right time, who know what to do and who want to do it’. www.rhhr.com

3. Be innovative and forward thinking. Flexibility is increasingly being used as a business tool which

65

Corporate AS A COMPANY, HOW DO YOU SAY ‘THANKS’ TO YOUR STAFF, YOUR CUSTOMERS OR SUPPLIERS? c WE HAVE THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR YOU. vouch have ve been pr providing offers v ouch ha oviding fantastic off ers ttoo the general public for three yearss now, places like: for over thr ee year now, great great plac es lik e:

with more vouchers coming up for sale weekly c It’s a great way for you to buy a voucher at a 50% discount (at least) and say ‘thanks’ to someone for their hard work. Corporate vouch offers you the opportunity to buy 12 vouchers for the price of 10* c Just call 01865 742211 quoting ‘Corporate vouch’ and we can put a package of vouchers together for you. c To see the full range of vouchers, see the www.vouchoffers.co.uk site c Follow vouch on Twitter or sign up for the e-newsletter at www.vouchoffers.co.uk

giving you much more for less *the credit you get for the two vouchers you don’t pay for is equivalent to the average of the 10 vouchers you do pay for.

B4 HEALTH

HEALTHY STAFF, HEATHY PROFITS There has been a trend developing over the last few years that distinguishes some of the higher growth companies from the pack. This trend was reported in the FT back in September of last year ‘Performance on a plate’. Companies are actively encouraging staff to eat healthily by moving away from the traditional food offered in work canteens to fresh, healthy well balanced meals. Why? Because these companies not only have grasped the fact that what employees eat impacts their performance at work but have acted on it and seen the difference it can make.

MD of advertising agency AMV BBDO comments ‘we want people to be the best version of themselves at work ...healthy eating and exercise is as important as teaching people to deal with stress or mentoring’. Education is crucial. UBS advise staff on foods that improve energy and mood. How much of the growth performance of such companies is down to the healthy eating environment is difficult to measure. However a report produced by PricewaterhouseCoopers calculated for every £1 spent on proactive wellbeing programmes that covered healthy eating, exercise, stress reduction and stop smoking campaigns provided a return on investment of 4.2%, measured by reduction in sick days. This did not take into account the improved productivity of employees whilst at work. The key thing is the shift to companies being proactive rather than reactionary when it comes to employees health.

www.b4-business.com

So what can companies do to encourage employees to eat well? Have the company provide a fruit bowl in the office, if this is too much perhaps a Fruity Friday or Fruit Munching Monday. Remove

It is also important to “educate employees and support them in healthy eating. This can be done through annual wellbeing days or an ongoing series of workshops

”

vending machines packed with chocolate, crisps and sugar laden drinks and replace with vending machine offering healthier options or an honesting basket with oat cakes, nuts and seeds bars. Look at what is being offered in employee restaurants,

work with the kitchen to provide well balanced meals and healthy snacks. Or perhaps provide a fridge so that employees can bring in food from home. It is also important to educate employees and support them in healthy eating. This can be done through annual wellbeing days or an ongoing series of workshops.

There is vast amounts of research proving how a child eats, if they miss breakfast, if they have a sugar laden lunch how it affects them in the classroom. It is no different in adults. A healthy workforce is a productive workforce and this is something companies can encourage.

Helen Money Nutrition offers corporate wellbeing packages including a popular lunch and learn workshop. Helen also provides private consultations in Summertown and at The Bosworth Clinic www.helenmoneynutrition.com 01865 339672.

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Recent figures reveal that companies planning to export are more positive about future prospects than those with no export plans. In fact, all other things being equal, a company is three to four times more likely to fail if it restricts itself to its domestic market, compared with a business that has clients overseas. Exporting essentially means that businesses are not putting all their eggs in one basket.

This won’t come as a major surprise to our bluecheese producer. It understands the benefits but is reluctant to export — our research shows that one of the biggest blocks to trading internationally is a lack of understanding about how it is done and where the opportunities lie. Luckily, there are many costeffective and efficient ways to overcome this initial fear.

We at The Santander Group have come up with a five-point plan for every SME owner to expand abroad. The plan can be developed at santandertrade.com, a free tool for Santander corporate customers that helps businesses find out: where there is demand for their products or services; specific clients/suppliers they should be speaking to and how to connect with these clients; how to complete a secure transaction; and, finally, how to grow their presence in any given territory.

So our blue-cheese producer can discover the top importers of its product, as well as its fastest-growing markets. Crucially, it can also access a contact list — names, addresses and phone numbers — of the key importers of blue cheese in key territories.

The website provides details of any big upcoming trade fairs worldwide in the relevant industry, allowing businesses to contact potential clients then followup warm leads at trade shows and exhibitions. It also offers support guides for international trade procedures, such as local laws and cultures, as well as calculators to help with charges, taxes and duties.

The Santander Group can also provide support through its 14,000 branches worldwide (more than any other UK bank), and its network of alliance partners; for example, in the United Arab Emirates our alliance with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, the SME banking experts in the region, will allow us to facilitate new contracts and trading relationships between our clients through a joint trade-mission.

More businesses are benefiting from the opportunities offered by international expansion. We hope that with these free tools for Santander corporate customers, there will be not only Cornish blue cheese being devoured and enjoyed in St Stephen-in-Brannel, but also in Seattle, Schagen and Sligo. All you have to do is take that first step.

Santander Trade Portal is provided and managed

by Export Enterprises S. A. Santander provides access to its client companies but is unrelated to the database contents which are the responsibility of Export Enterprises S.A. Visit santandertrade.com or for information on support for SMEs, santandercb.co.uk

68

www.b4-business.com

B4 ADVICE

ACCESSING A WIDER MARKET Let’s imagine you are a Cornish blue-cheese producer with a loyal client base in your local market. One day you come across an article that mentions research on the benefits of accessing new international markets, and how international businesses are more likely to grow and less likely to enter into a default. How will you apply this to your business?

“We hope that with these free tools

for Santander corporate customers, there will be not only Cornish blue cheese being devoured and enjoyed in St Stephen-in-Brannel, but also in Seattle, Schagen and Sligo. All you have to do is take that first step

”

Exporting goods and services helps British businesses to grow, creates jobs and has the potential to add £30 billion to the UK economy. We can help small businesses to break into overseas markets. Research shows that, on average, businesses earn £100,000 in additional sales within 18 months of working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

Here are our ten tips for SMEs to consider when exporting goods:

1.

Research, research, research Use our expert international trade advisers to help you research the market and to find who your potential customers may be.

2.

Plan Make sure you have a business plan and the necessary capital.

Approach your bank and UK Export Finance (UKEF), the Government’s export finance provider, so they can provide the best possible support.

3.

Test your market Take part in overseas events, trade fairs or missions to test markets, attract customers, appoint agents or distributors and make sales.

UKTI’s Trade Access Programme provides grants to companies to attend trade shows and missions worldwide.

4.

Foreign currency Get to know the currency you will be dealing with. Consult foreign exchange providers as they have a wealth of experience and knowledge.

5.

Start small It will be tempting to pursue multiple markets but focus on one or two markets at first.

6.

Identify, appoint and manage agents and representatives Make sure agents or representatives are the right people for your market and will positively reflect your business and interests.

7.

Get help Take advantage of organisations that specialise in supporting overseas trade such as UKTI, UKEF, chambers of commerce, banks, lawyers and accountants. Their support will be crucial.

8.

Appreciate cultural differences Failure to take account of different cultures may lead to damaging or costly mistakes. These could range from causing offence by not observing protocol to using inappropriate packaging or marketing.

9.

Make sure you get paid As obvious as it may sound, it is very easy to overlook the risk of nonpayment. You can establish the credit rating of potential clients in many countries and guard against nonpayment through, for instance, a letter of credit or credit insurance. UKEF can provide advice and insurance where the private market can’t help.

patience 10. Have Setting up overseas may not move as quickly as you anticipated, local customs and legislation can slow things down.

For more information contact UKTI on 020-7215 5000 or visit www.ukti.gov.uk.

For more information about Santander please contact: Cheryl Adams on Cheryl.adams@santander.co.uk or 01189 211 680.

Cheryl Adams - Santander

www.santandercb.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

69

“Chariots and

Cherry Pie will be the only place where you can shine, dine and unwind in one location�

Claire and Jonathan Hilsdon - Chariots & Cherry Pie

70

www.b4-business.com

B4 R&R

CHARIOTS & CHERRY PIE A unique new destination diner and car spa has arrived in the UK. Chariots and Cherry Pie takes inspiration from the fun and fearlessness of 1950s, when America’s love affair with cool cars and fabulous food was in full swing.

Chariots and Cherry Pie is the brainchild of Oxfordshire based entrepreneurs Claire and Jonathan Hilsdon who thought up the idea while on holiday in Turkey last year. Both have a love affair with America and all things American and wanted to bring an authentic, fun and memorable concept to the UK which embraces true Americana.

Both Claire and Jonathan have travelled all over the States and their first-hand experience of ‘real’ American diner food and the friendly, impeccable service always impressed them. Right from the start they wanted to create a business with a ‘wow’ factor which would make people smile. So the idea was born to combine a premium hand car wash with an amazing diner offering gourmet food and drink.

Neither Claire or Jonathan had first hand experience within the restaurant or car wash industries, so to bring the concept to life they decided to join forces with and appoint an executive chef, a general manager and a wider team of consultants, covering everything from food hygiene and car wash services to marketing and PR. Their car wash facility has been designed and built by market leaders Karcher, and the executive and head chef have created a mouth-watering menu

www.b4-business.com

which includes all the items you’d expect from an American diner, including all-day breakfasts, amazing malt milkshakes, gourmet burgers and hot dogs, pulled pork and traditional desserts including sundaes, home-made apple pie and the Cherry Pie Diner’s signature cherry pie.

We are committed to delivering delicious food made from high quality local produce in a comfortable and fun environment, with the highest standard of customer service across both our diner and car spa with the aim of becoming the family favourite destination for miles around.’

Situated off the A420, or Route 420, near Buckland in Oxfordshire, the first permanent Cherry Pie Diner opened its doors to the public in early June 2014.

A second Chariots and Cherry Pie is due to open in Grove late 2014. It will feature a diner and car spa followed by a boutique Cherry Pie Motel in 2015. From early August a temporary diner will be on site giving locals the opportunity to sample the Cherry Pie Diner menu.

In addition to a mouth watering array of delicious all American dishes, guests can also take advantage of daily deals including the Early Bird family dinner including pot roasts and meat loaf, Saturday Super Dads car and breakfast discounts, and half price drinks and shakes during Happy Homework Hours.

What's more, from early July visitors will be able to get a premium hand car wash and valet at the first Chariots Car Spa. Whether you’re looking for a quick exterior hand car wash right through to a full exterior wash, polish and valet service, the Chariots Car Spa team will be on hand and ready to make your ride really shine.

Founders Claire and Jonathan Hilsdon comment: ‘Chariots and Cherry Pie will be the only place where you can shine, dine and unwind in one location.

The 1950’s vintage-style Cherry Pie Diner Mobile Diner which served as a temporary diner on site at Buckland whilst renovation work took place on main diner, will now be hitting the road and appearing all over the country at some of the biggest and best summer events. The trailer will also be available for private hire for weddings, parties and corporate events. The team is happy to customize the menu to suit individual tastes, dietary requirements and themes.

Visit www.chariotsandcherrypie.co.uk further details.

Twitter: @chariots_cherry Facebook: facebook.com/chariotsandcherrypie Instagram: @chariots_cherrypie

for

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CONTACTS DIRECTORY Advice................................................................................................................................................72 Business Services...................................................................................................................72 Conference, Events & Venues......................................................................................73 Education......................................................................................................................................73 Green......................................................................................................................................73 Finance.............................................................................................................................................74 Health & Leisure......................................................................................................................74

ADVICE

A M B A S S A D O R

A

HR.........................................................................................................................................................74 IT & Telecommunications................................................................................................74 Marketing & Design.............................................................................................................74 Property & Building..............................................................................................................74 Restaurants & Bars.................................................................................................................75 Retail..................................................................................................................................................75 Transport........................................................................................................................................75

Harmonea t: 01844 274 808 w: www.harmonea.co.uk

Gardner Leader LLP A Derek Rogers Managing Partner

Fish Partnership P Paul Laird Partner

BUSINESS ADVICE

t: 01635 508080 w: www.gardner-leader.co.uk

t: 01628 527956 w: www.fishpartnership.co.uk

Business Doctors A Martin Vessey Managing Director

Morgan Cole LLP A Michael Stace Partner

Whitley Stimpson LLP P Andy Jones Partner

t: 0845 219 7077 w: www.businessdoctors.co.uk

t: 0118 955 3000 w: www.morgan-cole.com

t: 01295 270 200 w: www.whitleystimpson.co.uk

Dancing Kites A Corinna Shepherd CEO

Turpin & Miller Emily Boardman Partner

BDO LLP A Simon Brooker Lead Partner

t: 07721 368978 w: www.dancingkites.co.uk

t: 01865 770111 w: www.turpinmiller.co.uk

Mercury Communication & Strategy A Holger Garden Founder t: 01494 722 378 w: www.mercury-cs.co.uk

B P Collins A David Stanning Partner

t: 0118 955 9114 w: www.grant-thornton.co.uk

Splash Resolution Consulting A Jonathan Lane Director

Penningtons Manches LLP t: 0118 982 2640 w: www.penningtons.co.uk

Auditel A Chris Bourke Cost Management Specialist

t: 07503 891331 w: www.splash-rc.co.uk

Fieldstead Insolvency LLP t: 01296 433 303 w: www.fieldstead.co.uk

t: 01865 774387 w: www.auditel.co.uk

Avocet Investments Ltd t: 01494 726173 w: www.avocet-investments.com

ACCOUNTING

t: 0118 925 4488 w: www.bdo.uk.com Grant Thornton UK LLP A Jim Rogers Assurance Partner

Gracechurch Wealth Management LLP A Richard Lawrance Independent Financial Adviser t: 01908 209220 w: www.gracechurchwm.com Seymour Taylor A Simon Turner Managing Director t: 01494 552 125 w: www.stca.co.uk

Quantuma t: 01628 478100 w: www.quantuma.com

LEGAL Clifton Ingram LLP A Carl Rae Partner, Dispute Resolution t: 0118 957 3425 w: www.cliftoningram.co.uk

Wilkins Kennedy t: 0118 951 2131 w: www.wilkinskennedy.com

Field Seymour Parkes A Penelope Garden Associate

Wilson Partners t: 01628 770 770 w: www.wilson-partners.co.uk

t: 0118 951 6312 w: www.fsp-law.com

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A

t: 01753 889995 w: www.bpcollins.co.uk

Parrott & Coales LLP t: 01296 318500 w: www.parrottandcoalesllp.co.uk

BUSINESS SERVICES ARCHIVING AND STORAGE The Archive Centre A David Coulton Owner t: 01296 425744 w: www.thearchivecentre.com

BUSINESS CONSULTANTS Beacon Sales Barry Luff Managing Director

A

t: 07813 898936 w: www.beaconsales.co.uk

Call us now on 01865 742211 to join the growing B4 network.

B4 contacts Evolution CBS Rob Goddard Managing Director

A

t: 0118 402 6892 w: www.evolutioncbs.co.uk MCP Consulting A and Training Sarah James Marketing Executive t: 0121 506 9034 w: www.mcpeurope.com

BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS FSB A Richard Knight East Berkshire Branch Chairman t: 01256 767837 w: www.fsb.org.uk FSB A Robyn Bourne Thames Valley Development Manager t: 01962 760813 w: www.fsb.org.uk Buckinghamshire Business First P Philippa Batting Managing Director t: 01494 568941 w: www.bbf.uk.com

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Hunts Office Furniture and Interiors A Egon Hunt Sales Director t: 0845 4000 333 w: www.huntsoffice.co.uk

CHARITIES & GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS RAF Benevolent Fund A Paul Hewson Regional Director - London, Home Counties and South England t: 01296 656586 w: www.rafbf.org.uk The Sandhurst Foundation A Daren Bowyer Director t: 01276 412000 w: www.sandhurstfoundation.org Berkshire Community Foundation t: 0118 930 3021 w: www.berkshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk Sue Ryder t: 0800 917 8123 w: www.sueryder.or

DOMESTIC SERVICES

VENUES

Busy Offices t: 01494 672 233 w: www.busyoffices.net

The Vineyard P Marwan Hemchaoui General Manager

INSURANCE

t: 01635 528770 w: www.the-vineyard.co.uk

Chase Templeton A Charles Frost Independent Insurance Consultant t: 0800 018 3633 w: www.chasetempleton.co.uk Macbeth Insurance Brokers t: 0118 9165 480 w: www.macbeths.co.uk

CONFERENCE, EVENTS & VENUES CATERING SERVICES Philip Dennis Foodservice t: 01993 700030 w: www.philipdennis.co.uk

CONFERENCES Macdonald Windsor Hotel A Beverley Molmans General Manager t: 0844 879 9101 w: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/windsor Monkey Island Hotel A David Maisey General Manager t: 01628 623400 w: www.monkeyisland.co.uk The Forbury Hotel A Peter Farquhar General Manager t: 01189 527770 w: www.theforburyhotel.co.uk Malmaison Reading P Richard Lockstone General Manager t: 0118 956 2300 w: www.malmaison.com Oakley Court Hotel P Richard Smith Sales Manager t: 01753 609988 w: www.principal-hayley.com/theoakleycourt

EVENTS MANAGEMENT The Active Network A t: 0207 313 5744 w: www.activenetwork.com

Hartwell House A Jonathan Thompson Director & General Manager t: 01296 747444 w: www.hartwell-house.com Macdonald Compleat Angler A Melissa Moore Sales Manager t: 0844 879 9128 w: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk Latimer Place t: 01494 764422 w: www.deverevenues.co.uk/locations/latimer-place.html The Tree Hotel t: 01494 881183 w: www.cadmore.treehotel.co.uk

EDUCATION COLLEGES Aylesbury College P Karen Kitchell Principal and Chief Executive t: 01296 588588 w: www.aylesbury.ac.uk Buckinghamshire P New University Phil Wood Head of Enterprise t: 0800 0565 660 w: www.bucks.ac.uk Reading College P Lesley Donoghue Principal t: 0118 955 4300 w: www.reading-college.ac.uk Thames Valley Training A & Development David Podger Managing Director t: 01494 605035 w: www.thamesvalleytraining.com Reading University t: 0118 987 5123 w: www.reading.ac.uk

GREEN Grundon t: 01491 839212 w: www.grundon.com

Call us now on 01865 742211 to join the growing B4 network.

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FINANCE

HR

PHOTOGRAPHY & FILM PRODUCTION

BANKING

Crispin Rhodes A Sharon Pugh Partner

Hills & Saunders A Richard Shymansky Photographer

t: 01189 414941 w: www.crispinrhodes.co.uk

t: 07878 162452 w: www.hillsandsaunders.co.uk

HR2You A Sarah Morris Owner

PRINTING

t: 07789 711997 w: www.hr2you.co.uk

Advent Colour P Mike Ackerman Sales Director

Right Hand HR t: 0844 880 4582 w: www.rhhr.com

t: 01264 359359 w: www.advent-colour.co.uk

Lloyds TSB Commercial P Paul Smart Area Director Thames Valley, SME Banking t: 01442 233261 w: www.lloydstsbbusiness.com Coutts Reading A Robert Woodthorpe-Brown Client Partner t: 0118 373 3509 w: www.coutts.com/locations/reading RBS Corporate Banking A Donald MacDonald UK Head of Deposits & Director, Professionals t: 07768 427379 w: www.rbs.co.uk/corporate.ashx

IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS DATABASE MANAGEMENT

Santander Corporate Banking A Paul Robinson Relationship Director t: 0118 921 1621 w: www.ukcorporatebanking.com

InTouch CRM P James White Managing Director

Coutts Eton A t: 01753 709040 w: www.coutts.com

Security Exchange Ltd. 01491 683710 www.securityexchange24.com

Handelsbanken t: 0118 959 5444 w: www.handelsbanken.co.uk/reading

MARKETING & DESIGN

PUBLIC RELATIONS Antonia Taylor PR A Antonia Taylor Director

t: 0845 310 9973 w: www.intouchcrm.co.uk

t: 07968 775571 w: www.antoniataylorpr.com Esplin PR A Louise Esplin Freelance PR Consultant t: 07775 678237 w: www.esplinpr.co.uk

ADVERTISING TAX PLANNING Flackwell Financial Services t: 01628 525450 w: www.flackwell.org

HEALTH & LEISURE SPORT Reading FC Limited P Sir John Madejski Chairman t: 0118 968 1100 w: www.readingfc.co.uk Newbury Racecourse P Amanda Ellis Conference & Events Business Development Manager t: 01635 40015 w: www.racecoursenewbury.co.uk Magnolia Park P Mark McGeehan Golf Pro t: 01844 239700 w: www.magnoliapark.co.uk Hennerton Golf Club t: 0118 940 1000 w: www.hennertongolfclub.co.uk

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Amberley Court Associates Ltd t: 07767 424000 w: www.amberleycourtassociates.co.uk

Evokedset A Nicola Denovan Director

B4 Magazine P Richard Rosser Managing Director

t: 0844 870 8025 w: www.evokedset.com

t: 01865 742211 w: www.berkshire.b4-business.com Focal Point Advertising Solutions t: 01256 767837 w: www.focal.co.uk

DESIGN Blink Design & Print A Keith Simpson Senior Designer t: 01865 742211 w: www.on-the-blink.com

MARKETING Strangebrew P Phil Strachan Proprietor t: 07770 753975 w: www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk

Cerub PR A Ceri-Jane Hackling Managing Director t: 01494 461784 w: www.cerubpr.co.uk Noble Word t: 07500 531485

PROPERTY & BUILDING ARCHITECTS KMP A Peter Mark Managing Director t: 01799 543626 w: www.kmpractice.co.uk

BUSINESS PARKS Glory Park Business Centre P t: 01494 411300 w: www.gpbusinesscentre.co.uk

Call us now on 01865 742211 to join the growing B4 network.

B4 contacts BUSINESS PARKS Westcott Venture Park P Nigel MacKenzie Project Manager

Oxford Innovation Ltd P Jo Willett Marketing and IC Development Director t: 01865 261400 w: www.oxin-centres.co.uk

t: 01296 651888 w: www.westcottventurepark.com Glory Park Business Centre P t: 01494 411300 w: www.gpbusinesscentre.co.uk

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SERVICES Absolutely Offices A Beryl Huntingdon Managing Director t: 01256 316500 w: www.absolutely-offices.co.uk HighGround A Graham Turrell Founder t: 0800 612 6601 w: www.highgroundproperty.co.uk

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION

Java & Co. t: 07736 950673 w: www.javaandco.co.u

RETAIL Outer Space A Peter Mark Managing Director

Stupples Chandler Garvey A Michael Garvey Managing Director

t: 01494 257482 www.outerspaceuk.co.uk

t: 01494 460 250 w: www.stuppleschandlergarvey.com

TRANSPORT

RESTAURANTS & BARS

Chiltern Railways A Rob Brighthouse Managing Director

Browns Reading A t: 0118 950 3137 w: www.browns-restaurants.co.uk/locations/reading

t: 08456 005 165 w: www.chilternrailways.co.uk

L’Ortolan Sally Albin Marketing Manager t: 0118 988 9107 w: www.lortolan.com

B4 MAGAZINE

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B4 is designed by Blink Design & Print e: studio@on-the-blink.com t: 01865 742211 w: www.on-the-blink.com

Call us now on 01865 742211 to join the growing B4 network.

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Join Our Club Experience country club living right here in Newbury

7 day golf membership Gold level health club membership Discounts on dining Free studio classes Individual, joint and family memberships From £160 per month

For full details see our website: www www.donningtonvalley.co.uk/CountryClubMembership.asp .donningtonvalley.co.uk/CountryClubMembership.asp or call Slavka on 01635 551188 and quote ‘B4June14’