B4 Magazine Issue 12

B4

Magazine

ISSUE 12 AUTUMN 2009

FINANCE

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RECRUITMENT

ADVICE •

www.b4-business.com

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P ROMOTION

CHARITY

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H E A LT H

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SPOTLIGHT •

MEET

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• IT

PROPERTY •

EN JOY

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NEWS H OT E L S

The Perfect Fit Why Greg Barnes of Breckon & Breckon is going back to his roots

Oxfordshire's Garden John Hoy assesses Blenheim Palace, six years on from taking over the role as Chief Executive

Red Letter Haze Former Dragon, Rachel Elnaugh, talks to B4 about making a success out of the demise of Red Letter Days

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Contacts If you want to contact B4 Magazine Telephone: 01865 742211 E-mail: info@b4-business.com Publisher B4 Magazine is published by Designs On Ltd, The Firs, Headington Hill, Oxford, OX3 0BT Chairman Colin Rosser E-mail: colin@designs-on.co.uk

Welcome to B4

Editor Richard Rosser E-mail: editorial@b4-business.com

Is it me, or are businesses starting to revive old fashioned values, turning over new

Art Editor Keith Simpson E-mail: artwork@b4-business.com

in many businesses we have been speaking with.

Assistant Editor Katie Avis-Riordan

Whether we are in the eye of the economic storm, on the way out or, perish the thought,

Editorial contributors Leila Siddiqi Lucy Howard Colin Rosser

demonstrates that, whatever stage of the economic downturn we are in, businesses of all

Proof Reading Shani Farrant Advertising E-mail: sales@b4-business.com Administration Sue Edwardson and Paige Tully E-mail: admin@b4-business.com Studio Photography Studio 8 Telephone: 01865 842525 Field Photography Mark Burnett Telephone: 01865 742211 B4 Partners Apartments in Oxford B-Line Buildbase Conference Centre Oxford Darbys Direction Marketing Services Oxford Innovation Ltd Oxford Airport Oxford Castle Oxford Inspires Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network Studio 8 VSL and Partners Wenn Townsend Withy King

leaves, reinventing themselves – almost giving themselves a spring clean? Customer

still on the way in, there are few better places to be than in Oxford. This issue of B4 shapes and sizes are shaping up to get out, fighting fit and raring to go.

Our lead story throws the spotlight on Greg Barnes of Breckon and Breckon, and his return to a familiar haunt to look to the future and grow his established lettings business.

Graham Henley, Managing Partner of leading local accountancy firm, Shaw Gibbs, Oliver

Distribution Direction Marketing Services Ltd Telephone: 01235 510932 www.directionmarketing.co.uk

22 Auto Golf The Oxfordshire Golf Club's Chairman and Auto Trader co-founder, Paul Gibbons, talks to B4

Cassell a surgeon with Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare, and Henry Panton of Panton Design, explain what they are doing to attract and fulfill their customers’ needs.

We also have great interviews with Blenheim Palace Chief Executive, John Hoy; Auto Trader joint founder, and now Chairman of The Oxfordshire Golf Club, Paul Gibbons; former Dragon, Rachel Elnaugh; Douglas Riach of Riach Architects; and chat about the future of The Covered Market with new Traders Association Chairman, Chris Farren.

Lastly, don’t forget to have a look at our impressive list of B4 Ambassadors (pages 10 and

44 The Art Of Identity

11) who are backing our new B4 website, launching in September.

Enjoy B4 and be a part of the new B4 online community – call us for details, 01865 742211.

Spotlight on The Oxford Castle's very own gallery - The O3

Richard Rosser Editor

42 Red Letter Haze

Subscriptions For free Subscription, please contact: Telephone: 01865 742211 E-mail: 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.

Inside

care, after sales service and building long term relationships are certainly to the fore

About

B4

Former Dragon, Rachel Elnaugh, on success after failure

Magazine

B4 Magazine was established to provide Oxfordshire businesses with a clear voice to raise their profile and to help businesses connect. Direct mailed to three thousand business

© 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.

decision makers in Oxfordshire every quarter, B4 is widely regarded as one of Oxfordshire’s leading business publications. B4 stands for Building Bridges Between Business, and that is what we have done and will continue to do, aided by the development of a first class website launching later in 2009.

B4 is funded by paid for display advertising and editorial, although some editorial is granted without charge at the discretion of the Editor.

46 Futures Market New Covered Market Chairman, Chris Farren, and his vision for the future

B4 Contents B4 LEAD

news

12 A Perfect Fit: Greg Barnes of Breckon and Breckon on expansion and going back to his roots

Corporate social responsibility in action

Our task was to help the children and staff of Pegasus Primary School in Cowley to plant an entire allotment of potatoes. This forms part of the school’s outdoor learning programme linking to positive messages about exercise and healthy eating and promised to be a fun and informative day for all. A donation from Nominet had already been put to good use by the school to buy the necessary gardening tools.

62 Engineers With Vision: Nigel Pursall of telecoms company, Orange Stripe

All that remained was for our volunteer team to dig the trenches and for the impressively enthusiastic army of pupils to plant, cover, and then water the potatoes.

It was a fantastically rewarding day for us, and a fun way for the children to learn. We can’t wait to go back later in the year when all at the school are looking forward to home grown potatoes on the school dinner menu.

OTCN Charitable Funds Oxford Innovation Oxford Inspires Nominet Company Profiles Business Link

Shaping the future of the domain name industry in the UK We here at Nominet, the Internet registry for .uk domain names want your opinions on a series of potential changes to how the .uk domain name space is managed and develops in the future.

Nominet and our membership are key components of the self-regulation model that has allowed the UK domain name market to thrive and ensured the provision of an excellent service to those who rely on .uk. Our constitution was put in place in 1996 to ensure the industry would be competitive and stakeholder driven and was seen at the time as a world leader in this area. However, as the Internet has developed our constitution has not significantly changed despite the changes in the external environment.

Recently the government’s Department for Business suggested it was time to consider how Nominet’s corporate governance model could be updated to

ensure self-regulation in the industry could continue.

As a result Nominet commissioned an independent review.

Professor Garratt, who conducted the review, concludes that the Nominet membership needs to self-regulate effectively in a number of key areas, and that if that does not happen, it could result in government intervention in the UK domain name industry and external regulation being imposed.

However, if we can show that we are addressing the concerns, moving forward, and demonstrating a healthy self-regulation model, then the UK domain name industry will be better placed to continue justifying no Government intervention.

We want to hear the opinions of anyone with an interest in the continued successful provision of .uk in order that we can achieve a suitable update to our

governance structures that will work for both government and the industry. We are running a consultation, which gives you the chance to respond to the questions Professor Garratt asks about the future of Nominet and its role within the UK Internet industry and his specific recommendations about our governance.

We welcome full and frank answers to these questions either directly by email to: governancereview@nominet.org.uk, or by completing our online questionnaire on our web site at: www.nominet.org.uk/about/consultations/shapethefuture.

We urge anyone with an interest in .uk to fully engage in discussion of these questions to ensure the industry remains able to meet the needs of all who rely on .uk “just working”.

Nominet Trust awards grants for new Internet projects Nominet Trust, a charitable organisation that funds Internet education, inclusion and safety initiatives recently announced its first six grants for a range of innovative projects that will make a positive difference to society through the development of the Internet.

B4 SPOTLIGHT

The Trust received a donation from of £5m from Nominet, and it is currently seeking to fund new initiatives that use the Internet for the benefit of all. The six organisations to receive funding from Nominet Trust’s first grants are: • The British Computer Association of the Blind’s project to train visually impaired people to use technology • The Internet Society’s Internet Engineering Task Force and Internet Governance Forum fellowship programmes

18 Oxfordshire’s Garden: Blenheim Palace Chief Executive, John Hoy, tells B4 about his six year tenure at The Palace 22 Auto Golf: The Oxfordshire Golf Club's Chairman and Auto Trader co-founder, Paul Gibbons, talks to B4

• ChildNet’s Youth Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Project to give young people the opportunity to voice their opinions on the IGF themes

• Cambridge Library Services Community Access Points project that provides rural communities with free access to online education and support • YouthNet’s project to promote digital inclusion among young people Organisations can apply for funding from Nominet Trust via its web site at www.nominettrust.org.uk.

www.b4-business.com

www.nominet.org.uk

B4 PROPERTY 54 Doubling Up: Sue and Henry Panton team up to good effect

B4 TRAVEL Up until now, the train has not been a serious option for a great swathe of Oxford commuters, particularly people travelling in and out from north of the city and beyond. This will change big time, according to Chiltern Railways, if the company’s plans to build a new Oxford to London Marylebone route are accepted – including fast and frequent services to Bicester via north Oxford.

“All our projections indicate that there would be increasing demand for the proposed service,” commented Chiltern Railways strategic manager Allan Dare.

“We’re seeking to provide commuters with a viable alternative, as well as

offered by some of our competitors has not always been a priority.”

The idea of building a new, fast service between London and Oxford goes back a number of years. It was first mooted when Chiltern Railways took over its existing franchise in 1996 with responsibility for operating the London Marylebone-Bicester North-Banbury-Birmingham route. The plan to extend services to offer a brand new Oxford to London route became a formal aspiration as part of the company's second franchise agreement in 2002 and proposals have gradually solidified into the current scheme since then.

“last year rail use was at its highest level for peace time and has grown by more than 40% in the last 10 years”

helping to reduce traffic on the M40 and the A34, both of which are heavily congested.”

In fact, last year rail use was at its highest level for peace time and has grown by more than 40% in the last 10 years. Aside from providing commuters with more choice and a better service, the corporate challenge for Chiltern is to increase the rail market’s share of the Oxford to London corridor which is perfectly feasible, says Allan Dare, given Chiltern’s record for providing a reliable, value for money service for all types of rail user. “This has been particularly useful in the current economic climate,” he says “ when the first class travel

So what does this actually mean for Oxford commuters and the wider business community? In short, it means a new service in and out of Oxford station which will head north to Bicester Town before linking with Chiltern’s existing London Marylebone to Birmingham line. Commuters will be given more convenient access to Oxford and London via upgrades to track, stations and related services such as park and ride.

“The new route will provide better access and better connections with bus, cycle and car links,” explained Allan Dare. “Another factor is the growing number of people who work in Oxford, but have to live further afield because

of a shortage of housing. For them a viable transport system is essential – as it is for their employers and the businesses they use on a personal basis.”

The scheme, which will be turned into a formal planning application under the Transport and Works Act later this year, is ambitious by any standards. It involves upgrading existing track between Oxford and Bicester to accommodate what Chiltern envisages will be two Oxford to London Marylebone trains an hour. It will also mean substantial refurbishment work at three existing stations, Oxford, Islip and Bicester Town and the creation of one new station, Water Eaton Parkway, which would offer around 800 parking spaces for those wishing to travel by train to London and Oxford or, alternatively by bus into the city centre and to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Pivotal to the scheme, will be the construction of a short connecting line just south of Bicester, where Chiltern Railways' London-Birmingham line crosses over a proposed East-West line which will run between Oxford and Milton Keynes. The latter will be upgraded from just east of Bicester Town station to Oxford, including restoring much of the double track that was removed many years ago and installing new signalling and safety systems.

In promoting the scheme, dubbed Evergreen3 after earlier upgrades, Chiltern Railways points to its track record, both as an operator and as a developer. “We are consistently among the leading train operators for punctuality and reliability,” says Dare. “We also have a proven track record in bringing about improvements to the service.”

Examples, he says include new Warwick Parkway and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations – both of which are generating a large amount of traffic – the provision of two new platforms at London Marylebone and a number of measures to upgrade capacity and improve line speed – all delivered on time and within budget.

26 Give Me A Different Voice: How marketing companies are expected to help their clients think differently 52 The Ideas Factory: Iain Lewis of Torpedo on how he has grown his business 86 Where Do You Rank?: Studio8 help you get on the first page of Google

76 Unchained Leadership: Julian White on the development of The Belfry 100 Hotel Du Vin Birmingham: A night out in Birmingham

17 VSL: Commercial property news

49 Art2Motive: Painting workshops for business?

Peronel Barnes explains more

78 Keeping In Touch With Your Customers: The customer is king

B4 ACCOMMODATION

33 The Oxford Centre: Andrew Lund-Yates reveals a facelift at 333

36 Withy King Commercial Property: Paul Daniels and Andrew Chalk of Withy King and their commercial property expansion plans

75 Passion for innovation: How a one man band is servicing a huge client base

B4 MARKETING 50 Caveat Emptor: Tony Haines of Wenn Townsend tells all 'Buyers to Beware'

B4 CONFERENCE

28 Ever Had One Of Those Days?: Darbys show why their legal support scheme, Blue, is crucial to have in place

B4 COMPUTE

93

67 Is There A Lawyer In The House?: Darbys' Purple legal advice scheme for you and for me

25 Strong Foundations: Local solicitors Withy King on their first year in Oxford

82 Greenminutes: STL's innovative calls package

• The Cambridge Global Grid for Learning’s 4C project that provides free online learning and teaching applications

58 The Specialist: Shaw Gibbs' Managing Partner, Graham Henley, on plans for the future

B4 ADVICE

68 Riach Architects: Douglas Riach on his full service architectural practice

B4 OFFICE

On the 5th June a group of 12 Nominet employees took part in the Give and Gain Day Challenge organised by Business in the Community. As part of our continuing corporate responsibility work we teamed up with the people at Business in the Community who match up employee teams from businesses in the area with suitable local projects.

B4 NEWS 81 84 89 91 93 95 99

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Needless to say, none of the estimated £85m funding for Evergreen3 will come out of the public purse. As with previous Evergreen developments, it will be privately financed by Chiltern before being sold on to Network Rail as a completed project and leased back under the franchise.

102 Great Fosters Revisited: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to re-visit your Honeymoon hotel?

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B4 HOME

Scheduled to run its first trains in 2013, the scheme is being developed against a strict set of environmental criteria. To this end, Chiltern is working with environmental specialists ERM to address and mitigate a range of issues, among them the visual impact of the scheme, local ecology, noise and vibration, road traffic and the environmental impact on local residents. ERM’s contribution forms part of a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the results of which will be presented as part of an Environmental Statement to accompany the planning application.

Another important element of the scheme is public consultation – namely the requirement that statutory bodies, special groups and members of the public are kept informed about what is being proposed, and are given the opportunity to have their say. With this in mind, Chiltern Railways has staged three public exhibitions in Oxford, Kidlington and Bicester with general feedback indicating over 90% support for the scheme.

"We are very pleased with the feedback we have been getting as part of what has been a major consultation exercise”, says Chiltern Railways Chairman Adrian Shooter. “Comments and detailed submissions are being taken into account as we seek to develop the best possible scheme for local communities and the travelling public."

A SOUND VISION

For further information and the chance to comment on the Evergreen3 scheme, go to: www.chiltern-evergreen3.co.uk

“We have a true passion for music and sound quality and it is that passion which rubs off on our customers. We are doing what we do because we love it.” B4’s Leila Siddiqi enters the Aladdin’s Cave of Audio T in Headington.

The best indication of a successful retail chain in terms of excellent service and quality products is the rate at which their customers keep coming back, time and time again. Having been in business for over forty years, Audio T has secured its position as the most established and most successful Hi-Fi retailer in Britain, with over twenty three nationwide outlets. This impressive network has been bred on consistently excellent customer service, an innovative product range and competitive prices. On a busy Thursday afternoon, over a hot cup of tea, I met up with Special Product Manager, Dominic Wegerif to find out more about what makes Audio T the success it is today…

BEATING THE TRAFFIC JAMS Anyone who has found themselves stuck in a traffic jam in or around Oxford might well have considered alternative forms of transport. A bike perhaps, but only in the city; a bus for arguably less stress, but still the risk of traffic jams and then there’s the train – if indeed a convenient service is available to you.

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The company was formed in 1966 and merged with Audio Excellence and Practical Hi-Fi in September 2008 to form the Audio T Group. Audio T produces the Sound and Vision at Home consumer catalogue and runs the country’s largest Hi-Fi and Home Cinema Show: Sound and Vision, at Bristol, every year. “We also advertise in Hi-Fi magazines and run the Audio T website and Online Store,” adds Dominic. Audio T offers a wide variety of carefully chosen high quality hi fi and home cinema equipment to suit a variety of budgets, and promises excellent value for money. The entire philosophy is rooted in a genuine love for audio visual technology and bringing the right package to each and every customer, as Dominic explains.

“We believe in making customers for life and pride www.b4-business.com

ourselves on our strong customer relationships, some of whom have been coming to us for over thity years. We are satisfied as long as they are happy,” reveals Dominic, “We design, specialise, retail and install audio visual systems to all price levels and appreciate the fact that everyone has a different budget and taste. We are flexible in our approach and will happily match prices from our competitors if these lower prices can be verified.”

“We believe in making customers for life”

If you can include Noel Gallagher, Elton John, SuperGrass and Jay Kay from Jamiroquai in addition to non musical customers such as Jamie Oliver, Rowan Atkinson and Sir Roger Bannister, then it’s fair to say you know what you are doing.

“Multi room audio systems in houses are a big, expanding sector for our industry,” says Dominic, “These modern systems allow you to play music in any part of the house from your PC, network attached storage device, Internet radio stations and popular online music services such as Napster. We offer expert advice, a three year guarantee and custom installation of multi room audio systems

and home cinema as per our customers’ requirements. Our highly trained staff encourage customers to make use of the demonstration facilities where they have the opportunity to view and listen to the various components available and make the best decisions regarding their purchase.”

According to Audio T, now is a good time to invest in a home cinema system as technology has matured and some prices, particularly LCD and Plasma panels, have fallen substantially. The world renowned brands Audio T stock include Naim Audio, Arcam, Dynaudio, B&W, Bose and Yamaha.

Also available are accessories designed to enhance the performance of your system such as equipment furniture and stands, high quality cables and IPOD speaker systems from the likes of Spectral, Chord Company and Bose.

From the latest High definition Blu Ray players to music streaming systems, Audio T take home entertainment to another level. Whether you are thinking of investing in a new home entertainment system or would simply like to see the latest products to hit the market, Audio T are well worth a visit. You will leave knowing that you have experienced equipment and service to match the very best!

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

OXFORDSHIRE’S GARDEN Blenheim Palace Chief Executive, John Hoy, talks to B4’s Richard Rosser about the challenges facing his team when he arrived in Woodstock six years ago, and how they have met this challenge, surpassed it and set new standards for the future of one of Oxfordshire’s, if not the country’s, greatest attractions.

wonderful accolade to receive. The Silver Award is massive recognition of how much we have grown and developed. All of our staff, the customer service, the experience, the environmental awareness, the disability awareness are all elements in categories that we have performed well in.

“Awards are excellent for the Palace and we have an unquenchable thirst for more! People want to see successful places, they do not want to go and see attractions which lack credentials.”

Credentials are not in short supply on John’s CV.

I was the first Chief Executive the Palace had ever appointed. The six year journey since has flashed before my eyes, but, looking back, this has been down to the talented personnel who have cajoled and nurtured Blenheim into the 21st Century.

“We have appointed some remarkably talented people; a superior Finance Director in Dominic Hare, a fantastic Property Director, Roger File, an exemplary Operations Manager, Heather Carter, and an outstanding and brilliant team supporting us who work unbelievably hard. Given the size of the Palace, the team is relatively small, and so their efforts are even more remarkable in this context.”

“ WE HAVE HAD MANY VICTORIES, AND A FEW CHALLENGING FAILURES. ”

“We have recently won the HAA / Christie’s Garden of the Year Award and we have also been awarded Silver in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence in the ‘Large Visitor Attraction’ of the Year category. The Duke is absolutely delighted with the Garden of the Year Award because he adores the gardens at Blenheim. He is very proud of the award and for the garden team, this is a

Having arrived at the Palace in January 2003 on the back of successful spells at prestigious venues such as Warwick Castle and Knebworth, John and his team were looking to such accolades as endorsements of their hard work, coupled with the resolute backing of The Duke of Marlborough.

“When I was appointed by the Duke and the Trustees, we were already breaking new ground, as

Yet more Lilliputian parallels.

The realignment of the Palace has had to be conducted with the blessing of The Duke, whom John describes as a ‘wonderful ambassador for Blenheim.’ Without his flexibility and foresight, John is adamant that the Palace wouldn’t enjoy its position as one of the top stately homes in the UK.

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Having served as the eleventh Duke since 1972, it is a quite remarkable tenure which John firmly believes, in time, will rank as exceptional.

business. In August 2008, we began to look at how we could adapt our business to an economic landscape which was about to radically change.

“In terms of the detail, although it has hurtled by, six years have seen some significant changes. We have certainly taken the business side to a new level, whether that’s in terms of building houses, getting planning consents, freshening up the whole appearance of the park, revamping the way we run the day visitor business, or driving the events programme forward.

“One thing we didn’t have was a marketing hook……”

“We have had many victories, and a few challenging failures, which have made us wiser. We learn from what we do and we come back stronger.

The current year is really interesting because, in many respects, the ‘ducks are in a row’ for the first time and it promises to be a great year. We went into 2009 clearly in the face of what seemed like a massively depressing scenario of circumstances with the economic downturn. If we roll back to summer 2008, our business seismically imploded through July, August and September; we had a really bad summer.

“As far back as last summer, we were looking at a very gloomy scenario in terms of 2009 visitor

Having sensibly assessed the cost base and prepared the business for life in troubled waters, the Palace needed to offer a reason for visitors to choose Blenheim over other days out, as John recalls. “We didn’t have that tactical lever that was going to make a difference. Very late in the day before we opened on February 14th, and I am talking literally mid-January, we decided that we had to look at a very strong marketing offer. This was led by Dominic Hare, and as soon as we all had the seeds of the idea in our heads we, and the marketing team led by Marketing Manager, Hannah Payne, set about shaping the offer to make it work.

And we came up with a ‘Buy One Day Get 12 Months Free’ offer.”

By his own admission, this was a very radical and brave move for John to implement, particularly with the backdrop of an historically safe and austere approach to pricing and ticketing.

“The offer immediately gave us a product which was financially attractive, particularly in a ‘credit crunch’. We initially went out with a two week exclusive offer through Newsquest, which caught the imagination of the county and the surrounding counties. According to Newsquest, it was one of the most successful promotions they had ever run.

“With over forty thousand annual pass holders signed up since February 14th, it is fair to say the scheme has been a phenomenal success. But it won’t stop there, as John continues. “Our projections are that the number will go beyond one hundred thousand for the full year. In addition to the financial benefits, this also gives us a quite remarkable database at the touch of a button to go out with e-cards, e-newsletters, people who like Blenheim, that we can talk to in an instant.”

The irony about this scheme is the change in perception the Palace has enjoyed because of it as John explains. “With visitors coming back without having to pay, they immediately have a sense of ownership. They are happy to pay for something in the shop because they automatically have more in their pocket to spend. People are now enjoying the connection they have made with us, and that can only be good for all concerned.”

Photograph of John Hoy: www.studio-8.co.uk

John Hoy is bursting with pride, and almost bursting out of his office! Hot on the heels of a three week visit by Fox UK, who have been filming ‘next year’s blockbuster’, (I am reliably assured), Gulliver’s Travels, in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, it is somewhat apt that the soaring (vertically, I hasten to add) frame of John Hoy is contained in a shoebox office.

Jonathan Swift, eat your heart out. Nothing, not even a disproportionately sized office, could dampen the spirits of someone who has snatched the baton and run, with his more than capable team, to places this fine Palace has never before seen, as John explains.

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B4 NETWORK

46 Futures Market: New Covered Market Chairman, Chris Farren, and his vision for the future

B4 TRAVEL

10 B4 Ambassadors: See who's backing our new B4 website

64 Clean Sheet: The new Oxford United Chairman speaks to B4

34 Beating The Traffic Jams: Ditch the car, catch the train, with Chiltern Railways

42 Red Letter Haze: Former Dragon, Rachel Elnaugh, on success after failure

71 Old Fashion Fun: Fun how it should be - enjoy a party at The Cherwell Boathouse

B4 HOME

B4 LEISURE

96 And They’re Off: Make sure you don't miss out on a great day at Blenheim Palace Horse Trials

41 Sports Business: Anyone for tennis, opera or golf? Keeping the corporates entertained with CSM

PROFESSIONAL • EXPERT • LOCAL

In the second of a series of four articles with Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare Surgeons, Richard Rosser talks to plastic surgeon, Oliver Cassell, about the superb surgical and non surgical procedures offered by the team of plastic surgeons operating out of The Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust’s Private Healthcare unit; Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare. With the advent of ‘quick fixes’ the world over, it is reassuring to find a reputable, safe and professional team who can ensure that, whatever your requirement, you won’t regret making the decision to stay local.

A world class team

72 Cosmetic Care: A caring and professional medical team, on our doorstep

B4 HEALTH

COSMETIC CARE With nine plastic surgeons operating under the Private Healthcare banner, Oliver is quick to point out that it is the collective force of the team which presents such an excellent alternative to prospective clients, as he explains further. “We all sub-specialise in certain areas, so we are all very good at our individual areas of expertise. We have, in the past, lost out locally as the common misconception has been that our services are only

available in London or Birmingham, but the profile of Private Healthcare in the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust is continually rising, and word is definitely getting around that our skill-set is a match for any practice in the country, and even the world.”

As a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Oliver has been based in Oxford for seven years. “My main roles here are breast reconstruction after cancer and treating patients with skin cancer. I perform breast and body cosmetic surgery, skin lumps and skin cancer removal.”

All cosmetic procedures available “We also perform surgeries like reconstructing the breast with flesh from the back or the tummy and sometimes we have to tailor those with liposuction and bulk them up with what we call lipo-fillings, taking fat out and sticking it in.

We trim up tummies; take fat out and move fat around.

“I have colleagues who are specialist cranio-facial surgeons. Oxford is one of four or five national cranio-facial centres, and so we have two surgeons here who are incredibly expert with regards to all areas of the face. This covers eyebrows, facelifts and nose surgery.”

It is easy to take a narrow-minded view of a plastic surgeon’s role, limiting his environment to Beverly Hills and clients who refuse to grow old gracefully.

But what Oliver and his eight associates perform are minor miracles for patients who really do need their skill and expertise, not that non-surgical procedures aren’t available. When Oliver explains that he operates on a skull based team and all that involves, pretty quickly you begin to realise that this is as far removed from palm trees and ‘comfort’ plastic surgery as you could possibly imagine. “We all work in different teams. In the skull team, we actually remove parts of the bone from the face right down to the chin. After major surgery to the skull or brain area, we can’t just leave the brain exposed, so we need a reconstructive team to reconstruct the bone and the tissue on top of the skull.”

With the undoubted talents of the team and a new facility in The Wytham Wing, opened in Headington, since April, it is clear that Oxford has a potent argument when it comes to attracting cosmetic surgery patients not just locally, but far beyond, which Oliver is at pains to stress. “This is as good a team as you will find anywhere. There is every possible form of cosmetic surgery available here, and the new facility we have rivals any in the world. We really have the best of both worlds, coupled with the fact that we have a very strong NHS supporting us.

“Our pricing structure is also important to clarify, as many prospective plastic surgery clients will be put off by the perception that the fees run and run. We offer a fixed price surgery, so when you have your operation, you pay one fee for the procedure and the fee covers any follow up, problems or concerns which may follow. We have twenty four hour back up at the hospital, so patients can draw maximum reassurance from the excellent structure we have in place.”

When it comes to plastic surgery, there are two types; surgical and non-surgical, and the customer bracket, in Oliver’s opinion, particularly for the latter group, falls into two types. “There are always, as in any service or procedure which has a cost, those

“Then there is the group in between, who will know they need some sort of procedure, but won’t know the best way to go about it. They want to do the right thing, not cut corners, but are either too embarrassed to go to their own GP or are too scared to do anything about it.”

“You get what you pay for in this world”

Meet the consultant at the outset “It is that group, the researchers, the internet browsers and the thinkers who we are here for. This is a group which will bypass their own doctor, who want to take control, rather than be referred, and the procedure is extremely straightforward. My colleagues and I will meet with a prospective client in a consultation, where the client will have a good forty five minutes to go through exactly what they think the problem is. We will then outline the options, the positives and negatives, what the procedure entails and the costs. It is a thorough consultation.

“We charge for these consultations, even though some organisations will offer a free consultation with an aesthetic practitioner who may have little or no medical training at all. Our approach is incredibly relaxed. We offer the patient an open appointment to return, but we do not hassle the patient about their surgery, it is up to them whether or not they proceed.

“So the patient goes away with the right

information and everything they need to make the right decision – there is absolutely no pressure. If they ring and say they want the operation, we then see them once more before their surgery, at no cost, carry out their surgery and the follow up. It is a professional procedure - essentially, you get what you pay for in this world. So we prefer to say this is what we can do for you and give you a proper consultation, look at you with experienced eyes and tell you what we can do. Sometimes I might say, in about 10% of cases, ‘I can’t help you’. If, in my opinion, the patient’s perceived defect is so minor or close to what is normal, it gets to a stage where the risks of surgery outweigh the benefits of the procedure, and, in my opinion, that’s a waste of money. We are not gung-ho practitioners.”

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B4 ADVICE

Quality and safety - a top priority From start to finish, whatever the procedure, Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare provides patients with an excellent, considered and hugely professional service, all-importantly consultant led.

With world-class facilities and back up, patients would be hard pushed to find a similar set up anywhere else in the world. As Oliver concludes, “All of the consultants have academic interests and we are intertwined with the research side on evidence based medicine and proper practices. The network which supports all procedures is vast and ensures that patients are under the care of specialists in every respect. Underpinning everything is the safety of the procedures carried out. That is our top priority.”

IS THERE A LAWYER IN THE HOUSE? What would you do if you needed legal advice? Some families have a trusted lawyer that they turn to, but many don’t, even though they will have used a lawyer in the past - to buy their house for example. Recognising that there is an unfulfilled need, Oxford law firm Darbys have launched their revolutionary free legal support scheme for families, called PURPLE. We see here how it works in practice.

As the demand for plastic surgery with respect to non-essential surgical procedures such as Botox, fillers and ‘youth-enhancing’ treatments increases, Oxford Private Healthcare is noticing a visible increase from within the Oxfordshire business community for such treatments as become more ‘acceptable’.

Imagine the Wilson family, who live in a village just outside Oxford.

If your required procedure is non-surgical or surgical, make contact with the team as per the contact details at the back of B4. You are in safe hands.

Firstly, they had a problem with their neighbour whose use of his land was disrupting their peace and damaging the value of their house. They urgently needed legal advice.

www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/privatehealthcare

If this was you, where would you turn?

Oliver Cassell Specialties: Skin cancer • reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery • Head and Neck reconstruction • Benign skin surgery • cosmetic surgery

Tim Goodacre Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • abdominal • nasal • Ear and eyelid correction • skin conditions.

Biography: Oliver has been a consultant in Oxford since 2001. He trained at University of Sheffield (MB ChB – 1989) and basic surgical training in Bristol (FRCS Edinburgh 1993).

Biography: Tim trained at St Thomas' Hospital, London, as an undergraduate and subsequently trained in plastic surgery at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood and Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton.

His specialist training as a registrar in Plastic Surgery was on the Oxford and Wessex scheme (FRCS Plastic Surgery 1999).

He trained in microsurgery and completed a higher degree in tissue engineering in Melbourne Australia (MS University of Melbourne 2001).

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patients who will seek the cheapest option. They do not care where they go, they do not care who their surgeon is, they just want to get their breasts enlarged for as little financial outlay as possible.

They are never going to come and see me. Then we have another group that is very concerned about who treats them and where they go. They tend to come to me via their GP.

He spent two years in East Africa at a mission hospital undertaking general and plastic reconstructive surgical work.

He joined the department in 1991. He is a fully accredited plastic and reconstructive surgeon, in full time practice for 15 years. www.b4-business.com

Jeremy Birch Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • Skin surgery • Cosmetic facial surgery • Hand surgery.

Biography: Jeremy graduated from Bristol University in 1993 having completed medical training and an Honours Degree in Pharmacology. He entered surgical training in Leicester, going on to undertake research into advanced microsurgical techniques under Prof Sir Peter Bell.

Achieving his doctorate, he began training as a plastic surgeon in 2000, completing specialist training in 2006, and he was entered on the specialist register for Plastic Surgery.

www.b4-business.com

David Johnson Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • Cosmetic facial surgery.

Biography: David graduated from Cambridge University with a First Class Honours degree in Medical Sciences in 1989 and graduated from Oxford University in Clinical Medicine in 1992.

After completing his general surgical training he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1996.

He then undertook three years of full-time research as a Wellcome Clinical Training Fellow at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford, where he researched the molecular biology of craniosynostosis and the genetics of congenital hand anomalies. He obtained a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Oxford University in 2001.

Andy Pay Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • Cosmetic facial surgery • Truncal surgery • Skin Cancer.

A family in this situation would often have to get the Yellow Pages out and ring a law firm at random, or, walk into the offices of a law firm that they didn’t know. Some law firms give a free first interview, some don’t. Some law firms would give free advice over the phone, others ask you to make an appointment to go in and see them.

Biography: Mr Andy Pay graduated from St George's Hospital, London in 1988. he trained inPlastic Surgery in Stoke Mandeville, Salisbury, Bristol and Oxford and received further specialist training in Cosmetic Surgery during a fellowship period at the Wellington Hospital, London.

Andy was granted the certificate in Higher Surgical training and entered onto the General Medical Council (GMC) specialist register after passing the National Plastic Surgery examination in first place, gaining the McGregor Gold Medal.

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Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

P ROFILES

61 Double Gazing: For experience and quality workmanship, look no further

B4 HEALTH

44 The Art Of Identity: Spotlight on The Oxford Castle's very own gallery - The O3

57 A Sound Vision: First class all the way with Audio T

lawyers at their disposal – free of charge.

a specialist in motoring law.

On this occasion, they were put through to Nick Wright, Head of Litigation at Darbys, who gave them chapter and verse, for free.

Just as they were getting over the trauma of their son’s late-night dealings with the police, Mr. Wilson was informed by a colleague that because his house had gone up so much in value, he would end up giving half of his wealth to the tax man if he passed away. Fortunately, Mr. Wilson could again pick up the phone to the PURPLE helpline where he was given chapter and verse, free of charge, by Rachel Stafford, a specialist Wills lawyer.

Their troubles didn’t stop there though. Late one night their 19 year-old son was stopped for speeding in the family car. The police saw that the car was overloaded with his friends and there was a question mark over whether the son was insured to drive the car. At that time of night, what would you do?

“A lawyer that

The Wilsons, though, had joined the revolutionary legal support scheme for families called PURPLE, operated by one of the largest law firms in the region, Darbys.

they would always turn to”

Once a family has joined – and thousands have – they can pick up the phone, without hesitation, and get their legal enquiry answered by one of their legal team – yes, they have a team of specialist

Fortunately, as part of their PURPLE membership, the Wilsons had access to specialist lawyers via the 24/7 emergency helpline too, and again they received great advice, this time from Martin Bourne,

What would you have done when faced with the Wilsons’ problems and the many others that could crop up at any time? The strange thing is that most people have used lawyers, to buy their house for example, but most will also say that despite that, they do not actually have a lawyer that they would always turn to. PURPLE fills this gap.

The moral of the Wilsons’ story is - join PURPLE! You’ll never know when you’ll need it.

Having seen what happened to the Wilsons, would you be without your PURPLE card? Join today at www.purplelegal.co.uk.

www.b4-business.com

For all contacts see page 109

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Charity ‘Grand Event’ at Grove Technology Park Four months of charitable fund-raising for the Helen & Douglas House Hospice will reach an exciting climax on Sunday 30th August at Grove Technology Park (Wantage) with the staging of a ‘Grand Event on the Park’ Organised by Grove 2000 plc and TFD Health & Fitness, the ‘Grand Event’ is planned as a family day with a range of attractions that will include classic and racing car displays, It’s a Knock-Out team competitions, bouncy castle and other children’s entertainment, hog-roast and barbecue food, drink and ice cream stalls and a flying display by a WWII fighter, the immortal Supermarine Spitfire.

Gates will open at 10am, close at 5pm. Entry will be £1 per person, no charge for children of 15 and

under who are accompanied by an adult. All proceeds from the day will be donated to the Helen & Douglas House Hospice in Oxford.

Top prize in the Draw for which tickets are now on sale is a brand new Ford Ka, supplied by local dealer The Cooperative Motors of Wantage.

The day will also provide Open House to the Grove Business Centre where serviced offices for embryo businesses are available for let, and to TFD Health & Fitness who provide a full range of facilities for fitness training with gymnasium, swimming, steam and sauna, hair, beauty and massage spa.

Contact Steve Head, Park Manager for further details on 01235 772992

Destination marketing workshop Oxfordshire Economic Partnership are sponsoring a workshop, 'Destination Marketing for Market Towns and Rural Areas - a taster session' at the South East Market Town Awards Presentation and South East Rural Towns event at Sudbury House Hotel in Faringdon, Oxfordshire on Tuesday 21st July 2009.

It is a full day event (9.30am – 3.45pm) with a number of useful & informative workshops and a chance to learn from each other through a showcase provided by the Award winners. For further information about the event (it’s FREE to attend!) and to guarantee your place at the event, please contact Tim Palmer (tim.palmer@ccberks.org.uk) or Helen Ryan-Wallis (h.ryan-wallis@oep.org.uk)

Milton Bayer Milton Bayer Digital Revenues (MBDR) have secured a major revenue share marketing deal on behalf of client ARCHOS. ARCHOS, who manufacture state-of-the-art digital media players, briefed MBDR to extend product awareness in the UK and drive sales.

MBDR, who gear their fees to the results they achieve for Clients, secured a deal with Borders to promote ARCHOS via the booksellers database of 1.1m customers. The promotion split into two phases – the first phase was a competition to win an ARCHOS device. This was designed to generate interest in the product and gain consumer engagement. A spokesperson for Borders said: 'The competition entry levels were fantastic. We know that our customers are interested in technology and gadgets which is why we were so keen to run the promotion.'

The second phase, a week later in the Borders

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customer email, was a promotion to buy the device online, with an ‘Exclusive Money Off’ offer for Borders customers.

The campaign was delivered through email broadcasts and via the Borders and ARCHOS websites.

‘This kind of symbiotic marketing is what we are doing more and more of’ says Ray Wellington of MBDR. ‘Partnership marketing is not new, what is new is the fact that we, as an agency, don’t charge hefty upfront fees and hope the campaign works – instead we are paid on results of the campaign. If it is a success we get our fee. If it fails, we don’t. It’s as simple as that. The campaign was delivered through email broadcasts and via the Borders and ARCHOS websites.’

See Article page 26.

www.b4-business.com

B4 News BOTTLE PR BOTTLE PR is one of the 10 fastest growing PR agencies outside London, according to a report by leading industry magazine PR Week.

The award-winning public relations agency has welcomed two new members to its 20-strong team. Ryan Levitt is the latest addition to the corking PR team at BOTTLE PR. Ryan joins as senior PR and digital consultant and will be responsible for developing digital and offline campaigns for BOTTLE PR’s clients. Ryan has spearheaded the PR campaigns for NYC & Company (New York City Tourism), lastminute.com, cheapflights.co.uk and Tourism Queensland. He was involved in what was probably the biggest tourism marketing story of the year – Tourism Queensland’s ‘Best Job in the World’ campaign.

Verity Blake (right) has also joined BOTTLE PR as a Senior PR Consultant after working in-house as PR manager for Norton Internet security and as Corporate Affairs Manager for Ericsson and 3 mobile operator.

Longest ever sign...

Conference Centre Oxford Managing Director Roger Watts was advised that he has Oxford’s longest ever company sign, coming in at a whopping FORTY TWO METRE’S, above the impressive new venue on Park End Street.

“Apparently, according to Oxford City Council, it’s the biggest yet.”

New team member

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

Born in Dubai and raised in Karachi, Leila Siddiqi came to Oxford in 2005 and graduated from Oxford Brookes with a B.A Hons in Communication, Media and Culture. She has been another great addition to the B4 team.

“Working for B4 has given me the opportunity to utilize and develop two of my greatest passions - writing and meeting and interacting with new people. Under Richard’s guidance, I am

continuing to learn more about the entire publishing cycle from taking and transcribing interviews to writing and editing. This invaluable experience provides me with a platform to pursue a career in journalism and publishing. Oxford has been my ‘home away from home’ for the last four years, and I take great pride in being associated with a magazine of B4’s quality, which brings the best of businesses in and around this fascinating and historic city to a wide audience.

Property win for Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace tasted more success recently when they won The Isis Energy Environmental Award for Property & Construction on June 12th at The Oxfordshire Business Awards 2009. This was essentially for the refurbishment and development of the Blenheim Palace Sawmills site near Combe.

Pictured alongside from left to right – Clive Wilkins (Construction Manager); Chris Keeler

www.b4-business.com

(Maintenance Manager); Matthew Neilson (Property Manager); Adrienne Lawler (Guest Speaker/Presenter at the Awards Dinner); Roger File (Property Director) and Andrew Hillier – Managing Director of Ice Energy who sponsored this award.

See page 18 for B4 interview with John Hoy, Chief Executive of Blenheim Palace

9

B4 would like to thank the following Ambassadors who have generously given their backing to the new B4 Website, launching in September. They have all given their backing to endorse the site, which will be an essential networking resource, great for circulating offers to fellow members and crucial for issuing press releases to help you shout about your business. The new B4 website is here to stay from September – make sure you are listed by calling us on 01865 742211 about membership details.

DARBYS www.darbys.co.uk

CONFERENCE CENTRE OXFORD www.conferencecentreoxford.co.uk

Simon McCrum Managing Partner

WENN TOWNSEND www.wenntownsend.co.uk

Tony Haines Partner

ALLEN ASSOCIATES www.allen-associates.co.uk

Roger Watts Managing Director

IN OXFORD MAGAZINE www.inoxford.com

COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK & GARDEN www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk

Reggie Heyworth Managing Director

OXFORD AIRPORT www.oxfordairport.co.uk

David Beesley Chairman

BRECKON & BRECKON www.breckon.co.uk

Greg Barnes Director

CHRIS LEWIS - FIRE & SECURITY www.chrislewisfs.co.uk

Chris Lewis Managing Director

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TREVOR OSBORNE PROPERTY www.topgroup.co.uk

Andrew Creese General Manager

OXFORD CASTLE www.oxfordcastle.com

Jean-Pierre Morilleau General Manager

John Hoy Chief Executive

VSL www.vslandp.com

Trevor Osborne Chairman

OXFORD RADCLIFFE PRIVATE HEALTHCARE www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/ privatehealthcare

Richard Venables Director

B4 MAGAZINE www.b4-business.com

Richard Rosser Managing Director

Nick Maynard Surgeon

TORPEDO GROUP LIMITED www.torpedogroup.com

James Dillon-Godfray Head of Marketing & Development

MALMAISON www.malmaison.com

BLENHEIM PALACE www.blenheimpalace.com

Fafar Watts Director

Colin Rosser Managing Director

Kate Allen Managing Director

B-LINE www.b-line.co.uk

APARTMENTS IN OXFORD www.oxstay.co.uk

NOMINET www.nominet.org.uk

Iain Lewis Director

SHAW GIBBS www.shawgibbs.com

Lesley Cowley CEO

BOTTLE PR www.bottlepr.co.uk

Peter O’Connell Partner

OXFORD UNITED FC www.oufc.co.uk

Kelvin Thomas Chairman

Claire Cairns Managing Director

OXFORD INNOVATION LTD www.oxin.co.uk

Jo Willett Sales & Marketing Director

www.b4-business.com

STUDIO8 PRO PHOTOGRAPHY www.studio-8.co.uk

BLINK DESIGN & PRINT www.on-the-blink.com

Clark Wiseman Managing Director

THE M GROUP www.theMgroup.co.uk

Keith Simpson Senior Designer

CONSULTANT www.darbys.co.uk

OXFORD RADCLIFFE PRIVATE HEALTHCARE www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/ privatehealthcare

THE CAKE SHOP www.the-cake-shop.co.uk

Alex Barnes Assistant Director Private Patients & Overseas

THE OXFORD CENTRE www.the-oxford-centre.co.uk

Chris Farren Director and CMTA Chairman

MACDONALD RANDOLPH HOTEL www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

Andrew Lund-Yates General Manager

STUDLEYWOOD GOLF CLUB www.studleywoodgolfclub.co.uk

Michael Grange General Manager

BARCELO OXFORD HOTEL www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk

Cormac O’Hara General Manager

Ken Heathcote Partner

THE M GROUP www.theMgroup.co.uk

OXFORD AIRPORT www.oxfordairport.co.uk

Gary McHale Partner

NORTH OXFORD GOLF CLUB www.nogc.co.uk

David Surley Head of Customer Services

CUSTOMERS REALLY MATTER www.customersreallymatter.co.uk

James White Managing Director

Bob Harris Club Manager

JENNINGS OF GARSINGTON LTD www.jennings.co.uk

Mike Jennings Managing Director

www.b4-business.com

THE OXFORD WEALTH CLUB www.oxfordwealthclub.co.uk

Paul Avins Managing Director

David Strainge Transport Manager

THE PROFITABLE HOTEL COMPANY www.profitablehotelcompany.co.uk

Sturge Taylor Consultant

Richard Clayton Partner

CITY SIGHTSEEING (OXFORD) www.citysightseeingoxford.com

Stuart Harrison Owner

SUREFIRE DIGITAL www.surefiredigital.co.uk

Rob Jones Director

IMAGE AUDIO VISUAL SOLUTIONS www.image-av.co.uk

Andy Fegan Managing Director

BUILDBASE www.buildbase.co.uk

Dave Robertson Central Regional Director

OXFORD HOTEL ASSOCIATION www.stayoxford.co.uk

Stefan Wynne-Jones Chairman

ORANGE STRIPE TELECOMMUNICATIONS www.orangestripe.co.uk

Nigel Pursall Managing Director

HUNTS www.hunts.co.uk

Aimee Joy Commercial Director

HENMANS LLP www.henmansllp.co.uk

Carolyn Tenholter Head of Marketing

FRONTDOORZ LTD www.frontdoorz.co.uk

Cathy Dunbabin Director

FINDERS KEEPERS www.finders.co.uk

Frank Webster Director

JILL TRELOGGEN INTERIORS www.jilltreloggen.co.uk

Jill Treloggen Owner

FOUR PILLARS HOTELS www.four-pillars.co.uk

Chris Green Group Marketing Manager

MANCHES www.manches.com

Richard Smith Managing Partner

For details about the new B4 website Call 01865 742211 11

THE

PERFECT FIT Two years on from Greg Barnes’ first B4 interview, Breckon & Breckon has established itself as a leader in the Oxfordshire property lettings business, against the backdrop of a testing market. Having ridden the wave of doom and gloom, Greg is returning to normal in more ways than one. Following the recent acquisition of Cluttons’ letting business in Beaumont Street, Greg finds himself back at the office, and indeed at the very same desk, where he spent his formative letting years. Richard Rosser gets the bigger picture.

Having launched his career in property at Buckell and Ballard in Summertown in 1990, Greg Barnes’ subsequent moves in the property world have been inextricably linked to the city of Oxford in one way or another, with the exception of a brief deviation to Lane Fox in Buckinghamshire. Whether it’s two ‘B’s’ in the name or the same Oxford premises, Greg, maybe sub-consciously, is fond of familiarity.

And his business is no exception, as the lettings division of Breckon & Breckon has developed a familiar professional method of operating, delivering consistently excellent service, again and again.

It Is clear that Greg sees this move to his old haunt

opened Breckon & Breckon (Letting) as a ‘cold start’ we have always had an eye on the next level.

We established ourselves fairly quickly and gained a reputation for operating pro-actively in a market where there was already strong competition. We had confidence in our ability to establish ourselves, and it was then just a question of growing the business.

“Over a period of five years, we have done just that, but as each year passed, the desire to make a bigger jump in terms of size grew stronger. Initially we were never in a position to make positive advances to acquire another business and grow our stock overnight. We have had to be patient, to wait for the right opportunity, and the opportunity to

following a strategic decision to withdraw from the regional residential offices they had set up and focus on London, and so they were in a frame of mind to conclude a sensible deal. Cluttons’ property portfolio is very similar to ours, and so we knew the type of property we were getting into – it was a natural addition.’

“In terms of stock, we have acquired a significant portfolio and physically doubled our floorspace with the addition of two staff, providing us with a more central location from which to consolidate the business.”

It’s not often when you acquire a business that you manage to retain key staff who you know will help

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

“In terms of stock, we have acquired a significant portfolio” as a reason to grow the business, not an opportunity to improve the way he does business, as he explains further. “We are not moving premises to be better. I am already extremely confident in what we do. We have experience, expertise and operate thoroughly professionally. An opportunity has arisen that suits our plans, it’s as simple as that.’

“Ever since we moved to Holybush Row and

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acquire Cluttons’ lettings business presented us with the perfect opportunity.”

It really has been a perfect fit in so many ways, from the type of stock to the personnel involved, to the familiarity with the surroundings to the nuts and bolts of the deal itself, as Greg explains, “We have been incredibly lucky and the deal has passed by relatively smoothly, which is credit to those involved on both sides. The business was being sold

smooth the process, but in Suzanne Webb (Letting Manager) and Maureen Newby (Administrator), Greg has provided continuity for his clients at a time when too much turbulence could have had a detrimental effect on the business.

“We have been incredibly lucky to retain both Suzanne and Maureen. Suzanne has been Cluttons’ Letting Manager since I left, and Maureen has been the Property Administrator. This has

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B4 LEAD

enabled us to make a seamless transition, with the exception of the name. A great deal of our new customers will have worked with me when I was last here, so from a customers’ point of view, they have witnessed a ‘business as usual’ change in many ways. Suzanne is incredibly well known with a massive amount of experience in the business.

She has a great reputation and we are lucky to have her on board.”

With extra space and staff, Greg is looking to absorb the new stock into the existing portfolio and then just carry on the good work which he and his team have been doing so well for the past five years. Although he is not discounting future acquisitions, Greg just wants to take one step at a time, and when the right opportunity presents itself, he may find himself around the negotiating table once again.

“We have to be realistic, and only change the shape of our organisation if it is sensible to do so. I don’t want to upset what we have developed, and we have all seen businesses who have become accustomed to growth by acquisition only to see their businesses ultimately fail because it has grown too quickly.

“Taking this portfolio in one go has enabled us to move to the next level in a shorter period of time.

We could have continued to evolve organically, but a little bit of you becomes impatient to push the

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boundaries, without jeopardising the existing product and service levels.”

Greg’s team is obviously crucial to ensuring the business stays on track. “Chris Mitty will be our Property Manager with Maureen Newby to assist him from an administrative point of view. Abi Lucy and Louise Murphy are both excellent negotiators and manage our clients superbly. Suzanne will take over some of the day to day management, freeing me to make sure the business is staying on the right track.

We are also taking on Katie Leppard, a chartered surveyor who brings with her a wealth of expertise and experience in property matters. Katie will be operating alongside us, adding a professional side to the business and will be focusing on asset management and consultancy services for private, institutional and public sector clients. There are partial synergies which will help our core business and this will broaden the range of services offered to Breckon & Breckon clients. It will undoubtedly provide cross selling opportunities between the service functions of the firm and complement our existing business providing clients with greater choice in appointing a regionally based well respected firm.

To many, expanding their business would be the last thing on the agenda in an economic climate which, although it may be showing some signs of

recovery, is not out of the woods. That is testament to Greg’s confidence in the market long term, and, more importantly, the confidence he has in his business. “As far as I am concerned, the market is not significantly different to two or three years ago.

I would be naïve to say it is perfect, and I acknowledge that at the top end of the market, rents have slipped, but we haven’t experienced massive holes appearing in our business, and I think that says as much about the service we provide than anything. Since April we have definitely seen positive signs; our market is resilient, and Oxford itself presents a fairly secure structure for lettings, with high demand from a number of solid sectors.

“We have certainly not opened with all guns blazing. We are quietly getting on with our business, re-branding the offices and giving them a lick of paint.”

Understated but efficient sums up the Greg Barnes approach. As a wholly independent arm of the wider Breckon & Breckon group comprising residential sales offices in central Oxford, Summertown, Witney (which also has lettings representation in Simon Cudd) and Woodstock, the Breckon & Breckon lettings business has established itself as a significant operator in the Oxfordshire lettings market.

Meet the team overleaf

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targeted public relations

…bottled consumer brands • online brands • business-to-business IT • consumer technology • science and innovation

traditional pr

digital pr

t +44 (0)1865 882988 f +44 (0)1865 882553 e getit@bottlepr.co.uk w www.bottlepr.co.uk

media relations · branding and messaging · company/product launches digital/new media pr · thought leadership · speaker bureau · public affairs · media training experiential pr · sponsorship · event management · issues management

B4 LEAD

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

MEET THE TEAM Greg Barnes Greg set up the Letting & Management division of Breckon & Breckon in 2004 having entered the property business some 14 years earlier. He has qualified to Level II in the highly regarded ARLA exam and achieved a distinction at Level I. The letting operation has rapidly grown in to a key area of the business dealing with a large and varied client base.

Abi Lucy Abi has returned to us last year having had a moment of weakness!

In deciding to pack her bags and travel home she realised that she missed life in Oxford too much and came back to team up with Louise in running our letting department. Abi is not only a great negotiator but has strong administration skills to ensure that landlords and tenants are looked after efficiently from start to finish.

Suzanne Webb Suzanne joined Cluttons after Greg left in 2004 to manage the letting department which she developed successfully and now forms part of the Breckon & Breckon portfolio.

Suzanne has been in the letting business for 22 years and is very well known and respected within the industry and is ARLA qualified to Level II.

Maureen Newby The most important member of the team! Maureen is the link between the letting and management sides of the business working closely with Chris to ensure that the processes run smoothly. Maureen had been with Cluttons for five years and is just about to celebrate her 50th birthday! …perhaps that should have been kept quiet.

Louise Murphy Louise originally worked in the Oxford sales office and joined the letting operation a year ago as an administrator. She quickly proved herself to be an enthusiastic and successful negotiator and now runs the letting department with Abi. She plays a pivotal role in agreeing new tenancies and ensuring that clients are kept updated regularly are kept in touch throughout the whole process.

Katie Leppard Katie joined to set up the Asset Management and Consultancy division of Breckon & Breckon offering a professional service to private, institutional and public sector clients requiring the expertise of qualified surveyors. Katie has been based in Oxford for the last 10 years and is pleased to have returned to the same office where she started out, but this time under a new company name.

Chris Mitty Chris joined as property manager in 2005 and has the daily challenge of dealing with a varied range of maintenance issues. He also project manages refurbishment and furnishing on behalf of clients. His strength is undoubtedly being able to absorb, what are often demanding issues and resolve them rapidly through a strong team of contractors.

Chris is also well known in the sporting world as an accomplished cricket and hockey player.

Simon Cudd (Witney) Simon runs the letting department at the Witney office and joined the letting team in 2006 having previously worked for a national developer in their new homes sales team. He has a natural ability to ‘sniff out a deal’ and works very hard for landlords and tenants to obtain the best terms and find the most suitable accommodation.

www.breckon.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

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

UNIT 3 THE GALLERY Marston Street, Oxford TO LET 2,266 sq ft Contemporary Offices with car parking close to Oxford City Centre

LINACRE HOUSE Jordan Hill Business Park TO LET 9,164 sq – 18,829 sq ft High Quality air-conditioned offices to the north of the ring road

EAST POINT BUSINESS PARK Oxford Ring Road TO LET 100 sq ft – 14,000 sq ft A range of high quality offices available on flexible leases

unrivaled local and regional expertise Richard Venables Tom Barton

rvenables@vslandp.com tbarton@vslandp.com

news Oxfordshire’s Economic Resilience To date Oxfordshire has been resilient in the face of the economic crisis.

Whilst redundancies have been made, receiverships are still limited.

Enquiries for commercial property are generally restricted to companies downsizing or taking advantage of lease renewals and lease breaks. The service sector and manufacturing appears to have been hardest hit.

The strength of the Science and Technology sector is reflected in the fact that there are five active enquiries at present requiring in total in excess of 100,000 sq ft of space. There are also a number of public sector related requirements including the controversial Probation Service.

Retail Activity VSL have secured two retail lettings in the last quarter 25 Oxford Street, Woodstock has been let to independent Me Me Me! And 8 Woodstock Road, Oxford has been let to a South African based charity Tabeisa.

Four other retail units are currently under offer.

Deals, Deals and more Deals…..

To prove there is still some market activity here are some of the deals VSL have completed in the second quarter of 2009….

East Point, Oxford – Clarendon Enterprise Centre have taken Sandford Gate and Heritage Gate with 30% of new serviced facility already pre-let.

Suite 2, Hitchin Court, Abingdon Business Park – 2,900 sq ft let to Atypon

Station Point, Eynsham – 2,000 sq ft let to ROK

6 Oddington Grange - 1,900 sq ft let

14 Kings Meadow, Oxford – 1,400 sq ft let to Ronnells Limited

Weston on the Green – 4,000 sq ft let to Tricomatic Ltd

www.b4-business.com

www.vslandp.com

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OXFORDSHIRE’S GARDEN Blenheim Palace Chief Executive, John Hoy, talks to B4’s Richard Rosser about the challenges facing his team when he arrived in Woodstock six years ago, and how they have met this challenge, surpassed it and set new standards for the future of one of Oxfordshire’s, if not the country’s, greatest attractions.

John Hoy is bursting with pride, and almost bursting out of his office! Hot on the heels of a three week visit by Fox UK, who have been filming ‘next year’s blockbuster’, (I am reliably assured), Gulliver’s Travels, in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, it is somewhat apt that the soaring (vertically, I hasten to add) frame of John Hoy is contained in a shoebox office.

Jonathan Swift, eat your heart out. Nothing, not even a disproportionately sized office, could dampen the spirits of someone who has snatched the baton and run, with his more than capable team, to places this fine Palace has never before seen, as John explains.

wonderful accolade to receive. The Silver Award is massive recognition of how much we have grown and developed. All of our staff, the customer service, the experience, the environmental awareness, the disability awareness are all elements in categories that we have performed well in.

“Awards are excellent for the Palace and we have an unquenchable thirst for more! People want to see successful places, they do not want to go and see attractions which lack credentials.”

Credentials are not in short supply on John’s CV.

I was the first Chief Executive the Palace had ever appointed. The six year journey since has flashed before my eyes, but, looking back, this has been down to the talented personnel who have cajoled and nurtured Blenheim into the 21st Century.

“We have appointed some remarkably talented people; a superior Finance Director in Dominic Hare, a fantastic Property Director, Roger File, an exemplary Operations Manager, Heather Carter, and an outstanding and brilliant team supporting us who work unbelievably hard. Given the size of the Palace, the team is relatively small, and so their efforts are even more remarkable in this context.”

“ WE HAVE HAD MANY VICTORIES, AND A FEW CHALLENGING FAILURES. ” “We have recently won the HAA / Christie’s Garden of the Year Award and we have also been awarded Silver in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence in the ‘Large Visitor Attraction’ of the Year category. The Duke is absolutely delighted with the Garden of the Year Award because he adores the gardens at Blenheim. He is very proud of the award and for the garden team, this is a

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Having arrived at the Palace in January 2003 on the back of successful spells at prestigious venues such as Warwick Castle and Knebworth, John and his team were looking to such accolades as endorsements of their hard work, coupled with the resolute backing of The Duke of Marlborough.

“When I was appointed by the Duke and the Trustees, we were already breaking new ground, as

Yet more Lilliputian parallels.

The realignment of the Palace has had to be conducted with the blessing of The Duke, whom John describes as a ‘wonderful ambassador for Blenheim.’ Without his flexibility and foresight, John is adamant that the Palace wouldn’t enjoy its position as one of the top stately homes in the UK.

www.b4-business.com

B4 SPOTLIGHT

business. In August 2008, we began to look at how we could adapt our business to an economic landscape which was about to radically change.

“In terms of the detail, although it has hurtled by, six years have seen some significant changes. We have certainly taken the business side to a new level, whether that’s in terms of building houses, getting planning consents, freshening up the whole appearance of the park, revamping the way we run the day visitor business, or driving the events programme forward.

“One thing we didn’t have was a marketing hook……”

“We have had many victories, and a few challenging failures, which have made us wiser. We learn from what we do and we come back stronger.

The current year is really interesting because, in many respects, the ‘ducks are in a row’ for the first time and it promises to be a great year. We went into 2009 clearly in the face of what seemed like a massively depressing scenario of circumstances with the economic downturn. If we roll back to summer 2008, our business seismically imploded through July, August and September; we had a really bad summer.

“As far back as last summer, we were looking at a very gloomy scenario in terms of 2009 visitor www.b4-business.com

Having sensibly assessed the cost base and prepared the business for life in troubled waters, the Palace needed to offer a reason for visitors to choose Blenheim over other days out, as John recalls. “We didn’t have that tactical lever that was going to make a difference. Very late in the day before we opened on February 14th, and I am talking literally mid-January, we decided that we had to look at a very strong marketing offer. This was led by Dominic Hare, and as soon as we all had the seeds of the idea in our heads we, and the marketing team led by Marketing Manager, Hannah Payne, set about shaping the offer to make it work.

And we came up with a ‘Buy One Day Get 12 Months Free’ offer.”

By his own admission, this was a very radical and brave move for John to implement, particularly with the backdrop of an historically safe and austere approach to pricing and ticketing.

“The offer immediately gave us a product which was financially attractive, particularly in a ‘credit crunch’. We initially went out with a two week exclusive offer through Newsquest, which caught the imagination of the county and the surrounding counties. According to Newsquest, it was one of the most successful promotions they had ever run.

“With over forty thousand annual pass holders signed up since February 14th, it is fair to say the scheme has been a phenomenal success. But it won’t stop there, as John continues. “Our projections are that the number will go beyond one hundred thousand for the full year. In addition to the financial benefits, this also gives us a quite remarkable database at the touch of a button to go out with e-cards, e-newsletters, people who like Blenheim, that we can talk to in an instant.”

The irony about this scheme is the change in perception the Palace has enjoyed because of it as John explains. “With visitors coming back without having to pay, they immediately have a sense of ownership. They are happy to pay for something in the shop because they automatically have more in their pocket to spend. People are now enjoying the connection they have made with us, and that can only be good for all concerned.”

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Photograph of John Hoy: www.studio-8.co.uk

Having served as the eleventh Duke since 1972, it is a quite remarkable tenure which John firmly believes, in time, will rank as exceptional.

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, with Head Gardeners Trevor and Hilary Wood and the Gardens Team, receiving the HHA/Christies Garden of the Year Award

“We have absolutely hit a raw nerve in terms of passion and the desire to connect with local heritage, which I think is absolutely fantastic.”

The question remains as to what John and his team will do for an encore, but that is something we will have to wait and see. In many respects, John openly admits that Blenheim had become arrogant and lived off its reputation. “There had been, in the past, the assumption that when we

first month of this season to celebrate the film that was shot here. We launched the visitor experience, 'Blenheim Palace: The Untold Story' upstairs as a massively new, cutting edge leisure facility in an old stately home that people would think would never change.

“Our events programme is critical, whether that is jousting or one of the many new events on our calendar. We need to be seen as fresh, vibrant and

report? “I think we have achieved a great deal, but it is a permanently rolling project. Yes, it is easy to find the next small event that might fill up the weekend with a thousand people, but what is the next big radical change? I want Blenheim Palace to be a destination for the quality of its catering, and we are not there yet, but we aspire to be so.

We also need to improve the retail side of the business. Outside of the visitor business, the property side is where we have seen the most

“As the present guardian of this great estate, including more than 80 acres of formal gardens, I am conscious that Blenheim Palace is not merely a residence for my family – its heritage, its scale and its beauty make it much more. The only English stately home designated a World Heritage Site, it is unique amongst country houses and remains, as intended, a national monument in an exquisite setting.” The Duke of Marlborough opened our doors, people would want to come, but the leisure world now is so competitive. If you roll back twenty years, there were stately homes and an emerging business in safari parks and nothing else. You roll forwards twenty years and you now have theme parks, Sunday trading, outlet shopping centres and a plethora of choices. So why on earth visit a stately home? Especially as stately homes, more than anything else, would be perceived as something that never changes. That is the biggest challenge as an industry that we face.

Our challenge is how do we keep ourselves fresh?

“What we have tried to do in the six years I have been here is to firstly look at temporary exhibitions.

We had ‘The Young Victoria’ as an exhibition for the www.b4-business.com

worth visiting.

One of the biggest challenges facing Blenheim is funding. Blenheim is the only World Heritage Site (since 1987) in the United Kingdom not to receive funding. There are now twenty eight in the UK, and all of them, except Blenheim, are able to apply for Heritage Lottery Fund funding. Blenheim cannot apply because it is privately owned, much to John’s chagrin, “I think the very badge of being a World Heritage Site justifies getting support. To me it is an argument that will keep running, and I believe that one day we will eventually get a satisfactory answer.”

So, how does Blenheim fair in its six year

significant growth. We are proud of what we have built; we have built quality and built to last. We are virtually fully let and we are very keen to see the estate develop forward.

“It is a transitional phase for Blenheim, and it is a lovely time to be here. We are all leaving our mark on Blenheim and with everybody working together, we are making sure that we are going in the right direction.”

But for one man, The Duke of Marlborough, it is his legacy which John and his team are shaping, and, so far, so good – but the battle for Blenheim continues! www.blenheimpalace.com 21

As John Madejski’s partner, Paul was always a keen golfer. Not that the endless routine of selling space, photographing cars and delivering magazines left him much time to get a full round in, as Paul explains, “I really was a completely different life to the life I lead now.

When John and I launched Auto Trader, we were full on seven days a week, up until the point that Eddie Shah took on the unions back in the early eighties. Local newspapers were going on strike and not printing, but thanks to Colin Rosser and Goodhead Press, we printed every week. Consequently, we became a publication that was reliable, garages knew they could get adverts into and get the adverts seen.

We were busy, but making money.

“The garages had to advertise to sell cars, so when word got round that we were printing, we were able to add ten pages a week. That gave us the lift that we wanted. We were doing deliveries, sales, taking pictures at the weekend, anything. On a Wednesday afternoon, the magazines came in from the printers and we would go and deliver to the wholesalers”.

Auto Trader began by servicing local areas including Reading, Basingstoke, High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Newbury. After the strike period, Auto Trader was up to one hundred and twenty pages a week, and as Paul comments, “we had cornered the market. We were taking over from all of the local newspapers and making a profit on every single publication”.

Paul and Madejski partnered with the Guardian

22

Media Group in 1982 to give the title national exposure, and by 1998, fifty two titles were being published with a combined circulation of more than 700,000. In 1998, they sold Hurst Publishing and their share in Auto Trader Magazines.

So with a new life ahead of him and financial security assured, Paul, together with his wife Jennifer, had some decisions to make. What next?

“Well we weren’t short of a few offers!” Paul jokes, “You get smart quick, you learn to read people and weed out the nonsense from the projects with merit. But I was always enjoyed golf and a golf-connected venture was always at the back of my mind.”

“We got a great deal” And it was while enjoying a golf lesson at Reading Golf Club that the pro asked Paul if he had considered buying Sandford Springs, a ten year old golf course with a twenty seven hole complex. “It was on the market and I needed something to do.

It ticked a lot of the boxes, so we had a look at it. I decided I didn’t want to go into another business alone so I said I would do it if Jennifer came in with me. Jennifer looked after the administrative side and I looked after the Clubhouse. It was great, and my accountant assured me it was a good move, for obvious reasons – we got a great deal.”

Moving into an environment where he could call the tune was a welcome change for Paul, and to get out on the golf course, when he wanted, was as near perfection as it could get. “Running my own business, with my wife and getting to play golf was wonderful, but I had to make sure I had the right people around me. My style is to get the right people to do the job. That is how I think people should conduct business; get the right people in place and you can then judge them by allowing them to do their job. They either make a success of it, or they fail. I tell my staff that the day I have to do their job for them is the day we part company.

“I loved my new found independence. I firmly believe that if you have confidence, you will succeed, and with Leaderboard, I was free to experiment, I had the confidence to try things. I appreciate I was fortunate to be in that position and that financial security helped brred confidence”.

Paul stresses that the support of a good wife has been crucial to his success throughout his business career, “She puts me right when we talk about the business and I am lucky to have Jennifer there.

Nothing is hidden from her - she knows exactly what is going on in the business, good or bad.”

And another key move was to set up a trusted board of directors to help Paul run the business so that he didn’t have to work five days a week.

Following the acquisition of Sandford, Leaderboard went on to acquire Dale Hill Hotel and Golf Club, a thirty six bedroom hotel with two golf courses. “It had bags of potential,” claims Paul, “we completely

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

AUTO GOLF Having realised the fruits of his labours with the sale of Auto Trader Magazine, Paul Gibbons was in an enviable position. He could do what he wanted, when he wanted and how he wanted. Richard Rosser meets the owner of The Oxfordshire Golf Club, part of his Leaderboard portfolio of golf clubs, to find out how a passion for golf has become a business.

Chart Hills Golf Club, located in Kent, was Paul’s other ‘purchase’ prior to setting his sights on The Oxfordshire, where Paul had been a member. “The club came on the market having had £27.5 million spent on it. Not many people know that the largest earth moving exercise in Europe took place there, second only to the Channel tunnel. So a lot had gone into the club but the members felt it never had ‘it’. It was a real challenge, one that I couldn’t avoid, and after a period of prevarication on both sides, I secured the club for a great price.

“With four clubs, the challenge we have faced since has been to maintain a level, an excellent standard.

You are only as good as what people see and, being on constant public display, you have got to be good all of the time if you want to earn a reputation. There is no doubt that my team works hard, and with golf courses, that means we have to ensure that the courses are playable as much as possible. And that’s what helps us build our reputation.”

Located just a mile from the M40 (junction seven) and just fifteen minutes from Oxford, The Oxfordshire is accessible to a wide catchment area.

But today’s landscape is significantly different from that when Paul acquired the club, as he is quick to recognise, “Yes we can afford to be here, but the recession hurts us all. The media has got a lot to answer for. If we weren‘t exposed to such tales of woe every day in the press, then we might see some recovery. We get talked into things too easily

www.b4-business.com

in this country – as a nation we are quite gullible.

As a team, we know the economy is suffering, but we are just trying to be positive and we are having to work a lot harder.

“We were ready for a downturn. Back in September, I met with the team and said that we had to change. I couldn’t be seen to be not taking this recession seriously. We set about a programme of change and this has stood us in very good stead to

“We seriously cut costs” cope with the last nine months. We seriously cut costs, and even though our sales in February were down on February 2008, we improved on our bottom line because of the cost savings. The team have worked with me on these changes and they can now see the benefits of what we have done.

“I am incredibly confident that we are going to come out of this period in great shape. We are taking on new members now even though we suffered in November and December when the corporates put a hold on just about any form of entertainment, including Christmas parties. The weather was a sucker punch in January and February, but in March we outperformed budget and saw an improvement March on March. We are still great value for money and we are achieving good figures without having to cut our fees.”

Paul is adamant that his group of clubs is better placed than any to come out of the recession in good shape, but refers back to the eighties and The EGU’s (English Golf Union) claim that we didn’t have enough golf courses. To highlight the problems many courses face today, “There are too many courses, and we are now seeing members joining us from courses which are struggling to keep up. There are too many courses and not enough golfers, and this underlines the need to build value for our members.

“We have joined forces with other golf clubs so that members can play both courses – adding value in this way is the only way clubs will retain members.”

Dismissing adding to his portfolio of clubs for now, Paul reveals that The Oxfordshire will soon boast a four star hotel on site. “It has always been talked about that there should be a hotel at The Oxfordshire. As a golf course it is unique, but we miss so much business because it is very difficult to get accommodation in the area. With the hotel we go up a level and put ourselves in contention to win more tournaments – the course deserves that.

The hotel will have fifty bedrooms, and combined with the conference space and a spa facility, we know it is going to be a great golfing destination.”

www.theoxfordshiregolfclub.com

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Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

gutted the hotel and refurbished both golf courses to a very high standard.

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B4 ADVICE

“The future promises to be even brighter”

STRONG FOUNDATIONS Withy King is fast approaching its first anniversary since arriving in Oxford in September 2008. Richard Rosser speaks to David Cavaliero, head of Withy King’s Corporate team, and commercial litigator, Stephen Woods, formerly the Managing Partner of Marshall and Galpin, to assess the positive impact the firm have made.

Although those with the benefit of hindsight would not necessarily have chosen the latter part of 2008 to complete a significant merger of two legal practices, the efficiency with which Withy King have established themselves in a competitive marketplace in Oxford has been nothing short of remarkable.

are now poised to build on our commercial market share in Oxford. Our typical corporate finance deals are in the two to eight million pounds bracket, but, as a growing firm, the levels at which we can operate are increasing all of the time, and as the strength of the team grows in terms of numbers and ability, so our deal capabilities increase.”

By focusing on customer needs and delivering a cost effective and transparent service, Withy King have carved out a reputation in a short period of time as providers of great quality legal advice, with the focus on customer service, understanding the clients’ needs and building on relationships for the long term. By making legal services more accessible through offering retained services to their clients and providing a solution to the majority of their clients’ legal needs, Withy King tick an impressive number of boxes.

And part of the growth and establishment phase in Oxford in the first year has been to cement a network of referral businesses, such as the leading accountancy and banking firms in the area, which have recognised the valuable reciprocal business a firm of Withy King’s profile and reach can deliver.

And by bringing experienced lawyers such as David Cavaliero to the table, Withy King have raised the bar in Oxfordshire and are able to build and enhance their service for the benefit of their growing client base. Consistently named as a leading corporate finance lawyer in the Chambers UK directory of lawyers, David is also a key member of the Technology & Media team and has significant industry expertise in the information technology sector. David’s focus is to drive the commercial business in Oxford and, having joined Withy King from the City, David has extensive experience in the sale and purchase of companies, particularly management buy-outs.

“With the reinforcement of a large regional firm, we

www.b4-business.com

David is also looking to develop the various sectors Withy King have already established (as per his Commercial Property colleagues on page 36) in terms of commercial contracts and intellectual property. The technology strengths, in particular, of the wider firm are something David would like to see bear fruit in Oxford.

Stephen Wood specialises in the disputes arising out of both Civil and Commercial contracts, Shareholder and Partnership disputes and Professional Negligence cases. He has welcomed the merger as it has served to reinforce and put in to practice the plans which he and his former Marshall and Galpin colleagues had before the merger.

“As Managing Partner of Marshall and Galpin, I always had plans to develop our commercial and corporate services. A good part of our business was private client work, and when Withy King

approached us, it was the perfect fit in more ways than one.

“The proportions of the business are now changing – we are certainly doing a higher proportion of corporate work. I have seen many firms try and establish themselves in Oxford from a standing start. What Withy King have done is identified a living and breathing firm in Oxford, with a great reputation, and built on that.

“We can now not only compete with firms of a similar size on a commercial and corporate basis, strengthened by the sector expertise which is being developed (See page 36), but also on a private client basis, which is traditionally an offering which firms of our size are weak in.”

So how does Stephen feel the merger has worked out, almost one year down the line? “Extremely well, in massive part due to the fact that we planned the merger for eighteen months. We did a lot of ground work as to what the firm would look like twelve months post merger.

“The future promises to be even brighter as we continue to drive the commercial and corporate sector forward, and with Withy King’s commitment to first class legal services at excellent rates, we can only see the firm growing here in Oxford. It has certainly been a brilliant move for all concerned and we are all tremendously excited about the short and long term future.”

www.withyking.co.uk

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GIVE ME A DIFFERENT VOICE! Milton Bayer Communications (MB) is, in its own words, the ‘switched-on creative agency’. But as Managing Director, Ray Wellington, explained to B4, the marketing industry is suffering. But out of this suffering, a new way of doing business is emerging. Gone are the days when businesses are repeating last year’s marketing activities with a few tweaks just to keep the boss happy. With pressure on marketing budgets, agencies like MB are educating their clients to think differently, analyse their performance and seek inspirational ways of doing what they do well, only better ……. with markedly improved results.

Formed in 1991, MB’s mission is to ‘make your target market love you’. And judging from the impressive client portfolio gushing from the streaming video in the company’s reception area, MB are doing something right. But herein lies the first clue to the modus operandi of this vibrant agency - under every impressive frame of client marketing collateral shown in the presentation lies a clear campaign achievement line, and these achievements are all credit to MB. Driving his business forward, Ray Wellington, who’s passion for what he and his twenty four colleagues do is without question, knows he can deliver, and he is prepared to back himself, in more ways than you would expect.

As a full service agency with strategic, creative, digital and technical expertise, MB have the knowledge and experience to integrate the right mix of marketing channels at the right time. With brand experience in a wide range of sectors, MB have their finger on the pulse, running a variety of Focus Groups, sucking in information from around the country, across a wide range of sectors and age groups. Although Ray readily admits agencies like his are competing for clients like never before, his sleeves are rolled up, hungry to meet this challenge, as he explains.

“The ‘pie’ is certainly getting smaller, we're advising clients they should still be spending on marketing as their brand will stand head and shoulders above the competition when the economy improves. This is fuelled by lower media costs and more exposure for your money – it is tempting to keep doing more. However, companies with tight financial control are seeing marketing budgets cut and they increasingly finding themselves cornered. Lots of

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businesses, irrespective of size, have, in many ways, gone along doing what they have always done, without questioning ‘why?’ Call it the easy way out, call it lazy, but, other than some re-working of the plan, not much has, historically, changed.

“We are helping

companies to be more creative with their budgets”

being able to promote their services online. For example, a hotel might offer rooms but no conference facilities, and so if it runs a local conference venue’s banner on its site, it stands a good chance of putting some business their way.

Instead of the venue paying the hotel for this banner up front, we would structure a commission share of any business placed as a direct result of the banner on the hotel’s site.

“We aren’t talking about the 0.00001 pence per transaction that you might get as an Amazon affiliate, we are talking about pre agreed chunky commission payments which certainly whet the appetite. Within our network, we have access to over 125,000 potential partners who will, in return for a commission, promote our Client’s products.

“As the economic landscape changes, we are all being challenged to think differently. If a company is set in its ways and isn’t capable of thinking differently, that is where we step in and give it a different voice, a new way of thinking. We are helping companies to be more creative, to think about how they can market effectively. On the whole, if a business can see something working, it will devote more resources to it.

“We can also strip out a lot of the ‘costs’ associated with existing affiliate schemes, and as a result we can make the whole ‘partner appropriate affiliate’ relationships much more attractive. Agencies should be following our lead and become much more accountable by demonstrating their worth by offering results driven campaigns. Basically, if you think you’re good, put your money where your mouth is..

So how are MB helping their clients to cut their cloth and still get results?

“But isn’t that fair? If we are confident in what we do, we should know we are going to get our clients results and therefore should be prepared to almost delay our rewards until our expertise is proven. It’s a risk, but if you’re good, you can take it. There is a balance to strike – it can’t be all based on rewards – but this is certainly the trend. And it works both ways – if the campaign is really successful, by taking the risks, we should share in the additional spoils and be rewarded where campaigns over-achieve. Performance-related pay if you like.

“Businesses have traditionally looked to return on investment (ROI) to measure the effectiveness of a marketing campaign, and we are no different. But we have recently started to turn this on its head through a new type of affiliate scheme that we have launched through our digital revenues service. We are identifying affiliates who we feel partner up well with another company in terms of

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B4 MARKETING

The digital revenues side of the business links in well with the other services which Milton Bayer offer, according to Ray, “We do push the strategy and ROI, but one of the key things we ask our clients when we meet them is ‘how are we going to measure your campaigns?’ It is surprising how many businesses don’t focus themselves on the measurement process. When we meet a customer, they tell us what their budgets are and we ask on what volumes of business generation is that budget based? Many don’t know, they simply have a budget and spend it – they don’t measure the success of a campaign. Getting a client to focus on the desired results, the cost-per-acquisition they historically achieved and the value of a client to them, after discussions, the sometimes reluctant attitude to even divulge a budget, goes away and the focus is set.

“We don’t do this in a blatant ‘give us more money because we can get you a better return’ way. We do it gradually. We show, by giving our client the appropriate metrics, what the effect of a campaign has been part way through, and effectively ask them to increase their budgets if they want to see the results continue.”

The relationships MB enjoys with its clients are ‘close’. MB have to get under the skin of their clients if they are going to be of maximum use to them.

Your doctor can’t diagnose what’s wrong with you unless you give him the full facts, and MB’s approach is no different, as Ray elaborates.

“We can only really work where the customers divulge the full facts. We have to know everything if the relationship is going to work. The problem is, we need to establish this open relationship from day one, and that isn’t easy when you have only

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just met each other – it’s human nature to be wary early on. We have to win our client’s trust, and our portfolio of achievements helps us do this.

we have agreement on a campaign, we then put the budgets and procedures in place to make their marketing work better for them.

“Clients need to think in reverse. They need to think what they want to generate in terms of revenue and work back to the rate we can achieve this for.

Our fees may turn out to be slightly more expensive than a competitor, but we know, without sounding too cocksure, that we can put the procedures in place to make the campaign deliver the results they want.

“The opportunity to talk to our clients in depth about their business is where we do most of our business winning. Businesses are more receptive to change now than ever. They want a new voice and are open to being creative with their budgets, and Milton Bayer Communications can give them that voice.”

“it might just be the hook which differentiates them from the crowd” “We can certainly give companies a different voice.

We make our clients think about what they do, and what they can do to make them stand out. It might be just the spin which is put on a service they offer which is different to their competitors, but it might just be the hook which differentiates them from the crowd.

“Brainstorming with clients is very effective. We ask what they are doing well, where they are struggling and where they could improve. We go away to think and come back and present to the client how we think their business could perform better. Once

About Ray Wellington and MB Ray started MB in 1991, at the height of the last recession, as a purely creative agency. Originally trained in graphic design, Ray developed his marketing strategy knowledge, which he has put to good use with his entrepreneurial abilities, to form MB. Head of strategy at MB, Ray also runs a lot of the focus groups and has built up a huge bank of knowledge, which is frequently used for MB client marketing strategies. At 45, Ray has a huge passion for his business which, in his own words, ‘I can’t see myself stopping in the next twenty years. I still get a real buzz out of getting results for our clients because I know it will mean a win for us.”

The company has grown steadily over the years, but is now looking to grow by acquisition. www.miltonbayer.com

27

EVER HAD ONE OF THOSE DAYS? Have you ever had one of those days where everything that can go wrong, does go wrong? Meet Bill, a fictitious Managing Director of an Oxfordshire business. See how the challenges of ‘one of those days’ are met head on with the support of Darbys Solicitors and their revolutionary legal support scheme for business; BLUE.

So, let the day begin. It’s 8.30am.

Not a good start. No sign of the new Sales Director Andy, who is joining from rival firm, Onyx. It transpires that Andy, an Australian, has been infomed by the Home Office that his work permit only allows him to work for Onyx, and that he must go back to Australia if he wants to alter it. On top of this, Andy is getting married in a month!

Time to ring the free BLUE helpline, where Bill receives free advice from Jenny Harvey, Head of Immigration at Darbys. Jenny tells Bill that there is a solution whereby Andy won’t have to return to Australia.

Bill may be able to issue a “Certificate of Sponsorship” under the new points-based system.

This is similar to an old work permit. The bad news, however, is that Bill first needs to be licensed as a sponsor with the Home Office. This is fairly routine, but it will trigger an Immigration Service visit to Bill’s business, where Bill’s personnel files and HR systems will be checked to ensure that he is equipped to carry out the obligations of a sponsor. Bill will also be expected to report Andy if he fails to turn up for his first day of work, or fails to attend for any consecutive ten day period, without good reason. Bill will need to keep an accurate record of Andy’s full contact details, which he will need to produce if required.

The Immigration Officers will also consider whether proper checks are in place to ensure that Bill is not

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employing anyone else illegally. Bill needs to remember that he could be fined up to £10,000 per illegal employee if he is caught out!

Although applying for a sponsor’s license solves his problem, Bill must ensure that his house is in order before he applies to avoid compounding his misery.

permanent basis.

So, Jenny has given Bill options which will mean Andy can stay in the country.

Now, back to work.

Once Bill has a license, he can issue the necessary Certificate of Sponsorship to Andy provided he advertises the position of Sales Director across Europe, and no other suitable candidate emerges.

Andy must then apply to the Home Office for permission to come and work for Bill. Under the points system, Andy needs to earn seventy points that will be awarded for issues such as qualifications, future earnings, and money in the bank.

However, it could take up to twelve weeks for the initial license to come through, and then a further six weeks for Andy’s application for permission to be processed.

One other option, only applicable if Andy has a degree, is to consider the ‘highly skilled migrant route’. Bill wouldn’t need the sponsor’s license or advertise the position. It would also only take around six weeks and will therefore be much quicker.

The final consideration is Andy’s impending marriage. If his fiancée is British or European, he will almost definitely be able to remain here on the basis of his marriage. The Home Office will need to ensure that the relationship is genuine, but he should be able to apply to stay and work here for an initial period of two years (if his wife is British) or five years (if she is European) and then on a

11.20am A fax arrives from a firm of City lawyers acting for Onyx. They are taking further action believing that Bill has ‘poached’ Andy.

The letter states that not only is Andy in breach of his duty of confidentiality, having taken a quantity of product and sales information with him, but he is also subject to clauses in his contract preventing him dealing with any of Onyx’s customers or suppliers for twelve months. In a double blow, Onyx intend to sue Andy to prevent him from working for Bill, and sue Bill on the grounds that he induced Andy to breach his contract.

Bill thinks BLUE and calls Darbys, and speaks to David Harris in Darbys’ Employment department.

David advises Bill as follows. “Firstly, make sure that

awww.b4-business.com

B4 ADVICE

“You must review Andy’s old contract of employment immediately to check any express restrictions on his activities following his departure, as well as any separate confidentiality undertakings, employee handbooks and other policies and rules.

If Andy doesn’t have these, we can get them from the other side.

“You must discuss the allegations being made with Andy, in detail and as a matter of urgency. Ask him what are his thoughts on the alleged breach of confidentiality? Has he removed any information?

If so, what sort of information has he taken with him? We will need copies of these documents.

“Onyx are also alleging that you or your company incited this alleged breach on Andy’s part. If you have encouraged Andy to breach his contract with knowledge of his restrictions and confidentiality obligations, this would support an argument that there is a claim for incitement to breach of contract.

“Whether Andy was obliged to disclose the existence of any restraints to you at interview is an issue we need to resolve quickly. You should check through any documents created during the recruitment process, such as correspondence or application forms completed by Andy as well as minutes of interviews or other notes. Check to see whether he has mentioned that he may be bound by contractual restraints. He may have been subject to a requirement to disclose the existence of any restrictions at the first opportunity to do so.

If there was disclosure at interview and you chose to offer the role despite this, it will add weight to the allegations that you have incited a breach of contract.

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“The two most common remedies that Onyx may be seeking at this stage are an injunction preventing you from employing Andy, and a claim for damages and / or an account of profits arising from the alleged breach. Both remedies can be sought simultaneously. Injunctions are brought initially on an emergency basis prior to an application for a full injunction. As such, if Onyx has delayed in bringing these proceedings, they may have lost the right to do so. If the claim is for damages for losses arising from any alleged breach, Onyx will be required to produce evidence of loss of profits arising from customers taking business away from them to you.

“Our response to the solicitor’s letter will clearly need to address the crux of the matter i.e. is there any merit in the potential claims? This would largely be dependant on whether the restraint and confidentiality clauses in Andy’s former contract are likely to be enforceable.

In order to be enforceable, they will need to go no further than protecting your competitor’s legitimate business interest and be deemed by the courts to be ‘reasonable’.

“The starting point for the courts is that this type of clause will be deemed to be void unless it can be proved to be ‘reasonable’. What is reasonable will depend upon on the facts of each case, including the employee’s role within the business. The courts will look at many factors when considering the question of ‘reasonableness’, such as the scope, duration and area of the restraint. The fact Andy is in a senior position is also of relevance. It is more likely to be deemed reasonable to restrict the actions of employees who are regularly in contact with customers and suppliers of the business, as is the case with Andy. If the clause is twelve months in duration, this is at the higher end

of what is likely to be enforceable, but whether or not it is enforceable, will be judged on the particular facts in this case.

“The circumstances of Andy’s departure are also relevant. If we can argue that there was a breach of contract on the part of Onyx which led to his departure, then they may not be able to rely on a contract that they have breached.

What a morning! Surely it can’t get any worse…

3.05pm Andy reminds Bill that he is still owed £80,000 by Onyx in respect of a previous dispute between them, and Andy mentions that Onyx is in a perilous financial state, paying those creditors who shout the loudest, without any significant assets or cash resources.

Bill picks up the phone to the BLUE helpline again and explains the position to Liz Taylor, Head of Darbys’ Insolvency team.

Liz looks at Bill’s options, and the first thing she mentions is that his claim could be used in the employment dispute mentioned above, and used to de-rail the claim by Onyx that Bill has been inciting Andy’s breach of contract.

As far as recovering the money is concerned, Liz advises Bill that he could sue Onyx. However, even if he succeeds, all he will be left with is a judgment that he will have to enforce against that company’s

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Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

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B4 ADVICE assets – if it hasn’t got any assets (buildings with equity in them, debts owed to it, stock, money in the bank, etc…), there seems little point in suing them at all.

6.30pm

Alternatively Bill could serve a statutory demand on them. This is a formal document which requires payment within twenty one days, failing which the debtor is deemed to be insolvent, and Bill is entitled (unless Onyx get an injunction to stop him) to issue a winding up petition.

However, once a company is wound up, it is very rare for unsecured creditors, like Bill, to receive anything other than a small dividend. There seems to be a significant risk here. Also, once a winding up petition has been presented, any payment made to Bill is void unless the court orders otherwise, and the court will not validate such a transaction if the effect of it is to reduce the assets available to the unsecured creditors generally. Consequently, the issue of a winding up petition by Bill will effectively prevent Onyx paying him!

So, what else can Bill do? He has often wished, as a competitor, that Onyx would go out of business, but because they owe him so much money, he doesn’t want to be left out of pocket. Could he engineer a situation whereby he keeps the company safe from the other creditors that are circling it, whilst he explores whether he might want to acquire the entire business himself? Can Bill ask

nothing to hide and wants to explain all. Martin advises him that unless the HMRC Investigators disclose their suspicions and the evidence supporting these, Bill should be slow to say anything. Bill isn’t sure - wouldn’t that be tantamount to an admission of guilt?

Martin arrives at the police station and speaks to the Investigator again, who is extremely cagey. The Investigator says that some of the claims appear to be signed by Bill himself and that office computers and Bill’s laptop have been seized. These will be subjected to a forensic examination and the results won’t be available for some time. The investigator says that the Finance Director made an unsolicited remark during the course of the search that ‘this is all down to Bill’.

The investigator claims that if Bill ‘co-operates’ it ‘may be better for him in the long run’.

Martin strongly advises that now is not the time to give any account and that he should wait until the Investigators have put all their cards on the table.

Great, it’s time to go home. But what’s that rumpus outside reception?

HMRC have chosen this moment to search the company’s premises under a warrant obtained from a Magistrate. Apparently, the company has been reclaiming VAT in respect of non-existent supplies. The claims have been supported by bogus invoices. Bill knows nothing about this; VAT issues are handled by the Finance Director.

Bill is distraught after an already stressful day. He

Martin says that if they insist on interviewing Bill that evening he will advise Bill to exercise his right to silence and that he will personally give evidence at any future trial to defeat any prosecution suggestion that an adverse inference should be drawn from Bill’s failure to answer questions.

The Investigator grudgingly concedes, ‘it’s getting late and if you’re going to waste my time, we might as well all go home now’.

Bill is bailed pending further enquiries, and

“You never know what is around the corner” for what is called an ‘administration order’ in respect of Onyx?

Liz Taylor advises that he might be able to do so.

Not only can a company put itself into this protective administration, it is also possible for a creditor to apply to the court for an administration order over a company that owes it money.

Once an administration application is filed by Bill, a moratorium comes into effect, which means that Onyx and its assets gain a good degree of protection from creditors and any legal action that they want to start or press on with. The moratorium creates a breathing space for the company whilst the proposed administrator considers the best way forward. If the court makes the administration order that Bill wants, the court will also appoint Bill’s chosen insolvency practitioner (IP) to be the administrator, and he would be able to discuss his desire to acquire Onyx’s business with that IP even before the administration order is made.

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reacts angrily and tells police that they’ll search his office, ‘over my dead body’. HMRC respond by arresting him for fraud and obstructing their search.

Bill is then manhandled into a waiting car and driven to the local police station while a search is conducted of the company’s offices.

When Bill arrives at the police station, he demands access to a phone so he can ring the 24/7 emergency service offered by Darbys through their scheme called DEEP BLUE. Martin Bourne, of the Darbys’ Regulatory and Defence legal team, takes the call.

everything can then be dealt with in a slower, clearer, and calmer way. Most importantly, Bill has not said anything to the investigators that ‘could be used against him’ later on.

So, the day draws to a close, and Bill gets home just before midnight.

So what can we learn from Bill’s experiences?

Maybe that we never know what is around the corner, and hopefully that some clear legal advice can help stop problems becoming worse, in many, many situations.

Martin reassures Bill that his detention at the police station will not be indefinite and that the likelihood is that Bill will be released after a short interview.

Bill’s experiences also underline the value of being a member of BLUE. In all of the situations mentioned in this article, and many more, directors can pick up the phone to the BLUE and DEEP BLUE helplines to get quick and free advice.

Martin advises Bill not to talk without Martin being present. Bill claims that he is entirely innocent, has

Join the hundreds of other businesses that have joined BLUE. Visit www.bluelaw.co.uk today.

31

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B4 CONFERENCE

THE OXFORD

CENTRE

As one of Oxfordshire’s most established and well known meetings and events venues, The Oxford Centre (or ‘333’ as it is affectionately known) on Banbury Road, in the heart of North Oxford, is a favourite for networking events, weddings, sports dinners and business functions. Following a makeover in more ways than one, Andrew Lund-Yates talks to Katie Avis-Riordan about how The Oxford Centre is pitching to retain its position towards the top of the conference and events venue pile in Oxford.

Having admittedly focused the profile raising of 333 in the trade and commercial arenas over the past few years, General Manager, Andrew Lund-Yates felt the time was right to reconnect locally.

“We have traditionally been very strong in the Oxfordshire conference and events market. As we don’t have the distraction of bedrooms, we can focus totally on making the best use of the space we have here without what can often be a restriction of factoring hotel rooms into the mix. Our catchment area is the market which can commute to Oxford City Centre, and that is where we are focusing our profile raising.”

With a more than capable network of hotels and quality guest houses within striking distance of 333, combining accommodation with meetings and events space is not unknown territory for Andrew and his competent team. “We also have good links with the restaurants in Summertown and this all helps us to structure a compelling and appealing package for potential clients.”

Andrew is also winning new business by using a network of conference agents who are proving very effective, “Our facilities are proving popular with businesses looking for city centre locations with ample car parking. Oxford still

seeing a drop off, there is no question about that, but it is under ten per cent for the first six months of the year, which we can tolerate.”

Andrew feels that the conference only product also helps 333 to win more business. “Because we don’t have the rooms to fill, I think we are definitely in a better position. Businesses are looking to wind down their spend in many areas, and running conference only events, as opposed to conferences with accommodation, is widely regarded as a luxury many businesses can’t afford, or don’t want to be seen to be enjoying.”

A new Sales Manager was seen as an important step forward for 333 by Andrew, and this has helped introduce a more dynamic approach to winning business which the venue had never previously benefited from. “Getting sales is as important in a recession as it is in the good times, and investing in a sales manager has been great for the business. We are not blind to the fact that there are new conference options in the marketplace and that many existing competitors have raised their game, so we have to be focused and positive – we have to raise our game. We will compete with what is in the market and we think that we have got a product that can stand up to the competition.”

“We have to be focused and positive”

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

has a great cachet and we are finding that the promotion to a wider market is really reaping rewards. And the new, interactive website is also proving useful in attracting fresh business for us. The site needed updating and speeding up.

We have got the virtual tours so that prospective clients can see the space that we have got here. We are also upgrading the menus and improving the food we offer, making the menus more sophisticated on the banqueting side. We have a good reputation locally for food, and so there is a great foundation to build on in place.

In an incredibly clumsy way, I put to Andrew that 333 has, to a certain extent, been taken for granted, always in most top three’s for best venues in Oxford, but occasionally missing out because potential clients wanted to try new venues. But it is a tried and tested space and any event you attend at 333 will always run like clockwork, because, as much as anything, Andrew has his team working efficiently with the consideration of their customers at heart.

With the almost inevitable question looming, has Andrew detected a downturn in business? “This year we are not seeing the decrease in sales that we anticipated; we are in better shape than we thought we would be. We are

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But whatever the future has in store, whilst not averse to negotiating, the team at 333 will always explore ways of adding value to an event. Whether it's suggesting ideas to enhance tea and coffee breaks, or exploring ways of providing audio visual equipment, the secret is in the art of communication, finding out what a client is trying to achieve, and then producing a proposal that best fits their budget.”

Andrew took a great deal of pride in being asked to be the first non-Mason to be asked to join the board as a director of what is the local Masonic Headquarter. But the issue of the ownership shouldn’t, according to Andrew, cloud anyone’s judgement about the whys and wherefores of 333. “The board are as transparent as they can be and want to invite businesses in to see that we are very personable and approachable people.”

It is clear to see, as many B4 readers will have experienced themselves, that 333 is a venue which works. It is warm yet practical, conveniently located yet dynamic. Whatever your meetings or events requirements, have a look at the new website to see what 333 can offer you. www.the-oxford-centre.co.uk

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Up until now, the train has not been a serious option for a great swathe of Oxford commuters, particularly people travelling in and out from north of the city and beyond. This will change big time, according to Chiltern Railways, if the company’s plans to build a new Oxford to London Marylebone route are accepted – including fast and frequent services to Bicester via north Oxford.

“All our projections indicate that there would be increasing demand for the proposed service,” commented Chiltern Railways strategic manager Allan Dare.

“We’re seeking to provide commuters with a viable alternative, as well as

offered by some of our competitors has not always been a priority.”

The idea of building a new, fast service between London and Oxford goes back a number of years. It was first mooted when Chiltern Railways took over its existing franchise in 1996 with responsibility for operating the London Marylebone-Bicester North-Banbury-Birmingham route. The plan to extend services to offer a brand new Oxford to London route became a formal aspiration as part of the company's second franchise agreement in 2002 and proposals have gradually solidified into the current scheme since then.

“last year rail use was at its highest level for peace time and has grown by more than 40% in the last 10 years” helping to reduce traffic on the M40 and the A34, both of which are heavily congested.”

In fact, last year rail use was at its highest level for peace time and has grown by more than 40% in the last 10 years. Aside from providing commuters with more choice and a better service, the corporate challenge for Chiltern is to increase the rail market’s share of the Oxford to London corridor which is perfectly feasible, says Allan Dare, given Chiltern’s record for providing a reliable, value for money service for all types of rail user. “This has been particularly useful in the current economic climate,” he says “ when the first class travel

So what does this actually mean for Oxford commuters and the wider business community? In short, it means a new service in and out of Oxford station which will head north to Bicester Town before linking with Chiltern’s existing London Marylebone to Birmingham line. Commuters will be given more convenient access to Oxford and London via upgrades to track, stations and related services such as park and ride.

“The new route will provide better access and better connections with bus, cycle and car links,” explained Allan Dare. “Another factor is the growing number of people who work in Oxford, but have to live further afield because

BEATING THE TRAFFIC JAMS Anyone who has found themselves stuck in a traffic jam in or around Oxford might well have considered alternative forms of transport. A bike perhaps, but only in the city; a bus for arguably less stress, but still the risk of traffic jams and then there’s the train – if indeed a convenient service is available to you.

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B4 TRAVEL of a shortage of housing. For them a viable transport system is essential – as it is for their employers and the businesses they use on a personal basis.”

The scheme, which will be turned into a formal planning application under the Transport and Works Act later this year, is ambitious by any standards. It involves upgrading existing track between Oxford and Bicester to accommodate what Chiltern envisages will be two Oxford to London Marylebone trains an hour. It will also mean substantial refurbishment work at three existing stations, Oxford, Islip and Bicester Town and the creation of one new station, Water Eaton Parkway, which would offer around 800 parking spaces for those wishing to travel by train to London and Oxford or, alternatively by bus into the city centre and to the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Pivotal to the scheme, will be the construction of a short connecting line just south of Bicester, where Chiltern Railways' London-Birmingham line crosses over a proposed East-West line which will run between Oxford and Milton Keynes. The latter will be upgraded from just east of Bicester Town station to Oxford, including restoring much of the double track that was removed many years ago and installing new signalling and safety systems.

In promoting the scheme, dubbed Evergreen3 after earlier upgrades, Chiltern Railways points to its track record, both as an operator and as a developer. “We are consistently among the leading train operators for punctuality and reliability,” says Dare. “We also have a proven track record in bringing about improvements to the service.”

Examples, he says include new Warwick Parkway and Aylesbury Vale Parkway stations – both of which are generating a large amount of traffic – the provision of two new platforms at London Marylebone and a number of measures to upgrade capacity and improve line speed – all delivered on time and within budget.

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Needless to say, none of the estimated £85m funding for Evergreen3 will come out of the public purse. As with previous Evergreen developments, it will be privately financed by Chiltern before being sold on to Network Rail as a completed project and leased back under the franchise.

Scheduled to run its first trains in 2013, the scheme is being developed against a strict set of environmental criteria. To this end, Chiltern is working with environmental specialists ERM to address and mitigate a range of issues, among them the visual impact of the scheme, local ecology, noise and vibration, road traffic and the environmental impact on local residents. ERM’s contribution forms part of a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the results of which will be presented as part of an Environmental Statement to accompany the planning application.

Another important element of the scheme is public consultation – namely the requirement that statutory bodies, special groups and members of the public are kept informed about what is being proposed, and are given the opportunity to have their say. With this in mind, Chiltern Railways has staged three public exhibitions in Oxford, Kidlington and Bicester with general feedback indicating over 90% support for the scheme.

"We are very pleased with the feedback we have been getting as part of what has been a major consultation exercise”, says Chiltern Railways Chairman Adrian Shooter. “Comments and detailed submissions are being taken into account as we seek to develop the best possible scheme for local communities and the travelling public."

For further information and the chance to comment on the Evergreen3 scheme, go to: www.chiltern-evergreen3.co.uk

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B4 ADVICE

WITHY KING SOLICITORS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Richard Rosser meets with Withy King’s Head of Commercial Property and Development, Paul Daniels, and Andrew Chalk, who is responsible for the Business Development of the Commercial Property team, to discover how specialist knowledge is helping Withy King develop sector strengths in key areas and grow the Oxfordshire business.

Paul Daniels’ expertise lies in the Commercial Property sector, in terms of Commercial Property development and investment, healthcare and acting for national and local retailers and hotel operators. Building on the existing foundations which Marshall & Galpin (with whom Withy King merged in September 2008) had already developed through James Barnatt in Oxford, Paul and Andrew hope to expand the Commercial Property offering through various niche sectors which have been developed within Withy King. These include healthcare, retail and leisure, property

care home providers in the UK, has enabled us to build up a strong reputation in the care homes, retirement villages and children’s nurseries sector.

“More latterly, we have moved into the GP’s, Dentists and Veterinary Practices where we are looking to improve our presence. We are established in the South West, but we need to establish that side of the business in Oxford, and also the charity and education sector, where we are already working, to a degree, with Brasenose and Balioll. As part of the team, Edward Cooke and James Barnatt have been able to advise the

community. This meant jockey regulatory work, residential and commercial property work. As far as the trainers and breeders were concerned, again we did their regulatory work and their commercial property work, their acquisitions and disposals, their diversifications, landlord and tenants disputes etc…. As a direct result of developing my skills in this area, the racing and bloodstock sector specialism was one of the first sectors within Withy King, and this is how we felt we could expand, with specialist knowledge.

“My clients know that I have assumed knowledge,

“clients believe that “the level of service is comparable with the major London practices but the customer focus is higher.” Chambers Guide to Legal Profession 2007 development and planning, agriculture and rural business, racing and bloodstock, technology and media and finally charity and education.

The percentage of sector work as an overall part of the Commercial Property contribution of the firm is steadily growing and the sectors represent an excellent route through which Withy King can develop its Commercial Property services, and thereafter other core legal services within each sector.

One of Withy King’s most prominent sectors is in Healthcare. As Head of the Care Sector team, Paul expands on the rise of what is now a core sector for the firm, “In terms of sectors, we have acted for Four Seasons Healthcare which, as the third largest

36

Colleges on some of the challenges they face with the changes in the charities rules. These are potentially serious issues facing the Colleges, which they are advised to adapt to sooner rather than later.”

A nationally recognised sector within the firm has been established through Andrew Chalk. With extensive experience in the field of racing and bloodstock, Andrew has become a well known name in the horse-racing world, and has ranked number one in the Legal 500 and Chambers Guides for the last fifteen years.

Andrew explains how the development of the racing and bloodstock sector has given Withy King the impetus to develop further. “We served all of the legal needs of our clients in the horse racing

which is a great help to clients in this industry. They don’t have to explain to me how their industry works, what the peculiarities are, and that saves time and money. With me, I know the drill, so it is just a case of addressing the issues at hand. With no need for familiarisation, it is much easier to build a relationship without all of the frustrations and frictions that a non specialist and his agitated client will experience. And this has been carried into the new sectors we have developed since.”

With his experience developing the racing and bloodstock sector, Andrew is charged with building up the Business Development for the overall Commercial Property team, whilst maintaining his racing and bloodstock work.

And these sector strengths will be used to good

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“We are also developing other sectors. We are working in private pension funds in terms of acquisitions by SIPPs and SSASs. We also work in the hotels and leisure sector, although that is taking a bit of a blow at the present time, especially with the problems being faced by pubs.

“Another growing area is waste and minerals, and the recycling, sustainability and the green issues this poses, plus the landfill issues. This is certainly a growing area and we can include The Raymond Brown Group, The Hills Group and Churngold amongst our clients. This links in well with our construction work and property development team where we have five construction lawyers - unique amongst many Oxford law firms. We are therefore in a position to provide the whole package to property professionals, developers, contractors

etc….

“The Technology and Media sector is another area we specialise in under the expert leadership of Jessica Bent.

“We are a relatively young team and very approachable and innovative – I have even heard that we are a ‘breath of fresh air’ locally. We pride ourselves on building personal relationships, thinking slightly differently and hopefully providing new solutions to problems which Oxfordshire businesses might be experiencing.

“The sectors which we have developed have grown due to client demand. We have had clients who have been delighted with the work we have performed in a certain sector. They have subsequently challenged us with different aspects of working within that sector, which has helped us develop the key skills of certain individuals, around whom we have built teams capable of dealing with any aspect of that particular sector.

“We need to ensure that our sector teams are able to deal with client problems quickly and efficiently - we certainly feel that differentiates us from other firms locally. We often find when developing a

particular sector team that we were providing the work in that sector anyway, we have just packaged it into a specific sector team and built on top of it additional skills. We also found that we already had track records in many sectors we now operate without really appreciating it.”

So after nearly a year in Oxford, is Paul happy with the progress made so far by the firm as a whole?

“We are delighted with the progress over the first year. As a growing firm, we were always going to have to expand into new geographical areas. We are very committed to Oxford in terms of our private client and commercial work and will continue to build our business through referrals and clients here.

“As a leading regional player in the legal services market, with offices along the M4 corridor from Bath to Swindon and then in to London, it was a natural move to open an office in Oxford. This was always a prime target area for Withy King, because of its demographics and commercial opportunities.

And now the successes of the rest of the firm can be introduced to reap rewards here in Oxford.”

www.withyking.co.uk

I have been involved in the racing industry for over 30 years and I regard Withy King as virtually “ unique in their expertise in all matters related to the Turf. I have also used them for other private and commercial matters, including estate planning and conveyancing, and have been able to recommend them to friends and business associates who in turn have thanked me for the service they provided.

”

Henry Ponsonby, Racehorse and Racing Syndicate Manager

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Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

effect in helping to develop the Commercial Property side of the business. With twenty one partners and fee earners just in the Commercial Property sector, Paul is confident the firm has the strength and depth to operate as a team and allocate the work to sector specialists if required to do so. “It’s not that we just like the thought of sectors, we actually do have the sector expertise and can justifiably call ourselves experts.

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B4 LEISURE

S PORTS BUSINESS A unique business concept, combined with a genuine interest in learning about client needs and preferences is what makes CSM the fast growing business it is today. B4’s Leila Siddiqi is introduced to the exciting world of business and sport sponsorship in her meeting with the directors of Crusader Sports Management (CSM), Piers Lawson and Charlie Allen. The former school mates, who rekindled their friendship four years ago whilst working on a similar project at British Horse Racing Board, tell Leila how the ‘partnership’ clicked there and then, so much so, that they formed CSM in October 2008.

“As a medium, sport has become more and more accepted as a way companies allocate marketing budgets to achieve a specific goal and we have been able to bring hands on experience to help our clients make sport work for them. Sport is at the core of what we do, but we believe there are lots of other ways in which companies can get a certain message across, such as through sponsorship of the arts, music and charity sectors.” Explains Piers Lawson.

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

”Last October, a client of mine, Ignis Asset Management, approached me and asked if I would be able to negotiate and seal the sponsorship of Middlesex County Cricket Club at Lord’s. I knew Charlie had the experience of working with the club and I called him and suggested we form a company to run this as a joint venture. Now that we are six months into the sponsorship, we have created very good relationships with clients as well as developed new ways in which we can enhance and promote Ignis’ association with Middlesex. We are now aiming to build our business working on more sponsorship contracts with other brands, companies, venues and teams.

“I personally have strong contacts within the world of investment management, having established my own event management business concentrating on the financial sector when I left the Army fifteen years ago. I was also an amateur jockey and so I am very familiar with the horse racing industry,” reveals Piers.

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“Piers has the expertise in fund management and my expertise lies in private equity”, continues Charlie, ”venture capital and the professional service providers who work with these areas, such as lawyers, accountants and financiers. I started out in advertising sales for The Daily Telegraph before heading up their sports promotions team which ran the successful Fantasy Football and Cricket competitions. From The Telegraph I was headhunted to run the marketing team at The Daily Express. Piers and I have pooled our business interests and skills as we believe we have a recipe that is incredibly potent. We are very interested in appealing to a wider business audience in the Oxfordshire, M40, A34 and M4 corridors as to date we have been fairly London centric.”

Charlie’s experience as Commercial Manager at the Rugby Football Union in Twickenham, between 2001 and 2005, gave him exposure to the corporate market place which was interested in using sport as a medium to either promote their brand, to acquire customers or to position themselves differently against their own competition. But, as Charlie explains, their industry is still relatively new.

“Sponsorship has advanced as an industry in parallel with the growth of television. Over the last forty to fifty years there has been a fragmentation of channels leading to many new opportunities being created. A big mistake is to assume that companies are only interested in football, rugby or

cricket, three of our major sports, when actually there are a multitude of different opportunities out there, and we believe we can give solid guidance in these areas”.

Having recently returned from a trip to look after clients attending British Lions matches in South Africa, Charlie is excited about how the 2010 Football World Cup, aslo taking place in South Africa, will provide some great business opportunities and continue to fuel the growth in the business. Beyond the football and rugby World Cups, it is impossible to ignore the scale of the London Olympics.

The 2012 Olympics have an important role to play in the future plans for the company, as Piers explains. “We are already involved in the Olympics in terms of helping companies and individuals plan their own experiences as to how they would like to view the Olympics. We are in consultation currently with certain sports about how to make the most of this huge opportunity.”

With their contagious enthusiasm and excellent business acumen, CSM are sure to provide your business with a sporting chance to achieve your goals via sport or entertainment.

www.csmltd.org

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RED LETTER

HAZE

Paul Avins, a frequent contributor to B4 Magazine, recently welcomed Rachel Elnaugh, the founder of Red Letter Days and former Dragon from the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, to speak at his fantastically successful open day in Bicester.

Providing over one hundred fascinated delegates with an insight into the boom and bust of her pioneering business, Rachel found time to speak to B4’s Richard Rosser about her business experiences, Dragon’s Den and her views on the recession.

Photography: www.oxfordeventsphotography.co.uk

In your excellent book ‘Business Nightmares’, in which you interview some high profile entrepreneurs about their business experiences, the entrepreneurs almost insist that every successful entrepreneur must have failed in order to succeed. This could be quite de-motivating for someone about to start out on the entrepreneurial road. Does failure mean downright disaster or can it be just a mild cock up? I would hate to think that any successful business is just waiting for that day to come before it can make some serious money.

It really depends. Failure is not black or white. There are different degrees of failure. You could say applying to a bank for an overdraft and not getting it is a failure. It is all about different degrees of failure. One of the key things that I learnt was to keep my options open – if one thing didn’t work out, I always had a ‘Plan B’. Every business is constantly facing challenges; any entrepreneur will tell you that and so it is never just plain sailing. You are constantly struggling with issues, whether it is under trading or overtrading, or whether the bank folds in your overdraft or the economy falters.

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There are limitless challenges facing business daily and these have to be overcome if you want your business to be successful.

sit in that room and listen to me. That’s why I am paid well for that hour, because my client is using me to probably make more!

You have made a successful business out of what, unfortunately, was the demise of Red Letter Days. In your book, you admit that you can now earn more from thirty minutes work than you did in a year when you were starting out. Are some rewards for work disproportionate or do you believe that there is an element of Karma in what you can now command for a brief talk?

The question that most businesses ask me when they approach me to consult for them is ‘how many days are you going to spend on my business?’, thus implying, ‘how much are you going to cost me?’ That’s not the right question – they should be asking me how much value I am going to add. It really is a completely different set of values. An employee will get very hung up on how many hours they have had to do, not necessarily on how much value they have added. You wouldn’t necessarily expect an employee to do a deal for a million pounds in an hour – would they settle for an annual salary then? Hardly. But if the business owner completes such a deal, it would be fair to say that they have earned it, not just through the hour or so presentation that sealed it, but through the blood, sweat and tears and emotional investment into the product which helped bring about the one million deal.

I think you make a very interesting point. When you are an employee, you are valued in terms of time; so you get so much per hour or so much per month or so much per year, in other words your salary. But I think you reach a point in life, if you have achieved a certain level of reputation or experience, where, actually, you are paid for the value you give, which is a very different proposition. I have a client who puts me on stage for half an hour; the value in that for them is that they will get one hundred and fifty people to pay to

In the same way, I wouldn’t be able to give the www.b4-business.com

B4 NETWORK thirty minute speech I do had I not been through the business experiences that I have had.

everyone involved are the best way to go in business.

wanted to do. It really was the best thing I could have done.

Do you look on at the new Red Letter Days with some envy, particularly as two of your former Dragon’s Den colleagues have taken over the reins?

What are the key ingredients for a successful business idea, not necessarily making it a successful business?

It helps to illustrate that far too many entrepreneurs spend too much time on unrelated ideas which detract from their main targets. Focus is key in business and if lose focus, your whole strategy is in danger of failing. ‘Spreading yourself too thin’ is a common pitfall, but focus and concentration on where you add value is crucial to your success.

If it had been a roaring success then perhaps I would, but since they took it over, Red Letter Days has generated losses of ten million pounds - had it made ten million profit, I might have been a bit bitter! I know I could have made investors in Red Letter Days a great return on their money, but the administration process in this country tends to dampen down the appeal of a business and stifle better alternatives.

When filming Dragon’s Den, what was the worst experience you witnessed – a terrible presentation, a mishap or a real grilling by a Dragon, for example?

There were plenty of incidents like that, particularly in the first series, which were edited out. I found an ally in Simon Woodroffe, and we tended to

come to the rescue of struggling ‘pitchers’ who were getting viciously mauled by some of the more unrelenting Dragons. This backfired as we were not seen as particularly ‘Dragon-esque’.

I am still a firm believer that shows like Dragons Den and The Apprentice send out the wrong signals. I work almost exclusively in the small business sector, and I realize how damaging these shows can be. They are sending out the message that you almost have to be ruthless and cutting to get ahead in business, whereas I know you can be just as successful by being a good guy.

The reality of business is that it is becoming increasingly collaborative, there is a huge amount of support for business and businesses that are fair and decent to their customers. These businesses tend to get on better than those that are ruthless and cut-throat. I think things are changing and it is a shame that the show is still stuck in that nineteen eighties “greed is good”, ruthless stereotype.

You want long-term relationships not ‘one night stands’ and so partnerships that deliver value for www.b4-business.com

First and foremost there has to be a customer need for the product. The product also needs to have that WOW factor which makes it stand out. The one thing that most entrepreneurs underestimate is just how difficult it is to market a product - most of them just have a shoestring budget. Your product can’t be just ten or twenty percent better than anything else out there…..it needs to be two hundred percent better in some way so that it really makes people stop and say ‘Wow! That’s brilliant – I must have it!’ You then need the viral element, the ‘must have’ factor which can catch out even the best prepared entrepreneur.

Do you find it hard to suppress ideas for new businesses, or are you happy in your new role as a business coach, speaker and author? Surely you must get tempted to ‘run off’ with a great idea?

That’s an interesting question because, certainly after Red Letter Days crashed, I was deluged with offers and opportunities and all manner of people wanted me to get involved in all sorts of businesses. A turning point for me came when I read Napoleon Hill’s book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ in 2006 and I created my definite ‘Chief Aims Statement’.

I sat down and planned what I was going to do, what made me tick and what made me happy. I had to really question where my strengths were and where I could add value in whatever I chose to do. After I had written my statement, I realised it would form the core of my business. From that point on, it made decision making very easy. If an opportunity fell into line with my statement, I would consider it, but if it didn’t, I rejected it.

After a while, by working on ideas and businesses which had my Chief Aims Statement as their common denominator, I had this great tidal wave of people and ideas all slotting into place and working in tune with each other, all because I had taken the trouble to question myself and what I

At a time when many businesses are feeling pressure from factors outside of their control, what are your views on the recession?

I am not convinced it is a recession. I honestly believe that we are going through a massive period of change. In my opinion, old style capitalism is dying and the establishment is desperately trying to preserve old style capitalism at all costs. But, at the other end of the spectrum, you have got a huge energy which is pulling away from old style capitalism towards a much more collaborative and socially responsible way of running the world. And it is not a world which is chasing profit.

I feel that it is the tension between those two polarities which is causing the current problems and I think this struggle will carry on for some time.

Old style capitalism will eventually break down, but not without a fight.

This is why we are seeing the banks falling, the big companies are starting to fold and scandals in the form of MP’s expenses are leaking out. It feels like the old order is being broken down, slowly but surely, and that will make way for a new way of existence which is not just about money; and that has to be a good thing. Social entrepreneurship is on the rise; it is not a niche thing anymore. Every new business or entrepreneur that I meet has a social element to their way of working and it is wonderful to see that. It delivers value all the way along the chain to everyone involved.

Everything is so transparent; everyone is a journalist, everyone can write a blog. You cannot get away with much anymore! www.rachelelnaugh.co.uk www.oxfordwealthclub.co.uk 43

THE ART OF IDENTITY Sophie Egleton, Gallery manager of the 03 Art Gallery, extends a warm invitation to B4 readers to discover and enjoy the unique talents of local Oxfordshire artists. An Art History graduate from the University of Warwick, Sophie had the incredible opportunity to spend a year in Venice during her degree and completed an Arts and Cultural Management course upon her return to the UK. She worked as an Exhibitions Co-Ordinator at the Oxmarket Centre of Arts before she joined the 03 Gallery in 2007 as a Gallery Manager. Sophie’s previous sales and marketing experience coupled with her artistic eye, have resulted in the O3 Art Gallery fast becoming one of Oxford’s most talked about art galleries. Leila Siddiqi met up with Sophie to find out more about the plans she has for this charming gallery.

Oxford Castle was looking its very best on a glorious, sunny Saturday morning with dozens of well dressed visitors milling about and enjoying breakfast with family and friends outside Carluccios Café in the Castle Square, amidst exotic stalls selling an array of jewellery and arts and crafts gifts. A musician was playing cheerful tunes in the background, adding to the festive atmosphere. Over a delicious cup of hot chocolate, I ask Sophie about the goals and objectives of the O3 Gallery.

work to writing press releases. We are here to help upcoming artists launch their career.

Sometimes I will approach artists if I believe their work will display well at the gallery, but on other occasions, artists might send us applications with examples of their work.

“We offer something special; not just an art gallery but the whole Castle complex. We want to promote the entire area as a cultural destination; ultimately as a cultural hub in Oxford rather than just a collaboration of restaurants. We are friendly, welcoming and would like people to feel free to browse and see what sort of art is being created on their doorstep.

One of the unique qualities of the gallery is its interior, as Sophie illustrates. “It is incredibly unusual, being circular with grey old prison walls on two half levels. Artists need to take the feel and look of the gallery into account when they approach us, as some work just won’t display well. We have a wide range of art in the gallery, but I particularly like strong, evocative photography which I firmly believe should be accepted as a valid art form.

“The O3 Gallery is owned by Trevor Osborne and was set up by OVADA. A year after its opening it

“An exhibition can take up to six months to prepare for. Artists are welcome to come and promote their work whilst engaging with the public. Previews and open evenings prior to the exhibition work very well. “

the close link to Trevor Osborne enables her to use the site for the gallery’s distinct advantage. If you like, the site is Sophie’s blank canvas. “We have a great site and want to use that to our advantage,” admits Sophie. “A lot of effort is being put into reaching this goal. Various events such as the Oxford Castle Art Competition, Opera Anywhere and collaborations with art societies to do group shows such as the Oxford Printmakers Co-Operative at Christmas, are being held in order to increase awareness about the gallery.”

The venue is also available to hire for corporate events. Additionally, O3 has also become a major sponsor for the Artists and Illustrators magazine which has Sophie as one of the judges on their panel.

I was interested to know what, in Sophie’s opinion, qualified art as ‘good art’. “Good art can be beautiful to look at, but should be considered.

It should have a message, something to say or make a statement. As well as contemporary art, I love Renaissance and Italian art, probably due to

“Most of the art we sell is in the affordable price bracket, not silly numbers” needed a gallery manager who could take what was then a little known gallery and raise its profile in Oxford and beyond.

“The gallery provides local artists with a city centre space to display their work. We create the entire package for the artist, from hanging their

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“Due to the restriction on space, we have to stay clear of sculpture, but we have started to look into creating outdoor events so that we can offer our visitors a variety of artwork.”

Sophie is quite obviously proud to be a fundamental part of the Castle development, and

the time I have spent in Venice. I am also very interested in sculpture and like the idea of art in public spaces where it is accessible to everyone.”

Sophie has some particular favourites who have exhibited at O3. “Jim Le Fevre presented an animation piece consisting of a journey beginning

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B4 LEISURE from the Oxford Central Library ending at the gallery. Melissa Sturgeon’s work was also excellent and sold particularly well. She presented unique paintings, mainly café images of different parts of Paris and Spain. Tom Green’s installation last year worked well also.”

The very nature of art would, in my humble opinion, place it at odds with a commercial world.

I ask Sophie if the actual transactional side of selling art is something which she enjoys?

“Sometimes people need some persuasive pushing and I have to admit that that is the part of the job I like least. Art should be able to sell itself.

We don’t display the work of artists who have an international reputation – that sort of work tends to walk out of the door. The art we display needs to be given background and customers like to know more about the artists, their inspiration and how long a certain piece took them to create.

“We offer something special; not just an art gallery” “Most of the art we sell is in the ‘affordable’ price bracket, not silly numbers, so we do attract a cross-section of enthusiasts and casual collectors.

Some customers are very knowledgeable but, equally, we will have visitors who just want to buy an attractive decoration piece for their home. We also get our fair share of tourists, due to our location.”

One thing which Sophie doesn’t lack is her almost contagious enthusiasm. With her drive and passion to make her vision for the site as a cultural focal point a reality, there is no doubt that the O3 Gallery will continue to thrive and flourish and ensure that Oxford Castle’s profile is a major beneficiary. www.o3gallery.co.uk

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Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

Sophie’s future plans include helping Castle Manager, Jean-Pierre Morilleau (the feature of an interview in B4 Issue 11), to create various cultural events around the site and working with Oxford Castle Unlocked to integrate their audience. “I would also like to ultimately extend the gallery’s remit to feature more regional artists. We have also worked hard to raise our profile through direct mailings and Blink Design recently revamped our website and have provided me with an excellent e-Newsletter facility so that I can stay in touch with my client base efficiently and cost effectively.”

FUTURES MARKET The Covered Market in Oxford is no stranger to the local press. Rent reviews, Sunday trading, Christmas lights are all familiar issues facing the Market and its independent traders. As the new Chairman of the Covered Market Traders’ Association (CMTA), Chris Farren (who is also the owner of The Cake Shop), talks to Richard Rosser about his vision for the future of The Covered Market, and laying the ghost of the past to rest, once and for all.

As an extremely calm and considered individual, Chris will undoubtedly encounter circumstances in his tenure as Chairman of the CMTA which will test his tolerance levels to the max. With relations between the City Council and the CMTA dipping during the last rent negotiations, Chris is thinking beyond damage limitation to bridge building, and acknowledging that everyone has a job to do.

“I am trying to instill a much improved working relationship with the Council. The confrontational style which both sides have adopted historically has to change. We have to at least try to build some bridges.

I recognise that they have their job to do and understand the pressures they are under. We have had several meetings with them and I made it quite clear that I am of the opinion that we have to compromise with each other if we are to move forward. There is no doubt that the Council have their issues with The Covered Market, and it is well documented that we have never been totally in sync with the Council.

“I can’t see why we can’t at least listen to what each of us has to say and see if we can make progress on an amicable basis.”

The CMTA was formed thirty years ago, primarily as a single go between for the Council and the traders. It is also tasked with the role of promoting the market and has also traditionally been the body which negotiates rent, but as Chris recounts, “The last two rent reviews were not negotiated. We were presented with the increases on the bases that we either accept them or go to court, and on both occasions, we have been to court.”

And the result of expensive court action? “It’s difficult to say. We reached a compromise, eventually, after significant costs on both sides. I am fairly resigned to this being the way we will operate in the future - the modern way of negotiating rent appears to involve solicitors and courts. But I really do want to work with the Council and welcome a working relationship which tries to benefit us both, rather than work against each other almost for the sake of it.

Given the complex nature of The Covered Market, there are most probably countless ways of deciding how rent increases should be apportioned, and that is part of the problem. Should it be based on square footage, whether the premises have windows, if so, how many…..

Welcome to Chris’s world! It is an unenviable position he finds himself in.

Photography: Mark Burnett

“We mustn’t forget that the Public Sector is also coming under increasing financial pressure. I have to factor this in to the overall equation and ask myself how I can get the best out of this relationship for the other traders and how we can make The Covered Market a better place for residents and locals to visit. We have got to think laterally.

“At the moment, we have a serious problem involving the Christmas lights.

We are currently looking at a bill in excess of ten thousand pounds, almost half of which is for the labour involved in putting the up and taking them down. We are asking the Council to consider using their staff for this element of the job, which would save us considerably. This is a thread which we can expand to other areas. For example, we know the budget for the market every year and I want to have some influence as to how this is spent.

“We have got to make sure that they do not spend the budget ineffectively. The concern is that the City Council spend the budget on work which should really come out of general maintenance, and then we further erode the budget which could be used to radically improve the Market.”

Chris is trying to get funds set aside for a fresh lick of paint for the Market, repairs to the roof, refurbishment of the gentleman’s toilets, and even a tannoy system to play Christmas songs, but it is perhaps the wider promotion of The Market which is Chris’s long term aim. There will undoubtedly be more times Chris is trying to appease the minority rather than bask in the reflected glory of the majority, but it is a role he has embraced and wants to use as a platform to really transform the fortunes of what should be a fantastic attraction for Oxford.

“Everything we do in our promotion is centred around the independent traders. We have fifty independent traders in the Market, whereas in the vast majority of towns and cities in this country, independent traders have been driven out. Every high street is the same; filled with national names.

Here, we have fifty independent traders which is a major attraction in itself and it is a major benefit to the city. That is what makes this city different; so that is what we are trying to promote. I am trying to get the Council to agree with my view that this is a major tourist attraction. It should be a showpiece. It could be significantly more beneficial to the Council in financial terms if it were to be given some attention. Most cities have spent a lot of money on inside markets, and as a result, they are magnets for their cities – you only have to look to Covent Garden in London as an example.”

And although outgoing Chairman, Richard Alden, worked tirelessly for the benefit of his fellow traders, Chris Farren believes that now is the time to look to ensuring the long term survival of The Covered Market as a buoyant and thriving attraction.

www.oxford-covered-market.co.uk

“use it to attract more visitors to Oxford” 46

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B4 LEISURE

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B4 ADVICE

ART2MOTIVATE What do companies need to take advantage of the opportunities that are emerging in this new economic climate?

After the upheaval of the past year, many organisations will be operating with reduced headcount or perhaps will have merged with other companies. Far-sighted companies will now be looking to develop their people and teams to deliver more.

One corporate client explained the effectiveness of a recent team development day: a team of department heads, peers in a hard-pressed organisation, persuaded themselves that a day out of the maelstrom to concentrate on team working would be an excellent investment.

"We … discovered we were learning how we could work better together by using our combined talents all the way through a project, rather than just at the initiation stage as we had tended to do in the past; and all this through 90% playing with paint and 10% talking about it."

So what does paint have to do with this?

Peronel Barnes of Art2Motivate offers a way to shake up the established order and allow teams and individuals to develop new ways of working.

She uses art, specifically painting, to unlock

improving communication and strengthening teams in the workplace.

"Recognising the skill of using paint and the expression and release that gives, I thought why not mix the two, use the fun of paint, the excitement of the activity of painting, put that into business and see what happens," she said.

"You see the cross section of the people who are normally in charge, normally leading, and they have to possibly take a different role, perhaps someone else is in the lead role because they're not sure what to do with this … 'painty stuff'.

“There's more to the concept than just seeing people in teams swap roles. Relationships between colour and team roles begin to appear too.

"A team is made up of individuals and if we translate that into colour, you can see people as different colours," said Peronel. "If you put all those colours together as individual blobs, like a Seurat, a pointillist painting, you get a very different picture than if you mix all those colours together.

"Lots of primary colours mixed together make a

situation.

"The team development, the group expression, the fun and the enlightenment that people are getting when they're in one of these workshops, it's not something you can put a value on."

Of course there are other team activities that can be undertaken to refocus or reinforce teams but Art2Motivate has two practical benefits to offer. The first is that the sessions aren’t as expensive as a day out in the woods building rafts and bridges.

The second is that there are fewer possibilities for injury and liability issues arising.

As Peronel said, "the worst that can happen is that someone eats the paint, and that's unlikely to harm them anyway.

"In one course I had all these booted and suited city gentleman, white shirts and gold cuff-links’, she said, "and their first response was 'no, I don’t think this is for us!'".

"But I encouraged them to roll their sleeves up, don an apron and get painting. The outcome, the gains

“The worst that can happen is that someone eats the paint ” dormant creativity and for companies' employees to work together in new ways.

grey sludge rather than a good clean colour, and we want the painting that emerges from the fusion of the individual blobs, not the grey."

Companies both large and small have taken advantage of this service. The one-day course takes employees away from the pressures of work to explore their creativity, improve team working and productivity. Employees learn about their own strengths and weaknesses and see those of their colleagues as well.

It's not surprising that the companies that have taken Peronel up on these workshops tend to be those with vision. She is very much a 'glass half-full' personality and knows that many companies will be regrouping and looking to take opportunities, even in a recession.

In a recent radio interview Peronel, an artist with a business development background, explained the reasoning behind Art2Motivate. Talking to Jo Thoenes on Radio Oxford in April, Peronel told how she had created this unique offering, aimed at

"Those companies that recognise they have exceedingly good teams, but have potential that isn’t being used are willing to take a risk," she said.

"And any type of team building activity involves an element of working in a different environment or

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and the learning that they got out of it, meant that they became raving fans."

The finished artwork is a constant reminder, a hook to hang their learning on, a little like a mnemonic.

"Of the major corporates and charities that I've worked with, they've all ended up framing their piece of work and hanging it either in an office lobby or an entrance", said Peronel. "So there is an element of great pride, especially if they're not confident painters, that yes, this is something we've produced together."

Find out more from the Art2Motivate website: www.Art2Motivate.com

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CAVEAT EMPTOR

Beware of all the offers the High Street shops are making right now. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Tony Haines, partner of local accountancy firm, Wenn Townsend, meets B4’s Lucy Howard and warns all buyers to beware.

In the current climate there are many fantastic offers to be had, or so it would seem. Supermarkets are full of special offers, and have been for quite some time, including the ubiquitous buy one, get one free, offer.

I was amazed to find in my local supermarket what looked, at first glance, like a ridiculously generous offer. A well-known brand of biscuits was labelled ‘100% free’. But of course they weren’t. Each wrapped packet actually contained two standard-sized packets. Conflicting messages. Conflicting meanings. Result? Customer dissatisfaction.

On the same day, I thought I would treat myself to an Indian takeaway at my local restaurant. After all, it was a Friday and the restaurant had a tempting special offer which I had taken advantage of recently. As I walked through the door, I passed the hand-painted sign boldly proclaiming 30% off all food. After ordering, I reached inside my wallet for a £20 note, happy in the knowledge that this would easily cover the order, only to be told the price of the meal was somewhat more than the amount proffered. “Have you taken the discount off?” I asked. “The discount doesn’t apply on a weekend”, was the reply. I left it at that and went home. I have not been back since. What’s worse, the

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offending sign remained up throughout that weekend and subsequent weekends. No different to the widely reported incident recently when a family holidaying abroad ventured into a reasonably priced restaurant, only to be hit by a massive bill when they left. Questioning the owner, the father said the prices on the bill didn’t reflect the prices on the menu outside the restaurant.

‘The prices have changed sir’, replied the owner. ‘During the meal?’, replied the astonished parent. ‘Yes!’ Another example relates to a different local business, this time a furniture shop.

‘Closing Down Sale’, said the luminous orange sign. I popped in thinking I might find a bargain. You never know. After a while I thought the prices could hardly be described as fire sale prices. I decided that I would return nearer the closing date and asked the assistant, who turned out to be the owner, when the shop was finally closing for business. “We’re not. What makes you think that?”, she said. I pointed to the posters in the window and inside the shop. “Oh those”, she laughed. “We have a closing down sale two or three times a year”.

It doesn’t exactly breed confidence in the shop, does it?

The point of this article is not to have a rant. The point is to make business

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B4 ADVICE

owners think about delivering on their promises. It’s about customer service.

We all know, in most cases, that there is plenty of competition for customers.

Once a customer has had a bad experience, they are more inclined to talk about it to others: four or five times more likely than if they have had a satisfactory experience.

Staff members at any business need to be made aware of the importance of keeping existing customers happy. In the case of the restaurant, the sign should have been removed and I ought to have been treated slightly less dismissively, but then that’s just my opinion.

The ongoing cost of losing a repeat customer over any period of time, until they decide to use that business again, or losing them altogether, is difficult to calculate. However, the one thing on which we can all agree, is that it cannot do the business any favours.

As a firm of accountants, we do our utmost to ensure our clients are satisfied with the level of service that they receive. Perhaps you could take a minute or two to answer the following questions:

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1. Do you feel that your accountant is proactive?

2. Are sensible fees agreed in advance and adhered to?

3. Are all promises and deadlines made and kept?

4. Is your accountant easily contactable and are responses prompt and timely?

5. Do you get a service that goes beyond mere compliance and filing?

6. Are you with the right advisor?

Remember, it is your business! We know how important it is to you, and to us, come to think of it. A good business, which takes into account its customers’ needs and doesn’t mislead them, means satisfied customers. Which means repeat customers. Which means potential new customers. Which means continued success of the business. It’s a win-win situation all round. Don’t take the short cut – it doesn’t work anymore, especially in this climate.

Now, where’s that free packet of biscuits…..?

www.wenntownsend.co.uk

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As a provider of creative marketing services, Torpedo specialises in creating effective brand communications and integrated marketing campaigns. “We provide our clients with great creative ideas and help them to implement their marketing on a daily basis. Our job is to

thinking, “It gives everyone the confidence to speak up and voice their opinions when we have a challenge placed in front of us. We are not pigeon-holed, and that means we are all hungry to put our opinions forward. But rather than long drawn-out brainstorming sessions we use multiple short

“We have the experience to make a real positive difference to the companies we work with” help our clients sell more by raising their profile within the market they operate in, retaining existing customers and helping to identify and acquire new customers.”

think-tanks with the whole team. We find this approach of quick, high energy sessions is a much more productive use of time, that generates better results”.

“What makes a difference to our clients is our ability to engage their target audience and get their brands to stand out in a way which is credible, memorable and consistent.

We like to generate new ways of thinking in terms of how we can approach a company’s marketing”. And according to Iain, creativity can manifest itself in many different ways. “It doesn’t always just mean visual design, but also applies to strategy and thought processes to find the most effective marketing channels to reach customers and make budgets go further.”

The team is multi-talented, there is no doubt about that. With in-house creative designers and web developers teamed with experienced project managers, Torpedo can manage any size of marketing, branding, design or website project.

Recruitment specialists, Allen Associates is the perfect example of one local client that has benefited from Torpedo’s creative minds. The ‘Recruitalicious’ campaign has been prominent on the sides of taxis, bus shelters, on the radio and in advertisements (see page18) and demonstrates how Torpedo is adept at developing integrated campaigns across all types of media.

So how did it all begin? Iain had been working in marketing and design for many years and launched Torpedo as a one man band with the aim from the start to build a larger agency capable of delivering a full marketing service. “We have always recruited with a lot of thought, taking on experienced people with a real drive to help develop the business and the right combination of skills that could provide a stimulant to the existing skills we had. We are now at the stage where the business has overlapping areas of expertise, where one person has a clear skill in a particular area, but they are also comfortable in another.”

And when it comes to the creative side of the business, this layered company structure is a potent cocktail for lateral

“We have a completely different team structure that avoids the problems of traditional marketing agencies and we know this is something our clients like. The direct access to a small team where they get to know the people is a big benefit.

Our clients know we have their best interests at heart and that if there is ever a problem, we will get to the bottom of it, not sweep it under the carpet.”

Torpedo’s client portfolio includes large companies such as Novartis Vaccines, Pentax, Autodesk, Transport for London and Vodafone, as well as respected locally based organisations such as Lucy Properties, Genzyme, The Oxford Radcliffe Trust, Oxford Inspires and Helen & Douglas House.

Iain is keen to work with more local businesses. “We have the experience to make a real positive difference to the companies we work with and we like to work with local companies. Our aim isn’t to drain the marketing budget in one hit, but to create sustainable marketing communications and build long-term client relationships.”

Torpedo isn’t stopping at creative marketing. It is continually thinking about how to enhance the services it provides to its clients, and this was borne out with the launch of Lingo Telemarketing in 2008. Nearly nine months on and Lingo is growing rapidly and producing excellent results for its clients.

“We wouldn’t have set Lingo up if we did not believe in the power of professional telemarketing for generating new

THE IDEAS FACTORY

Over the past six years, Iain Lewis, Managing Director of Cassington based creative agency, Torpedo, has been quietly assembling a team capable of fulfilling the marketing, design and website requirements of companies both large and small. With clients ranging from Allen Associates locally to Adobe nationally, Iain has established Torpedo as an agency with a great track record, an impressive client portfolio and, above all, a willingness to dig deep and provide their clients with a service where the ‘creative spark’ never goes out. B4’s Richard Rosser caught up with Iain for a chat to find out where all the ideas come from.

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B4 MARKETING business” says Iain, “we have infused Lingo with the core values of Torpedo and achieved some incredible results for our clients. Business to business telemarketing when done correctly is an extremely effective way to identify qualified leads and opportunities.”

The methodical development of the business hasn’t stopped there. Iain is clear in his own mind

“The team is multi-talented, there is no doubt about that” where the business is going and doesn’t hesitate to respond when asked what else his business could provide to further add to its appeal, “PR – that would complete us. I have been looking for someone to bring in for some time now, but it has to be the right person who will not only add value to our range of services, but also complement our existing staff structure.”

The Torpedo team, although quite relaxed in appearance, is incredibly professional in the execution of the projects they work on. Iain stresses that their location in a converted barn is the ideal environment to feed his ideas factory, and it is also a stimulating environment for his clients who find it the perfect sanctuary to thrash out campaigns and find solutions. The staff are empowered to take responsibility, and this adds to the general motivation which is evident in the results. This is most certainly complemented by the relaxed and informal management structure where the team work hard together to get results.

All of the staff at Torpedo take pride in delivering a great job, and the mix of individuals has been purposefully assembled by someone who knows where his company is going, and how best to get there. Iain Lewis isn’t in a hurry, but he knows what he wants.

But my final question is the name, where did it come from? “It just felt right”, says Iain, “we wanted something that would stand out and be memorable and, although we have been tempted to run our own marketing campaign with headlines like ‘WE WILL BLOW YOUR COMPETITION OUT OF THE WATER’, we prefer the softly, softly approach.”

Apparently there are some downsides though with regular emails from overseas defense contractors wanting to buy replacement Torpedo parts. Who knows, maybe there’s another business opportunity there for Torpedo! www.torpedogroup.com

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B4 PROPERTY

DOUBLING UP

B4 meet up with Henry and Sue Panton, of Panton Design in Woodstock, to discover that this talented, complementary duo, are looking to develop their mainly residential practice by flourishing in the commercial sector.

With architecture and property coursing through his veins (both of Henry’s uncles were Danish architects and his brother and late father were involved in the construction industry), it was difficult to avoid a career in a profession which provided the staple topic of conversation at the family dinner table, as Henry recalls.

“There were a multitude of architectural influences surrounding me as I grew up, and my brother followed in the same footsteps. I went to college with the intention to secure building qualifications and thereafter ended up working mainly in Oxford for two established practices.

“I was primarily involved in student accommodation and the refurbishment of some very significant historical buildings. It was inevitable that, working for the Oxford Colleges, our work would stray into the retail and commercial premises they owned. This included working on shop fronts in Oxford and setting up a temporary commercial kitchen in Lincoln College. The latter project involved the refurbishment of what were medieval kitchens, so we basically had to move the kitchens out en bloc and set up a temporary kitchen for the duration of the work. We had to work alongside English Heritage, The Oxford Preservation Trust and a team of archeologists.”

Henry’s early architectural experiences also encompassed residential work, mainly as a result of the work for the Colleges, including private work for academics, bursars, wardens and other College staff.

“This showed a level of trust in my colleagues and me and an appreciation for the standard and quality of the work we produced.”

But working for others was never Henry’s preferred long term career path, and as he entered his thirties, he began to take control of his own destiny. The relationships which Henry had struck up as an associate of other companies stood him in good stead when he eventually broke free to go it alone, and Panton Design was born.

The business underwent something of a professional makeover five years ago, including registering for VAT, securing its own corporate identity and generally sharpening up on its image. This was driven by 54

Henry’s wife, Sue, and together they form a formidable partnership with clear boundaries, as Sue emphasises.

“Even though little things like registering for VAT, which we would have had to have done anyway by virtue of turnover, seem irrelevant and rather petty to mention, these were the sorts of factors which helped take us from that ‘back bedroom’ image to an established architectural practice. We were able to break free from the odd job here and there which friends and contacts expected for free or at significantly reduced rates. It was a defining makeover which made us realise this was our business and that we had to start running it properly. Henry led the architectural side of the practice and I could focus on the administration and running the business. My experience in planning administration was vital as it enabled Henry to do what he does best.

“We were certainly taken more seriously. Prospective clients were looking at us more in a commercial sense. And the business has developed fantastically from there.”

“We were certainly taken more seriously” But now Henry and Sue have reached another crossroads where they want to expand their talents into more commercial work, although the residential side of the business will still continue to flourish, as Henry outlines.

“The residential work has continued to come in and we have never had cause to stop and change our plan for the next five years. But I think lots of businesses have looked at the direction they are heading since the economic climate took a turn for the worse, and we are no different. We have made a conscious decision to look towards the commercial world to develop our business further, whilst at the same time maintaining a firm grip on the residential side of things. My background has been commercial www.b4-business.com

And if this likeable partnership meet with similar success in the commercial world, as they have enjoyed to date in the residential sector, then they will have achieved a great deal. Public displays of promotion like these in B4 are not commonplace as Henry and Sue enjoy seemingly endless referrals from clients, often not being able to trace the source, or not daring to ask ‘Why us?’, as Henry recounts, “It is often quite bizarre that large scale projects come out of the blue, usually via e-mail, from blue chip clients basically just telling us to get on with it. Of course, I am happy to work for most people, but my style is more from a relationship building perspective. I do like to make sure that my clients are getting what they want, that their ‘mind plans’ have been properly thought through and that I will do them justice. And it is good to know who has recommended them, although if our name comes up at a dinner party as the practice responsible for someone’s house, it is not necessarily the case that a guest will tell his host that they are going to get in touch – some things are just logged and followed up on.

“Getting clients through word of mouth and purely on the quality of what we do, is what we want to maintain, but I see no reason why our expertise in the residential sector cannot be mirrored in the commercial world, perhaps in the commercial arenas of our existing residential customers.”

And that’s where Panton Design has come full circle, from previously working in the commercial sector for the Oxford Colleges and straying occasionally into the private residencies of academics, Henry is now looking to access commercial contracts through his residential customers.

Connecting with Henry and Sue Panton is an ‘all-in’ package. Henry likes to ‘become part of the family’ and the very nature of his clients normally leads down this path as he will spend as much time on a project with one half of a couple, as they will do with each other, as he explains, “For many of our clients, at least one partner works long hours, often in the city. They lead demanding professional lives and consequently an early trust in our relationship must be established, as it is difficult to keep a consistent dialogue with all members of the family.”

Sue interjects, “Henry is very hands on, and very intensely involved, from the point he meets a new client through to being on site with the contractors. His great relationship skills mean that he can work well with the client and the contractors, acting as a buffer between the two. He is the facilitator, the link, between the idea in the client’s mind and getting the contractors to do the work, his way.

And Henry isn’t frightened to tell a customer when something won’t work.

He has arrived at our meeting fresh from a planning application which has been turned down, against his advice that it had no chance of success.

Another project Henry is working on currently has turned out completely at odds to the original client idea, as Henry explains, “The client wanted to position a building in one place, but I brought certain factors to light which encouraged them to re-think and re-position. I would never bite my lip in such a situation and I think that by making my client see things from a different perspective breeds trust in me. This allows me to get on with a project, although I obviously maintain a dialogue with my clients throughout, to make sure that what we do is, in some cases, a compromise of their ideas and mine.

PANTON

DESIGN Panton Design is an architectural practice which combines sensitive, imaginative building and garden design with technical expertise and contract management skills, all tailored to suit client and project requirements.

Free initial consultation Discussion of the project, followed by detailed letter and fee quotation.

Building and Land Survey Detailed survey of the existing development site and buildings and production of drawn-to-scale survey plans and elevations.

Project Proposal Development of full project brief, preparation of outline scheme design and estimate of costs, application for Planning Permission/ Listed Building Consent.

Final Proposals / Production Information / Tender Documentation Finalisation of design proposals, preparation of construction information.

Application for statutory (Building Regulations) approvals and preparation of Tender Documentation.

Tender Action Identification of potential contractors.

Obtaining and appraising quotations.

Mobilisation Preparation of building contracts and appointment of contractors, issuing construction information and arranging site hand-over for commencement of work.

Construction to Practical Completion Administration of the building contract up to and including practical completion.

“Contractors also get on well with us because of the level of information that we provide in terms of design and construction. Our preliminary drawings are so detailed that it is hard for the contractors to step out of line. Working on a board with a pencil has now almost completely been replaced by computer software, however, if I need to stand back and look at a problem, the traditional way sometimes helps me to iron out some aspects of a complicated project.”

A dynamic duo in every sense of the word, Sue and Henry Panton provide the perfect architectural solution. Attention to detail, pride in their work and a sensible, practical approach to what will deliver the best results. Engaging with Panton Design is more than just an association, it is a partnership. www.b4-business.com

www.pantondesign.info 55

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

and residential, so it is not as if we are going into unchartered waters.”

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B4 HOME

A SOUND VISION “We have a true passion for music and sound quality and it is that passion which rubs off on our customers. We are doing what we do because we love it.” B4’s Leila Siddiqi enters the Aladdin’s Cave of Audio T in Headington.

The best indication of a successful retail chain in terms of excellent service and quality products is the rate at which their customers keep coming back, time and time again. Having been in business for over forty years, Audio T has secured its position as the most established and most successful Hi-Fi retailer in Britain, with over twenty three nationwide outlets. This impressive network has been bred on consistently excellent customer service, an innovative product range and competitive prices. On a busy Thursday afternoon, over a hot cup of tea, I met up with Special Product Manager, Dominic Wegerif to find out more about what makes Audio T the success it is today…

The company was formed in 1966 and merged with Audio Excellence and Practical Hi-Fi in September 2008 to form the Audio T Group. Audio T produces the Sound and Vision at Home consumer catalogue and runs the country’s largest Hi-Fi and Home Cinema Show: Sound and Vision, at Bristol, every year. “We also advertise in Hi-Fi magazines and run the Audio T website and Online Store,” adds Dominic. Audio T offers a wide variety of carefully chosen high quality hi fi and home cinema equipment to suit a variety of budgets, and promises excellent value for money. The entire philosophy is rooted in a genuine love for audio visual technology and bringing the right package to each and every customer, as Dominic explains.

“We believe in making customers for life and pride www.b4-business.com

ourselves on our strong customer relationships, some of whom have been coming to us for over thity years. We are satisfied as long as they are happy,” reveals Dominic, “We design, specialise, retail and install audio visual systems to all price levels and appreciate the fact that everyone has a different budget and taste. We are flexible in our approach and will happily match prices from our competitors if these lower prices can be verified.”

“We believe in making customers for life” If you can include Noel Gallagher, Elton John, SuperGrass and Jay Kay from Jamiroquai in addition to non musical customers such as Jamie Oliver, Rowan Atkinson and Sir Roger Bannister, then it’s fair to say you know what you are doing.

“Multi room audio systems in houses are a big, expanding sector for our industry,” says Dominic, “These modern systems allow you to play music in any part of the house from your PC, network attached storage device, Internet radio stations and popular online music services such as Napster. We offer expert advice, a three year guarantee and custom installation of multi room audio systems

and home cinema as per our customers’ requirements. Our highly trained staff encourage customers to make use of the demonstration facilities where they have the opportunity to view and listen to the various components available and make the best decisions regarding their purchase.”

According to Audio T, now is a good time to invest in a home cinema system as technology has matured and some prices, particularly LCD and Plasma panels, have fallen substantially. The world renowned brands Audio T stock include Naim Audio, Arcam, Dynaudio, B&W, Bose and Yamaha.

Also available are accessories designed to enhance the performance of your system such as equipment furniture and stands, high quality cables and IPOD speaker systems from the likes of Spectral, Chord Company and Bose.

From the latest High definition Blu Ray players to music streaming systems, Audio T take home entertainment to another level. Whether you are thinking of investing in a new home entertainment system or would simply like to see the latest products to hit the market, Audio T are well worth a visit. You will leave knowing that you have experienced equipment and service to match the very best!

www.audio-t.co.uk 57

THE

SPECIALISTS

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

This May saw Graham Henley take over as managing partner at Oxford-based accountancy and business advisory practice Shaw Gibbs. Having already been a partner for more than 23 years and, with such a tremendous amount of knowledge and the ‘inside track’ on what makes the team tick, how are his plans for the future shaping up?

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B4 ADVICE

“Our business is based around specialisms because we believe that’s the best way to give clients the solutions they need” “Our goal is to be seen as a leading modern accountancy and business advisory practice for successful individuals, and owner managers or entrepreneurs of growing businesses across Oxfordshire,” said Graham. “The key to achieving that is going to be our range of specialist services and the personal relationships we have with our clients.

“We have a great practice with excellent specialist skills and knowledge, but what really makes a difference is our people. We employ some talented individuals and we really get to know our clients, which enables us to deliver effective services.

The ‘human touch’ is extremely important to us, we take time to understand our clients and their business. That’s what sets us apart.”

It’s just over two years since Shaw & Company merged with Edmund Gibbs, bringing together two of the longest-established accountancy practices in the county. Since then, the wealth of skills brought to the table from both sides has served to really strengthen the firm’s offering.

Today, Shaw Gibbs employs 15 partners and around 60 staff, providing a range of services across both the corporate and personal accountancy arenas, including audit, accounts, financial planning, personal & corporate tax, corporate finance, payroll, IT services, debt advice and insolvency.

It’s an all round approach which ensures both companies and individuals receive the advice they need at every stage from the person who is best able to provide it.

“At one time, going to an accountant meant you saw one person who dealt with all your financial issues, but that’s no longer the case – it has to be a team approach,” said Graham.

“Our business is based around specialisms because we believe that’s the best way to give clients the solutions they need. We have a lot of experts here and we’re very focused on continuing to develop and grow those skills so we can further expand the levels of service we provide.”

His mandate is for Shaw Gibbs to be seen as a strong, local business built on specialist knowledge

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and superior levels of personal service.

He sees the firm’s clients falling into three distinct categories: • entrepreneurs who want to develop and grow exciting new businesses • individuals or families who already run successful businesses and who need financial advice on managing their wealth at both corporate and personal levels • locally based subsidiary companies of international groups, who require audits and assistance with financial reporting In addition, the firm has developed specialisms in certain business sectors; charities, technology and publishing have all produced some healthy client gains in recent months.

A high proportion of clients have been on board for many years, underlining the fact that the firm is seen as a trusted adviser and long-term partner.

Among its many success stories has been Fresh Direct, the Bicester-based food service company which has seen its turnover rocket from around £6 million to £110 million in just eight years.

“Trusted adviser status is a big issue for us and that’s why client relationships and service levels are so important. Investing time and effort to develop personal relationships with our clients is critical; only by meeting with them regularly face-to-face and communicating with them at the right level to really understand their business, can we provide proactive advice,” added Graham.

Accessibility to key individuals is also important – Graham knows that when a client needs urgent advice, it’s not always practical to wait until the office doors open the next day, and he ensures one of the top team is always easy to contact.

He prides himself on introducing a “modern and informal approach” to a professional business environment and says his vision for the practice is to continue to invest in and expand the services it offers.

One of its strengths is the ability to help clients through the introduction of “robust and effective” tax structures, covering both personal and corporate tax – in other words helping businesses

and individuals to hold on to as much of their hard-earned profit as possible.

Within the next five years, he expects the firm to double in size – ambitious plans but ones which Graham believes are achievable and he, together with the team, is already looking at ways in which that may be delivered, through both acquisition and organic growth.

The firm is very much Oxford born and bred, with its headquarters in Summertown, but sees location as no barrier to where new clients may come from.

Shaw Gibbs also works in overseas markets and is a member of IGAF Worldwide, one of the largest and most well-respected accounting associations in the world, with a presence in more than 60 countries.

Graham is excited at the opportunities which lie ahead, believing that out of the current challenging economic times, companies can emerge stronger, leaner and fitter.

“The key focus will be on getting new clients through the door. We want to be seen as a one-stop shop for individuals, family owned SMEs and entrepreneurs, where people come to us for all their personal and business advice” he continued.

“Our aim is to provide a good, value for money, proactive and professional service and to build long-term relationships.”

True to his word that people are his priority, he is keen to develop and invest in the Shaw Gibbs team, seeing the need to identify, train and develop the partners of the future as one of the keys to success.

“Managing a business is like managing a football team. You need to know the strengths and weaknesses and develop the right mix and level of skills to succeed; that’s my goal,” he said.

For a man who prides himself on working hard and playing hard – the sporting analogy is one which looks to serve them well.

www.shawgibbs.com

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B4 HOME

DOUBLE GAZING

Oxford Double Glazing (ODG) is a firm which stands proud in Oxford. Proud of its product, proud of its service and proud of its attention to detail. With such a high level of passion put into a business which has been in existence since 1964, and is now in its third generation, if you ever needed an example of a business which had stood the test of time through sheer hard work, dedication and devotion, ODG is that firm. Alan Brunsdon talks to B4 about the secrets of his family business’s success.

‘Craftsmanship’, ‘attention to detail’, ‘low pressured sales’, ‘pride in work’. These aren’t phrases you would expect to hear your average double glazing firm use to describe their business – well, actually, you might, but you wouldn’t necessarily believe them.

ODG are an entirely different proposition. With a track record of impeccable service, excellent fitting and a first class product, ODG doesn’t need to prove itself. Considered a market leader at the top end of its field, ODG have won over a massive following of customers.

Having started the business in 1964, Alan and his father Jack, who were originally carpenters and joiners in the early 1960’s, launched a business which has not looked back since. Despite moving premises from Westgate to Osney Mead, and South Parade to their current (and Alan insists,

“We are not pushy sales people. We go to a site visit but will not give a quote until a day later. We tell the customer that we work in a considered way, looking at all of the options. We don’t like them to be rushed as this is often an important and significant purchase. Our products do not come cheap and this shouldn’t be an impulse purchase.

We certainly put the client at ease with our relaxed approach – they never feel pressurised.

“Our fitters are also very experienced. They work as we do – there is no rush to get the work done quickly. That laid back approach helps us create a bond with our customers, they feel comfortable with us and leave us to get the job done.

In terms of the product, as the ODG website says, “our product range is simply stunning – we believe that you will not find finer anywhere in the UK.”

manufacturing line in Poland and now one in Latvia, as Poland couldn’t keep up with the demand.

“Since Chris started the business, the leading national brands have followed suit – Chris certainly wetted their appetite and is regarded as a market leader.”

ODG has certainly earned its spurs, not bad for a company which was never given much of a chance when it started, as Alan recalls, “People said when we started that there wouldn’t be enough business out there. Well we are now on our second and sometimes third generation of windows with some customers, so I think we have dispelled that theory.

“We have also been through a few recessions and it is important to have an established company –

“Our product range is simply stunning” permanent location) Marston site in 2006, one thing that has stayed consistent is ODG’s outstanding reputation in an industry where it is easy to get tarred with the ‘cheap double-glazing salesman routine’ brush, which Alan knows all too well.

“Commission hungry, keen to make a quick sale and high pressure tactics are the antithesis to our way of working. We can only operate one way and it is a way which has proved the right way as the repeat custom and our order books prove. We have never been busier and that is testament to the levels of service and product which our customers, and we, expect. www.b4-business.com

Alan’s heart is in ODG’s timber products, although they also sell aluminium and PVC versions, but as Alan says, “There seems to be a strong trend towards timber products now, and this encouraged us to develop a timber system.”

Alan’s son, Chris, joined the company 15 years ago, but now runs his own concern, Timberwindows.com, which manufactures timber windows. “He risked literally everything, he was very brave, but the business has taken off out of all proportion. He has one hundred and twenty companies, of similar size and stature to Oxford Double Glazing, purchasing his products from him.

He has his own dedicated, quality controlled

we have so much respect and credibility out in the market and our customers trust us to do a first class job.”

With a full order book, which Alan puts down to homeowners staying put to improve their property instead of moving on, an impressive list of commercial customers including Local Authorities, The Oxford Diocese and Oxford Colleges, you wouldn’t bet against ODG still being here in another forty five years.

www.oxforddoubleglazing.com 61

ENGINEERS WITH VISION PART 1 – VOICE OVER IP We first encountered Nigel Pursall, a Director of Orange Stripe Telecommunications, in our focus on the sub-contractors working with Conference Centre Oxford (CCO). Here, Nigel opens the first in a four part series in which he offers his advice on the cost saving features and functionality of a modern telephone system, similar to which Orange Stripe has installed at CCO and a growing number of respected Oxfordshire businesses.

Over the years, in this fast paced industry, we have imparted some invaluable advice and knowledge to some of Oxfordshire’s leading business owners. The reason we have such good retention of client is simple, ‘think twice, get it right first time.’ In fact, ‘engineers with vision’ rather than ‘salesmen on commission’ would be very appropriate.

In part one of this four part, I want to highlight the topical subject and how good use of voice over IP technology can work well for your business. Not wanting to complicate things with the use of acronyms or buzz words, quite simply, voice over IP or VoIP is the transmission of a telephone conversation over a computer network.

We have recently completed the implementation of two virtually identical projects, both involving the installation of two Samsung telephone systems.

The first was in the centre of Oxford where two related businesses on the same site, each with its own telephone system, required linking together to create one large system. The second involved a Banbury office linking to an Edinburgh

We aren’t necessarily advocates of running voice over IP within the four walls of your office. You don’t need to start running your internal voice traffic across your data network, when you probably have a perfectly good outlet at your desk for connection of a digital handset. However, it’s a far cry from the old mechanical switching systems that I cut my teeth on as a raw apprentice. Whole rooms used to be taken up with floor standing internal exchanges which thankfully have now given way to a different kind of rack running complete voice & data systems.

We have almost fifteen years experience partnering Samsung Electronics for the supply of telephone systems from the early DCS in 1995, to the current What to Buy for Business award winning Samsung OfficeServ platform, with its common feature set across the size range and will provide any solution any business is ever likely to need.

We don’t use slow, clumsy modems to remotely access the systems we support, which when we did, often required a charge being levied. Instead,

“Voice over IP has largely been misunderstood” office to create one common system. Both utilised voice over IP technology to empower the networking ability of the Samsung OfficeServ, one over a local area network, the other via the internet.

Voice over IP has largely been misunderstood, as it has evolved throughout the last decade. When installed correctly, it can provide some real benefits to a business. Remote workers using IP phones appear to the outside world as if they are in the office, linking together separate office systems (worldwide as well) to create one large system and the use of a centralised operator to reduce costs. We have excellent case studies to demonstrate how this works, together with glowing customer testimonials to confirm the usefulness of this technology in the modern world.

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with a support agreement in place, we can quickly log-in to a system over broadband to effect changes without charging. This new method of ‘remote access’ can be replicated at the client premises for local administration of their own systems.

We want to show you how we can improve your telecommunications and would be happy to provide you with a free, no obligation, consultation to see where we can make a difference and start to make some significant savings to your line rental and call charges.

Look out for another ‘engineer’s vision…’ in the next issue of B4 Magazine, and see our contact details at the back of B4. www.orangestripe.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

B4 OFFICE

“We have excellent

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

case studies to demonstrate how this works”

www.b4-business.com

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“No, it wasn’t a difficult decision to come back, but it has been hard work. Yes, I knew how the Club was run on a day to day basis, but there were new challenges facing me when I returned, the biggest of which was the massive air of negativity surrounding everything. It didn’t help that the world economy was teetering on the brink of meltdown, so confidence was low, attendances were down, and results were poor.”

“This was something I had to work very hard at transforming, and the staff, both playing and non playing, were instrumental in turning the tide. As confidence returned to the Club, coinciding with better results, everything improved. The new manager, Chris Wilder, has been superb. We have worked well together.”

It was so hectic when Kelvin came in that he didn’t really think about how long he would be at the Club. He had his nose to the grindstone and wasn’t thinking about his long term position, just wanting to get the Club back on an even footing.

“My priorities were to see how we could increase income levels. The obvious way was putting more bums on seats. That would give us an immediate cash injection, and we had some success as results improved. We then looked at what deals we could do with our assets, the main problem being that we don’t have that many assets, so this was always going to be a challenge. We tidied up on housekeeping by chasing money we were owed,

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tried to sell boxes at cheaper rates for the remainder of the season and generally come up with some creative ideas to help market the Club.

“This has continued into the close season and we are now just 10% off our target for corporate sales, with still just over one month to go before the season starts. We have lost corporate boxholders due to the economic climate and so we have to be much more flexible when it comes to tailoring a package for a business, which has an interest in coming to the Club. We have to be realistic about

“There were new challenges facing me when I returned”

has really worked hard, which, Kelvin mentions, sums up the work ethic he has instilled at the Club.

“I think the ethos of the football club is now about hard work and dedication. This isn’t a football club which comes in at 9am and leaves on the dot at 5pm. Everyone has bought into that philosophy – if they want to make progress, they all have to do their bit to get us to the next level, and then they can share in the limelight when we get that break and make that step up.

“In terms of how far I think we can take this Club, we need to be a Football League Club first and foremost. The gulf between League One and Conference isn’t that big, so we need to be aiming to be a League One Club in five years time. Look at Exeter – having beaten us in the play-offs three years ago, they are now in League One, just two off the Premier.”

the product, but we are also confident that businesses can derive huge benefits from entertaining and networking at the Club. Some companies even share boxes, which is an obvious way to dilute the outlay.”

The hard work really starts now, with the administrative staff at its bare minimum at the Club and each member easily covering the workloads of four, the Club have to focus on generating revenue rather than cutting costs. This also means on the playing side, where much of United’s work has been done already, but has attracting players to Oxford United been difficult, given the cost of living in the area?

On the commercial side, David Jackson has come in and performed a similar role to Kelvin where he has steadied the commercial side of the Club, and

“I don’t think it should come into the equation. We should have enough players banging down the door to come and play here. Chris managed to

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B4 LEISURE

CLEAN SHEET Although Kelvin Thomas had ‘previous’ at Oxford United, this time, he was on his own. When he returned to Oxford United in November last year, having answered the call to come and turn the Club’s fortunes around, he jumped in feet first to reinvigorate a Club which had obviously entrenched itself deep in his heart. With business interests in the USA, what drives Kelvin Thomas in his quest to get Oxford United back on the Football League map? Richard Rosser meets the United Chairman to ask if it was hard to come back and where next for Oxford United?

“This is one of the biggest Clubs in the League and a beautiful part of the world. We have been very hard-nosed in our negotiations and have secured some of the best players in the League, but players and agents are still over-valuing themselves. They still see us as big payers, but Chris and I are shaking that perception off. We have done a lot of our business early and that is good, because clubs will get desperate and pay silly money as the season looms nearer. We have got great value for money.”

As each year goes by, the Club must feel it is increasingly outstaying its welcome outside of the Football League. So does this make it harder to get out? “Yes, there are some big clubs coming down, but, in a way that is a good thing, as it will take the spotlight off us. I think this is particularly true with reference to Luton. They are a bigger faller than we were, and it will be interesting to see how they cope, knowing some of the mistakes we made when we went down.”

The man responsible for getting the Club into The Football League, Chris Wilder, has impressed the Chairman. “He is honest, hard working, straight talking and massively into detail. He is results driven. I think he would make a great Chief

www.b4-business.com

Executive of a company. He has the right mentality. He is dedicated and a great man manager. The players understand him and he understands them. They respect him and want to play for him, and that’s half the battle. We have worked well together and made some steps in the right direction.”

was heavily linked to the Burton job, but I told him that he was better off staying here to help us move up, then his stock is even higher and he gets the chance to really better himself and move to a Championship Club. Even though Burton are a League higher than us, moving there wouldn’t have bettered him significantly.”

With pre season games against Glasgow Rangers (on a six day tour of Scotland), Championship new boys Peterborough and QPR, the new rich boys on the block, United will get an early indication whether or not they can take their excellent end of season form, which saw them miss the Play Offs by a whisker, into the new season.

So what is it that makes Kelvin Thomas rise to the challenge? Working in a financially challenging environment, with a team which is expected to be elsewhere and a bright young manager who has already attracted the attention of potential suitors, does he feel like he is taking two steps forward and three back sometimes? “I am committed to seeing this through and even if I am commuting back to Florida or in Oxford, my mind is always on the club.

I will be at every game I can be, but what’s more important is that everything is in place for there to be success on the pitch.”

“I’ve got a job to do and I intend to see it through”

So let’s keep our fingers crossed, get behind Chris and the team and push United into The Football League.

www.oufc.co.uk Unfortunately, success brings new problems. The spotlight turns to a club when it is doing well, and the big boys start to pick off bright prospects, and that means players and managers. “I am realistic that Chris won’t be here forever. Every young, ambitious manager wants to better himself. Chris

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

attract players to Halifax and, with the greatest respect to the Club and everyone connected with Halifax, it would be fair to say we should be attracting more players here.

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B4 ADVICE

IS THERE A LAWYER IN THE HOUSE? What would you do if you needed legal advice? Some families have a trusted lawyer that they turn to, but many don’t, even though they will have used a lawyer in the past - to buy their house for example. Recognising that there is an unfulfilled need, Oxford law firm Darbys have launched their revolutionary free legal support scheme for families, called PURPLE. We see here how it works in practice.

Imagine the Wilson family, who live in a village just outside Oxford.

Firstly, they had a problem with their neighbour whose use of his land was disrupting their peace and damaging the value of their house. They urgently needed legal advice.

If this was you, where would you turn?

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

A family in this situation would often have to get the Yellow Pages out and ring a law firm at random, or, walk into the offices of a law firm that they didn’t know. Some law firms give a free first interview, some don’t. Some law firms would give free advice over the phone, others ask you to make an appointment to go in and see them.

The Wilsons, though, had joined the revolutionary legal support scheme for families called PURPLE, operated by one of the largest law firms in the region, Darbys.

Once a family has joined – and thousands have – they can pick up the phone, without hesitation, and get their legal enquiry answered by one of their legal team – yes, they have a team of specialist www.b4-business.com

lawyers at their disposal – free of charge.

a specialist in motoring law.

On this occasion, they were put through to Nick Wright, Head of Litigation at Darbys, who gave them chapter and verse, for free.

Just as they were getting over the trauma of their son’s late-night dealings with the police, Mr. Wilson was informed by a colleague that because his house had gone up so much in value, he would end up giving half of his wealth to the tax man if he passed away. Fortunately, Mr. Wilson could again pick up the phone to the PURPLE helpline where he was given chapter and verse, free of charge, by Rachel Stafford, a specialist Wills lawyer.

Their troubles didn’t stop there though. Late one night their 19 year-old son was stopped for speeding in the family car. The police saw that the car was overloaded with his friends and there was a question mark over whether the son was insured to drive the car. At that time of night, what would you do?

“A lawyer that they would always turn to” Fortunately, as part of their PURPLE membership, the Wilsons had access to specialist lawyers via the 24/7 emergency helpline too, and again they received great advice, this time from Martin Bourne,

What would you have done when faced with the Wilsons’ problems and the many others that could crop up at any time? The strange thing is that most people have used lawyers, to buy their house for example, but most will also say that despite that, they do not actually have a lawyer that they would always turn to. PURPLE fills this gap.

The moral of the Wilsons’ story is - join PURPLE! You’ll never know when you’ll need it.

Having seen what happened to the Wilsons, would you be without your PURPLE card? Join today at www.purplelegal.co.uk.

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RIACH

ARCHITECTS Whenever a building appears in Oxford which is out of the ordinary, you notice. Having met the engaging Douglas Riach at his offices in Banbury Road, it is quite evident that a number of these buildings with real vision began their life in a two dimensional format under his experienced eye. Douglas Riach speaks to B4 about his ethos for design and designing for the future.

Approaching their twenty-fifth year in business, as one of Oxfordshire’s leading architectural practices, Riach Architects serves clients in Oxfordshire and further afield. Managing a wide range of projects, from individual and private commissions, through to negotiating a planning consent for a town centre redevelopment of the 6 acre Brewery site in central Mansfield, this is a practice which has a proven track record and experienced staff as standard.

Having grown up a farmer’s son in rural Aberdeenshire, Douglas Riach is as mild mannered a person as you would wish to meet, and this calmness pervades the practice, fostering considered and intuitive design, creative thinking and ground-breaking projects.

“I suppose we create the places for the spaces,“ explains Douglas. “We work through the entire schedule of architect services, from inception, viability, design, detailed design, construction drawings, detailed specifications, tenders, project management, construction management, and so on, to take the project through from start to finish.

“We sell ourselves as a general architectural practice, and that is the full service we provide, from the initial seed of an idea to completion.” It is clear from the completed projects adorning the 68

walls of the practice’s meeting room that Douglas speaks from a position of authority, having gained a reputation which has attracted a blue chip list of clients in many fields.

“As architects, we are trained to design and manage the procurement process for any building type. We are also trained how to access specialist information where we lack a particular skill, however, we do have a wide range of skills and expertise in-house. Certain projects have their own peculiarities and we could never be expected to cover everything. For example, the standards we need to adhere to in designing a library have to be researched and investigated in depth, but we do have an efficient network of associates to call upon, which is obviously of great benefit to our clients who know we have this resource.

“That is why I stress that we are a general architect’s practice – we would like to think that we can work on any project. Our particular in-house expertise is in the residential and commercial sectors, but we have extensive experience of working on the master planning of industrial sites, and the development of commercial mixed use sites. One of our current projects is a mixed use development on Cowley Road, comprising retail, offices and student accommodation. We are working with the Police and Oxford City Council to

provide public toilets and other facilities which facilitate interaction with the local community.

“We are also becoming very involved in creative partnerships with schools where we work with the teachers and the children to provide an educational experience, whilst at the same time designing a building. This is a particularly rewarding initiative and as a father of four children and a former school governor for 9 years, an area I am very interested in.”

With the economic pressures of the last twelve months, Douglas now sees a more concerted effort and desire emerging amongst his clients to create sustainable buildings, both within the commercial and residential sectors.

“When the economy starts to regenerate, I think it is vitally important that the buildings we help to create are sustainable. ‘Item One’ on the brief has to be that the building is environmentally sustainable, and that is increasingly being driven as a requirement by our clients. I firmly believe that one of the by-products of the recession will be that growth and development in the future will have a different set of principles. Whilst the world has been happy to play lip service in the past to environmental issues, it has now got to go beyond that – this all requires knowledge, education and www.b4-business.com

B4 PROPERTY

investment. But it has got to happen.

Designing and constructing sustainable buildings comes at a cost, and the business or individual footing the bill has to be prepared to dig deeper for the long term cost savings, and, especially in today’s climate, that is not an easy argument to put forward. However, it all comes down to the client seeing themselves as responsible, and how far they are prepared to take that responsibility.”

also have skills in landscape and urban design and this is very useful in the presentation of proposals to the local planning authority.”

Of particular value to many clients, is the expertise the practice has in commercial development appraisals and viability and feasibility studies – this combined with the design experience of the practice, enables clients to understand and release the potential of their property assets.

find somebody who can. We have also built up a close working relationship with other consultants, ranging from structural, civil, mechanical and electrical services engineers, to health and safety consultants, quantity surveyors, arboricultural [trees] and ecological specialists, and so on.”

It is clear that when you engage Riach Architects, you are connecting with an experienced, diligent team of experts who know how to interpret and

“ CONSIDERED AND INTUITIVE DESIGN, CREATIVE THINKING AND GROUND-BREAKING PROJECTS ” In a city with limited development potential, Oxford presents a massive challenge to Douglas and his colleagues. ‘Creating places for spaces’ should read ‘creating places for awkward spaces’ within a very complex planning policy framework, as Douglas elaborates. “We have to be incredibly creative and know the planning processes inside out. A great deal of our work concerns planning. The fact that the majority of the work we have undertaken has been on previously developed land, reflects the need for planning expertise. My staff use their technological skills in designing buildings, which fit into the most complex and problematic spaces. We www.b4-business.com

The phrase ‘one stop shop’ seems a bit tacky when used in reference to this excellent and efficient practice, but, that is exactly what Douglas and his colleagues provide. “I think we offer what architects historically would have provided, which is a complete, yet personal and commercially aware service, i.e. if you go to a doctor, it doesn’t matter what is wrong with you, you expect him carry out a diagnosis and advise you on the next step, and I suppose that is what a general architect’s practice does. We will welcome any type of project and enquiry (as our portfolio demonstrates) - if we cannot deal with the clients brief, we will try and

develop your brief and rationalize your ideas into plans, and, ultimately, into reality. With a portfolio which has retained clients for over thirty years, it is clear to see that the vision, attention to detail and high level of service provided by Riach Architects is much appreciated and respected.

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THE OXFORD CASTLE IS PROUD TO PRESENT

SUMMER NIGHT OUTDOOR CONCERTS IN THE OXFORD CASTLE GARDENS 7.30PM – 10.00pm CAMERATA COLLEGIUM: Thurs 2nd, Fri 3rd, Sat 4th July & Thurs 27th, Fri 28th, Sat 29th August 11 Piece Classical Combo, Directed by Sue Lynn. July Concerts ‘Best of Baroque’ & August Concerts ‘The Best Of British’ classics

RADIO DAYS BIG BAND: Thurs 9th, Fri 10th, Sat 11th July & Thurs 13th, Fri 14th, Sat 15th August 16 Piece Band playing music from the 1930s to the 1960s covering the Golden Age of Big Band Swing & Dance Music

BLAKES HEAVEN BIG BAND: Thurs 23rd, Fri 24th, Sat 25th July & Thurs 6th, Fri 7th August 19 Piece Band playing Big Band & Funky Swing from the 1940s to 2009 with special arrangements & Own Compositions

CHRIS BECK & THE VALENTINE VAGABONDS: Thurs 16th, Fri 17th, Sat 18th July 5 Piece Band playing 1950s & 1960’s Rock ‘n’ Roll and Blues Music featuring the legendary Chris Beck

THE OXFORD JAZZ QUINTET & GUESTS: Thurs 30th July, Fri 31st July, Sat 1st, Sat 8th August, Thurs 20th, Fri 21st, Sat 22nd August 5 Piece Band featuring some amazing special guests including ‘Anthony Strong’ & Joe Stilgoe; performing be-bop , cool funk and well known jazz standards

TICKET PRICE: £12 (£1 Booking Fee Applies)

CALL THE BOX OFFICE TODAY FOR MORE INFO: 01865-766266 OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE: WWW.OXFORDCASTLE.COM

CONCERT DINNER PACKAGES & PICNICS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE NIGHT Ponchos £1 available for bad weather ADVANCE BOX OFFICE MANAGED BY Oxford Castle Ltd, Estate Office, The Treadwheel Building, 43 Oxford Castle, Oxford, OX1 1AY NOTE: TICKETS NON-EXCHANGEABLE OR REFUNDABLE

B4 LEISURE

OLD FASHIONED FUN

On a beautiful June afternoon, our B4 correspondent enjoyed the shrills of laughter form the passing punts, the sedate and unmistakable sound of ball meeting willow and the company of a happily married couple. One of Oxford’s finest and most established restaurants, The Cherwell Boathouse plays host to a wedding reception oozing class, sophistication and bags of fun.

Most of us are young at heart. Unless we go out of our way to be obstreperous, we all want to have a good time, even if it is only occasionally. And weddings are the perfect occasion to enjoy yourself, surrounded by laughter, love and happiness. Combine this heady mixture with a cross-section of families, students and romantic couples punting, with varying degrees of success, down the River Cherwell, and throw in a game of schoolboy cricket (well we could see half a wicket) in the grounds of The Dragon School adjacent to the restaurant, and the senses are on the precipice of an overwhelming explosion.

The marquee at The Cherwell Boathouse provides a unique setting for a wedding, party or even corporate event. Whilst in the hands of ultra experienced caterers, guests are free to relax and enjoy themselves, purveying the often ‘Trafalgar Square-esque” scene of chaos on the river with glass in hand, knowing you could do no better, or soaking in the scene of frivolity and good old fashioned fun. The setting is in many ways quite raw. The exposure to the elements is intensified by the elevated location atop the river bank, facilitating a pure breeze which floats through the airy and spacious marquee.

Photography: Mark Burnett

With a fabulous setting and enchanting recollections which will live long in the memory, we almost half expected the food to pass without a whimper – surely it couldn’t ALL be good! But, on a day of surprises and wonderful experiences, we were literally taken aback by the spectacular feast which seemed without end. Fillet of salmon with sherry mayonnaise, roast chicken with lemon and basil, ribeye of beef with horseradish, stuffed peppers with mixed vegetables…..

I could go on, as the food did. It was faultless, and even the kids were screwed to their seats for a brief and almost eerily quiet sojourn.

We were fed well and equally impressively watered. Our reception drink was a choice of chilled Pol Roger or a tall, cool glass of Pimms, the quintessential Oxford summer drink. To accompany our food we were offered a choice (for those being good) of Vale da Clara, Quinta de la Rosa, Rosé; Pouilly Fumé, Tinel-Blondelet; or Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine des Sénéchaux. Our host certainly made the most of the excellent wine available and really wanted all of the guests to appreciate the benefits of it. My table could confidently lay claim to sampling all three, not including the champagne and Pimms on arrival, which makes five. www.b4-business.com

Despite the expensive ‘Galactico’ line up of food and wine, the bride’s father looked impressively joyous throughout, although there was a rumour that he was not picking up the tab. However, although not your average Joe, The Cherwell Boathouse certainly ticks its fair share of boxes, with a firm entry for value for money.

As the band played into twilight, followed by a fairly raucous boogie on the neatly concealed dancefloor, time drifted down the Cherwell, reassuringly slowly, so that the moments could be savoured by all. I could simply not imagine a more idyllic way to start a marriage, mark a significant occasion or even stage a corporate event. Catering up to one hundred and twenty guests in a sit down format, The Cherwell Boathouse provides a more than adequate format for a sizeable gathering.

“SURELY IT COULDN’T ALL BE GOOD” And combining a punt before eating is commonplace, with the sight of a drowned rat at the table not as rare as one might think.

Whether your party is intimate or flamboyant, built around a three course meal, barbeque or buffet, The Cherwell Boathouse is not only a smooth operator more than capable of masterminding all functions, it can also cope with inclement weather by providing powerful heaters and lowering side panels in case of swirling rain.

But keep your fingers crossed it is balmy, as there is not a finer sight than locals messing about on the water with the gentle hum of a contented crowd embracing you with its warmth and exuberance.

I now know why the father of the bride wore the longest smile – he was having fun and in a happy place for a happy occasion. www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk 71

COSMETIC CARE PROFESSIONAL • EXPERT • LOCAL In the second of a series of four articles with Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare Surgeons, Richard Rosser talks to plastic surgeon, Oliver Cassell, about the superb surgical and non surgical procedures offered by the team of plastic surgeons operating out of The Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust’s Private Healthcare unit; Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare. With the advent of ‘quick fixes’ the world over, it is reassuring to find a reputable, safe and professional team who can ensure that, whatever your requirement, you won’t regret making the decision to stay loca A world class team With nine plastic surgeons operating under the Private Healthcare banner, Oliver is quick to point out that it is the collective force of the team which presents such an excellent alternative to prospective clients. He explains further. “We all sub-specialise in certain areas, so we are all very good at

our individual areas of expertise. We have, in the past, lost out locally as the common misconception has been that cosmetic surgery is only available in London or Birmingham. However, the profile of Private Healthcare in the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust is continually rising, and word is definitely getting around that our skill-set is a match for any practice in the country.”

As a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Oliver has been based in Oxford for seven years. “My main roles here are breast reconstruction after cancer and treating patients with skin cancer. As a consequence, I use these skills to perform breast and body cosmetic surgery and the removal of skin lumps and skin cancer.”

All cosmetic procedures available “As a group of plastic surgeons, we regularly carry out significant reconstructive procedures of the face, breast and body, usually after cancer removal or accidents. This gives us a unique insight into the anatomy and function of

P ROFILES

Oliver Cassell Specialties: Skin cancer • reconstructive and cosmetic breast surgery • Head and Neck reconstruction • Benign skin surgery • cosmetic surgery

Tim Goodacre Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • abdominal • nasal • Ear and eyelid correction • skin conditions.

Biography: Oliver has been a consultant in Oxford since 2001. He trained at University of Sheffield (MB ChB – 1989) and basic surgical training in Bristol (FRCS Edinburgh 1993).

Biography: Tim trained at St Thomas' Hospital, London, as an undergraduate and subsequently trained in plastic surgery at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood and Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton.

His specialist training as a registrar in Plastic Surgery was on the Oxford and Wessex scheme (FRCS Plastic Surgery 1999).

He trained in microsurgery and completed a higher degree in tissue engineering in Melbourne Australia (MS University of Melbourne 2001).

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He spent two years in East Africa at a mission hospital undertaking general and plastic reconstructive surgical work.

He joined the department in 1991. He is a fully accredited plastic and reconstructive surgeon, in full time practice for 15 years. www.b4-business.com

B4 HEALTH specific areas. We use this knowledge to offer the full spectrum of cosmetic surgery procedures.”

This may start with non surgical interventions, such as Botox and fillers to counter wrinkles. Oxford Private Healthcare is noticing a visible increase from within the Oxfordshire business community for such treatments, as these ‘youth enhancing treatments’ become more ‘acceptable’ .These are most appropriate if the concerns are minor or the patient does not want surgery.

“Our top priority is the success of the procedure and the safety of the patient” However, it is not always possible to correct the problem with injections, in which case face, neck, brow and eye lifts need to be considered.

Breast enlargement is the most popular procedure, but other breast procedures such as reduction, uplift and nipple correction are provided.

Abdominoplasty (‘tummy tuck’) is commonly requested, particularly after weight loss or pregnancy has stretched the skin. There has also been an increase in requests from men with male breast reduction and liposuction the commonest operations.

A previous edition of B4 explained the weight loss surgery offered at Oxford Private Healthcare. The majority of these patients, after having lost the weight, come to the plastic surgery team for removal of the excess skin that has not shrunk back. This can be done with lifting procedures of the arm, thigh, back and body.

With the undoubted talents of the team and the newly opened Wytham Wing in Headington, it is

Jeremy Birch Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • Skin surgery • Cosmetic facial surgery • Hand surgery.

Biography: Jeremy graduated from Bristol University in 1993 having completed medical training and an Honours Degree in Pharmacology. He entered surgical training in Leicester, going on to undertake research into advanced microsurgical techniques under Prof Sir Peter Bell.

Achieving his doctorate, he began training as a plastic surgeon in 2000, completing specialist training in 2006, and he was entered on the specialist register for Plastic Surgery.

www.b4-business.com

clear that Oxford has a potent argument when it comes to attracting cosmetic surgery patients not just locally, but far beyond. Oliver is at pains to stress. “This is as good a team as you will find anywhere. There is every possible form of cosmetic surgery available here, and the new facility we have rivals any in the world.

information and everything they need to make the right decision – there is absolutely no pressure. If they ring and say they want the operation, we then see them again before their surgery, at no cost, to ensure they understand the procedure. We personally carry out their surgery and the follow up.”

Comprehensive care

Quality and safety - a top priority

“Our pricing structure is also important to clarify, as many prospective plastic surgery clients will be put off by the perception that the fees run and run. We only offer fixed price surgery, so when you have your operation, you pay one fee for the procedure.

That fee includes all costs related to the surgery, follow up and comprehensive care in the unlikely event of any complications. It also covers revision procedures should these be required. We have twenty four hour cover at the Wytham Wing, with the full back up of a major teaching hospital and excellent nursing staff. Our patients can draw maximum reassurance from the excellent structure we have in place.”

From start to finish, whatever the procedure, Oxford Radcliffe Private Healthcare provides patients with an excellent, considered and hugely professional service, all-importantly consultant led.

With world-class facilities and back up, patients would be hard pushed to find a similar set up anywhere else in the world. As Oliver concludes,

Meet the consultant at the outset “Cosmetic surgery at Oxford Private healthcare is a consultant led service. My colleagues and I will meet with a prospective client in a 30-45 minute consultation. After a detailed history and examination, we will then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the options. We will discuss the chosen procedure in detail, including the potential downsides and the costs. It is a thorough consultation taking into account the whole patient and not just an area of the body. In some circumstances, we may advise against surgery if the risks outweigh the benefits.

“All of the consultants undertake audit and research to improve their practice. The network which

“Cosmetic surgery at Oxford Private Healthcare is a Consultant led service” supports all procedures is vast and ensures that patients are under the care of specialists in every respect. Our top priority, underpinning everything, is the success of the procedure and the safety of the patient.

“Our approach is relaxed and non pressurised. We offer the patient an open appointment to return, but we do not hassle the patient about their surgery, it is up to them whether or not they proceed. They are also free to contact us for further information or clarification if they have any further questions.

If your required procedure is non-surgical or surgical, make contact with the team as per the contact details at the back of B4. You are in safe hands.

“So the patient goes away with the right

www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk/privatehealthcare

David Johnson Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • Cosmetic facial surgery.

Biography: David graduated from Cambridge University with a First Class Honours degree in Medical Sciences in 1989 and graduated from Oxford University in Clinical Medicine in 1992.

After completing his general surgical training he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1996.

He then undertook three years of full-time research as a Wellcome Clinical Training Fellow at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford, where he researched the molecular biology of craniosynostosis and the genetics of congenital hand anomalies. He obtained a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Oxford University in 2001.

Andy Pay Specialties: Cosmetic breast surgery • Cosmetic facial surgery • Truncal surgery • Skin Cancer.

Biography: Mr Andy Pay graduated from St George's Hospital, London in 1988. he trained inPlastic Surgery in Stoke Mandeville, Salisbury, Bristol and Oxford and received further specialist training in Cosmetic Surgery during a fellowship period at the Wellington Hospital, London.

Andy was granted the certificate in Higher Surgical training and entered onto the General Medical Council (GMC) specialist register after passing the National Plastic Surgery examination in first place, gaining the McGregor Gold Medal.

73

WHAT IF WHAT IF YOUR AGENT KEPT IN TOUCH WE GOT YOU THE BEST PRICE WE KEPT THINGS SIMPLE

COVERING THE CITY AND COUNTRY

THESE PEOPLE KNOW

WE DO 01865 515919

www.pinkandblackproperty.com info@pinkandblackproperty.com

14 Oakthorpe Road, Summertown, Oxford, OX2 7BE

B4 COMPUTE

PASSION FOR INNOVATION

Aged fifteen, Richard Hillsdon won his school a computer having designed a card checking system for a lottery office. Known as the “whiz kid with punch”, he went on to work for J.P Morgan Bank, University of London and Natwest Bank, until he decided to start working as a freelance consultant, forming Eurosolve Ltd in 1994, operating Oxford Home IT Support. B4’s Leila Siddiqi discovers more about a business which started out with “just a lifetime of experience and a telephone” to one with over six hundred customers.

Some people are fortunate enough to spend a lifetime with a career where they are doing what they enjoy doing most. Richard is one of those lucky few. “My interest in computers started developing when I was at school. In those days, people didn’t have computers at home and I managed to find a big one in school and learnt how to programme myself. I then started a computer club to teach other students at school. My interest was how to use computers to help businesses streamline processes and make them quicker. Ironically enough, that is still my main interest today, over twenty seven years later,” admits Richard.

At sixteen Richard left school to work with a software house, Telecomputing Plc, as a trainee programmer and then as a Senior Analyst Programmer and Team Leader working for various large clients including Marks and Spencer, Natwest Bank and Reed Employment. Since 1989, Richard

it was like starting from scratch again.

“In 2004 I started Oxford Home IT Support as a full time business. We have one home office as well as office facilities in Summertown and there are two of us full time and one part time member. We are open seven days a week and evenings as well,” Richard reveals.

“Our service is friendly and personal. All of our customers are our friends and we like to get to know them to understand how their business works. We are experts in Mac and Windows and specialists in remote support which allows us to reach out to your computer or laptop no matter where you are in the world and help you fix you’re problem in the most cost effective and efficient manner possible.

“We provide support, training and maintenance for small businesses and home users in a way that allows them to concentrate on their business while we focus on the technical side of things. We prescribe solutions which help them in running their business. We ask small and medium sized businesses what they need to achieve so that we can produce the best and most cost effective solution for them.

“Recently we have introduced a “live support button” on our website which enables users to chat with us through text live to make bookings or ask questions. This is particularly useful to provide service to our customers anywhere in the world who don’t like using their phones, particularly if they have a query late at night or very early in the morning,” Richard says.

“We have various levels of contract plans which give clients more choice. People may just pay for

Richard’s other interests include photography and music, “the common perception that technical

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

“We operate seven days a week and evenings as well” has been working as a freelance consultant with some of the biggest corporate establishments in the country, including The National Grid, where he worked on a twenty million pound project. ”After a while, the extravagant lifestyle just wore me down.

Other things became more important, spending more time with my son was a priority so I had to cut down on the constant travel. My friends and family encouraged me to start a new business and www.b4-business.com

an hour if they choose to. However, we are developing maintenance contracts because customers are asking for them. We call them “active maintenance plans” since we believe in actively doing something for our customers, be it checking their machines, viruses or back ups. Due to our experience with larger companies, we know what businesses should be aware of.

people are geeky is not true!” Richard argues.

Geeky or not, I was impressed with the high level of service Oxford Home IT Support provides and I am certain that their customer base will continue to grow and prosper as a result of consistent innovation and top quality service. www.homeitsupport.biz

75

UNCHAINED LEADERSHIP Par for the course in hotel chains: stark; soulless; uninspiring; charmless. Not so The Oxford Belfry. As part of the 2008 – 2009 AA Hotel Group of the Year winners, Q Hotels, General Manager, Julian White, has ensured that The Oxford Belfry is the antithesis to a hotel chain property. Here he speaks to Richard Rosser about how experience has helped him achieve his aims.

“I began my hotel career at Catering College, followed by seventeen years at Trust House Forte, which gave me an excellent foundation in all aspects of catering and hospitality. My career with THF took me to Plymouth, the Midlands and Heathrow. I won my first General Manager role at The Bush in Farnham aged 27.

“Despite the fact that this was at the height of the last recession in 1991, I learned a lot and my experiences have stood me in good stead ever since. I made one of my biggest mistakes whilst at The Bush. Faced with losing one third of the business during the recession, I took the view that I would have to cut one third of my workforce. The problem? My entire staff were full time, hence this really cut into the muscle of the team and hampered us more than had I had a mix of full and part time staff.”

Julian then moved to The Post House in Leicester, followed by a year at a private hotel which, by his own admission, he did not enjoy, “I felt the private ownership of the company didn’t allow me to manage freely, whereas in a chain, the focus is more on results, working within clearly identified parameters, allowing managers to manage.”

Julian is quite clear that he gets results for the

76

hotels he works for because he is allowed freedom to run the hotel his way, knowing that, ultimately, he will be judged on results. “I think that most managers will tell you they work best when the pressure comes from within rather than above. I am judged on results and the development of my team and people and the pressure comes from me to perform.” And his appointment to The Oxford Belfry provided Julian with the perfect opportunity to work in this environment, as he explains later.

Following his brief spell with the private world of hotels, Julian worked at the Telford Queen’s Moat House, The Bristol Crowne Plaza for four years and then The Thistle Hotel in Cheltenham. Following spells at The Thistle Hotel in Charing Cross and Reading’s De Vere Hotel, Julian received the call to come to The Oxford Belfry.

“Michael wanted to see me and I knew that he had worked wonders with Paramount and wanted to do it again with a new chain. This really excited me, as I knew that Michael would give me the licence to work as I have always enjoyed working best.”

It is quite clear from an albeit brief interview, that Julian White has many engaging qualities which Michael Purtill was clearly aware of when he asked Julian to the interview. Refreshingly honest and able

to admit his mistakes rank up there with what makes him a qualified leader of others, but putting himself on a pedestal is not for Julian. In fact, he has come to the interview following a morning assisting his staff empty a store room full of old hotel records. He is more than happy to muck in and that helps him connect with his staff and foster a great team spirit, as he explains.

“There needs to be a reason to come to work, other than just to pay the bills. If I can get my staff to enjoy coming to work, that makes all the difference. It shows in their productivity, their attendance rates, and in the way they engage with our guests.”

However, the climate, as Julian admits, is testing this spirit to the full. ”It has been difficult in this climate. We had the feeling that things were winding down in September last year. However, our strong team and a great operations and sales team ensure we stay focused and optimistic that we will more than comfortably ride out the storm.

“We have great relationships with our clients, and I can feel comfortable picking up the phone offering great deals without jeopardising the long term relationship. Without blowing my own trumpet, our corporate clients are buying into me as much as

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B4 ACCOMMODATION

the hotel. They buy into my way of working, knowing that whatever they want, I will facilitate.

And that peace of mind to corporate customers is invaluable. I know the sorts of problems they face in other hotels, not necessarily in Oxfordshire, but the types of problems companies face the world over. I know their challenges and what makes them

undaunted in his enthusiasm for the future of The Oxford Belfry. “We are happy with our performance, given the circumstances. The investment is important, but the team is crucial – it is all about service standards. Everyone knows their job, and one other – that is key. All of my staff have dual roles if called upon, and that makes us incredibly

as we are honest and provide a service, and this becomes a habit, then we will retain business. This is my business. I don’t own it, but I have to be involved in the business, get under its skin and that is what I have learned in my career, to run the premises as if it were my own.

“Despite the fact that this was at the height of the last recession in 1991, I learned a lot and my experiences have stood me in good stead ever since” tick, and I am more than able, with my team and this property, to be able to deliver, consistently, without letting them down.”

And a £4.5 million refurbishment of The Oxford Belfry, including meeting rooms, leisure, restaurant, bar, lounge, and one hundred and ten bedrooms, with just forty four rooms and corridors to complete, shows that the commitment to make this one of the best four star properties in the South, is there, in spades.

Despite a 10% fall in year on year conference business (compared to 30% nationally), Julian is

www.b4-business.com

flexible and creates quite a buzz amongst the staff when they are rallied to do something different to routine – it freshens things up. And as a group we can do anything. No challenge is beyond us.”

With a £1 million new staff-block investment imminent, Julian’s focus on staff is clearly a crucial part of the hotel’s long term success. So how will The Oxford Belfry fair in the future, in a difficult market?

“We will all have to fight harder for business, and I think that will stay with us forever more. As long as we keep delivering, we will retain business. As long

“As a General Manager of a hotel which is part of a chain, we have standards to observe, but each General Manager is given flexibility. We don’t run bland, faceless parts of a whole. We have to be people led and engage with our customers. The product is taken for granted, and to differentiate ourselves from the competition, we have to be the face of our business.”

And as faces go, Julian’s certainly fits with The Oxford Belfry.

www.thebelfry.co.uk

77

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR

CUSTOMERS

Have you picked up a business card at an event recently, with the best intentions? Taken a customer’s details over the counter, with the best intentions? Sitting on a multitude of databases, on spreadsheets, in shoeboxes, on scraps of paper, which you just don’t get around to sorting out, all, of course, with the best intentions to do so? Sounds familiar? Do you want to get more out of your customer database? More importantly, do you want to take the hassle out of updating and maintaining your database? If you have the best intentions, read on.

B4’s sister company, Blink Design, have teamed up with Customers Really Matter (CRM) to offer B4 Readers a first class solution in customer record management. Imagine the scene: shoebox – empty; Excel spreadsheets – empty; lists of contacts on e-mails you keep meaning to collate – empty; little plastic box on your desk with business cards in – that’s empty too.

Can you honestly imagine that situation? It would be great wouldn’t it? But it can become a reality, in a few easy steps.

James White, Managing Director of CRM, saw a niche in the market four years ago to help companies organize their customer data more efficiently, and rather than store that data in a combination of spreadsheets and shoeboxes, he decided to design software which would work independently of your PC, on line, as he explains further, “I felt that there was no way businesses held information in a considered way. It was all rather haphazard. Even with the data in a sorted format, people didn’t know what to do with the data. I felt that, as the world moved to the internet, it was important to develop a web based database management software system.

“It was always going to be a key element of the software that users could access their data through a Blackberry, a laptop or their desktop PC. We wanted to enable our users to access the key information which helps them run their business customer information. But we wanted to make sure that once they had this data, they could make use of it.

“That’s when I came up with the idea of In Touch and we developed the software from there. It is SME focused, easy to use, and driven by users. It is not a complex piece of software - our customers use it and get into the habit of using it on a daily basis, thus providing one source of customer data, accessible anywhere in the world.”

Here at B4, we have been using the software for the past three years. It has not only enabled us to keep on top of our database of advertising customers to the extent where two of us can 78

manage an ongoing customer database of over five hundred contacts, it has also provided us with an excellent storage facility for our e-Newsletter clients, over six thousand subscribers of the B4 and In Oxford Magazine e-Newsletters.

And we are getting results. We can send an e-Newsletter out at 10am on a Monday morning and see customers paying for e-Newsletter offers within minutes. This means cash in the bank in minutes and no postage paid! By sending an

“customer data, accessible anywhere in the world” e-Newsletter tied to a properly managed and sorted database of customers, the In Touch software enables us to see who is accessing certain parts of the e-Newsletter, refining our database, as we then know who is interested in what services we are offering. It is then up to us how we engage with the customer on the next stage of the sales process.

Consider the alternatives see table right “E-mail was always going to influence the way we communicated with our customers”, James continues, “by virtue of the cost, the speed at which we are able to communicate and the time it takes us to physically prepare a communication.

“We can also see what customers do when they get the communication – do they open it, do they read certain parts? We can’t do this with letters, but with e-Newsletters, we can track the behavior of our customer once they receive the communication. The business value of this is incredible. And so this approach is much more targeted, not so random, and it shows your customers that you are thinking.”

James adds that it has been proved that it can take up to seven e-mail shots to register interest with a customer. Imagine sending 1,000 letters to your database seven times and now compare the cost with seven lots of 1,000 e-mails. Quite a cost, I think you’ll agree.

In Touch has now added in the ability to perform mail merge, with each letter sent showing up in the customer’s record. “I still believe there is a role for the letter,” adds James, “we can’t do everything by e-mail. It is a case of striking a healthy balance.

Marketing is a media mix, not just letters, advertising or e-mails. It is about trying to get the right balance. But our system allows you to measure the effectiveness of individual types of marketing. One client record can show that they received a letter on X date, an e-mail on Y date and an SMS text on Z date. We can see the effectiveness of our marketing, by seeing which one they responded to and factor this in to future communications.”

CRM are obviously keeping on top of their own database. Working with a number of companies locally, including Oxford United, they also count Solicitors and Accountants amongst their customer database of five hundred, and work extensively with the NHS also.

“We are always looking at ways to improve In Touch. We will shortly be introducing a mobile version and new functionality to tie in with your own database. We want to enhance customer access to their information and make their use of this data as effective as possible. We want to help customers develop more expertise in managing their data, and we want to help customers become more intelligent about the use of their data. And, finally, cost is also key. A user can pay less than £20 a month for a fully maintained database which they can use to send out e-mail campaigns. This is negligible in terms of the potential returns.”

James concludes, “The database is only as good as the person that updates and manages it. You have to be disciplined and update your data, but it is such an easy system to use once you get in the habit of storing data that, before you know it, you www.b4-business.com

B4 COMPUTE

Sending out letters the traditional way.

Ask yourself:

InTouch is the answer:

Is the database current?

Yes – although you will still need to be disciplined to make sure your new data is entered correctly

Are there duplicates in your database?

No chance

What time do you spend merging the letters?

Seconds

What is the cost of the stationery involved?

None

What is the cost of postage?

None

What is the hit rate – how many items get lost in the post?

Measurable by virtue of e-mail notification if an e-mail hasn’t reached its destination (facilitates database cleansing)

How long do the letters take to get there?

Seconds

Do you know what the response to the letter is without a follow up call?

Yes – so no additional time invested

Environmentally friendly?

Definitely – no paper involved

have a fantastic font of information.”

And when you have got your data in the database – which CRM will help you do free of charge, providing this is in electronic format – speak to Blink about designing your e-Newsletters, writing the text and reporting the results to you. We can even help you integrate a data capture method through your website, so that you can input new customer data as soon as you have made a sale,

www.b4-business.com

or add potentially interested parties to your e-Newsletter database so that you keep them abreast of news in the future.

Keeping In Touch with customers is key. If you don’t keep putting yourself in front of customers and potential, they will soon forget about you. Follow the lead of In Oxford Magazine, B4 Magazine and our existing In Touch customers, The O3 Gallery, Lacys and Oxford Castle and get In Touch – you will

see the benefits in more ways than one.

Call Blink Design now as per the contact details at the back of B4, and DON’T LOSE TOUCH. www.b4.yourcrm.co.uk

79

Do your business systems leave you in the dark?

Let us guide you in the right direction At Sci-Net we understand that it’s not enough to just provide you with a piece of software from a box. We know that to make your business run smoothly, we need to review how your business currently operates, then look at how we can improve it using technology. By doing this we can really improve the efficiency and profitability of your business, as we have with so many others.

We also know that for some companies it is hard to know where to start.

Whether you are starting afresh or looking to replace existing software that isn’t living up to your expectations, we can guide you through the entire process. We will work with you to decide which software will be most appropriate for your business, then design, develop, tailor and maintain it, enabling you to manage information and streamline your organisations services.

We specialise in implementing and supporting Accounting, Finance and Enterprise Business systems. As partners for leading providers, such as Sage and Microsoft Dynamics NAV, we can provide you with the perfect solution for your business.

Phone us on 01869 349949 now to receive specialist advice and a demonstration of the best solutions for your business.

• ERP systems

• Manufacturing & Assembly

• Accounting & Finance

• Business Intelligence & Analytics

• Stock & Warehouse Management

• CRM

• Distribution

• Document Automation

• Supply Chain Management

01869 349949 www.sci-net.co.uk

news OTCN continues rapid growth The Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network (www.otcn.co.uk) has welcomed three new business organisations, taking its membership to 24 groups with 1,600 member businesses between them.

service. Member organisations can promote their events on the OTCN website and they’ll be kept up to speed with other business benefit initiatives including promotions, training and environmental improvement opportunities.

The three are: Monument Park at Chalgrove, home to 80 businesses employing more than 500 people between them; the Oxfordshire Craft Guild, which brings together 70 selected designers and makers of a wide range of traditional and contemporary crafts, and the 40-member Oxford Association of Hotels and Guest Houses.

Paul Mabbutt, Director of Jennings who own and manage Monument Park says: “We have been working closely with OTCN for some time now and are delighted to get the opportunity to link our main business park to the organisation.”

Their membership means newcomers to the Guild and the Association plus new tenants at Monument Park can benefit from three months’ free promotion on the OTCN new member’s page and member/tenant businesses can offer and take advantage of the OTCN member-2-member

Oxford Association of Hotels and Guest Houses Chairman, Stefan Wynne-Jones, says: “It is an excellent opportunity for our members and we look forward to playing our part in the continued growth and development of OTCN.” Richard Shock, Chairman of the Oxfordshire Craft Guild, says: “We look forward to the chance to gain

OTCN Director John Naish with Paul Mabbutt and Mike Jennings from Monument Park. Picture by Alison Nicholson/OTCN

from the business experience of other members and from the networking opportunities OTCN offers.

We also welcome the opportunity to show local businesses the quality and range of crafts being made by our members.”

Around the County to try ‘Flight and Bites’ at Bicester Gliding Club, and enjoy a short glider flight plus a BBQ. The Ethical Business Club (www.the-ethicalbusiness-club.co.uk) and The Oxford Business Network (www.oxfordbusinessnetwork.co.uk) have joined OTCN, taking the number of events groups it covers to ten. See www.otcn.co.uk/events_ network.htm for details.

Norwegians at Oxford Castle. Picture by Alison Nicholson/OTCN

OTCN, B4 and the Oxford Association of Hotels and Guest Houses linked up to welcome a group of Norwegian Town Centre Managers on a whistle stop tour of Oxford City centre. The itinerary included a tour of Oxford Castle and a visit to The Covered Market plus presentations on key issues facing business in the city.

Building on groundwork laid in an OTCN-led project, interviews have been held for the position

of Partnership Manager for Abingdon. The role is to work with the Choose Abingdon Partnership which brings together the town, district and county councils, business and community representatives.

Bicester Chamber (www.bicesterbusiness.org.uk) is looking at offering more social and joint networking opportunities. For example, in a joint initiative with the Wednesday Business Club and Bicester Speakers, members had two opportunities in July

www.FocusonFaringdon.co.uk is expanding its business directory to include businesses within the Vale, and is planning visitor guides for Wantage and Abingdon to follow the recently-published Focus on Faringdon 2009. Advertising is available in the guides and online and volunteers are needed from Abingdon and Wantage to collect and collate information. Can you help? Please contact jane.haynes@bordengate.com Business Coach and Product Development Specialist, Cally Robson, (a member of Charlbury Business Community) is celebrating the launch of www.ShesIngenious.org, an online club and support network for women inventor-entrepreneurs.

Designs on cutting plastic bag use OTCN is leading an Oxfordshire Waste Partnership-funded project to reduce the number of plastic bags handed out in Witney shops.

A panel of local business people and council officers met to choose the voucher design from a set created in a competition among pupils from the town’s two secondary schools. See www.otcn.co.uk/projects/plastic_bags.htm for more.

It’s one of a series of projects being run by local groups across the county.

www.b4-business.com

www.otcn.co.uk

81

B-LINE SIGNS UP FOR

GREENMINUTES

82

www.b4-business.com

B4 OFFICE

Business supplies company B-Line is the latest Oxfordshire organisation to sign up to STL’s GreenMinutes, a new environmental initiative that enables users to offset their carbon phoneprint and to benefit from a range of other free eco-friendly features.

“As a company B-Line is becoming greener by the day. Our ‘Better 4 The Planet’ range of green products has really taken off recently as companies recognise the need to be more environmentally aware,” says Phil Beesley Managing Director of B-Line. “The decision to sign up for STL’s GreenMinutes was easy, especially as it actually saves us money as well as saving the planet.”

GreenMinutes™ takes eco-friendly communications to the next level making it easier, cheaper and more productive for businesses to use sustainable technology rather than to travel to meetings by car, train or plane.

GreenMinutes™ is a unique carbon neutral lines and calls service that goes beyond carbon offset. STL calculates the carbon cost of the calls and supports key environmental projects via The Carbon Neutral Company at no cost to the customer. STL is currently supporting a hydropower project in a remote area of China and it is looking to invest in local UK eco projects.

Businesses subscribing to GreenMinutes™ also benefit from a range of additional eco-friendly applications including free teleconferencing, free connection of home workers and free use of STL’s video conferencing facility.

GreenMinutes™ companies can confidently use free teleconferencing to replace face-to-face meetings that are organised either abroad or a few hours away by car, demonstrating considerable savings in time, expense and cost to the environment. In addition, the free use of the STL video conferencing suite in Witney means that people can also connect visually from country to country without flying, removing the financial and eco costs associated with international flights, as well as the cost savings on hotel bills.

provide significant cost savings for customers.

As an organisation, STL is committed to reducing their carbon footprint and its green strategy is designed to minimise its effect on the environment by improving energy efficiency, recycling office waste and encouraging staff to use public transport, bicycles or to walk to work. STL offsets all the carbon dioxide generated by its activities and is a carbon neutral company certified by The Carbon Neutral Company.

STL Managing Director Brendon Cross commented, “GreenMinutes™ has taken a year to build as a proposition and it was important that we achieved our primary and secondary objectives of carbon neutrality and cost reduction. We have worked closely with our network partners together with the Carbon Trust and The Carbon Neutral Company to refine the proposition and early indications are that subscriptions will surpass all of our forecasts”. By using the full range of benefits offered by GreenMinutes™, organisations will be able to make significant cost savings as well as being eco friendly.

B-Line, which is even housed in a green coloured building, is an environmentally aware organisation that intends to work towards a better environment, both through the business practises they encourage and through the products they offer. With over 3000 green products in their catalogue and more being added regularly, B-Line is helping companies achieve their environmental goals.

Established in 1987, B-Line is a thriving and professional business supplies company, that has enjoyed unparalleled success through working in partnership with its customers and at the same time, managing the supply chain to ensure

“it was important that we achieved our primary

and secondary objectives of carbon neutrality and cost reduction” Smarter working practises such as flexible working are also good for the environment and for the bottom line. The green benefits of working from home make more sense if home worker connections are free and GreenMinutes™ enables employees to be fully connected with all features of the phone system.

For the company this has a direct impact on the bottom line in terms of decreasing requirements for office facilities and lower overheads, by creating shared workspaces for home workers when in-house meetings are required.

Finally, companies that sign up to GreenMinutes™ benefit from fully itemised electronic billing, removing the use of printing, paper and costs associated with post. As for payment, these are made by direct debit, a paperless payment system. These benefits not only help protect the environment, but can also

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that they exceed customer expectations at every opportunity. Offering a one- stop supply solution from every day office stationery through to office furniture and printed stationery, B-Line has stock in excess of £50million available on a next day delivery basis.

Brendon Cross concludes,”We have worked closely with B-Line for a number of years to give them the very best telephone systems to maximise their customer service. We are delighted that they have signed up for GreenMinutes, which helps them meet their environmental objectives, but also gives them lots of free eco features to help them work smarter.”

Full details of GreenMinutes™ are available at www.greenminutes.co.uk

83

Kate and Rob Allen and staff from Allen Associates with Rt Hon David Cameron MP. (copyright JJ Hunt Photography)

CHOx away!

This April 850 people took part in the Oxford Mail’s OX5 RUN, a 5 mile run around Blenheim Palace in aid of the Children’s Hospital, Oxford (CHOx).

The event, sponsored by Motorworld and Allen Associates, looks set to raise a phenomenal £50,000. Kate and Rob Allen of Allen Associates explain why they got involved.

How did you feel once you had finished the run?

Rob: exhausted! Kate: We were all incredibly emotional. Companies pay thousands for team building exercises, but sponsoring this event and really getting involved was a far better investment. It was genuinely one of the best days of my life; the adrenalin and sense of achievement were incredible!

You really threw yourselves into this event – tell us why?

Rob: We wanted to do something to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary and as we have a longstanding relationship with the Children’s Hospital decided it would be exciting to do something with great potential to benefit local people. Kate: and something that our staff and clients could really get involved in. Everyone took the event to their hearts, we had daily team meetings about training and it fostered a very real sense of camaraderie.

You managed to get David Cameron on board, how important was that?

Rob: It was a massive boost to the event. We were lucky enough to have met David in the past, so approached his PA with the request. She came back saying not only would he start it, but run it too! It sent out a strong message to people, if David Cameron was prepared to give up his Sunday morning for the Children’s Hospital, so could anyone. Kate: Also he raised over £4,500 in sponsorship!

What would you say to other companies thinking of doing something for charity?

Kate: We’d encourage any company to get involved with fundraising for Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals. We do a lot socially and professionally with our staff, but nothing else has fostered such a feeling of solidarity and fun.

What lasting memory will you take away with you about the event?

Rob: The hills! Kate: I was just overwhelmed by the number of people taking part and supporting the event. All those people coming together on a chilly Sunday morning for such a great cause, supporting the Children’s Hospital. It’s something I will never forget.

The event got a lot of publicity, how did it feel to be in all the national and even international press?

Kate: Somehow I seemed to be in every picture, so there’s been a lot of ribbing! But yes, along with David Cameron came the national press, the Mail, Telegraph, everyone really. It added to the excitement on the day, and was fantastic to get the Children’s Hospital such wide coverage. As a company though, you cannot buy that sort of exposure, we still get comments daily from people about it all. Rob: It was nice to be in all the national papers, but the Oxford Mail, who organise the event, gave us a great deal of exposure and as a local company that is of very real benefit.

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David Cameron takes centre stage with the Allens at OX5 RUN (copyright JJ Hunt Photography)

www.b4-business.com

news Top Oxford company, Amey, pledges £100.000 for the cancer centre Leading local public services company, Amey has announced a £100,000 pledge for the Oxford Cancer Centre. Amey, based at the Oxford Science Park, specialises in managing major infrastructure projects and employs nearly 10,000 people, 550 of whom are based here in Oxfordshire.

Mel Ewell, Chief Executive of Amey said: “ With this pledge we hope to be able support the Oxford Radcliffe substantially in their fund raising quest and we look forward to working with the local community to support the staff and patients.”

The company is helping staff to raise £50,000 through a series of fundraising events, including an abseil and staff parties, and will match this with another £50,000. The money is being used to fund The Amey Garden for patients at the Cancer Centre and help to pay for high-tech medical equipment which aids key-hole surgery.

Alice Hahn Gosling, Director of Fundraising said: “The support we receive from local businesses is phenomenal, especially at this difficult economic time. We are delighted that Amey is showing its commitment to local people, and look forward to a long and happy relationship with them.”

Amey got their pledge off to a great start on June 14 when staff took part in a sponsored abseil. Employees from Amey were joined by staff from Oxford solicitors Darbys as fifty brave souls took the 100 foot plunge raising an

Oxford companies Amey and Darbys “on the ropes” for Cancer Centre

estimated £15,000 for the Cancer Centre. Darbys, has been supporting the Cancer Centre since 2008 but this will be their first abseil event. The company, based in New Inn Hall Street, Oxford is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year and is raising £50,000 to fund the “Darbys’ Purple Garden”, named after their Purple membership scheme.

“Taking part in the abseil was a great way to challenge myself while raising

money for a cause close to my heart. I’ll be helping to make a real difference to the thousands of people and their families affected by cancer every year.”

David Foden, HR Business Manager, Amey

Coming Up: Abseil for the Children’s Hospital, Sunday September 20th Inspired by our abseil pictures? The next abseil will be supporting the Children’s Hospital. Call Penny on 01865 743445 for more info.

It’s Not Just a Walk in the Park, Sunday October 18th Join Wesley Smith and friends on a three-mile sponsored walk for Oxford’s Cancer and Heart Centres, on Sunday October 18th. The gentle route through Oxford University Parks is suitable for all ages and abilities. Call 01865 743444 for more details.

Black-tie dinner with Lord Patten, supporting the Oxford Heart Centre Friday October 2nd Former Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, will be our guest speaker at a black-tie fundraising dinner for the new Oxford Heart Centre on Friday October 2nd.

Held in the stunning Keble College Great Hall - with a drinks reception, four course meal, lively talk from Lord Patten and the opportunity to bid on ‘once in a lifetime’ auction lots - it promises to be a night to remember, whilst raising funds for this important cause. Tickets are £120 per person or £100pp if you book 10 or more places. For more information please contact Anu Basra on 01865 743447 or anu.basra@orh.nhs.uk.

Find out about all our fundraising events, and how your company can get involved by calling 01865 743444 or see our website www.orhcharitablefunds.nhs.uk

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WHERE DO YOU RANK? As the Government announce their plans for ‘Digital Britain’ the number of internet users has reached 1.6 billion worldwide. Almost 400 million of those users are from Europe. Studio8 unveil their new service.

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1. Local search results. A free listing service for your company, with the added bonus of Google map pin-pointing. 2. Natural search results, achieveable with good SEO. 3. Pay per click campaigns, which can offer further exposure within search results and should not be ignored. Enables the tracking of clicks and the ability to see which key words you should be focusing your campaign on.

4. Natural search results from Google show In O

These figures are huge and illustrate the enormous potential of online business. But with numbers as big as this, how can you get your site discovered? The answer lies in online marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO).

good unless you make it search engine friendly and consider your online marketing mix,” says John. “Content is key for online searches – it’s not about what you add to your site, it’s about the relevance of the information on your site”.

Studio8 Search is a service offered by the team at Studio8 in Oxford, headed

by Clark Wiseman and John Hones (formerly of Google), the team have created ‘off the shelf’ packages to get local business in Oxford started in their mission to get onto that all important first page of Google.

Studio8 Search advise and handle your search marketing by offering the following services:

“We understand how sme’s work having traded with Studio 8 Photography for over five years now. Our aim was to always get our site to the top of Google for certain ‘keywords’, and we discovered what it takes to do this”. Explains Clark. “John joined us from Google and his advice was invaluable, as he had first hand experience of how the process works, and we have used our mix to create easy to understand search options that deliver.”

Studio8 Search provide a series of services which can be mixed or provided on their own, all designed to help customers achieve high rankings on Google and other search engines such as Yahoo and Bing.

“You can have the freshest, newest, all singing all dancing website, but it’s no 86

• Search engine optimisation (SEO) • Pay per click (adwords) • Local search • Link building • Copy writing • Online reputation management There are other ways to give yourself a head start, such as submitting your site to high ranking sites for a link back to your domain. www.inoxford.com is a great local example featuring on page one of Google for the key phrase ‘in Oxford’ and will help promote Oxford business listings that want to be associated with the highly valuable 'Oxford' keyword. The quality editorial and quantity of keywords featuring naturally on the site, together with your business contact details, is a great way to contribute to your online presence. www.b4-business.com

B4 MARKETING

Oxford website ranking first for events in Oxford.

After many years of successfully ranking 1st in Google rankings, the In Oxford website gets a welcome new look, launching in August 2009.

For every business, it is important that you appear on page one of Google's natural search results for keywords that have a high monthly search volume and which are relevant to your business's products and services. These keywords will drive the majority of traffic visiting your site, however, they are very generic and highly competitive and it may take some time to optimise your site for these search phrases, so that your business finally shows up on page one of Google's natural search results.

E.g The search term 'Events in Oxford' is a competitive keyword that many theatres, clubs and entertainment venues in and around Oxford wish to show up on page one of Google.

However all is not lost, and whilst you optimise your site for your chosen keywords, you should look at other areas to improve your website’s visibility in the meantime that help to drive relevant traffic to your website.

Three easy ways to improve website rankings and drive relevant traffic to you website are as follows: • Register with Google's local business ads • Register with web directories relating to your industry. In the example www.b4-business.com

above the web directory: inoxford.com ranks number one on page one of Google for the keyword 'Events in Oxford'. You can register with the directory in minutes and gain instant search engine visibility for your business.

• Start a paid search campaign with Google. Performed correctly this will give you instant search results for your business on Google.

Search is still relatively young. Eachday more and more people turn to the internet for instant results, and now with the rapid expansion of mobile devices such as the iphone and blackberry, and the recent Digital Britain report detailing plans to get the whole country on fast broadband by 2012, there is no doubt that search is one of the most important areas on which to focus your marketing.

Online marketing by studio8 search is innovative, easy to understand and forward thinking.

Sign up online for an info pack and readers of B4 will receive a free £50 voucher towards the cost of their web analysis package - enter the code ‘B42009’. www.studio8search.com 87

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news About Oxford Innovation Oxford Innvovation manages a network of Innovation Centres that provide flexible office and laboratory space to over 400 technology, knowledge-based and creative companies.

Innovation Centres are different to business centres: they provide companies with a professional environment to grow, along with a range of support services.

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 £19.5 million.

Oxford Investment Opportunity Network (OION), Europe’s leading technology business angel

network, has recently announced results showing that it has enjoyed a record-breaking year of helping innovative companies to secure funding.

A range of Innovation Services are also available to ambitious businesses, including investment readiness, raising finance, networking, mentoring, protecting IP and new business opportunities.

Through Innovation... and beyond!

Despite the current economic climate, there are numerous cases of Oxfordshire businesses thriving. Oxford Innovation is proud to be working with a number of such companies, including Advanced Magnetic Resonance (AMR), who are based at Culham Innovation Centre, near Abingdon.

AMR Ltd have been based at the Innovation Centre for over 2 years, and steady growth has resulted in increased staff numbers. They have also outgrown their office and thanks to Oxford Innovation’s flexible terms, are moving into a bigger office within the Innovation Centre this June.

AMR Ltd produces specialist equipment and consultancy for applications involving Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). These applications are used extensively in the petroleum exploration industry for reservoir evaluation, for non destructive testing in food science and for medical imaging applications.

AMR Ltd utilises state of the art field programmable gate array electronic technology to produce compact, flexible and low cost hardware.

To date AMR Ltd has provided services and delivered NMR solutions to some of the world’s largest companies in the United States, Norway, the Middle East and the European Union.

Oxford Innovation supports the growth of innovative companies such as AMR, through their network of Innovation Centres, which provide growing companies with a professional environment to grow. They also actively encourage

Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan

business growth through a range of business support services likely to be needed during the first vital years of operation.

AMR have benefitted from being part of the ‘entrepreneurial community’ at Culham Innovation Centre, which is currently home to over 15 science and technology focussed businesses. They’ve also enjoyed significant benefits from the Technical Support Package - a unique service available from UKAEA Fusion, to all Innovation Centre companies.

The Technical Support Package is particularly effective for technology companies at Culham Innovation Centre, who are able to draw on the skills of the UKAEA team working on one of the world’s greatest engineering challenges - Fusion, to assist their business.

mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering skills and technologies.

Tim Benson, MD of AMR Ltd says: “The short-term nature of the agreements and the flexibility that this affords to growing, technology businesses is vital in being able to adapt the space to match the changing requirements of the business.

This flexibility, alongside the package of support offered through UKAEA Fusion’s Technical Support Package and the community of entrepreneurs within the Centre has made Culham Innovation Centre central to the success of the business so far.”

For more information on the Technical Support Package visit www.fusion.org/industry

The service includes technical advice and access to

If you think your business could benefit from a flexible location in South Oxfordshire and access to expert business support, contact Oxford Innovation: 01235 838555. email: marketing@oxin.co.uk. web: www.oxin.co.uk.

www.b4-business.com

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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.

Hook Norton Brewery re-launch Inspired Following its tremendous success in 2007, ‘Inspired’ – the beer brewed by Hook Norton Brewery to celebrate the Oxfordshire Millennium – is back this summer by popular demand.

Hook Norton Brewery has been producing quality real ales for over 150 years and Inspired was the first brew they created that used totally local raw materials. Again this year the hops are from Kingston Bagpuize and the water is from the wells under the Brewery, giving the beer a real local essence. Inspired at 4.5% is a premium pale beer with a slight orange hue. There are aromas of soft dark fruit, a full and almost spicy flavour, with a pleasant lingering after taste. All in all, it’s a very quaffable ale.

James Clarke, Managing Director at Hook Norton Brewery said: “Following the success of Inspired in 2007, we are delighted it’s returning in our seasonal ale programme in 2009.”

Look out for Inspired on draft at Hook Norton pubs across the county from June, the ideal time to re-launch this summer brew.

Blake Lapthorn wins Hollis Sponsorship Award sponsorship links between business, arts, sports and culture.

Blake Lapthorn, one of the leading law firms in the UK, and the charity Oxford Inspires, the cultural development agency for Oxfordshire, have built a strong partnership through collaboration on a number of projects in recent years.

Oxford Inspires offered the firm the opportunity to sponsor the Earth from the Air exhibition and the Planet Earth Season. The Partnership which has resulted in this win, provided Blake Lapthorn with a high visibility association to a comprehensive and multilayered season of work that encouraged individuals to think about Oxfordshire’s commitment to the environment. It also led the firm to connect with the University of Oxford Environmental Change Institute resulting in a ‘Green Breakfast’ series attracting over 150 business people in the area.

Blake Lapthorn is pleased to announce that its joint submission with Oxford Inspires has won the nationally recognised Hollis Sponsorship Awards 2009, in the Best Sponsorship (under £50,000) category. The Hollis Awards are the premier national awards for those involved in

Jonathan Lloyd-Jones, Senior Partner at Blake Lapthorn said: "The link between businesses and cultural organisations remains as important as ever in the current economic climate. To have been able to link this sponsorship to the environmental and climate change issues that are very high on the agenda not only for our clients but also for our staff was a win-win situation for us as a business and for Oxford Inspires as a local charity. To have won a national award in recognition of this partnership is very satisfying."

Oxford Inspires gives sincere thanks to its Corporate Members and Major Supporters: B4 Magazine, Barceló Oxford Hotel, Berman Guedes Stretton, Bicester Village, Blake Lapthorn, Blenheim Colour Ltd, Carbon Colour, The Corner Club, CPM, Finders Keepers, First Great Western, Four Pillars Hotels, Goodman, Hook Norton Brewery, Image Works, Infineum, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Lucy Properties, MINI Plant Oxford, Oxford Bus Company, Oxford

Castle, Richardsons, Torpedo and VSL & Partners. Oxford Inspires Stakeholders: Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Oxford Brookes University, University of Oxford and Arts Council England.

To learn more about how your business might help Oxford Inspires to support cultural activity across Oxfordshire, contact Kathelene Weiss at kathelene.weiss@oxfordinspires.org.

Hollis Sponsorship winners 2009

www.b4-business.com

www.oxfordinspires.org

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Understanding your world Your tax affairs are safe in our hands whether they be private or corporate matters.

Rooks Rider offers a truly integrated legal service to provide our clients with Onshore and Offshore advice for their private and corporate legal requirements. We have experience in every offshore destination and our lawyers can ensure that all your tax issues are dealt with in the most advantageous manner.

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news Corporate social responsibility in action On the 5th June a group of 12 Nominet employees took part in the Give and Gain Day Challenge organised by Business in the Community. As part of our continuing corporate responsibility work we teamed up with the people at Business in the Community who match up employee teams from businesses in the area with suitable local projects.

Our task was to help the children and staff of Pegasus Primary School in Cowley to plant an entire allotment of potatoes. This forms part of the school’s outdoor learning programme linking to positive messages about exercise and healthy eating and promised to be a fun and informative day for all. A donation from Nominet had already been put to good use by the school to buy the necessary gardening tools.

All that remained was for our volunteer team to dig the trenches and for the impressively enthusiastic army of pupils to plant, cover, and then water the potatoes.

It was a fantastically rewarding day for us, and a fun way for the children to learn. We can’t wait to go back later in the year when all at the school are looking forward to home grown potatoes on the school dinner menu.

Shaping the future of the domain name industry in the UK We here at Nominet, the Internet registry for .uk domain names want your opinions on a series of potential changes to how the .uk domain name space is managed and develops in the future.

Nominet and our membership are key components of the self-regulation model that has allowed the UK domain name market to thrive and ensured the provision of an excellent service to those who rely on .uk. Our constitution was put in place in 1996 to ensure the industry would be competitive and stakeholder driven and was seen at the time as a world leader in this area. However, as the Internet has developed our constitution has not significantly changed despite the changes in the external environment.

Recently the government’s Department for Business suggested it was time to consider how Nominet’s corporate governance model could be updated to

ensure self-regulation in the industry could continue.

As a result Nominet commissioned an independent review.

Professor Garratt, who conducted the review, concludes that the Nominet membership needs to self-regulate effectively in a number of key areas, and that if that does not happen, it could result in government intervention in the UK domain name industry and external regulation being imposed.

However, if we can show that we are addressing the concerns, moving forward, and demonstrating a healthy self-regulation model, then the UK domain name industry will be better placed to continue justifying no Government intervention.

We want to hear the opinions of anyone with an interest in the continued successful provision of .uk in order that we can achieve a suitable update to our

governance structures that will work for both government and the industry. We are running a consultation, which gives you the chance to respond to the questions Professor Garratt asks about the future of Nominet and its role within the UK Internet industry and his specific recommendations about our governance.

We welcome full and frank answers to these questions either directly by email to: governancereview@nominet.org.uk, or by completing our online questionnaire on our web site at: www.nominet.org.uk/about/consultations/shapethefuture.

We urge anyone with an interest in .uk to fully engage in discussion of these questions to ensure the industry remains able to meet the needs of all who rely on .uk “just working”.

Nominet Trust awards grants for new Internet projects Nominet Trust, a charitable organisation that funds Internet education, inclusion and safety initiatives recently announced its first six grants for a range of innovative projects that will make a positive difference to society through the development of the Internet.

The Trust received a donation from of £5m from Nominet, and it is currently seeking to fund new initiatives that use the Internet for the benefit of all. The six organisations to receive funding from Nominet Trust’s first grants are: • The British Computer Association of the Blind’s project to train visually impaired people to use technology • The Internet Society’s Internet Engineering Task Force and Internet Governance Forum fellowship programmes

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• ChildNet’s Youth Internet Governance Forum (IGF) Project to give young people the opportunity to voice their opinions on the IGF themes • The Cambridge Global Grid for Learning’s 4C project that provides free online learning and teaching applications • Cambridge Library Services Community Access Points project that provides rural communities with free access to online education and support • YouthNet’s project to promote digital inclusion among young people Organisations can apply for funding from Nominet Trust via its web site at www.nominettrust.org.uk.

www.nominet.org.uk

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B4 Profiles Lead and they will follow In times of uncertainty people want their leaders to show clear direction, inspiration and energy.

Ask yourself: • Are you getting the best from your managers and key people?

• Can you call on practical, unbiased help in this economic crisis?

• Do you know how to boost performance when confidence is low?

Your company might have the talent it needs to survive the current economic downturn.

But survival will depend on your people performing at their very best and being confident in what they do.

That needs clear, strong leadership at all levels.

Working in groups and with individuals, Oxford Professional Consulting will optimise the performance of your leaders and managers to guarantee best results. Armed with practical tips and strategies to work with, your teams will face challenges at the peak of their performance.

Alison Haill, founder and Managing Director of Oxford Professional Consulting, is conducting FREE leadership audits for all companies who make a booking in March and April 2009.

Call us now to start creating your perfect team.

Oxford Professional Consulting 01865 436791 alison.haill@oxfordprofessionalconsulting.com www.oxfordprofessionalconsulting.com

B4 bringing business together Karen Kay took advantage of our fantastic offer for Corner Club Memberships – see www.b4-business.com to see how you can book a package including membership of The Corner Club and worth £1,250 for just £175.

Karen tells us how everything has gone so far, “The Corner Club feels like a home away from home, with enough purple decor and soft comfy armchairs to keep me highly contented.

By the end of my visit, I felt cosseted, well fed and just a little reluctant to leave.

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The other side is called 'Wildly Professional'- which

With the great help of Julie von Sperling at The Corner Club, I have organised to run two events at the club, one for each side of my business. One is a taster-seminar called 'Juice Up Your Speaking Voice in an Evening' and the other is called 'Saffron and Sapphire - a feast of Sephardic Songs'. I am looking forward to doing both of them immensely.

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AND THEY’RE OFF! TO BLENHEIM HORSE TRIALS

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www.b4-business.com

B4 LEISURE

Great value days out for the family and a super place for business Why not visit The Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

You may not have considered a Horse Trials to be a location where your company would entertain guests, hold conferences, conduct sales training or launch new products; but when you find out that the corporate facilities are sited adjacent to the south facade of Blenheim Palace, that the rates are incredibly good value and that the food is just fabulous, maybe you should think again! Added to that, Blenheim Palace hosts one of the top Horse Trials in Europe with some of the world’s best athletes involved.

Horse Trials or ‘Eventing’ as it’s more often known, is a sport in which the UK excels in production of top class athletes, combined with almost all of its trials being held in the grounds of stately homes with beautiful landscaped gardens. In the case of Blenheim a baroque Palace!

The sport offers a fantastic setting to entertain and socialise using the on-site purpose built facilities which may be adapted for a variety of needs and requirements. These can be as involved with the ‘action’ as much, or as little, as is of interest and relevance for the purpose of the hospitality and its guests.

Indeed, at many of the top events in the country, some of the UK’s most well known companies and their key personnel can be found networking and meeting in the private VIP facilities, having identified the sport as offering an excellent opportunity for great value hospitality.

“We have several companies who have no connection with the sport, but bring their VIP contacts, friends and families to lunch and do so because the food is superb, the location spectacular and the price attractive” says Mandy Hervieu Event Director. “If you are an Eventing enthusiast or have a passion for horses, there are world class athletes to admire. If not, there is still plenty to keep you occupied, including a fantastic shopping village, arenas with a variety of demonstrations and displays taking place.

Combine that with food and drink halls and of

course, the Palace itself. The corporate facilities are flexible, we have had fashion shows, auctions, sales training, product launches and of course, breakfasts and lunches. We try to be as accommodating as possible even to some quite strange requests!”

At the Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials the corporate hospitality facilities are alongside the main arena, just in front of the south lawn of the Palace. They have amazing views of the Palace itself and they are an oasis of calm in the midst of the activity and excitement. Within the main ‘Marlborough’ arena, the Dressage, Show Jumping Finale and part of the Cross Country course for the CC13* competition are inches from the private gardens of the hospitality marquees and many companies have used these marquees to meet a variety of needs from a straightforward lunch to auctions and sales training.

For 2009 a full day of corporate hospitality at the Blenheim International Horse Trials, including VIP forward car parking, tickets into the event, passes into the corporate and VIP members marquees, as well as morning coffee and pastries, two course hot buffet lunch with wine and afternoon tea, prices start from just £78 plus vat per head for tables of 8 or more. Silver service with more extensive menus combined with extra privacy can be provided for parties of 30 or more, including their own main arena side pavilion.

Alternatively, for companies who prefer to get close to the action and are happy to be in the eye of the general public, there is also the opportunity to have private marquees next to their sponsored fences on the Cross Country course – a chance to combine your advertising and branding with entertaining.

For further information on hospitality, sponsorship or any aspect of the Horse Trials please visit www.blenheim-horse.co.uk or call 01993 813335.

HORSE TRIALS FAMILY DAY OUT OFFER

If you would like a great day out with your family, why not take advantage of our great B4 Horse Trials offer? We have negotiated 25% off the gate price of Sunday adult admission tickets* booked through our website www.inoxford.com so you can enjoy a super value great day out. (Sunday adult price normally £18, B4 price £13.50, accompanied children 12 years and under free, car parking free).

This year Blenheim have a new ‘star spotter’ CC13* class aimed at horses who will be being targeted at the 2012 Olympics – a chance to see the stars of the future in action and as those horses will be doing their Cross Country between 11am and 1pm on Sunday, it’s a great day to see them in action.

As well as the CC13* Cross Country there are lots of free-to-view displays and demonstrations, an interesting retail village with a wide variety of shops and outlets. A food hall is included with plenty of tasty things to sample, children’s attractions including bouncy castles and climbing walls. In addition to the CC13* class there is the final stage of the CC13* Show Jumping within the main arena in the morning and afternoon. There is some limited free standing (but purchase of grandstand seats is advised). Plus of course, there are the beautiful grounds of the Palace, within which the event is sited, to enjoy at your leisure.

Many families bring a picnic or try out something delicious from one of the extensive array of retail catering units and sit on the banks of the River Glyme to enjoy the wonderful spectacle of the magnificent horses galloping through the water complex, (added to that is the possibility of witnessing the odd fallen rider getting a little wet!).

Come and join us for a day to remember! *B4 ticket offer applies to adult admission only tickets and does not apply to grandstand seats or inclusive passes or other ticket types.

www.b4-business.com

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news Businesses turn to Business Link as recession bites Over 12,000 businesses and entrepreneurs in Oxfordshire turned to Business Link for advice and support over the past year.

The quality of Business Link’s advice and support is highlighted in a 92% customer satisfaction rating. Despite increasingly challenging conditions, a separate survey also showed that Business Link customers are twice as likely to expect growth over the next twelve months, compared with non-customers.

As well as helping existing businesses, Business Link also helped nearly 500 entrepreneurs from Oxfordshire to launch a business.

Peter Griffiths of Business Link said: “These figures show both the amount of work Business Link is doing to help businesses tackle this recession, and the amount that this help is clearly needed. Business Link has evolved and adapted to provide services that suit the current economic climate, and Oxfordshire businesses are responding – for example over 1,200 Oxfordshire businesses have now taken advantage of the free ‘Health Checks’ service launched in October last year.”

The Business Link Customer Service Team weathering the storm for local businesses

Free new Guide to Winning Business in Tough Times At Business Link we believe it is important to have access to the right information. That is why we have compiled another great guide which is completely free. Our ‘Guide to Winning Business in Tough Times’ covers the following and more: • Where to find contracts that are available for tender • How to win Public and Private Sector contracts • How to ensure that you are priced competitively • What professional buyers look for in a bid

The guide will enable you to avoid common mistakes and focus your attention on what really works, saving you time and money.

You can download the guide at: www.businessquestionsanswered.co.uk /newbusiness or request a copy from the Business Link customer service team.

Other guides available include: Sources of finance for small firms; Developing a marketing plan; Writing press releases; Health & safety compliance; Business insurance cover; and Employment regulations.

Filtering out support from Business Link Thame based Optical Filters has become a world leader in the design and manufacture of specialist glass and screens. Applications include avionics, marine, public information displays, defence and test and measurement equipment.

Over the past four years they have achieved a growth rate of two hundred per cent and look set for another profitable year.

to enhance senior management development, a High Growth Business Coaching Programme and a Leadership for Global Competitiveness programme which our entire senior management team is currently benefiting from. Business Link is really tuned in to our needs and future plans. They bring to our attention high quality programmes and opportunities, delivered by their many partners.”

“Business Link has introduced us to the Manufacturing Advisory Service, a Leadership Grant

Events for the diary As part of the ongoing ‘Excellence’ series of workshops from Business Link, we are now accepting booking for two new free events: Search Engine Optimisation – 10th September, Begbroke Science Park, 8am-12.30pm. Designed to help you maximise your web success and increase traffic to your site. Improve your search engine rankings and find out about the role played by pay per click campaigns in the battle for search engine success.

Buying & Selling Businesses - 29th September, The Oxford Centre, 8.30am12.30pm. This event is ideal for owner managers who want to understand best practice for buying and selling a business and will cover areas such as: maximise the exit value; how to sell; buy a business for a low value; the best time to sell; liability after the sale.

Book by calling 0845 600 900 6 or email: events@businesslinksolutions.co.uk.

Contact Business Link by: call: 0845 600 900 6. email: info@businesslinksolutions.co.uk web: www.businesslink.gov.uk/southeast

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HOTEL DU VIN BIRMINGHAM Our B4 family enjoy a night and meal at Hotel du Vin Birmingham and discover unrivalled hospitality, sophisticated dining and a room big enough to call home – it really was a monster! Words by Edward Rosser.

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B4 ACCOMMODATION

Birmingham for the night? Ever considered it?

We were going en route to the Villa v Chelsea match in February and found out why so many Premiership Clubs choose Hotel du Vin for the pre-match stop-overs. It certainly performed for us.

The luxury Hotel du Vin Birmingham occupies the previously disused Birmingham Eye Hospital and is the distinctive location for the largest hotel in this funky chain. The ornate, early Victorian building in the old city centre, now part of the newly revitalised Jewellery Quarter, was sympathetically converted to provide sixty six bedrooms and boutique suites around the central courtyard which retains many of the buildings dramatic original features, including the magnificent sweeping staircase and granite pillars.

The courtyard presented itself as an oasis of calm at the eye of this busy boutique hotel, not silly busy, but cool, slick busy. And as we had arrived late for an even later dinner booking, we swept up that majestic sweeping staircase and into our, appropriately, Premier League sized room (it was a belter – we could have staged a pre-match fan’s five-a-side in there and still had room for the double King, Queen and Court Jester’s bed) and

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almost straight back down again. But, hang on, did you see that shower! I had to have a go – contemplating an ‘I’m good enough for dinner, no need for a shower’ defence to the ‘aren’t you changing smelly boy?’, or, ‘driver’, as I am affectionately also known as, I was in there quicker than a disgraced MP in The News of the World, really, that quick.

I felt like I had walked to the other side of Birmingham by the time I got to the shower taps, but boy was it worth it, ‘Come on, you’ve been in there fifteen minutes’, they nagged, in unison, like some sort of choir. We were in the Champagne bar within ten minutes, and even though we felt slightly out of place amongst the young professionals of Birmingham unwinding after a busy week, our eight and soon-to-be twelve year old towed the line and melted into the gentle hum of the now very late Friday night.

Our table was ready, our orders having already been taken, and the kids were eating. Ed tucked in to a burger, and Abi, spag boll – no change there then! They were quiet, they were happy – it was great food. Tina had the mussels and I went for the salmon, and we both went for the steak for mains, served on a sturdy wood chopping board

accompanied by chunky chips. What a perfect meal to round off the week – not forgetting the Rioja Crianza, Castillo de Clavijo, from Spain.

By now we were all ready for our beds and all of us could have got into one. The kids adjoining room was, I am assured, slept in, at some stage during our brief stay in Birmingham, but when, I will need some convincing. Another great shower and we were eating, again – becoming an all too familiar pattern. A hearty breakfast, ‘the works’ as my son referred to it when ordering, we had been well fed, rested and certainly well showered.

Hotel du Vin Birmingham can give you a plethora of excuses to stay, whether you are alone on business, romancing or away for a short break as a family. It is unpretentious for somewhere so cool, homely for somewhere so ostentatious and incredibly good value for your hard earned money.

And as ‘Blue was the Colour’ that weekend, it wasn’t just our son who left Birmingham with a smile on his face.

With thanks to Hotel du Vin Birmingham.

www.hotelduvin.com

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GREAT FOSTERS

REVISITED

Forty three years ago, Colin Rosser spent his first night as a married man at Great Fosters, a splendid country house hotel boasting a fifty acre estate near Windsor, Surrey. As a Grade One listed building, Great Fosters provides a heady mix of 16th Century style with modern day necessities. But as Colin and his bride of forty three years, Sue, made their way down the drive to the hotel, it was as if time had stood still.

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B4 ACCOMMODATION

The first change soon became apparent when we were shown to our room, not in the main hotel but the ‘Sociable Room’ in The Coach House. All the rooms are named after coaches, Landau, Cabriolet etc... The original building has been completely gutted and then refitted to provide eleven sumptuous rooms to bring the number of rooms in the hotel to forty four. What is really striking about the hotel is the efforts that have been made to retain the best of the old whilst introducing the new.

conference tables and very comfortable, black and chrome Boss Chairs. The lighting is soft and can be illuminated in colours that suit the occasion or the company livery. There are large Samsung televisions in each room, with a gigantic screen in the largest room that can then be divided into four smaller screens. The Manager of the conference facility in fact went to the Samsung HQ to ensure that Great Fosters received the very latest conference technology available, and they certainly have achieved this.

Apart from the obvious accommodation, dining and leisure facilities, the hotel also plays host to conferences and weddings. This year, one hundred and eighty two weddings are booked in, with one hundred and forty two for 2010. The largest space is The Tithe Barn which can accommodate one hundred and eighty guests.

After being shown round by Jill Clow, the Events Manager, we both sampled a glass of champagne in the Cocktail Bar before getting immersed in the Dinner Menu and making our choices. We sat down at about 7.30pm when the restaurant was half full, but were soon surrounded! The Oak Restaurant was converted from part of the original kitchens in 2002 and refurbished again earlier this year.

For conferences, the ground floor of The Coach House is dedicated to providing some of the finest conference facilities I have seen. There are three main rooms that can cater for conferences of twenty, eighteen and ten. They are all beautifully finished and tastefully decorated, with huge walnut

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I chose the crab and caviar whilst Sue went for the artichoke soup. Both were delightfully presented and tasted sublime. We had a glass of Les Greilles, Domain Causse Marine, which was an excellent

complement to our starters. For the main course, Sue had the Cumbrian Lamb Loin and I had the Cornish Cod, and we both had a glass of the Rayas Uva Rioja. For dessert, Sue passed, but I had the indulgent baked chocolate custard with white chocolate. All the food was presented ‘a la nouvelle cuisine’ and could not be faulted.

We then retired to the Main Hall where the log fire burned merrily in the Jacobean Fireplace and relaxed in the comfortable sofa with our espresso coffees.

It wasn’t that late when we returned to the room which offered everything from an ipod player to comfortable dressing gowns and slippers. After a good nights sleep we went down to an early breakfast. Kippers were on the menu, which we found irresistible, followed by a brisk walk in the striking fifty acre gardens.

Going back to a place which holds so many fond memories can often disappoint, but thankfully this was not the case with Great Fosters. www.greatfosters.co.uk

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B4 Contacts ADVICE Accountants Wenn Townsend 50 Contact: Tony Haines E-mail: aehaines@wenntownsend.co.uk Telephone: 01865 559900 Address: 30 St Giles, Oxford. OX1 3LE Website: www.wenntownsend.co.uk Shaw Gibbs LLP 58 Contact: Peter O’Connell Telephone: 01865 292200 Address: 264 Banbury Road, Oxford.

OX2 7DY Website: www.shawgibbs.com

Solicitors Darbys Solicitors 28 67 Contact: 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 Withy King 36 25 Contact: 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 Brethertons Contact: Claire Thompson E-mail: clairethompson@brethertons.co.uk Telephone: 01295 661492 Address: Strathmore House, Waterperry Court, Middleton Road, Banbury, Oxon.

OX16 4QD Website: www.brethertons.co.uk 88

The Oxford Belfry 76 Contact: Jonathan Read Telephone: 01844 279381 Address: Milton Common, Nr Thame, Oxfordshire. OX9 2JW Website: www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels/ the-oxford-belfry-oxfordshire The Oxford Centre 33 Contact: Andrew Lund-Yates Telephone: 01865 554719 Address: 333 Banbury Road, Oxford.

OX2 7PL Website: www.the-oxford-centre.co.uk Barceló Oxford Hotel 60 Contact: Cormac O’Hara E-mail: oxford.gm@barcelo-hotels.co.uk Telephone: 01865 489988 Address: Godstow Road, Oxford. OX2 8AL Website: www.barcelo-hotels.co.uk

PROPERTY

The Project Managers 49 Contact: Peronel Barnes E-mail: plan@the-project-managers.com Telephone: 01865 751531 Address: 26 Bowness Avenue, Headington, Oxford. OX3 0AJ Website: www.the-project-managers.com

Estate Agents Breckon & Breckon 12 Contact: Greg Barnes E-mail: greg.barnes@breckon.co.uk Telephone: 01865 201111 Address: 13 Beaumont Street, Oxford. OX1 2LP Website: www.breckon.co.uk Pink & Black Property 74 Consultants Contact: Claire Moloney E-mail: Claire@pinkandblackproperty.com Telephone: 01865 515919 Address: 14 Oakthorpe Road, Oxford. OX2 7BE Website: www.pinkandblackproperty.com

VSL 16 Contact: Richard Venables E-mail: rvenables@vslandp.com Telephone: 01865 848488 Address: 22 Bankside, Kidlington, Oxford.

OX5 1JE Website: www.vslandp.com

Builders Merchants Government Organisations Business Link 99 Telephone: 0845 600 900 6 Website: www.businesslink.gov.uk/southeast

CONFERENCE Conference Venues Conference Centre Oxford 38 Contact: Pamela Parker E-mail: pamela@oxstay.co.uk Telephone: 01865 254075 Address: Cantay House, Park End Street, Oxford. OX1 1JD Website: www.conferencecentreoxford.co.uk

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OFFICE Office Supplies

Johnsons Buildbase 90 94 Contact: David Robertson E-mail: david.robertson@buildbase.co.uk Telephone: 01865 787700 Address: Watlington Road, Cowley, Oxford.

OX4 6LN Website: www.buildbase.co.uk

Architects Panton Design Ltd 54 Contact: Henry Panton E-mail: post@pantondesign.info Telephone: 01993 810704 Address: New Road, Woodstock. OX20 1PM Website: www.pantondesign.info

RECRUITMENT Allen Associates (Oxford) Ltd Contact: Kate Allen FREC E-mail: Kate@allen-associates.co.uk Telephone: 01865 481691 Address: 7200 The Quorum, Oxford Business Park North, Oxford. OX4 2JZ Website: www.allen-associates.co.uk

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MARKETING

B-Line 82 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

Telecoms Orange Stripe Telecommunications Contact: Nigel Pursall E-mail: nigel@orangestripe.co.uk Telephone: 07775 588 811 Address: Unit 23, 116 Commercial Road, Swindon. SN1 5BD Website: www.orangestripe.co.uk 62

Commercial Property Consultancy

Riach Architects 68 Contact: Douglas Riach E-mail: mail@riacharchitects.com Telephone: 01865 553 772 Address: 65 Banbury Road, Oxford.

OX2 6PE Website: www.riacharchitects.com

COMPUTE Customers Really Matter 78 Contact: James White E-mail: james.white@yourcrm.co.uk Telephone: 0845 310 9973 Website: www.customersreallymatter.co.uk Oxford Home IT Support 75 Contact: Richard Hillsdon E-mail: help@homeitsupport.biz Telephone: 01865 594020 Address: Prama House, 2nd Floor, 267 Banbury Road , Oxford. OX2 7HT Website: www.homeitsupport.biz Sci-Net Business Solutions 80 Contact: Duncan Fergusson E-mail: duncanf@sci-net.co.uk Telephone: 01869 349 949 Address: 5 Lakeside Farm Park, Middle Aston, Bicester, Oxford. OX25 5PP Website: www.sci-net.co.uk Sophos 105 Contact: Sophos Sales Team Email: sales@sophos.com Telephone: 01235 559933 Address: The Pentagon, Abingdon Science Park, Barton Lane, Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

OX14 3YP Website: www.sophos.com Nominet 93 Contact: 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

Design & Marketing Blink Design Contact: Keith Simpson E-mail: art-work@btconnect.com Telephone: 01865 742211 Address: The Firs, Headington Hill, Oxford.

OX3 0BT. Milton Bayer Communications Ltd 26 Contact: Ray Wellington E-mail: ray@miltonbayer.com Telephone: 01604 704100 Address: 21-27 Tudor Court, Wootton Hope Drive, Northampton. NN4 6FF Website: www.miltonbayer.com Torpedo Group Limited 52 Contact: Iain Lewis E-mail: laura@torpedogroup.com Telephone: 01865 733710 Address: The Tack Room, Worton Park, Cassington, Oxon. OX29 4SU Website: www.torpedogroup.com Direction Marketing Services Ltd Contact: David Hart E-mail: David@directionmarketing.co.uk Telephone: 01235 510932 Website: www.directionmarketing.co.uk

Public Relations BOTTLE PR 14 Contact: Claire Cairns E-mail: ClaireCairns@bottlepr.co.uk Telephone: 01865 882988 Address: 33 Acre End Street, Eynsham, Oxford. OX29 4PF Website: www.bottlepr.co.uk

Photography and Duplication Studio 8 86 Contact: 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

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B4 Contacts ACCOMMODATION Short Stay Accommodation Apartments In Oxford 2 Contact: Fafar Watts E-mail: based@oxstay.co.uk Telephone: 01865 254075 Address: St Thomas Mews, 58 St Thomas Street, Oxford, OX1 1JP Website: www.oxstay.co.uk

Hotels The Oxford Belfry 76 Contact: Jonathan Read Telephone: 01844 279381 Address: Milton Common, Nr Thame, Oxfordshire. OX9 2JW Website: www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels /the-oxford-belfry-oxfordshire Barceló Oxford Hotel 60 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

EDUCATE Oxford Innovation Ltd 89 Contact: Joanne Willet Telephone: 01865 811127 Address: Harwell Innovation Centre, 173 Curie Avenue, Harwell Science & Innovation Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire. OX11 0QG Website: www.oxin.co.uk

NETWORK The Oxford Wealth Club 42 Contact Name: Angela Beaugeard E-mail: oxfordwealthclub@paul-avins.com Telephone: 01869 278900 Website: www.oxfordwealthclub.co.uk

LEISURE

Corporate Entertainment CSM Ltd 41 Contact: Charlie Allen E-mail: callen@csmltd.org Telephone: 01451 812277 Address: Cotswold Innovation Centre, 42 A P Ellis Road, Rissington Business Park, Upper Rissington, GL54 2QB Website: www.csmltd.org Blenheim Horse Trails 96 Contact: Sally Clark E-mail: sallyc@blenheim-horse.co.uk Telephone: 01993 813335 Address: Blenheim Horse Trials Office, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxon.

OX20 1PS Website: www.blenheim-horse.co.uk

Retail The Covered Market 46 Address: The Covered Market, Oxford.

OX1 3DZ Website: www.oxford-covered-market.co.uk

Oxford Castle 70 Contact: Jean-Pierre Morilleau E-mail: jp.morilleau@topgroup.co.uk Telephone: 01865 201657 Address: The Treadwheel, 43 Oxford Castle, Oxford. OX1 1AY Website: www.oxfordcastle.com

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Oxford Radcliffe Private 72 Healthcare Contact: Victoria Shaw E-mail: Victoria.shaw@orh.nhs.uk Telephone: 01865 235703 Website: www.oxfordradcliffe.nhs.uk /privatehealthcare

Bourton Mill 56 Contact: Gavin Peck E-mail: gavin@bourtonmill.net Telephone: 01865 251261 Address: 6-7 High Street, Oxford.OX1 4AB Website: www.bourtonmill.net

TRAVEL Public Transport Chiltern Railways 34 Telephone: 08456 005 165 Website: www.chilternrailways.co.uk

Air

The Oxfordshire Golf Club 22 Contact: Jennifer Daniels E-mail: jennifer@theoxfordshiregolfclub.com Telephone: 01844 278300 Address: Rycote Lane, Milton Common, Thame. OX9 2PU Website: www.theoxfordshiregolfclub.com

Oxford Airport 48 Contact: 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

Restaurants Cherwell Boat House 71 Contact: Jonny Verdin E-mail: info@cherwellboathouse.co.uk Telephone: 01865 552746 Address: Bardwell Road, Oxford. OX2 6ST Website: www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk Malmaison 30 Contact: Andrew Creese E-mail: acreese@malmaison.com Telephone: 0845 365 4247 Address: 3 New Road, Oxford. OX1 1AY Website: www.malmaison.com

Sport Oxford United Football Club 64 Contact: Kelvin Thomas E-mail: mary@oufc.co.uk Telephone: 01865 337505 Address: Grenoble Road, Oxford. OX4 4XP Website: www.oufc.co.uk

Galleries O3 Gallery 44 Contact: Miss Sophie Egleton E-mail: sophie.egleton@topgroup.co.uk Telephone: 01865 246131 Address: Oxford Castle, Oxford. OX1 1AY Website: www.o3gallery.co.uk

Hotel du Vin Birmingham 98 Telephone: 0121 200 0600 Address: 25 Church Street, Birmingham, B3 2NR Website: www.hotelduvin.com/birmingham

Health Clubs and Spas

Golf Clubs

Days Out / Attractions / Events Blenheim Palace 18 Contact: John Hoy E-mail: johnhoy@blenheimpalace.com Telephone: 01993 810536 Address: Woodstock, Oxon. OX20 1PS Website: www.blenheimpalace.com

HEALTH

HOME Audio T 57 Contact: Jerry Lewin E-mail: oxford@audio-t.co.uk Telephone: 01865 765961 Address: 19 Old High Street, Headington, Oxford. OX3 9HS Website: www.audio-t.co.uk Oxford Double Glazing Limited Contact: Alan Brunsdon 61 E-mail: enquiries@oxfordtimberwindows.com Telephone: 01865 324920 Address: 38 Old Marston Road, Marston, Oxford. OX3 0JP Website: www.oxfordtimberwindows.com

BEYOND Hotels UK Great Fosters 102 E-mail: conferences@greatfosters.co.uk Telephone: 01784 433822 Address: Great Fosters, Stroude Road, Egham, Surrey TW20 9UR Website: www.greatfosters.co.uk

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.

B4 Is Designed by

E-mail: studio@on-the-blink.com Telephone: 01865 742211

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