B4 Magazine Issue 10

B4

Magazine

ISSUE 10 SPRING 2009

FINANCE

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www.b4-business.com

ADVICE

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S

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P ROMOTION

PEOPLE

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SPOTLIGHT

ISSUES

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MEET

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PROPERTY •

REVIEW

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NEWS

B EYON D

Trevor Osborne Oxford Castle’s creator assesses progress so far

David Cameron B4 cover the Conservative Party Leader’s visit to Willow Cottage Nurseries

B4 Offers Premiership Rugby and Cheltenham Festival packages plus Corner Club Memberships

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Inside

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B4 BEYOND

news Free waste audit could help you cut costs There’s still time to book a free waste audit and get expert advice on cutting your commercial waste costs. As part of an initiative by Oxfordshire County Council and OTCN, 250 businesses have already signed up for the offer which is available on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Old Bank Hotel and Quod Brasserie on Oxford’s High Street are among those to look at ways they can cut waste costs in their business and recycle more.

Owner Jeremy Mogford says: “The audit showed quite

KIRTLINGTON

‘Unchartered Waters’ is the headline for one of our articles in this issue of B4, and for most of us, this is most certainly one of the most testing times we will have experienced.

MODERN BUSINESS IN AN HISTORIC SETTING - THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

If you are looking for “names”, then B4 has a great selection in this issue, including David Cameron, The Queen and even Girls Aloud!

B4 also has an equine theme. Our regular focus on Wenn Townsend spotlights two clients including Kirtlington Stud. We also meet Andy Clifton of Cheltenham Racecourse, and find out how this world famous venue is preparing for the 2009 Cheltenham Festival, in light of last year’s exceptional weather problems, and the economic climate in general. If you would like to visit The Festival, see our fabulous offer for a pair of tickets, as well as offers for Gloucester Rugby, Hotel du Vin and The Corner Club.

B4 are also pleased to welcome some editorial assistance in this issue, and we are delighted that aspiring journalists have been given the opportunity to conduct some of the interviews. We have even extended this to customers interviewing eachother, as in the case of Jill Treloggen and Nicola Stapleton.

I wish you all a happy and as prosperous a 2009 as possible and look forward to another ten issues of B4!

Richard Rosser Editor

OTCN is looking to extend take-up of a number of its successful initiatives in 2009.

With funding support from Oxfordshire County Council and your local district council, OTCN has been offering small independent retail businesses a free one-to-one diagnostic. Having successfully piloted the service in Wallingford, Faringdon and most recently Kidlington, we’re keen to extend the offer to more town centre shops.

BUSINESS CENTRE When owners Sally and James Nicholson were considering how best to develop the historic Kirtlington Park Estate site, close to Oxford, they were adamant that, whatever else they did, it would be something a little bit different and carried out to the highest standards. Two years and a lot of hard work later and the result is The Kirtlington Business Centre - a top quality office development, in a terrific business environment.

The Kirtlington Business Centre combines the best of both worlds. A modern, environmentally sensitive business location built to the highest standards, yet set in an historic rural location close to Oxford and all major transport routes.

In this issue of B4, we talk to some key individuals about their businesses and the economy. Trevor Osborne, who transformed The Oxford Castle, gives us his report on this wonderful development so far and his take on the state of the economy. David Beesley revisits the “Working Together” model and explains why we should all be helping eachother, more so than ever.

Stuart Harrison, a leading brand specialist, navigates us through the “Unchartered Waters” referred to earlier, and Robin Swailes of North Oxford Property Services, talks to B4 about his views on the economy, and assesses Oxford’s resilience.

Last financial year, 485 Oxfordshire businesses took part in this programme. Together they could cut a huge £597,836 from their commercial waste bills - that's an average of more than £1,200 per business.

See www.otcn.co.uk for details.

Ben Truesdale, Accommodation Manager at Oxford’s Old Bank Hotel with EiE project manager Irene Amoke (picture Alison Nicholson. Call 01993 880669).

New for 2009

Welcome to Issue 10 of B4

I keep hearing the word “opportunity” whenever I meet business leaders at the moment, and certainly those businesses with pedigree, loyalty and experience will be better equipped to endure the long and bumpy ride ahead. But don’t take anything for granted….you only have to look at some of the big High Street names which have bitten the dust to appreciate that complacency is not the order of the day.

clearly how we can make savings and increase the amount of waste that we can recycle. I’m sure we will be adopting many of the improvements that have been recommended.”

The development has been carried out to provide very contemporary space but in a way that preserves the history of the Estate. Combining quality heritage restoration work has retained many original features and brings together the centuries with design-led architectural style and state-of-the-art finishes and fittings.

With a view to preserving and sustaining not just the buildings but also the environment, this innovative development has green credentials at its core by using recycled materials. In addition, heating to the offices is provided by a ground source heat pump and rainwater is harvested for recycling.

The hard work injected into the scheme has borne fruit with 2 new lettings before completion of the scheme, defying the general economic uncertainty including a letting of 4,500 sq ft to GN Resound Limited.

GN Resound Ltd is part if the Copenhagen based GN Great Nordic group and is a world leader in the hearing instrument technology market. They have now moved the offices from Weston on the Green to a 4,600 sq ft barn conversion on the Kirtlington Estate to deal with the continued company growth.

The company looked at various office buildings before committing to the Kirtlington estate mainly due to the combination of a quality of the building, plentiful car parking, as well as the proximity to their

For details email Karyn@otcn.co.uk David Cameron MP launches the Stay Longer in Witney campaign. (picture Alison Nicholson. Call 01993 880669).

We piloted an innovative customer service training programme for children at Wallingford School and are looking for schools who’d like to run a similar project.

Exclusive online guide offers promotional opportunity Hard to believe but partnerships across Oxfordshire will be meeting this month to plan their Christmas Lights Switch On event for 2009.

A huge amount of work goes into the events which help boost our towns at what is a crucial time of year for traders. Ben Jackson at Bicester Chamber says: “We all like to see variety in our high streets; to retain it we must all try and support local retailers and our own town centres, not just using them for advice and guidance, but by buying from them.”

existing manufacturing operation.

Tom Barton of letting agents VSL and Partners comments ‘The old adage of ‘‘quality sells’’ still holds true, no matter what the market conditions.

To persuade occupiers to relocate in the current market requires a really special building and the combination of the environment and quality of the refurbishment to the buildings at Kirtlington really justifies the effort and time the Nicholsons have put into the development.’

More information can be found at www.kirtlingtonbusinesscentre.co.uk or by contacting Tom Barton at tbarton@vslandp.com or 01865 848488.

B4 News 6 Local Business News 10 B4 Company Profiles

B4 Spotlight 12 Nobody’s Prisoner Trevor Osborne on the story so far at Oxford Castle

B4 Feature 38 Working Together David Beesley of B-Line talks about why we should all work together in Oxford 46 Cheltenham Rides Out the Economic Storm An interview with Cheltenham’s Communications Manager, Andy Clifton 50 Stuart Harrison: Unchartered Waters High profile hotel consultant helps us navigate the economic downturn 68 The Daily Grind B4 visit Queens Lane Coffee House – one of the oldest coffee houses in the world 82 Bicester Country Club Not just a golf and country club, but now providing accommodation

B4 Legal 44 Head of the Family An interview with Darbys Head of Matrimonial Law, William Selby-Lowndes 55 Getting blood out of a stone An interview with Victoria Wright of Darbys 66 Withy King Building a team to tackle employment and more 73 Beechwood Solicitors Profiling the rise of this specialist law firm

B4 Accountancy 58 Wenn Townsend A focus on the Abingdon office and clients

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The interest in the Christmas Lights Switch On events and the shopping promotions that went with them is shown by the big jump in the number of visitors to OTCN’s exclusive online guide. For 2009 we’re looking to give businesses a chance to sponsor the guide and benefit from the extra profile that gives them. For details email xmas@otcn.co.uk.

Oxford United’s Luke Foster and 11-year-old David Vickers switched on the lights to launch the OTCN-led Headington Christmas Experience. (picture Alison Nicholson. Call 01993 880669).

Promoting business in Oxfordshire’s towns

Barn A is now the only unit remaining and comprises a total of 5,604 sq ft which is divisible into self contained suites from 371 sq ft upwards.

www.b4-business.com

B4 Finance

We supported the Stay Longer in Witney promotional campaign by creating our first interactive shoppers guide. We’re giving Witney town centre businesses that feature the chance to win extra profile by linking their website to the guide at www.staylongerinwitney.co.uk.

We’re also talking to other towns about the possibility of creating an online shoppers guide for them.

OTCN is a communications network for town chambers and similar business groups. Now three years old, OTCN has 20 member groups plus 8 events networks. The groups together have around 1400 member businesses.

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OTCN offers a range of services to its member groups: Profile and promotion via www.otcn.co.uk with webpage building and hosting for groups that

don’t yet have their own site.

It’s published ‘How to…’ guides with practical advice on creating a shoppers guide for your town, running a plastic-bag-free-town campaign and organising a prize draw promotion for local business.

It runs an email forum for member questions/

sharing of best practice …and has an online listing to promote business networking events For members of its groups OTCN: • runs a Member-to-Member offers service • gives businesses who join one of its 20 groups a free 3-month web listing.

For details visit www.otcn.co.uk or email Karyn@otcn.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

Contact details on page 98

34 How Resilient is Oxford?

Robin Swailes provides an insight into the Oxfordshire economy 43 Revenue and Customs News

B4 Marketing 23 Oxford Town Chambers Network News 27 Oxford Inspires News 71 Effective Project Management Oxford Management Solutions help enterprises achieve a competitive edge 85 Rewarding Business Results A focus on The Oxford Wealth Club awards

B4 Property 25 VSL News 49 Kirtlington Business Centre Modern business in an historic setting 57 Cornbury Park God made this place for us…. and 20 businesses 72 Jill Treloggen A success on the inside

B4 Conference 16 Boot Room to the Board Room A look at Kingsholm’s conference facilities 20 The Oxford Belfry: One of a Kind Award-winning and with a lot to offer 31 Oxford Innovation News 52 Conference Centre Oxford A look behind the scenes and projectors at this exciting new venue

B4 Health 76 The Slice of Life Get fit in 2009 with Oxford City Leisure

B4 IT & Comms 19 Nominet News 37 Microsoft News

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46

B4 FEATURE

CHELTENHAM

So if adding a fourth day has been such a success for The Festival, why not add a fifth?

“We always say, ‘Never say never,’ here. There are certainly no plans in the immediate future to have a five-day Festival. Equally, there are some people that say, ‘Well you should move the Festival to either a five-day or a Wednesday to Saturday, so that more people can race.’ I understand that view, but you know, Gold Cup day on a Friday is a sell-out and running Tuesday to Friday makes The Festival one of the premier events during the year.

RIDES OUT THE ECONOMIC STORM Despite wind, rain, and world-wide recession, Andy Clifton says there’s no better time to spend a day at the races.

Taylor Leonard reports for B4.

“Racing here is a national event. We get thousands and thousands of people coming from London and all over.

People forget that actually it's only a couple of hours from London. Equally we're an hour away from Birmingham, and an hour or less from Oxford. We're very lucky and guard the fact jealously that Cheltenham holds a special place in people's hearts. It's a partly the history. It's partly the quality of the racing. It's partly the natural amphitheatre. When you’re in the stands and look out, you see the racecourse with the Cotswold Hills in the background. It's a magical place.

“There's just something unique about it. People travel form far and wide to come. Even people that couldn't

in the days leading up to racing, particularly at the less busy meetings. With just seventeen days of racing at Cheltenham's eight race meetings and a 350 acre plot at their disposal” How is the site used during the times when there is no racing?

“There's a lot of preparation and caretaking of the racing surface itself because if the racing surface isn't right, we won't get the best horses. The racing won't continue to grow in terms of standard, and you start losing the confidence of people. You get smaller fields, and no one wants to come and watch six, four-runner races. They want to watch some competitive racing. So the initial focus is getting what's happening on the track right first, and then everything else flows from that.”

Cheltenham is home to The Centaur, the largest conference and exhibition space between Birmingham and Bournemouth. It has hosted ‘Cats’ the musical, Jools Holland, Julie Walters, Roger Moore, Frank Skinner, and John Barrowman, among others.

“We have all sorts of companies coming in to do their conferences. Obviously in the grandstand itself we have all sorts of big boxes that are ideal for breakout

“For those four days, it's probably not an exaggeration to say Cheltenham is the centre of the sporting world.” give a monkey's about racing from one year to the next, they still wouldn't miss The Festival. It's a week that so many people look forward to for so long. For those four days, it's probably not an exaggeration to say Cheltenham is the centre of the sporting world.

Everyone knows that that second week in March is Cheltenham. The popularity of it just keeps continuing to grow.

“A lot of businesses have been coming here for years and years, bringing clients and partners or staff to entertain them. It's the one thing that a lot of these companies do now. We appreciate it in difficult times.

The day everyone was calling Black Monday in February of last year was our best day of the whole season for corporate hospitality sales. But clearly the business world is a very different place than it was a few months ago and there are going to be companies that are looking harder at what they're spending.

The stands were empty and the track was pristine when B4 stopped for a chat with Andy Clifton, the racecourse’s Communications Manager. The calm, quiet of the day only illuminated the prestige and luxury that is Cheltenham. Words by Taylor Leonard, interview by Richard Rosser.

However, the stands were anything but calm last season when the Wednesday of the ever-popular Festival was cancelled due to wind.

“I think some people over the years have almost started to think that Cheltenham was invincible. They so look forward to those four days in March. They think, ‘Whatever happens, nothing will get in the way of Cheltenham.’ It was a bit of a shock to the system, for those people in particular, that the wind stopped

us racing. It was a freak occurrence. It was gusting above sixty mph during the evening. We have planned to make sure it doesn't affect us next year if it comes again.

“We managed to get all of the races back on, and the people that were here won’t forget Thursday and Friday. With ten and nine races respectively, it was quite a marathon! We could only run the postponed races with the hard work of the sponsors, jockeys, trainers, and owners. And the right horses won; Denman and Kauto Star first and second in the Gold Cup was the dream result. That’s the race that everyone had been looking forward to for almost twelve months. So the fact that that happened, and that they both got around in one piece, and then finished first and second...was great. We even had people saying ‘Can’t we have a

“The early signs in terms of how it's affecting us haven’t come through yet. In some ways the ticket sales are well up on last year. On the hospitality side, we'll probably be about 10% down on where we were at this same stage last year. That doesn't mean to say that's how it will end up. I think we'll still do fine next March. It's an iconic event that everyone still wants to be involved in if they possibly can. We've got a huge range of entertaining, dining, and hospitality facilities. If you want to slot in the Panoramic Restaurant on Gold Cup day, you're talking about £650 a head plus VAT. Then there are some nice restaurant packages for five times less than that.

day off in the week next year?’ Hopefully that won’t be the case. Touch wood it will be sunny, warm, and calm next March.”

With such high performances displayed at a breakneck pace, The Festival has a lot to live up to for the 2009 season. There are currently twenty-six races planned, with seven race cards on Wednesday and Friday, and six race cards on Tuesday and Thursday.

“We'd like to think that at the top level, we have every type of horse catered for. The very best long-distance chasers will run in the Gold Cup, which is just in excess of three and a quarter miles. The very best fast chasers will run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which is over two miles.”

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“There is a long task list for setting up for each race meeting and some of that preparation takes weeks or even months, but a significant proportion will be done

www.b4-business.com

79 63 From Pain to Profit Rob Jones from Surefire Digital helps untangle the web 81 Agnito Reduces the impact of computer failure

B4 Travel 90 The London Aquarium It’s so easy to get to London’s attractions with Chiltern Railways

meetings. There are two large, permanent restaurants that can house dinners or events, so it’s a very flexible space. It's far enough away that you're out of the working environment, but it's not too far that people are going to have to get up at five o'clock in the morning to get here if you're just doing something for the day. It’s nice to be on your break at lunchtime, wander out to the front of the grandstands, and just look at that view on a sunny day. People like being in a space that's not all about wheeling the next conference in and wheeling the next conference out.

It's just a little bit different. I think companies are increasingly cognoscent of what they're spending their conference and events money on so they can get somewhere that's a little bit different, that people will remember. That's half the battle.

“Working in racing isn’t a job, it's a way of life. If you don't love racing, then you'd soon get pretty fed up working evenings and weekends, but if you love it, then you're lucky to be paid to work doing what you love doing. I've been working here for just under two years, but I've been coming here for twenty. I'm in a fortunate position where I've been here as a sponsor, an annual member when I was at University in Birmingham, a paying punter, and just about anything you care to mention. I'm a huge sports fan and I go to lots of different sporting events. I would say this anyway because I work here, but I've been saying this for 25 years. Cheltenham’s just got a buzz about it that's unique in my experience. If I wasn't working here, there's nowhere else I'd be. I'd be here. If you haven't been here, try and make it for at least a day and experience it. It's a special place, and it's a special place to bring people to as well.”

ENTERTAINING & HOSPITALITY High above the main grandstand, the Panoramic Restaurant offers the best views of the surrounding countryside.

The Horseshoe Pavilion offers all the convenience of close proximity to shopping, the parade ring, and viewing lawn. The four course lunch also comes with the option to upgrade to seats in the Guinness Grandstand.

The Gold Cup Restaurant is one of the most popular at The Festival. The Chef’s Table or Grand Buffet lets patrons dine on what they want when they want it.

Large parties wanting to be near the action will find a home in the Champion’s Drive Restaurant. It has been relocated for 2009 to the midst of the Guinness Village.

The Festival Restaurant offers a traditional atmosphere with a four course lunch and silver service.

The Moscow Flyer offers both a morning and an afternoon sitting, a perfect option for those who prefer an early lunch followed by an afternoon of racing.

Ideal for large corporate parties, the Glass Fronted Boxes with Balcony accommodate 40 people for lunch and 50 for a buffet.

Hi-Lux Chalets put viewers right in the action where they can see the horses leave for the starting line and watch winners return to the parade ring.

Chalets are ideal if you want to experience the excitement of the stands, but need an occasional reprieve in privacy. They accommodate 24 for lunch or 32 for buffet.

For more information or to book, call 01242 537 653.

TWO TICKETS FOR

C H E LT E N H A M

F E S T I VA L

See page 48 for a great chance to bid for two Champions Drive Tickets on the first day of the Festival. Worth over £600.

The Buzz, the Excitement, the Anticipation

Contact details on page 100

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B4 ADVICE

B4 BEYOND

Duplication of CD’s or DVD’s is big business for CherylLee Foulsham of The Oxford Duplication Centre. With a wide range of clients requesting copies of anything from conference CDs, instructional videos to presentation DVD’s not to mention private clients wanting to transfer a growing backlog of family films to DVD, Cheryl is certainly getting through her fair share of discs. Alex Neale meets the Duplication Queen!

The Oxford Duplication Centre specialises in CD and DVD replication and duplication, videotape and cassette transfers, video editing, and design and printing services. Prior to the company’s set-up in October 2007, Cheryl had been in a partnership with a recording studio for four years, covering all aspects of office and client management, bookkeeping, design and print, duplication and many other office functions.

COPY THAT

WITHY KING In Issue 9 of B4, we spoke to Withy King Managing Partner, Martin Powell, about why his firm chose Oxford to expand. We now have the opportunity to hear from the heartbeat of the organisation, the teams, and we start with the employment team, headed up by Malcolm Gregory. Having joined Withy King in 2001, Malcolm was promoted to Partner in 2003 and handles all aspects of employment law and Tribunal Advocacy. Joined by Richard White and Carrie Goodwin, Malcolm explains what Withy King are able to offer Oxfordshire businesses, and why their service is worth hearing about.

After leaving college, she took work as a receptionist and quickly worked her way up to office management. She studied bookkeeping and accountancy which helped her to run every aspect of a small to medium-sized office, including staff management and training, sales and marketing to bookkeeping and payroll. When she bought herself out of the original partnership, Cheryl set up The Oxford Duplication Centre enjoying a very successful first year of trading.

TESTIMONIALS “In an ever evolving company and with constantly changing employment laws, I need to have fast and sound professional advice.

Withy King provides this to me and with a transparent fixed fee service which allows me to budget for the year. I do not have to think twice about picking up the phone to Withy King.”

The company offers several high-quality services such as full colour CD and DVD duplication and replication, all format tape transfers from home videos to corporate/promotional videos, to DVD and a design service producing artwork and printing for DVD wraps, CD inlays and booklets to business cards, stationery, flyers and brochures. The client base is broad including education, marketing, graphic design studios, production and recording, charities, artists and bands. See below for a selection of testimonials from satisfied customers.

Tony Cable, Stibo Catalog Ltd, Swindon

Cheryl is very proud of her company’s achievements and says ‘We pride ourself on our ability to offer fantastic presentation at an affordable price. We equally understand the need for efficiency and quick turnaround times, and with this in mind we turn around orders within one to two working days for up to two hundred units, with larger orders taking no more than three to four working days.’ Delivery is always through the Post Office using their recorded or signed for services. For customers with no means of designing their artwork, Cheryl offers a free set-up service for basic design work. If a customer requires a very urgent order, then it can realistically be produced immediately, within a few hours. Altruistic Cheryl does not publicize this hugely, but all charities receive a 10% discount on all of their orders.

I was tipped off that the employment team at Withy King were a friendly, affable bunch, “real people”. The reality was spot on. When dealing with a potentially volatile subject such as employment law, especially in today’s climate, it is vital that the advice you are getting is accurate and that the people who are delivering that advice are human. The text book approach to dealing with your employees is archaic and doesn’t apply today – yes it is important to get the advice right for the set of circumstances in hand, but you need a team that is aware of the wider picture.

So what plans does Cheryl have for the future? “Well, the next service to be introduced will be offering USB flash stick supply and duplication, which is expected to boost sales as it is not only perfect for corporate gifts, but also for taking required data to meetings. We also plan to incorporate more printing services, booklets, flyers and business cards into our range of services.”

And it is the whole approach of Withy King’s employment team which shows that it is more than aware of the environment we find ourselves in. The economic downturn aside, employment law is not only a minefield – they keep moving the mines! Awareness of cost is high on everyone’s agenda, and Withy King have addressed this, and their approach is reaping dividends, as Malcolm explains.

Testimonials Cheryl provides an excellent service, quick to understand and even quicker to react.

Her delivery times are outstanding and I have never had to wait more than twenty four hrs for turnover of materials. I am planning to incorporate Cheryl's company into my next marketing plan as I know that she will not let me down or charge me any more than what is a very reasonable price. I would not hesitate to recommend The Duplication Centre as a much needed service to our Oxford-based firm.

Dr Alison Kahn Director Oxford Academy of Documentary Film

“Our first appointment with an Oxford client revealed the client was unhappy with their existing providers.

Their solicitors had approached them and claimed that they could provide an employment support package, but it didn’t work out particularly well – they weren’t convinced the solicitor could support the package they had set up. We approached the client with our fixed price retainer service which we have been running for seven years in our other offices. It is a proven package and the client signed up within ten days of our approach.

Working with the Duplication Centre is always a pleasure; I find them professional and direct when dealing with my specific needs. Recently Ikea came to us with a bespoke printing and packaging CD project, I didn't hesitate to call the team as I knew the files would be in safe hands, would be delivered promptly and that the whole package would be finished to the highest standard.

David Fulbrook Creative Director 6sensemedia

“I explained to the client that we were in it for the long-term relationship. What we want is to make sure that we’re just about at break even because it ensures good value for the client and keeps them on the phone to us. This particular client is in talks about a possible acquisition and we wanted to be in their sights to do this work, even though they have existing solicitors who could, potentially handle the work.

“We need to be ready to send our commercial team in to assist at the drop of a hat – that’s what we are good at, opening the door with one service and doing such a good job that we win more work. That is the model that we have been using –it gets us in, and it is how we try to differentiate ourselves from the others that are out there, because it is a very tough market.”

And according to Malcolm, this competitive marketplace is not made any easier to operate in with firms who offer unlimited legal support combined with insurance.

“I saw a client in Oxford last Thursday, and they were using a company, not a law firm, to provide the employment law advice for a fixed fee, plus the insurance. This obviously created a conflict – the legal advice was very cautious as the insurance company didn’t want to risk a payout if they gave them the wrong advice. We are now talking to them as we can provide the legal advice and the insurance can be provided by a non related third party, so that there isn’t a conflict.

“One of the big selling points, as far as we’re concerned, is that our product still gives that commercial decision making power to the client, rather than it being subrogated to the insurance company.

The retainer packages have been very successful – we have about seventy clients who have signed up for these packages across our offices.”

The plan is for Withy King to develop a network of clients in Oxford using this service and then build the commercial practice on this foundation. Malcolm continues, “And it’s the wider practise which will ultimately benefit - commercial property, corporate work, or general commercial work, employment law and commercial dispute work. And with expertise within one building, which is what we’ve got here now, you can really start to build that balanced practice which has got the private client on one side and the commercial on the other. That’s what we are sparking into life now and that is the combined focus for Richard and Carrie.”

And Richard and Carrie will provide the one point of contact in Oxford. Having both come in from other Withy King offices (Richard from Green Park in Bath and Carrie from Swindon), they will form the foundation of the Oxford employment team, lead by Malcolm, with a view to taking on additional staff in the next twelve to eighteen months.

Richard illustrates how Withy King like to do things slightly differently by organising seminars, “the way we present our seminars is that we try and make them

practical and useful, and we also try and make them attractive and a bit of fun as well. Generally people will come out of our seminars thinking that not only have they learnt something, but that they’ve also quite enjoyed the experience. We still try and talk about the potential risks and problems that people might face, but we do try and do it with a bit of humour to try and keep people entertained – after all we do want them to come back next time to learn more!”

And in addition to seminars, Withy King have their very own training arm which provides comprehensive training in employment law, much in the same way that the employment seminars are run, with a lighter approach, but still effective.

The team are running an event in their office on 28 January 2009 called “Meeting the Challenge of the Recession” where they will advise business clients on the options open to them in response to the economic downturn, including changing employment terms, lay-offs and short time working, outsourcing and redundancy. The seminar will concentrate on the practical steps businesses should take to avoid making expensive mistakes. To find out more or to book a place visit their website.

When questioned how pleased the firm are with the progress they have made in Oxford so far, Malcolm was openly honest, yet optimistic, “We are realistic because winning new business is always difficult, and we’ve found historically that using an employment law product like ours is easier, but nevertheless, once

you’ve got the clients, you need to cross-sell and to ensure the client gets the best possible value out of the firm, and that’s where we’re going to accelerate.

But, in the background, we’re still going to be trying to get that new work, and it’s coming.

“We are very happy with the strides we have made in a relatively short space of time, in the sense that people are acknowledging us as slightly different, and as having a fresh approach. We recognise that there is competition out there, but, we do like to shake it up a bit and know that we will win business.”

And in a less buoyant economy, Malcolm is convinced that when the upturn kicks in, Withy King will be ready to capitalise, “The fixed price idea is fantastic, particularly in this climate when everyone is looking at their cost base. Employment lawyers are very busy at the moment, as are commercial dispute lawyers. We need to be well positioned for when the market turns, and ensure that we have got a good presence in Oxford. Other firms may well be paring down their offering, trying to save costs in a downturn, and actually they won’t be positioned ready for the upturn again in, perhaps, eighteen months time. We don’t want to unnecessarily trim our commercial offering, for example, just because work is thin on the ground – we want to be ready, hungry for the onslaught, on all fronts.”

Contact details on page 102

“Following an approach by one of their Employment partners suggesting a “partnership” in dealing with HR matters within our company, Withy King have subsequently provided ALHCO with a first class, professional and very competent technical service in what must be considered as a “minefield” of employment law.

We continue to receive excellent service from Withy King’s Employment department.”

John Clarke, Chairman, Avon Lippiatt Hobbs Contracting Limited, Westbury “Malcolm resisted the temptation to do a PowerPoint presentation on the finer points of age discrimination . Instead, Malcolm engaged and informed the audience through a relaxed style, peppered with anecdotes. We got very positive feedback from the audience such as “the speaker was excellent and kept the attention at all times”, “covered all the areas in an interactive and interesting manner”, “liked the relaxed style of the presenter and the content we covered”, “thanks for a great session”. I would like to thank Malcolm for delivering such a successful event for the local branch.”

Kate Mills, Programme Co-ordinator for CIPD (Swindon & North Wiltshire Branch) “The training was first class. I have honestly never attended training before that actually engages you in the process. The role plays were great too – can’t fault it.”

Anne-Marie Hay, Management Ltd

Saltire

Facilities

Contact details on page 102

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B4 Education 41 Oxford Brookes Business School News

B4 Reviews 79 Copy That DVD and CD duplication taped!

B4 Charity

66 96 Chutney Mary B4 review this favourite London restaurant

75 Happy Birthday Sarah Wiseman celebrates 10 years of her fabulous gallery

B4 Hotels

94 Long Live the King A review of The Lion King from London’s Lyceum Theatre

88 The Lanesborough A perfect ten 92 The Chesterfield Mayfair Decadence personified at this majestic London hotel

28 Charitable Funds News

B4 Restaurants 87 Thai Orchid If you like Thai, you will love The Thai Orchid

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B4 Enjoy 64 A Swinging Success Status report from the Club’s General Manager, one year on

B4 Offers 17 22 32 48

Gloucester Rugby tickets The Corner Club memberships Cheltenham Luxury Package Cheltenham Racecourse Festival ticket offer

High Sheriff unites Oxfordshire business and voluntary sector The Business Community were out in force at Bicester Village recently for a unique initiative championed by Brigadier Ian Inshaw, the High Sheriff of Oxfordshire. The purpose of the evening was to engage some of the county’s leading businesses with charity in what Ian Inshaw described as “a skills exchange”.

After a networking reception in Bicester Village’s VIP lounge, a series of short presentations were given by Frank Nigriello, Chairman of Unipart, John Knights (Oxfordshire Learning and Skills Partnership), and Miranda Markham of Bicester Village to demonstrate the many advantages of Corporate Social involvement.

Ian Inshaw said, “I am delighted with the level of interest displayed by Business leaders in Oxfordshire and this event will act as a springboard to boost greater interaction between the business sector and charitable organisations.”

Alison Baxter, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action (OCVA), said: “ We were delighted to have the chance to promote the important work of the voluntary and community sector to Oxfordshire business leaders. We made some excellent contacts for the future and hope that this is the start of a productive partnership between local charities and businesses.”

OX1 cooks up Covered Market buzz “Here’s to the next time!” - the message from TV chef and writer Sophie Grigson following city centre management company, OX1’s hugely successful Oxford Covered Market kitchen promotion. (See www.ox1.uk.com).

Chefs from some of Oxfordshire’s best known restaurants – including Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Quod Brasserie and the Big Bang prepared favourite dishes. There were also presentations by Covered Market stall holders, local suppliers, including J. Hart Catering and Brightwell Wines, and up-and-coming talent from the catering kitchens at Oxford & Cherwell Valley College.

OX1 CEO Oliver O’Dell said: “The aim was to showcase the great range of produce available from the Covered Market’s food-based stalls. It was a great two days and created a real buzz. We’d like to thank all those who took part and Dave Huddle and his Oxford City Council team for thinking outside the box and helping make it happen. We agree with Sophie, “here’s to the next time.”

‘VIP Central’ at Oxford Airport One prime minister, a president, the Queen, oh yes….and Girls Aloud. It’s been a busy month at Oxford Airport with a string of VVIPs enjoying the use of the newly established private aviation terminal completed this summer.

Numerous high profile dignitaries and statesmen have passed through the airport over the years, sometimes speaking at the Oxford Union or making keynote addresses at Oxford-hosted conferences.

December was a particularly busy month, including the Prime Minister of Turks and Caicos Islands and the President of Slovenia. On her recent visit to Banbury and Magdalen College in Oxford, the Queen left via the airport in a No. 32 Squadron Hawker on her way to Sandringham.

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Also on the ‘celebrity’ front, the five girls from Girls Aloud spent a day filming at Oxford Airport for the introductory sequence for their Girls Aloud Party shown in December on ITV. Oxford Airport is becoming increasingly popular as a convenient point for very swift and discreet operations, where some of the London airports can be quite constrained and inconvenient. Likewise, several films and TV shows have had scenes shot at the airport in the last year, including Midsomer Murders, a documentary about the first trans-Atlantic crossing

by Alcock and Brown, along with the forthcoming Philip Pullman movie, The Butterfly Tattoo.

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B4 News Choose Abingdon Stuart Bates of Wenn Townsend puts Abingdon in the spotlight. “Abingdon is a historic town in a picturesque location on the banks of the Thames. We have many unique businesses which offer a personalised service and excellent value; so whether you are a dressmaker, or you are looking for that special gift with a difference, enjoy sport or maybe you are planning your own culinary masterpiece, we are very much worth a visit.

In common with other market towns of Abingdon’s size, our retailers (many of whom are small, independent shops) face strong competition from out-of-town shopping centres, and the increase in internet commerce. Abingdon has also suffered from traffic issues and has not been helped by negative publicity in some quarters of the media! We have large volumes of through traffic vying for space with local traffic on narrow, historic streets. As a Chamber of Commerce, we have been campaigning for many years for a second river crossing over the Thames, as we see this as the only long term solution to our traffic problems. I am pleased to report that the various authorities are finally taking note. However, in the meantime, we will work hard to encourage shoppers to continue visiting our town, to enjoy our retail offer and, in the words of our branding, to “Choose Abingdon”.

Zebra PR Oxford-based public relations agency Blue Zebra PR Ltd is celebrating after scooping two major awards in the prestigious Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) PRide Awards 2008.

The company won the awards for its work on the 2008 National Vaccination Month campaign, on behalf of leading animal health company Intervet/ Schering-Plough.

Blue Zebra PR describes itself as a “rare breed of PR” offering big agency expertise and thinking crossed with boutique agency commitment, value for money and senior involvement. The team has delivered results benefiting the bottom line for leading names across many market sectors.

Blue Zebra PR MD and Founder Diana Rhodes said: “We are thrilled to have won these awards against such strong competition. Being presented with the media and consumer relations awards truly demonstrates the drive, ambition and creativity of our team.”

Left to right: Elizabeth Peplow, Nikki Pipe, Paula Boyden, Diana Rhodes and Alison White.

Great Western First Great Western has reduced its off-peak train fares on some key routes in the Oxford and Thames Valley area.

As many businesses move to make cost savings, taking the train can prove a cost effective solution by saving both time and money. A typical off-peak journey from Oxford to Reading will cost £7.50 return from 5 January 2009, and Oxford to Didcot stays at £5 return. The journey time from Oxford to Reading is about 24 minutes, and Oxford to Didcot is around 15 minutes, and both examples compare favourably to the car for travel time. For more information on train times and fares visit www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk.

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David Cameron visits Willow Cottage Nursery B4 were invited to meet with local MP and Leader of the opposition, David Cameron (DC), by Neil and Valerie Grady (VG) at Willow Cottage Nursery in Eynsham, renowned for its healthy food provision and "Fun Food Education". Mr Cameron spent generous time talking to Valerie and Professor John Stein about the huge importance of healthy food in early childhood before meeting with staff and children. B4 were on hand to hear Mr Cameron’s views on healthy eating for children.

Neil and Val Grady are rightfully proud of Willow Cottage, as Valerie explains, “We provide nutritionally balanced, healthy foods that children eat heartily. We are confident that our menus are fully supporting our children’s bodies and nervous systems in their personal growth, education, development and play. We operate a “fun-food education programme”, appropriate for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum. It promotes understanding of the importance of eating well to enable children to make healthy choices for themselves as they move on in life.

“We choose traditionally farmed, free range meat and, as far as we can, we use local, organic, seasonal home-grown vegetables. We prepare meals using fresh ingredients, choosing to buy only the minimum of processed foods.

“We make mealtimes into valuable social events which children can take back into their family life.

doing, and the work of other chefs, and also what is happening in our schools.

I want to make sure children get taught how to cook, how to prepare food, where it comes from, and that, I think, will make a big difference.

“We encourage the children to eat more fruit and vegetables and less fat, salt and sugar – in line with the advice from the Food Standards Agency. Recipes are designed to be nutritionally balanced and to provide the essential nutrients and micronutrients that children need to grow and develop.”

VG: “How will your government change this? Because at the moment the culture has gone, there used to be a lot of culture of teaching children about food, how to prepare it and so on...”

And recent research points out the direct correlation between eating healthy food at a young age and the development potential of children. John Stein studied Medicine and Neurology at Oxford University, and commented, “There is now overwhelming evidence that infants' nutrition plays a very important part

DC: “I think the key word there is ‘culture’ – I do believe that there is more we should do in schools and I’d like to see every child being taught how to cook.

But I don’t actually believe the answer is to try and endlessly re-write and re-engineer the curriculum. What we need is a change of culture and a change

““Well I own my own vegetable garden, and I’m a big fan of it.” in optimal development of their brains. In particular, lack of essential micronutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals can limit acquisition of cognitive skills very significantly.”

So, David Cameron, with child obesity and behaviour a hot topic of conversation, was questioned by Valerie Grady as to how important healthy eating is and whether or not there was a correlation between food types and behaviour.

“Oh, it’s hugely important, and for lots of reasons. We have got a huge problem with obesity, so actually starting children early on and making sure they have a good range of food, and a good range of healthy food, and getting them to like it is crucial. I find it works with my children. If you feed them well to start with, they actually like healthy food. Also, I think there are strong links between diet and behaviour. We all know from our children, that if you let them pick all the icing off the cake, you find you’re still scraping them off the walls several hours later. It is therefore hugely important to be selective and to start them early certainly matters. Not just making sure they eat a good range of food, but also teaching them about where food comes from and where it is produced, and giving them a love of food. And I think that is one of the problems we have got in Britain is, we are not in love enough with food. And lots of people are trying to change that – I’m a big fan of what Jamie Oliver is

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of culture means that the government has to take some steps, yes, but much more importantly, all of us have got to take steps. Teachers in the classroom, governors on the governor-board of schools, parents in terms of what they do.

We’ve all got to have this greater enthusiasm for diet and what we eat and how we teach children about food.”

VG: “We are developing fun food activities as part of the normal nursery day for children – so they’re learning how to handle food, how to use food, and what the different vegetables and fruits are, and what’s good for them and what’s not.”

DC: “Well I own my own vegetable garden, and I’m a big fan of it, I think knowing where it comes from - knowing where food comes from - is part of explaining to people a love of food and knowledge of food so they can grow up with it. I think you’ve got to get all of those pieces in place. It’s encouraging how many more schools have their own vegetable patches, and many more schools grow their own food, but I think there’s still a long way to go.”

B4 would like to thank Neil and Valerie Grady for inviting us to share their special day with them.

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B4 News 1,000 Santas run through Oxford!

On a cold, sunny morning 1,000 Santas gathered in Broad Street Oxford, for the Helen & Douglas House ‘Santas on the Run’ fun run. It attracted both young and old, individuals, companies and families, looking for an excuse to dress in bright red Santa Suits and run through the streets of Oxford to raise funds for the children and young adults’ hospice. The atmosphere was fantastic.

The event was in association with Fox FM’s charity ‘Help an Oxfordshire Child’. Profits will be split between the two charities.

Before the race, popular accapella group ‘Out of the Blue’, Magdalen College School Choir and Headington School pupils performed for the gathering crowds.

www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

Helen & Douglas House provides respite, emergency and end of life care for children and young adults from birth to 35 with life-shortening conditions. The majority of the £4.5 million needed to run the charity comes from voluntary donations.

Cheltenham Racecourse and Gloucester Rugby Offers B4 have teamed up with the world famous Cheltenham Racecourse and Premiership Rugby outfit, Gloucester Rugby, to offer B4 readers two very special deals.

The first is the opportunity to bid for two tickets to the opening day of the 2009 Cheltenham Festival – see page 48 – and the second is the chance to buy one of ten hospitality packages, including accommodation and meals, for Gloucester’s game versus London Irish on January 31st (see page 17).

Also see page 22 for our exclusive Corner Club offer and pages 32 to 33 for our wonderful Cheltenham luxury package.

A taste eruption The recent news that Italy has become the biggest wine producer in the world overtaking France for the first time since 1998, has given the tabloid press another excuse to indulge in some predictable “French-bashing.” The point that seems to have been mis-interpreted, though, is whether or not this is actually good news for the Italian wine industry.

The sunny 2008 vintage has seen Italy produce 4.7 billion litres of wine – enough for a bottle of wine for every single person on the planet. French output dropped to 4.4bn lts, though combined, the two countries still account for almost half the world’s wine production.

Global levels of wine consumption, however, are falling. Growing middle-class markets like the UK, Sweden, Ireland, the Far East, Russia and India in no way make up for the dramatic fall in wine drinking in Mediterranean society. Rural depopulation, stricter drink-drive laws, changing employment patterns, clean water, youth fashion, EU laws and even a teetotal president have all pushed along the change from quantity-to-quality in the French wine industry that has vineyards being drubbed up as a result. France is changing, and the drop in production certainly isn’t in Champagne or Burgundy.

If a quality-to-quantity ratio existed in the wine world, the chart-topping countries would include The Lebanon, Austria and New Zealand. Cyprus might well take the wooden spoon, but there are plenty of other EU-winelake contenders bordering the Med. The drop in French wine production is far from being negative, and the Italian wine industry, plus the tabloids, might well need reminding of that. Peter Hack - Oddbins, High Street, Oxford.

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COMPETITION: Q. To win a nice bottle of French wine, which country is the third biggest wine producer in the world?

Answers to: competition@b4-business.com

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Conference with a conscience! - A ‘First’ in Oxford The Oxford Centre is delighted to announce the receipt of a BRONZE AWARD from the Green Tourism Business Scheme. This is in recognition of The Centre’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its business, with the introduction of a number of policies aimed at contributing to a reduction in its carbon footprint.

Measures so far introduced include glass, paper, and cardboard recycling, low energy lighting, promoting use of public transport to access the venue, use of recycled paper products, biodegradable pens used by conference delegates and the use of locally sourced food products wherever possible, and serving free trade tea, coffee and sugar General Manager, Andrew Lund-Yates, is delighted with the award, saying: ‘This is recognition of the efforts we are making towards a more conscientious approach to the way we run our business. There is much more we are aiming to do, such as introducing Meeting Pods, which could lead to paperless meetings, with everything being consigned to personal terminals during the

meeting, and then emailed back to a delegate’s place of work for subsequent follow-up.’

‘Options are really opening up and more and more service providers, such as Oxford City Council Waste Management, are providing hugely beneficial recycling services to commercial businesses, so there are fewer excuses not to get involved.’

We’re also finding that more clients are requesting proof of our ‘Green Credentials’ when drawing up shortlists of potential venues to be considered for their events, and we’re confident that with this award and the work we will be doing over the coming months to further improve our efforts, The Oxford Centre will provide a venue where delegates can certainly ‘Conference with Conscience’!

For more information, contact Andrew Lund-Yates, General Manager on 01865 554719, or andrew@the-oxford-centre.co.uk

How will you get through the credit crunch…?

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demands, just as you do when you speak to them.

From ebrochure sites to a complex eCommerce solution or bespoke on-line business application, OFEC adds value, delivers on time and works within budget. To find out more, why not give us a call on 0845 230 4570 or visit us @ www.ofec.co.uk.

Alternatively send an email to info@ofec.co.uk We look forward to meeting you.

At OFEC we are driven by developing intelligent and engaging websites that help you react to customer

Stuart Harrison

In his career he has been responsible, or influenced, the sales and marketing development of major brands within the UK, including Holiday Inn, Marriott Hotels – which won his company, Scotts Hotels, “UK Hotel Brand of the Year” in 1993 – Arcadian International, which owned Malmaison, and Express by Holiday Inn. He has been chairman of the International Franchisees Forum for the Days Inn and Howard Johnson brands and has been involved in the opening of 18 branded budget hotels in the UK. Before becoming Sales and Marketing Director of Select Country Hotels in 1986, Stuart was a Deputy Director within the English Tourist Board’s regional

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structure. Prior to entering tourism in a PR capacity he was a national journalist and broadcaster with Associated Newspapers and the BBC. He is a Founding Fellow of The Tourism Society, a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Visiting Fellow of Oxford Brookes University Business School where he has lectured the Masters course on International Hotel Marketing.

He is Principal of The Profitable Hotel Company (www.profitablehotelcompany.co.uk), which undertakes strategic projects within the hospitality and leisure industry. Stuart is a hotel industry representative on Visit Britain’s Americas Interest Group.

Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

Stuart Harrison is one of the leading brand and marketing strategists within the hospitality and leisure industry in the UK. He offers an unparalleled track record in building brand awareness, brand equity and commercial growth within the sector.

Shaped and now chairs the brand status of the emerging easyHotel Group.

See page 50 for interview.

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NOBODY’S PRISONER

Trevor Osborne exhausts me. Lots of us like to think we work hard, and now, more than ever, we are having to earn our corn. But this man puts us all to shame. With multi-million pound projects strewn across the country, it is hard to believe, as the chant goes, “there’s only one Trevor Osborne.” Interview and words by Richard Rosser.

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B4 SPOTLIGHT As our cover for the launch of B4 back in June 2006 – see www.b4-business.com to read Trevor’s article – The Oxford Castle was barely a year old. A fascinating project which witnessed the transformation of the former castle and prison into a leisure destination comprising eight restaurants, an art gallery, a visitor attraction and Malmaison’s flagship hotel, originally the main prison.

Officially opened by the Queen on May 5th 2006, Oxford Castle has proceeded to amass an incredibly impressive collection of international awards. Trevor explains how the past two and a half years have, in some cases, surpassed his expectations and in others disappointed him.

“In almost three years we have tried all sorts of things here. Some have worked better than others, and that has taught us quite a lot about how to get the public to use the Castle, as well as enjoy it, and that has been Jean-Pierre’s (Estate Manager Jean-Pierre Morilleau) mission over the last three years. The ringing endorsement of the site is that we have not had one change of tenant at all and the hotel has probably traded to thirty percent better capacity that we had even dared to hope, all of which is quite gratifying.

“However, we are still working on increasing the public nature of Oxford Castle and that is crucial to its long term success. If I have any disappointments it is

dealt with in the City might have been a start to something exciting happening, instead we have had a lot of talk. What we need now is concentrated action to get a few projects going and I would be very interested to be involved in any of those. The West End holds enormous possibility.”

So are you inviting offers to come to you about how you can maybe partner other organisations in new ventures?

“Yes. We have talked to quite a lot of people, including the City Council and County Council. Talking, they are not in ‘go mode’; they are in ‘consideration mode’. The impetus that was created at Oxford Castle should be encouraged to spread out towards the station and further down by Speedwell House. We have a lot to be positive about for the future of this area – we just need to keep the pressure on to make sure something happens sooner rather than later.

Oxford Castle has deservedly accumulated a number of awards – see separate panel for details – the most recent of which was last week and that is incredibly gratifying for all involved. The award won last week was really quite nice because the ‘Academy of Urbanism’ has a poet, Ian McMillan, who writes a poem about all of the entries that are short listed, and he wrote one about Oxford Castle.

much growth, and we will have to knuckle down.”

Do you see people’s spending habits changing dramatically over the next twelve months?

“The funny thing is that when people are a bit miserable they need to spend a bit of money on the things they enjoy. I am told by the restaurant tenants at Oxford Castle and certainly the hotels, that they have not seen a significant drop in trade. Some of them have been very careful to adjust their menu prices and to make offers for the New Year. ‘Tootsies’ are offering a “two for one” in January, which is a notoriously poor month. They are all reacting and are all good, well managed businesses so at the moment none of them are looking as though there is any problem and I think this mix of uses will sustain. I think the restaurants that charge one hundred pounds a head will have some difficulty!”

How do you think we have ended up in a recession?

“I recently attended a conference put on by ‘Shelter’ on the question of the impact of the financial crisis on affordable housing provision. I was asked to address this small conference about how we can improve the prospects and delivery of affordable housing. The point I made was that nobody quite understands when the end of this recession will come, but my perspective is

“God made land and God made men. He stopped making the land, but he is still making men.”

“For the coming year we are looking to make more use of public spaces. We are in discussions with an opera company to bring a popular opera to the Castle next year beginning with a couple of charitable evenings raising funds for the Radcliffe Cancer Centre, which we are really looking forward to doing. We also hope we can continue working with Creation Theatre who bring very good productions to the Castle, but perhaps need to be a little less ambitious than we were last year when the weather was not so kind.

“I had hoped that all of the aspirations for the West End, particularly with the recent traffic announcements of improving transport and the way the public realm is

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Have you been approached to develop other sites similar to Oxford Castle?

“Yes only recently we were awarded Armagh Castle, which is a mini Oxford Castle in a beautiful city, described by ‘Country Life’ as a ‘Georgian Gem’. Only three or four weeks ago there was an article in ‘Country Life’ about Armagh, a small city with only twenty or something thousand people, but it is beautiful and of course it has had a hard time over the last twenty years. But now seems a good time to start a regeneration process there and the Council is certainly keen to engage with us and to follow principals that we adopted here in order to recreate something of note, which is something very firmly part of their city just as Oxford’s Castle is part of Oxford City.”

“The site is a jail, somewhat older than A Wing here, and that will be a small hotel. There will be restaurants, residential apartments, public space and conferencing facilities. As soon as we won the contract, the council asked us to look at the relatively poor housing adjacent to the site, which of course we were delighted to embrace.”

Do you think new developments will be hard to come by in 2009 in this climate?

“For my industry the times have been very troubled, and we are expecting next year to be testing. I do not think that it will be a particularly easy time at all.

Perhaps beyond 2009 we might see a glimmer of recovery, but we have unusual conditions, after so

that it began in America with a housing problem; it came here and very quickly became a banking problem and of course the first thing to be affected was the housing market. It is in my view that the recession we are now in we were led into it by the housing crisis. The first sign of recovery we shall see is when house prices stop going down and start going up!”

What steps do you think could be taken to reverse negative growth?

“My view expressed today is that the government should direct help to the house-building industry and the construction industry to correct two issues; one is liquidity and the other is confidence. The two things are related. Liquidity can only be improved, not by telling the banks they have got to lend money to builders and they have got to lend better mortgages, but to provide a circumstance in which the banks feel safe to do so.

“My considered opinion is that through the property, the homes and the community agency, there is a role to underwrite the value of new housing being built by new developers. That underwriting may not lead to the need to buy the houses when they are built but will put a floor to the market. To be profitable, the builder will have to get better prices or they will be obliged to sell to the underwriter.

“That would have the effect of loosening up lending to developers, which would be extremely beneficial and would have the effect of giving confidence to the

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

that it was intended as the gateway to a rejuvenated West End of the City, but that project hasn’t really got underway. The Council’s offering of Macclesfield House does present a good possibility of extending what we manage here. We are very keen to be involved in this site because it takes up the remainder of the County Council’s freeholds surrounding the Mound which encompasses the Castle. So it seems to me to fit very well and if we can develop the site so that it is celebrating the Castle it will undoubtedly add to the overall appeal of the site and bring even more visitors here. Exhibitions like “Earth from the Air” have been terribly successful and we are really pleased that it has brought seven or eight thousand children to the site. The O3 Gallery has gone through a number of phases but continues to attract really good audiences and excellent art. Sophie Egleton (the Gallery Manager) plans to expand on this next years as well as doing more to involve local children.

Gloucester Green

So Much More Than a Castle...

www.oxfordcastle.com

B4 BEYOND purchaser that he was not buying something that would be negative in value in a year’s time. So that is one issue that I am proposing would help enormously.”

Are you saying the value should be underwritten for a fixed period of time?

“Yes, for a year. The house builders should be told that if they build certain units, but are unable to sell them within six months of completion, then the government will buy them from the developer at a cost price plus an element of overhead based on current land value.

Secondly, first time buyers should be given ten thousand pounds towards a new home. The ten thousand pounds will only be repaid in the event of a profitable sale within ten years – no profit means no repayment, and that would give enormous encouragement to first time buyers. It is all down to confidence. That is the key word.

The facts are that we are losing capacity. The government wants to build 340,000 houses a year.

This year we will be lucky to see even 50,000. That is twenty percent of the target. It is appalling, think of the problems that that is storing up for two or three years from now.”

What plans do you have for your other developments and those in the pipeline?

“We have delayed some of them, quite deliberately because we do not want them to come to market when prices are at such lows. We take the view that by the middle of 2010 in an area of high value and high demand there will be buyers. In Bournemouth we have re-jigged our arrangements with the Council. In the New Year we will start the construction of the new dance centre for the South West. This will be a centre of excellence for dance with a three hundred and fifty audience capacity and wonderful studios. So we have reversed the order of development and pushed back the start of the main project for a year.

“My judgement is that interest rates will continue to come down for at least a year making projects that have good tenant covenants, particularly in the form of the local authority and council, very much in demand by those investors that need to cover pension and insurance obligations. Keeping money liquid is going to look like a pretty sad return during next year. Compare that with the return that could be pretty much guaranteed out of a different form of investment changes it from a property financing to a bond raising exercise. That is a natural progression.

“We have not wanted to delay Buxton at all, but the complications of water have forced a delay upon us.

We have just completed the second stage and are embarking on the third. Next year we will start building the five star hotel, and of course we have bought the Old Hall Hotel and The George, so we have a three hotel project out of Buxton. In Bath we have completed all of the preparatory work on the Gainsborough Hotel and Thermal Spa and we shall commence Phase 2 work on site in February.

Fortunately we have good bankers who want us to complete these projects. We are just signing another development with Bath Council which is a restoration

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B4 SPOTLIGHT programme involving retail and residential. We have agreed with the local authority in Bath to rescue a Georgian Lido, the last of its kind that remains in Britain. We are on course to develop that in 2009, although that is more of a philanthropic project! Finally there is a project in Penzance where we have just been chosen as the developer for a regeneration scheme close to the harbour.”

So have you plenty of optimism for the future, even though we are going through a tricky patch?

“God made land and God made men. He stopped making the land but he is still making men. The property business is all about accommodation and no one can believe that we will not ever have the need for accommodation. I think the way in which it is procured will change dramatically. The major house builders have seen their value shrink incredibly. Every one of us with an investment in an insurance policy or a pension has seen our wealth diminish. We may not feel it today but the future is badly affected. That is something we will have to contend with because our economy, for ten or fifteen years, has been built on a number of factors; the prevalence of general debt and the liquidity that that has created and secondly the explosion in house values which has helped the dept.

Pensions are not going to be quite so generous to those retiring in the next few years. The legacy will continue. We have almost got a reversal. Those in the public sector are going to be better provided for in retirement now than those in the private sector.”

Can you see there being a reversal in terms of mortgages against rentals?

AWARDS Oxford Castle Wins International Award for the "Best Hotel & Leisure Project" in 2007 MIPIM is the International Real Estate Exhibition and Conference held in Cannes every year. This year some 25,000 delegates involved in property development and investment from all corners of the world attended.

The Oxford Castle Hotel and Leisure Project was amongst three shortlisted contenders for the International accolade of “Best Hotel & Leisure Project of 2007” and was announced the winner at the Awards Ceremony in November.

Oxford Castle, with its Malmaison hotel, eight restaurants, Art Gallery, Education Centre, “Oxford Unlocked” Interpretation Centre, and forty apartments, was voted by the delegates to be the winner.

Congratulations to all those who played a part in this remarkable project. Trevor Osborne is grateful to his partners, which include Oxfordshire County Council, SEEDA, Oxford Preservation Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage who worked together to achieve what is regarded in the property industry as the world’s “Best Hotel & Leisure Project” for 2007.

“Well, yes. There are a lot of people now that think the rental market is an important ingredient in the housing issue and it is true. What we do not need is this stark difference between social housing and owner occupation. A lot of people will not return to home ownership too quickly because their confidence has been badly hurt, and the idea of not putting all of your savings into a house but renting for a while will, I think, be a feature for the next couple of years.”

Outstanding Centre of Vision Award 2007

Do you think we will see a recovery?

The partnership between Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Castle Limited and Oxford Preservation Trust has proved to be a great one and it is an excellent boost to have gained national and international recognition both from this Award and from the award for "Best Hotel and Leisure Project" at the MIPIM (the International Property Convention) in Cannes.

“My hope is that we can get through the recession and the economy becomes restored. We must try to close the gap between those that have and those that have not. It is not satisfactory in society that some people will never be able to own their own home, not by choice but by circumstance. We need to strive, as a society, so that it is possible for everybody to buy a home or have a share in a home. It is a natural inclination that people want to own the place they live in. It is a very deep rooted instinct, an attitude, a need.”

Oxford Castle were awarded the Special Award 'Outstanding Centre Vision Award' at the Civic Trust Awards 2007 ceremony in Blackpool.

The Award, for the redevelopment of the site and for its partnership approach, was a great accolade for Oxford and to those organisations that have been involved in making it happen.

Oxford Castle also Winner of: • Civic Trust Awards 2007: Centre Vision Award • RICS South East Region Awards 2007: Overall Winner • RICS South East Region Awards 2007: Regeneration • Daily Mail British Homes Awards 2007: Mixed used development of the year • MIPIM Awards International: Hotel & Tourisms Resorts • RIBA South Award • Oxford Preservation Trust environmental Awards 2007 • Malmaison Oxford - Hotel of the Year, Caterer and Hotelkeeper Awards 2007 • Malmaison Oxford voted a Hot New Hotel by Conde Nast

www.b4-business.com 15

B4 CONFERENCE

FROM BOOT ROOM TO THE BOARD ROOM Gloucester Rugby Conference Manager, Patrick Morris, talks to B4 about the club’s excellent conference facilities and explains why Oxfordshire businesses should consider it for their next business function.

In 2007, Gloucester Rugby owner, and resident of Chipping Norton, Tom Walkinshaw transformed the world famous Kingsholm with the building of a magnificent new Grandstand. Not only has this given fans an incredible new dimension to watching first class rugby, it now also provides the business community of Gloucestershire and neighbouring Oxfordshire with first class meeting facilities, in a stunning setting.

Patrick Morris tells B4 how an immense amount of thought went into the project, “Right from the start of the design and build, we wanted to produce something that was about more than just Rugby. Gloucester and, in fact, the whole of the south west, had been crying out for bigger and better conference facilities for some time.

Our challenge was not to forget Gloucester Rugby for years had been celebrated for its magnificent corporate hospitality and match day experience. The new design has now made us a fully functional seven day operation, and all without compromising the famous and much sought after matchday experience. With the massive regeneration of the docks an ongoing project, this was a superb time to be getting in on the act and providing a European class facility. Not just for rugby, but also to create an award winning conference facility.”

In fact, after only six months of operating, Kingsholm venues at Gloucester Rugby had created just that, and its stature was rubber stamped with the prestigious award of AIM status from the meeting industry.

Patrick continues, “We are only one of three venues in Gloucetsershire to achieve this award, something we had always planned to win. The award was vitally important to us as it showed the industry and its bookers that we were very serious about the product we had created. We were worried that we might be seen as a rugby club first with a few meeting rooms. The reality is that we offer so much more.

All of our eighteen meeting rooms are pitch facing, with views over the Kingsholm Turf and the world famous “Shed”. For those from a rugby background, they will understand the importance of this icon of Rugby. I was lucky enough to be staying in Knysna, South Africa, last year, and even they were talking about the “Shed” out there!

“When we planned the new Grandstand, it was important for us to set ourselves apart from the competition from the outset. This was not going to be a slowly, slowly approach to test the water to see how it took off. There was no going back on our

16

plan. We installed the best ceiling mounted projectors and electric screens in our larger rooms, along with black out facilities, with up to six additional screens in the impressive Star Suite, plus fully integrated sound systems. All rooms have direct screen access for power point presentations, so no need to bring your own screens (which, incidentally, never seem to stand up!). Wherever you are in the stadium, you can access our wi-fi system to pick up those important work messages. At Kingsholm we have made sure you are never far from the office!”

The impressive Star Suite houses two hundred and fifty delegates on a daily basis, and holds four hundred theatre style. The smaller rooms accommodate groups of fifty, twenty five or eighteen, with smaller rooms available for gatherings of ten or twelve.

But at the other end of the scale, Patrick quantifies the hugely impressive numbers, “We can comfortably entertain up to one thousand delegates a day in our exhibition area, with up to seventy five stands.”

Patrick is equally enthusiastic concerning the club’s location, “It’s true what they say: ‘Location, Location, Location’. You can walk to Kingsholm from the city centre and train station, there is a bus stop outside the main gates, and the ground is just five minutes from the M5. Access to Gloucester itself is fantastic, served by the M5 and A40. I used to travel daily to Oxford and back for about five years, so understand how accessible we are to the centre of the country.

Directions to the stadium are easy, straight to the onsite car park and into our reception, where you are greeted with a warm smile and shown to your meeting room via lifts to the 3rd floor.”

It certainly sounds like a fantastic experience, and B4 have seen first hand that the facilities are exceptional. So why not try Gloucester Rugby’s conference facilities, as Patrick concludes, “There is nothing quite like having a meeting at Gloucester Rugby.

Its atmosphere inspires all those who come here. After a quick tour around the facilities, changing rooms and ice baths, you’ll appreciate all that goes in to getting a team out on to the pitch. Take just a small element of this to your meeting, watch the players practice on pre match day, and just feel the buzz in the meeting room.

We never forget that your business is our pleasure……..”

Contact details on page 100

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What’s Included: • A Room at The Big Sleep Hotel on Friday 30th January www.thebigsleephotel.com • Voucher for The Royal Wells Tavern Value £20 www.theroyalwelltavern.com • Voucher for Gloucester Rugby Shop Value £25 • See Gloucester Rugby versus London Irish on Saturday 31st January kick off 14.45 at Kingsholm Stadium.

- A two-course Carvery meal served in the exclusive Star Suite on the top floor of the C&G Stand.

- Match tickets in the Silver section of the C&G Stand.

- A match day programme - Access to an exclusive post-game Q&A Session in the Star Suite with the man of the match. £125 per package – these can be bought as singles with single occupancy in a room or as doubles for £250 with one double room or twin room.

Price: B4 have just 10 packages available at £125 each including VAT at 15%.

(Each package worth £250) To be alerted to future offers from Gloucester Rugby and other B4 clients, please register your interest by subscribing to the B4 e-Newsletter on the B4 website.

B4

Offers

Eat, Sleep and Watch Rugby!

BRING SOMETHING DIFFERENT BACK FROM LONDON.

With Chiltern Railways’ Family Travelcard, groups of up to two adults and four children can enjoy a return rail journey from your local station to London, with bus and tube travel, plus 2-for-1 entry to over 100 of the top tourist attractions – including many of the West End shows.

So you can have a great day out at places like Madame Tussauds, London Zoo, The London Dungeon and Oxford Street and come back with great memories, fun mementos AND a pocket full of money.

Banbury

Bicester North

Haddenham & Thame Parkway

www.chilternrailways.co.uk

London Marylebone

news ‘Father of the Internet’ visits Nominet We were delighted to welcome one of the ‘fathers of the internet’, Vint Cerf, to Nominet recently. Vint was the co-designer of TCP/IP, the suite of communications protocols used to connect computers on the Internet. He served on the board of ICANN (the organisation that manages the domain name system) for many years and is currently Chief Internet Evangelist at Google. He met our staff for a Q&A session which covered topics such as: • new top level domains - where the possibility of thousands of new suffixes raises concerns for brand holders • current Internet risks – such as botnets, used to distribute malicious software

• the future of the domain name system • Google’s position regarding search in the Chinese market • the new Google browser, ‘Chrome’ - which is open source.

Vint answered all of our questions and provided some entertaining and interesting insights.

He predicts growth in the number of Internet users noting that the current figure of 1,464 million Internet users represents only 21% global penetration. He foresees rapid growth in geo-location based services as the number of mobile users increases and users want information directly relevant to their location. He also predicts the growth of the ‘internet of things’,

where household devices will increasingly link to the Internet to deliver added value to users.

Charity begins at work We have a nominated charity that we support as an organisation each year. During 2007 we rounded off our time supporting CLIC Sargent, a charity for children with cancer, with a job swap auction involving our senior management team. Our employees raised a total of £10,394 for this and other charities, a sum which Nominet matched.

At Nominet we take corporate responsibility very seriously. One of our company’s values is that ‘we are committed to making a positive impact on the community we live in’. We are very supportive of our people getting involved in fundraising for charities of their choice and we match employee fundraising efforts pound for pound.

organising a series of creative fundraising activities throughout the year. These have included a cake baking contest, wooden spoon decorating, pancake tossing, Easter egg decorating, a Nintendo Wii competition, a raffle and two mornings where we provided a cooked breakfast in exchange for donations!

We have been privileged to support SeeSaw as our nominated charity between October 2007 and September 2008. SeeSaw, based in Oxford, works with bereaved children in Oxfordshire by organising counselling sessions and working with parents and families to arrange activities. From the outset we were impressed with the work they do, and as they are a small local charity we felt that our financial support would have a significant impact on their activities.

These activities have encouraged people from across the whole business to take part and proved useful team building exercises in themselves. Seeing people from different departments working together for the common goal of raising money for this cause was good for the company’s morale, and the partnership has been beneficial for us as well as for SeeSaw. The money we raised will fund the charity’s 24-hour helpline for a whole year and we are delighted that our contribution will make a real difference to the community that SeeSaw seeks to help.

Over the course of this year we were able to raise over £12, 000 for SeeSaw, and we have had a great deal of fun doing it. Our Charity Action Group, made up of staff volunteers from many different departments, has worked really hard to encourage us all to participate by

Staff vote to select our nominated charity each year, and until September 2009 we will be supporting the Air Ambulance Berks/Oxon/Bucks.

Businesses recognise the value of .uk Research carried out earlier this year by Opinion Matters indicates that British Internet users appreciate the value of .co.uk domain names.

When searching for information online, 72% of people will choose a .uk address ahead of a .com address. A .co.uk domain name says the information on the web site is local, relevant and most of all trusted. This suggests UK businesses and those wishing to do business with UK

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consumers would clearly benefit from a local web address.

The independent survey of 2352 people into the Internet search habits of UK consumers revealed that .uk is the most trusted country suffix in Britain.

We also asked businesses about their use of domain names and in particular if their .uk domain name was their primary domain. An encouraging

81% of small to medium sized businesses consider .co.uk as their primary domain name, rather than using .com.

The use of .uk domain names by the UK business community is supported by research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) which showed that 18%of businesses see a country code domain as critical and 34% believe it is ‘very important’ for them to own.

Contact details on page 100

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QHotels comprises twenty one hotels and “flagship” properties include The Midland in Manchester, The Queens in Leeds and The Chesford Grange in Warwickshire. These are the main hotels which people associate with Q Hotels, as well as, of course, The Oxford Belfry.

Any decent, public facing business will have a solid, hard-working team behind the scenes. And The Oxford Belfry is no different. General Manager, Julian White, and his Sales and Marketing Manager, Jonathan Read, have more than a good handle on the job in hand, as Jonathan explains, “One of the key things about the relationship between Julian and I is Julian’s proactive stance towards new business sales. “GM’s” normally stand back from the sales side of a hotel, leaving this to the designated sales manager. Julian, however, is a very hands on character and he has been very actively involved in getting to know the local community and market and also some of the national accounts. Both he and I want to know that when a customer walks through the door, we know as much about them as possible – only then can we tailor their stay accordingly and ensure they come back.”

Julian’s philosophy is that with an exceptional second tier of management left to run the hotel, he can

concentrate on nurturing new sales with the sales team – he likes to know who is in the building and strives to build a good relationship before a new account comes to the hotel.

I ask Jonathan if this approach is bearing fruit, “I relish and welcome it. It interweaves someone from an operational background to the sales side of the business. This two pronged approach means that there is a high level of service geared to a particular client’s needs before they stay with us, so that we make sure all of our client’s needs and wants are addressed, leaving nothing to chance when they actually arrive.”

And this is part of QHotels new marketing initiative centred on ‘one of a kind’. Jonathan explains the though behind this, “We have to be individual in everything we do, as employees, as a hotel and as a group. For example, when we buy gifts for our key clients, we like to make sure our gift is unique, such as press tickets to events which they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get hold of. – (Remove)Everything we do is geared to the individual, to make them have the best and the most unique experience with us.

“Our branding is also very strong – everything is number orientated. The branding has come to the

forefront since we were awarded the Hotel Group of the Year for 2008 and 2009. Obviously there was a number of reasons why we won the award, but the key factor was that we were regarded as an individual collection of hotels within a group framework and also the only group to invest as much as we have done into the group as a whole. We have just spent £5.5 million on The Belfry in 2008, touching every aspect of the hotel. We have plans to continue this in 2009.

“In 2009, the focus is to actively promote The Oxford Belfry as the premium conference hotel in the area, and ahowcase ourselves as a centre for training and development. That is down to our excellent offering of small syndicate spaces and training suites, all of which have been refurbished.

“We have also launched a new training and conference product, which is ‘industry leading’ in terms of what it offers. Firstly, we are being much more flexible with our clients. The industry standard for reducing delegate numbers prior to an event is up to 10% one month prior to the event, but we have increased this to 20% as late as fourteen days prior to the event. Secondly, in addition to the standard offerings such as lunch, unlimited free-flow refreshments, pens, pads etc…., we are offering delegates free wi-fi internet access for

THE OXFORD BELFRY

ONE OF A KIND

As our sister publication, In Oxford Magazine, found out first hand in the December edition of In Oxford – see www.inoxford.com – staying at the recently refurbished Oxford Belfry is an experience not to be missed. But, as Richard Rosser found out when he visited the hotel’s Director of Sales, Jonathan Read, The Oxford Belfry and QHotels (of which it is a part), are on top of their game, and it’s not hard to see why the group was recently voted AA Hotel Group of the Year.

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www.b4-business.com

B4 CONFERENCE

A NUMBERS GAME £150 million QHotel refurbishment

3,103,412 guests walked through our doors in 2007

2992 bedrooms for you to steel design 108 opportunities for a birdie and eagle

ideas from

2972 smiling QHotel employees

1 of a kind

180 heavenly hands waiting in our spas all, complimentary LCD projector with two flipcharts, unlimited photocopying and a designated syndicate room for up to ten people for the duration of your booking.

“We have deliberately taken this step to attract successive training programmes at a fantastic rate from as little as £45 (inclusive of VAT) per delegate per day.

We are offering first class training and conference facilities in a four star deluxe environment, and that is where we will perform over other conference facilities which can’t compete with what we offer “Our new training and conference product, allied to our proactive General Manager, underline our commitment to look after our clients in 2009. Next year, the focus for us is to forge and develop new and existing relationships, to reward customer loyalty and give them real value for money, but at the same time address their needs.

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“With a 78% score in our AA four star audit, we know we have the product and we can service any requirement. There is the industry standard four star deluxe and there is The Oxford Belfry standard, and we aim to be the leading provider of accommodation and conference facilities in the area in 2009.”

BIOGS

Jonathan Read: I started my career with Hilton and that was in US in Dallas and Texas – 2000. Working in National sales office. Came back to work for Hilton in Uk and launched a conventions product.

Did a small stint with an independent conference

agent for just over two years.

Then went back in to hotels with AB Hotels – they owned Sopwell House and Five Lakes Resort and the new Arch Hotel in Marble Arch. Took position of Director of Sales in March 2007 at The Belfry.

Julian White: Recently left DeVere Wokefield as General Manager.

Before that: 6 years with Thistle Hotels, 7 years Queens Moat House, 16 year Trust House Forte.

Julian’s career has sent him all over the UK from Wales to the Cotswolds to London to Oxford.

Julian is also a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality.

Contact details on page 100

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B4 Corner Club Offer B4 have negotiated two fantastic packages for memberships at The Corner Club as follows:

1 full annual membership for one person (worth £400, (£250 per year + a one off joining fee of £150)

A personal tour of the Club by the General Manager followed by a two course lunch (worth £20)

Complimentary use of the meeting rooms* for the first month of being a member (Worth up to £810 – use either The Ship Room or The Turl Room for 3 hours 6 times** in January, £45 average of the hourly rate for the two rooms)

A goodie bag from Cowley Manor with products from its award winning spa, C-side (Worth £20)

Total:£1,250 Offer rate for these two packages is just £250+VAT each To book: www.b4-business.com *subject to availability **maximum usage

About The Corner Club Set in the centre of Oxford across two Grade II listed buildings, The Corner Club is the most stylish and talked-about place in town to work, meet or unwind. Much praised in the national and local press since it re-opened earlier this year (in the place of the QI Club), its premises in Turl Street comprise meeting rooms, with full multi-media facilities, including video streaming, cinema screening, internet connectivity and workspace. It also has Club sitting rooms, a bar and dining rooms, open all week for lunch and dinner. It is ideal for private parties, meetings and launches. The Club runs an exciting events programme, with regular wine-tastings, quiz nights, poker evenings, yoga sessions, book launches and private views of the Ashmolean and other museums in Oxford.

See www.thecornerclub.co.uk

B4

Offers

news Free waste audit could help you cut costs There’s still time to book a free waste audit and get expert advice on cutting your commercial waste costs. As part of an initiative by Oxfordshire County Council and OTCN, 250 businesses have already signed up for the offer which is available on a first-come-first-served basis.

The Old Bank Hotel and Quod Brasserie on Oxford’s High Street are among those to look at ways they can cut waste costs in their business and recycle more.

Owner Jeremy Mogford says: “The audit showed quite

clearly how we can make savings and increase the amount of waste that we can recycle. I’m sure we will be adopting many of the improvements that have been recommended.”

Last financial year, 485 Oxfordshire businesses took part in this programme. Together they could cut a huge £597,836 from their commercial waste bills - that's an average of more than £1,200 per business.

See www.otcn.co.uk for details.

Ben Truesdale, Accommodation Manager at Oxford’s Old Bank Hotel with EiE project manager Irene Amoke (picture Alison Nicholson. Call 01993 880669).

New for 2009 OTCN is looking to extend take-up of a number of its successful initiatives in 2009.

With funding support from Oxfordshire County Council and your local district council, OTCN has been offering small independent retail businesses a free one-to-one diagnostic. Having successfully piloted the service in Wallingford, Faringdon and most recently Kidlington, we’re keen to extend the offer to more town centre shops.

We supported the Stay Longer in Witney promotional campaign by creating our first interactive shoppers guide. We’re giving Witney town centre businesses that feature the chance to win extra profile by linking their website to the guide at www.staylongerinwitney.co.uk.

We’re also talking to other towns about the possibility of creating an online shoppers guide for them.

For details email Karyn@otcn.co.uk David Cameron MP launches the Stay Longer in Witney campaign. (picture Alison Nicholson. Call 01993 880669).

We piloted an innovative customer service training programme for children at Wallingford School and are looking for schools who’d like to run a similar project.

Exclusive online guide offers promotional opportunity Hard to believe but partnerships across Oxfordshire will be meeting this month to plan their Christmas Lights Switch On event for 2009.

A huge amount of work goes into the events which help boost our towns at what is a crucial time of year for traders. Ben Jackson at Bicester Chamber says: “We all like to see variety in our high streets; to retain it we must all try and support local retailers and our own town centres, not just using them for advice and guidance, but by buying from them.”

The interest in the Christmas Lights Switch On events and the shopping promotions that went with them is shown by the big jump in the number of visitors to OTCN’s exclusive online guide. For 2009 we’re looking to give businesses a chance to sponsor the guide and benefit from the extra profile that gives them. For details email xmas@otcn.co.uk.

Oxford United’s Luke Foster and 11-year-old David Vickers switched on the lights to launch the OTCN-led Headington Christmas Experience. (picture Alison Nicholson. Call 01993 880669).

Promoting business in Oxfordshire’s towns OTCN is a communications network for town chambers and similar business groups. Now three years old, OTCN has 20 member groups plus 8 events networks. The groups together have around 1400 member businesses.

OTCN offers a range of services to its member groups: Profile and promotion via www.otcn.co.uk with webpage building and hosting for groups that

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don’t yet have their own site.

It’s published ‘How to…’ guides with practical advice on creating a shoppers guide for your town, running a plastic-bag-free-town campaign and organising a prize draw promotion for local business.

It runs an email forum for member questions/

sharing of best practice …and has an online listing to promote business networking events For members of its groups OTCN: • runs a Member-to-Member offers service • gives businesses who join one of its 20 groups a free 3-month web listing.

For details visit www.otcn.co.uk or email Karyn@otcn.co.uk

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4440 Nash Court Oxford Business Park TO LET 5,818 sq ft Modern two storey self contained office building with excellent car parking.

TORUS Abingdon Business Park TO LET 3,400 Sq ft – 43,500 Sq ft Newly refurbished headquarters office building with energy efficient features.

Unit E, Park 34 Southmead Industrial Estate, Didcot TO LET 11,722 sq ft Detached warehouse/industrial unit with 2 storey office accommodation and self contained yard.

Seacourt Tower Botley, Oxford TO LET 5,962 sq ft First Floor West Wing office suite with air conditioning in landmark building.

unrivaled local and regional expertise Richard Venables Tom Barton

rvenables@vslandp.com tbarton@vslandp.com

news Reasons to be Cheerful??

The business rates relief announced by the Chancellor in the Pre-Budget Report will be of some comfort to small companies and some landlords.

From the 1st April 2009 any property with a rateable value of less than RV ÂŁ15,000 will benefit from temporary empty property rates relief. This will be available for 12 months only.

In reality, this will only benefit some small shops, industrial units mostly of less than 2,000 sq ft and offices of 1,500 sq ft or less in the Oxfordshire area. The majority of businesses and landlords with empty properties will continue to struggle with this additional tax burden and we are seeing signs of rents being reduced in order to tempt businesses to take space. The concept is good but in reality demand levels are low as companies take a cautious approach to relocating their businesses.

Commercial pulse Despite relatively low levels of activity in the office and hi tech market around the Ring Road we are currently experiencing interesting signs of activity with 6 enquiries from larger occupiers for 20,000 sq ft or more around the Ring Road and in the City Centre. The market may be quiet but Oxfordshire still has a strong commercial pulse.

Kidlington Sales At the latest Chancerygate development at Langford Lane in Kidlington, VSL & Partners have recently sold two industrial units to property investor TVCO Limited.

Units 1 and 2 are at the entrance to the estate and comprise 2,710 sq ft and 3,013 sq ft. Benedicts acted on behalf of the purchaser. The scheme comprises 26 new industrial units from 2,200sq ft to 7,455 sq ft at a quoting price of ÂŁ110 per sq ft.

Bicester Lettings A joint venture between Abacus Developments and Ashvale at Telford Business Centre in Bicester has also proved successful with a letting to Pankl of 12,000 sq ft and a sale to Care & Independent of 5,000 sq ft.

Bullish Deal Evidence of a healthy office market in Bicester was demonstrated with a letting of the Bull Pen, a 1,200 sq ft new barn conversion at Home Farm, Caversfield.

The property was recently let to UK RP Limited who relocated from Thame and acquired a new lease of the property prior to the completion of the refurbishment programme.

Kidlington Retail VSL & Partners have succeeded in letting three retail units in Kidlington recently.

The Really Useful Retail Company, Dominos Pizza and Andrews Dry Cleaners have all taken new leases on retail units in this popular neighbourhood retail centre.

www.b4-business.com

Contact details on page 100

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BE MY OWN BOSS? ……….. WHY NOT? With so much uncertainty in the world, why don’t you take control of your own destiny?

Ever wanted to work when you wanted to and not be answerable to anyone ever again?

How would you like to be the centre of attention in your town or city, reviewing restaurants, attending events and helping put your home town or city on the map?

In Guides are launching franchises into new areas listed below in 2009.

In Oxford Magazine first went to press in January 2002 and is now Oxfordshire’s number 1 What’s On Guide allied to a number one ranking website attracting over 1,000 unique visitors per day.

In Cheltenham Magazine was launched in April 2008 and we are now poised to launch more monthly titles to expand the network, starting with the following areas:

Aylesbury Bath Bedford Bristol Cardiff Gloucester

Guildford Leamington Spa Maidenhead Milton Keynes Northampton Reading

Rugby Solihull Stratford Swindon Windsor Wycombe

And coming soon………. Bournemouth, Southampton, Brighton, Luton, Canterbury, Maidstone, Hereford, Worcester, Taunton

Visit our site www.inguides.co.uk for an application form to attend our January franchise meeting or call 01865 742211 to ask for more details.

news Oxford Inspires is the cultural development agency for Oxfordshire. We work with partners in business, local government, with Arts Council England, The University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University to create new opportunities for arts and heritage organisations, nurture new festivals and spectacular events and to engage as many people as possible in exciting cultural experiences. We collaborate with cultural organisations across the county to support their ambitions, help them to reach a wider audience and to raise Oxfordshire’s profile as a cultural destination nationally and internationally.

The Planet Earth Season as a contribution to the season. These seminars offered delegates the opportunity to discuss the issues surrounding climate change in a lively and relaxed forum, dealing with issues such as green ‘Jargon’ and the case for carbon offsetting.

Earth from the Air at Oxford Castle. 20 September 2008 – 11 January 2009. www.earthfromtheair.com N 44°26’ W 110°39’ USA. Wyoming. Yellowstone National Park. Grand Prismatic Spring. © Yann Arthus-Bertrand/Impact Photos

The Earth from the Air exhibition has been intriguing visitors to Oxford Castle in recent months, thanks to the support of top law firm Blake Lapthorn, the major local corporate sponsor of the exhibition. Their support was instrumental in bringing the beautiful and thought-provoking images by the renowned

French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand to Oxford to form the centrepiece of the Planet Earth Season.

The Planet Earth theme captured the imagination of the company, which also hosted a series of well attended green breakfast seminars in the autumn

Senior Partner Jonathan Lloyd-Jones said, "My firm has for some time recognised the increasing importance of environmental and climate change issues, not only for our clients but also for our staff.

Our climate change and environmental sector groups have considerable experience of advising businesses in these areas. We therefore very much welcomed the opportunity to be involved in sponsoring this inspiring exhibition and the associated programme of climate-related discussions and events. We were pleased to be able to host and promote thought provoking debate and events on issues surrounding climate change and sustainable business as part of the Planet Earth Season and we also ran an awareness week for our staff across all of our offices."

For more information about the green breakfasts and future projects, visit www.bllaw.co.uk.

A Big Thank You! The work of Oxford Inspires could not happen without the many local businesses who pledge their support each year. The money raised from corporate sponsorship helps to sustain the charity allowing spectacular cultural events such as the countywide WinterLight celebrations and promotional campaigns like the Planet Earth Season to happen.

One business supporting culture in Oxfordshire through corporate membership of Oxford Inspires is Infineum, now in its 4th year of partnership with the charity. Infineum UK’s Country Manager, Martin Dare-Edwards highlighted the benefits from Corporate Membership: "Infineum has business growth aspirations outside of our core business domains for which we need a broader appreciation

of the greater scope, and more rounded nature of the Infineum brand. We are delighted that our membership of Oxford Inspires continues to raise that awareness, coupling to the inspiration of cultural and scientific enterprise in our local community."

Oxford Inspires offers sincere thanks to their business partners: BMW Group Plant Oxford, First Great Western, Oxford Bus Company, B4 Magazine, Barceló Oxford Hotel, Berman Guedes Stretton, Bicester Village, Blake Lapthorn, Blenheim Colour, CPM, Carbon Colour, The Corner Club, Finders Keepers, Four Pillars Hotels, Hook Norton Brewery, ImageWorks, Infineum, Lucy Properties, Oxford Castle, Richardsons, Torpedo and VSL & Partners.

Oxford Inspires gives sincere thanks to its major partners: BMW Group Plant Oxford, Oxford Bus Company, First Great Western and Oxfordshire County Council.

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Corporate Members meet HRH Princess Anne © Phil Bowles

To learn more about how your business might be involved with Oxford Inspires contact Kathelene Weiss at kathelene.weiss@oxfordinspires.org

Contact details on page 100

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Our Royal Appointment It’s been a busy few weeks at Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals with the official opening of the West Wing and Children’s Hospital by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The royal couple toured the hospital meeting staff, patients and fundraisers before unveiling a commemorative plaque. It was a great time to reflect on how fundraising has helped bring the very best care to Oxfordshire.

As we get ready for the year ahead we have a fabulous array of events and challenges you may wish to join. From our Cancer Fundraising Dinners on February 21 and March 14, the Oxford Mail OX5RUN for the Children's Hospital on April 19 to the Cancer Centre Abseil on May 17, log on to www.orhcharitablefunds.nhs.uk to see how you can join in all the action

Make us your corporate charity this year Did you know that Oxford Radcliffe Hospital’s Charitable Funds is one of the largest and most wide-ranging charities in town? We represent over 500 individual funds and strategic priorities for the Trust – from the new Children’s Hospital and high-tech cancer and heart centres, to gardens for elderly patients and incubators for premature babies – whatever your personal or business interest, we have a project that will inspire you and your team.

In these tough economic times you may feel tempted to tighten the belt when it comes to raising money for charity.

But a charitable partnership benefits your company in several ways and may even replace things you’ve had to take out of the budget:

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Raising money for charity is a bonding and positive experience for staff. Save money on corporate team bonding exercises and invest in us instead.

We have a dedicated Communications Manager who is skilled at getting your company’s generosity the publicity it deserves. Through local TV, radio, newspapers and magazines your kindness could reap real rewards in positive PR. Why not participate in one of our ready-made activities? Sponsor an event to get your name before potential customers. Treat your staff or clients to a table at one of our elegant dinner auctions.

Enter a team to run, walk, golf or abseil and challenge them to find interesting ways to brand themselves for the event and secure sponsorship.

Whatever your company’s area of interest, we will have something for you.

Our celebrity contacts are far-reaching – from sportsmen like Lawrence Dallaglio and Matthew Pinsent to entertainers such as Jason Donovan, many famous names help ORH Charitable Funds.

Why not let a bit of the glamour rub off on your company?

Two local companies who have shown their support recently are Oxford Instruments and the solicitors, Darbys. They tell us why they are committed to helping ORH Charitable Funds.

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news

Oxford Instruments - the hi-tech company helping local children When staff at Oxford Instruments were asked to nominate a charity to support for the year, the Children’s Hospital, Oxford was a popular choice.

David Clapton, a Customer Leader at the firm who oversaw the campaign said: “All the staff really took the campaign to heart. It created quite a buzz here – with lots of discussion about who was doing what.”

Nearly all of the 300 staff at the Oxford-based science and technology firm took part in a variety of fundraising challenges across the year including the Three Peaks Challenge and a golf day where staff, customers and suppliers all joined forces. David told us: “That was a great day – a fantastic opportunity for

everyone to network in a relaxed and informal way, whilst raising money for a great cause.”

In the past, the company has managed to raise £2000 - £3000 for their nominated charities, but this time they raised a phenomenal £16,502. An interview room on Robin’s Ward has been named after them in recognition of their efforts.

David says: “Fundraising for the Children’s Hospital was certainly great for staff morale, it’s a year we will never forget.”

Darbys –Oxford solicitors supporting the new Cancer Centre promote this successful Autumn event and over 40 Darbys staff and their families, dressed in the company’s purple branding, walked the three-mile route.

Darbys told us: “The cancer walk in October was a real success and brought it home to us how important this cause is and how much benefit it will bring to so many patients.”

When Simon McCrum and Jenny Harvey of Darbys Solicitors told staff about their visit to the new Cancer Centre, they were inspired to pledge their help.

To mark the new Darby’s Purple scheme, that provides members with a free-of-charge and user-friendly legal port-of-call, the company started by sponsoring It’s Not Just a Walk in the Park. Their sponsorship helped to

Now Darbys have taken things a step further and signed a pledge to raise £50,000 over the next two years to help landscape a garden for cancer patients to enjoy at the new hospital.

“Much of our work as a leading law firm heavily impacts on the lives of many people in Oxfordshire so corporate and social responsibility is high on our agenda. Raising £50,000 for the Purple Garden will provide patients and their families with a place of peace and tranquillity and we are proud to be involved.”

So why not find out more about our wide range of fundraising events and corporate partnership possibilities. Contact Head of Community Fundraising, Graham Brogden on 01865 743442

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news Oxford Innovation Oxford Innovation provides services to growing companies, and to government bodies that promote enterprise. The company operates 15 Innovation Centres that provide flexible office and laboratory space to over 400 technology, knowledge-based and creative companies.

Oxford Innovation also manages three highly successful Investment Networks that link investors with entrepreneurs seeking funding from £20,000 to £2 million.

During the last five years, the investment networks have helped over 90 companies raise £19.5m.

New Milton Park Innovation Centre Opens Its Doors Oxford Innovation the UK’s leading operator of innovation centres and MEPC Milton Park, one of Europe’s largest multi-use business parks, have this month opened a new purpose-built, multi-million pound Innovation Centre, reflecting the two organisations’ continued support for start-up and growing technology, biotech and other innovative companies.

The Innovation Centre provides a range of high quality offices for up to 60 companies.

inspiring companies, creating the perfect collaborative businesses environment for growing businesses to thrive.”

James Dipple, managing director of MEPC Milton Park, said, “The opening of the Milton Park Innovation Centre, on Global Business Incubation Day, reflects the importance we place on supporting high-growth businesses.

The centre comprises 39,000 sq ft over three floors, split between offices and meeting rooms. Space can be let on flexible licence agreements in a range of unit sizes from 90 to 1,500 sq ft, and tenants will be free of any long-term letting commitments.

Dr Stuart Robinson, chairman of Pharmaceutical Licensing Group, said, “This is a great opportunity for PLG to move into the heartland of the Oxfordshire bioscience community and the Innovation Centre provides a focus for networking with the 50 pharmaceutical and biotech companies located nearby.”'

Dr David Kingham, managing director of Oxford Innovation, said, “The Innovation Centre at Milton Park is ideally located at the heart of a thriving business community, amongst a hub of other innovative and

Vasna Maynard, director of Maynard and Boldis one of the three funding tenant companies, said, “As an environmentally focused start-up company, it is important to us that our office premises match the

The first companies to move into Milton Park Innovation Centre.

sustainable nature of our company. The Milton Park Innovation Centre operates with an environmental conscience providing us with a professional image that truly represents our business ethics. Coupled with the competitive pricing and support package available, this makes the Innovation Centre an attractive location to grow our business.”

The Martin and Audrey Wood Enterprise Awards 2009 returning in 2009 with new business categories and bigger and better prizes for the winners.

Best Precision Engineering and Instrumentation Award Best Medical Devices and Healthcare Technologies Award

Oxford Innovation established the Awards in 2005 in honour of Sir Martin and Lady (Audrey) Wood, who co-founded Oxford Instruments plc and continue to support start-up and growing companies in Oxfordshire and beyond. The 2009 awards will be co-ordinated by Oxford Innovation with support from Science Oxford.

The Winners of the Martin & Audrey Wood Enterprise Awards 2007 with Sir Martin and (Lady) Audrey Wood.

Following the huge success of the 2007 ‘Martin & Audrey Wood Enterprise Awards’, celebrating excellence in business and innovation in Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley, the Awards are

The awards are open to companies, innovators and entrepreneurs located in Oxfordshire and the Thames Valley (Berkshire and Buckinghamshire). The 2009 Awards will have 5 categories and it is possible to enter more than one category: Best Information and Communication Technology Award Best Green Technology Award

The Martin & Audrey Wood Enterprise Awards Overall Winner 2009 How to enter The awards are free and straightforward for companies to enter. Simply download an entry form from the website: www.oxin.co.uk/enterpriseawards Workshops will be held to support entrepreneurs with skills training and advice on presenting and communicating their company’s success to a wider audience. Full rules and information can be found on the Oxford Innovation website. If you have any questions, please call Charlotte Wilde on +44(0) 1235 838537 or email c.wilde@oxin.co.uk .The closing date for entries is Thursday 9th April 2009.

To find out more about the range of services Oxford Innovation provides, call: 01235 838555. email: marketing@oxin.co.uk. web: www.oxin.co.uk.

www.b4-business.com

Contact details on page 100

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HOW RESILIENT IS OXFORD? We all like to think that Oxford is a bit special. That it has an invisible “fairytale” ring of steel around it which will protect us from the recession’s fiercest bite. Robin Swailes has been in the property business for long enough to give us a considered view of his own industry and his opinions on the Oxford economy for the future.

“I live in Oxford, I work in Oxford, and I’m involved in the property business in Oxford. North Oxford Property Services has been letting property in Oxford for eighteen years. We specialise in letting city centre property to professionals, academics and the student population.

“We are also building an Hotel in Banbury Road in 2009 and are presently renovating six really very attractive apartments at the bottom of Little Clarendon Street.”

So is your core market students?

“I suppose we work on yield really and return on investments. In our property letting business, we probably split the profile about 60% student, 40% professional”.

How many properties in total do you manage?

“We manage over 500 properties, nearly all are within the Oxford ring road and the majority are city centre.”

And are you looking to add to the portfolio?

“We are always looking to expand in different areas, specifically in the centre of Oxford where we often give guaranteed rental returns to landlords so there’s no risk for them, that’s a risk free package we offer, which in this market is very popular.”

What other services do you offer ?

“Search and acquisition for people wanting to invest in the Oxford residential market. Busy people who do not have the time to search the property papers, walk around the streets and view large numbers of properties. We get it right for them as we have the knowledge of what yields the highest returns.”

In terms of the market as it is now, people may be looking to rent as a bit of a bolt hole while they wait to upsize in terms of their own residence. Are you noticing a lot of new faces coming into the

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rental market?

“The rental market is definitely a lot busier. If people can’t sell, or people can’t buy, then by definition they need to rent. So we’re seeing rental from all sorts of areas. It’s a very interesting market – I’ve been investing in the property market for twenty-three years, and I’ve never seen the extremes that we are seeing today. But there are some opportunities – wherever there’s change, there’s opportunity, and the yields (return on investment) are growing significantly in Oxford. Returns were, in peak times, between 3-5%, and now they’re between 5-7%. So it’s becoming attractive to look at property again as an investment. “ Would you recommend buying property now ?

“There has never been a seven year period since records began that property has not increased in price over that period. Oxford has a shortage of property due to planning restrictions on build height. You will never see a building over 18.3 meters in the city centre it is simply NOT allowed. This is why there are no empty high rise buildings in Oxford compared with Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham and pretty much every other city centre in the UK. Oxford is a special place to invest.”

So would you buy now ?

“Selectively..........yes.

“There are some very motivated sellers around. If you are in for the long term then property will recover and with 7% returns available, property will continue to perform relatively well.”

Have you noticed a lot of competition coming into the market? Are you seeing a lot of people trying to muscle in unsuccessfully?

“If you look in The Oxford Times, the number of letting agents there now compared to the number that were there twenty years ago is a clear indication as to how the business has become a lot more competitive.

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B4 FINANCE “That’s not necessarily a bad thing, we have to be aware that service and results count, we run new letting campaigns each year, our team are well trained and we are efficient in the way we work. This shows through in our business, we have NO empty properties on our books, not many agents in Oxford can make such a claim. I think it can be a benefit to a business when there’s more competition.”

You mentioned that you’re branching into the hotel business.

“We’re into all sorts of property really - we’re building a hotel on the Banbury Road, opposite 333 which is the Oxford Conference Centre. We’ve done our market research and appraisals, it’ll be a 34 bedroom hotel, and we expect it to be very successful with a high occupancy rate.“ What facilities will it offer?

“Our research shows that hotel customers want quality at the right price. The hotel guest is becoming value-orientated and more discerning.

“It will have the facilities of a full hotel, it’ll be exclusive in some areas, we’ll have parking for over seventeen cars and free bicycle hire to help keep those cars out of the city once the guests arrive.”

Do you have any other ventures coming on stream for 2009?

“Well we’re doing a lot of refurbishment in the Jericho area, where apartments can give some very good paybacks in terms of rental returns. We’ve have just embarked on the refurbishment of a grand Victorian building at the end of little Clarendon Street.

“This is an area we recommend to our investor landlords, a terrific area, cafe culture with great restaurants. Properties in this area give Landlords a tremendous return on investment.”

And what are your views for the Oxford economy for the next five to ten years?

“I think I look at investments very carefully, and myself, I have a large property portfolio. I also have investments in stocks and shares, and some commodities. And it’s very important to understand where to invest over the next five to ten years. I think there are some interesting options out there.

“More money can be made in a downturn by the shrewd investor than in any boom market. A lot of opportunities will be coming our way in 2009 and I’m looking forward to sharing my opinions with B4 readers.”

Robin Swailes is not a regulated financial adviser. He does not operate as a financial adviser. His opinions in this and future articles of B4 are his own in his capacity as an Oxfordshire businessman.

Please seek advice from regulated financial advisers prior to committing to any form of investment.

Contact details on page 100

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

“It is more important than ever to have a portfolio spread. I shall be discussing some of my views on investments over the next few issues. In particular, commodities versus shares versus property and the likely impact of the ongoing credit crisis on these investments.

news Office Live: Big-company computing for small businesses A little bit of history There is a lot of ambiguity around the question “Who invented the computer?” From the ancient Chinese abacus to British scientist and inventor, Charles Babbage’s adding machine, there has been a lot of contenders for the title.

maintaining your website, if that’s what you’d prefer.

“There’s no point in me having a website if nobody’s going to visit me” Websites do need promotion- you might for example put your website address on your letterhead. In addition, Office Live allows you to create e-mail newsletters, encouraging repeat visits to your site.

You might not know the name Douglas Engelbart, but he’s probably responsible for the evolution of computers as we know them today. Before Douglas, computers required enormous technical knowledge to operate. He threw away the rulebook and invented the Graphical User Interface (or GUI), and a mouse to go with it. It’s thanks to Douglas we can point and click instead of telling our PC’s what to do using lines of code.

Making business easier So why the history lesson? All these inventions have enabled organisations to do business much faster and easier. For example, in the past five years, you’ve probably used the internet to research clients, buy products for your office from suppliers you didn’t even know existed, and send messages in seconds instead of days.

Not surprisingly, the internet is at the helm of connecting organisations with suppliers, manufactures and indeed customers. Whole business functions can now be delivered online, through your trusty web browser. This is especially beneficial for smaller businesses as it allows them to work and look like big businesses in a way they could not before.

“Too much of my essential information is filed away” From financial asset tracking to training schedules, Office Live takes care of the inevitable documentation necessary to run a business correctly- and stores it in one secure place.

range of business productivity tools and will be completely free.

“I have antivirus and internet security, but internally our documentation is hardly secure” Office Live has built-in password protections for individual areas of the service. Private documents can be opened to specific individuals, whilst prying eyes can be kept out.

Ten challenges Office Live can solve for your business “I never know where my employees are” With Office Live, calendars can be shared. You can make appointments safe in the knowledge that they can be kept.

“I spend too much time briefing customers, and not enough time doing the work”. Office Live’s collaborative web repositories allow you to give clients privileged access to project documents. They can watch projects develop in their own time, thereby saving yours.

“When I’m out of the office, I’m out of touch” Office Live email, diaries and projects are all accessible over the internet, so wherever you are, you won’t miss a thing.

“I’ve got several accounts and passwords for different services. It’s confusing, and so I write them down- which is a security risk” All Office Live tools run directly from Microsoft’s tried-and-tested “Passport” sign-in service. You only need to sign in once for each session, and you can use the same account as your Hotmail or Messenger addresses if you have them; there’s no need to learn another set of login details.

“Good sales leads often get forgotten” Office Live’s Contact Manager stores and reports on client status, giving everyone responsible for sales the information they need to manage customers effectively.

The world is rapidly moving online and it’s essential that Small businesses have a professional online image. Those businesses that do not have professional websites or business email addresses will get left behind, losing business on the way.

Advertising is moving online too, which further highlights the importance of having an online presence if SMEs are to benefit from the return on investment that can result from targeted online marketing.

“I’ve never got round to building a website” If you’ve always been too busy running your business to design a website, Office Live is the answer. You can be up-and-running within a few hours.

Microsoft Office Live Small Business is a complete set of easy to use and affordable internet software and services designed to help small businesses in the UK develop a professional online presence. Office Live provides small businesses with their own domain name, a Microsoft hosted web site and company branded email addresses, alongside a

“I’ve got a website, but it’s a bit dull. I’ve heard that lively sites with lots of changing content are expensive to produce” Office Live’s website creation tools are easy to use, so you can change your site’s content as regularly as you want. And because your site is managed in a controlled environment, other staff can be involved in

www.b4-business.com

The world of business is now all about sharing.

Office Live allows you to keep documents in a safe place online, with password access to the people who need it. With Office Live, you can share documents with clients in their own private area; or allow your staff access to work on documents at home. Online working is quick and simple to set up and manage, reliable and always accessible. It offers a more level playing field for SMEs to compete in today’s market and has therefore become the obvious choice for all small businesses wanting to succeed.

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WORKING TOGETHER Working locally with each other has always been at the forefront of Dave Beesley’s mind. As CEO of B-Line Business Supplies, Dave is better placed than most to talk about the benefits of working together. In Issue 3 of B4, Dave talked to B4 about how important it is for businesses to work together locally, not only to help their growth but to also tie in with the “green” drive.

“We want to keep the local economy as strong as possible – we want everyone to buy from each other locally, as much as possible. This will help employment, it will help local charities, from The Children’s Hospital, or the new Cancer Unit to the Youth Team at Oxford United. If we don’t support local companies, there is a knock on effect.

“Someone once told me that 75% of registered companies in Oxford dealt with solicitors and accountants out of the area. I just can’t get my head around that. There are lots of supply chains which use businesses out of the area, but I cannot fathom that when the parent company is outside of the UK, Oxford businesses still use that company. Surely the green issues come into play here – deliveries, executives flying all over the world?

“So how do we get local businesses to buy from each other? Hopefully we can get businesses to buy locally and from each other. That is our crusade and has been for many years – local businesses buying from local businesses.”

Mike Jennings, owner of Monument Business Park, joins Dave to back up this crucial drive. “We want to know what measures are in place to, for example, encourage District Councils to buy locally, because at present, we know there is no requirement for them to buy locally where they can. I will always support local businesses where I can and we should all do the same. It is good to see the Federation of Small Businesses have begun a national campaign to persuade the public sector to buy locally” The pairing of Dave’s B-Line and Mike Jennings’

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Monument Business Park was highlighted in issue 7 of B4 with a drive to buy stationery centrally from B-Line which meant one delivery and cut down on delivery costs – with the savings passed on to customers in cheaper supplies. “It has been tremendously successful with over thirty five out of seventy five of our tenants buying into this,” adds Mike, “The green consequences are immense – with one delivery for thirty five companies, the savings in delivery costs are huge.”

“I think there are further opportunities for bulk purchasing on Monument Park. We have always had a policy not to recommend products or services to our tenants, however, where we see the benefits, as we do with the B-Line stationery scheme, we will look at similar schemes, such as telephone lines, especially with the advent of VOIP, or waste recycling. Businesses

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B4 FEATURE have to have the creativity to come up with schemes which are of benefit to everyone.”

The re-launch of TBAC as a business counseling and mentoring service is another passion shared by Dave and Mike, as Mike commented, “We just want to help, and we have the experience and drive to help people get ahead in business. The old TBAC failed for various reasons, but we have the determination to make this work, without relying on public sector funding. This is our project, and we won’t let it fail.

“TBAC also lets business premises in Oxfordshire, and the aim is to increase the number these centres.

Profits generated fund the business mentoring service.

I am being offered small offices by businesses which are not using their space to the full, and this space is

have to do is move in and get on with your business.

TBAC make that process as simple and smooth as possible, enabling you to maximise your time generating business and profits. When you want to move out, you simply give TBAC a short notice period (to give them some time to find a new occupier) and then leave.

Offices start from 100sqft, suitable for one person, two at a squash! And prices start from £60 per week.

TBAC’s attitude, as landlords, is to support their licensees, even if their growth means they have to move out. Profits from the TBAC Centres are used exclusively to fund the TBAC Business Mentoring service, and the TBAC mentors are on hand to support our licensees at no cost.

vital for new businesses.

TBAC Business Centres are available at:

“What is important in these centres is the community aspect, and working together. Everyone mucks in and gets the shared jobs sorted which keeps the costs down. Imagine taking that concept to the smaller towns and villages.People who work from home often have limited contact with other businesses and such a centre could help form a great business community, where everyone can bounce ideas off each other and be, ultimately, more productive. Even though they might be separate businesses, they can work together as one unit.”

• • • • •

TBAC Centres Ltd (www.tbaccentres.co.uk) provide small serviced offices and workshops on monthly all-inclusive licenses suitable for small and start up businesses in premises throughout Oxfordshire. All you

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Osney Mead in Oxford St Clements in Oxford Woodside on Hinksey Hill, near Oxford Station Lane in Witney, near Church Green Nuffield Way in Abingdon

Watch for new TBAC Centres being opened in your neighbourhood.

TBAC Centres Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of TBAC (formerly Thames Business Advice Centre).

TBAC is a not for profit organisation set up over twenty years ago, and is dedicated to helping start up and small businesses throughout their first few years of business. A new free mentoring service is also available.

Offices and Workshops in TBAC Centres are offered on an easy in easy out basis by a monthly licence. The licence fee is inclusive of the following: • • • • • • • • •

Rent Business Rates Heat, light and power Building insurance Waste collection Cleaning of the common areas Kitchen Toilets, and most importantly Friendly, approachable managers

In most centres a telephone system and broadband are available, making moving in even easier.

Most centres do not have reception facilities as the resident businesses are perfectly happy to muck in and help out with things like sorting the post. This helps keep costs down, and promotes communication, which in turn helps to relieve the solitude sometimes associated with running a small business.

All of the profits from our Centres are used to support the new Business Mentoring service.

For more information, and a friendly chat, please contact TBAC on 01993 848770 or via the online enquiry form at www.tbaccentres.co.uk.

Contact details on page 100

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WHAT IF WHAT IF YOUR AGENT KEPT IN TOUCH YOU KNEW WE CARED WE KEPT THINGS SIMPLE

NOT SELLING ?

WE ARE

01865 515919

www.pinkandblackproperty.com info@pinkandblackproperty.com

14 Oakthorpe Road, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7BE

news Africa Business Forum Has Lift Off Oxford Brookes University Business School launched an African Business Forum on 5 November 2008 involving business entrepreneurs, students and academics across the region. The forum will be a networking focus for the African community in Oxford and will provide opportunities to learn about the commerce, economy and potential of Africa.

Contact: Dr. Sola Adesola, Senior Lecturer in Business and Management, Oxford Brookes University Business School.

Dr Sola Adesola (centre) with students at the First Africa Business Forum

Cricketeers Howzat!

Dr. Tony Lewis, recently retired from Oxford Brookes University Business School, is better known for the Duckworth-Lewis method, which is the statistical arbiter in the limited overs form of cricket, used worldwide to decide on what is required of two cricket sides in the case of an interruption to play caused by

bad weather or light.

Dr. Lewis used the time afforded by his retirement to complete his PhD on the impact of the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Enterprise journey ‘Lost in Translation’ An Oxford Brookes University Business School academic is warning the enterprise message is getting lost in the mainstream education system and has been ‘ghettoised’ in university business schools.

“The failure of universities to embed enterprise across the wider curriculum means that as students progress through the UK education system their understanding of enterprise and enterprising careers is centred predominantly on the act of starting up in business.

In a new paper, leading enterprise expert, Richard Beresford, argues that despite additional government funding there remains too big a gap between rhetoric and reality when it comes to enterprise education.

“Whilst this may indeed be an appropriate entrepreneurial outcome, it is only one such outcome and fails to offer parity of esteem to other equally entrepreneurial career paths.”

Beresford welcomes work to embed enterprise, understood as a broad set of capabilities and skills, within schools but says this commitment must be followed through to Further and Higher Education.

Beresford adds: “There’s a lot of rhetoric around enterprise and developing students’ enterprising capabilities, but I am concerned the broader purpose of enterprise education is effectively lost in translation across the UK education system.

He points to the challenge in the FE sector recently described as ‘high in aspiration but low in provision’ with less than 2 per cent engaged on enterprise modules.

Beresford calls for enterprise activities to be embedded across college and university curriculum, and not just predominantly in Business and vocational studies, arguing that unless more work is done in this area, students’ understanding of enterprise and enterprising careers is narrowed.

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“We need to broaden understanding so that enterprise is seen as more than creating a start-up. Developing key leadership, strategic and creative skills is vital in any career path…from education to health to science, business and more.

“In the current economic climate, enterprising skills and attributes are more important than ever, not just in the world of business but across the spectrum.”

Oxford Brookes University is taking active steps to promote enterprise beyond its Business School and in the wider education community through its Centre for Creativity and Enterprise (CrED).

Established in 2007 and led by Beresford, CrED is a unique, joint venture between the University’s Business School and its Westminster Institute of Education. The Centre is currently involved in a new pilot project to help make enterprise aspirations a reality within Further Education colleges.

Funded by National Endowment of Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), the aim is to build and foster a culture of enterprise and innovation in south-east FE colleges, and support staff in developing an enterprising vision for the future.

Practically, it will involve stimulating young minds; identifying enterprise champions; developing the enterprise syllabus; promoting new partnerships with employers and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships; and exploring new networks across FE colleges. Ultimately, it is hoped the project will be rolled out nationally.

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T H E

B E S T

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OX F O R D Info r m atio n Pa c k s fo r you r B u s i n e s s Vi s i t o r s Impress your customers, visiting members of staff and other guests with The Best In Oxford, our comprehensive guide to what we consider to be the best of Oxford. Brought to you by the publishers of In Oxford Magazine, with over seven years of experience in Oxford, we like to think we know a good restaurant when we see it, or a decent hotel or a great place to see.

Combine this with The Oxford Map and you have the perfect pack of information for your visitors.

With over 15,000 visitor packs distributed to University of Oxford conference departments for visiting delegates and a growing number of Oxfordshire businesses placing orders for 2009, make sure you reserve your copies.

+ =Just ÂŁ2.00 per pack

Call 01865 742211 to ask for a sample pack or place your order now No minimum orders, although discounts apply for bulk orders.

news Students can claim back an average of £100 It has been discovered that 69% of students attempt to stick at a budget while at university, but over a third of these admit they eventually fail.

However, over half make up for their lack of willpower with a part time job but many students may not be aware that they could be entitled to a tax refund from HMRC. The average is around £100, which is enough to buy cinema tickets every week for over a year, or some new music, paying for up to 120 downloads.

clothes, gig tickets or gym membership. Their biggest single expenditure is alcohol, on which students will spend an average of £15.60 a week.

Jane Frost, Director of HMRC Individuals Customer Directorate encourages all students to make sure they check the facts about tax, especially if they’re working, to make sure they don’t miss out on a vital tax refund. Those who haven’t already done so can check if they’re entitled to a tax refund by using HM Revenue & Customs’ tax refund calculator at: http://apps.facebook.com/uktaxrefundcalc/.

Research also found that once essentials such as fees, accommodation and food are paid for, students spend on average £82.20 per week on items such as

Help at hand for businesses needing extra support Those businesses who are suffering under the current economic conditions can now find help in the form of the new dedicated Business Payment Support Service which was recently launched by the Chancellor in the Pre-Budget Report.

HMRC Chief Executive, Lesley Strathie says she understands that ‘some businesses want to talk to us about the amount of time they need to pay their HMRC taxes’. The support service aims to make this easier and faster with the help of a HMRC officer who will listen and provide a solution tailored to specific circumstances.

This targeted support will give businesses a fast and streamlined service for arranging to pay their HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) tax bill to a timetable they can afford. In addition to this, HMRC will offer further practical help by not imposing additional penalties or surcharges on the tax within a time to pay arrangement.

The support line - tel 0845 302 1435 – will be open 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and from 8 am to 4pm at weekends.

VAT cut has big benefits for the East Midlands Traders and consumers in the East Midlands will get a £525 million boost when the cut in the standard rate of VAT comes into effect on Monday 1 December.

More than 1.8 million households and 127,000 businesses across the East Midlands will benefit from this, with money-saving examples including saving over £200 on a new car or £10 on a HD television.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Right Honorable Stephen Timms MP said: “I know that businesses in

the East Midlands are working incredibly hard to bring in the VAT cut. I would like to thank business people in the East Midlands for rising to the challenge of introducing this vital tax cut so quickly. As a result the local economy will receive a boost of some £525 million equivalent to £275 for the average household.”

Pensioners can claim tax back Many pensioners may be getting taxed much more than they need to be and could be entitled to a tax refund. This is happening because banks and building societies are required by law to deduct tax from the

interest on everyone’s savings before it is paid.

People over 65 who live in the UK can receive some tax free income - at least £9030 - a year. If their income is below their tax free amount and they have some money in a bank or building society they could be paying tax on their interest when they don’t need to.

All pensioners have to do is check whether they’re eligible to stop paying tax on their interest. If they don’t need to pay tax, they can then ‘register’ so that tax won’t be deducted from the interest on their savings in the future, by completing a simple form R85.

Double duty-free allowance for travelers returning to the UK Travellers can now bring back more than double the amount of gifts and souvenirs from outside the EU without paying UK duty. From today, the tax and duty-free allowance increases from £145 to £300, with a further increase to £340 in January to take account of recent changes in the sterling/euro exchange rate.

souvenirs, clothing, electrical goods and perfume.

Following a proposal from the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown to the European Commission in 2004, the Government is today announcing an increase to the allowance for what are known as ‘other goods’, which includes

Several other changes to the tax and duty free allowances which will also take effect on 1 December 2008 include the current allowance on perfume and eau de toilette being abolished. These products will now fall in ‘other goods’

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Travelers and holiday makers will also be able to bring back more alcohol, with a new allowance for beer of 16 litres and a doubling in the allowance of still wine, from two to four litres.

Contact details on page 100

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FAMILY TEAM Catherine Eddy One of the most respected and experienced divorce solicitors in the Thames Valley, consistently rated in the top band by her peers

Victoria Smith Approaches all cases with great clarity and a natural ability to see the result. Also one of the leading experts in Adoption

Jackie Phillips One of our associates with experience in dealing with both financial and children matters

Jane Aizlewood A senior solicitor who provides support to the rest of the team as well as dealing with finances on divorce

Mark Chapman Mark joined us this year from a firm in Boston and assists Catherine Eddy in much of her work

Emily Foy A newly qualified solicitor supporting Victoria Smith, whose work will also largely focus on surrogacy

Denise Pike A trainee legal executive working with both Jackie Phillips and William Selby-Lowndes

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To scene – are you a big team?

The Darbys Family team is one of the largest in the region, consisting of seven lawyers who do nothing but.

The team is highly successful and highly rated, recently being ranked in the top division in Chambers, the leading independent survey of the legal profession.

Please outline the range of work you undertake.

We cover the full legal spectrum in the area of Family law including divorce and the financial elements that go with it. This also includes disputes between people living together. We have extensive experience of working with matters involving children, particularly if people are relocating overseas or moving to new areas, and the complex areas of adoption. Much of our work relates to owner-managed and family businesses. In those cases, or where for example our client is a majority shareholder in a business, from a legal perspective that requires expert knowledge in business law.

What are the effects of divorces when a business is involved?

More people nowadays run their own businesses compared to ten years ago. Until around 2000, the view was that if you had a divorce where there was a family business you didn’t slay the golden goose that produced the family income, which often left the business completely untouched. But now it’s different. The court

the economy has never been a major factor in people’s decisions about divorce. However with declining property prices and business assets, a whole new approach has to be undertaken. I recently read a prediction that there will be a reduction in divorce in the recession, because wives are now on a more level playing field where family finances and the economy at large is concerned, compared to say thirty or forty years ago. As a result, they may choose to delay a divorce by waiting for the value of assets to increase to ensure they get a better payout. The counter argument is that husbands will see a recession as a better time to divorce, precisely because there will be less money to give away at the end of it. At Darbys we have seen a definite increase in this work in recent months. This might partly be due to the recession but it’s certainly as well to do with us going from strength to strength, despite the current state of the economy.

Is litigation becoming a thing of the past?

No it isn’t - but we try to avoid litigating cases as much as possible. All of our team is a member of ‘Resolution’, an organisation which outlines a code of conduct for Family lawyers to follow, in order to approach every case with a view to striking a deal as opposed to going to court.

Three of us are also trained collaborative lawyers, which is the new way of resolving disputes where the solicitors and the clients sign a contract at the start of the case –

“This means that now a business is not only looked at as an income generator, but also as a capital generator.” starts with a 50/50 split of everything as the ‘yardstick of equality’. This means that now a business is not only looked at as an income generator, but also as a capital generator. We often have to look at the liquidity of the business, what the capital state of the business is and on whether there are any spare assets that might be sold.

Other factors depend on whether it’s a family partnership – that is, a husband and wife partnership that is likely to change depending on who the driving force is.

In many cases both parties are classed as the driving force behind the business. Other factors we need to consider are whether there are any non-family shareholders and what the bank will think of any restructuring. These are complex matters and it’s crucial to the client that their solicitor has thorough knowledge of company law and practice. Thankfully at Darbys we have eleven other specialist legal teams whose knowledge we can draw upon for cases that extend beyond our area of Family law. This gives us a distinct advantage over other law firms. As an example, we might work with our Corporate and Property law specialists which ultimately benefits our clients by broadening the levels of expertise they receive.

With the climate as it is now, businesses are potentially decreasing in value. Is it better to divorce in a climate when assets are less valuable?

We all know nobody can predict the future, particularly where the economy is concerned. But in my experience,

to say they will not use court proceedings a any stage in order to resolve their differences.

American films always show couples trying to score points against each other, but here in the UK we try to be more cooperative. We want an agreement that works for our client, not one that doesn’t. By using methods of collaboration, mediation and negotiation, we aim to come up with the right agreement most suited to our client, as opposed to one that the court has imposed on them. By working with the right solicitor, anyone going through divorce can find out what works best for them in their situation.

Have you ever had couples reconcile their differences?

Yes we have. In-fact, a member of my team recently received an email from a client saying ‘Thank you for your brilliant advice. My wife and I are now very happy.’ If it is going to happen though, we want our clients to divorce with as much dignity as possible. It is not for no reason that our advertisements show a couple each holding a child’s hand above the slogan “newly divorced couple” – it can work out very well for all concerned, including the children.

Contact details on page 100

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

B4 LEGAL

HEAD OF THE FAMILY

With divorce rates on the increase in the UK, divorce legal services are in high demand. Richard Rosser spoke to William Selby-Lowndes, Head of the Family team at Oxford’s leading law firm Darbys, on the subject of divorce and how it impacts on businesses.

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CHELTENHAM

RIDES OUT THE ECONOMIC STORM Despite wind, rain, and world-wide recession, Andy Clifton says there’s no better time to spend a day at the races.

Taylor Leonard reports for B4.

The stands were empty and the track was pristine when B4 stopped for a chat with Andy Clifton, the racecourse’s Communications Manager. The calm, quiet of the day only illuminated the prestige and luxury that is Cheltenham. Words by Taylor Leonard, interview by Richard Rosser.

However, the stands were anything but calm last season when the Wednesday of the ever-popular Festival was cancelled due to wind.

“I think some people over the years have almost started to think that Cheltenham was invincible. They so look forward to those four days in March. They think, ‘Whatever happens, nothing will get in the way of Cheltenham.’ It was a bit of a shock to the system, for those people in particular, that the wind stopped

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us racing. It was a freak occurrence. It was gusting above sixty mph during the evening. We have planned to make sure it doesn't affect us next year if it comes again.

“We managed to get all of the races back on, and the people that were here won’t forget Thursday and Friday. With ten and nine races respectively, it was quite a marathon! We could only run the postponed races with the hard work of the sponsors, jockeys, trainers, and owners. And the right horses won; Denman and Kauto Star first and second in the Gold Cup was the dream result. That’s the race that everyone had been looking forward to for almost twelve months. So the fact that that happened, and that they both got around in one piece, and then finished first and second...was great. We even had people saying ‘Can’t we have a

day off in the week next year?’ Hopefully that won’t be the case. Touch wood it will be sunny, warm, and calm next March.”

With such high performances displayed at a breakneck pace, The Festival has a lot to live up to for the 2009 season. There are currently twenty-six races planned, with seven race cards on Wednesday and Friday, and six race cards on Tuesday and Thursday.

“We'd like to think that at the top level, we have every type of horse catered for. The very best long-distance chasers will run in the Gold Cup, which is just in excess of three and a quarter miles. The very best fast chasers will run in the Queen Mother Champion Chase, which is over two miles.”

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B4 FEATURE So if adding a fourth day has been such a success for The Festival, why not add a fifth?

“We always say, ‘Never say never,’ here. There are certainly no plans in the immediate future to have a five-day Festival. Equally, there are some people that say, ‘Well you should move the Festival to either a five-day or a Wednesday to Saturday, so that more people can race.’ I understand that view, but you know, Gold Cup day on a Friday is a sell-out and running Tuesday to Friday makes The Festival one of the premier events during the year.

“Racing here is a national event. We get thousands and thousands of people coming from London and all over.

People forget that actually it's only a couple of hours from London. Equally we're an hour away from Birmingham, and an hour or less from Oxford. We're very lucky and guard the fact jealously that Cheltenham holds a special place in people's hearts. It's a partly the history. It's partly the quality of the racing. It's partly the natural amphitheatre. When you’re in the stands and look out, you see the racecourse with the Cotswold Hills in the background. It's a magical place.

“There's just something unique about it. People travel form far and wide to come. Even people that couldn't

in the days leading up to racing, particularly at the less busy meetings. With just seventeen days of racing at Cheltenham's eight race meetings and a 350 acre plot at their disposal” How is the site used during the times when there is no racing?

“There's a lot of preparation and caretaking of the racing surface itself because if the racing surface isn't right, we won't get the best horses. The racing won't continue to grow in terms of standard, and you start losing the confidence of people. You get smaller fields, and no one wants to come and watch six, four-runner races. They want to watch some competitive racing. So the initial focus is getting what's happening on the track right first, and then everything else flows from that.”

Cheltenham is home to The Centaur, the largest conference and exhibition space between Birmingham and Bournemouth. It has hosted ‘Cats’ the musical, Jools Holland, Julie Walters, Roger Moore, Frank Skinner, and John Barrowman, among others.

“We have all sorts of companies coming in to do their conferences. Obviously in the grandstand itself we have all sorts of big boxes that are ideal for breakout

“For those four days, it's probably not an exaggeration to say Cheltenham is the centre of the sporting world.” give a monkey's about racing from one year to the next, they still wouldn't miss The Festival. It's a week that so many people look forward to for so long. For those four days, it's probably not an exaggeration to say Cheltenham is the centre of the sporting world.

Everyone knows that that second week in March is Cheltenham. The popularity of it just keeps continuing to grow.

“A lot of businesses have been coming here for years and years, bringing clients and partners or staff to entertain them. It's the one thing that a lot of these companies do now. We appreciate it in difficult times.

The day everyone was calling Black Monday in February of last year was our best day of the whole season for corporate hospitality sales. But clearly the business world is a very different place than it was a few months ago and there are going to be companies that are looking harder at what they're spending.

“The early signs in terms of how it's affecting us haven’t come through yet. In some ways the ticket sales are well up on last year. On the hospitality side, we'll probably be about 10% down on where we were at this same stage last year. That doesn't mean to say that's how it will end up. I think we'll still do fine next March. It's an iconic event that everyone still wants to be involved in if they possibly can. We've got a huge range of entertaining, dining, and hospitality facilities. If you want to slot in the Panoramic Restaurant on Gold Cup day, you're talking about £650 a head plus VAT. Then there are some nice restaurant packages for five times less than that.

“There is a long task list for setting up for each race meeting and some of that preparation takes weeks or even months, but a significant proportion will be done

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meetings. There are two large, permanent restaurants that can house dinners or events, so it’s a very flexible space. It's far enough away that you're out of the working environment, but it's not too far that people are going to have to get up at five o'clock in the morning to get here if you're just doing something for the day. It’s nice to be on your break at lunchtime, wander out to the front of the grandstands, and just look at that view on a sunny day. People like being in a space that's not all about wheeling the next conference in and wheeling the next conference out.

It's just a little bit different. I think companies are increasingly cognoscent of what they're spending their conference and events money on so they can get somewhere that's a little bit different, that people will remember. That's half the battle.

“Working in racing isn’t a job, it's a way of life. If you don't love racing, then you'd soon get pretty fed up working evenings and weekends, but if you love it, then you're lucky to be paid to work doing what you love doing. I've been working here for just under two years, but I've been coming here for twenty. I'm in a fortunate position where I've been here as a sponsor, an annual member when I was at University in Birmingham, a paying punter, and just about anything you care to mention. I'm a huge sports fan and I go to lots of different sporting events. I would say this anyway because I work here, but I've been saying this for 25 years. Cheltenham’s just got a buzz about it that's unique in my experience. If I wasn't working here, there's nowhere else I'd be. I'd be here. If you haven't been here, try and make it for at least a day and experience it. It's a special place, and it's a special place to bring people to as well.”

ENTERTAINING & HOSPITALITY High above the main grandstand, the Panoramic Restaurant offers the best views of the surrounding countryside.

The Horseshoe Pavilion offers all the convenience of close proximity to shopping, the parade ring, and viewing lawn. The four course lunch also comes with the option to upgrade to seats in the Guinness Grandstand.

The Gold Cup Restaurant is one of the most popular at The Festival. The Chef’s Table or Grand Buffet lets patrons dine on what they want when they want it.

Large parties wanting to be near the action will find a home in the Champion’s Drive Restaurant. It has been relocated for 2009 to the midst of the Guinness Village.

The Festival Restaurant offers a traditional atmosphere with a four course lunch and silver service.

The Moscow Flyer offers both a morning and an afternoon sitting, a perfect option for those who prefer an early lunch followed by an afternoon of racing.

Ideal for large corporate parties, the Glass Fronted Boxes with Balcony accommodate 40 people for lunch and 50 for a buffet.

Hi-Lux Chalets put viewers right in the action where they can see the horses leave for the starting line and watch winners return to the parade ring.

Chalets are ideal if you want to experience the excitement of the stands, but need an occasional reprieve in privacy. They accommodate 24 for lunch or 32 for buffet.

For more information or to book, call 01242 537 653.

TWO TICKETS FOR

C H E LT E N H A M

F E S T I VA L See page 48 for a great chance to bid for two Champions Drive Tickets on the first day of the Festival. Worth over £600.

The Buzz, the Excitement, the Anticipation

Contact details on page 100

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B4 are offering two lucky B4 readers a pair of Champion's Drive Restaurant packages for day one of the 2009 Cheltenham Festival.

The roar of the crowd as the tapes rise for the first race of the Festival each year tells you everything you need to know - 12 months of waiting is over!

Located opposite the unique atmosphere of the Guinness Village, Champions Drive is a vibrant restaurant in the middle of the racing action with easy access to facilities and viewing.

Champions Drive Restaurant at The Festival Admission ticket & Club badge Car label (1 per 2 people) Racecard Table for the day Champagne Reception Morning Coffee 4 course luncheon Afternoon tea Complimentary Bar (excluding Champagne) B4 bids accepted for £200 (to cover two packages) and above.

Submit your bid at www.b4-business.com Closing bids accepted Friday 6th February.

To secure tickets at any time and bypass the bidding process, please call 01865 742211 to confirm your offer of £600 or above, including VAT at 15%, at any time.

Please note Cheltenham Racecourse terms and conditions apply.

Only have two packages available.

To be alerted to future offers from Cheltenham Racecourse and other B4 clients, please register your interest by subscribing to the B4 e-Newsletter on the B4 website.

B4

Offers

Bid for two packages to Day One of the 2009 Cheltenham Festival, worth over £600

B4 PROPERTY

KIRTLINGTON BUSINESS CENTRE MODERN BUSINESS IN AN HISTORIC SETTING - THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS When owners Sally and James Nicholson were considering how best to develop the historic Kirtlington Park Estate site, close to Oxford, they were adamant that, whatever else they did, it would be something a little bit different and carried out to the highest standards. Two years and a lot of hard work later and the result is The Kirtlington Business Centre - a top quality office development, in a terrific business environment.

The Kirtlington Business Centre combines the best of both worlds. A modern, environmentally sensitive business location built to the highest standards, yet set in an historic rural location close to Oxford and all major transport routes.

The development has been carried out to provide very contemporary space but in a way that preserves the history of the Estate. Combining quality heritage restoration work has retained many original features and brings together the centuries with design-led architectural style and state-of-the-art finishes and fittings. www.b4-business.com

With a view to preserving and sustaining not just the buildings but also the environment, this innovative development has green credentials at its core by using recycled materials. In addition, heating to the offices is provided by a ground source heat pump and rainwater is harvested for recycling.

The hard work injected into the scheme has borne fruit with to new lettings before completion of the scheme, defying the general economic uncertainty including a letting of 4,500 sq ft to GN Resound Limited.

GN Resound Ltd is part of the Copenhagen based GN Great Nordic group and is a world leader in the hearing instrument technology market. They have now moved the offices from Weston on the Green to a 4,600 sq ft barn conversion on the Kirtlington Estate to deal with the continued company growth.

The company looked at various office buildings before committing to the Kirtlington estate mainly due to the combination of the quality of the building, plentiful car parking, as well as the

proximity to their existing manufacturing operation.

Tom Barton of letting agents VSL and Partners comments ‘The old adage of ‘‘quality sells’’ still holds true, no matter what the market conditions.

To persuade occupiers to relocate in the current market requires a really special building and the combination of the environment and quality of the refurbishment to the buildings at Kirtlington really justifies the effort and time the Nicholsons have put into the development.’

Barn A is now the only unit remaining and comprises a total of 5,604 sq ft which is divisible into self contained suites from 371 sq ft upwards.

More information can be found at www.kirtlingtonbusinesscentre.co.uk or by contacting Tom Barton at tbarton@vslandp.com or 01865 848488.

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B4 BEYOND When you count Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou amongst your clients and Stuart Harrison’s phone rings, the potential customer had better be on top of his game. Stuart Harrison doesn’t suffer fools gladly and if you need his help, he has standards – he doesn’t take on just anyone. Richard Rosser met a man in demand and very much in control to understand how he created the rock solid brand for Witney Lakes Resort.

As owner of The Profitable Hotel Company, the irony is that Stuart doesn’t own a hotel, profitable or otherwise! He has made his mark in the hospitality industry to introduce strategic process and stimulate thought for today’s answers and tomorrow’s success. Stuart’s website explains how his team offer resources for business planning, sales structures and targeted segmentation, focused marketing, product positioning, brand led solutions, training and recruitment. And Witney Lakes Resort has enjoyed the benefit of Stuart’s thirty years in the hospitality industry in Stuart’s capacity as a director and shareholder of the company.

Prior to Stuart’s arrival, I enjoyed a coffee in The Health Club Bistro, and it soon became obvious that Witney Lakes Resort wasn’t just a health club with a golf course and bits and bobs added to it. It was a community.

Everyone seemed to know everyone! But it is a protected community –

day out, that the resort offers tremendous service, and the staff are wonderful. Take the kitchen brigade, for example. They are the most consistent and long-serving kitchen team I have known in this industry.

Sean Parker has been here since day one as an Executive Director of the Resort. I get a real buzz from just going in to the kitchen and talking with the team.

“Just to see the sum of various parts at the Resort being the strength, and elevating Witney Lakes Resort has been wonderful to watch. Quite quickly the Club established itself in West Oxfordshire, and most clubs and associations would have their annual functions here – it was an obvious location for them to come to. But we needed to get the message across to the rest of Oxfordshire, simply because of the size of the resort, it is huge. And having Witney Lakes Resort as our title has helped us to do this.

“So now when you arrive, all the way from the curb, up the drive to the Resort, you are seeing a consistency of message. Be this the logo or the directional signs, or the colour of the branding. And this has really excited me, to see this all come together and visibly experience the team coming together, slotting their own individual parts of the resort into the overall jigsaw – it has been a great fit!

“…..this has really excited me, to see this all come together…..” when Stuart arrives, I tell him that I very nearly didn’t get in and he is delighted to hear it! “Great! That means they’re doing their job! Why have memberships if anyone can walk in off the street and get the benefits of membership without paying the fees? Why should anyone be able to come in and have a coffee with this view?”

“We have also been very clear on our policies. A great example of this is that this is an adults only resort – a powerful unique selling point. That has always been the policy – it sets Witney Lakes apart from other similar clubs and resorts. It is a sanctuary – many of our members will have kids, but this is their escape. We are not saying it is right or wrong, it is our policy and it works.

So how has Witney Lakes Resort created this community?

“When I became involved with Witney Lakes, four years ago, one of the things that really impressed me was the loyalty of the membership to the different parts of the resort. Members would talk about Witney Golf Club, Greens Restaurant, Water’s Edge and The Business Centre, and it struck me that what they were really talking about was Witney Lakes Resort. I felt that we didn’t really get the full impact of the totality of what was available, and the resources that were here to serve the Oxfordshire community.

“And so we began a process of looking at how to re-brand all of those elements into the resort itself. We began by looking at the journey from the curb to whatever part of the resort you were coming to. I thought that the use of the Oxfordshire flower in the logo should be strengthened, so we looked at how we could put a twenty-first century image onto the fritillary (the flower of Oxfordshire) to make it a very clean cut, brand image logo. We then looked at how we could take the colour of the resort and make sure that we were consistent all the way through, rather than have variants of the colour and use of the logo.

“And so all of the separate parts of the resort subsumed into the strength of what Witney Lakes Resort was, and that is indeed how we ended up with the name, Witney Lakes Resort. And the message over the last two years has been “come and be aspirational, come and have your meetings, come and play golf, come and get fit, come and have a spa, all at Witney Lakes Resort”.

“The other thing about branding, of course, is that it is all about the promise and it’s all about the offering. It’s not hard edged and should never be hard edged. If it is, you end up living behind something static, which is in itself inanimate. I have always thought, consistently day in and

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“We have also had to educate the members that there are other aspects to the resort, over and above whichever one attracted them to the resort in the first place. The restaurant has been a great success. I personally believe that it is one of the best value restaurants in Oxfordshire. It delivers, regularly, an exceptionally high level of service and quality, at a phenomenal price.

“And we are now combining the services we offer to attract new business – for example, use of the business facilities, plus a round of golf or use of the spa.”

As we brace ourselves for a bumpy economic ride, how will you adapt what you know to help Witney Lakes Resort and your other clients?

“I recently gave a speech to local hoteliers, restaurants, attractions and other independent businesses at the Oxfordshire Cotswolds Tourism Forum, and I explained how we can navigate through these unchartered waters. We have never been in a situation like this in thirty-five years. In tourism and hospitality, we have never, ever seen it like this before.

“We have had recessions, the Lockerbie disaster, the six day war, 9 / 11, SARS, foot and mouth, Nixon and Watergate, the shame of America’s traveling, ups and downs with the exchange rate, but never this. But I have a five point plan as to how to deal with this climate, and if you can focus on these, you have a good chance of pulling through: Great Service: Must be improved – this is vital. Without great service, you are not going to get customers talking about you to their circle of contacts.

Great Product: Take the time to re-shape it, to give it a “lick of paint”,

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B4 FEATURE

STUART HARRISON UNCHARTERED WATERS

whatever your product is. During the last recession, when I was at Marriott, we didn’t close or close off a floor, we just asked our staff to do different things.

Analysis: We all have the information we need to hand to improve our business, it is just a case of drilling down and understanding to a segmentation of one. We really need to understand the purchasing power of the person. We need to analyse that and ensure we secure the repeat business from our existing customers.

Pricing: We do not understand how to get our pricing right.

We do not do it scientifically. Most of us have come from an historic point of view. We may have had a price ten years ago, we added a bit for inflation and a bit more and then the finance director would say we have invested in a new conservatory restaurant and he needs a five year return on capital employed, so we would add on another £2 to our rooms. That’s fine – that might work in some cases.

Web: Remember in this speech I was talking to small businesses – guest houses, small hotels, restaurants, attractions, independents etc….

There is a presentation I do called “the five great levelers” where I show how the independents can match the brands.

And the fifth one is the web. The great thing about the web is that it has put the small operator on a level playing field with the bigger operators. And if you understand today the power of the web and what you should be putting into the web, and investing in it and really working that, and at the same time acknowledge that the consumer is in control of the web, then you can compete.

Reinforcing and maintaining the brand must be crucial, especially now.

“I am very passionate about my understanding of brands.

Here at Witney Lakes we have evolved into a number of excellent services like the restaurant, golf club and health club. But the composite name of all these parts, the ethos, was to deliver Witney Lakes Resort as a whole experience.

Then you have to clean that up – what’s the message, what’s the strapline, what are the differentials, i.e. an adults only resort. You then have to look at the clarity of the message, what is the brand image, does it change, who is the guardian of the brand standard – who is the gatekeeper of the brand?

So now, whatever anyone does which is public facing, I stand in the gate to make sure I am happy with how it looks. We have a brand standards manual to explain how the logo should look, what the colours are. This consistency of message then enables us to deliver a consistent product and service when the customer experiences the resort, and in that respect, the Resort is complete.”

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

“We must maintain the brand, after all brand essence, the intangibles that people associate with their experience, is a massive hook for repeat custom. Branding is like strategy and most people don’t know what they are talking about when it comes to strategy. You hear people bandying about the word strategy without understanding the difference between objectives, strategy and actions. And this is also the case with branding. You hear individuals talking about having a brand when so often they don’t have a brand. It is down to me to challenge my customers – are you really building a brand or is it really a group, or a collection or just a name?

CONFERENCE CENTRE OXFORD

Image Audio Visual Solutions are an established Oxfordshire based audio visual solutions integrator and installer.

When Andy Fegan, a director of Image, received a call from Steve Coles of CVP (Oxford) Ltd (see B4 Issue 9) inviting him to a meeting with Roger Watts, Managing Director of Conference Centre Oxford, to discuss Roger’s plans to create a leading edge Conference Centre in the heart of Oxford, Andy knew immediately that he wanted his company to be involved in this project.

At the initial meeting with Roger where he outlined

provide the greatest level of exposure to the facilities

Roger’s own vision for the premises, but delivered

his vision and what he was looking to create at

of the conference centre, which included public access

beyond his own expectations. With all key partners

Conference Centre Oxford, Andy knew this would

areas within the conference centre itself, as well as

present, it was agreed that the conference centre

be one of the most exciting projects Image would

customer facing areas which could be viewed by

would be equipped with a Sony video conferencing

have been involved in during their fifteen year

pedestrians passing by the conference centre in Park

system, Sony high brightness ceiling mounted

history. “The fact that Roger wanted to draw on our

End Street, on foot and also in passing vehicles.

projectors with mirror mounts, Hitachi interactive touch

knowledge and experience to assist him in

screen panels, and Creston room control systems.

producing a facility without rival, not just in Oxford,

After coming up with a solution which Image felt would

but most probably across the whole of the Thames

meet the aspirations of the client, they then needed to

The centre has been further complemented with the

Valley region, was an opportunity not to be

demonstrate to Roger how each item of equipment

installation of a digital signage system, which is based

missed” Andy further commented, “It’s not every

would integrate with each other and be used in a way

upon the NetTop box platform produced by Henley

day that you are given a blank canvass to partner

to ensure they provided the widest range of usability

based developer OneLan, linked to 14 Sony 40” LCD

“This emphasized the importance that Roger and his team had placed in all of the partners who have been involved.” in a project where you are able to be so influential

any incoming client would need to stage an event. A

public display flat panel monitors strategically placed

in the decision making process of exactly what

meeting was set up at Image’s presentation suite at

in the Atrium, corridors and breakout areas of the

equipment should be integrated into such an

their offices at Harwell Science & Innovation Campus,

conference centre, as well as three units placed within

exciting project”.

near Didcot in South Oxfordshire.

the building, but facing out into Park End Street.

Image’s first task was to deduce from Roger an

Andy commented “What most impressed me about

Andy concluded, “This has been one of the most

understanding of the type of venue he was looking to

the demonstration day was the array of personnel

satisfying projects Image has been involved in because

create, a client profile he was looking to attract and the

Roger invited to attend. This included not only Roger

of how the client engaged us and took on board our

different style of events he was looking to stage.

and his staff, but other partners involved in the project,

comments and recommendations. This has been a job

Following this briefing, Image’s next task was to

including representation from the main building

that our staff and I can feel extremely proud of. As a

uncover what equipment and facilities were available

contractor as well as representatives from the electrical

local company which has carried out a wide variety of

at other conference venues in the area to ensure that

contractor and the company providing the IT

installations at premises as diverse as car factories,

their proposal provided for a unique and unrivalled

infrastructure. This emphasized the importance that

university buildings and local councils, we are delighted

facility within Oxford and the surrounding area.

Roger and his team had placed in all of the partners

that Roger decided to involve us, and we truly believe

who have been involved in this project, that he has

that this is a legacy project with built-in equipment

Extensive research allowed Andy and his team to

embraced their views and opinions as part of the

future proofing that will be appreciated by users and

design a solution which matched Roger’s vision and

decision making process for all aspects of the project.”

visitors to Conference Centre Oxford for many years to

would

include

Interactive

technology,

come.”

video

conferencing communications, concealed ceiling

The individual equipment demonstrations provided the

mounted projection systems, and a digital signage

“Wow Factor” which Roger was hoping for and

system. The system took into account the different

provided him and the team with the confidence that

locations where flat panel displays could be erected to

the equipment proposed by Image not only met

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B4 CONFERENCE

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B4 LEGAL

GETTING BLOOD OUT OF A STONE Retrieving debt from customers can be like getting blood out of a stone, particularly during hard times when there’s less cash available to pay off debtors. Victoria Wright, Commercial Litigation Law Specialist at Darbys, advises on how to increase your chances of sustaining cash-flow and how a committed solicitor could make all the difference to your business.

In today’s volatile climate, cash collection is of paramount importance to any business. Even previously established working relationships between suppliers seem to be suffering. So what do you need to do to help ensure your business recovers money from your customers?

The first key to avoiding bad debts is to be careful as to whom you extend credit to and how much you extend to them. It is therefore crucial that a proper account-opening system is put in place for your business. By doing so, full information about the debtor and their business is collected, a credit check is carried out and your terms and conditions are incorporated into your dealings with that customer which goes a long way to avoiding problems later. It is also during the account-opening stage, that you should let the customer clearly see what your credit terms are and what your credit control policy is.

Next, having set out your credit control policy, you should stick to it religiously.

You should also have an efficient system in place, to identify as soon as invoices become unpaid. In my experience, the longer you leave it to chase a debt, the longer it will be before you get paid.

If your invoice is not paid within the terms set out on your invoice, you or your solicitor [we do free seven-day letters for members of our BLUE legal support scheme] should write to the debtor and demand payment within seven days.

You should also address the question of whether you are going to carry on supplying to that customer – as a customer that doesn’t pay for one delivery ought not get another. I have rarely seen a supplier benefit from helping a customer out of a bad-patch as it usually leads to throwing good money - after bad.

If no response is received to your seven-day letter, you have a choice – to be flexible and give more credit on the one-hand, or to take legal action immediately.

partnership, a sole trader or a private individual? It’s not only about knowing your customer at the outset – it’s about watching them as time moves on. When is their year-end? And did they make a profit?

The second type of legal action is a statutory demand, which is a formal demand for payment. We charge £200 for the preparation and service of this which can be money very well spent. If the debtor does not pay within 21 days, you can petition for a company to be wound-up or for an individual to be made bankrupt. This method is only suitable where the debt is undisputed.

A Statutory Demand can often result in quick payment, however, if this doesn’t do the trick, you have to decide whether or not to ‘press the button’ and to move on to the winding up or bankruptcy stage.

The other option is normal Court proceedings. If you have a fail-safe proof-of-delivery system and your terms and conditions were introduced at the outset stating how complaints or returns should be dealt with, you can make it very hard for the debtor to raise any defence to your claim. Also, if promises to pay are made by the debtor, make sure that they are recorded formally in writing so there can be no dispute about the goods or services later on. Using these tools, even if the debtor tries to raise some sort of defence, you can still get a quick judgement against them.

That judgement, however, is just a piece of paper – so you need to convert it into cash using one of the two main groups of enforcement tools.

The two main groups of enforcement tools are DIRECT and INDIRECT. Such methods include getting payments made to you directly from the debtors employer or bank, or, making them sell property or land to repay the money they owe. Or as already mentioned, a petition can be filed to wind up their business or to make them bankrupt.

There are two final keys to successful debt recovery. The first, is a good working relationship with a firm of solicitors, that kicks into action as soon as you ask, (with a pricing structure which means all your costs can be claimed from the debtor, which our BLACK system offers). It is worth its weight in gold to our clients.

That legal action can be one of two ways. You can start Court proceedings in the usual way, or you can serve your debtor with a statutory demand.

Second - determination. Keep chasing your debtors relentlessly. Doing what you say you will when you say you’ll do it, will ensure that the debtor will put you to the front of their payment queue!

In either case, you have to know your debtor and this is where the information obtained at the account-opening stage is important. Are they a limited company, a

To speak to Victoria about any of these issues that may be affecting your business, contact her on 01865 811700 or email: vwright@darbys.co.uk.

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B4 PROPERTY

CORNBURY

PARK

GOD MADE THIS PLACE FOR US….AND 20 BUSINESSES… Cornbury Park is the family home of Lord and Lady Rotherwick near Charlbury in Oxfordshire. The Estate includes 1,500 acres of the ancient Wychwood Forest which is one of the few private forests in Oxford. The Latin inscription above the fascade of the Palladian style manor house sums up the location aptly…’God made this pleasant place for us’…and more recently businesses have also been able to benefit from this superb location.

Cornbury Park first started to diversify into commercial accommodation in 1998 with the conversion of the stunning, 10,000 sq ft Grade II Listed Stable Block.

In 2000 came the development of former stud and dairy buildings called Southill comprising 12 individual buildings from 500 – 3,000 sq ft. In 2002, Manor Park Barns, a collection of four Cotswold stone barns were converted at a site near Finstock. Now, in 2008, the development continues with the construction of a new office comprising 8,000 sq ft. One floor of 4,000 sq ft is already under offer. Rents on the Park are £15.95 per sq ft and the Estate will consider flexible lease arrangements.

The Park is a fantastic business setting and the perfect location for small and medium enterprises who value high quality office accommodation that helps create a unique environment for its employees. Tom Barton of marketing agents VSL and Partners has been involved with the Park from the beginning.

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‘The variety of businesses attracted here is amazing, from US medical companies to the latest tenant Horsequest, a specialist equine internet company. It is a unique estate and working environment, yet the Charlbury train station can still whisk you to London in less than one hour.’

The Estate is also endeavouring to change with the times. three new sustainable energy projects are planned aiming to power local businesses and the fifty residential properties within the Estate. Lord Rotherwick explains ‘We have historic natural assets at Cornbury which we can harness to generate our own electricity, helping us to reduce our carbon footprint and be more self sufficient’. The projects include hydro, biomass and wind turbine projects which are all in their initial planning stages.

Combining modern facilities with a peaceful and beautiful environment has proved a winning formula with over twenty companies located within the Estate occupying accommodation from 500 to 10,000 sq ft. The number of occupiers on the Estate means that there is continuous business interaction between various occupiers which is relatively unusual for a rural Office scheme.

More information can be found at www.cornburypark.co.uk or from Tom Barton at VSL and Partners on 01865 848488.

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WENN TOWNSEND –

ABINGDON OFFICE

Established in 1999, Eagle Technologies has emerged as the leading trade only supplier of desktop plastic card printers, badging software, consumables, reseller support services and lanyards/holders.

office in Europe and, more recently, a joint card manufacturing venture in the USA where it now provides a range of standard PVC credit card size cards, and its successful Plus-Card Bio™ range of biodegradable plastic cards.

Eagle printers are used for a multitude of on-demand card printing applications, for example, Photo ID, Membership, Loyalty, Gift and Discount Cards (to mention just a few). Their printers can also encode magnetic stripes and/or smart chips.

Continuous growth brings growing pressures and Eagle’s resident company accountant finds herself regularly needing additional practical support.

Assistance is just an email or telephone call away, and Wenn Townsend excel every time. Eagle requires a dynamic, innovative and professional partner that is personally familiar in the area of fast growth.

Launching its Revolution Range™ of simple plug and print solutions has enabled Eagle to expand its success story further. A few years ago, Eagle opened an

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needs include auditing, monthly payroll services, tax advice (both personal and professional) and sometimes just a great sounding board on trickier subjects not tackled everyday, plus of course there are those new areas that come along often that you cannot foresee.

With Wenn Townsend, Eagle is free to concentrate on growing without the worry of statutory deadlines or the latest legalisation update.

Empathy is also key, but so is experience, and Eagle’s

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B4 ACCOUNTANCY

The Abingdon office of Wenn Townsend is small, but its resident partners, Stuart Bates and Jacqueline Layzell, together with their highly experienced team, handle a significant and broad portfolio of clients. The breadth and depth of experience enables them to offer excellent professional advice to their clients on a one to one basis. We highlight two of these clients in this article. Alex Neale writes for B4.

Kirtlington Stud, famous for breeding Epsom Derby winners BLAKENEY(1969) and MORSTON (1973) and “pin-hooking” 2006 Derby winner SIR PERCY, has been a client of Wenn Townsend for several years.

The stud was established in 1945 by Champion Trainer Arthur Budgett and was originally based at Park Farm in Kirtlington (10 miles North of Oxford).

In 1990, the stud was relocated to a purpose built modern facility on a neighboring farm in Kirtlington under the management of Arthur’s youngest son, Christopher. The new stud was created on 350 acres of some of the best land in the country. It is split into three units comprising over one hundred stables, three full size indoor schools, a foaling unit, sixty paddocks,

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two horsewalkers, a lunge ring and many other facilities. The stud has been responsible for countless top class horses and a success rate of approximately 70% of all foals born going on to win.

Seventeen thousand trees were planted in 1990 which has resulted in a peaceful haven for wildlife, with noticeably increased birdsong and a growing population of deer, owls, and buzzards.

The stud is now home to forty broodmares, the most famous being Elite Racing Club's superstar SOVIET SONG who is due to produce her first foal in 2009; which will no doubt result in several thousand visitors!

There area also thirty-five foals and several racehorses

enjoying a well earned holiday.

Much of the recent success has been achieved with the help of Wenn Townsend. Direct access to Partner Stuart Bates gives Chris Budgett an edge when instant decisions have to be made, “Their service is equal to the national accountancy firms we have used in the past and long may it continue!”

Footnote: Stuart Bates was a Wenn Townsend work experience student whilst at school and joined the firm in September 1992 from Bristol University, becoming a partner in January 2002. Stuart is also President of Abingdon on Thames Chamber of Commerce, having been Treasurer since 2002.

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B4 IT & COMMS

FROM PAIN TO PROFIT “We all have websites we favour, one of mine is BBC News,” says Rob Jones, Director of Surefire Digital, “it regularly satisfies my desire to stay informed and connected.” This website’s success is more than just its ability to manage a wealth of ever changing information, it is also the result of an effective digital marketing strategy.

Throughout a typical day, Rob visits dozens of websites but very few deliver the same feelings of satisfaction – why is that? Does it matter? More importantly, what if one of those sites is yours?

Rob has worked in the internet industry for over 12 years and seen a lot of change, particularly in technologies and attitudes. He still meets plenty of business owners who are disillusioned with the internet, having commissioned an expensive website without seeing any significant business impact.

Typically there are two reasons for this: a crucial lack of strategic planning, and/or no promotional activity.

The internet is still very young, and with no industry regulation, finding quality web professionals can be a challenge. There are plenty of designers, developers, and agencies to choose from, but filtering the true professionals from the rest is not an easy task. Every one of them wants to win your next project, their portfolios shine and the glossy proposals look appealing, but without a plan to bring your business new customers and more sales, why bother? There are some very competent web professionals around who are highly skilled at design, development, and search engine optimisation, and if you’re fortunate, a mix of all three will go a long way to creating a good website. However, a successful site requires a lot more forethought and attention; it demands a well considered digital marketing strategy that appreciates the core commercial objectives of a website and determines the best methods to satisfy a potential audience. The key commercial goal of any website must be to attract and win new business.

Just over a year ago, Rob started Surefire Digital with a unique aim: To help companies maximise their online marketing presence. Using creativity blended with digital marketing expertise, he brings fresh innovative ideas, compelling strategies, and great results. Surefire is unlike any other agency in that it doesn’t aim to design, develop, or produce websites, and so the advice and expertise isn’t loaded or biased towards winning this business. In contrast, Rob offers independent, unbiased digital marketing insight that is purely project and customer focused. It’s an approach that has been welcomed by many businesses as Surefire celebrates its first year of trading. From the start, Surefire’s objectives have been to help companies reach a wider audience, lower the cost of acquisition, and drive sales.

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Rob finds that this impartial approach is so appealing that more and more business owners are opening their eyes to online opportunities for both customer acquisition and retention. With Surefire’s commercial insight and understanding, the most appropriate digital marketing strategies can be implemented to avoid failure online and drastically improve the opportunities for success, as Jenny Ertle of Ransom Publishing testifies, “We thought we knew what we wanted, but once Surefire brought their understanding and expertise to bear on our business requirements, we were able to clarify and focus everything much more effectively. Our investment in this consultancy may well have saved us two years of going down blind alleys.”

This initial strategic planning is crucial to helping companies get the most from their websites.

However, all too often, incumbent web teams are reluctant or even unable to engage with this activity, and immediately embark on an ambitious production cycle with little thought for the consequences. At best, the end result is a nicely designed website that might function well, but fails to deliver any significant ROI; a painful experience for the business owner, and not necessarily satisfactory for the visitor who may have no reason to return. A lost opportunity indeed.

Imagine you have invested your time into a digital strategy and are happy with the direction and goals that have been set. After this planning is over, and production is complete, many businesses then fail to identify or consider the vital third aspect necessary for winning new customers: Promotion. Frequently, Rob has seen how businesses and agencies create websites but don’t have plans to promote them; without traffic generation activities, you’re unlikely to attract visitors and market your products or services to them. People might find you on Google, but there are many more ways to attract customers, reach them where they participate online, and generate sales.

Surefire’s experience shows that a successful website is one that engages with the three key areas: Planning & Preparation, Production and Promotion. If you recognise your website is not performing, it is possible your business has overlooked one of these areas. Consider your core commercial objectives, do your online initiatives actively support these? Are you able to measure and analyse growth? If not, a review is highly recommended. Ultimately a website that actively attracts and engages visitors, and meets their needs, is more successful in winning new business and retaining customers. Rob and his associates can ensure that your website is a Surefire marketing success.

Contact details on page 100

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

B4 ENJOY

A SWINGING SUCCESS Last year B4 met up with Ian Darby, the Chairman of Oxfordshire’s Studley Wood Golf Club (SWGC), to establish what the plans and aspirations were for the club’s initial year. Twelve months on, Katie Avis-Riordan visited Ken Heathcote, SWGC’s Managing Director.

I have owned or managed Golf Clubs for twenty five years and met Ian two years ago through a friend and financial advisor.

Our first aim is obviously to make SWGC successful after which we hope to add three or four clubs to our company. Two years ago, we realised there was an opportunity to purchase clubs like SWGC. As a result of a report published in 1989 by the R & A, there is now a plethora of golf clubs in Britain resulting in an over supply of clubs and an insufficient membership demand. Equally, a number of the new build clubs are either not built to a good enough standard or are located in remote areas. There were many clubs built in the mid nineties which were nothing more than “pipe dreams.” The owners and operators at the time failed to undertake adequate feasibility studies for the facilities they were building. Location is a major factor, but that alone does not guarantee success. The correct type of facility, combined with a high standard of friendly service, are also key to the success of a new golf club. During our search, we knew the type of facility we were looking for, and Studley Wood ticked most of the boxes. In its early years of opening, SWGC had a modicum of success during the boom time for golf. However it lacked direction and tender loving care, it was also Oxfordshire’s best kept golfing secret.

My business partnership with Ian is excellent as we both have strengths which compliment our working relationship. Ian has great contacts within the financial sector and as a result we have hosted golf days for major PLC’s, all of which have re-booked for next year.

The main change to our pricing for membership is that we have made the club more affordable to all, introducing a new club membership that enables people to almost pay and play. We have also invented a unique Corporate Membership which is accessible to all companies and has great benefits to staff and

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customers alike. Our Junior membership has doubled in size and we have been the awarded the coveted Club Mark accreditation a long with the status of the Golf Teaching Academy for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxford. We believe that our membership will be full by July 2009 and at that point we will be reintroducing a joining fee.

Do you think in the first year you have taken SWGC forward?

Massively, without a doubt! We have spent in excess of £250,000 on the club, which was long overdue. SWGC needed to regain the reputation it once had. The golf course is excellent, which was a key factor in our decision to purchase the club. When Ian and I played golf at Studley in the summer, we both said we could spend the rest of our golfing lives here. This has become a love of our business, we are proud of the facilities and I do not think we will be as lucky in our future purchases. We did not have to spend millions of pounds to make it really special. As an ancient deer park, it is a beautiful piece of land and Simon Gidman, the architect, has created a superb test of golf for beginners and experienced golfers alike. Nearly one hundred new members have joined SWGC since our takeover, and there is a steady flow of new members joining monthly. Having redesigned the blueprint of the building, we are now able to cater for our members’ functions in house, which has greatly enhanced the atmosphere of the club.

What is unique about the golf course at Studley Wood?

This is best summed up with the comments made by Gary Wolstenholme, one of Britain’s leading amateur golfers “SWGC is one of the few golf courses where no two holes are the same.” We have a great product, and we are applying our commercial brains to ensure that everyone gets to know about SWGC.

As for practically every business, the downturn in the economy will undoubtedly disrupt your progress?

Nobody at this stage can predict what will happen with club membership renewal, however, our view is to ensure that we are proactive, give excellent service and first rate facilities in order that our members enjoy the Studley Wood experience. I do not take the view that quality leisure time is what people cut back on during a recession. Indeed, to the contrary in the early 1990’s, members took solace from the gloom and despondency in our clubs. If you are imaginative with your pricing policy in ensuring that you represent great value for money, it is hard for members to give you up!

How do you gauge the performance of your club?

Fortunately, this year I have been Captain of the General Managers Association and for the last ten years I have been a member of the Interclub Comparison Association. The members of both of these organisations share, freely, information about the operations of their clubs, this enables all of us to monitor and assess our performance.

You mentioned earlier in this interview that you were both looking to purchase further clubs. Do you have any geographical restrictions?

Ideally, they would be in a fifty mile radius of Studley Wood as that would enable cross usage by members of all clubs. I am based south of Leamington Spa and Ian is based in Farnham, with Studley Wood situated midway between the two, we would be happy for any future project to be in the band of English countryside between these to towns.

See offer on page 103.

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WITHY KING In Issue 9 of B4, we spoke to Withy King Managing Partner, Martin Powell, about why his firm chose Oxford to expand. We now have the opportunity to hear from the heartbeat of the organisation, the teams, and we start with the employment team, headed up by Malcolm Gregory. Having joined Withy King in 2001, Malcolm was promoted to Partner in 2003 and handles all aspects of employment law and Tribunal Advocacy. Joined by Richard White and Carrie Goodwin, Malcolm explains what Withy King are able to offer Oxfordshire businesses, and why their service is worth hearing about.

I was tipped off that the employment team at Withy King were a friendly, affable bunch, “real people”. The reality was spot on. When dealing with a potentially volatile subject such as employment law, especially in today’s climate, it is vital that the advice you are getting is accurate and that the people who are delivering that advice are human. The text book approach to dealing with your employees is archaic and doesn’t apply today – yes it is important to get the advice right for the set of circumstances in hand, but you need a team that is aware of the wider picture.

And it is the whole approach of Withy King’s employment team which shows that it is more than aware of the environment we find ourselves in. The economic downturn aside, employment law is not only a minefield – they keep moving the mines! Awareness of cost is high on everyone’s agenda, and Withy King have addressed this, and their approach is reaping dividends, as Malcolm explains.

“Our first appointment with an Oxford client revealed the client was unhappy with their existing providers.

Their solicitors had approached them and claimed that they could provide an employment support package, but it didn’t work out particularly well – they weren’t convinced the solicitor could support the package they had set up. We approached the client with our fixed price retainer service which we have been running for seven years in our other offices. It is a proven package and the client signed up within ten days of our approach.

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“I explained to the client that we were in it for the long-term relationship. What we want is to make sure that we’re just about at break even because it ensures good value for the client and keeps them on the phone to us. This particular client is in talks about a possible acquisition and we wanted to be in their sights to do this work, even though they have existing solicitors who could, potentially handle the work.

“We need to be ready to send our commercial team in to assist at the drop of a hat – that’s what we are good at, opening the door with one service and doing such a good job that we win more work. That is the model that we have been using –it gets us in, and it is how we try to differentiate ourselves from the others that are out there, because it is a very tough market.”

And according to Malcolm, this competitive marketplace is not made any easier to operate in with firms who offer unlimited legal support combined with insurance.

“I saw a client in Oxford last Thursday, and they were using a company, not a law firm, to provide the employment law advice for a fixed fee, plus the insurance. This obviously created a conflict – the legal advice was very cautious as the insurance company didn’t want to risk a payout if they gave them the wrong advice. We are now talking to them as we can provide the legal advice and the insurance can be provided by a non related third party, so that there isn’t a conflict.

“One of the big selling points, as far as we’re concerned, is that our product still gives that commercial decision making power to the client, rather than it being subrogated to the insurance company.

The retainer packages have been very successful – we have about seventy clients who have signed up for these packages across our offices.”

The plan is for Withy King to develop a network of clients in Oxford using this service and then build the commercial practice on this foundation. Malcolm continues, “And it’s the wider practise which will ultimately benefit - commercial property, corporate work, or general commercial work, employment law and commercial dispute work. And with expertise within one building, which is what we’ve got here now, you can really start to build that balanced practice which has got the private client on one side and the commercial on the other. That’s what we are sparking into life now and that is the combined focus for Richard and Carrie.”

And Richard and Carrie will provide the one point of contact in Oxford. Having both come in from other Withy King offices (Richard from Green Park in Bath and Carrie from Swindon), they will form the foundation of the Oxford employment team, lead by Malcolm, with a view to taking on additional staff in the next twelve to eighteen months.

Richard illustrates how Withy King like to do things slightly differently by organising seminars, “the way we present our seminars is that we try and make them

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B4 LEGAL

TESTIMONIALS “In an ever evolving company and with constantly changing employment laws, I need to have fast and sound professional advice.

Withy King provides this to me and with a transparent fixed fee service which allows me to budget for the year. I do not have to think twice about picking up the phone to Withy King.”

Tony Cable, Stibo Catalog Ltd, Swindon

practical and useful, and we also try and make them attractive and a bit of fun as well. Generally people will come out of our seminars thinking that not only have they learnt something, but that they’ve also quite enjoyed the experience. We still try and talk about the potential risks and problems that people might face, but we do try and do it with a bit of humour to try and keep people entertained – after all we do want them to come back next time to learn more!”

And in addition to seminars, Withy King have their very own training arm which provides comprehensive training in employment law, much in the same way that the employment seminars are run, with a lighter approach, but still effective.

The team are running an event in their office on 28 January 2009 called “Meeting the Challenge of the Recession” where they will advise business clients on the options open to them in response to the economic downturn, including changing employment terms, lay-offs and short time working, outsourcing and redundancy. The seminar will concentrate on the practical steps businesses should take to avoid making expensive mistakes. To find out more or to book a place visit their website.

When questioned how pleased the firm are with the progress they have made in Oxford so far, Malcolm was openly honest, yet optimistic, “We are realistic because winning new business is always difficult, and we’ve found historically that using an employment law product like ours is easier, but nevertheless, once

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you’ve got the clients, you need to cross-sell and to ensure the client gets the best possible value out of the firm, and that’s where we’re going to accelerate.

But, in the background, we’re still going to be trying to get that new work, and it’s coming.

“We are very happy with the strides we have made in a relatively short space of time, in the sense that people are acknowledging us as slightly different, and as having a fresh approach. We recognise that there is competition out there, but, we do like to shake it up a bit and know that we will win business.”

And in a less buoyant economy, Malcolm is convinced that when the upturn kicks in, Withy King will be ready to capitalise, “The fixed price idea is fantastic, particularly in this climate when everyone is looking at their cost base. Employment lawyers are very busy at the moment, as are commercial dispute lawyers. We need to be well positioned for when the market turns, and ensure that we have got a good presence in Oxford. Other firms may well be paring down their offering, trying to save costs in a downturn, and actually they won’t be positioned ready for the upturn again in, perhaps, eighteen months time. We don’t want to unnecessarily trim our commercial offering, for example, just because work is thin on the ground – we want to be ready, hungry for the onslaught, on all fronts.”

Contact details on page 100

“Following an approach by one of their Employment partners suggesting a “partnership” in dealing with HR matters within our company, Withy King have subsequently provided ALHCO with a first class, professional and very competent technical service in what must be considered as a “minefield” of employment law.

We continue to receive excellent service from Withy King’s Employment department.”

John Clarke, Chairman, Avon Lippiatt Hobbs Contracting Limited, Westbury “Malcolm resisted the temptation to do a PowerPoint presentation on the finer points of age discrimination . Instead, Malcolm engaged and informed the audience through a relaxed style, peppered with anecdotes. We got very positive feedback from the audience such as “the speaker was excellent and kept the attention at all times”, “covered all the areas in an interactive and interesting manner”, “liked the relaxed style of the presenter and the content we covered”, “thanks for a great session”. I would like to thank Malcolm for delivering such a successful event for the local branch.”

Kate Mills, Programme Co-ordinator for CIPD (Swindon & North Wiltshire Branch) “The training was first class. I have honestly never attended training before that actually engages you in the process. The role plays were great too – can’t fault it.”

Anne-Marie Hay, Management Ltd

Saltire

Facilities

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THE DAILY GRIND In such a homogenised global industry as that of high street coffee, where chain establishments such as Starbucks, Pret à Manger and Costa Coffee seem to monopolise the market with hundreds of outlets, the smaller specialised coffee shop can seem a refreshing alternative to the shopper, student or businessman / woman in need of stimulation. Jonathan Sekhar delves deeper for B4.

Capitalising on this appeal is Queen’s Lane Coffee House, situated on the corner of Queen’s Lane and the High Street, which makes much of its reputed heritage as Europe’s longest established coffee shop. Established in 1654, therefore predating its modern-day competitors by a good four hundred years, this attractively-styled building practically exudes homeliness, tradition and good taste. In addition to excellent coffees and desserts, as one would expect, a variety of sandwiches, grills and salads are all available at appetising prices.

The UK coffee industry has seen a boom in the last five years which shows little sign of abating, with Costa Coffee in particular assuming its mantle as the most populous coffee franchise in the country, outnumbering even Starbucks. Continental trends of café culture are apparently most evident in Britain, where coffee shop attendance exceeds that of the French and Italians. Is there space within such a bustling market for individual coffee businesses to thrive, no matter how historically established? I spoke to the owner of Queen’s Lane Coffee House, Cem Muldur, who came to England in 1982 from Turkey, and saw opportunities for business in coffee. Cem is pictured with his sister Aylin whom he runs the business with.

“When we started, Queen’s Lane Coffee House was a lot smaller and a lot greasier at the time,” jokes Cem (pronounced “Jem”). “There were only about three or four coffee houses in Oxford, so we just took it from there. We worked hard: fourteen-hour days and seven days a week, eventually going from renting the premises, through to buying out the middle management, and eventually making the decision to buy the lease once the rent got too high to sustain.”

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It was a large investment but one which paid off, as Queen’s Lane grew in popularity in the face of little serious competition. Things have changed, however, and a major problem now afflicting small coffee businesses is trying to make a profit in the face of the ubiquitous incorporation of coffee concessions in shopping centres, restaurants and book stores. Cem has constantly had to evolve the premises and his management strategies in order to keep up with the influx of franchise competition.

“Times were a lot easier in those days,” Cem admits. “We didn’t need to try very hard and customers used to come. Now it’s much harder with all the other coffee houses – thirty or forty, plus the restaurants, most of which are coffee houses during the daytime, and that’s a major problem for us. Things are tougher now, but we just keep going and keep trying to bring new things to keep the customers interested.

“As well as our location, I think quality of food and quality of service is most important in attracting customers to Queen’s Lane. We try to keep our quality high.

We are not the cheapest but we are not the most expensive, and the prices are so the quality can be high; if we lower the prices, we lose the quality.”

In addition to the general clientele who frequent Queen’s Lane –university students, tourists and passing trade – Cem mentions that he attracts some of the local Turkish student community by adding some of his native Turkish cuisine to the menu. It’s just a case of appealing to as many people as possible while remaining true to the legacy of Queen’s Lane. If some find the addition of Turkish meals to a coffee shop menu radical or incongruous within the context of a very British establishment, consider that coffee was once an exotic and exciting new product

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

B4 FEATURE

itself when Cirques Jobson introduced it to Oxford in the 17th century.

In keeping with the local heritage of the establishment, Cem favours catering companies in Oxford for sourcing supplies, as well as a few larger companies from London. “Generally, ninety per cent are local companies,” he clarifies. “I like using local companies, but sometimes the bigger companies from London offer more competitive pricing. Sometimes we don’t have a choice but to use these big companies.”

This awareness of the market, both in terms of selectively purchasing produce and attracting clientele seems indicative of Cem’s successful management of this historic business. The high street is a notoriously difficult location for businesses to operate within, but clientele comprising mainly students and tourists as well as passing trade from local business people and commuters ensures the shop is constantly busy.

Its popularity is evident not only from its broad customer base but also from the number of individual customers who frequent it, sometimes over a period of some years. “It’s funny, there are Oxford lecturers who used to come here when they were students some fifteen, twenty years ago, and they still come to get the same items.

Now they have children who come.” Cem says that he enjoys seeing these familiar faces in his coffee house, but prefers a more behind-the-scenes managerial approach rather than a host role. “I recognise a lot of faces and I will have some chats with customers but I don’t go to their tables and play the host.”

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When asked if there are any major problems facing his businesses, Cem intimates that general Oxford business problems, such as the heavy traffic and city council interventions, account for most, though he is jovial in explaining his grievances, seeing them as part and parcel of running this individual business. “There are so many regulations, which mean we are always fighting with somebody ‘big’. For example, at the moment parking is a major problem on this side of town. When I approached the city council saying, ‘I have three businesses that I need to deliver between, what do you suggest?’ They said ‘Use the Park and Ride!’ They have no idea about business.”

If the onset of big competitive franchises has upset his business prospects, Cem relies on his experience of being loyal to Oxford to stand him in good stead against a market where small business outlets must fight for market share against their bigger competitors. He is picking his battles, however. “This part of the high street is not in competition with the town centre. The new shopping centres do not worry me.

Shoppers from the town centre do not come to us to eat and have coffee so we are not worried about that.”

In addition to running the Queen’s Lane establishment, Cem also oversees two other sites, Bonjour Rapide and Café Bonjour, with plans to open a new site in January 2009. Apart from thinking of a snappy new corporate name to unify all these businesses, there seems to be little to faze this genial businessman and his expanding operations, and it’s obvious from his determined and positive attitude as to why Queen’s Lane coffee house has been brought so successfully into the 21st century.

Contact details on page 100

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B4 MARKETING

EFFECTIVE

PROJECT MANAGEMENT Oxford Management Solutions Helps Enterprises Achieve a Competitive Edge

‘Project Management is the science of transforming vision into reality’, states Paul Ovington, the Director of Oxford Management Solutions Ltd., a company he founded in 2002.

Paul has been involved with managing projects and programmes throughout his career. However, it was while he was completing his final MBA module on Project Management in 1994 that he fully realised the power of project management for shaping not only individual projects, but a company’s forward direction and future potential. Paul saw that corporate strategy and planning is of little value if a business does not have a mechanism for making meaningful changes happen.

Implementing significant change is inherently complex and difficult; Paul’s answer is to use project management methodology to achieve corporate objectives.

Having realised the limitless business potential of effective project management, Paul took a conscious decision to master the field. Developing a mastery of project management, however, is an ongoing journey rather than a destination. During the learning process, Paul recognised that the true value of project management can only be realised with in-depth knowledge of the field to which it is applied. Paul developed a specialisation in two application fields: • High-tech product development • Business strategy and planning By 1999 Paul was managing significant programmes, including the implementation of the world’s first Bluetooth communication chips and the CPU, or ‘Baseband’ chip, which powered Ericsson’s first generation of Smartphones. Such technologies affected 0.5% of the Swedish GNP. In such pressurised situations the need to deliver positive results is extreme. Paul meets this need by using effective project management tools and techniques.

The effective combination of advanced project management methodology with the two fields of high-tech engineering and business strategy leads to impressive, high yielding results. Many companies have ambitious goals, but lack the consistent and reliable means to realise these dreams. For example, have you considered why many complex marketing plans rarely get translated into managed projects?

Then think of the competitive edge your company could command if you were able to develop robust business strategies, translate them into high-level corporate plans and then transform those high-level objectives into projects, which could be systematically and reliably executed. What if you could develop complex, high-technology products substantially faster than the competition? Imagine the business advantage this would give you. Using a continuous improvement approach, Paul says that the majority of organisations could improve their project execution

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speed by 25% within two years. Other substantial improvements include cost reduction, better resource utilisation and the realisation of superior project results.

Since launching Oxford Management Solutions in 2002, the main areas in which Paul and his associates have helped companies are: • • • • • •

Development of new products Diversification into new markets Development of internal systems and processes Planning and implementation of new campaigns and initiatives Corporate and competitive strategy development Transformation towards a project-based culture

As well as managing projects and programmes for clients, Oxford Management Solutions help embed strategic planning and project management capability into their clients’ companies. Such valuable and long-lasting transformations have been realised through a combination of consulting, training, and mentoring.

Oxford Management Solutions’ clients have one main ideal in common: ‘High aspirations’. Paul helps his clients manage these ambitions in situations of high technology, high growth, high potential, and a high rate of change.

In 2004 Paul helped Picsel Technologies to expand rapidly. Due to market success with strategic customers their expanding project portfolio had spun out of control and there was no programme overview. Paul was assigned a collection of software projects for their key customer Motorola, plus several other mobile phone manufacturers. Oxford Management Solutions gave Picsel a renewed capability to deliver reliably to strategic customers and helped them achieve four key product qualifications. Consequently, Picsel had the platform to manage their fast expansion, as shown by the fact they doubled their software resource from 50 to 100 engineers in just 12 months.

Paul has high aspirations for his own company. Oxford Management Solutions is strengthening and expanding. The application of effective project management to high-tech engineering is a well recognised need, and provides a rich area for consolidation and expansion. The application of project management to business strategy and planning is an area of great potential which is not yet widely recognised. To help companies realise the widespread benefits of a project management culture, Oxford Management Solutions plans to launch an educational campaign supported by a full range of information products including seminars, educational programmes, CDs, DVDs and E-books. Through the application of his philosophy to his business and to those of his clients, Paul is project managing a bright future.

Contact details on page 100

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B4 PROPERTY

JILL TRELOGGEN INTERIORS Nicola Stapleton of Beechwood Solicitors interviews Jill Treloggen to find out more about her successful interiors business.

What lead you to set up your own interior design

with some expert advice and a good cup of coffee!”

business?

want their home to look good but don’t have the time to spend every weekend doing DIY! We work at all

“I’ve always had a passion for interior design, but when

What would you say is your USP?

budget levels, so during our initial conversation we talk

I was at school the careers advice was not to pursue it.

”I think most people associate interior design with

about what the client is looking for, but also how much

So I studied business studies, and worked for a time at

flamboyant individuals creating impractical and

they would typically spend on items or the kind of

Marks & Spencer, in buying, and as a business

expensive ideas. We pride ourselves on our practical

shops they buy from – this gives us a great starting

development director for a marketing company.

approach to projects, and create schemes that will be

point, to make sure we deliver a scheme they will like,

However, Interior design was still a keen interest for

both easy to live with and come in at the right budget

at a budget they will love!”

me, so I undertook a distance learning course in my

– our motto is ‘on time, on brief, on budget’, and we

spare time. The turning point for me came about six

aim to deliver on all of these.

What do your clients say about you?

“We have had some great feedback from our clients

years ago when I had the opportunity to take voluntary redundancy. It felt like fate was handing me an

“I think our other USP is that we are a small local team,

over the years, and that is in no small way down to the

opportunity, so I left my job and set up the business in

who work tirelessly until a project is finished to our

excellent team that we have in place to deliver each

January 2003, and haven’t looked back! In the early

client’s satisfaction. Using large companies can often

project. a recent client testimonial we received was

days I did everything myself – paint the walls, hang the

be a frustration, as you are treated as an order number

from Lucy Properties “Jill and her team have translated

curtains, you name it.

and always get served by someone new.

At our

all of our briefs perfectly and always deliver on time.

company,

project

They are a pleasure to work with and we are delighted

Today the business has

expanded to a team of eight!”

each

client

is

assigned

a

co-ordinator who will hold their hand throughout the What kind of work do you specialise in?

with the completed schemes.”

entire project.”

What is your most rewarding project?

“Over the years the company has expanded into many areas of the property market including show homes,

What kind of clients do you work for?

“It sounds a bit corny, but they all are! It gives you

the high end rental market, and interior design for

“We have a very diverse portfolio of clients. We work

such a sense of satisfaction to put together a design

private clients. We work with a large portfolio of clients

alongside many of Oxfordshire’s estate and lettings

board, and then see the scheme literally come to life.

and have established ourselves as one of Oxfordshire’s

agents, and help them work with their clients to

At the end of all the hard work it is always fantastic to

leading providers of interior design services. We work

prepare homes for sale or rent. We also work with a

leave a property just as you imagined it would look,

on projects of all sizes, from helping people choose a

number of property developers and provide a range

and with a delighted client!”

new pair of curtains for their living room, to furnishing

of services, such as working on the original drawings to

a block of six apartments in the city centre. We have

help in the design of lighting and electrics, providing

also recently launched a shopping ‘by appointment’

show homes to market developments and also after

service at our studios in Witney – the idea is to take the

sales packages for the buyers ie: carpets and curtains.

strain out of shopping for your home. We have all the

We also work for private clients in their own homes.

sample books and product catalogues available, along

These clients are typically people with busy lives, who

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B4 LEGAL

BEECHWOOD SOLICITORS Jill Treloggen interviews Nicola Stapleton of Beechwood Solicitors about their whole new approach to commercial law.

Beechwood Solicitors carries the practice of

do not have the resources or expertise in house, I use

is repeat and word of mouth recommendations which

commercial law boldly into the 21st century. The

consultants from a network of specialist practices. This

is extremely rewarding. I do also take the trouble to ask

approach is fresh, accessible and down-to-earth,

keeps the overheads low whilst facilitates a responsive

clients what they would like, what could be changed,

whilst

and all round legal service without needing to be

what would better suit their needs and this also works

passed from department to department.

very well to ensure we provide the level of service

being

deeply

rooted

in

a

close

understanding of the law and of cutting-edge legal developments.

expected. Some examples of this are:What would you say is your USP?

What lead you to set up your own practice?

Me and the way that I work. Perhaps it is the Barrister

“After using a large firm of corporate solicitors for

I qualified in London as a Barrister and fellow of

in me but I think those that know me would agree I am

several years it has been a breath of fresh air working

Lincolns Inn Field. I worked in Knightsbridge for a

not like most solicitors. People usually associate their

with Nicola Stapleton at Beechwood Solicitors. I

couple of years and loved the fast pace of life, the high

experience with solicitors as expensive and laborious

have received a friendly, prompt and totally

calibre clients, the location and the social life. Training

sometimes painful. I pride myself on building

customer-focused service whenever I have needed

as a Barrister taught me the basics of being self

relationships and providing practical, commercial

help of any kind. It is so refreshing to find a company

employed and in particular the art of networking.

understandable advice, having a personal awareness

who can see the benefits of building a strong

of individual needs. Basic common courtesies like

relationship with clients, rather than employing the

I qualified as a solicitor to enable me to become a

calling

rather old-fashioned ‘bill for every minute’ approach.”

partner in a traditional Oxford firm but the reality of

correspondence promptly and generally providing

partnership was quite different to what I expected. I

good service is a core foundation of the practice. That

What has been most rewarding?

practised as a partner for over 3 years but the turning

coupled with fixed prices has been the basis of very

Every thank you card, grateful telephone call and

point came when I had my son. He focused my mind

successful ever growing practice.

general thank you for me is worth everything. I have

people

back,

answering

emails

and

and the business side of me wanted more control.

What kind of clients do you work for?

which regularly reminds me of why I become a lawyer.

Locally, there is a shortage of commercial firms and

A variety to be honest. The majority of our work is from

For me, running my own business has to be the most

although I chatted with several firms, my clients asked

a portfolio of companies, whereby we act as their

rewarding thing I have ever done.

why can’t you just go on your own. So I did.

personal legal department dealing with all their commercial needs. I also act for individuals, and more

I have also just celebrated my first year of trading,

What kind of work do you specialise in?

recently for those who don’t like being passed from

employed my first team member and celebrated in

All commercial, property and company matters. We

pillar to post and want to revert to the traditional

winning the award for Best Start Up 2008. It couldn’t

have a portfolio of clients both individuals and

‘family’ solicitor approach to their commercial affairs.

get much more rewarding than that!

companies where we deal with all commercial aspects from terms and conditions of trading, shareholders

What do you clients say about you?

agreements to business sales and purchases. Where I

I have a very loyal client base. Indeed 90 of my work

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Contact details on page 100

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

gone back to basics by setting up on my own but

and I struggled to see the direction I was heading in;

B4 ENJOY

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY Sarah Wiseman Gallery celebrated its 10th Birthday this year; it was a great celebration as well as a time to reflect on the past 10 years, what Sarah has achieved and where she sees the future for the gallery. Sarah tells B4 about her first ten years in business.

I am often asked why I opened the gallery and when I think about this I am return to an experience I had as a child at MOMA; now Modern Art Oxford. I must have been around 9 years old at the time and in the museum there was an exhibition by an abstract painter, the name of whom escapes me. I went on a school trip to see the exhibition and to then take part in a workshop. We produced a very large piece of abstract work by collaging pieces of brightly coloured tissue and sugar paper together. It was huge fun, really engaging and a world away from the restrictions of the school painting table. This experience has stayed with me all these years and started my life long love of art.

our world would be visually poorer. I work directly with all our artists and see this as central to our success. I have genuine experience of them as people, understand their ideas and working methods and can really communicate that to our customers.

I do studio visits to see them at work and to learn more about them and will often take customers with me to meet the artist.

Outreach and education programmes, have existed for a long time in galleries and museums. The one I took part in would have been in the early 80’s, and without it I would never have had this wonderful world opened up for me.

I see our role as bringing together the artist and the customer. We offer a very personal service and will spend a great deal of time getting to know our customers finding out about their taste, home, like and dislikes before we start advising them.

The art world is often thought of as exclusive, however, that really is a misconception, artists want people to look at their work, to think about it and talk about it. It is one of their over riding passions to get more people to see what they have created. A lot of work has been done to change these opinions and make visiting galleries more attractive, for example Tate Modern is now one of the top tourist attractions in central London - a decade ago that would have been unimaginable.

The positive impact of interacting with art is regularly underestimated, whether it is in your home or office environment, in the street or in a hospital. Art really enhances your life and can lift you from your daily routine. I read recently that a trip to a gallery in a lunch hour can effectively reduce stress. I genuinely believe that the positive impact art can have on the working environment is as much of a motivation for companies to build an art collections, irrespective of the obvious investment potential.

Accessibility was one of my main motivations for opening my gallery. I wanted to have a place that people would find warm and welcoming to come and look at art and also a place where they could consider starting their own art collection, or simply to buy a special painting for a key room in their home or business.

However despite all the positive work that has been done to encourage people to visit galleries, it seems our door, is still our biggest barrier. It sounds funny doesn’t it, but so many people say to me they still have a genuine fear of walking into a gallery!

If this resonates with you – please overcome it and take a first step to come and visit us. You will discover that at Sarah Wiseman Gallery that art is not intimidating or often that expensive and that it is there to be looked at and enjoyed as much as it is to be purchased and taken home.

I have often been complimented on having a ‘good eye’ and, this I see, is my ability to spot a talented artist that my customers would like to see more of and that is my guiding principle when I approach designing the exhibition schedule for the gallery.

We all love to chat about art here at the gallery but it is in no way a high pressure sales environment. Our role is to guide people through their purchase; to help them explore, understand and have confidence in their taste and take life long pleasure from art and the painting that they take home with them!

So do come and visit us soon!

The artists are the life blood of the gallery, without their creative drive and ambition

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Contact details on page 100

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Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

An independent gallery such as mine is a curious balance between the artists and the gallery owner, the creative content and the need to run a business, it is a challenging tight rope to walk along and is constantly rewarding.

I actively search for new artists, as it is important to keep the collection vibrant and dynamic. Nothing is more rewarding for me than when I successfully introduce a new artist to the gallery and see their work take off. It is a real boost to their confidence and professional motivation.

THE SLICE OF LIFE

How some of Oxford’s biggest companies are building happier, healthier, and more productive workforces - Taylor Leonard met with Michelle Legg and Mel Kubicki of Oxford City Council Leisure to find out more.

The corporate Slice Card membership offers eight times the convenience of typical gyms, at discounted prices. The NHS, County Council, BMW, and MacMillan are just some of the companies that have taken advantage of the scheme.

The Benefits: A healthy work force is not only happier, but also more productive and less stressed. Slice Card

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is the most flexible sports memberships Oxford has to offer. It is accepted at all eight of Oxford City Council’s sport and leisure centres. So if you live on one side of town and work on the other, you are never more than a short walk away from your daily workout. There’s no need to compromise. You can take a swim on your lunch break, and still do a full cycle of the fitness centre at the weekend.

There are no peak or off-peak hours. It costs the same to workout at six in the morning, 12 noon, or eight at night.

There are three memberships to choose from, so no matter how your employees exercise, the right program is available to them. Aqua slice membership includes swimming, squash, and badminton. The

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B4 HEALTH

Active Slice option, the most popular, includes everything in the aqua plus use of the gyms and exercise classes. The Cool Slice gives access to everything, even ice skating. There’s even a family membership option, so an employee’s whole family can stay active and healthy at the corporate rate.

Know that your fitness centre is held to the highest government standards. The Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre and Ferry Sports Centre are also Fitness Industry Association accredited.

All facilities have ample parking, and most of it is free as well. The Oxford Ice Rink and Ferry Sports Centre are the only ones that charge.

The Slice Card was introduced in 1998 and has grown year on end. Today the scheme has 18,000 valid members, each taking advantage of an plan that suits them – Aqua, Active, or Cool. To take advantage of these benefits at the corporate rate, the Oxford City Council offers two membership plans. Smaller companies shouldn’t assume they aren’t eligible for the Slice Card scheme. The minimum number of employees is quite low. the most popular allows employees to take advantage of an extra 10% off monthly direct debits

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There’s no need to get tied to a contract. With Slice Card there’s no minimum contract and no joining fee.

Greater discount is available to companies who purchase annual membership on behalf of their employees.

For more information call the Slice Card Office on 01865 467 264 or the Northway Centre on Maltfield Road, OX3 9RG. They are happy to answer your questions or meet to discuss your companies needs.

SLICE CARD The Slice Card is accepted at all eight of these sport and leisure centres: Barton Pool is the newest pool and multi-purpose room in the group, based in the Headington-Barton area.

Blackbird Leys Pool is a smaller, community pool for schools and local use.

Just around the corner is Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, housing an Aspires Fitness suite, dance studios, meeting rooms, and double sports hall.

One of the most popular sites is Ferry Sports Centre in North Oxford. The Aspires Fitness suite attracts regular, frequent users. The centre is also home to a main pool, learner pool, dance studio, sports hall, squash, and badminton courts.

Although seasonal from May to September, Hinksey Outdoor Pool is a main attraction for the local community.

Oxford Ice Rink, the only ice rink in the area, is extremely popular with all ages, with general skate, disco sessions and learn to skate courses.

Peers Sports Centre is a swimming pool and sports hall with strong ties to the local community.

Temple Cowley Pools & Fitness Centre currently features a competition main pool and learner poo and dance studio, but January sees the opening of its brand new Aspires Fitness suite.

Contact details on page 100

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B4 REVIEWS Duplication of CD’s or DVD’s is big business for Cheryl-Lee Foulsham of The Oxford Duplication Centre.

With a wide range of clients requesting copies of anything from conference CDs and instructional videos, to presentation DVDs, also a growing number of private clients wanting to transfer a backlog of family films, as Cheryl claims, “we are certainly getting through our fair share of discs”. Alex Neale meets the Queen of Duplication!

The Oxford Duplication Centre specialises in full colour CD and DVD duplication, all format tape transfers and editing from home videos to corporate/promotional videos, with a design service producing artwork and printing for DVD wraps, CD inlays and booklets. The client range is broad,

COPY THAT

including education, marketing, graphic design studios, production and recording, charities, artists and bands. See below for a selection of testimonials from satisfied customers.

After leaving college, Cheryl started as a receptionist and quickly worked her way up to office management. She studied bookkeeping and accountancy which helped her run every aspect of a small to medium sized office, including staff management and training, sales and marketing, bookkeeping and payroll. Prior to the company’s set up in October 2007, Cheryl had been in partnership with a recording studio covering all aspects of office and client management, including duplication, design and print.

Cheryl certainly offers a comprehensive service, “We offer fantastic full colour presentation at an affordable price. We equally understand the need for efficiency and quick turnaround times, and with this in mind, orders are normally completed within 2 to 4 working days. Urgent orders can be produced in a day.”

So the next time you need any CD or DVD duplication, or a family video transferred to disc, then contact Cheryl-Lee Foulsham at The Oxford Duplication Centre as per details on page 100. Registered charities receive 10% discount on all orders.

Testimonials Cheryl provides an excellent service, quick to understand and even quicker to react.

Her delivery times are outstanding and I have never had to wait more than twenty four hrs for turnover of materials. I am planning to incorporate Cheryl's company into my next marketing plan as I know that she will not let me down or charge me any more than what is a very reasonable price. I would not hesitate to recommend The Duplication Centre as a much needed service to our Oxford-based firm.

Dr Alison Kahn Director Oxford Academy of Documentary Film Working with the Duplication Centre is always a pleasure; I find them professional and direct when dealing with my specific needs. Recently Ikea came to us with a bespoke printing and packaging CD project, I didn't hesitate to call the team as I knew the files would be in safe hands, would be delivered promptly and that the whole package would be finished to the highest standard.

David Fulbrook Creative Director 6sensemedia The Oxford Duplication provides a highly professional and personal service. They were extremely accommodating in meeting our personalised requests for the product and we were very pleased with the high standard of presentation. Twenty four hours after first calling them we had the finished product in our hands. We Photography: Studio8. Tel: 01865 842525.

already have plans to use their service again Rosie Richardson Speech and Language Therapist, Auditory Verbal UK

See page 103 for Oxford Duplication Centre Voucher!

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79

B4 IT & COMMS

AGNITO

REDUCES THE IMPACT OF COMPUTER FAILURE The last thing any business wants whilst trying to navigate through the current challenging financial climate is to lose critical company data.

In September 2008, during international stock market turmoil, the London Stock Exchange experienced a hugely embarrassing computer failure that cut short a resurgence of shares following the US rescue of mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As a result of the 7½ hours of computer downtime, the London Stock Exchange could not capitalise on the rush of trading at a time when it could least afford not to do so. City commentators estimated that the potential to make billions of pounds was lost that day.

But it’s not just about computer failure, it’s also about the associated loss of confidence, according to Thomas Jenkinson, managing director of Agnito, an independent consultancy providing businesses with comprehensive IT and telephony systems.

minimise the risk of computer systems failure. “The first step is to identify what risks exist and how significant they are to the company’s ability to run an efficient business,” said Thomas .

One of the country’s leading training schools for instrument rating pilots is Severn Aviation which also operates a charted helicopter and jet service out of Gloucestershire Airport. The company called Agnito to modify and improve their network.

Severn Aviation had email issues that may have been causing them to miss bookings. They also, like many other businesses, had built up a range of services with multiple vendors. Agnito consolidated their IT service and provided improved network support.

Thomas adds that it wasn’t that Severn Aviation had the wrong equipment, but that they weren’t using it efficiently.

“If a company’s computer systems fail, it takes a long time for clients and customers to forget,” he says. “It may be unfair, but people begin to link a company’s computer failure on its ability to provide the goods or services they contacted it for. It’s an unforgiving world out there.”

“We advised them to make a number of changes on their network, to deploy Sophos Anti-Virus to overcome Spam and virus issues and to allow us to host their website and domain name services so we can monitor them to ensure they continue to work properly.”

Agnito has gained a reputation for providing reliable IT services with a personal approach. Tom and his team don’t use ‘tekky’ language, but work alongside their clients to provide the systems and services they need for their particular business.

There are many things that a company can do to

Severn Aviation asked Agnito to undertake all their recommendations, which took just a week to implement, and the company also has a network support agreement with Agnito, providing them with unlimited telephone support and guaranteed response times.

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Annette Carey at Severn Aviation said: “Most of the time all our staff work flat out so it is vital that our systems work properly and if there is an issue, we can get an immediate response. We cannot afford to have our systems down. I’ve worked with Thomas and his team at Agnito for years and I wouldn’t want to work with anyone else. They provide 110% service. No question is too small or too silly.”

But it’s not just companies that Agnito works with. The number of private clients has also risen as more people install private networks within their own homes.

Thomas adds: “This is definitely a growing area as more people work from home during part of the week, and every family member often has their own computer or laptop. We are currently working on two big projects for private clients and have a number of others waiting in the wings.

Thomas thinks Agnito’s success is down to its detailed knowledge of the industry, new products and upcoming new technologies, and its ability to develop reliable systems for its clients to help their businesses operate more efficiently.

“As we have seen with the recent financial markets turmoil, there are many things in life that we cannot control,” he said. “But building a robust computer system to support your business is something that every business can and should be doing.”

Contact details on page 100

81

BICESTER

COUNTRY CLUB For Bicester Country Club, 2009 is certainly going to be a year of change and progress due to the opening of accommodation on site, adding to the already extensive facilities. B4 met Sales and Marketing Manager, Carol Church, to hear more.

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B4 FEATURE

Set in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, Bicester Country Club’s new luxury accommodation comprises fifty two bedrooms. Two of the rooms are bridal / executive suites. All rooms are en suite and decorated to a high specification, with views overlooking the luxurious courtyard or golf course.

Ample allowances have also been made to cater for disabled guests with wide hallways, a selection of specially designed bedrooms and bathrooms, together with a lift.

looks magnificent but has a Pool, Hydro-Spa, Steam Room, Sauna and Tropicariums to relax in.

Alongside Bicester’s new accommodation offering, there is a spectacular new Orangery, seating up to two hundred theatre style, and one hundred cabaret style.

There are also flexible conference rooms, a further two meeting rooms, new kitchens, fine dining restaurant, brasserie and additional bar facilities. This will enable the Country Club to cater for all types and sizes of functions, both in the corporate and private markets

The Forest of Wellbeing offers a range of therapies, including: • Physiotherapy • Spiritual Healing • Reiki • Reflexology • Acupressure • Elemis Skin Lab • Botox nurse • Tooth whitening service To book an appointment please, call us on 01869 241204

The eighteen hole golf course is set in one hundred and thirty four acres of magnificent countryside, with eleven lakes to complement its impressive layout, making it a challenging, yet rewarding round of golf for players of all abilities.

Additional plans for a driving range will eventually add to the golfing experience.

The Forest of Wellbeing offers beauty treatments, and Spa Pamper Days where guests can indulge in complete relaxation. The beauty manager leads a team of highly qualified professionals who are on hand to advise visitors of the treatments that will best suit them and their lifestyle.

Please see www.bicestercountryclub.com for our latest offers.

Leisure seekers can choose from the impressive gym, which includes a variety of cardiovascular and resistance machines, plus a large free weights area, exercise classes catering for both fitness and relaxation, or use of the poolside, which not only

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Just a stone’s throw from junction nine of the M40, make sure you take time to visit Bicester Country Club – the facilities are first class.

Contact details on page 100

83

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B4 MARKETING

REWARDING BUSINESS RESULTS November the 28th saw Business Coach and Founder of the Oxford Wealth Club, Paul Avins, hold his third Client Appreciation and Awards Dinner & Dance for over 45 business owners from Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

“With so many great business success stories over the last 12 months it was an opportunity to recognise local entrepreneurs who have delivered profitable growth in spite of the current economic challenges caused by the credit crunch” said Paul.

The competition for the awards was fierce . . . This year the standards were amazing, higher than ever before, client results had to be viewed and reviewed to select the winners! Oxford & Buckinghamshire based business owners proving - yet again - that businesses can still succeed and even grow in a recession. Indeed, at some meetings, members can even be heard to say “Recession? What recession!”

Many of Paul’s clients enjoy giving back to charity and at the dinner last year there was in excess of £600 raised for the Royal Marston Hospital in London where Paul’s Mother, Christine Avins, spent a lot of time in the last year of her life. This year they collected even more in the memory of a beautiful, brave women and a courageous woman, who many clients got to meet last year, with the funds raised going to support the amazing work undertaken by the Royal Marsden in caring for terminally ill cancer patients.

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But this night was about celebrating the success of all Clients, 1 to 1 Clients and Wealth Club members, the nominees as well as the winners.

THIS YEAR THERE WERE 8 AWARD WINNERS: Fast Start Award 2008 – Nicola Stapleton, Beechwood Solicitors Media Savvy Award 2008 – Valerie Grady, Willow Cottage Nurseries Outstanding Leadership Growth Award 2008 – David Young, Body Shop Magazine Special Recognition Award 2008 – Paul Fowler, Enstone Flying Club Team of the Year Award 2008 – Chris Lewis, Chris Lewis Fire & Security Outstanding Marketer of the Year Award 2008 – Hilary Fletcher, Ecco Oxford Explosive Growth Award 2008 – David Robinson, Park Display Business of the Year Award 2008 – David Kirby, Concept Corporate Interiors Plc “Winning this Award has just topped off an amazing first year for me” Said Nicola Stapleton from Beechwood Solicitors “which would not have been possible without Paul’s help.”

To find out how Paul can help your business grow and succeed in 2009.

Visit: www.paul-avins.com or www.oxfordwealthclub.biz

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It’s time to be creative

It’s a tough marketplace and to stand out from your competitors it helps to have a strong brand, great design and be creative in your marketing communications.

Brand communications

Integrated marketing and creative thinking make a real difference to business success. Our business is about building brand awareness, inspiring customer loyalty and helping you to reach potential new customers.

Website development

See some of our work at torpedogroup.com and then call Iain Lewis on 01865 733710 or email iain@torpedogroup.com.

Direct marketing

Integrated marketing Creative design Corporate identities

Email campaigns

Advertising & media

Now is the time to give yourself a competitive advantage. Creative thinking is our business and we’ve got a head full of ideas.

Sales promotion Channel marketing

TORPEDO THINK-TANK [FREE FOR 3]

Trade promotions

Get your creative juices flowing for 2009. We’re offering a free half day creative ‘think-tank’ session to the first three companies to contact us at thinktank@torpedogroup.com. Come to our offices, tell us about your current marketing and let us bounce around some new creative ideas to help you build your brand and reach your target customers.

Online games Event support Telemarketing

Meet the creative heads:

Iain

Joe

Laura

Tim

Graham

Will

Pete

Ashley

Su

B4 RESTAURANTS

THAI ORCHID Review by Kimberly Manning

Stepping into the Thai Orchid on St. Clements, I was struck by how far removed it is from the urban hustle and bustle of Oxford. The restaurant is truly a beautiful Thai 'oasis' as they advertise - intricate carved wood panelling, lush green hanging plants and servers in Thai dress all help create the illusion. And the cuisine truly transported us to Bangkok with rich spices and aromas.

We were escorted to our table by a lovely server wearing a rose-pink traditional dress, and were seated in the gorgeous conservatory, greenery and the evening twilight surrounding us. After ordering two refreshing Thai beers (Chang, of course!), we perused the menu and decided on Banquet A, which combines starters, mains, dessert and coffee. Why not let the experts decide?

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Our starters were incredibly well-presented, artfully arranged on a platter complete with lotus blossoms carved out of vegetables. The chicken satay was moist with a flavourful peanut sauce, and I highly recommend the poh piah tod, the deep fried spring rolls filled with pork, chicken, mushrooms and Thai herbs.

The main course was just as impressively laid out, each dish on its own warmer with a lit candle beneath it, which kept them nice and hot while we made our way through the meal. My personal favourite was the kaeng kiow wahn gai, which was chicken and Thai aubergines in a green curry paste. Nathan enjoyed the koong phad priew wahn, sweet and sour prawns, nearly stealing them all before I could stop him! All the four dishes were delicious, both the neua phad nam man hoi

(stir-fried beef) and the phad thai did not fail to satisfy.

Having enjoyed the starters and mains so fully, it was difficult to contemplate dessert! However when our server rolled the sweets trolley up to our table, we couldn't refuse. Each of the large array looked delectable, but my attention was drawn to the mangoes and cream with golden spun sugar topping.

Nathan opted for the raspberry trifle. Our coffees complemented the luscious desserts to perfection.

All of this for a very reasonable price as well. If you want an escape from the typical Oxford restaurant experience, we cannot recommend the Thai Orchid highly enough for its wonderful food and atmosphere.

Contact details on page 100

87

On numerous occasions I have circumnavigated Hyde Park Corner. Is it left lane, or middle lane or…..bloody hell there are seven lanes to pick from! And for a split second, your eyes leave the rear bumper of the Hackney Cab in front, and the bus conductor hanging over your bonnet from the side, and your gaze is fixed. The tall windows, the snow white walls, the queue of mesmerising cars and the warm glow of The Lanesborough. And every time I am asked “can we stay there?” Well I think it would be fair to say that circumstances dictate that most of us will never get the chance to stay at such an establishment, but if you do get the chance, like we did, take it and wring it dry for every second of pleasure you can get out of it. My God it’s worth it!

Harrison tells us on page X is something every hotel and restaurant needs to pay particular attention to in a testing economy. And certainly at The Lanesborough, service is, amongst practically every other performance indicator, a ten – and if I had an eleven, it would be eleven.

Check in blab bla bla, in the lift, blab bla bla, in the room bla bla, we had a butler!

Yes a butler! Couldn’t wait to tell you, “Good evening sir, my name is William and I will be your butler during your stay at The Lanesborough.” A butler? For us? Did they have the right room? Seems as though they did, and there was more. “Would you like me to pour the champagne for you before dinner, Sir, or would you like to wait

But it was all over far too soon. Back to the real world this morning, and the dream stopped, quite abruptly, as our Beetle dared to be on the same forecourt as, what looked like, a bullet-proof black Ferrari. I probably needed that.

Breakfast in the room was, ironically given that we were practically rubbing shoulders with soldiers on Armistice Day (soldiers of all ranks and sizes were amassed in park not a stone’s throw from our bedroom window), a military operation. The room was transformed into a mini dining room at the flick of a James Bond switch, and it was divine.

So thankyou chocolate box. At least it’s nice to know that you are everything I had

“Good evening sir, my name is William and I will be your butler.” a while, maybe when you come back from dinner?” Excuse me Mr Butler man, this is a dream, I don’t need champagne, that would be a waste. I’m actually IN the chocolate box, I don’t need champagne to numb me, or to possibly drain away any of this. This is perfect, let me float around the room whilst you tell me about the nightlights and the button to call you at all hours of the day, or about the flat screen TV which arrives out of thin air and the hologram of Elle MacPherson which appears on the ….no, no, sorry, dream gone a bit too far there!

dreamed you could be. And next time when I drive past, I won’t gaze for a split second in wonderment, and I won’t be asked the same old question as before. I will drive past in silence, content in the knowledge that you are a dream hotel, a dream I lived and loved every minute of!

William Petey, with eighteen years service at The Lanesborough under his belt, was a perfect host. It felt like we had arrived from overseas in the 1950’s. William’s mention of in room broadband sort of ruined that but, nonetheless, he was a delight. I did have to ask if he actually stayed in the room at one point, jokingly I must add, or was I? Even I had lost sense of what was a joke and what was reality.

Beetroot &Radish saladwith burrata cheese &castel franco leaves £9.50

Due to our late arrival, we only had time for a quick wash and change of clothing and then it was down to the dining room, to the incredible Apsleys. You simply must see this place on the website, it is quite simply stunning. With three stupendous chandeliers hanging underneath a glass roof, and decadent décor throughout, Apsleys certainly wows you, even before you have taken your seat.

Sautéed John Dory with potatoes, green olives, parsley & chicken jus £30.00

And when we finally reached our table, gawping like tourists through Manhattan, the dream was far from ending. Like The Three Musketeers, our Restaurant Manager, Sommelier and Head Waiter (Pasquale Cosami, Andrew Connor and Matteo respectively), held our hands and dared us all at once throughout this mind-boggling event. So comfortable were we made to feel that I just wanted to hand over the reins – it was as if it was their show and we were just extras, I really didn’t want to interfere or get in the way. I just wanted to tell them to tell me what we should eat as I would have eaten it, and the same went for the wine and anything else they had to throw at us. Because you know what, if they’d given me a plate of straw and a glass of crude oil, it would most probably have ranked as my best meal ever.

I think you get the picture. The whole experience took me to a new level of hospitality. Not once did we feel out of place, not once were we made to feel insignificant and not once did we have any reason to feel anything other than content. And that, surely, is what a hotel guest staying in a hotel of repute should expect? It would be nice to expect a level of service commensurate with the standing of the hotel, but all to often we are let down, our bubble is burst or just one sloppy act or comment lets the rest of the side down. Not here. Service, as Stuart

For the record, we had: Smoked tuna salad fennel, orange & dill £14.50

Spaghettini of Scottish lobster tomato & basil £14.50 / £20.50 Risotto with truffle & fresh porcini mushrooms (v) £17.50

Sautéed fillet of beef with wild porcini mushroom and cognac sauce ( prepared at the table flabe`) £40.00 And to drink: Champagne - Taittinger Non Vintage White wine - 2007 Terlarner Classico from Cantina Terlano. This is a white wine from the Alto Adige. This is a region in the north of Italy that prior to the First World War was part of the Austrian Tyrol. Culturally it is a mix of German and Italian, German is still the main language spoken. The wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Bianco. The winery is a Cantina Sociale or cooperative winery. Many small farmers grow grapes which are then brought together and vinified. Coop wines can be pretty dull but this is probably Italy’s best and the wines are exceptional.

Red with fillet of beef - Tuscan red wine 2004 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Salcheto. Pure Sangiovese (the typical Tuscan grape variety) from the village of Montepulciano.

To finish (us off practically!) Limoncello is from the Amalfi coast in Campania

Contact details on page 100

THE LANESBOROUGH 88

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B4 HOTELS

Overlooking Hyde Park Corner, this chocolate box hotel stands triumphantly, as if the keeper of the park, overseeing the mayhem that is London. But once inside, the frenetic pace of the capital gives way to tranquility, to grace and above all, to perfection. However, for a hotel with the stature and history of The Lanesborough, perfection is not unusual, it is not strived for, it is quite simply expected. Review by Richard Rosser.

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89

THE LONDON AQUARIUM Tim May braves the elements and his triplets for a day out in London, courtesy of Chiltern Railways. Destination: The London Aquarium.

Sunday morning was cold, bitterly cold in fact, which made free all day parking directly adjacent to the station entrance a great way to start our adventure! We arrived in plenty of time to catch the 10:15 to Marylebone, which pulled out of the station at... exactly 10:15! The train journey from Haddenham & Thame was extremely straight forward, with only four stops, taking fifty minutes in all. The seating was ideal for our 2 plus 3 family, with a central table to allowing the three to get drawing and the two to catch up on the week’s gossip. Coffee is available from the award winning Little Italy coffee shop.

The onward journey on the underground was fun. One tube, fifteen minutes, seven stops and a great game of “Left or Right” guessing the platform side at the next

90

station. Mum won.

When we arrived at the Aquarium, the queue was short five5 minutes) and the staff were very obliging.

It was a very calming experience. The lighting was dim and we were led systematically through various large “corridors” where different species of fish were displayed. They started with smaller fish in smaller tanks which were all conveniently positioned, especially for the little ones, so no back breaking lifting was required. As we continued through, the fish were getting bigger until we reached the grand finale of “tanks” – or should I say - swimming pool, - where there were different varieties of sharks, stingrays and the like. The huge fish were definitely a hit, and the children were delighted they could get so close and see everything.

At different times of the day a guide would be on hand to take you round and explain and talk about the fish in more detail. He was extremely knowledgeable and good with the children, holding their attention and asking thought-provoking questions. The children loved the interaction.

The Aquarium is definitely set up well for youngsters, there was face painting, a “classroom” area where children were encouraged to draw and colour the different fish they had seen, and a welcome café at the end.

A short stroll down the embankment marveling at the street entertainers, another game of left and right, fifty minutes on the train, and we are back in the car.

Excellent! All in all, a great day out that won’t break the

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B4 TRAVEL

bank – highly recommended!

Tim travelled to London with Chiltern Railways’ Family Travelcard, groups of up to two adults and four children can enjoy a return rail journey from your local station to London, with bus and tube travel, plus 2-for-1 entry to over 100 of the top tourist attractions – including many of the West End shows. So you can have a great day out at places like Madame Tussauds, London Zoo, The London Aquarium, The London Dungeon and Oxford Street and come back with great memories, fun mementos AND a pocket full of money.

Discounts for larger groups: Did you know that if 10 or more people travel together on Chiltern Railways, you can get a 25% discount?

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With so many great places to visit along our route, taking the train for a day out is even easier and excellent value for money. As an extra bonus, 16 and 17 year olds also travel at child rate when using group travel tickets!

How to book your larger group tickets It's easy to take advantage of this great offer. Simply call their Business Travel office on 01494 420 117 (Mondays to Fridays, 0930 -1630) and tell them where and when you want to travel and how many people will be going. They’ll give you a price straight away and tell you the best trains to catch.

Tickets will be posted out to you (please allow at least 3 working days for delivery).

This special deal is only available in advance from their Business Travel office (although you don't have to be travelling on business!) It's not available at station ticket offices or online.

Railcard discounts Separate discounts are available on many tickets with a 16 -25, Senior, Family & Friends or Disabled Persons Railcard. For travel wholly within the South East, there is also the Network Railcard. Visit www.railcard.co.uk for more details.

Need more information?

Visit their website www.chilternrailways.co.uk/groups or ask at any staffed stations.

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B4 HOTELS

THE CHESTERFIELD

MAYFAIR It is difficult to find a London Hotel with soul, with character and with a warm welcome. The Chesterfield Hotel in Mayfair is this and more and has been fulfilling every expectation of attentive, discreet service for over thirty years. It would have been hard to have found a more inviting and charming establishment. Review by Richard Rosser.

I have honestly never been met at a hotel by

mission of a cab ride to and from Marks and Spencer,

Breakfast was pure indulgence. I tried to convince

such a bright, friendly and helpful reception

with a new pair of black shoes, was achieved in a

myself that the fresh fruit and yoghurt was justification

staff. The car had been dispensed of by

record 25 minutes. This gave us ample time to enjoy

for the sublime eggs Benedict that I caved in to – it

Concierge and our bags were on their way to the

the soothing sounds of the piano over a glass of

wasn’t, but who cares! The kids finished their full plates

room before we could blink.

champagne. In fact, I’m sure my wife and I could have

and gained hot chocolate forming bizarre moustaches!

stayed there all night!

Again service with a smile and the trademark Carnation.

Our two rooms were perfect, beautifully designed and sumptuous, as I am sure are all of the 98 deluxe

When we returned on the stroke of midnight, we

rooms and 12 luxurious suites. A bed which cried

seized the chance to dive into the bed, and it was as

Certainly a hotel I would visit again, perhaps under less

“sleep in me” and a bath which said “swim in me”. The

good as I had dreamt through the third curtain call, and

rushed circumstances, but then again, when is it ever

room deserved so much more attention than we

I didn’t wake until morning. Revitalised and refreshed,

any different!

would even dare to allow it, as with two children of

I was eager to get the kids up and ready for breakfast.

eight and eleven in tow, eager to jump in a cab to see

Just a ten minute job always takes an hour, if not

The Lion King (see p87), we were always going to find

longer, so at 10.30am we arrived, ready to experience

Located near Berkeley Square and only minutes from

it hard to steal ten minutes in the plush hotel bar

more of what The Chesterfield had to offer.

London’s finest shopping areas such as Bond Street,

Facts and Figures:

Regent Street, Oxford Street and Knightsbridge. Ideal

before leaving for our night at the theatre, let alone catch a cheeky flop on the bed after a hard week in the

We also took the opportunity to have a snoop around

for West End theatres and all major tourist attractions,

office! That plan was further dashed when it became

the hotel and wished that we had more time to

with London’s financial district just a taxi ride away.

clear that our son had neglected to pack his smart

sample the delights of afternoon tea in the

shoes in favour of a tatty pair of white school trainers!

garden-style conservatory, or take the Sommelier up

Award-winning Butler’s Restaurant offers the finest of

on his recommendations from the Wine Room.

traditional and contemporary cuisine which includes a

Given its proximity to Oxford Street, the unlikely

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“roast of the day” from the silver serving trolley.

Contact details on page 100

93

B4 ENJOY

LONG LIVE THE KING

Disney’s award-winning production of ‘The Lion King’ is now in its ninth year at London’s Lyceum Theatre, where it has been seen by almost 7 million people since it premiered in October 1999. B4 were fortunate enough to experience the fantastic sights and sounds of this spectacular musical.

The Lion King remains one of the most sought-after tickets in the West End. At 2100 seats, the historic Lyceum Theatre is one of London’s largest theatres. The show has welcomed almost 7 million theatregoers to over 3500 performances.

Worldwide, more than 45 million people have seen ‘The Lion King’ in 11 different countries and in 5 different languages.

Julie Taymor’s internationally acclaimed stage adaptation of Disney’s 1994 animated film was first seen on Broadway in 1997 and has now been seen by over 45 million people across 5 continents. In addition to the record-breaking productions in London and New York, ‘The Lion King’ can currently be seen in Paris, Tokyo, Hamburg, Fukuoka, and on tour in the US. Taymor, one of the world’s most innovative directors, brought a vast array of disciplines to ‘The Lion King’, including extensive experience staging epic theatre and opera productions, exploring classic myths through ritualised puppetry, mask, and movement. ‘The Lion King’ was the first musical she directed in the

commercial theatre, and made Broadway history by becoming the first woman to win the Tony Award® for’ Best Director of a Musical’.

The book was adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated feature, and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay of ‘The Lion King’.

The original score from the animated film has been expanded for the stage and now features 15 musical numbers. South African composer Lebo M, as well as writing completely new songs, has created an evocative blend of African rhythms and chorales, with additional material by Julie Taymor and Mark Mancina.

Elton John and Tim Rice have added three new numbers to the five that they wrote for the award-winning score of the animated film. The resulting sound of ‘The Lion King’ is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, embracing the Academy Award®-winning Can You Feel The Love Tonight and the haunting Shadowland.

‘The Lion King’ follows the adventures of the young lion cub Simba, as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role of King.

The London company of 46 performers is led by 11 principals: George Asprey as Scar, Shaun Escoffery as Mufasa, Brown Lindiwe Mkhize as Rafiki, Cameron Pow as Zazu, Nick Mercer as Timon, Keith Bookman as Pumba, Andile Gumbi as Simba, Gloria Onitiri as Nala, Gary Forbes as Banzai, Allyson Addo as Shenzi and Mark Sangster as Ed. ‘The Lion King’ is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions at The Lyceum in the heart of the West End. ‘The Lion King’ plays Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm with matinee performances on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.00pm and Sunday at 3.00pm. There is no performance on a Monday evening. www.thelionking.co.uk

Contact details on page 100

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CHUTNEY MARY REFINED, REGIONAL INDIAN FOOD After a hurried exit from The Lion King and following a swift taxi ride through central London and along the Embankment, Chutney Mary played host to B4 on The Kings Road in Chelsea. Amongst opulent surroundings and uber-friendly hosts, we couldn’t fail to enjoy the delights of this historic and rightfully acclaimed Indian Restaurant.

Originally opened 18 years ago, Chutney Mary underwent a complete interior transformation in May 2002. The restaurant is owned by Masala World, which also owns Veeraswamy, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary, Amaya and five hugely popular Masala Zones.

The transformed interior features olive, aubergine and burgundy soft furnishings with colourful Indian silk cushions, Indian candelabra, dramatic lighting and teak panelling and furniture. Adorning the walls are Russian black and white prints of 1840s India, framed fabrics from Rajasthan, and Moghul-style and Rajasthani

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mirrored murals. The conservatory has banquettes circling a 30 year old ficus tree and it was here that we enjoyed our feast.

It may have been 10.45pm by the time we sat down to eat, but this was such a fairytale setting that our two children (8 and 11), barely showed signs of flagging.

Not that I would advocate such late night dining, this was a one off and a treat which even the sleepiest eyes would stay open for.

Typical dishes include crispy Rock Shrimp Masala, Duck Galouti Kebab, Lobster Stir-fry, Saffron Chicken Tikka, Kebab Platter, Green Chicken Curry Goan style, a Vegetarian Platter, Lamb Biryani, Mango Pannacotta Lime and Mint Chutney Cochin-style Squid with Red Chilli Masala, Dark Chocolate Fondant with Orange Blossom Lassi.

Whilst the children ordered their usual Chicken Korma, we shared the delightful Green Chicken Curry and the Saffron Chicken Tikka. Melt in your mouth, delicious,

mouth-watering….there was everything and more in the small black pots on our tables, VERY HOT, but VERY GOOD! Not a scrap was left on our plates, a sure fire sign that little and big tummies were replete and content.

To go the extra mile, make an evening of it and immerse yourself in the adventurous wine list which features one hundred bins and has been devised by wine consultant, Matthew Jukes, featuring many unusual wines from around the world. Don’t ignore the Specialist Indian cocktails which include Bombay Blush and Goa on the Rocks.

For a perfect end to a hectic evening, Chutney Mary provided just that. No hurry, no hassle and no drama.

Great cooking without fuss, perfect service and a mesmerising atmosphere that helped you unwind and enjoy what is a very special place.

Contact details on page 100

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University of Oxford • Conferences • Day meetings • Corporate hospitality • En suite accommodation • Beautiful buildings and gardens

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“Complete Marketing Support from a single source” • Response Handling & Fulfilment inc e – Commerce & Mail Order • Data Capture & Order Processing • Pick, Pack & Dispatch • Contract & Promotional Packing • Collation, Handwork & Promotional Kit Assembly • POS Handling & Management • Stock Management & Reporting • Mailing Services – Machine & Hand Enclosing • Telephone Marketing • Storage & Distribution UK/ Overseas • IT Support & Database Management • Print & Design Service • Material Sourcing & Procurement • Archiving • H.M. Customs & Excise Bonded Warehouse • Campaign Management, Coupon Redemption & Prize Draws • 30,000 sq ft Operational Warehouse with “GMS Redcare” security alarm system. for a cost effective solution and a company to work as an extension of your business call us now on 01235 510932 or email: enquiries@directionmarketing.co.uk.

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Contacts If you want to contact B4 Magazine T: 01865 742211 E: info@b4-business.com Publisher B4 Magazine is published by Designs On Ltd, The Firs, Headington Hill, Oxford, OX3 0BT Chairman Colin Rosser E: colin@designs-on.co.uk Art Editor Keith Simpson E: artwork@b4-business.com Editorial Richard Rosser E: editorial@b4-business.com Editorial contributors John Kennedy Kimberley Manning Jonathan Sekhar Katie Avis-Riordan Taylor Leonard Alex Neale Proofreading Shani Farrant Advertising E: sales@b4-business.com Administration Sue Edwardson E: admin@b4-business.com Studio Photography Studio 8 T: 01865 842525 B4 Partners Apartments in Oxford B-Line Buildbase Conference Centre Oxford CRM Darbys Direction Marketing Services Get Support Isis Innovation Ltd Oxford Airport Oxford Inspires Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Charitable Funds Oxford United FC Studio 8 The Oxford Wealth Club VSL and Partners Wenn Townsend Subscriptions For free Subscription, please contact: T: 01865 742211 E: info@b4-business.com Each business with an Oxfordshire postcode is entitled to one free copy per issue. For additional copies and for businesses outside of Oxfordshire, there is an annual subscription charge of £25.

Key Page reference: 26 Distribution Direction Marketing Services Ltd 01235 510932 www.directionmarketing.co.uk © 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.

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1. Advice Professional Accountants Wenn Townsend 58 Contact Name: Tony Haines E-mail: aehaines@wenntownsend.co.uk Telephone: 01865 559900 Address: 30 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LE Website: www.wenntownsend.co.uk Information: Chartered accountants and tax advisors with particular expertise in owner managed business. Offices in Oxford, Abingdon and Cirencester..

Shaw Gibbs LLP Contact Name: Peter O’Connell Telephone: 01865 292200 Address: 264 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7DY Website: www.shawgibbs.com

Solicitors Darbys 44 55 Contact Name: Ema Murphy E-mail: emurphy@darbys.co.uk Telephone: 01865 811700 Address: 52 New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, OX1 2DN Website: www.darbys.co.uk Information: One of the largest law firms in the region, Darbys specialist departments deliver legal services to businesses and their owners in some unique ways.

Withy King 66 Contact Name: Chris Kane E-mail: enquiries@withyking.co.uk Telephone: 01865 792300 Address: North Bailey House, New Inn Hall Street, Oxford. OX1 2EA Website: www.withyking.co.uk Information: Withy King is a full service legal firm offering a comprehensive range of both private client and commercial services..

Brethertons Contact Name: Claire Thompson E-mail: clairethompson@brethertons.co.uk Telephone: 01295 661492 Address: Strathmore House Waterperry Court Middleton Road, Banbury OX16 4QD Website: www.brethertons.co.uk Information: Brethertons LLP undertakes all kinds of legal work including company commercial matters, property, conveyancing, debt recovery, litigation, family, wills, trusts, probate and agriculture.

Beechwood Solicitors 73 Contact Name: Nicola Stapleton E-mail: info@beechwoodsolicitors.com Telephone: 01865 988358 Address: 14 Hanborough Business Park, Long Hanborough, Oxford. OX29 8LH Website: www.beechwoodsolicitors.com Information: Beechwood Solicitors is a specialist commercial law firm offering a modern and fresh approach to legal services.

Professional Services Project Management Oxford Management Solutions 71 Contact Name: Paul Ovington Telephone: 01865 792178 or 07766 126767 Address: 16 Harlow Way, Marston, Oxford. OX3 0QS Website: www.oxfordltd.co.uk

333 Oxford Conference Centre 10 Contact Name: Andrew Lund-Yates Telephone: 01865 554719 Address: 333 Banbury Road, Oxford. OX2 7PL Website: www.the-oxford-centre.co.uk Information: Whether you're organising a wedding or a training conference, The Oxford Centre is dedicated to turning your event into a special occasion.

Information: Let us use our expertise in business management, project management, and new product development to help you develop a winning strategy and achieve crucial business objectives systematically.

Gloucester RFC / Kingsholm Venues 16 Contact Name: Patrick Morris Telephone: 01452 872269 Website: www.kingsholmvenues.co.uk

Business Support and Regulation

Information: If you’re looking for a venue that will inspire, motivate or impress, come and see the newly built Cheltenham & Gloucester Grandstand at Kingsholm, home of Gloucester Rugby.

Government Organisations Revenue and Customs 43 Employers Helpline: 08457 143 143 Newly Self-Employed Helpline: 0845 915 1545 Online Services Helpdesk: 0845 60 55 999

2. Finance

Technical Supplies Image Audio Visual Solutions 52 Contact Name: Andy Fegan E-mail: andy.fegan@image-av.co.uk Telephone: 01235 865500 Address: 455 Maxwell Avenue, Harwell Science & Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0QT Website: www.image-av.co.uk

Banking Clydesdale Contact Name: Chris Andrews Telephone: 01865 265400 Address: Financial Solutions Centre, Seacourt Tower, West Way, Botley, Oxford. OX2 0JJ Website: www.CBonline.co.uk

3. Meet

Venue Hire The Corner Club 22 Contact Name: Julie von Sperling (Club Manager) E-mail: hello@thecornerclub.co.uk Telephone: 01865 200404 Address: 16 – 17 Turl Street, Oxford OX1 3DH. Website: www.thecornerclub.co.uk Information: Private members club in the heart of Oxford.

Conference and Meetings Conference Venues Conference Centre Oxford 52 Contact Name: Pamela Parker E-mail: pamela@oxstay.co.uk Telephone: 01865 254075 Address: Cantay House, Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD Information: Oxford’s premier conference centre, at the heart of the City with first class services and facilities to ensure that your event runs smoothly and professionally.

Witney Lakes Resort 30 50 Contact Name: The Sales Team E-mail: sales@witney-lakes.co.uk Telephone: 01993 893000 Address: Downs Rd, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 0SY Website: www.witney-lakes.co.uk Information: With an attractive lakeside setting we are situated on the edge of the market town of Witney, Oxfordshire. Our facilities include meeting rooms, Health Club, Golf Course, Restaurant, Spa and Large function room.

The Oxford Belfry 20 Contact Name: Jonathan Read, Sales Manager Telephone: 01844 279381 Address: Milton Common, Nr Thame, Oxfordshire. OX9 2JW Website: www.qhotels.co.uk Information: The Oxford Belfry sits just south of Oxford, near the picturesque market town of Thame, amidst 17 glorious acres of countryside.

4. Compute IT Microsoft UK 37 Contact Name: Microsoft UK E-mail: businessaudience@infernopr.com Telephone: 0208 735 9735 Address: Microsoft, Microsoft Campus, Thames Valley Park, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1WG Website: www.microsoft.com/ik/smallbusiness Information: Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

Customers Really Matter 97 Contact Name: James White E-mail: james.white@yourcrm.co.uk Telephone: 0845 310 9973 Website: www.customersreallymatter.co.uk Get Support 61 84 Contact Name: James Craddock E-mail: info@getsupport.co.uk Telephone: 01865 594000 Address: Unit 6, The Boundary Business Park, Wheatley Road, Garsington. OX44 9EJ Website: www.getsupport.co.uk Information: Get Support provide a full range for Computer Services designed for small businesses.

Computer Consultancy, Day-to-Day Technical Support, Hardware Sales & Web Development.

www.b4-business.com

B4 Contacts Agnito UK Ltd 81 Contact Name: Thomas Jenkinson E-mail: info@agnitouk.com Telephone: 0870 458 2151 Address: 7200 The Quorum, Oxford Business Park North, Garsington Road, Oxford. OX4 2JZ Website: www.agnitouk.com

Ethos Hotels 103 Contact: Simon Walshaw E-mail: swalshaw@ethoshotels.co.uk Telephone: 01865 813580 Address: 59 Western Road, Grandpoint, Oxford.

OX1 4LF. Website: www.ethoshotels.co.uk

Information: When we plan and design your IT infrastructure, we ensure that scalability is core to the design and that the solutions we recommend are flexible to grow with your business requirements..

Information: City Centre new boutique-style hotel located within easy walking distance to Oxford University Colleges, restaurants and shops.

Whether your travel is for business or pleasure, alone or with family, your stay with Ethos Hotel will provide an unparalleled atmosphere for comfort.

Web Services SureFire Digital 63 Contact Name: Rob Jones E-mail: info@surefiredigital.co.uk Telephone: 07815 143878 or 020 3239 8055 Address: 43 Otters Reach, Kennington, Oxford, Oxfordshire. OX1 5QL Website: www.surefiredigital.co.uk Information: SureFire is a digital marketing consultancy, blending creativity with digital marketing expertise.

Nominet 19 Contact Name: Phil Kingsland E-mail: nominet@nominet.org.uk Telephone: 01865 332211 Address: Minerva House, Edmund Halley Road, Oxford Science Park, Oxford, OX4 4DQ Website: www.nominet.org.uk Information: Nominet is the Internet registry for .uk domain names, and provides a safe, stable and reliable .uk namespace.

5. Office Office Supplies B-Line 38 Contact Name: Kay Thomas E-mail: kay@b-line.co.uk Telephone: 08701 633340 Address: The Green Hangar, Horton Road, Stanton St John, Oxford, OX33 1AG Website: www.b-line.co.uk Information: There are many reasons to choose B-line as your preferred stationary, print and furniture supplier as we are totally committed to product quality, reliability, combined with a professional approach.

6. Stay Hotels Barcel贸 Oxford Hotel Contact: Reservations Team E-mail: oxford.reservations@barcelo-hotels.co.uk Telephone: 01865 489988 Address: Godstow Road, Oxford. OX2 8AL Website: www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk Information: Adjacent A34 & A40 with extensive conference facilities and free parking. A stylish, modern 4* hotel just 2 miles from the city centre.

Information:The majority of our rental properties are located in the Oxford city centre within a mile radius. Our friendly staff offer a professional letting service for Landlords and Tenants.

Estate Agents Pink and Black Property 40 E-mail: info@pinkandblackproperty.com Telephone: 01865 515919 Address: 14 Oakthorpe Rd, Summertown, OX2 7BE Website: www.pinkandblackproperty.com

development agency for Oxfordshire. We create new opportunities for arts and heritage organisations, nurture new festivals and spectacular events and work to engage as many people as possible in exciting and enjoyable cultural experiences, raising Oxfordshire's profile as a cultural destination within the UK and internationally Direction Marketing Services Ltd 98 Contact Name: David Hart E-mail: David@directionmarketing.co.uk Telephone: 01235 510932 website: www.directionmarketing.co.uk The Oxfordshire Town Chambers 23 Network Contact Name: Ian Nicholson E-mail: enquiries@otcn.co.uk Website: www.otcn.co.uk

Bicester Golf and Country Club 82 Contact Name: Carol Church Telephone: 01869 241 204 Address: Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 1TE Website: www.bicestercountryclub.com

Information: Pink & Black Property Consultants is a dynamic, fresh thinking and independent Oxford-based agency, offering a full range of property related services across Oxfordshire and beyond.

Information: Bicester Country Club will become one of or the best hospitality venue in Oxfordshire and the Home Counties region of England.

Property Services and Materials

The Oxford Belfry 20 Contact Name: Jonathan Read, Sales Manager Telephone: 01844 279381 Address: Milton Common, Nr Thame, Oxfordshire.

OX9 2JW Website: www.qhotels.co.uk

Builders Merchants

Photography and Duplication

Johnsons Buildbase 60 95 Contact Name: Mike Augar (Heavyside) Craig Tarrant (Lightside) Telephone: 01865 787700 E-mail: mike.augar@buildbase.co.uk craig.tarrant@buildbase.co.uk Address: Watlington Road, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 6LN Website: www.buildbase.co.uk

Studio 8 56 Contact Name: Clark Wiseman E-mail: info@studio-8.co.uk Telephone: 01865 842525 Address: 8 Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1AA Website: www.studio-8.co.uk

Information: The Oxford Belfry sits just south of Oxford, near the picturesque market town of Thame, amidst 17 glorious acres of countryside.

Short Stay Accommodation Apartments In Oxford 2 Contact Name: Mark Iles E-mail: based@oxstay.co.uk Telephone: 01865 254000 Address: St Thomas Mews, 58 St Thomas Street, Oxford, OX1 1JP Website: www.oxstay.co.uk Information: Outstanding self-catering accommodation self-catering accommodation in Oxford, fully serviced to a high standard. For overnight, short or long stays in Oxford's City Centre.

Information: We offer a wide range of building materials, timber, landscaping, hire, plumbing, kitchens, bathrooms, tiles, flooring & decorative items.

S G Locksmith Services Contact Name: Steve Gardner E-mail: stevegardner22@ntlworld.com Telephone: 07788 595451 Address: 22 St. Helens Way, Benson, Oxon. OX10 6SW Website: www.sglocksmithservices.co.uk Information: Offering a comprehensive range of services, whatever your requirements. You can be assured of a high quality service at competitive rates with no call out charge..

Professional Services Commercial Property VSL 24 49 57 Contact Name: Richard Venables E-mail: rvenables@vslandp.com Telephone: 01865 848488 Address: 22 Bankside, Kidlington, Oxford. OX5 1JE Website: www.vslandp.com Information: VSL are commercial property consultants specializing in the Oxfordshire area advising on agency/ landlord and tenant/ rating and investment work.

North Oxford Property Services 34 Contact Name: Robin Swailes E-mail: post@nops.co.uk Telephone: 01865 311745 Address: 47 Walton Street, Oxford. OX2 6AD

Information: The Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network (OTCN) is a communications network for town chambers and other similar business groups across Oxfordshire.

Information: Studio8 is about making photography fun! Whether its a high energy portrait session, a classic wedding or a commercial project - studio8 have the skills to capture the images you want.

The Oxford Duplication Centre 79 Contact Name: Cheryl-Lee Foulsham E-mail: info@theduplicationcentre.co.uk Telephone: 01865 457 000 Address: 20 Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxford. OX5 1AA Website: www.theduplicationcentre.co.uk Information: Specialising in full colour CD / DVD duplication, CD / DVD replication, video tape and cassette transfers, video editing, design and printing services.

Business Club

7. Property

Letting Agents

www.b4-business.com

Website: www.nops.co.uk

8. Market Design & Marketing Blink Design 74 Contact: Keith Simpson E-mail: art-work@btconnect.com Telephone: 01865 742211 Address: The Firs, Headington Hill, Oxford. OX3 0BT. Information: Whether you are looking for a new identity or a suite of professionally produced corporate literature, Blink Design are able to provide a solution for you. Web design and maintenance also now available.

Oxford Inspires 27 Contact Name: Kathelene Weiss E-mail: info@oxfordinspires.org Telephone: 01865 815525 Address: Central Library, Westgate, Oxford, OX1 1DJ. Website: www.oxfordinspires.org Information: Oxford Inspires is the cultural

The Oxford Wealth Club 85 Contact Name: Angela Beaugeard E-mail: oxfordwealthclub@paul-avins.com Telephone: 01869 278900 Website: www.oxfordwealthclub.co.uk Information: The Oxford Wealth Club is a unique club, structured to help grow your wealth network, business skills and profits through world class training every fortnight.

9. Learn Colleges Oxford Brookes Business School 41 Contact Name: Business School Enquiries E-mail: business@brookes.ac.uk Telephone: 01865 485858 Address: Wheatley Campus, Oxford, OX33 1HX Website: www.business.brookes.ac.uk Information: Our mission is to prepare individuals and organisations for the challenges of a continually changing, global business.

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B4 Contacts Oxford University

Private Club

Isis Innovation Ltd Contact Name: Tom Hockaday Telephone: 01865 280839 Address: Ewert House, Ewert Place, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7SG Website: www.isis-innovation.com

The Corner Club See Section 3 “Meet” for contact details under Venue Hire

Information: The technology transfer company of the University of Oxford.

Witney Lakes Resort See Section 3 “Meet” for contact details under Conference Venues.

Nurseries Willow Cottage Nurseries 8 Contact Name: Neil and Valerie Grady Telephone: 01865 864604 Website: www.willow-cottage.com Information: An established family-run business with 25 years experience, offering parents the highest quality child-care, "Second to Mum”.

10. Play

Health Clubs and Spas

Bicester Golf and Country Club 82 Contact Name: Carol Church Telephone: 01869 241 204 Address: Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 1TE Website: www.bicestercountryclub.com Information: Bicester Country Club will become one of or the best hospitality venue in Oxfordshire and the Home Counties region of England.

Restaurants

Cars

Witney Lakes Resort See Section 3 “Meet” for contact details under Conference Venues

Bugatti Contact Name: Ian Patton E-mail: club@bugatti.co.uk Telephone: 01242 673136 Address: Prescott Hill Climb, Gotherington, Cheltenham, Glos, GL52 9RD. Business Category: Motor Racing Website: www.prescott-hillclimb.com

Queens Lane Coffee House 68 Contact Name: Cem Muldur E-mail: info@queenslane.co.uk Telephone: 01865 240082 Address: 40 High Street, Oxford. OX1 4AP Website: www.queenslane.co.uk

Information: Top class motor sport in a glorious setting, suitable for corporate entertaining, promotion & PR.

Golf Clubs Witney Lakes Resort 30 50 Contact Name: The Sales Team E-mail: sales@witney-lakes.co.uk Telephone: 01993 893000 Address: Downs Rd, Witney, Oxfordshire, OX29 0SY Website: www.witney-lakes.co.uk Information: With an attractive lakeside setting we are situated on the edge of the market town of Witney, Oxfordshire. Our facilities include meeting rooms, Health Club, Golf Course, Restaurant, Spa and Large function room.

Studley Wood Golf Club 64 Contact Name: Ken Heathcote (General Manager) E-mail: admin@studleywoodgolfclub.co.uk Telephone: 01865 351122 Address: The Straight Mile, Horton-Cum-Studley, Oxford. OX33 1BF Website: www.studleywoodgolfclub.co.uk Information: Set in 177 acres of beautiful, tranquil Oxfordshire countryside, only 6 miles from the centre of Oxford, this is a hidden gem.

Bicester Golf and Country Club 82 Contact Name: Carol Church Telephone: 01869 241 204 Address: Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 1TE Website: www.bicestercountryclub.com Information: Bicester Country Club will become one of or the best hospitality venue in Oxfordshire and the Home Counties region of England.

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11. Give Charitable Organisations Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals 28 Charitable Funds Contact Name: Susannah Maxa E-mail: campaign@orh.nhs.uk Telephone: 01865 743444 Website: www.orhcharitablefunds.nhs.uk Information: Donations to Charitable Funds improve the facilities and environment for patients at the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Horton hospitals.

12. Travel Air Oxford Airport 36 Contact Name: James Dillon-Godfray E-mail: info@oxfordairport.co.uk Telephone: 01865 290 710 Address: Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1RA Website: www.oxfordairport.co.uk Information: Oxfordshire’s only airport and the only commercial airport between Heathrow and Birmingham International. Provides a number of air services for both private and business use.

Public Transport

Information: Queen’s Lane Coffee House stands on the corner of Queen’s Lane and the High Street and has played a part in Oxford’s rich and varied history.

Chiltern Railways 90 18 Telephone: 08456 005 165 Website: www.chilternrailways.co.uk

Thai Orchid 87 Contact Name: Vichai Kharmakharm E-mail: thaiboathouse@btconnect.com Telephone: 01865 798044 Address: St. Clements Street, Oxford. OX4 1AH Website: www.thaigroup.co.uk

Information: Welcome to Chiltern Railways winner of 'Passenger Operator of the Year' at the 2007 National Rail Awards and winner of 'Innovative Transport Project of 2008' at the London Transport Awards for our innovation in text ticketing.

Information: Our family-owned business originated over forty years ago in Bangkok where our restaurant became an award-winning establishment favoured by local politicians and celebrities.

The Big Bang Contact Name: Max Mason E-mail: Max@thebigbangrestaurants.co.uk Telephone: 01865 511441 Address: 124 Walton Street, Jericho, Oxford, OX2 6AH Website: www.thebigbangrestaurants.co.uk

Race Courses Cheltenham Racecourse 46 48 Contact Name: Craig Staddon (Racing Sales Manager) E-mail: cheltenhamboxoffice@ jockeyclubracecourses.com Telephone: 01242 537653 Address: Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire, GL50 4SH Website: www.cheltenham.co.uk Information: Cheltenham, the jewel in Jump racing's crown, plays host to the best jumping action in the world from 350 spectacular acres in the lee of the beautiful Cotswold hills..

The Lanesborough 88 E-mail: info@lanesborough.com Telephone: 0207 259 5599 Address: The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London. SW1X 7TA Website: www.lanesborough.com Information: All guests of The Lanesborough are received as honoured guests in a private home and cared for by personal butlers.

Restaurants UK Chutney Mary 96 E-mail: chutneymary@realindianfood.com Telephone: 0207 351311 Address: 535 Kings Road, Chelsea, London.

SW10 0SZ Website: www.chutneymary.com

Entertainment UK The Lion King 94 Address: Lyceum Theatre, 21 Wellington Street London WC2E 7RQ Website: www.thelionking.co.uk

Galleries Sarah Wiseman Gallery 75 Contact Name: Sarah Wiseman E-mail: info@wisegal.com Telephone: 01865 515123 Address: 40 / 41 South Parade, Summertown, Oxford. OX2 7JL Website: www.wisegal.com Information: Sarah Wiseman has enjoyed exhibiting British and International Contemporary Paintings in Oxford for more than ten years.

13. Home Interiors Jill Treloggen Interiors 72 Contact Name: Jill Treloggen E-mail: info@jilltreloggen.co.uk Telephone: 01993 700515 Address: The Coach House, 10 Millins Yard, 99b High Street, Witney, Oxon. OX28 6HY Website: www.jilltreloggen.co.uk Information: We work in many areas of the residential market, and pride ourselves on delivering fresh ideas to our clients that will achieve the results they wish for.

14. Beyond Hotels UK The Chesterfield Mayfair 92 E-mail: bookch@rchmail.com Telephone: 0207 491 2622 Address: 35 Charles Street, London. W1J 5EB Website: www.chesterfieldmayfair.com

If you wish to list your business on this page, the charge is £75+VAT for a basic listing and £100+VAT for a listing including explanation of the business. The rate includes presence in 4 issues of B4.

www.b4-business.com

Our Ethos Ethos Hotel is designed to be an environmentally friendly facility without sacrificing our guests’ comfort.

Our beautiful, Victorian building was lovingly and conscientiously restored to preserve and enhance the character of the original building.

King and super-king sized beds, adorned with pillow-top mattresses provide the ultimate in luxury along with the softest sheet sets and duvets.

Bathrooms have heated towel rails with ultra plush towels, fixed hairdryers along with our complimentary and luxurious toiletries.

59 Western Road, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 4LF T: +44 (0)1865 245 800 F: 0800 007 3248 E: info@ethoshotels.co.uk w: www.ethoshotels.com

Studley Wood Golf Club Competition Would you like to have a corporate day out with a difference?

To win a day of Golf for up to 12 people at this 18 hole golf course, Set In this beautiful 170 acres of Oxfordshire Countryside, just answer the following questions: 1. Name the owner of Studley Wood Golf Club – Ken’s Partner 2. Where is Ken based?

3. What year did Royal and Ancient produce their report?

4. Which organisation is Ken a member of?

All entries should be sent to: competitions@b4-business.com

New boutique apart-hotel

in central Oxford