B4 Issue 60 - Enterprise Nation Edition by B4 Magazine

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B4 MAGAZINE ISSUE 60 DECEMBER 2019

WHERE ARE YOU? A look at diversity and an aging population Page 111

Enhancing Logistics

Change The Way You Think

Unipart Group on intelligent supply chains Page 26

BIO2020 tackles what it means to be a responsible business Page 86

SMALL BUSINESS ENGINE OF THE UK Meet Emma Jones MBE, Founder of Enterprise Nation, and find out about the work they do to fuel small businesses in the UK.

B U I L D I N G

B R I D G E S

B E T W E E N

O X F O R D S H I R E

B U S I N E S S E S

BIO

2020

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

T C E N N O C

B4 is More Than Networking

What does B4 mean to you? We’ve often wondered what makes B4 stand out from the crowd, and after many years we feel we might finally have the answer: B4 is more than networking.

Through our wide variety of events, from casual mingling in beautiful venues, to Masterclass sessions where you can gain new skills from other B4 members, to sit-down dinners in prestigious establishments where you can forge excellent relationships with some great characters in the B4 community, B4 has it all.

But that’s just the thing. We do have it all. We’re not just about events…

B4 is not just a networking group. We don’t ask you to stand up in front of 50 people and pitch yourself for 20 seconds, instead we work to develop business relationships that will last and bring you success and peace of mind for

many years to come.

We’re a high quality magazine, where your business is promoted and your knowledge and news is shared with other local businesses and the wider public. We’re a wide-reaching social media platform, where we celebrate our members, their successes, and the human side of business.

We’re digital, we know that technology is the future and we are putting all of our efforts into improving our current website to bring you real-time interaction with the wider B4 community. The B4 website enables you to promote your business to the B4 community and beyond with fantastic additional functionality coming soon.

We’re video producers and photographers, interviewing members from our growing community, creating inspiring and informative

promotional videos, and shining a light on the personalities in our community through high quality photos.

B4 is for business people who understand that success is achieved by nurturing long-lasting and trusted relationships. The B4 community encourages collaboration, reciprocation and a focus on the importance of integrity and honesty. We are proud of our B4 members, and they should be proud to be known as such.

And so, once again, B4 is more than networking: B4 is a thriving and connected business community where like-minded companies and individuals collaborate, learn, share and grow together.

But most importantly, underlying all that we do, are our values.

We hope you agree that B4 is definitely about #morethannetworking 2

#morethannetworking

B4 JOIN THE B4 COMMUNITY B4 is a membership organisation which provides you with a wide range of tools to help you to…

Increase your Profile Make great Connections Learn new Skills …and much More! B4 is for business people who understand that success is achieved by nurturing long-lasting and trusted relationships. The B4 community encourages authentic ethos, collaboration, reciprocation and a focus on the importance of integrity and honesty.

Read our “Join The Community” info brochure online at bit.ly/2mfSg1A

SUPPORTING THE OPINIONS OF THE OXFORDSHIRE BUSINESS COMMUNITY For more see www.oxvoice.co.uk

WELCOME TO ISSUE 60

THE TEAM

Richard Rosser Whatever colour you voted in the election, you’ve no doubt been left either feeling Blue or toasting Blue. I’ll offer no opinion either way, but let’s hope that this marks a turning point for all of us. Some of you will no doubt be despairing, whilst others will be convinced that troubled waters are past us and a sea of opportunity lies ahead. Irrespective, let’s hope years of indecision and false hope are behind us so that we can all concentrate on business. Issue 60 is crammed full of amazing content from some incredible people. None more so than Emma Jones MBE, Founder of the wonderful Enterprise Nation and one of our headline speakers at BIO2020. Whilst interviewing Emma I couldn’t help feel a little envious at what she has achieved with her network and plans for 2020. Emma certainly is an inspiration and someone we can all learn from and I for one can’t wait to hear more from Emma in June.

Chief Executive & Editor

Colin Rosser Chairman

Another inspiring article features the unbelievable new facilities at Oxford Business Park which provide not only the tenants on the park with a wide range of community opportunities to engage with their neighbours, but also visitors to the Park with the new Oxford Factory restaurant. Check out the new Park video also – we’re rather pleased with it as a B4 production… Rob’s done a great job. Elsewhere in this edition we get a glimpse of Oxford Technology Park, opening later in 2020 and just over the road at London Oxford Airport we get a window on the future for aviation. With a focus on the future, there are articles to get you thinking about robotic process automation, cybercrime and cloud technology. On the subject of the future, 2020 will be a fascinating year for B4 and all in the B4 community. With 60 editions of the magazine under our belt, 2020 will be a fresh start in many respects for B4 as we focus our attention on helping all Oxfordshire businesses look at how they operate in every way. BIO2020, from 2nd to 4th June, has a theme of #changethewayyouthink and it’s vitally important for all businesses to understand their place in Oxfordshire’s business community and the role they can play in the future prosperity of everyone in Oxfordshire. As a county we have significant challenges and B4 will be taking a lead in helping to corral the huge amount of goodwill, wonderful initiatives and positive energy that already exists here in Oxfordshire. By channelling that positive energy through a co-ordinated approach we can ensure that everyone can reap the rewards of a buoyant Oxfordshire, not one that sees escalating social issues which must be addressed. They’re not going to go away if some of us turn the other way. It’s time to work together to ensure EVERYONE has the opportunities to prosper. So if you think your business could do more, I’d really like to hear from you.

Keith Simpson Senior Designer

Lorna Waterfield Production Manager

Rob Scotcher Design & Photography

And finally….well done to Ed Rosser and the rest of the NX team on the launch of issue one of NX Magazine – it’s a cracking publication and will be, I am sure, a huge success. Have a great 2020 and enjoy B4 Ed Rosser NX

Richard Rosser Editor

MORE ABOUT B4 p2 B4 More Than Networking p8. B4 Platinum, Gold, New & Renewing Members

p10. B4 Events Calendar p12. B4 Community News p82. OV Supplement

O X F O R D S H I R E

Sue Rosser Credit Control

Contents news

37 Future Proof Your Business: STL take a look at why Cloud Technology is important for your business.

12 The Latest from: The B4 Community 94 The Latest from: Oxford Bus Company 108 The Latest from: Oxford Innovation 112 The Latest from: MODUS Accountants

38 Robotic Process Automation: Learn about an invisible robot army, with Unipart Expert Practices.

lead

legal 52 Freethinking: Take a look back over the past year with Freeths Solicitors. 55 Employment Law: Moorcrofts discuss all aspects of employment law for 2020. 56 A Robust 2020: Blake Morgan talk about how to ensure a robust start to 2020. 58 Landstack: Guiding your success, a case study by Freeths Solicitors.

18 Enterprise Nation: Fuelling the Small Business Engine of the UK. 22 Oxford Business Park: Taking Care of Business.

education 41 Cybercrime Awareness: Activate Learning & Thames Valley Police join forces.

spotlight 42 What Keeps You Awake?: Steve Cook of V discusses the importance of brand strategy. 44 Mentally Tough: Catch up with Nathan Thomas of Hilltop Chauffeurs.

the future

46 IHub: Oxfordshire County Council is innovating for a smarter Oxfordshire.

26 Enhancing Logistics: Unipart Group talks to B4 about intelligent supply chains.

48 Penny Mallory: Meet Penny Mallory, Mental Toughness & Performance Mindset Specialist.

28 Unified Communications: Digitizelectric talk about pod, a cloud based unified communications platform.

finance 63 Recognition At Every Level: Whitley Stimpson explain why awards schemes are essential. 64 Accidental Careers: Barclays discuss the support they provided to North Oxford Property Services. 66 Growing a Business: Stuart Crook of Wellers shares advice on raising finance.

advice

29 A New Home for Science: Introducing Oxford Technology Park, opening in 2020.

69 What Is Innovation?: TBAT talk about what “innovation” can mean to you.

30 A.I. and Cyber Security: CIS explain how A.I. affects the cyber security industry.

71 Unlock Your Business Potential: CMC Partners explain the importance of knowing how & when to sell.

33 Think Privacy: Databasix explain how GDPR plays a role in business innovation. 34 The Future of Aviation: Catch up with London Oxford Airport and their thoughts on the future.

73 Your Local, International Hub: James Cowper Kreston talk about Oxford’s international connections.

property 74 VSL & Partners: Check out the latest commercial properties from VSL. 76 The Rented Sector: Christopher Way of Carter Jonas discusses the private rented sector. 78 Growing Against the Odds: B4 chats to Ridge about their growth amidst an unpre dictable economy.

csr & charity

health & Fitness

96 NEXUS: NEXUS launched back in October, read to find out about partnerships so far.

118 Janette Cardy: Meet Janette Cardy and learn about her inspirational sporting back ground.

99 Inspiring Gen Z: Oxfordshire Youth provide 10 steps to inspire Gen Z in the workplace. 100 Charity Corporate Partnerships: Sobell House talk about the importance of forming partnerships. 103 Teaching Oxfordshire: Guest for Learning celebrates teaching 5000 Oxfordshire children. 105 Coffee Connections: Horsebox Coffee Co. talk about connecting farmers, roasters and businesses. 106 Green Initiatives: Owen Mumford explain how they have been supporting community initiatives. 109 Wildlife & Your Business: BBOWT discuss how wildlife can work for your business.

hr & recruitment 111 Where Are You?: You HR take a look at diversity and an aging population in the workplace.

events

113 Mental Health Champions: Blenheim encourages managerial staff to undertake mental health training.

85 OV Transport Sub-Group: Learn about Oxfordshire Voice’s newly formed specialist sub-group.

114 Are You Disability Confident?: Find out about the Disability Confident scheme and recruiting disabled talent.

86 Change The Way You Think: Find out about BIO2020 and how it will tackle what it means to be a responsible business.

117 Stressed CEO?: Sue Rees talks about knowing when it’s time to grow your team.

venues 123 Happy Birthday: Conference Oxford are celebrating their 25th anniversary. 125 Saïd Business School: Find out about dinners and functions at University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.

services 126 Talent Spotter: Aston & James explain how to attract and retain Millenials in the workplace.

corp. lifestyle 128 Sustainable Travel: Sian Pages of Not Just Travel talks about how you can become a more eco-friendly traveller. 130 The Black Horse: Explore this gorgeous pub in the heart of historic Thame. 131 Brasserie Blanc: Watch the world go by in this beautiful brasserie in Jericho, Oxford. 132 Victory is Victors: Read B4’s recap of a visit to this Hamptons inspired restaurant.

meet the community

89 A Night at the Museum: Read the Ashmolean’s recap of a great B4 event. 90 Engaging Independents: Lucy Eckley and Phil Walsh held an informative workshop on independent consultants. 92 Halloween Dinner at Blenheim: Read our recap of this stylish B4 Dinner at Blenheim Palace.

120 Plant-Based: Helen Money Nutrition takes a look at plant-based diets.

113

70 Lola Chapman: Artist & Life Coach 98 Cheryl-Lee Foulsham: Oxford Duplication Centre 116 Helen Brown & Orla Murphy: SEEBLUE Marketing

Member Directory 133

Platinum & Gold Members PLATINUM

Everything for the Workplace

2020 P O W E R E D

B Y

SUPPORTING THE OPINIONS OF THE OXFORDSHIRE BUSINESS COMMUNITY For more see www.oxvoice.co.uk

B4 New & Renewing Members

GOLD

Bodleian Libraries U N I V E R S I T Y O F OX F O R D

Become a part of the B4 Community today. Call 01865 742211, or visit www.b4-business.com O X F O R D S H I R E

ACCOUNTANTS

B4 Events Calendar MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

January 2020 6 18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Pizza Pilgrims Pizza Pilgrims

11:00 – 12:30 B4 Welcome Brunch New B4 Members Only B4 HQ

February 2020 3

18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Masterclass with Andrew Hancock B4 HQ

11:00 – 12:30 Explore B4 Non Members Only B4 HQ

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Oxford Eastgate Hotel

March 2020 2

18:30 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Oxford Business Park

18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

11:00 – 12:30 B4 Welcome Brunch New B4 Members Only B4 HQ

18:30 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon

W H O WI L L YOU S UPPORT? SEE WWW.NEXUS.B4-BUSINESS.COM FOR INTRODUCTION EVENT INFORMATION

B4 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

April 2020 6

18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

16:30 – 18:30 B4 Tours Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre (SCEEC)

April 2020 27

18:30 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Divinity School

May 2020 11

11:00 – 12:30 B4 Welcome Brunch New B4 Members Only B4 HQ 18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

18:30 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Randolph Hotel

Oxfordshire Voice Events

NX Events

B4 Masterclasses

B4 Classic Events

B4 Welcome / Explore Events

B4 Dinners

B4 Workshop

B4 Tours

NEXUS Events

B4 Upcoming Events B4 Classic Event at Oxford Business Park Date: Thursday 5th March 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Oxford Business Park, Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2JT

Please note • It is not appropriate to leave flyers, business cards on tables, or banners at the venue. Any found will be disposed of. • Flash photography and/or video will be taken at these events. You may opt out of photography on the night by affixing a red sticker to your badge, available at the reception desk. • B4 Events operate under the No Show procedure. Failure to notify us if you are unable to attend an event may result in a fee. See full event terms & conditions on www.b4-business.com.

More events being confirmed soon! Register for all of the above at www.b4-business.com

B4 COMMUNITY NEWS Gardner Leader raising Pancreatic Cancer awareness On Thursday 21 November Gardner Leader illuminated their Newbury office in a flood of purple lights to raise awareness for their chosen firm charity of the year, Pancreatic Cancer UK. White Hart House in Newbury Market Place was lit up from dusk on World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Purple Lights for Pancreatic Cancer is an event set up to help raise awareness on World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Gardner Leader was among other landmarks, businesses and homes across the country that turned purple to remember those who have been lost, and to support those who are living with or beyond the disease.

Oxfordshire Bucks National Trend with Increase in Visitor Spend This year’s Economic Impact Report for Tourism in Oxfordshire, a report commissioned by Experience Oxfordshire, shows the county bucking the national trend with a significant increase in visitor spend in 2018. The study shows an increase in spend of 5.1%, taking the value of the visitor economy in Oxfordshire to £2.28 billion, meeting the county’s target of 5% growth despite a predicted national increase of less than 1% growth. This was boosted by an increase of 1% in overseas visits to Oxfordshire, versus a national decrease of 3% compared to 2017. Chief Executive of Experience Oxfordshire, Hayley Beer-Gamage said: “These results clearly show the increasing importance of the Visitor Economy to Oxfordshire and we are delighted that we have exceeded our target for increased visitor spend, against a challenging national picture.” A full copy of the report can be found here: https://bit.ly/34E7EpI

Rotary Club of Oxford North stages its annual “Rowathon” at The Athlete Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford, on Saturday 25th April 2020 Rowathon features teams of four, rowing on static Concept 2 rowing machines over a half-marathon [21 kilometres] distance. With the race shown on a big screen, the event has a great atmosphere and everyone can see what they have to do to keep up with the leaders. Each year since 2013, Rotary Club of Oxford North has recruited teams from a range of local Oxford companies. With the invaluable support and help of The Athlete Centre, at Osney Mead, Oxford, some very successful days have raised over £25,000 for a number of Oxford-based charities. In 2020 this fun day will be held in aid of PARKINSON’S UK Oxford Branch and DOWNS SYNDROME Oxford, Rotary Club of Oxford North’s chosen charities of the year, and other Rotary charities in Oxford. Each team is asked to obtain sponsorship, to pay for their entry-fee of £400, and also to provide additional funds for our charities - although participants may also raise money for their own nominated charity. The 2019 corporate winners were VSL and Partners, Commercial Property Consultants, based in Kidlington. We are hoping they will be back to defend their crown in 2020.

Since Gardner Leader set up their Corporate Social Responsibility Committee in 2014, they have raised over £31,500 and volunteered over 220 hours for 5 different charities. The committee was set up to support the local area through community investment, which includes working with charities and businesses, pro bono work, fund raising, volunteering, sponsorships and the environment. www.pancreaticcancer.org.uk www.gardner-leader.co.uk

Our great supporters and hosts, The Athlete Centre, enter their own teams, and they set a very hot pace indeed. Some gentler rowing comes from the Rotary team, and their German partner club has also taken part. For several years we are delighted also to have been joined by Indian Ocean Rowers, a team of guys who in June 2018, rowed from Australia to Mauritius (that’s 6000km!) in just over 60 days! For more details and to find an application form to enter a team please go to www.oxfordnorthrotary.org.uk/ rowathon-2020 WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Photograph: Jacqueline Cross

Boardman Hawkins & Osborne shortlisted in the Family Law Awards

Boardman Hawkins & Osborne LLP, (BH&O LLP) were shortlisted at last week’s Family Law Awards, as Family Law Firm of the Year – South. It is a particularly big achievement, given the firm only opened its doors in September 2018, to be shortlisted just a year after opening. The specialist family firm, based in Abingdon, is striving to do things slightly differently. One of its innovations, is to join forces with a group of counsellors and therapists, to offer separating clients some extra support. Partner Ruth Hawkins says “As lawyers with many years’ experience in this field, we have long realised that when our clients first approach us, they are often going through one of life’s major traumas, and are very often not able to focus on the legal, financial, and practical issues which arise upon separating or getting divorced. The counsellors working alongside us, mean that clients can access the emotional support they need, allowing them to focus on the legal and practical consequences of their separation. We aim to offer a much more holistic approach to helping our clients, by offering access to therapy, as well as family mediation.” Please contact BH&O on 01235 425500 www.bholegal.co.uk

Whitley Stimpson cautions against being seduced by pheonixism tax scheme HMRC has issued a warning about so-called ‘phoenixism’ tax avoidance schemes. These seek to avoid income tax charges by winding up a company and claiming the profits at more favourable capital gains tax (CGT) rates, before restarting activities under a new company. Experts at Whitley Stimpson, one of the largest independent accountancy practices in the area, with offices in Banbury, Bicester, High Wycombe and Witney, say it is important that businesses and individuals are aware of the realities of these schemes, as the penalties for getting caught are severe. Ian Parker, a director at Whitley Stimpson in Banbury says: “These ‘Phoenixism’ schemes attempt to portray a company’s undistributed profits as ‘capital distribution’, rather than a dividend or other income distribution, thereby being taxed at a lower rate. They are deliberately misleading the taxman, even when Government legislation has been tightened and the HMRC has detailed reasons why attempts to get around the new rules will not work.” In 2015 the government announced the introduction of targeted anti-avoidance rule (TAAR) legislation to end this type of phoenixism. HMRC now says some scheme promoters claim to have come up with a ruse that avoids the income tax charge and gets around the TAAR legislation.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“Worryingly, champions of Pheonixism now claim that by making an artificial modification to the arrangements, such as selling the company to a third party rather than winding it up, for example, the TAAR does not apply. However, HMRC maintain these schemes are within the scope and purpose of the TAAR legislation”, warns Ian. HMRC also says phoenixism arrangements that claim to involve payments to shareholders taxed as capital instead of income are caught by the TAAR, or other provisions, and says it will investigate any attempts to avoid the income tax charge. If caught, the penalties can be severe, at up to 100% of the undeclared tax. Even filing an inaccurate return can be heavily penalised. Whitley Stimpson suggests it is essential to talk to a trusted accountant if businesses want to look at ways of reducing their tax burden as much as possible within the framework of the law. The firm has a team of hugely experienced and highly qualified specialists who advise on all tax matters for both businesses and individuals. For further details, please contact Ian Parker, on 01295 270200 or ianp@whitleystimpson.co.uk.

Korean delegation visits Oxfordshire Voice On 29th October, we welcomed an eighteen strong delegation from South Korea who were visiting B4’s offices to find out more about Oxfordshire Voice. The Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (the government agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in South Korea) sent delegates representing government agency officials and university faculty members.

we got the message through! It’s great that at such an early stage in its life, Oxfordshire Voice has gained recognition internationally and hopefully we will be able to build on the foundations laid in year one to attract more interest in the future.”

The Korean government is striving to find the best ways for making sustainable development with collaboration between the government, local community, public and private sectors. The delegation comprised individuals in charge of developing regional industry and economy. Oxfordshire Voice was regarded as ‘the perfect organisation to learn from and co-operate with.’

solving local problems through regional forums and networking. In Korea, there are many gaps between corporaterelated organizations and civil society organizations. There is a need for a change of perception that can be used to solve community problems by applying the characteristics of OV to our private and civil society organizations.” LEE JOO HYUN, Executive Director l Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology. “OV is a business model established for the purpose of collaborative networking between corporations and public officials. It is meaningful to build a platform that can be solved through open communication such as housing problems for the homeless and think about the role of the platform that connects the needs of the community with the government.” KIM HYO SHIN, Professor l Kyungpook National University.

B4’s Richard Rosser commented, “It was certainly an interesting experience and we enjoyed hosting the Korean delegation. Trying to explain how Oxfordshire Voice works through an interpreter was a challenge, but I think Members of the delegation commented about their visit as follows. “Oxfordshire Voice is an organization that speaks to the government on behalf of its citizens. Rather than relying solely on the central government, it was impressive that local businesses and local people would work together to resolve local issues quickly.” KANG TAE WOOG, Secretary-general l HaengBok-Nanum Agricultural Cooperative. “It is a private company established for local entrepreneurship, corporate growth, and revitalization of the local economy. It serves as a pivotal point of the community and an agent for

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 & CIS announce three year partnership We are delighted to announce a three year partnership with CIS Ltd who have been providing B4 with our cloud and IT services for in excess of five years. B4’s Richard Rosser explained, “We have been working with Neill and the team at CIS for so long now that they are part of our team, providing us with reliable cloud and IT support for such a long time. It made sense to commit to a three year partnership as we both get so much benefit from the relationship.” CIS Ltd’s Managing Director, Neill Lawson-Smith added, “We have enjoyed our partnership with B4 immensely and have undoubtedly gained excellent profile in Oxfordshire which we previously found hard to secure. B4’s network of members is second to none and we look forward to working with B4 and more B4 members in the future.” www.cisltd.com

B4 COMMUNITY NEWS “We have been very impressed with B4 and the excellent range of services that the B4 team provide and are very much looking forward to connecting with the B4 community. Rob and Keith have provided an incredibly professional service with production of a new video and photography and we look forward to working with them through 2020 on other new initiatives.” Rob Scotcher, B4’s videographer added. “Dan and the rest of the team at Oxford Business Park have been an absolute pleasure to work with. We’ve really enjoyed capturing the launch of Oxford Works and the Oxford Factory…the customers are really lucky to have such incredible facilities on their doorstep.” www.oxfordbusinesspark.com

Oxford Business Park connects with Oxford and B4 As you will read inside this issue of B4, Oxford Business Park, owned by Arlington, have completed some superb investments this year for their customers. But the excellent new Oxford Factory restaurant is a facility which can be enjoyed by you and me, extending the park’s reach far beyond Garsington Road. B4 were privileged to be asked by Arlington’s Development Director, Dan Williams, to produce a new video showing off the many new services and facilities at the park as part of an overall agreement which sees Dan and his team join B4 as Platinum Members. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Find your

DREAM

University of Oxford venue for any occasion

Conference Oxford Call 01865 276190 or email enquiries@conference-oxford.ox.ac.uk www.conference-oxford.com

A place to... MEET

Photos: Chris Andrews Publications, Oxford University Images / Bodleian Libraries

SLEEP

EAT

CELEBRATE

B4 COMMUNITY NEWS Jim Smith, 1940 - 2019 Many Oxford based readers will have stood on the terraces at Oxford Utd’s old Manor Ground in Headington to witness a period of ‘little old Oxford’s’ finest years. To this day, Utd fans sing a song about club legend, Jimmy Smith, who sadly passed away on Tuesday 10th December. With successive promotions to the old First Division (now Premier League), Jim turned around an under-performing third division side into the talk of football with unforgettable victories in the league and cups against the might of Manchester Utd, Leeds, Newscastle…. the list goes on. Jim left Oxford to manage QPR who were defeated by Oxford in the 1986 Milk Cup Final, a cruel twist for a man who had done so much for Oxford. Jim leaves wife Yvonne, three daughters and grandchildren. Thanks Jimmy.

Global to support BIO2020 Next year’s BIO2020 will be a huge event for everyone and it’s great to have a partnership agreement with Global (owners of Heart FM) to spread the word about BIO2020. Leigh Armstrong, Global’s Area Business Director for Oxfordshire, commented. “We have been aware of the great work that B4 have been doing for a number of years and really wanted to get involved in the growing B4 community. We’re excited to support BIO2020 which sounds like it’s going to be a superb event, fitting perfectly with our brand values. It will not be your average business conference, and by supporting charities, social enterprises and small businesses across Oxfordshire and we can’t wait to get involved.” B4’s Richard Rosser added. “Heart FM are a trusted and valued brand and to have them involved with B4 and BIO2020 is a great coup for us. We look forward to working with Leigh and her team.” WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

NX Magazine launches with thank you from creator, Ed Rosser ‘Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the last seven months. We’ve been very quiet on social media because we wanted to focus on creating something special and we are very proud of our first edition. “The magazine showcases leaders from the next generation representing a wide variety of industries and backgrounds to give our readers an insightful experience. Our magazine has been printed on fully sustainable heavyweight

paper to give an intimate feeling as you read about our engagements with people that we hope will inspire and excite you to do great things in your career.” “We are looking forward to the journey ahead. Please do let me know what you think by writing to me at ed@nxmagazine.com. Thank you.” http://nxmagazine.com

Enterprise Nation exists to help people start and grow their own small business and as Emma admits, she and her dedicated team have been doing this for a very long time. “With a General Election looming this will be the 4th time we’ve had a small business debate, so we’re starting to feel quite long in the tooth now as new ministers and new Prime Ministers come in. But we’re still here providing invaluable support to the UK’s small businesses.” Enterprise Nation, Emma is keen to point out, isn’t a charity or part of the government. “We’re 100% privately owned although we did take on a new investor in 2017 to help grow and develop the business which operates in three key areas. “Firstly Brand Activated Campaigns where we run national training campaigns for large brands like Facebook, Amazon, O2, Xero. For Facebook we are coming to the end of our third year of running a programme called ‘She Means Business’ where we have trained thousands of female founders in digital skills. For Amazon we have been running large events called ‘Amazon Academy’ which is free training for Amazon Marketplace sellers and trains them to grow their business. Each year we run about 300 events in all parts of the UK, anything from small local meet

ups to our biggest event of the year which is our Start Up Show which takes place in January 2020. We will have 2,000 start ups attending our events in London and also, the first time, Manchester.

Over the next twelve “months you will see us

encouraging our advisers to write even more niche content so that we can provide answers to ever more niche requests. Business is changing and we need to reflect that in the content we provide.

”

“Secondly we have the Business Support Marketplace, the online part of the business which provides content 24 / 7 for people looking to start up a ‘side hustle’ and want to access content at nights and weekends – and to those looking to grow who need answers fast. We have actually just gone live with our new version

of the online platform which is part of an ongoing investment in the online side of the business. Our aim is to provide answers to questions within three clicks and because we have over a decade of content, we have a massive library of answers to all sorts of questions. Content varies from long written blog posts to podcasts and webinars. So, depending on how the on-line consumer likes to consume information, hopefully we have a piece of content relating to that topic and in a format through which they like to learn. The platform is also connecting small businesses to each other so you can now find members in your area and the platform can also connect you with advisers who are rated and reviewed by the businesses that use them. “Content is twofold – there is Enterprise Nation generated content where we generate a piece of content every day through our team but advisers can also upload content. Businesses now want specific, niche content and we have to be able to provide that. For example, if a member is looking for advice on selling coffee mugs into Korea, then we need a homewares trader who has experience of selling product to the Korean market. “Over the next twelve months you will see us

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Fueling the Small Business Engine of the UK

Background

As the founder of Enterprise Nation, a community of over 75,000 business people from small businesses all over the UK, Emma Jones MBE isn’t resting on her laurels. Far from it, she wants to create the UK’s most trusted business support marketplace, building on her wealth of experience, knowledge and energy which has seen her become a trusted representative of the UK’s small business community for both government and media. Emma was speaking to B4’s Richard Rosser.

Enterprise Nation also presents a campaigning voice to government and the media on behalf of its members.

Written by: Richard Rosser

encouraging our advisers to write even more niche content so that we can provide answers to ever more niche requests. Business is changing and we need to reflect that in the content we provide. “Finally we run Public Sector Projects where we deliver contracts for Growth Hubs, Local Councils, Local Enterprise Partnerships and Central Government departments. We’ve actually just taken on an Accelerator Programme in Oxfordshire which will be completed by the end of this year.

female founders raise money. HeadsUp! is helping businesses with their mental well-being, because in lots of our surveys this year small business owners have been telling us that loneliness is a massive problem. We’re helping them to meet up locally and raise their positive mental attitude.

But that’s not it, Emma isn’t standing still and has four key campaigns which Enterprise Nation will be focusing on in 2020, all based on where Emma and her team have identified gaps in the market.

“Finally we have Clicks and Mortar which is reviving the High Street through enterprise. We are opening up shops and filling them with online sellers. We’ve opened up four shops in five months in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester and Sheffield. The scheme is backed by Amazon, Square, and Direct Line for Business who, like us, have seen that the High Street is clearly struggling and in need of reenergising. We think small business has a critical role stimulating the High Street and the shops are all about making it as easy as possible for them to sell. Amazon are really passionate about helping the small business community and, after all, they benefit from the success of small businesses so it makes sense to provide support.”

“Our Next Generation programme is ensuring the entrepreneurial future of Britain where we help young people to start a business. She’s got this is economic empowerment for women, continuing on from ‘She Means Business’, we are helping

With all of these wonderful campaigns and positive energy behind supporting the UK’s small business community, I ask Emma if she sees her personal profile continuing to promote Enterprise Nation or does she intend to play more of a back seat role

“In terms of reach we engage with over 100,000 small businesses each year, welcome over 27,000 registered attendees for events and a significant number of people coming on line for training (webinars etc….) and information.”

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Following a degree in Law and Japanese, Emma joined international accounting firm Arthur Andersen, where she worked in London, Leeds and Manchester offices and set up the firm’s Inward Investment practice that attracted overseas companies to locate in the UK. In 2000, bitten by the dot.com bug, Emma left the firm to start her first business, Techlocate. After 15 months, the company was successfully sold to Tenon plc. The experience of starting, growing and selling a business from a home base gave Emma the idea for Enterprise Nation which was launched in 2006 as the home business website. The company has since expanded to become a small business membership community of over 75,000 people who benefit from events and support: online and in person.

“

In terms of reach we engage with over 100,000 small businesses each year, welcome over 27,000 registered attendees for events and a significant number of people coming on line for training (webinars etc….) and information.”

”

Backing Britain In March 2011, Emma was one of eight cofounders to launch StartUp Britain, the national campaign to encourage more people to start a business and support existing businesses to grow. Over a period of 3 years (March 2011 to 2014), Emma led and managed the private sector campaign that facilitated mentoring, hosted Industry Weeks, toured the UK with entrepreneurs and experts, launched special projects such as PopUp Britain and had a critical role to play in record results of people becoming their own boss. In February 2019 Theresa May appointed Emma to co-chair the Prime Minister’s Small Business, Scaleup and Entrepreneurs Business Council. A position she still holds.

Our Next Generation “programme is ensuring the entrepreneurial future of Britain where we help young people to start a business.

”

in terms of profile? “Funnily enough someone else asked me this the other day. When we first went live with EnterpriseNation. com, I’d learned a huge amount from my role model in business, Martha Stewart, a very successful US entrepreneur. I read every book about how she built her business and I suppose that, by virtue of the fact that the business was named after her, it was very focused on her, her personality and her views. “So at the beginning of Enterprise Nation I thought that’s what I should do. I wrote books which had my face on the front cover and I was on every page of the website. I look back and cringe that Enterprise Nation was ‘delivered by Emma Jones’. I like to think we have come a long way and that’s not the case anymore. I love it now when I go to events and people ask me what I do at Enterprise Nation! I think it’s a delicate balance you have to strike. It’s important as Founder and CEO that I am the person that’s quoted in press releases and in all media activity, so in that respect my name will always be intrinsically connected to the company, but I don’t think that means to say that the company couldn’t operate without me. I think all business founders should be looking to grow a business that can grow sustainably and exist without them at the helm. That is definitely something that I am working on.” So as the UK stumbles from uncertainty to uncertainty, ‘will we won’t we’ leave Europe and no clear leader

in Number 10, I ask Emma what advice she would give to someone thinking about setting up in business at a time when we have so much domestic and international turmoil? “I would say don’t let the externalities stop you. We’re still seeing great opportunities for people to start their own businesses – we see lots of niche businesses that find their customer groups. Technology is enabling entrepreneurship to flourish. Platforms like Etsy, Not on the High Street, Amazon etc… are enabling people to sell, social media platforms are enabling smaller concerns to reach global audiences…all of these mechanisms are very much in place to help small businesses succeed. We still have a relatively low tax environment in the UK and it’s a great place to start a business….you can start a business with just £15! “For anyone starting out I would say ‘Go For It’ and make sure you come to Start Up 2020 in January. For those businesses that are growing, and this is something that I find enthralling about the UK, we have this base of five million small businesses and most of them are still feeling pretty optimistic about growth …. what we are seeing is their need to have access to communities and I think that’s what Enterprise Nation has spent a decade building, it’s what your organisation, B4, has spent time building. There are so many safe and trusted communities for small businesses to join and grow and gain support from.

“Once a small business has joined Enterprise Nation we’re hopefully not only meeting your business needs in terms of content and support but we’re also representing your views to help maintain the entrepreneurial conditions which attracted you to set up business in the first place. So for start ups I say ‘Keep Starting’ and for businesses looking to grow I would say now is the right time to join a community and get advice from peers and experts and make sure you surround yourself with their support so that when you have difficult problems that you need solutions for, they are available at your fingertips.” As referenced earlier in the article, Emma took on investment in 2017 and she has wise words of advice for anyone looking to raise funds. “We took investment at a time when we didn’t need the capital but we met Richard Harpin who runs HomeServe and Checkatrade and he also has an investment vehicle called Growth Partner. Up until that point I had been 100% shareholder in the company but the team now has shares in the business through an EMI scheme which I always think is a good thing for a founder to consider. “My advice is to always to look for Cash PLUS knowledge and other opportunities. For us we were gaining sophistication in running a business and surrounding ourselves with talented people that have helped us to grow. It’s been a great step for Enterprise Nation.”

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So how does Emma see the future of Enterprise Nation?

if you are growing in new areas you have to quite quickly become an expert in those areas.

“We are learning a lot from Checkatrade and what I would love is for Enterprise Nation to be the UK’s most trusted business support marketplace. What we see at the moment is a record numbers of small businesses saying to us ‘I don’t have much time and I need to quickly find all of the support that is available to me in my area or in my sector.’ On the other side of that we have a lot of support providers, like Growth Hubs and individual accountants and other advisers saying ‘we want to reach out to small businesses but they’re really hard to find’. So the place that Enterprise Nation wants to be in is the connecting point between those two. We can save small businesses time and money by helping them find the support they need quickly and we can help support providers find the businesses they are looking for so they can support them.

“So this year I have been reading lots of books on how to build a marketplace business and I’ve been reaching out to people who have done just that. That’s a key point for business founders… you never stop learning, especially if you’re taking your business in new directions. Even if you’re just keeping your business alive you have to keep learning best practice and learning from the best.”

“As I said before, most of the investment in the business is going into the online side. We have just made a couple of important hires of people who have marketplace experience and that’s the vision and the focus of the business for the next couple of years, to build this online resource for small businesses and advisers. I hasten to add that I am definitely NOT a technology founder. My great love in the business is business development and strategic direction but I am not a tech or product person. Having said that I feel that, as a founder,

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2020

BIO

Hear Emma speak at BIO2020, 2nd-4th June 2020. For tickets visit: www.businessinoxford.com

Books and Events Emma is the best-selling author of the business books Spare Room StartUp, Working 5 to 9, Go Global, The StartUp Kit and Turn Your Talent Into a Business. She hosts the popular one-day business class StartUp Saturday in London, and speaks at several other business events. Emma regularly appears in the media commenting on small business issues.

Awards In June 2012 Emma was awarded an MBE for Services to Enterprise. In November 2015 Emma was appointed by the UK Prime Minister as a Business Ambassador with a focus on increasing international trade.

 hello@enterprisenation.com  020 3871 2922  www.enterprisenation.com

In July 2016, Emma was appointed SME Representative for Crown Commercial Service.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS....

Fast forward 25 years and Arlington, now under new ownership, is re-investing across the Park to provide new facilities and services for customers whilst refurbishing business space to meet the demands of modern businesses. Taking care of business in this way is nothing new for the team at Oxford Business Park and these community enhancements are a natural fit for their holistic customer focused philosophy – designed with the heritage of the park in mind these facilities will provide the community with new spaces to eat, meet, socialise and communicate ideas with likeminded businesses, all wrapped up by the new “Oxford Park Life” App that will allow customers to access services such as joining a yoga class through to booking a car wash.

quarter. But it’s not just about physical amenities, it’s about providing a variety of services that positively improve the balance in the busy working week, blurring what had previously been referred to as

Dan Williams, Development Director at Arlington, explained: “Investment was necessary to ensure that our customers can enjoy a vibrant community with the most inspiring offer at the heart of the City’s business

a work/life divide, whilst creating an environment that stimulates interaction amongst colleagues and other businesses to drive collaboration which is at the heart of any innovative community. This is not a

an environment “thatCreating stimulates interaction amongst colleagues and other businesses to drive collaboration which is at the heart of any innovative community

”

Dan Williams, Development Director - Arlington

box ticking exercise, the projects that we are investing in are thoroughly considered, whether employing the highest quality of design in our work spaces, developing new community hubs or using technology to link services to our customers. We are dedicated to helping businesses in Oxford and are excited about what we feel is a best in class offer for the City”. Three new community hubs are being created. In partnership with the Jam Factory, the “Oxford Factory” has just opened at the heart of the Park providing a 100 cover restaurant. Sitting next to the Factory is the new business lounge, the “Oxford Works”, home to the Park Management Team, with meeting rooms, seminar spaces and relaxed workspace. To the south of the Park is the “Market Place” that includes a café and provides an outdoor social space where customers can grab a coffee, relax amongst the trees and enjoy a game of table tennis. Dan said, “These hubs are the latest phase of the WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“

This is not a box ticking exercise, the projects that we are investing in are thoroughly considered, whether employing the highest quality of design in our work spaces, developing new community hubs or using technology to link services to our customers.

”

Dan Williams, Development Director - Arlington

Oxford Business Park has a long history of providing work space and associated services to businesses in the City. In 1994 a revolution occurred with the closure of the former Morris Motors factory and the development of Oxford Business Park by Arlington. The City was emerging from its roots in manufacturing and a new environment that included work space, a Hotel, Children’s Nursery, Health Club and a Retail park was created providing a community for multiple businesses from a wide variety of backgrounds. Written by: Ian Purvis, Porterfield PR Photography by: Joel Knight

community masterplan, but it is also the work space that is experiencing a new direction. The refurbishment of Building 5520 was completed in July and sets a new standard of contemporary office design for the Park, with concierge provision, exposed services and a design solution to ensure maximum adaptability for all types of occupation and it seems to be hitting the right notes, with 2 of the 3 floors having been let on completion of the refurbishment.” Businesses that have joined the community at Oxford Business Park this year include Oxbotica, Legal Shield, Perspectum Diagnostics, Oxford Biomedica and Animal Dynamics. Kevin Allington from Oxbotica said “As an original spin out of Oxford University, it was important to us that we maintained our Oxfordshire roots as we expanded from a start-up through to a scale-up. When looking for larger premises, we wanted to find somewhere that had all the benefits of a business park but that didn’t compromise on location, and Oxford Business Park offered us just WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

this. It is home to some of the smartest technology minds in the country and is a hub that proudly puts Oxford on the map as a world class digital destination.”

a vibrant and service rich community and this year we have taken a big leap forward to delivering this.”

It is home to some of the “smartest technology minds

Scan the QR code to see the video

in the country and is a hub that proudly puts Oxford on the map as a world class digital destination Kevin Allington, Oxbotica

”

Dan concluded “I am hugely excited to be part of the team that is delivering our customers aspirations in Oxford. Our intention is to have a community that works for all types of business, whether a warehouse style HQ office, or R&D and production buildings, through to fully serviced desk space, all set amongst

 info@ oxfordbusinesspark.com  0118 370 3065  www.oxfordbusinesspark.com

 businessino

#BIO2020

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HOW DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ARE DELIVERING A COMPETITIVE EDGE IN THE INTELLIGENT SUPPLY CHAIN From automation in production to picking and tracking tools, businesses are seeking new ways to streamline and enhance their logistics operations. Written by: Katy Farrington

In an age of heightened demand and greater consumer awareness, there is a growing need for brands to use innovative methods to reach targets, adopt sustainable habits and create a safer, more secure environment for workers. For supply chain managers, the increasing availability of AI and Machine Learning technology has created new opportunities to help optimise the productionto-distribution process. Read on below to discover some of the ways global brands are revolutionising their operations through new technologies.

A changing landscape The desire for innovation in supply chain solutions is nothing new. From automation in production to picking and tracking tools, businesses are continuously seeking new ways to streamline and enhance their production to distribution process.

However, increases in consumer demand and the need to economise in order to combat competitors are leading to new, smarter, more efficient methods of optimising the supply chain.

operations to help mitigate these issues.

Additionally, the heightened narrative around climate change and ethical practices is playing a key role in new technology and supply chain innovation.

With Information Technology Intelligence Consulting reporting that an hour of unforeseen downtime can cost businesses as much as $100,000, it’s no wonder predictive analytics is expected to become more widespread.

Government regulations – married with an increase in consumer awareness of the environmental impact that brands have – are pushing businesses to accelerate their adoption of sustainable innovations. For many in the supply chain space, a lack of realtime data is seen as a significant barrier to success. A recent Capgemini survey cited 83% of supply chain managers as experiencing a range of inefficiencies, from poor end-to-end visibility and slow responses to unforeseen issues, to disorganised data and heightened costs. Now, a reported 78% of organisations are implementing AI and machine learning tools to their

Digitised methods of easing employees’ workload are set to increase from 2020.

Using IoT technology, predictive analytics helps companies to assess machine failures and inefficiencies as well as identify possible solutions and ways to streamline the process. The net result would be a reduction in the time employees have to spend on troubleshooting or admin-based tasks. When it comes to using AI to revolutionise supply chain operations, the development of self-driving vehicles will likely only continue to increase in the coming years.

With 66% of “ consumers saying they’d consider paying more for products from sustainable companies, the brand value of sustainability is only set to increase.

”

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Some retailers are almost exclusively using autonomous technology in consumer-facing parts of the chain like last-mile delivery, others want to use the technology to connect stores and warehouses. It’s not just data that’s changing the way people work. Safeguarding workers – in particular factory operators – and providing safe and secure production environments is becoming increasingly important to consumers and company executives alike. Hyundai Motor Group has recently developed an exoskeletal vest for factory workers in order to improve safety and comfort in factory environments. The vest (Vest EXoskeleton, or VEX) was designed for workers spending long hours in overhead operations, and aims to cut fatigue and enhance performability in the physically demanding role.

A step in the right direction When it comes to consumers, more and more are making decisions based on the ethical or sustainable policies and practices of a brand. Consumers have spoken out against the impact of cheap and unsustainable fashion on water use, emissions and air pollution. Now, designer brand Stella McCartney has partnered with Google to help reduce its environmental impact. Using Cloud-based analytics and Machine Learning, the partnership is developing new supply chain tools. These will assess current and pre-existing data held on Stella McCartney’s supply chain processes in order to identify areas for improvement, and help develop a strategy to minimise the negative effects of production. If successful, Google aims to roll out these tools for use with other clothing and consumer-centric brands. With 66% of consumers saying they’d consider paying more for products from sustainable companies, the brand value of sustainability is only set to increase. Whether its Machine Learning tools to analyse and help reduce negative effects of production, or sourcing recyclable or renewable materials, the call to revolutionise operations has never been greater. Unipart is currently working with a wide range of customers to explore new ways in which digital technologies can provide detailed analytics and automate processes and physical environments to make operations easier for employees and more efficient for customers. To learn more contact, email katy.farrington@unipart.com

 katy.farrington@unipart.com  01865 778 966  www.unipart.com

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Digitizelectric Expands to Provide Cloud Based Unified Communications Solutions based on Pod from 24 Seven Cloud In the past month Digitizelectric has become an official reseller for the pod provided cloud based unified communications platform which will enable enterprise customers to benefit from more cost effective telephony, messaging and conferencing solutions. Whilst a new departure for Digitizelectric, we have been working in telecommunications for over 25 years and in fact have worked for the company that has developed the software that supports the Pod service.

What is Pod? Pod is 24 Seven Cloud’s unique unified communications platform for office-based and field/home - based colleagues - offering voice calling, video calling, instant messaging, meeting, conferencing, call center, collaboration and filesharing capabilities.

Will I have to replace my existing handsets? No. Pod will work with virtually any IP-enabled handset. You can also make and receive calls using

the desktop client on your laptop or pc, or via an app on your ios or android mobile phone.

selected Partners – in this case Digitizelectric Limited, based in Oxford.

Can I keep my existing phone number?

Will I be tied into a long-term contract?

Yes. We have porting agreements with all of the major networks so keeping all of your existing numbers will not be a problem.

Pod is an extremely flexible solution – we can discuss the best arrangement for you.

Can I integrate it with my other business systems? Pod integrates seamlessly with a vast range of CRMs including those most widely used in the UK – it will even integrate with your custom-built or bespoke CRM solutions.

Is it right for my business? If you are looking to increase collaboration and productivity within your business, connect all of your remote workers back to the office, but at the same time keep your costs under control, then yes!!! Please contact Richard at Digitizelectric – richard@ digitizelectric.com

Will Pod integrate with my Outlook contacts and calendars? Yes – Outlook integration is built into Pod.

Where can I buy it from?

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

Pod is available only through one of our carefully

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INTRODUCING A NEW HOME FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIVE BUSINESSES OPENING FOR BUSINESS IN 2020 Written by: Placi Espejo, Head of Business Development

The Oxford Technology Park is a new home for innovative, Science, and Technology based businesses where they can be nurtured and grow right in the heart of Oxfordshire.

vary from 25-50% in order to suit the occupiers’ requirements. The result will be the right mix of contemporary design with internal functionality to suit the companies’ exact needs.

The Park is a major new science and technology development providing much needed space for innovative businesses in the county, it is strategically placed just to the north of Oxford City, adjacent to London (Oxford) Airport and a short distance from the new Oxford Parkway Station, providing excellent access to both Oxford and the surrounding transport infrastructure within the evolving Golden Triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London. The North Oxford location of the Park offers an exciting setting for forward looking businesses to call home.

All site residents will have access to a variety of wellestablished nearby and on site amenities; Langford Lane already hosts VIDA Health & Fitness gym for a healthy you, the Early Years Nursery, providing

Oxfordshire is already a global brand with one of the strongest economies in the UK fuelled by the results of some of the top companies in some of the most exciting and emerging key sectors at the present; space technologies, AI, automotive, life sciences, creative industries and green technologies to name just a few. A total of 400,000 sq ft of office, flexible high-tech units and midsize grow-on innovation spaces, all suitable for office, labs, production, manufacturing and research and development use are planned for the Park which is now in its first phase of development. The hi-tech buildings can evolve and adapt to the ever-changing needs of the innovation landscape. The units will be built to provide a high-quality office style frontage but with the flexible internal space that can allow the office content of the buildings to WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

2019 we have focused “onIn developing a plan to integrate the future of the Park with the existing community and we are looking at how we can get more involved with local schools, clubs and residents.

”

employees will be able to destress and take a break, if needed, from a busy schedule with a selection of nearby pubs over the scenic canal. In 2019 we have focused on developing a plan to integrate the future of the Park with the existing community and we are looking at how we can get more involved with local schools, clubs and residents. This is also the second year the Oxford Technology Park is involved in the Cherwell Business Awards, by being the sponsor of the New Business Category, we are looking forward to receiving nominations and applications and getting to meet some new businesses in the district. The team at the Oxford Technology Park is also part of a larger collective project, where local businesses from the surrounding working hubs will come together with key stakeholders in order to offer a much robust support package to local businesses and we are also now working jointly with a number of partners on the concept of an Innovation Hub in the area.

childcare for children from birth to 5 years and of course London Oxford airport, the Thames Valley area’s primary regional and business aviation airport offering lower cost, easy and smarter travel choices. And in addition to this there will be a new on-site Premier Inn hotel and a Beefater, providing coffee and informal meeting space, as well as restaurant facilities to open to the public in 2020.

The Park’s layout and design will allow for several green spaces and walking and cycling routes where

 placi.espejo@oxfordtechpark.com  www.oxfordtechnologypark.com

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS REVOLUTIONISING THE CYBER SECURITY INDUSTRY It wasn’t that long ago that AI (Artificial Intelligence) was considered a terrifying product of the future, with robots taking over the world. However, AI at present is commonplace with elements of it touching all our lives. For example, at the end of 2019, more than 100 million AI devices had been sold and introduced into people’s homes in the form of Alexa; Amazon’s virtual assistant. With Amazon’s Alexa, there have been mixed responses with some users embracing AI and others being concerned about the privacy implications. Such concerns are not necessarily misplaced. Although AI has revolutionised some industries, it has also revolutionised how cyber security professionals fight cyber crime with great success.

AI AND MALWARE Cyber security professionals are not alone where utilisation of AI technologies are concerned. Unfortunately, cyber criminals are now exploiting AI to create malicious malware at volumes not previously seen. Using AI, cyber criminals can automatically alter the malware code, making it almost impossible for traditional signature-based antivirus systems to detect and therefore manage using reactive methods. Malware comes in various forms; it can be a virus, adware, trojan, spyware, worm or ransomware, to name a few. Famously, the NHS suffered a catastrophic data breach in the form of WannaCry ransomware back in late 2017. Cyber criminals in this instance produced malware which exploited a vulnerability within windows file sharing, ultimately enabling the malware to install without user interaction. After the malicious program had infected a computer, the program would automatically encrypt all files, WannaCry would then demand payment via bitcoin in return for all encrypted files stored on the infected computer. To this day WannaCry is still being spread, however, with altered malware code resulting in untold damages.

SO WHERE’S THE INTELLIGENCE IN THIS? At CIS we strive to make sure that all bases are covered in regards to cyber security. Currently, for our clients we use Sophos Intercept X to detect both known and unknown malware which all too often finds it way into emails and untrustworthy websites - Intercept X effectively uses a deep learning neural network (AI) to help protect against threats in a predictive manner rather than being wholly reactive to threats. The sheer speed in which malicious third parties are creating malware means that conventional methods for detecting, cannot keep up. Therefore; if malware is created using AI, to fight it effectively, AI must be used by cyber security professionals.

ADAPTABILITY There is a constant race going on between cyber criminals and cyber security professionals to be one step ahead. Cyber security processes need to be adaptable to change and constantly learning from

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new threats. By utilising machine learning algorithms, AI systems are constantly refined to record and learn with ever increasing accuracy the difference between malicious threats and genuine user behaviour. AI systems are based on neural networks which identify whether an action is legitimate, malicious or disguised. Any identified anomalous behaviours, no matter how small, will be warranted as worthy of further investigation. Ultimately AI detects malware and ransomware before it has the chance to infiltrate core business systems by identifying and blocking the source of the attack. This intelligence can then be implemented into spam filters, fraud detection, and network intrusion processes, to name but a few. This continual data analysis is the fundamental factor for learning about new cyber threats and intercepting them before they cause any severe damage.

HUMAN TOUCH Humans remain an essential tool within the cyber security sphere. A human is needed to analyse data gathered by artificial intelligence about potential threats to set in place early detection and prevention processes. AI’s most revolutionary when dealing with new threats; AI systems are built to learn and grow to broaden their sophistication for coping with future threats. Cyber security firms like CIS are then able to stay abreast of all current threats and anomalies and enable suitable protection strategies to be put into place.

IMPACT ON THE CYBER SECURITY INDUSTRY Cyber criminals have been known to use AI to create malicious programs past and present. The industry has had to develop sophisticated responses to deal with the threats posed by these malicious AI programs with the aim to be one step ahead. As a result the cyber security industry is going through an AI-driven revolution, as machine learning creates ever-improving systems to help tackle cyber crime. It would seem that the cat and mouse game will continue as usual. However, It’s best to keep in mind that AI has already proved to be a highly effective tool for combating various types of cyber attacks, so it’s safe to say that AI will be a core element of cyber security processes for years to come.

The sheer speed in which “malicious third parties are

Don’t leave your business at risk, CIS are offering a FREE IT audit to help businesses stay secure and protected in 2020. Give us a call today.

creating malware means that conventional methods for detecting, cannot keep up

”

 solutions@cisltd.com  01367 700 555  www.cisltd.com

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STUFF STUFFING. EAT PIZZA THIS CHRISTMAS. THE CRUSTMAS MENU PIZZA

DRINKS

PUD

It’s a Wonderful Slice £12 Pistachio butter base with mortadella, buffalo mozzarella & toasted pistachios.

The Peppergroni £7.50 Bourbon, martini Rosso, Campari with an orange and pepperoni garnish.

Mince Pie Calzone £6.50 Stuffed with sweet mincemeat, mascarpone and served with vanilla ice cream.

Drunk Figs & Goats Cheese £12 Figs cooked in a spiced red wine & clementine syrup, goat’s cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, rocket and toasted hazelnuts.

Pomegranate G&T £7.50 ELLC gin , pomegranate juice, tonic, pomegranate seeds, orange.

We’ve Got You Set - £20 A pizza, a mince pie calzone and a cocktail

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Excited by the latest fantastic business innovation? Think Privacy! Written by: Kellie Peters & Regina Lally, Co-Founders Photography by: Kelly-Jo Photography

“ excellent, straight-talking advice and support that has been invaluable to us ” Operations Director, Vanson Bourne

You’ll know already that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires companies to have appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to ensure that data protection is built into their processing activities and business practices. Did you know, it’s now a legal requirement to consider data protection and privacy issues upfront in everything you do to help ensure both compliance and accountability? This is particularly important when you’re innovating or using new technologies involving personal data. If you are considering introducing a new system (e.g. cloud-based HR/accounting system) or new process (e.g. facial recognition software) we recommend you consider the following: 1. Be Proactive & Preventative: when designing a new system or process, identify poor security and risky privacy practices early on, then commit fully to improve them before they can do any real harm. Don’t just carry on regardless! 2. Privacy as the Default: individuals’ personal data must be protected, without requiring their input; it should be safe by default. You must ensure that the collection of personal information is fair and lawful. Ask yourself when innovating, do you have a lawful basis for processing this personal data? 3. Embed Privacy into Design: do not bolt privacy on as an after-thought when designing a new system or process. Wherever possible, carry out detailed Data Protection Impact Assessments, clearly documenting the privacy risks and the measures you have put in place to mitigate those risks. 4. Full Functionality: Privacy considerations should not be seen as a limiting factor when innovating or designing systems. Transform any non-compliant privacy issues in such a way that they add value to the end product/process. 5. End-to-End Security: You must be able to ensure the security and privacy of personal data from the point of initial collection, right up to the point it is no longer needed. Measures could include encryption, regularly testing backups, strong access controls, secure destruction and effective user training. Without strong security, there can be no privacy. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

6. Visibility & Transparency: This is key in demonstrating your accountability and compliance with the GDPR. Ensure that you have appropriate contracts in place between you and any 3rd parties/sub-processors; update and publish privacy notices to all stakeholders assuring them that privacy by design and by default is at the heart of your new system/process. 7. Respect for Privacy: Think privacy first! The GDPR demands that individuals’ rights are respected at all times. Remember individuals have the right to be informed, the right to access their data, and the right (in some cases) for their data to be deleted. Empowering individuals to play an active role in the management of their own data may be the single most effective check against abuses and misuse of privacy and personal data.

How Databasix UK can help you One of the ways we can help you is by working out what level of support you actually need at each stage of your innovation, which could include: • • • •

Conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments; Writing tailored data protection policies and procedures; Delivering data protection training (either on site or remotely/online); Providing practical advice and phone support.

We have a range of free resources, such as blogs and webinars, which can be found on our website (https://dbxuk.com). If you could do with some data protection guidance and like the idea of it being easy and relevant to your business, please get in touch by phone or email.

   

Kellie.Peters@dbxuk.com Regina.Lally@dbxuk.com www.dbxuk.com @DbxUK

London Oxford Airport Watching the Future for Aviation Written by: James Dillon-Godfray

Airbus CityAirbus eVTOL development aircraft

Aston Martin Volante Vision concept eVTOL aircraft

This last year has seen an interesting evolution in the debate about aviation emissions relative to all other modes of transportation. It was nearly a decade ago that the topic was a daily conversation in the media but then, seemingly, it was not so high on the agenda, it wasn’t something that appeared in every presentation, every business plan, any strategic review of an aircraft operator’s future, or indeed those of an airport. Things however have changed. An aircraft today like the Airbus A220 can take 140 passengers out of our airport, over 2,000 miles and is producing around 52 grams of CO2 per passenger kilometre, a lot less than lobbyists against aviation would have us all believe. There are a multitude of developments in the aviation industry that will have extraordinary impacts on the ways in which we may travel, the choices open to us and the environmental impact of those relative to the status quo. These changes fall into a number of different categories, including development of ‘sustainable’ fuels, usually a bio fuel and conventional aviation kerosene (Jet A1 fuel) mix and the development of hybrid powerplants replacing conventional turbine engines. 34

However, perhaps the greatest revolution coming is the advent of eVTOL aircraft, basically electricallypowered passenger and cargo-carrying, vertical takeoff and landing craft – drones if you wish. Only a mere decade ago, the concept of the ‘flying car’

The scary part is “ that from day one, over half of the 180 or so prototype designs under development all over the world are going to be autonomous from the outset – that is pilotless

”

was still a comic-book fantasy, something out of the Jetsons. However, the progress in this sector has accelerated beyond anyone’s imagination back then. Advances in battery technology and electric motor efficiencies now make these aircraft a reality. That technology is advancing far faster than the regulatory authorities can cope with and so we will

have a situation where certifiable passenger-carrying craft will be ready to be sold and operated in just a few years from now, but with nowhere to land them in central urban environments and no airspace redesigned to cope with their existence. This is being cited as a multi-trillion-dollar sector of aviation by 2030 and yet nobody is ready. Only cities like Singapore and Dubai with a handful of others, are proactively preparing the infrastructure today to host eVTOL craft. Vertipads, essentially heliports for electric aircraft, are needed in urban centres, maybe on tops of buildings or perhaps on train stations, to host these aircraft. Urban planners and ‘Local Plans’ haven’t begun to consider what’s required, including the power infrastructure for recharging these aircraft – massive power requirements in some cases. The scary part is that from day one, over half of the 180 or so prototype designs under development all over the world are going to be autonomous from the outset – that is pilotless. The pilot is simply not needed with the technology proposed. They can follow fixed flight plans (routes) or be flown remotely – rather like the military drones in use now for several decades in war zones. However due to the likelihood that passengers might be somewhat averse to stepping into such a vehicle without a pilot, initially, one seat is likely to be sacrificed for WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Airbus CityAirbus eVTOL development aircraft

Oxford Airport-owned London Heliport in Battersea

Airbus A220 140-seat airliner

a ‘comfort pilot’ as a set of eyes and to provide reassurance to those first-time users.

electric, however they will also be massively quieter than conventional rotorcraft.

Many very big players are involved, including the likes of Amazon, Uber, Airbus (Oxford Airport-based), Boeing and many others, but the exciting part is that there are a myriad of smaller start-up companies developing incredible aircraft using extraordinary new technologies. Not all of them will make it into production of course – the costs of development and certification will run into millions per design, but innovations will be adopted by the survivors that will completely revolutionise urban, and intra-city airborne transportation.

All this is of significant interest to London Oxford Airport on a number of fronts. As we own and

Some of these eVTOL aircraft are optimised for short hops from a city centre to say a major airport – perhaps up to 30 miles above the sprawling cities below, maybe at speeds of around 70mph. Others are for inter-city runs of say 100 to 200 miles, travelling at speeds of 150 to 200 mph. The key for the success or otherwise of this new sector will be costs and infrastructure – if there’s nowhere to land, there’s no business. On the cost side, all projections are that these will be massively cheaper than conventional helicopters per passenger mile, black-cab taxi costs essentially. Of course, they will also be environmentally revolutionary, being allWWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

All this is of significant “ interest to London Oxford Airport on a number of fronts. As we own and operate London’s only heliport at Battersea, that is the only legal landing option today in the capital for commercial rotorcraft

infrastructure for this new aerospace sector. As part of the UK’s technology epicentre along the OxfordCambridge corridor – the ‘Arc’, Oxford already hosts manufacturers of the world’s most efficient electric motors for the automotive sector and batteries with the highest energy density. The synergies between the high-performance automotive sector in this region and the emerging eVTOL industry are very significant.

So, the future looks very interesting - all electric and accessible to all.

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operate London’s only heliport at Battersea, that is the only legal landing option today in the capital for commercial rotorcraft. However, as the eVTOL industry grows, we aspire to become a host for the development, manufacture and support

 info@londonoxfordairport.com  1865 290 660/710  www.oxfordairport.co.uk

Think Rhodes for Business... For full information on exclusive use, meetings, seminars, team building and conferences please call 01865 282599 or email events@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk

Rhodes House, Oxford, OX1 3RG

Telephone 01865 282 599 events@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk www.rhodeshouseoxford.com

WHY CLOUD IS A TECHNOLOGY TODAY THAT CAN FUTURE PROOF YOUR BUSINESS TOMORROW When it comes to clouds, it seems everyone is talking about them and they are everywhere, but are they important to you and do you know how your company can benefit from using them? In a traditional operating model, companies tend to purchase equipment or lease it, and then install everything in their own locations. Everything was physically in one place, you could see and touch all the equipment you needed to run your business; servers, PC, storage, phone systems – all humming away in your office IT room (or under your desk!).

office as all the services you need can be accessed wherever there is a secure internet connection. There’s a business continuity benefit too – having everything in the Cloud means that your business can carry on trading even if you aren’t able to get to your office. Finally, it allows SME’s to buy ‘outcomes’, buying a service rather than individual components you are responsible for managing yourself.

As technology advanced (access to more affordable high speed, reliable networks and internet access), instead of having to manage your own IT estate, companies started to buy ‘cloud’ services from trusted IT providers. Cloud providers are able to take away all the hassle of keeping up-to-date with hardware, licences, software support, compliance, security and back up and provide a simple monthly charge that includes everything under one contract.

there’s a whole host of professional IT services available that will help reduce the cost to run your business

Sounds a no-brainer right? For an SME there are other benefits too. By moving core equipment (such as telephone systems, storage and applications) into the Cloud, it also allows your workforce to work more flexibly – you are no longer bound to a physical

So the Cloud is not just about ‘storage’ services, there’s a whole host of professional IT services available that will help reduce the cost to run your business, lessen the need for expensive inhouse technical resource, enable you to work from

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anywhere, anytime, and allow you to focus on doing what you do best, serving your customers and driving efficiency. The question therefore is not will you start your journey into the cloud, but when. Now is the time to unlock potential with Cloud based technologies. STL - connecting business, connecting people.

So the Cloud is not just “about ‘storage’ services,

”

 sales@stlcomms.com  0800 316 0123  www.stlcomms.com

FUTURE TRENDS: ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION The invisible robot army that will drive forward business productivity Written by: Steve Wilson, Managing Director, Unipart Expert Practices

One of the new tools of the future, in this age of Industry 4.0, will be Robotic Process Automation (RPA), and it has the potential to increase business efficiency and accuracy (as well as removing considerable cost). Forbes forecasts spending on RPA to increase 60% this year and more recently the technology has been applied to unlock returns from expensive investments in Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) systems. Well deployed ERPs drive forward business productivity and provide a consistent set of business information or ‘master data’ that allows complex business processes to run smoothly and in a synchronised way. They are sold on their potential to manage and integrate the business, improve information flows, aid decision-making, enable new services, improve process and operational efficiency, and minimise cost. Such is the reach and complexity of an ERP such as SAP ECC 6.0, that their selection, design, implementation and ongoing support can often involve very substantial investment.

Failing to generate returns The hard truth is that many businesses fail to achieve all the planned returns from their investment in ERP. Often because of a lack of adoption by employees as a result of complex and difficult ERP user interfaces and poor training (often under resourced 38

to minimise the cost of implementation). With little support, and too big a hill to climb, employees fall back towards the familiar. Activities such as resource planning, forecasting and inventory management are once again managed in spreadsheets – many, many spreadsheets, often

The hard truth is “ that many businesses fail to achieve all the planned returns from their investment in ERP. Often because of a lack of adoption by employees

”

disconnected and invisible to other parts of the business. Crucially, all lack the advanced analytical tools and algorithms of modern ERP systems and break the link to a consistent set of master data. Step forward RPA. Not the rise of an android workforce – but rather a software evolution involving programmed instructions that execute repetitive tasks quickly, accurately and at high speed. Whilst RPA has typically been used so far to automate

tedious, repetitive back office processes, putting RPA between the ERP system and your workforce allows the user interface to be dramatically changed for the better.

The impact of RPA Typically, RPA will enable complex, multiple user interface screens to be reduced down to just one or two, with only a fraction of the fields for the user to input information – the result is that the rate of work speeds up and, since RPA handles the error checking within the process, quality is improved too. With staff able to now query and update the ERP within the warehouse or on the factory floor via mobile devices, the filling of forms for manual data entry later becomes redundant. Live production, inventory and customer order data is made available to those who need it, improving the organisation’s ability to make decisions and react to what is happening now.

Fast implementation ERPs are known to be costly and time consuming to customise. RPA avoids this by simulating the interactions of an ERP user. This removes the need for expensive, additional licensing or heavy customisation of the ERP. A simplified, lightweight user interface can be built and delivered from within existing infrastructure or via the cloud, which

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interacts with the RPA system via an application programming interface (API). RPA can also be rolled out iteratively. Key processes and workflows can be addressed first, with more implemented later. An iterative approach reduces the gap from initial concept to the delivery of business benefits.

Our prediction for “ the future is that more organisations will deploy RPA to get their users back onto the ERP and unlock the full value of their investment

”

Our prediction for the future is that more organisations will deploy RPA to get their users back onto the ERP and unlock the full value of their investment.

Getting started The best starting point, like many digitalisation efforts, is to first map out your value streams. A common pitfall is to drop RPA into an existing,

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RPA: real world examples

inefficient process in order to attempt to improve it. The risk is that this will limit the size of the potential prize. Starting with value-stream mapping provides the opportunity to re-engineer and remove waste and inefficiency from your processes, ready for RPA.

Several real-world examples of RPA deployment in manufacturing organisations show that significant productivity improvements are possible with RPA. Goods inbound: A reduction from 16 ERP screens and 21 clicks to 4 screens and 9 clicks delivered a cycle time reduction of 40%. Packing: A switch from manual data entry to scanning with a mobile device removed the need for staff to walk back and forth to a terminal, cutting cycle times in half. Stock Putaway: Mobile scanners reduced walking distances, and stock could be made available the moment it was scanned, seeing a dramatic cycle time reduction of 86%. Picking: A reduction in ERP screens improved both speed and accuracy of picking.

 hello@unipart.com  01865 383 053  www.unipart.com

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Activate Learning and Thames Valley Police join forces on cybercrime awareness Written by: Alice Eardley Photography by: Activate Learning

Between April 2018 and March 2019, Thames Valley residents lost £1.7m to Cybercrime. SMEs are particularly vulnerable. According to the latest government statistics, £4,180 is the average annual cost for businesses that lost data or assets after cybersecurity breaches. Among the 32% of businesses identifying a breach or attack, 19% had staff stopped from carrying out daily work. Leading education group Activate Learning is collaborating with Thames Valley Police (TVP) to raise awareness of digital security threats. Our technology curriculum will help to protect businesses and livelihoods from this rapidly evolving crime by developing new cybersecurity experts. Through co-created courses, the best industry expertise and our business-focused tutors, Activate Learning teaches what IT students will need to combat cybercrime when they enter the workforce. The three most common forms of cyberattack are: • Phishing, the practice of tricking people into providing personal or sensitive information • Viruses, spyware or malware, including ransomware attacks that hold a company’s data hostage • Impersonating a company online or in emails, including sending fraudulent invoices to customers. Large scale data breaches affecting big names get the publicity, but smaller businesses where every penny counts, or who pride themselves on the personal touch with clients, are attractive targets for cyber criminals. Activate Learning will link tutors with TVP specialists to identify the most up to date cybersecurity threats and ensure that the very latest techniques to combat them are taught to learners. Security and encryption modules show students how to identify threats and how to implement effective strategies to protect valuable digital systems. Mark Godsland, a Cyber Protect Officer and Police Cyber Security Advisor, explains more: “Digital security is a national and international threat.

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“I recently worked on a case where a business owner visited Hong Kong and used what he thought was secure hotel Wi-Fi. He was a ripe target for data harvesting and by the time he returned home the attackers had access to his company’s financial data and had stolen money. “If your company allows staff to work remotely, they may gravitate towards coffee shops or other outlets that provided free and non-secure public Wi-Fi facilities. “Companies should implement device user policies, to prevent this and utilise either a corporate VPM (Virtual Private Network for all company networked devices) solution or utilise their corporate mobile data connections such as 4G. “Where Two Factor authentication (2FA) is offered by a service provider, such as email, social media, banking, enable 2FA as standard.” Mark recommends the following first steps to protect against cybercrime: “Train your staff about the threat, but as part of a no blame culture, explain what to do if they have been targeted. Regularly back up your data via separate means, cloud, physical and off site, and make sure it works as a recovery back up. If you are hit today would you be able to trade again tomorrow? Avoid sharing too much information about your company on social media and encourage your staff to be mindful of their own social media footprint.” Activate Learning creates talent for business by working with organisations like TVP and across the private, public and third sectors. It has recently launched the Thames Valley Talent Transfer Programme (TVTTP), an initiative where teachers swap the classroom for the workplace to gain firsthand experience within their sectors.

3 steps to protecting your business against cybercrime Spread the word Ensure that everyone in the company understands the threat. Remind staff that attachments from unknown sources should not be opened. Make sure that passwords are strong and separate. Implement procedures for the encryption, back up, sharing and disposal of sensitive data.

Minimise third party risk Extend your cybersecurity diligence to all your suppliers and partners, large and small. Ensure that this forms part of your vetting and procurement process. How do they protect their data, networks and systems? How do they dispose of their data? You are only as strong as your weakest link. Make sure that a third party will not compromise your carefully managed cybersecurity.

Protect yourself if the worst happens Have a company disaster plan to deal with response and recovery. However, no plan is 100% fail-safe. Cybersecurity insurance is there to lessen the financial impact of a security breach but should be used in conjunction with other protective measures. Speak to a specialist to assess your risk of attack.

More useful information Nationally Accredited Cyber Essentials certification: www.cyberessentials.ncsc.gov.uk Cybercrime and fraud should be reported via Action Fraud: www.actionfraud.police.uk More information is available via the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC): www.ncsc.gov.uk Thames Valley Cyber Protect can be contacted for advice and free presentations via: cyber.protect@thamesvalley.pnn.police.uk

Any businesses that want to get involved in the programme can do so by contacting Alice Eardley at alice.eardley@activatelearning.ac.uk

 communications@activatelearning.ac.uk  0800 612 6008  www.activatelearning.ac.uk

Photograph: Colin Park

WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? Every day there are hundreds, if not thousands, of articles, discussion groups, blogs and tweets about what responsible businesses need to focus on now. There are almost as many new and diverse viewpoints, buzzwords, emphases, job titles, groundbreaking initiatives, self-help for leaders and new management structures, as there are businesses. Everyone seems to differ in their view about what businesses need to focus on most – culture, social responsibility, technology, processes, value, operations, diversity, consolidation, acquisition, capabilities and talent, strategy, tactics, tactics dressed up as strategy, customer experience, customer centricity, data, blah, blah, blah. Everyone differs again when trying to define the best new ways to address each of these. In the clamour to try and deal with issues that have no precedent in terms of complexity, multiplicity, scale and speed, everyone is trying to invent new ways to address ‘new’ issues.

“All that’s happening is that a Gordian knot is being tied around dynamic visionary thinking, robust strategic and tactical thought and action, cohesive planning, and efficient development”.

In reality of course, there is a common reason for all this noise. It’s change… or transformation… or evolution… or revolution… (insert Blah’s here). Everyone knows it’s imperative, everyone’s wrestling with what to do and no-one knows how to deal with the magnitude of it, the pace of it or what to focus on first. Everyone, with woefully few stellar exceptions, seems to be making the same mistake by looking at the change to a new business paradigm with old paradigm thinking. The same siloed vested interests that beset organisations in the past are besetting the diligent definition of their changed future. The results of all this are plain to see – at the critical moment of change opportunity, 77% of organizational re-designs fail (McKinsey). The resulting crises of confidence and reversal of leadership and cultural forward motion, risks compromising every facet of future decision-making and implementation efforts to create diligent, necessary and beneficial change.

Stop reaching for the latest idiot’s guide to business. If we all stop waving our arms around frantically, panicking and then reaching for the latest idiot’s guide to business change in the hope of finding new revelations, and take stock for a while, we may realise that the issues now have all been faced before, continuously, by businesses everywhere, for as

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long as there have been businesses, customers, technologies and the need for competitive advantage. The reality is that there has always been change and the need to either lead or respond to it. There have always been the advantages and risks of adopting new tech, creating new cultures, innovating changed propositions, re-discovering advantage over existing and new competitors, finding better ways to work/ places to work/types of capability, finding new ways to communicate and sell, finding new values and, most critically, identifying the things that will drive customers to you and keep them there.

“Just because this is YOUR first paradigm shift doesn’t mean it’s THE first paradigm shift”. The difference now is pace, however pace of change is something that business leaders can control with prudent, strategic change need evaluation, visionary thinking and well-constructed and cohesive implementation – and, critically, by stepping away from the idea that technological change is the driver for all other change requirements. By (temporarily) losing technology from the debate, organisations can focus in better on what they need to be and do, then define the technology required to do it… and the culture, capabilities, propositions, infrastructure, operation…

Things can be astonishingly simple. There has always been one discipline that when engaged with fully can bring all of the various components described above together, in the right way, in the right order and with the right shared understanding and development. It’s

Because of this, it can be the most powerful asset or the most damaging problem for organisations of all scales and landscapes and it should certainly be the driving concern for every part of an organisation because every part represents it internally and externally. This discipline is, of course, Brand Strategy. Not Branding, ‘the colouring in dept’, the ‘logocops’, the image department or a subset of marketing or customer services or sales or a random design consultant or the propositions/product development team or the whims of the MD or the skewed view of brand offered by advertising and digital agencies – “We do Brand” or rather “We do brand… as it applies to advertising, digital [insert niche focus here]”.

“Today’s reality is that leaders who are debating all the various ways that they can define and implement rigorous change, need something that will be non-partisan, noncompartmentalised, utterly objective and not owned by any one stakeholder group.” Brand Strategy done well is not influenced by a few drivers, it has to be influenced by, and therefore influence, the whole organisation and its markets. It’s only in this way that it can achieve the vital statistics that are necessary to justify the role. I would argue that Brand Strategy has to be the high watermark of visionary strategic thinking in today’s and tomorrow’s organisations. So, to reduce the complexities described above, to create clarity and to avoid the siloed ‘old paradigm’ thinking that destroys successful futures, make Brand Strategy your start point on the road to change.

Things can be catastrophically complex… a discipline that creates purpose, cohesion, motivation, strategic focus and tactical prudence. It’s always been a change agent and catalyst and has always had equal understanding of the internal and external requirements of people, all people, everywhere. It’s always been the glue that binds organisations together whilst creating the continuous opportunities to evolve. And it’s been the key informer for every function within an organisation. In many success stories, it is the number one driver to ongoing, long-term growth and reward. This discipline sounds too good to be true and yet its always been there. Unfortunately, by its very nature, it is a strategic discipline that has been greatly and sometimes deliberately misunderstood. Above all other business disciplines, its place in an organisation has been open to considerable debate – and it has been misplaced, misused and mistreated. It has been trivialized and in some organisations, de-valued to the point of non-existence, and yet it is the discipline that can be the answer to almost all questions being asked by concerned leaders debating change – if it’s engaged with properly.

“It is also the publicly accepted number one consideration of citizens, customers, buyers, talent, investors, fans, voters, commentators, bloggers – in fact everyone”.

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Life is much more simple, clear, defined and complete this way. Stephen Cook, Strategist and Optimist at V. Purposeful Strategy V is a strategy practice. Simple. We help organisations to stand for something vital as they define their future place and their reason for existing. We inspire them to make common cause with everyone they interact with and to create and implement the organisation-wide strategies that will make their ambitions a lasting reality.

 stephen.cook@vstrategy.co.uk  www.vstrategy.co.uk 43

MENTALLY TOUGH Nathan Thomas of Hilltop Chauffeurs first appeared in B4 Issue 35 – almost half a B4 lifetime ago. Since then he has been on something of a rollercoaster both personally and professionally. Nathan spoke to B4’s Richard Rosser openly and honestly about his experiences to show that for those experiencing similar challenges, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Written by: Richard Rosser

Photography by: Rob Scotcher

Nathan’s first foray into B4 was as a young man in a thriving and successful business, with a happy family around him including his three children, Molly 10, Daisy 8 and Emily 7. “I honestly wouldn’t be where I am without B4 – I still have 90% of my clients through B4 from 8 or 9 years ago. Quite a few people saw my article in B4 and they contacted me as a result and have been loyal ever since. I feel part of their work family. Not only do I know them on a business level but I know them on a personal level – their kids come out to see me, they play in the car, I go to their business Xmas events, I even take them for their holiday trips etc…So, from a business point of view everything was going well.” But Nathan’s life was to take a massive turn, as he opens up. “Life was great but spiralled out of control when my wife and I separated and, ultimately, divorced after 15 years. I managed to secure shared custody of the girls so it was a case of looking after the kids and the business. I still had a good focus on the business and was growing it. My passion is being in business and I love to drive, so it was the perfect combination. “Mentally, the divorce was affecting me more than I felt it was. I didn’t really realise how much things were affecting me until I met a new partner – that’s when the demons started appearing from under the rocks. I had insecurities I didn’t realise I had. My new partner wasn’t good for me and the relationship became toxic. This had a strain on my mental health as my insecurities grew – I was being questioned by my partner on everything, even my business.

I started to doubt myself and lose confidence as a business person. I was told I wasn’t parenting well, that I wasn’t tough enough, all by someone who was very new in my life. I think the term is ‘gaslighting’ - I began to doubt my own mind and question my sanity.

“

It’s the external factors, many of which you don’t have control over, that can lead to depression. If you don’t have the natural tools to cope, like some people do (emotional support as a child), then you can easily become depressed

”

“It got to a point where I didn’t even want to get out of bed in the morning, I didn’t want to look after the kids and I had no interest in the business. Fortunately, I had a great team of drivers around me that took the strain but they had no idea what was going on with me. I couldn’t contemplate driving – I wasn’t only a risk to myself but, first and foremost, my passengers. “The wake-up call for me was when I started to get thoughts in my head that I wasn’t brave enough to deal with life. I used to go through countless

scenarios about what the kids would do without me on the planet, what my family would do (those that knew about my state of mind). I could never have followed through with these thoughts – I don’t have enough courage to leave those around me. “I was totally paralysed and couldn’t function as a human being. I actually found myself scrolling through social media looking at other people’s lives to make my life better. So I ended up deleting my own Facebook account which I only use for business now. “I got a friend of 30 years involved in the business to try and rescue me. The business, despite everything, was going really well…it was thriving. I was literally on my knees at stages, overwhelmed with bookings. I didn’t know how to cope but in many respects it was a nice problem to have. I just needed help to get me out of the position I was in. “I gave him a share of the business but soon found out he only wanted to make financial gain, not get involved in the business to the extent we had agreed. It didn’t work out and we ended up parting company…and losing a friendship into the bargain. This obviously added to my already fragile state and I sought support, initially from the doctor. “I was offered support in terms of medication but refused it. That triggered me to seek therapy. I started to see two different therapists because I didn’t trust anyone! I wanted to see if they came up with the same diagnosis and they did. It was a minefield choosing a therapist and, fortunately, I picked two very good ones. I ended up focusing on

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one and soon realised that my personal challenges as a child (I was massively overweight as a child and have lost ten stone in five years) were stifling my ability to cope as a parent, adult and businessman. I still occasionally saw myself overweight even when I had lost it. I found it difficult to admit to my family that I had depression which I resisted admitting to myself. My doctor and therapist concluded that I was indeed suffering with depression and that was the reality check I needed. “After therapy I had the tools I needed to cope and make progress. I was able to deal with life again and the problems that go with it….the stressful situations that face us all rather than bury my head in the sand. I did a lot of research into mental health – I took lots of walks listening to audio books and this really helped me. Knowledge is power and you can never know enough. “I learned that depression isn’t something you catch, it’s a state of mind, it’s something you bring on yourself through the circumstances you are exposed to. It’s the external factors, many of which you don’t have control over, that can lead to depression. If you don’t have the natural tools to cope, like some people do (emotional support as a child), then you can easily become depressed. You can also have too much support as a child, being given everything, so that when you don’t get it, it’s a challenge to you and you don’t know how to cope. I wish I had had more emotional support as a child. “I now love being self-sufficient and giving my kids the support that they need to grow up and not face the challenges I have had.

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“Business is good but I’m starting again to a certain dfegree, but I want to grow the business. I have been fortunate to retain the customers I had before and I want to build on that now I am back in the B4 community, which is a massive support to me, as I have said before. “We offer a very personal service as a business. I know our clients like the connection they have with me and my drivers. My drivers know what I expect of them but they have also embraced the clients’ needs and requirements, even though I do encourage them not to have an opinion on certain subjects! “You have to be flexible as a chauffeur, the client is, as in all business, always right. You have to look at the bigger picture and if you treat them in the right way then they are, as I have proved, a client for the long term. When I got my first client someone told me I would be lucky to retain them for three years…. nine years on, they are still a happy customer. “I want to build a business that my kids can be proud of.

Nathan Thomas

“I would be delighted to talk to you about your business travel needs. “Equally, if you’re having personal challenges, please do get in touch, I would be only too pleased to help.”

 hilltopcars@live.co.uk  +44 (0)1865 595 262  www.hilltopchauffeurs.co.uk

IHub Innovating to Support a Smarter Oxfordshire

We all know that Oxfordshire is at the forefront of technological innovation linked to its worldbeating science and medical sector. What you may not know is that Oxfordshire County Council is heavily involved in many innovation projects, particularly in transport and social care, that bring together public and private sector partners. Written by: Jonathan Sayers

In 2018, Oxfordshire County Council formally launched a unit known as the innovation hub or IHub. This became a unit in its own right, having developed from an entity within the council known as the Innovation & Research Team. The IHub has just been recognised at the Transtech Awards in London in November 2019. The IHub was given a “Gamechanger” award for organisations shaping the future of transport with technology. The IHub won on the basis that it has demonstrated an ability at the forefront of the change in the mobility sector through the introduction of new technology and business models. Award organiser Landor cited IHub’s unique connected autonomous vehicles (CAV) expertise in particular in making the award, won against a series of high-performing contending cities. Partnerships and building on the expertise in Oxfordshire are fundamental to how the IHub has grown to a team of 24 people and £120 million in revenue, based on work it won with commercial partners and academia. This investment will support new innovation projects and support businesses, start-ups and SMEs to deliver projects in Oxfordshire helping to develop new sectors such as autonomous vehicles or energy systems. The IHub continues to add value to the council’s strategic priorities, which including improving transport connections while reducing carbon emissions, and managing the growing demand for social care services. The IHub has built an 46

international reputation in developing solutions on intelligent infrastructure, health, environment, and mobility systems, as well as implementing projects to improve the local economy and environment for Oxfordshire’s citizens. The IHub created and enabled the first CAV team to trial advance new technology with software partner Oxbotica and focused Health and Care Innovation Team in the UK for local government. Laura Peacock, Innovation & Research Manager at the IHub said: “The IHub has been key in developing links to business and academia, as well as securing external funding for projects for the county. Working with lead partners who are driving disruptive technologies, the IHub challenges the status quo and drives new solutions for Oxfordshire and beyond. With central government continuing to challenge local authorities to think differently and drive efficiencies, we are constantly looking at the private sector and academia for new ways to collaborate with the County Council on research projects. Oxfordshire County Council is especially well placed to innovate in this way having access to a range of applicable data on transport and other areas. This data can be combined with access to the county’s services to offer a test lab. The IHub acts to create a resilient and sustainable future for Oxfordshire through delivery of innovative operating models and partnerships.” The IHub took the lead on Oxfordshire County Council’s launch of the Oxfordshire Mobility Model project. The model will improve how roads are

planned, designed and upgraded. The project will ultimately lead to the development of a commercialgrade service that will generate future revenue for the council by means of a licensing model. This product will benefit both Oxfordshire by allowing better road designs and road improvements to be done in house as well as opening a source of income and a means of developing partnerships with more outside commercial and local authority entities. The insights gained from this leading work in Oxfordshire could benefit the highways infrastructure across the country. Mobility is undergoing vast and rapid changes and is evolving towards Intelligent Mobility where technology and infrastructure and combined. Innovations such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS); the integration of various transport services into a single mobility service accessible on demand, are opportunities to update the way we travel. A unique feature of this project is how Oxfordshire - along with consortium partners Geospock, Immense Simulation, Alchera Technologies, Zipabout and Oxford Computer Consultancy- will be transforming current transport modelling for councils. The new method of basing traffic modelling on people - not vehicles - ushers in a new era of transport planning in Britain. This means that transport in the future could be tailored to the specific needs and times an individual has to travel, using roads and infrastructure as part of this in the most efficient way technology will make possible.

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“ The new Oxfordshire

Mobility Model embodies how Oxfordshire County Council is embracing the skills and talent in Oxfordshire and the UK

”

Laura Peacock - Innovation & Research Manager, IHUb

The consortium is developing a new way to model traffic future demand that will provide an easy-to-use system for developers and city planners. They will be able to access a virtual model of a city that allows analysis of data and monitoring of systems to prevent problems before they happen. This model can be used for rapidly simulating multiple traffic scenarios and will not require as much specialist knowledge to run as current software, which will vastly improve the efficiency and cost of future planning. Laura Peacock added: “The new Oxfordshire Mobility Model embodies how Oxfordshire County Council is embracing the skills and talent in Oxfordshire and the UK, developing a model that is agile and fit for a mobility system that it constantly changing meeting users high expectations. The Mobility Model and other IHub projects act as a catalyst to create a resilient and sustainable future for Oxfordshire delivering transformative operating models and partnerships.”

 info@oxfordshire.gov.uk  01865 792 422  www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

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INTRODUCING

PENNY MALLORY Mental Toughness and Performance Mindset Specialist and one of the UK’s leading Motivational and Inspirational Speakers - Someone who knows exactly how to compete and win against the odds because throughout her life she has repeatedly had to do precisely that. Talking from her own experiences, Penny’s series of powerful, engaging and entertaining keynote talks on subjects such as Mental Toughness, Resilience and Results, Ambition to Achievement and Enlightened Leadership have become acclaimed international favourites for many of the world’s most powerful businesses, brands and business leaders. Continuing his theme of introducing us to a selection of his far from bland friends, clients, contacts and connections, Strangebrew’s Phil Strachan introduces us to Penny Mallory, ex Rally Champion, Television Presenter, Author and Motivational/Keynote Speaker.

I was first introduced to Penny about seven years ago, being very aware of her incredible accomplishments on the Rally circuit – not only in becoming the British Women’s Rally Champion against all the odds but also because she was the first and only woman to be given a drive in and to compete in a World Rally Car with the Ford Rally team. Being very interested in cars, I was also aware of Penny’s subsequent role as a regular and respected TV Presenter and host on leading motoring programmes including Channel 4’s Driven, ITV4’s Used Car Roadshow and Men and Motors, Discovery’s Classic Car Club and Channel 4’s World Rally Championship. Shortly after meeting Penny, I had the immense privilege of working with her on the creation of her Take Control brand as she launched her now well established and very successful Motivational/ After Dinner Speaking career. Indeed, working with her recently, I arranged for Penny to deliver her stimulating ‘World Class Thinking - World Class Behaviour‘ motivational talk to a totally captivated

audience at the Network Royals business event at Reading’s Madejski Stadium.

I am a great believer “that you make your own ‘luck’ in this world. Opportunities rarely come handed to you on a plate Penny Mallory

”

Penny has a wealth of experience in human psychological performance, having worked with very many World Class teams and organisations, including F1, to effect behavioural change through the development of a winning mindset. In her book and keynote talk on World Class Thinking – World Class Behaviour, Penny demonstrates how anyone can develop their own Mental Toughness

by embracing the four key components of Control, Commitment, Challenge and Confidence in order to transform the quality of their life, their performance and the results they achieve. Penny talks from her own experience of being part of a dysfunctional family, of leaving home at 14 and becoming a homeless teen living on the edge through to turning her life around to becoming a hugely successful Rally Champion and the first woman in the world to drive a World Rally Car for the Ford Rally team. She really is driven and mentally tough and knows exactly how to compete and how to beat the odds. Penny, as I recall you first got the rallying bug when you were about six or seven years old Yes, I had just watched a rally on TV and I decided there and then that I wanted to become a rally driver. I told everyone that but no one took me very seriously at the time. But that ambition never went away – the dream of one day becoming a rally driver stuck in my mind. It was always there and I really wanted it.

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“ Yes, I had just

watched a rally on TV and I decided there and then that I wanted to become a rally driver. I told everyone that but no one took me very seriously at the time Penny Mallory

”

Moving forward some years, you had left home, you had moved to London. Without going into too many details, your life was at an all time low. You were homeless and sofa surfing for several years, so how did you end up fulfilling your dream and not only managing to become a rally driver but to go on to become a Rally Champion? That’s quite a leap! Yes it was, Phil. As you know, I am a great believer that you make your own ‘luck’ in this world. Opportunities rarely come handed to you on a plate and if you really want something badly enough, you have to take control and do whatever it takes to make it happen. It is all about having a goal, an ambition and being determined enough, committed enough and resilient enough to make it happen and to get the result that you want. Regarding breaking into rallying, there was no opportunity that came to me, an unknown on the streets of London with a crazy dream and little else. There was no call from any rally team, let alone a leading rally team, who needed my services or wanted to give me the opportunity to fulfil my dream.

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So what did happen – How did you get into rallying?

“

It is all about having a goal, an ambition and being determined enough, committed enough and resilient enough to make it happen and to get the result that you want Penny Mallory

”

In my determined innocence, I phoned directory enquiries to find out where I could go to learn to drive a rally car. I was given telephone numbers for some rally schools (I did not even know such things existed) and I phoned one up and booked a half day course. Simple as that! I had managed to achieve my first goal of getting the chance to drive a rally car. That was me hooked, addicted. I can scarcely

describe the euphoria and adrenalin rush of driving a rally car for the first time on a gravel-covered airfield, doing handbrake turns, getting sideways and going round obstacles on opposite lock. It was a truly lifechanging experience. This was it, I was transported into another world. For the first time ever, I felt truly in control and that day I decided that I was going to be a rally driver and that I would allow nothing to stand in my way. But you did have many obstacles that stood in your way and the odds of you succeeding were very poor. Absolutely, Phil, the main one being money. I did various jobs working in bars and restaurants and managed to earn and to borrow enough money to get some lessons, to hire cars to drive and to enter a few rallies. I did OK and I wanted to do more. I realised that if I wanted to be good at it that I needed more practice, more drives and more rallies. When I had maxed out my borrowing, I then sought sponsorship to fund me. I was very fortunate to secure some great sponsorship deals - as much

“

It was all a question of setting one goal at a time, one achievable but challenging step or stage at a time. Firstly, to get a drive in a real rally, then having achieved that, to win a rally. Penny Mallory

because of my obvious drive, passion, enthusiasm, determination and commitment as my ability in a rally car. I was very fortunate but once again I had made my own luck – I had taken control. When you set out, did you ever dream that you would become Women’s Rally Champion and that you would become the first woman to get a drive in and compete in a World Rally Car? No – but I wanted to succeed. It was all a question of setting one goal at a time, one achievable but challenging step or stage at a time. Firstly, to get a drive in a real rally, then having achieved that, to win a rally. Having achieved that, I then wanted to win the Championship and having achieved that, I then wanted to drive a World Rally Car. Having reached the top of your profession over 12 years and having become truly world class, you then embarked on another very successful career as a TV presenter, hosting and co-hosting some of the leading motoring programmes. Once again, you had to succeed in a very competitive and challenging business. Yes, Phil. And what a privilege that was. I was very fortunate but at the same time, I took control and to a great degree made my own luck. It is a very

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”

competitive business but I was determined to succeed and I rose to the challenge. Challenges against the odds are something that you really thrive on, Penny. Not content with what you had achieved in a rally car, your fighting spirit at one point led you to take up boxing. That itself took a year of intensive training to earn the right to compete in an official boxing match. Yes - I always like new challenges and something to focus on and it was a challenge that appealed to me – just like the three marathons that I ran back to back over three days.

insurmountable obstacles and odds. It’s what sets you apart and qualifies you as one of the leading Motivational Speakers in the UK. Thank you Phil. My objective now is to help others to develop a winning mindset and the mental toughness to achieve their ambitions through my talks and my workshops

ANYONE WISHING TO BOOK PENNY AS A SPEAKER TO DELIVER ONE OF HER TRULY INSPIRATIONAL, ENGAGING AND ENTERTAINING PENNY MALLORY TALKS SERIES OR A WORKSHOP SHOULD CONTACT HER ON 07831 179231 WWW.PENNYMALLORY.CO.UK

And being a relative of George Mallory of Everest fame, it should come as no surprise to anyone that you also took on and conquered two of the seven highest peaks in Europe. Penny, there are very many motivational speakers out there who can ‘talk the talk’ but there are very few who can do so with such convincing authority. You really have ‘walked the walk’, repeatedly demonstrating your mental toughness and winning mindset by setting yourself seemingly impossible challenges and by overcoming seemingly

 phil@strangebrew.co.uk  07770 753 975  www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk 51

A Little Freethinking Delivers Results It has been another successful year for Oxford’s freethinking law firm, Freeths. Over the past year the firm continued investing in its legal teams with the recruitment of 9 additional lawyers to help meet demand for legal advice and support from businesses and private individuals in Oxfordshire. A notable new member in Freeths’ Family Wealth team is Director, Louise Lewis, who joined the firm from Penningtons Manches Cooper in the summer. Written by: Sian Hewitt, Freeths Solicitors Photography by: Freeths Solicitors

Freeths is well-known in the region for providing a first class service to clients and this is all down to them instilling a strong, positive entrepreneurial culture, which they call ‘freethinking’. This culture really shines in Freeths’ two specialist initiatives, Freeths Advance – De-Risking Your Business Growth Service for SMEs and Platinum Connect for Entrepreneurs and Private Individuals. These initiatives provide innovative legal advice and solutions for everyday issues. The Oxford office of Freeths is the second largest of the 13 offices around the country and it recently received stellar reviews from clients and peers in this year’s independent research into the top UK law firms, which is carried out by the UK’s leading legal directories; The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. The legal directories are widely regarded as the authoritative guides to the UK legal profession. Both guides rank law firms and solicitors in over 70 specialist areas of law. The rankings are a result of research undertaken by over 200 researchers who conduct thousands of interviews on law firms’ technical legal ability, client service, commercial vision and business understanding, diligence, depth of legal teams, and value for money. Chambers & Partners, A Client’s Guide to the UK Legal Profession highlighted the excellence of the

Oxford office’s Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Clinical Negligence, Family/Matrimonial and Private Wealth Departments and has ranked each of them as one of the top UK legal teams in their field. The Corporate department also received stellar reviews and were highly regarded along with the recently promoted Director, Malin Svanberg Larsson, who was highlighted as an ‘Associate to watch’. Here is some of the feedback Chambers & Partners has published about Freeths: “They’re excellent,” comments a client, who notes: “They offer a really prompt service and are able to translate complex issues very succinctly.” Another client reports: “Freeths were excellent in every department. All staff were attentive, prompt and made us feel that our deal was the biggest and most important that they had on.” “All the lawyers are very easy to work with and are very responsive. It is a very well-organised firm with good expertise in many areas.” A commentator appreciates that the real estate team at Freeths is “very caring and provides 100% of what we require in timescales and the quality.” One client praises the firm’s “outstanding” service, saying: “They were professional at all

times, knowledgeable, courteous, kind and efficient.” The Legal 500, The Clients’ Guide to the UK Legal Profession ranked Freeths as a top tier law firm for Commercial Property, Professional Negligence, Family, Clinical Negligence, Contentious Trusts and Probate, Personal Tax, Trusts and Probate, and Agriculture and Estates. The firm’s highly regarded Corporate and Commercial and Commercial Litigation Departments also received excellent feedback from clients and peers. Here is some of the feedback The Legal 500 has published about Freeths: “The corporate team at Freeths is always one step ahead of their larger competitors. They are well prepared and always put the client first.” “I am always impressed by the speed of response and willingness to immediately help even at extremely short notice”. “The family team go several extra miles for their clients- they always make themselves available, clearly explain the issues and suggest reasonable alternatives.” “They were all a delight to work with and always highly professional. They did the work extremely well and promptly”.

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Freeths Solicitors offices

“

At Freeths, we look to build long-term relationships with our business and private clients by adding value to our relationships wherever possible, be that by way of completing M&A deals on time and under budget or advising private individuals on preserving their wealth for generations to come. We always strive to deliver the results our clients want.

”

Sarah Foster, Managing Partner at Freeths’ Oxford

Freeths LLP provides ‘excellent’ and ‘well-balance’ assistance to a wide range of clients including high-net-worth individuals, estate owners and family businesses.

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Sarah Foster, Managing Partner at Freeths Oxford, says “I’m very proud of our lawyers and the way they have helped clients to achieve successful outcomes on their business interests and family wealth matters. We continue our legacy of being ‘freethinking’ lawyers, which is much more than just giving legal advice. It is obvious from our employee growth over the last year and the recent feedback in the legal directories that the clients and intermediaries we work with see that too. At Freeths, we look to build long-term relationships with our business and private clients by adding value to our relationships wherever possible, be that by way of completing M&A deals on time and under budget or advising private individuals on preserving their wealth for generations to come. We always strive to deliver the results our clients want.

We are able to do this by recruiting lawyers not just based on their experience and expertise but also on trust - we look at what kind of person they are to see if they have the ability to build long-term relationships with colleagues across our 13 offices, clients, and intermediaries. It’s all part of our freethinking culture, which is why we are able to give a great service.”

It is clear that demand for Freeths legal services is high and this is due to the lawyers at the firm going above and beyond for their clients by always looking at ways to deliver more than the client expects.

 sarah.foster@freeths.co.uk  01865 781 000  www.freeths.co.uk

Visit Oxford’s #1 Attraction

“Brilliant tour!” “Awesome and Delicious Gin/Vodka” “A great experience!”

Join us for a unique, behind the scenes experience. You will taste our award-winning spirits and discover the principles behind our approach to distilling. You can book your tour online at www.spiritoftoad.com, or if you prefer, call 01865 767918 to speak to a member of staff. *Trip Advisor’s #1 of 145 Things to do in Oxford

EMPLOYMENT LAW

DON’T BE AN APRIL FOOL

At this time of the year, many organisations will be looking ahead to what 2020 has in store for them. In terms of workforce issues, whilst we won’t see any seismic shifts in employment law (subject of course to Brexit and the outcome of the General Election), there are still a number of changes that employers need to prepare for which are coming into effect on 6 April 2020. Moorcrofts Employment Partner Matt Jenkin outlines the key changes and helps us understand how these may impact on our businesses. Written by: Matt Jenkin

HOLIDAY PAY The law on holiday pay will continue to evolve with the reference period for determining an average week’s pay being set at 52 weeks. The last few years have seen a number of significant decisionson holiday pay which has resulted in the calculation of holiday pay moving from basic salary to “normal remuneration”. This has seen holiday pay increase as it now needs to include a number of elements including commission, bonus and overtime. One area that the cases failed to address was the reference period to be applied for the purposes of working out holiday pay. That uncertainty will be removed for some workers with their reference period being increased from 12 to 52 weeks. This will see employers having to look back over the last 52-weeks’ pay to establish an average week’s pay when it comes to holiday pay calculations. Whilst the change won’t apply to all workers, this 52 week period could well be adopted for all workers, as (a) applying different rules to different categories of employees and workers is likely to be an administrative burden and (b) adopting the same 52 weeks’ reference period for all workers and employees should assist in avoiding claims that a shorter reference period is not representative. This could well see an increase in holiday pay and employers need to ensure that they have systems set up to ensure that the correct level of holiday pay is being applied.

AGENCY WORKERS We will also see changes to agency workers with the “Swedish Derogation” being abolished. At first glance, unless you run an employment business supplying agency workers, it may look like a minor technical change. The Swedish Derogation is a provision in the Agency Worker Regulations 2010 which allows employment businesses to avoid the required pay parity with comparable employees at the end-user client after 12 weeks so long as certain conditions are met. In practice, what this may mean is that employment business costs go up as they have to increase the rate of pay to the workers that they supply to ensure pay parity. It may well be the case, that the employment business look to pass the increase in costs on to their clients. Any organisation that regularly uses agency workers WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

should be querying with the agencies that they use as to how this change is going to impact on them and factor in any increased costs to 2020 staffing budgets.

IR35/OFF-PAYROLL WORKING RULES A further strain on staffing costs is likely to be caused by the changes to IR35/Off-payroll working rules. This will impact medium and large businesses who engage consultants via an intermediary, typically the individuals who own a personal service company. Such arrangements are commonplace across a number of sectors. At the moment, for the customers and clients (the end-users) there is little tax risk - if IR35 does apply, any tax payable is an issue for the individual and their company. However, the April changes will see the risk being passed back to the client. It will need to make a determination as to whether IR35 applies, notify the consultant of the determination and if it is deemed that is “in” IR35, deduct tax and NI via PAYE as if the consultant was employed direct by them. These determinations could well see consultants either looking to increase their rates, so after tax they are still in the same net position or looking to become employees, with the increased costs associated with employee status, as there is no real benefit to the self-employed arrangements once the tax advantages have been removed.

CHANGES TO TAX Changes to taxation will see all termination payments above the £30,000 tax-free threshold being subject to employer NIC’s. This builds on the April 2018 changes which effectively meant that all payments in lieu of notice are now subject to tax and NIC. The April 2020 changes will mean that for a genuine termination payment, the first £30,000 will be tax and NIC free. The balance over £30,000 will be subject to tax and employers NIC, whereas at the moment no NIC is payable on the excess over £30,000. Employers planning terminations post April 2020 which will result in termination payments over £30,000 need to factor in the employers NIC as an additional cost.

WRITTEN STATEMENTS OF TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT Employers will need to prepare for the changes to written statements of terms of employment, which

for most employers will mean having to review and, if necessary, amend their contracts of employment. The changes which see a requirement to provide statements to all workers (not just employees) and to provide that statement on day one of employment. This may not be hugely problematic; however, the changes will result in additional information having to be included in the statements. This will mean employers having to review their current template employment contracts to see what changes need to be made to ensure compliance from April 2020.

PARENTAL BEREAVEMENT LEAVE One change that has had some publicity is the planned introduction of parental bereavement leave. This is due to come into force at some stage in April 2020. The provision will allow for two weeks bereavement leave which depending on length of service will be paid at the same rate as statutory maternity pay. The Government is still consulting on the detail of how the leave will work in practice. How big an impact the change will have is to be seen. Our experience in advising clients on this issue is that most employers are nothing but supportive to employees who find themselves in this situation. Whilst looking at the planned April 2020 changes in isolation may not be significant, when combined, they do mean that there is plenty for organisations to prepare for, particularly with potential increase to payroll costs needing to be factored into 2020 budgets. For Employment Law advice around any of the 2020 changes, contact Matt Jenkin.

 matt.jenkin@moorcrofts.com  +44 (0) 1628 470000.  www.moorcrofts.com

ENSURING A ROBUST START FOR OXFORD BUSINESSES IN 2020 Oxford-based law firm Blake Morgan discusses key issues affecting businesses in the region and offers advice on how to ensure a robust start to 2020. Written by: Cathy Bryant, Partner - Blake Morgan

Two particular challenges that will affect many businesses, aside from preparing for the festive season, are in ensuring due diligence around the 2020 changes to off-payroll rules, and compliance with data protection laws in the event of a ‘no-deal’ Brexit scenario.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF CONTRACTORS Following the introduction of the off-payroll rules for the public sector in 2017, the Government is extending these rules to bring the private sector inline when it comes to employing contractors. From April next year businesses will be required to assess the status of their contractors in order to ensure the correct amount of payroll tax is being deducted. The key issue for businesses to understand is whether or not a contractor should be considered an employee for tax purposes. Variations in the way contractors are engaged and where in the supply chain they sit can be complex, so it is important you act now to prepare for the new legislation. Blake Morgan Partner and corporate tax specialist, Cathy Bryant, said: “The main issue for employers is to understand how the business engages with contractors and assessing the terms of those relationships. Using this due diligence businesses

can respond to the ways this new legislation impacts their business and their relationship with their contractors.” To help businesses with due diligence, Blake Morgan is offering a brand-new fixed fee consultancy service. Depending on the level of preparedness for the rules, the firm can advise on a range of matters – from an audit template designed to map contractor relationships through to reviewing and advising on contractor terms and conditions.

The main issue “ for employers is to understand how the business engages with contractors and assessing the terms of those relationships Cathy Bryant, Partner - Blake Morgan

”

Cathy continues: “The new rules represent one of the biggest changes to contractor arrangements for many years. Whilst April 2020 might seem

some way off, understanding your obligations and preparing to take action now will help ensure there are no nasty surprises come the next tax year.” Unless you count Brexit!

‘DEAL OR NO DEAL’ DATA PROTECTION IS CRUCIAL Despite a Brexit deal being on the cards, British politics is impossible to predict, and data protection experts are warning business leaders that there’s no room for complacency over the implications of a no deal. Elisabeth Bell, Blake Morgan’s data protection expert, warns that the region’s businesses could inadvertently fall foul of data protection laws should we exit the EU without a deal. Most UK businesses are already familiar with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which contains restrictions on transferring personal data to third countries outside of the European Economic Area, while there are no restrictions on data flows between countries within the EU. Elisabeth warns this could pose a significant problem for organisations that transfer personal data internationally, for example by using cloud services or outsourced data processing providers.

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She said: “In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the UK would automatically become a “third country” on leaving the EU. Data flows from the EU to the UK would, therefore, become subject to tight restrictions contained in the GDPR.

as the new UK GDPR, after a no-deal Brexit.

“The UK government hopes the UK will be granted an “adequacy decision” in recognition of the fact that we have equivalent laws. This would enable data to flow unrestricted between the EU and the UK.

For more information on how to ensure your business remains legally compliant following Brexit, see our guide. www. blakemorgan.co.uk/data-protectionand-brexit-preparing-for-no-deal/

If your organisation is in this situation, you should seek specialist advice on the steps you should be taking now to prepare.”

But according to the Operation Yellowhammer report into the UK government’s no-deal preparations, an adequacy decision “could take years”. This will be too late for businesses relying on uninterrupted flow of personal data between the EU and the UK.

Cathy Bryant, Partner

“This means that all companies in the UK need to urgently consider their data flows. If personal data is received from or sent to locations outside the UK, companies need to take action now. This includes checking current contracts and, where necessary, putting in place revised arrangements to ensure that there will be no disruption to those data flows.” She continued: “A no-deal Brexit could have more profound effects for organisations operating in or selling into multiple jurisdictions in the UK and Europe. Some of these UK companies will need to continue complying with both the GDPR, as well

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 info@ blakemorgan.co.uk  01865 248 607  www.blakemorgan.co.uk

Elisabeth Bell, Data Protection Expert

Guiding your success:

A CASE STUDY BY FREETHS

Jos Pink, the director of startup proptech business Thovex Limited, had a bright idea. But he also knew that he had an issue. When he contacted us in early 2019, Jos and his team already had the concept of a platform that was going to revolutionise the way that land developers researched strategic land acquisitions. They had done a lot of work on the technical side, writing code to collect data from public databases on the internet and had made contact with official data custodians like HM Land Registry and Companies House, to establish what data of theirs could be included. Written by: Will Richmond-Coggan, Director, Freeths LLP

Jos’s concern came from understanding that there was a lot that he didn’t know, and in particular an awareness that data (specifically personal data) was a heavily regulated area where he couldn’t afford to put a foot wrong. He reached out to Freeths and embarked on what proved to be a pretty steep learning curve over the following few months. We started, as we often do, with a wide-ranging initial conversation which gave Jos the chance, before he had even formally appointed Freeths, to get an insight into the steps he would need to take before being able to launch his product. These covered a wide range of different activities, from incorporating the company and protecting its brand, through drafting formal customer contracts and terms of business, and putting in place suitable agreements for the staff and contractors who were going to be working to get the product completed. But Jos’s instinct that data protection was one of the main challenges they would face proved to be particularly insightful. “Data protection and privacy (GDPR) is something

that everyone thinks they understand,” says Jos, looking back on that preliminary meeting, “but in practice they rarely do.” Talking about what the project would involve it rapidly became clear that significant quantities of personal data would need to be collected, both from the datasets

Data protection “ and privacy (GDPR)

Even though this data was already freely available to anyone who wanted to look for it, Thovex were keen to ensure that they handled the data respectfully and in a way that went above and beyond the minimum compliance with the GDPR. This led to a series of more detailed meetings where they immersed themselves in the data protection principles, and critical concepts like the lawful bases of processing, and the central importance of a data protection impact assessment.

is something that everyone thinks they understand, but in practice they rarely do.

Jos was surprised at how wide-ranging this aspect of the project ended up becoming. “We enlisted the help of Freeths at the beginning of our development process, but didn’t realise just how impactful and important their guidance on data privacy and protection would be for our product.”

”

Jos Pink, Director - Thovex Limited

maintained by the Land Registry and Companies House, but also from the publicly available data which Jos’s software would locate on local authority websites, collect and make available in consolidated form on his ‘Landstack’ platform.

This included making sure that Landstack was designed, from the code up, to respect the core principles of data protection. Only data necessary for their customer’s purposes would be collected, it would only be able to be processed for limited purposes and subject to rigorous retention policies that would see significant quantities of

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even relevant data deleted as soon as it had exceeded its usefulness. But Thovex, already on course to design a robustly compliant product, wanted to go even further. As they learned more about the concept

With Freeths’ “ guidance, we have designed our system to make it clear and simple for any data protection query we have to be handled

”

Jos Pink, Director - Thovex Limited

of a data protection impact assessment, they decided that any such assessment would be incomplete without a sense of the attitude to this processing activity which ordinary data subjects might have. So they commissioned an online poll of the public at large, collecting a sample of over 1,000 responses within just a few days.

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The final analysis of the answers to these 20 questions revealed important information about the level of the public’s understanding around what personal data of theirs is available, but also the criteria on which they would be comfortable with that data being made available on a platform like Landstack. Now, in late 2019, the Landstack platform is complete and Thovex already have a number of interested customers. Having built the platform from the ground up with compliance in mind, they have been able to use that element of respect for data protection as a selling point, to differentiate themselves from their competition. But it also gives them, and their customers, the confidence that they can tackle any data protection concern or issue that might come their way. It’s a confidence that comes from properly understanding the regulatory space in which they operate, and seeing compliance as a core ingredient in their design rather than an after-thought, or window dressing. “With Freeths’ guidance, we have designed our system to make it clear and simple for any data protection query or issue we have to be handled.”

 William.Richmond-Coggan@Freeths.co.uk  01865 781 000  www.freeths.co.uk

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Recognition counts at every level for Whitley Stimpson Winning awards can often mean just another trophy in the cabinet to say that you have worked hard and have efficient staff doing a good job. In the world of accountancy though, award schemes are far more complicated and essential for gauging performance on so many different levels. For example, Whitley Stimpson takes great pride in consistently appearing in the Accountancy Age 50+50 rankings, the UK’s most comprehensive breakdown of accountancy sector performance. To achieve the national honour, Whitley Stimpson’s revenue and growth are measured against accounting firms throughout the country and this year saw the firm’s fee income grow by five per cent putting it in 86th place in the top 100 UK companies, four places higher than 2018. This is no mean feat considering the unstable political and business climate which is creating so much uncertainty along with complex compliance and technological challenges. And, of course, it is a yardstick for the success of the local economy reflected through Whitley Stimpson’s offices in Banbury, Bicester, High Wycombe and Witney. A firm can only be as good as its staff, so Whitley Stimpson invests heavily in training and development to ensure its employees deliver the best service possible to clients. This has been reflected in it being shortlisted as one of the accredited Top 10 Best Employers in the 2019 Accountancy Age Awards. It followed a rigorous research process, which included a detailed employee survey, carried out independently by Best Companies Group, the research firm behind ‘70+ Best Places to Work’ programmes worldwide. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

The business made the top five in the Accounting Excellence Investors in People award and an employee has been awarded first place in Corporate Reporting for the Thames Valley area and fifth in the Thames Valley Advanced Stage Order of Merit 2018. Meanwhile, the payroll team was named as a finalist in two Reward Strategy Awards 2019 for

We take our role as “ employers very seriously, not only creating the most rewarding environment we can to work in, but also taking great pride in the continuous development and training of our staff

”

Jonathan Walton, Managing Director - Whitley Stimpson

of our business and a continual reflection of our performance as a firm and specifically as employers. “We take our role as employers very seriously, not only creating the most rewarding environment we can to work in, but also taking great pride in the continuous development and training of our staff. “As a result, our achievements come down to a team effort with staff contributing directly to the firm’s direction as they themselves develop and progress. We continue to maintain our position by providing excellent client service and retaining the very best talent in the industry. “National rankings acknowledge our work for a wide variety of private and business clients and it’s thanks to our clients and colleagues that we continue to be a leading independent accounting firm.” To speak to one of Whitley Stimpson’s accountancy experts, please call 01295 270200 or visit www. whitleystimpson.co.uk

Service Provider Team Award and Leaders Within the Knowledge and Professional Services. An apprentice has been shortlisted for the Next Generation Award, put forward by her apprenticeship provider and the firm’s Service Charge Accounting team has been shortlisted as Service Provider of the Year in the 2019 Property Management Awards. Managing director Jonathan Walton said: “Award schemes are not just about having a pat on the back and moving on – they are an important part

CHARTER ED ACCO UNTANTS AND BUS I NES S A D V I SOR S

 jonathanw@whitleystimpson.co.uk  01295 270 200  www.whitleystimpson.co.uk

“

A good lettings agent adds value to the transaction by making sure the tenant can enjoy a better, safer, well-maintained home

Barclays

Debbie Swailes - NOPS

”

North Oxford Property Services Spotting an unloved semi-basement flat at the back of the bottom drawer of an office filing cabinet set Robin Swailes on an accidental career course he had never anticipated.

It was while working as an estate agent in Oxford that Robin, now a shareholder in North Oxford Property Services (NOPS), which is headed up by his wife Debbie, spotted the property that was to change his life. “It was a probate sale, the details were tucked away at the back of the drawer and it hadn’t sold in 12 months, but it was in the best part of town and had considerable potential - so I bought it,” Robin recalled. After he had renovated the property, the vendor, a college professor who had been an executor for the sale, asked him if he would let one of the rooms to a student. A while later he was asked to let a second room – and then a third. “Shortly after that the college asked if they could use the main living room, which was impressively large, as a teaching area while I was at work,” he said. Realising he was earning more from letting than he was from his day job as a medical rep for equipment supplier Portex, Robin began to invest in more properties – and today NOPS manages some 1,300 properties in north and east Oxford, with “absolutely first class” support from Barclays Relationship Director Barry McGuinness. Until this summer the company managed 800 homes, split equally between student and

professional lets, but this summer’s merger with another well-regarded business, Premier Lettings, has made it the biggest family run business of its kind in Oxfordshire. Robin first dealt with NOPS as a customer before being persuaded to buy the business in 2003. “I had built up a portfolio of 10 or 12 properties

“

NOPS has built up a great reputation based on being a family run business with a personal touch, well-maintained properties and an amazing team. We care deeply about our landlords, our tenants and the properties Debbie Swailes - NOPS

”

over the years and they were all let through NOPS, which was owned at that time by David Wilding,” Robin recalled. “When he decided he wanted to sell the business, David approached me as a potential buyer. When I hesitated, he jokingly pointed out: ‘I look after your properties. If I sell it to a numpty, you could suffer

the consequences of void periods!’, so I decided I should go for it.” While Debbie now manages the lettings business, Robin focuses on another concern, a development company called Robin Swailes Design and Development (strapline: No Ordinary Developer), but property was far from his first career choice. With a strong naval heritage – reflected in his parents’ decision to give him Horatio as a middle name – Robin began life travelling the world as a navigator with P&O on cruise ships and tankers. He spent five years at sea, rising to qualify as a Second Officer, and after coming ashore in the early 1980s started a business in Cornwall selling waterproof encapsulated charts that could be used and re-used by yachtsmen or mounted on the wall as decorative prints. “We worked hard and the product was good but we weren’t making any money, so I decided to sell the business and travel to London in search of something new,” Robin said. While London was the aim, Robin didn’t actually get that far. “I stopped off in Oxford on the way and was offered a job as an estate agent,” he explained. While the job didn’t work out - “I was sacked after five months and 30 days,” he recalled - it was where he found the property that began the portfolio that has now reached 1,300 homes.

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“

Barry understands the business, has a great deal of experience and always does what he says he will do. It really is a great business relationship. Robin Swailes - NOPS

Robin’s next career move was partly influenced by an earlier experience in Cornwall. “A fortune teller at a charity event told me that I would end up in the medical business, so when my then-girlfriend spotted a job in London as a rep for Portex, I applied for it.”

NOPS, which has three offices, two in Walton Street and one in Cowley Road, bought the HomeFinders Letting Agency seven years ago and has continued its steady growth through this summer’s merger with the Premier Lettings team headed up by Jan Bartlett and her son Charlie.

The fortune teller probably didn’t predict quite how successful he would be. Before long he had risen to global brand director with what is now pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca and was investing any spare income in properties that were let through NOPS.

The lettings companies now have 30 staff, including Janice Morton, Head of Accounts, and Hannah George, who heads up property management.

Around 17 years ago, Robin, now in his late fifties, bought the company and began the growth that has seen he and wife Debbie grow it to its current size, with ongoing support from Barclays, initially through Jayne Woodley and more recently through Barry McGuinness, whose help he described as “superb”. He added: “As well as all our day to day banking, Barclays have supported all our office purchases and helped with the recent merger. Barry understands the business, has a great deal of experience and always does what he says he will do. It really is a great business relationship.” Robin originally employed a manager to run NOPS, but after leaving medical sales he put the business in Debbie’s safe hands and focused his own efforts on his redevelopment company.

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well-maintained home,” said Debbie. “In the case of students we even act as 24-hour backup parents, especially when they lose their keys after a night on the town.”

“We are particularly pleased to be working with Jan and Charlie Bartlett, who have a wealth of experience, particularly in east Oxford,” Debbie commented.

 post@northoxfordproperty.co.uk  01865 318 538  www.nops.co.uk

“NOPS has built up a great reputation based on being a family run business with a personal touch, well-maintained properties and an amazing team. We care deeply about our landlords, our tenants and the properties we let and we believe we provide a great service to all our clients.”

 barry.mcguinness@barclays.com  07766 361 277  barclayscorporate.com

Recent legislation has made the lettings business more transparent, with agencies facing new restrictions on the fees they can charge. “We have had to become even more efficient, which is why this merger will create economies of scale that will benefit both landlords and tenants,” Robin explained. “A good lettings agent adds value to the transaction by making sure the tenant can enjoy a better, safer,

”

The views expressed in this article are the views of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Barclays Bank PLC Group nor should they be taken as statements of policy or intent of the Barclays Bank PLC Group. The Barclays Bank PLC Group takes no responsibility for the veracity of information contained in the third party guides or articles and no warranties or undertakings of any kind, whether express or implied, regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information given. The Barclays Bank PLC Group takes no liability for the impact of any decisions made based on information contained and views expressed. Barclays Bank PLC is registered in England (Company No. 1026167) with its registered office at 1 Churchill Place, London E14 5HP. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services Register No. 122702) and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Barclays is a trading name and trade mark of Barclays PLC and its subsidiaries.

Growing a Business: Raising Finance Wellers has helped countless entrepreneurs build and sell their businesses from its offices in Oxford, Banbury, Thame, and London. Here, Stuart Crook shares some advice on what companies need to know about raising finance. Written by: Stuart Crook

Adequate funding is vital to operating a successful business. Without it, the day to day running of the organisation can be challenging making expansion difficult, if not impossible. There is an abundance of different types of business funding available, depending on your requirements, such as whether the additional money is needed for short-term working capital requirements, the long-term financing associated with acquisitions, or major capital investment for growth.

sources will take a significant amount of time, whereas other forms won’t, so it’s important to understand which category the funding falls into.

Debt vs equity, an overview There are two main finance options: 1. Debit finance whereby you borrow money that you have to pay back, usually with interest

According to the British Business Bank Survey, 60 percent of SME businesses (up to 249 employees) sought some form of external funding in the last three years. The key to choosing the right funding is knowing exactly what it is needed for and when it is required.

2. Equity finance which works by selling a share of the business to generate funds, the investor usually realises a return when they then sell their shares at a future date

What do you want to achieve?

Below is a breakdown of the different types of finance:

A good business plan will detail the long-term goals, including things like when additional warehouses or manufacturing plants are forecast to be needed, and what the predicted cashflow is for the business at that exact point. This will further help inform the decision as to which type of funding will be required.

When is the funding needed? Having a positive cashflow is critical to running a successful business, especially at the point of growth. Once the objectives are clearly distinguished, it is then time to consider what type of funding is needed and how long it might take to secure it. Some

Short Term

Growth can take many forms and mean different things. For example, it could be: • Expanding existing operations • Opening a new store or premises • Investing in a new product line • Purchasing new assets such as IT equipment • Setting up marketing and/or sales teams

Short term refers to finance that can be repaid in less than 1 year. Long term finance is typically repaid over 2 - 5 years or more than 5 years.

Long Term

Before funding and timescales can be considered, the end goal needs to be decided. After all, there is little need to raise finance if it isn’t funding anything or if the rationale isn’t clear. To do this, it is imperative that the business plan and growth projections are consulted.

Debt

Equity

Trade suppliers

Share issues

Bank overdrafts Directors loans Finance from friends and family Grants Bank loans

Angels

Secured mortgages

Venture capital

Government backed

EIS funding

lending Asset finance Debentures

If a business is small, Government grants could be a great option because they won’t leave the business surrounded in debt. However, they do involve a lot

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“ Loaning money

from friends or family means that banks don’t need to be approached and interest rates are generally lower. However, it is also an indicator that other investors aren’t showing interest in the business Stuart Crook - Wellers

of form filling and red tape, which can make for a lengthy process that may not fit into the expansion timeline. The same can be said for venture capitalists. It can take time to find the right investor for a business and it is a decision not to be taken lightly, as more often than not they will also sit on the board and share part ownership of the company, so, it is important that they fit within the culture. However, what is gained in return is an experienced backer that will push the organisation in many different ways and ask questions which may have otherwise been overlooked.

crowdsourcing funding either from your existing customer base in terms of direct investment bonds, or via the internet from ‘micro-Angels’. In the case of the later, these are small investors who are willing to back entrepreneurial businesses. There are 4 types of crowd funding that act as an alternative to traditional financing. These include:

1. Donations There is no material reward for an investor’s aid, a case of charity or philanthropy. An example platform includes GoFundMe.

2. Rewards Financing options which don’t have such long lead times include loans from family or friends and bank overdraft facilities. However, these are better suited to short-term funding needs rather than large investments. Loaning money from friends or family means that banks don’t need to be approached and interest rates are generally lower. However, it is also an indicator that other investors aren’t showing interest in the business, which could mean the plan for the expansion isn’t robust enough. Bank overdrafts are easy to arrange and are fairly flexible, with many businesses using them to dip into at times when cashflow may be stretched. The downside is that they often come with steep interest rates which will need to be factored into the overall costs and mean they aren’t ideal for extended periods of financial need.

Alternative, new options Recent years have witnessed the rise of

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These are crowdfunding projects that offer products or services in return for an investors support. Rewards will vary depending on the size of the investment. For example, the fast food chain Leon issued direct investment bonds and investors received vouchers to spend in the restaurant in return. Many organisations have made use of Kickstarter for this.

3. Equity Investors receive equity or ownership in return for their financial contribution. Crowdcube is one of the more well known platforms for this.

”

Conclusion Accessing finance is an essential part of being able to grow a business successfully. It is therefore important that the decision of when and how to finance, is carefully considered as it can also impact the enterprise further down the line. If the most suitable option is debt finance then further consideration is needed as to level of personal risk you’re willing to take. Many lenders, especially banks, will seek some form of personal guarantee or debenture. That’s likely to mean personal liability if you can’t settle the debt. Be sure you understand exactly how much you’re guaranteeing and when this will apply. Carefully formulated plans will ensure that the influx of extra capital is sufficient to support the projected growth and any repayments will not hinder the day-to-day operations. Businesses looking to fund the next stage of their business’ life cycle will also be interested in the Wellers guide on financing for SMEs download.

4. Debt Debt crowdfunding (or loan crowdfunding) allows businesses to borrow money from a group of people. Investors lend money to a company and receive interest from their investment. In theory businesses to get funded at lower interest rates through a quick and easy business loan. You then pay interest directly to the investors as opposed to an institution like a bank.

 stuart.crook@wellersaccountants.co.uk  0333 241 6000  www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

Capturing your customers’ attention is the easy part.

Keeping it in a world of continual innovation is far more challenging. That’s where we come in. We’re BrandAsylum. And we create on-going impact through brand, design, digital and social campaigns. Working with tech companies and businesses across Oxfordshire, we bring innovative brands to life.

Keen to know how? Get in touch today.

brandasylum.co.uk

andrew@brandasylum.co.uk | 01235 606 091

“ If you are considering

whether your innovation is cutting-edge and disruptive enough to be awarded funding, and need some open, honest and constructive advice – get in touch with TBAT

”

WHAT IS INNOVATION?

Innovation is a well-known buzz word. It is used to describe new ‘things’ everywhere; whether it be for technology, apps, software, an approach to business, a workplace or events. Some would accuse the word of being over-used and having lost its meaning. Written by: Vincent Seddon, TBAT

What does innovation mean to you? If you search the word ‘innovation’ online, there are numerous definitions; • “The process of translating an idea or invention into a good or service that creates value or for which customers will pay” • “(the use of) a new idea or method” • “the introduction of something new” While all the above definitions allude to innovation being something new, they lack the context required to define its full meaning, especially when applying it to the world of Grant Funding. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) recognises innovation as “the application of knowledge of ideas for the development of products, services or processes – whether in business, public services, or non-profit sectors.” UKRI is the umbrella organisation in which many of the UK Government funding bodies sit – for example; Medical Research Council (MRC), Research England and Innovate UK – their primary function is to fund innovation in the UK. By working with businesses applying for funding via UKRI and similar funding bodies for over 15 years, TBAT have learnt what is required to reach the level of ‘innovation’ to fund a project. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

There are a handful of boxes that need to be ticked in order to qualify a project as ‘innovative’ and viable for UKRI to invest public money; • The project must be disruptive in its intended market • The projected end-result must be above the current state-of-the-art available • The project must result in a product/process/ service that is commercially viable • The project must have wider impact, which can be societal, economic & environmental

“

Innovation doesn’t have to be a brand-new invention; in fact, it very rarely is!

• Lightweight adhesive tape for metal to metal and metal to composite applications, primarily for the automotive industry. • AI-driven, automated and customised creative campaigns for the digital ad industry. • Connected and autonomous vehicle riskmitigating software. If you are considering whether your innovation is cutting-edge and disruptive enough to be awarded funding, and need some open, honest and constructive advice – get in touch with TBAT. TBAT’s range of services are available to help you scope innovation opportunities that match your project and offer support to guide you through funding your entire R&D lifecycle.

”

Innovation doesn’t have to be a brand-new invention; in fact, it very rarely is! It can be a novel way to use an existing service, process or product – even in a different industry – or to apply a new technology to improve what’s currently available. Everyday, TBAT are working with businesses across the UK that are inspired to innovate. Here are a few examples of innovative products and services that have benefitted from TBAT’s support to access funding and bring their ideas to fruition:

 info@tbat.co.uk  01332 819 740  www.tbat.co.uk

LOLA CHAPMAN Artist / Life Coach Lola Artist & Life Coach www.lolachapman.co.uk

What is your role in the business? I am a one-woman band, so I do everything!

What are your areas of expertise? One to one coaching for personal development & leadership skills, specifically for owners and senior management in business. Being an artist enhances my coaching; I help my clients approach their professional and personal development from a creative perspective. However, I also work on illustrations and art commissions as a separate part of my business.

What do you enjoy about your work? I enjoy seeing the transformational ‘Aha’ moments when a client makes a breakthrough in the coaching,celebrating their wins and seeing their progress from session to session.

What are your hobbies / interests? Drawing, painting, reading (classics and personal development books). I love the theatre, visiting museums with the family. I also love dancing, singing and acting… so I like to keep busy! My family keep me on my toes too: our son Thomas - age 14, Sophia - age 9, and my long suffering husband, Phil!

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Central Oxford – I love the fact that one moment you can be somewhere like the Ashmolean looking at pre-Raphaelites and the next tucking into Nando’s (kids favourite!) on the roof terrace at the Westgate.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? I have been here over half my life having moved from Yorkshire; there is a sense of peace here that was the first noticeable difference to where I come from, Bradford. The cultural and historical legacies here are second to none; I honestly feel like a character from a nineteenth century novel when walking through central Oxford - it is inspiring!’

Something we don’t know about you? I’m a Christian and I am also an exballroom dancer at an amateur level.

When I’ve been “working with an owner for some time, it’s always a good moment when you can see a change in their thinking

”

Rupert Beazley, CMC Partners

UNLOCK THE POTENTIAL IN YOUR BUSINESS TO SECURE YOUR FUTURE

Rupert Beazley, Business Advisor and Partner with CMC Partners explains the importance of knowing how and when to sell your business. Thinking of selling your business? Then time is of the essence, says Business Advisor, Rupert Beazley. “Firstly, give yourself the time to make sure everything’s in the best possible shape. Don’t rush it, otherwise you won’t realise the maximum return. Patience is a virtue in this game! Secondly, think about YOUR role in the operation. Are you doing all the day-to-day stuff? Does the success of the business hinge on you and your efforts? That’s going to matter to the new owner, so the way you present that kind of information is important.“ “Also, have a think whether the business is a lifestyle business, or an asset. The latter is probably preferable to a new owner – the thought of having to work long hours in the business might not be that appealing!” “The more time you have to prepare, the more value there is to be had. I can’t stress that enough! A good exit plan will set out steps to increase the value of your business, help you attract prospective buyers, and get the best price possible.” Having owned and operated several successful small businesses himself (as well as having taken up significant roles in the corporate sector), Rupert appreciates the challenges faced by SMEs. Most notably he bought into a grounds maintenance franchise, building it from a staff of one, to a team of 25 with a turnover of over £1 million (eventually successfully selling the business).

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Rupert believes it was that experience that gave him a true understanding of where an owner might want to take their business and the skills to help them get there. “I’ve got one client who wants more freedom to go on holiday more often, and another who wants more focus to growing the business – so they’ve very different goals, which shows that I need to motivate different types of people every day!”, explains Rupert. “But that’s what gives CMC Partners the edge – we’ve all been there. We’ve sold our own businesses. We’re not teaching from a textbook.

themselves. It’s brilliant as its helping to secure their future.” “If I could give all ‘owner managers’ a piece of advice, it would be to look at the bigger picture. It is where we can come in, by helping you to understand where you are, where you want to go and how to get there. Unlocking the potential in your business will secure your future.”

Think your business could do with some independent advice? Find out for yourself and get in touch today to arrange an initial free meeting. Contact Rupert Beazley.

“So we know first-hand what it’s like operating a business with cash flow problems; invoices not being paid quickly enough; whilst trying to keep your head above water. We’ve experienced it for ourselves, and come out the other side.” “I always emphasise the importance of keeping your sales pipeline as active as possible, because new business is key. Keeping your current clients is obviously important, but you’ll struggle to grow if you don’t get new ones. Plus, you don’t want to rely too heavily on a single client. Spread the risk because what happens if that one relationship goes wrong?” “When I’ve been working with an owner for some time, it’s always a good moment when you can see a change in their thinking. I have a client where the owners are now acting like directors rather than managers. They are now not doing everything

cmc  rupert.beazley@cmc-partners.co.uk  01844 319 286  www.cmc-partners.co.uk

Meeting the needs of today’s rapidly developing technology sector From early stage bookkeeping and payroll to R&D tax credits and advice on funding, structuring and exit, our specialist group provides help for technology businesses at all stages of their development, throughout the UK.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AS TO HOW WE CAN HELP YOU…

…please contact the Head of our Technology Team, Sue Staunton on +44 (0)1865 861166 or email sstaunton@jamescowper.co.uk

www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk Henley • London • Newbury • Oxford • Reading • Southampton

For a growing company “with the view to move into the global market such resources can facilitate acquisitions and development that may not have otherwise been possible

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Sue Staunton - James Cowper Kreston

OXFORD: YOUR LOCAL INTERNATIONAL HUB Written by: Sue Staunton

Photography by: Phil Tull

Oxford has long been a key international centre – in part fuelled by the presence of the two Universities and in part by the diversity of businesses within the city with international connections. The Universities not only take in many students at both undergraduate and graduate level from across the globe, but they also carry out joint programmes of research and work with research institutions in different countries. Among its alliances the University of Oxford entered into an agreement in 2001 with Princeton for a research collaboration, student exchange and a global leaders fellowship programme. Oxford Brookes University has exchange agreements with over 100 institutions across the World. As a city, Oxford is keen to promote its value internationally, facilitating the development of Oxford based businesses overseas as well as encouraging overseas entities to site subsidiaries or branches here. The city currently boasts nine twin cities located across the globe; each providing invaluable businesses links, sources of information and the opportunity for local businesses to participate in international events. For a growing

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company with the view to move into the global market such resources can facilitate acquisitions and development that may not have otherwise been possible. Of course the reach of Oxford extends beyond these cities, with local businesses, such as Oxford Drug Design, looking to international shores to further their research. Recently awarded a UKChina antimicrobial resistance grant the company now has access to funds which will allow them, in partnership with Huazhong Agricultural University, the University of Portsmouth and Wuhan HVSEN Biotechnology Co. Ltd, to conduct its research into small molecular drugs. Many other Oxford based businesses have overseas investors for whom the attraction is partly linked to the brand that is Oxford but also the clear quality of the numerous technology based businesses that have their homes here. Still more companies seek to base UK subsidiaries here - including Harley Davidson; Sharp Laboratories of Europe and Elsevier. Some of these companies are here to take advantage of the technology opportunities available within our local market; the employees and good access to Heathrow and London.

As a local business within Oxford ourselves, James Cowper Kreston is in touch with many of these international companies or those who are looking to develop. Our international tax and Ex-Pat teams work closely with companies and individuals to aid their development and growth. Through our international network of Kreston (the 13th largest accountancy network in the World) our clients have access to over 25,000 advisers in over 125 countries.

For more information on how James Cowper Kreston can assist your business with its International goals please get in touch with Sue Staunton.

 sstaunton@jamescowper.co.uk  01865 861 166  www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk

MERIDIAN HOUSE, EAST POINT BUSINESS PARK Oxford, OX4 6LB TO LET 900 sq ft – 11,708 sq ft Good quality modern office suites in a convenient ring road location with ample parking. Available on an ‘easy in, easy out’ basis at an all inclusive rent.

UNIT 2, COWLEY BUSINESS CENTRE Oxford Road, Cowley, OX4 6NH TO LET 6,917 sq ft Prominent warehouse/distribution unit in Oxford ring road location, prime trade area. With trade entrance, loading door and good quality offices.

UNITS 8 & 9 NETWORK OXFORD, TRADE CITY Sandy Lane West, Oxford, OX4 6FF TO LET 6,178 sq ft and 6,141 sq ft Suitable for immediate industrial or trade uses, or alternative uses such as research and development or laboratory research with 7.55m internal eaves.

GBP1, GROVE BUSINESS PARK Wantage, OX12 9FA TO LET/LONG LEASEHOLD 1,975 sq ft to 16,719 sq ft

W NE D S AN NIT BR U

High Spec Units : Block A : Industrial with 6m min clear eaves & offices. Block C : Flexible space for office, light manufacturing, laboratory, R&D or combinations to suit.

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

news Business park sale highlights strength of the Oxfordshire economy Frost said the site had been chosen as its rural location helped with the wellbeing of its rapidly growing 90-strong workforce with a strong pool of local talent available as it continues its expansion. VSL director Tom Barton said: “This shows the strength of demand from investors – they are looking for locations that offer strong markets and rapid growth potential and Oxfordshire is a compelling case for that. “There is considerable growth in local companies across a range of sectors backed by Government investment and continued funding from the universities.

An established business park in the heart of Oxfordshire has been sold in a landmark deal. Kingston Business Park at Kingston Bagpuize has been acquired by asset management clients of Albion Land for just under £13m from Landframe which has owned the 15.6 acre park since 2000. The deal was arranged by commercial property specialists VSL & Partners and the Park originally went on the market for £11m, showing the level of demand for the development. Over 15 offers were received for the freehold interest. The Park is on the site of a former WW2 RAF base which over the last 20 years has been extended and improved by Landframe to include a new access road. It now comprises both offices and industrial units covering 107,000 sq ft with scope for further development.

The new owners plan to build more units and modernise the estate and there are still several acres of land to develop. Simon Parsons of Albion Land commented: “Kingston Business Park offers a rare opportunity to purchase an established employment estate in a vibrant economic location where there are many options to expand and improve the estate further.” Currently there are around 25 long-established businesses based at the Park, some of which have been there for many years. They range from exhibition and trade fair specialists TMB Events to Oxford Fencing Supplies.The estate is also attracting major new occupiers such as management consultants Newton, a former Oxfordshire business of the year, which cut the ribbon on its new expanded headquarters at the site in June. Speaking at its launch, chief finance officer James

“In turn, this is driving rental growth and occupancy levels across the county which is a stable market in comparison to other locations.” Kingston Business Park is directly accessible from the A415 to the southern edge of Kingston Bagpuize and is situated six miles from Abingdon and eight miles from Witney. The A420 linking Oxford (nine miles) and Swindon (20 miles) also passes to the edge of Kingston Bagpuize. Specialists at VSL will continue to act as letting agents (jointly with Gilbert Walker) for the Park and are currently marketing a high quality modern office suite in building A1 comprising 1,839 sq ft. For further information or to speak to one of the VSL experts, please call 01865 848488 or visit www. vslandp.com

www.vslandp.com

Deals...

14 Station Field, Kidlington 8,150 sq ft LETTING to SCREWFIX

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Unit 4 Network @ Link 9, Bicester 14,158 sq ft LETTING to OXFORD HEALTH CO

J Country Park, Witney 3,269 sq ft LETTING to TOP GARNITURE

CHRISTOPHER WAY

Partner, Carter Jonas Oxford

There has been a noticeable change in the private rented sector in recent years. Legislative developments have undoubtedly served to discourage investment into the buy-to-let market by the private landlord, whilst, simultaneously, the institutional-led build-to-rent (BTR) model is being promoted. Written by: Christopher Way Photography by: Aurelien Langlais (portrait)

Against this backdrop, private individual landlords, institutional landlords and investors are all looking to attract and retain tenants. And to ensure their various portfolios work, they need to understand what occupants want from a rental property - understand tenant motivations, likes and dislikes and what they might pay a premium for. A recent report from our in-house research team had this in mind. The team

collected responses from over 300 tenants living in urban and rural settings and flats, and houses. The findings provide a comprehensive insight into tenant drivers and requirements. There is a notable increase in tenants living in flats and houses who feel that sustainable energy measures are now an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;essentialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;: 21% of respondents in flats said this in 2019, compared with 15% in 2017. This feature has moved up

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“

Looking to the future, one of the most frequent responses related to improving the condition and quality standards of rental properties. Additionally, many tenants would like to have greater flexibility and control over the property

”

three places and is now considered more important than en-suite bathrooms or fitted wardrobes for the majority of our flat respondents. The growing cost of utilities and rising energy prices (gas & electricity bills have increased around 3% in real terms over the last two years to the end of 2018), combined with a heightened awareness of our daily impact on the climate and wider environment, is likely having an impact on renter priorities. The research also found that high-speed broadband is considered essential for a rental property, even more so than a modernised kitchen or bathroom. One of the key questions asked what tenants would pay more for. This is particularly relevant in the current environment where an ever-increasing number of BTR developments and units have been developed or are coming on stream.

an on-site gym, our flat respondents showed that these were of little added value. Only 12% of people saying they would pay more for an on-site gym and just 5% and 3% would pay more for a concierge and communal space, respectively. Encouragingly however 19% of our respondents said they would be willing to pay more for a newly refurbished kitchen or bathroom. Given that most build to rent units (in this country anyway) are relatively new, this is something which would garner a rental premium without a BTR developer having to change anything.

According to the British Property Federation (BPF) there are around 143,000 BTR units either completed or planned across the UK with research suggesting that given the extra amenities these units offer, there is an associated rental premium of around 9%.

On the other hand, there were some features flagged that the average BTR development may struggle to achieve. While 14% of respondents said they would be willing to pay more for outside space, many BTR schemes are flats and can only provide a balcony/terrace and communal gardens. Allocated parking can also be hard to incorporate into new developments; space issues and wider planning difficulties make it harder for schemes to include too much in the way of vehicle parking, although 12% of our respondents said they would pay more for this luxury.

It is, therefore, crucial to understand just what it is that tenants are willing to pay a little extra for. While the current consensus is that BTR schemes can achieve higher rents because they offer features such as concierge service, communal spaces and

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in the UK do not traditionally allow for pets or redecoration of the interior, and this came up as an issue to improve going forward. The introduction of some form of rent control system was also flagged as one of the changes tenants would like made in the sector- this issue is already high on the agenda and being discussed by a number of political parties. Given the current climate, insights such as this are more vital than ever. By understanding tenants and their key requirements, we can go some way towards helping to shape the sector, to better accommodate these needs.

If you would like to discuss the findings of our survey, or any of your property requirements, please contact Carter Jonas.

 Christopher.Way@carterjonas.co.uk  01865 565 625  www.carterjonas.co.uk

Ridge and Partners Growing Against the Odds

Mark Richards, Equity Partner at Ridge and Partners LLP (Ridge), met with B4’s Richard Rosser to explain how he has developed his career through the ranks at Oxfordshire’s leading professional multi-discipline property and construction consultancy and why his firm are still leading the way against the backdrop of an unpredictable economy. Cowyards

As the Ridge website proudly states, “We deliver to the highest standards, supported by registration with multiple professional institutions and numerous accreditations. Among these, we are registered with RTPI, CIOB, CIBSE, CIHT, ICE, IStructE, RIBA and RICS.

who are Oxford-based – not many commute from more than an hour away. We do try and source staff locally, people who have roots here, - who know the local area and the challenges that may bring. We invest strongly in our staff and quite understandably always look for a long-term return on our investment.

“Ridge has an energy and passion for learning and continuous improvement and is hungry for new challenges. Our people are proactive and have a bias for action, take personal responsibility for results and work collaboratively with clients, partners and colleagues to achieve successful outcomes. This mindset is the culture that drives us towards meeting our aspiration to be the best.”

“Looking forwards to the next generation is crucial. Ensuring we have a supply line of talent is vital if we want to continue to grow. We offer a lot of work experience opportunities at Ridge, from 15 to 16-year old’s up to degree students. It can be hard to engage a 15 year old with property and construction however at Ridge we have put together a comprehensive, and what we feel is, an exciting programme for all ages which includes attending meetings with clients, site visits, observing measurements and surveys and visiting client premises. We are passionate about property and construction and part and parcel of our job is nurturing and coaching the next generation so that Ridge and Partners will be able to look forward to the next 70 years.

The status of Ridge as one of Oxfordshire’s leading businesses was recently recognised with the coveted overall Business of the Year award at the 25th Oxfordshire Business Awards 2019 in the John Henry Brookes Building at Oxford Brookes University with over 500 guests. Since its establishment in 1946, Ridge has strived to be the best and that is borne out in the stature and quality of its clients and projects, as evidenced in this article, however, ‘good is never enough’ and Mark stresses that Ridge can always improve. “We are always looking at ways to improve, to innovate and raise the bar. With over 630 staff across eleven regional offices stretching from Manchester in the North to Winchester in the South, Ridge certainly has the capacity to do just that and will no doubt continue to build on their impressive and consistent annual growth, posting fee turnover of just under £60 million.

pay for student training, college “feesWeand subscription fees and all of their continual learning. That might all sound very attractive for apprentices, but they are still hard to find

”

Mark himself is the living embodiment of the Ridge principle to promote from within (see Mark Richards – Ridge and Partners ‘Man & Boy’), as he explains. “There are a few of us who joined Ridge at the very start of our careers and made it all the way through to Partner, which is a great selling point to anyone looking to join us. It’s no different to John Lewis who always look to promote from within. Our Senior Partner, Adrian O’Hickey, joined as a gap year student from Birmingham University and our Head of M&E QS commenced his career when he was just sixteen. This all helps to reinforce the status of Ridge as a solid business with firm foundations where you can progress your career to senior positions.

“Apprentices and graduates form a large and important part of our recruitment programme – we have a good relationships with Oxford Brookes, University College of Estate Management (UCEM) and Reading University and that helps us secure students who already have an interest in construction by virtue of the course they are doing. As part of our commitment to investing in the future of our staff we pay for student training, college fees and subscription fees and all their associated continual learning. That might all sound very attractive for apprentices, but they are still hard to find.”

“I am personally very fond of Oxford and the B4 network which helps keep business local. But that’s also the case for a lot of our 220 staff here in Oxford

Despite recruitment challenges which, let’s face it, are the same for most companies in Oxfordshire, Ridge is performing very well in a challenging economy,

Mark Richards, Owner-Partner, Ridge & Partners

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as Mark outlines. “We are still growing – this year will be better than last year. There are lots of opportunities and there is lots of work out there. Plenty of sectors are flattening out – commercial in London for example – but we are still seeing high end residential and education growing well. “We aim to build our client base and maintain a diverse range of clients across both the public and private sectors which ensures that we are not over exposed at any one time. We have concentrated on being appointed on Frameworks – we’re currently on approximately 80 Frameworks across the business and this gives us strong continuity of workload” Reputation is everything for Ridge and as Mark proudly states, “We enjoy 80% repeat business and have some long-standing relationships with the Universities – for example we have been with Reading University for 30 years. We work with the majority of the F1 teams and have done so for the past 29 years and, contrary to speculation, they have been really busy investing – it’s as much of a race off the track as it is on the track.” “We are also heavily involved in the redevelopment in Botley of West Way – a mixture of residential, hotel and commercial property – so that’s a highprofile site for us…probably one of the largest projects in Oxford value wise. We have a very strong relationship with MEPC at Milton Park and Silverstone, where we are successfully delivering numerous projects. The Schrödinger Building at Oxford Science Park is something we are very proud of and we are

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Ridge & Partners at the Oxfordshire Business Awards 2019

Mark Richards

also working with BMW including a multi-million project at their Swindon site.”

Mark Richards – Ridge and Partners ‘Man & Boy’

Ridge is also heavily involved in supporting the local community and in September had a charity month when they raised money for numerous charities through a sponsored dog walk, various internal fund-raising initiatives such as the Macmillan Big Coffee Morning – who doesn’t like a coffee and a cake? At the end of last month a team of over 30 staff members took part in the Blenheim Fun Run in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Oxford born and bred, Mark was hooked on property by his Dad who had his own electrical firm, working for some of the Oxford Colleges. “He had 20 or 30 staff working for him and things went well. He further stimulated my interest in construction as he built a couple of houses, business premises and more.

We work with the “ majority of the F1 teams and have done so for the past 29 years and, contrary to speculation, they have been really busy investing – it’s as much of a race off the track as it is on the track Mark Richards, Owner-Partner, Ridge & Partners

”

“At 15 I finished my ‘O’ Levels (now GCSE’s for our younger readers!) and decided that I didn’t want to stay at school anymore. Dad said ‘Look in The Oxford Mail’ …so I did and there was an advert from Ridge for a Trainee Quantity Surveyor … he suggested that was the job for me, so I went for an interview with the Senior Partner at the time in St Giles (this was in June 1987 before Ridge moved to Botley, then onto Woodstock where they currently reside). I was offered the job, so I started on 16th August 1987 when I was just 16! I have never looked back! “I went through the training programme to become a Chartered Quantity Surveyor, then onto a Team Manager, an Associate, Salaried Partner and now, fortunately, following my hard work and passion, I am an Equity Partner in the business.”

Mark concluded, “We also recently raised £800 for Helen & Douglas House from a family day at Blenheim…we did a five mile walk and nature trail around Blenheim on Father’s Day which was very popular with everyone.” Continues overleaf

 info@ridge.co.uk  01993 815000  www.ridge.co.uk 79

Recent Projects Alexandra Palace Ridge was contacted to provide its knowledge and expertise as part of the extensive refurbishment of the historic entertainment venue Alexandra Palace. The venue has secured funding for major improvement works for the Theatre, East Entrance, BBC studios and the Great Hall. Ridge was able to analyse and pinpoint the necessary refurbishments to mechanical, electrical, fire protection and public health services for Alexandra Palace. This included arranging the replacement of the lighting system in the Great Hall, which was no longer fit for purpose. Initial assessments for energy reduction have estimated that electricity usage will be substantially reduced.

Botley, Westway Place Redevelopment An £82 million mixed-use regeneration project, the Botley redevelopment in West Oxford encompasses community, retail and restaurant space, student residences, office space, a church and hotel – all focused around a vibrant central piazza. A challenging planning process did not deter the Ridge multi-discipline design team who successfully led the design and build procurement stages.

the M3 and provides mixed-use business space, set within mature landscaped grounds. At the park’s epicentre adjacent to the main runway of Farnborough International Airport is a new 12,500m² exhibition hall and associated conference centre. The impressive building offers a number of individual function areas over 2 floors, catering facilities and two spacious foyers, ideal for events and hospitality functions. The flexible hospitality rooms can accommodate up to 900 for conferences, and 600 for banqueting. Project Value: £28 million Exhibition Space:12,500 M² Function areas & hospitality suites: 4,800 M²

Manchester City Football Academy The City Football Academy (CFA) is a training centre for all of Manchester City’s football teams. Two thirds of the 16.5* football pitches on site are dedicated to developing the club’s youth talent. The CFA is also the operational base for the majority of local staff as well as global headquarters for sister clubs New York City FC, Melbourne City FC and Yokohama Marinos. The scope of work included managing the interface between the design, phasing and development programme of the CFA project with the Constraints Removal Project.

The local community were kept at the heart of planning and development stages, with Ridge consulting closely to develop a space that both compliments and enhances the existing community.

Project Value: £130 million Standard football pitches: 16.5 FIFA Platinum rating: LEED

Project Value: £82 million Student Accommodation Units: 277 Retail and restaurant space: 51,000 ft²

Mary Rose Museum

Farnborough International Airport – New Media and Conference Centre Farnborough Business Park is located just off

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One of the UK’s most famous historic sites, the Mary Rose Museum is located in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard alongside HMS Warrior and HMS Victory. Since the ship was raised in 1982, it has been housed in a temporary structure within the museum. Using Heritage Lottery Funding, the museum was redeveloped to give visitors an even more incredible

experience. The new-look museum offers visitors stunning panoramic views of the ship through floor-to-ceiling glazing, experiencing the feeling of being closer to the historic landmark than ever before. Works were undertaken in an extremely sensitive environment – not only for the protection of the ship, but also as the site is located within a military dockyard. Project Value: £5.4 million Number of objects Recovered from Mary Rose: 19,000 Number of visitors the ship has received since going on display in 1983: 9 million

Zhejiang Circuit Motorsport Venue Zhejiang Circuit is set to be China’s leading motorsport destination. The new venue in the city of Shaoxing in the eastern province of Zhejiang features a 3.2km FIA Grade 2 track and an array of motorsport-themed leisure and commercial facilities. Based on an exceptional track record in the motorsport sector, Ridge was asked by Apex Circuit Design to provide an extensive suite of professional services on the project, with Katharine Pooley Studio providing interior design services for the awardwinning Cachet Boutique hotel. The scheme has two primary objectives: to be the ultimate playground for drivers and racing enthusiasts, and to offer automotive manufacturers and brands a cutting-edge platform to showcase their products to the ever-growing Chinese market. It includes a 6000-seat grandstand, racing club, a luxury 52-bed hotel and wellness centre, a karting circuit and academy. Project Value: £250 million Area: 100,000 M² FIA Grade 2 track: 3.2 km

Celebrating One Year of OV Founding OV Partners have been presented with commemorative certificates in celebration of OVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful first year.

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O X F O R D S H I R E

To be part of the conversation why not get involved Oxfordshire Voice is a unique collaboration between the public and private sectors to provide solutions to the key challenges facing Oxfordshire businesses.

Call 01865 742211 or see www.oxvoice.co.uk WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

O X F O R D S H I R E

Questions For You:

P Do you want to see Oxfordshire prosper for all? P Are you implementing procedures in your business to help you overcome business challenges such as congestion, skills shortages and high cost of living in Oxfordshire? P Do you have ideas and or are you working on plans which will benefit Oxfordshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business and wider communities well into the future? If you have answered YES to any of the above, why not join our growing group of partners who have one visionâ&#x20AC;Ś.

A Prosperous Future For Everyone In Oxfordshire For more Information and to get involved, go to: www.oxvoice.co.uk

OXFORDSHIRE VOICE

A Focus on Transport Oxfordshire Voice (OV) approaches its first year anniversary with much still to do, but that was always going to be the case with such a high bar set from the outset. There’s a growing sense of permanence amongst the OV partners with a strong board established and sub boards set up to bolster admin and governance, establish a communications strategy and focus on some of the key issues in more detail, starting with the formation of a transport sub group. All of the headline issues which OV has set out to find solutions for are inextricably linked, but transport is as fundamental as any of them…and hugely complex. At a recent OV forum hosted by the Ashmolean, representatives from Oxford Bus Company, Network Rail, Oxford University and Cycling UK Oxfordshire outlined the plans in place and proposals for the future of transport in Oxfordshire. OV has a role to play in helping to present these plans to the business community in a more digestible format as, with so many agencies, plans and policies in place, it really is a minefield to understand a clear way forward. Transport affects Oxfordshire’s business community in so many ways: congestion adds to employee journey times; the working days can be shortened; the effectiveness of employees can be affected by stressful journeys into work…the list goes on. It is vital for all of Oxfordshire’s employers to voice their opinions as to how the transport infrastructure in Oxfordshire can be improved. Increased engagement from our stakeholders and the business community will help focus the future for sustainable development by providing feedback, sharing knowledge and enabling solutions to be implemented in the short and longer term. Many businesses in Oxfordshire are leading change to help sustainable and eco-friendly projects make a real impact. OV can enable these businesses to share their thinking and OXVOICE.CO.UK

activities to help other businesses make positive changes in their business, for their workforce and for our county as a whole. If you are leading change or seeking to make changes, OV would be delighted to share your solutions or indeed your current challenges. By sharing insights, knowledge and real world solutions we can all benefit, reduce costs and improve our daily lives. Playing a role in Oxfordshire Voice has been an enlightening experience and we are creating so many positive links across different organisation to help share ideas, generate better engagement and make positive changes that can help our businesses and all of our communities benefit. Oxfordshire faces a number of serious challenges but through OV we are gaining momentum to work more effectively together for a better future for everyone in Oxfordshire. The one thing we need you to do is get involved. Share our vision for a more prosperous Oxfordshire for all and support OV as it connects the public and private sectors and gives all of us a platform to work together. John F Kennedy OV Partner and Board Member

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B4 CLASSIC EVENT 21ST NOVEMBER

A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

The Ashmolean Museum in central Oxford welcomed over a hundred B4 Members and guests for an evening of informal networking and private tours, which included the Egypt, Italian Renaissance and the Founder’s Collection galleries. The Ashmolean Museum in central Oxford welcomed over a hundred B4 Members and guests for an evening of informal networking and private tours, which included the Egypt, Italian Renaissance and the Founder’s Collection galleries. Richard Rosser introduced Wendy Ball, Head of Events, Catering and Corporate Relationships who set the scene, informing guests about how the Ashmolean was built thanks to two great business collaborators - John Tradescant and Elias Ashmole – 350 years ago. Wendy went on to explain, “Tradescant, the 17thcentury plant collector and entrepreneur, travelled and collected extensively. He decided to display his collection of ‘curios’ in his home in Lambeth, inviting the public to visit and admire them. The lawyer Elias Ashmole catalogued the collection and then used his network and contacts in Oxford to influence the business and University community to agree to build a museum to display the works for future generations to enjoy.” This story created the perfect backdrop for the evening’s business of conversations and networking. A number of trusted partners enhanced the transformation of the Museum into an opulent and inspiring event venue. Head Chef, Mike Dewing, from Clerkenwell Green Events, curated a combination of canapés and a cheese grazing table designed to encourage relaxed conversation. James Walton and his team at That Event Company WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

supported the event by lighting up the forecourt and the galleries. Between them, Allens Hire and Flowers by Kirsty created stunning showcase tables, complemented by the soothing sounds from jazz musician, Brennie Richards. Emma Spellman from Oojamaflick provided a snapshot video of evening events on the Museum’s digital screens. The Oxford Artisan Distillery, who partnered with the Museum to create the Ashmolean Dry Gin, created the Gin and Bear It cocktail especially for guests to enjoy at this B4 Classic Event. The evening offered an insight into after-hours event and entertaining possibilities at the Ashmolean. For more information please contact the Events Team on 01865 610406 or by email events@ashmolean.org

THE ASHMOLEAN ‘A LIST’ OF PREFERRED SUPPLIERS During Wendy’s address, she introduced the Ashmolean A List. “Time and again”, she said, “our clients have fed back how much they valued recommendations and introductions to reliable experts whose products, services and guest focus was very much aligned with their event vision.”

is a fantastic opportunity for a limited number of suppliers to be promoted to all clients hosting an event at the Ashmolean. We will offer our discerning clients a carefully-curated list of suppliers who share our values and meet our high standards.” He continued, “At this stage, the Museum is seeking expressions of interest from suppliers for inclusion in the ‘A List’. It will follow up in the New Year pursuing formal submissions and a contractual arrangement.” For more information contact Paul Jeffery on 01865 288273 or by email paul.jeffery@ashmus.ox.ac.uk

CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION Post event social media chatter has been incredible. This night at the Museum has certainly gone down as a memorable occasion with many B4 members feeling reinvigorated by the power of B4. The Ashmolean Museum is proud to be a part of such a dynamic, productive and valuable partnership. Let’s keep the conversations going.

“To this end, I‘m excited to share with you the launch of a new initiative – a bespoke directory of trusted creatives and suppliers”, she added. The list will be exclusive; the Ashmolean will only endorse the services of organisations it can wholeheartedly recommend. Paul Jeffery, Corporate Relationships Manager at the Museum said, “This

 events@ashmolean.org  01865 610 406  www.ashmolean.org.events

ENGAGING INDEPENDENT CONSULTANTS with Lucy Eckley and Phil Walsh With higher than average employment levels in Oxfordshire, attracting specialist professional talent can prove challenging. At the same time there’s a growing trend towards freelance working and independent consulting. It makes sense for bigger businesses and independents to explore the potential to collaborate more closely.

According to IPSE’s* report ‘Exploring the UK Freelance Workforce in 2016’, there are two million freelancers/independent consultants in the UK that’s self-employed workers without employees working in a range of managerial, professional and technical occupations. These people are highly skilled, experienced professionals covering just about every specialism you could think of, including HR, finance, marketing and communications, sustainability, IT, learning and development, and executive coaching.

The independent trend is growing The number of independent professionals is set to rise amid growing demand for a flexible approach to working - for individuals to fit their lifestyle and for businesses who are changing, growing or simply don’t have a fixed need for a particular specialism. Work-life balance, flexibility and ownership of professional projects are among the top reasons people choose to work independently - closely followed by freedom and the need to keep work exciting and varied. Meanwhile technology is opening up new opportunities for freelance work as more tasks can be carried out remotely.

cited fresh ideas and expanded networks, managing periods of peak activity and deploying hard-to-find expertise amongst the reasons businesses hired freelancers or consultants.

3. Oxfordshire connections - How can we create and inspire greater connection throughout Oxfordshire with businesses, from independent professionals through to larger organisations?

Exploring the potential in Oxfordshire

The discussions will take shape in early 2020. It’s early days but the opportunities are exciting. Watch this space to see what comes next.

At the end of October, B4 hosted a workshop to explore the potential for connecting independents with larger businesses across the county for mutual benefit. The event brought together consultants from the Oxford Independent Consultants community – an informal networking group - and representatives from Oxford Brookes University and Unipart Group.

Employed

Scan the QR code to see the video

The group spent a thought-provoking morning exploring how the county’s hidden pool of independent talent might help to solve challenges being faced by the bigger business, by building longterm collaborations that benefit all parties and the wider Oxfordshire economy.

What are the next steps? The workshop defined three focus areas to explore further:

Why work with consultants?

1. Clarity on the current challenges facing Oxfordshire businesses - what do organisations really need to help them thrive and grow?

Research by professional networking and matching app Kalido revealed that 64% of UK-based businesses rely on freelance workers in some capacity. The study

2. The future company - What are the big unknown challenges coming down the track? What’s the next Y2K or GDPR where expert help will be invaluable?

* IPSE: The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self

 lucy@buildyourbrandstory.com  www.buildyourbrandstory.com

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We talked with a “ group of independent consultants from Oxfordshire from different fields, who had a great deal of commonality in their ambitions and the things they want to do for their clients. We came up with three really compelling ideas that could make a particular difference to the business community

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Frank Nigriello Director Corporate Affairs, Unipart Group Ltd

We spent time “ thinking about the ways in which networks can collaborate to improve the worlds of independent consultants and other businesses in Oxfordshire

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Phil Walsh, Director, Walsh’s Learning to Achieve

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B4 BLENHEIM DINNER AT HALLOWEEN Sixty B4 members and guests were treated to a wonderful evening of fine dining and entertainment in the saloon at Blenheim Palace on Wednesday 30th October. Our host, Blenheim CEO, Dominic Hare, welcomed guests with an engaging update on progress to date and plans for the future. Photography by: Rob Scotcher

Our guest speaker, Cav. Diego Masciaga, formerly of The Waterside at Bray where he served as Director and General Manager for thirty years, spoke of the importance of customer service in all of our businesses. Thank you to Tina Rosser for her stunning table centrepieces, to the support team at Blenheim for their first class hospitality and to Emma Rogers for her help in co-ordinating the event.

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Guest comment “Great evening last night. Wonderful dinner and company and, of course, setting.” Frank Nigriello, Unipart Group “It doesn’t get much better as far as venues are concerned….really pretty spectacular and sometimes we forget just how lucky we are in Oxfordshire. Both Dominic and Diego gave great speeches. Thank you for letting me take one of the copies of his book. I have already got through quite a bit of it. It is a blueprint for all of us.” Richard Venables, VSL “Just a quick line to say thank you so much for another wonderful evening. Great food, venue, company and speakers. An all-round brilliant time!“ Tim Wraith, Sobell House “It was a fantastic evening. Big thank you to everyone involved in putting it on.” Hannah Rogan, Wild & Fine

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“Great evening B4, thank you. Really enjoyed it. Beautiful room and fantastic table decorations.” Darren Aston, Aston & James “It was a great evening - amazing location and the table decorations were beautiful. Thanks B4” Sarah Wyatt, Juicy Designs “Wow Tina Rosser I didn’t realise those stunning decorations were your work. They were amazing!” Sharon Parker-Lines, Oxford Innovation “Stunning setting and a wonderful evening Richard. Thank you so much.” Gary Bloom “Splendid evening as always Richard and team. Thank you.” Jonna Mundy, YouHR “Terrific evening, thank you Blenheim and B4.” Mike Craig, Activate Apprenticeships

To find out more about holding your event at Blenheim, visit: www.blenheimpalace.com/hospitality/ enquire/hospitality-enquiry/ To book on to future B4 dinners, sign up to the B4 events e-Newsletter. Please note B4 Dinners in 2020 will only be open to Gold and Platinum Members.

LOOKING TO IMPRESS AT YOUR NEXT EVENT? Contact Tina Rosser on 07824 154642 or email: tinarosser2015@gmail.com

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Airline service investment This year we invested £3.5 million upgrading our Airline fleet with 11 new, high specification, Mercedes Tourismo coaches. This service consists of 16 coaches in total and operates 24/7 365 days every year between Oxford and Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

The Airline fleet has been upgraded with 11 new coaches

The service is popular with customers who benefit from drop-off points near the Terminals with walking times of 5 minutes from coach stop to Heathrow T5 or Gatwick North/South, and 10 minutes from Heathrow T2 and T3.

The new coaches are fitted with the latest green technology and are ultra-low Euro 6 rated for emissions. The vehicles provide customers with luxurious seating that can be extended both vertically and horizontally, plus tray tables, USB charging points, sat nav progress display, free WiFi, wheelchair access and much improved luggage capacity. In FY ending June 2019 this service carried more than 600,000 passengers. Based on Experience Oxfordshire’s ‘Economic Impact for Tourism’ report, it is estimated that the service brings in more than 150,000 visitors to Oxford annually and therefore contributes approximately £75 million to the local economy.

Nine of the new coaches are branded with the Airline blue livery, while the other two are fully wrapped in eye-catching artwork as part of our partnership with the world famous Ashmolean Museum.

‘Brand the Bus!’ competition

The luxurious seating of the new Airline coaches.

In April 2019 we launched a specially designed bus celebrating GirlGuiding Oxfordshire as the winners of our first ‘Brand the Bus!’ competition. This eye-

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news catching addition to the Oxford Bus Company fleet now travels the streets of Oxford everyday promoting not only the winners but also positions the Oxford Bus Company as a responsible and supportive business within our community.

PickMeUp expansion We expanded our award-winning PickMeUp ondemand, ride-sharing minibus services this year, with investment in additional vehicles bringing the fleet total to 11, and expanding the travel zone in response to customer feedback to include popular Jericho and Summertown destinations.

the system will suggest matches at the click of a button. Customers can then request the lost item be posted to them from within the system. Prior to implimentation of the new software, lost property enquiries were the biggest reason for people telephoning Oxford Bus Company. 2,800 items were lost in 2018 with just under 1,000 items left unclaimed (which were donated to local charities or disposed of safely).

Two new services on the road At Carousel, we have created the new route 8/X8 ‘Cressex Connect’ service, linking High Wycombe Coachway to Cressex Business Park along with the rail station and town centre. The new service started on Monday 29th July and has further increased our market share in High Wycombe.

GirlGuiding Oxfordshire, the winners of our first ‘Brand the Bus!’ competition, in front of their designed bus.

In its first year the competition attracted, 37 entries from local charities and other good causes, and almost 6,000 unique votes from members of the public. The winner was selected by a panel of judges from a shortlist of ten entrants who attracted the most public votes. Now in its second year, the ‘Brand the Bus!’ competition opened to entrants again in June 2019. www.oxfordbus.co.uk/competition

New Science Transit Shuttle launched

One of our PickMeUp vehicles, ready to pick up customers.

The hours of operation have also extended, enabling passengers to use the service until 23:00 hrs weekdays, and mid-night on Saturdays. The improvements have been well-received and we have seen increased riders and associated revenue.

NotLost technology This year, Oxford Bus Company has become the first UK bus operator to use new technology to make it easier for passengers to be reunited with their lost belongings. We have partnered with NotLost, an innovative lost property software supplier.

In order to do so, we invested £1 million in a new fleet of six ultra-low emission (Euro 6) vehicles.

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Buckinghamshire County Council have confirmed they will continue to provide funding to encourage workers at the Business Park, who are challenged by limited parking, or those arriving on coach services (such as our 737 route) to try the new links. These customers benefit from free parking and travel from the Coachway. At Thames Travel, from Monday 9th September, we introduced a new weekday commuter service 45 between Abingdon and the Culham Science Centre. From launch, this service provides vital connectivity to this growing employment site, with three journeys in the morning peak and three in the evening.

The new Thames Travel Science Transit Shuttle service.

Towards the end of FY 2018-19 we won the contract to launch the Thames Travel Science Transit Shuttle services, connecting Oxford and key employment sites, facilitating collaboration in research and enabling Oxford University to access the cuttingedge scientific infrastructure at Harwell including Europe’s largest synchrotron.

The new 8X8 ‘Cressex Connect’ service.

Lexy Hudson and Josh Stone of the Customer Services team in the Lost Property Store Room.

The new platform combines image recognition and powerful search functionality with a simple, intuitive interface. It enables Oxford Bus Company to digitally log misplaced items quickly and match them to the rightful owner. The NotLost online tool enables customers to log a notification of a lost item and

 info@oxfordbus.co.uk  01865 785 400  www.oxfordbus.co.uk

WHAT IS NEXUS ?

NEXUS LAUNCH INSPIRING OXFORDSHIRE’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY

The NEXUS programme provides social enterprises, charities, sole traders, new businesses and more with three key benefits: membership of B4, one of Oxfordshire’s leading B2B networking groups; partnership of Oxfordshire Voice, a public / private partnership designed to find solutions for the key issues affecting Oxfordshire businesses; and finally, a speaking slot or exhibition stand at Business in Oxford (BIO2020), Oxfordshire’s leading B2B conference, a three day event starting on Tuesday 2nd June, 2020. B4’s Richard Rosser explained how the spirit of collaboration and goodwill that the NEXUS programme is already stimulating will climax at BIO2020. “We’re already seeing some excellent strategic partnerships forming between some great organisations and we’re hoping to reach in excess of 100 NEXUS partnerships by the time of BIO2020. The event itself will invite Oxfordshire’s business community to ‘Change The Way You Think’ in line with a global movement to focus businesses on the need to become more responsible in everything they do. The link between NEXUS and BIO2020 is clear – we’ve all got to change how we think and supporting organisations who can help us do this makes 100% sense.”

On Thursday 10th October, NEXUS, a new programme designed by B4 (Oxfordshire’s leading B2B networking organisation) to inspire collaboration within Oxfordshire’s business community, was launched at Jurys Inn. Eighty guests from a variety of backgrounds found out more about the programme from B4’s CEO, Richard Rosser and heard from invited guests supporting the programme. Amongst these, Grant Hayward of Collaborent, who came up with the name NEXUS, explained how the programme will serve to connect Oxfordshire’s business community. “NEXUS is a fantastic initiative and provides organisations who might not otherwise have the opportunity to benefit from B4’s excellent platforms with the opportunity to do so. I work with a lot of social enterprises, charities and micro businesses that have a lot to offer B4 member companies in ways they probably haven’t considered; potentially commercial opportunities too. NEXUS is perfectly placed to facilitate these creative collaborations at no cost.” The launch took place on World Mental Health Day and sports psychotherapist, Gary Bloom, explained to guests how mental health is affecting all of us. “Mental Health has many faces and companies are having to realise that this is an issue they need to provide support for. Businesses get sick, that’s a fact and we have to be tuned in to supporting those that are affected, not turn a blind eye. There are some excellent mental health organisations in Oxfordshire who will welcome the support of NEXUS.”

Tony Hobbs, Partner at Chapman, Robinson and Moore, spoke alongside CRM’s chosen partner, Sian Renwick, Director of Quest for Learning. Tony underlined how important the relationship with Quest for Learning is for his business. “We have been working with Sian and the team at Quest for a number of years and I think when businesses consider partnerships with charities, they underestimate the positive impact on their business, not just the impact they can have by supporting a charity.” Sian added, “We are so grateful to CRM for the support they have given us over the years and the NEXUS partnership opportunity has taken that to another level by connecting us with even more organisations in Oxfordshire with whom we can develop relationships. We’re really excited by NEXUS.” A catalyst for B4’s development of the NEXUS programme was the Blenheim Palace Business Start-Up Competition which gives recently launched retailers the opportunity to sell their product through Blenheim. B4 has supported the competition for the past two years by providing all finalists with B4 memberships, to further enhance the support that Blenheim already provide. Speaking alongside Blenheim’s CEO, Dominic Hare, Jessica HickmanWoolcott, owner of Wild & Fine and Hannah Rogan, Wild & Fine’s Marketing Manager, explained how important support is for new businesses. “We have benefited hugely from the opportunities provided by Blenheim and B4, and the NEXUS programme will provide more organisations like ours with invaluable support at a critical stage of their development.” Dominic added, “We are working very hard to support not only local businesses but also charities and social enterprises. It is vital, as one of the county’s larger businesses, that we set the example and encourage more businesses to become more responsible in as many ways as possible. The NEXUS programme is a huge boost for organisations like Wild & Fine and we are fully supportive of it and all that B4 is doing to help Oxfordshire’s business community.” Also speaking at the event, former High Sheriff of Oxfordshire, Richard Venables (Director, VSL & Partners) reiterated how WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

the corporate world should look to NEXUS to provide support. “I’ve been fortunate to connect and meet with some fantastic people and superb organisations, especially in my post as High Sheriff. We can’t do enough to promote the unseen work of thousands in the county who deserve all the recognition and support that we can provide them with. NEXUS is a great way to do this and we’re delighted to be partnering with Oxfordshire Youth and know they will benefit hugely from being part of the B4 community.”

NEXUS PARTNERSHIPS Formed so far...

Oxfordshire Community Foundation’s Chief Executive, Jayne Woodley, said that one voice to help more is a positive way forward. “Nexus is all about CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK – or rebooting our mind sets as I see it – in some ways it’s simply an evolution not revolution (shining a light on all the great stuff that is already happening but also paving the way and making it easier for others to take action too). “We can all begin by acknowledging that it is often difficult to leave our egos and organisations at the door, yet know that if we work together for our common good we can ‘close the gap’ – that aspirational space that exists between what we would like to happen and what we would ever actually achieve on our own. We all have a choice to replicate or collaborate – not such a difficult decision just one that requires us to believe there is something that we can all be a part of and I believe Nexus has the potential to be that.”

To find out more about NEXUS and becoming a partner or sponsor, visit: https://nexus.b4-business.com/ Everything for the Workplace

Find your Partner or Supporter at one of our NEXUS Introduction Events. Visit b4nexus.eventbrite.com to register

SEE MORE Photos from NEXUS launch: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmHBNVtE Oxfordshire Voice: www.oxvoice.co.uk BIO2020: https://issuu.com/ businessinoxford/docs/bio2020-sponsorship B4: www.b4-business.com The NEXUS programme benefits: https:// nexus.b4-business.com/programme/ NEXUS Partnerships confirmed: https://nexus. b4-business.com/partners-confirmed/ WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

ACCOUNTANTS

W H O W ILL YO U S UP P O RT? WWW.NEXUS.B4-BUSINESS.COM 97

CHERYL-LEE FOULSHAM Director Oxford Duplication Centre www.oxfordduplicationcentre.com

What is your role in the business? Director and business development.

What are your areas of expertise? Finding new areas of business development growth and expanding that knowledge into marketing and then sales.

What do you enjoy about your work? I love development and growth. As a person and a director, I find my role challenging and stimulating, especially when I see how a request from a client for a related service can transform into a new department for the business. Coupled with talented colleagues, we work carefully to expand the business in all areas of Film, Video, Audio and Text.

What are your hobbies / interests? Championship Ballroom Dancing. Currently 6th in the world. 3rd in Europe and 2nd in UK. We are in training for the European Championships and World Open Ballroom Championships in both April and May 2020. Other interests include architecture, psychology and classic Jaguar cars.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? My favourite place to go for a quiet glass of red wine is The Feathers in Woodstock. The place is nicely decorated, serves excellent food and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great place for just winding down.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? I love Oxfordshire because it combines a quintessential mix of country and academia We are surrounded by stunning scenery and beautiful architecture and to have all of this on our doorstep is wonderful.

Who inspires you? I am inspired by people who live their lives striving whilst finding balance and growth. Sir Ranulph Fiennes must be one of my most inspirational interests. Both he and his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s achievements are remarkable. Still to this day he is exploring. It is that keen driving force and intellectual mind that inspires me.

OXFORD DUPLICATION CENTRE

10 steps to inspiring Generation Z in the workplace A great salary, a good pension, company car and extra paid holidays. Sounds great! But what about job satisfaction, professional development, or making the world a better place. Generation Z are increasingly looking for the latter in a world where they want to find meaning and value in what they do. So how can you attract and benefit from their passion and talents? Written by: Colin O’Neill, Oxfordshire Youth

1. Be authentic While salary is important, young people also look at your company’s values. Make sure they are embedded throughout your organisation and mirrored in its culture. You will attract a workforce passionate about your cause and your young employees will feel they are making a real difference.

2. Develop partnerships Young people are yet to develop ‘soft skills’ communication, team work, decision-making, but these can be developed through curricular and extracurricular activities. Building a good relationship with local schools and youth organisations can help you to identify the gaps and facilitate change. This might be by allowing your staff volunteering time, acting on an employability advisory body, or providing financial support.

3. Preparation, planning and adjustment Employing a 17-year-old requires a different approach than someone with years of experience. You need to approach it in a mindful way and prepare, plan, and make appropriate adjustments. Talk to organisations that already have a young workforce such as your local LEP or youth association for help.

and images. So, schedule regular reviews, have daily scrum sessions, and check on how they are doing. They may be more comfortable online, but in-person meetings are still important for building communication, relationships, team skills and confidence.

6. Train them Train your employees and they might leave, taking the new skills with them. But if you don’t, they may be missing the skills, knowledge and confidence to do their job well. Research has shown that young people are also more likely to stay if they feel that their employer is investing in them.

By investing in “ young people, we are investing in the future of our businesses and society as a whole

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Jodie Lloyd-Jones, CEO of Oxfordshire Youth

4. Nurture and invest

7. Offer progression

Can they be given a task and get on with it? What should they wear? How should they behave? Young people may not know the answers, but are willing to learn. With mentoring and supervision, you can transform school-leavers into young workers, build commitment to your organisation, belief in its values, and a willingness to go the extra mile.

If you want people with passion, drive and initiative, then you need to offer opportunities for them to progress and develop. Retention of local talent is a priority for Oxfordshire’s job market and competition is high. A nurturing and employeefocused environment, which offers opportunities to learn new skills and take on new responsibilities, makes moving on less attractive.

5. Communicate, communicate, communicate

8. Be flexible

Young people are always receiving feedback. Friends like and comment on their tweets, posts

Studies show that employees working a 9-5 schedule are only about 40% efficient. Flexible working offers

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many benefits, from increased efficiency to avoiding rush hour traffic. Flexible working can also create a more motivated workforce, who will put in extra hours to achieve their goals.

9. Go digital Are your documents in the Cloud? Are you using Slack to communicate? Young people are digital savvy and you will need to be too, to keep them. Admittedly, it can be hard to keep up. Guess what? Ask the new staff! They know the latest apps and will probably already be using them.

10. Get help There are multiple initiatives available to support employers in being more “young-person” friendly. Future Leaders programme, Traineeships, Apprenticeships, “Give an Hour” campaign, Enterprise Adviser Network. There are many programmes and services providing training, advice and engagement with current and future young workforce. If you would like any support in incorporating any of the above or would like to find out more about Future Leaders programme and other youth workforce initiatives, please contact Magda Charlton, Business Development Manager for Oxfordshire Youth, at: magda.charlton@oxfordshireyouth.org

 info@oxfordshireyouth.org  01865 767 899  www.oxfordshireyouth.org

How Important Are Charity Corporate Partnerships? Tim Wraith is the Corporate Partnerships Manager for Sobell House, the adult hospice based here in Oxford. Here he talks about the importance of partnerships with the business community and how they have changed over the years.

Brands Hatch Cyclothon

I crept out of the house just before 6:30 one morning last month to cycle into town to take part in the Virgin Sport Oxford Half Marathon – alongside 10,000 people. To say the weather was bad would be a huge understatement. The downpour was of biblical proportions as I headed to the Race Village at University Park. It seemed to be raining sideways! Only a few years ago around 30 to 40 people would be running for us, but this year saw a record 400+ pounding the streets of our wonderful city. Their efforts and energy raised over £80,000 for the hospice. As Corporate Partnerships Manager, my role is to form partnerships with the local business community. That includes asking companies to enter teams into events like the Oxford Half Marathon. This year 60 employees from eight of our charity partners took part.

big cheque handover is a lot of fun. On this point, though, I am finding that many local business leaders want to have so many colleagues in the photo that the CEO is often at the back! What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that most businesses now want to form a partnership with a charity in lots of different ways and involve their wider team.

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Over the course of my three years at Sobell House, I have seen more longer-term strategic partnerships forming with the hospice. Local businesses have a great desire to promote the work of Sobell House amongst their staff in an increasingly meaningful way. By the very nature of what we do, we are very well-known. Wherever I go, someone tells me how Sobell House looked after their father, friend, neighbour or tragically their son or daughter. Their feedback is always glowing, and people so often want to give something back over the long term rather than just through a one-off event. One such corporate supporter is Darke & Taylor, who are electrical contractors based in Long Hanborough, and members of our Business Club. They are everything I look for in a charity partner and more - committed, enthusiastic, generous and highly supportive.

But why do businesses engage with charities like Sobell House – and what’s the point? For many years the defining image of a corporate partnership has been an outsized cheque being handed over by a smiling Chief Executive. I love any opportunity to promote charity engagement and the

the community. But cultivating a two-way partnership can bring about more lasting change, for the local business as well as the charity.

Tim Wraith, Sobell House

Raising money is a key part of my role to ensure we can offer high quality care at the hospice and out in

Recently I took time out to speak to Simon Newton, joint Managing Director at Darke & Taylor. I started by asking why it is so important for the business to

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partner with a local charity:

We are an Oxfordshire-based company, and have always been based in and around Oxford since the business first started trading in 1958. Over 90% of our employees live in Oxfordshire and it makes sense to support a local charity, particularly one that a large number of us are not just aware of, but also have personal experience of and a connection to. I was also keen to ask Simon what difference it makes to his business and the people he works with to partner with Sobell House: 2016 Monster Run in Cornbury Park

The benefits to the business are around staff engagement; each fundraising activity we undertake has been a team effort and they create a sense of collective achievement and an opportunity to bond, which is great for morale. Our suppliers have supported a number of our events by providing prizes for raffles and auctions, and our customers like the fact that Darke & Taylor take our corporate social responsibility seriously by using our workforce of 200 employees to raise funds for such a good cause. Why do you think it’s been more beneficial to work with Sobell House over a longer period rather than the year-long Charity of the Year arrangement?

The key advantages of working with Sobell over a long period are threefold. Firstly, the company and its staff develop a sense of commitment to the charity over time which helps get engagement when we run charitable events.

Secondly, we can set a more challenging overall target over time which our events all contribute towards.

So, I would actually say the whole experience has been the highlight, rather than any one event.

Finally, over the last four years, we feel that we have got to know the charity and have met other like-minded and interesting businesses through the Sobell network.

I love being the Corporate Partnerships Manager at Sobell House. When I hear what supporters like Simon say about the hospice it really warms my heart to know that lots of people in our community are so committed to what we do. During days which seem dominated by Brexit talk – clearly an important topic for all businesses – Simon’s words have the ability to cut through and connect with a deep human instinct - the desire to do something positive to help others.

What do you think has been the best fundraising initiative the team has done?

That’s a really difficult question to answer. There have been such a variety and all of them have been really good fun in different ways. From physical challenges like walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the Oxford Half Marathon and a 12-hour cyclothon at Brands Hatch, to staff social events like our Pie & a Pint and race nights, and other events such as golf days and dress down days, there’s been something for everyone and a really high proportion of our staff have taken part in something.

For me, that sums up what partnering with a charity like Sobell House is all about. The visibility of your company, alignment with a well-known and respected local charity, corporate social responsibility, building team spirit and the morale of your workforce – these are all invaluable by-products of deciding to do good things for others.

If you would like to know more about partnering with us please contact me on 01865 857066 or tim.wraith@ sobellhospice.org – I would love to hear from you.

Darke & Taylor Three Peaks Challenge

 tim.wraith@sobellhospice.org  01865 857 066 / 07527 849 748  www.sobellhouse.org

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In just six weeks, “ children working with our tutors make an average of 15 months’ progress in reading accuracy, 9 months’ progress in writing, and 20 months’ progress in reading comprehension

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Quest for Learning celebrates teaching 5000 Oxfordshire children Written by: Siân Renwick, Executive Director

At Oxfordshire education charity, Quest for Learning, we’ve recently celebrated a significant milestone – since 1996, we’ve improved the life chances of more than five thousand local children through our teaching! Quest for Learning’s expert staff tutors work with hundreds of disadvantaged children in Oxfordshire’s primary schools each year. Our activities include our ReadingQuest and BookQuest programmes which develop reading and writing skills alongside fostering a love of books and NumSkills which supports the development of mental maths skills.

with poor academic attainment, poor employment prospects, poor mental health, and criminal behaviour in later life.

The next 5000 We are immensely proud to have made a difference to these five thousand children. However, we know that the need is still high. Research has shown that,

almost half “ofNationally, children from low-

For more than 20 years, we’ve inspired children to become enthusiastic, independent learners, while also consistently having a measurable impact on academic outcomes. In just six weeks, children working with our tutors make an average of 15 months’ progress in reading accuracy, 9 months’ progress in writing, and 20 months’ progress in reading comprehension. This helps to bridge the attainment gap between children from low-income homes and their peers, levelling the playing field.

income families cannot read properly by the time they leave primary school, and, locally, one in five of Oxford’s children are living in poverty

However, the impact of our programmes stretches far beyond just instilling an enjoyment of learning or improving reading and maths ability. Literacy and numeracy are fundamental to children’s ability to engage with the rest of their education at primary school and beyond, and we know that low levels of literacy and numeracy are strongly correlated

nationally, almost half of children from low-income families cannot read properly by the time they leave primary school, and, locally, one in five of Oxford’s children are living in poverty.

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A 2019 Oxfordshire County Council report found that the attainment gap between children eligible

for free school meals and their peers is widening locally, despite decreasing nationally. Simply put, children from the poorest families in Oxfordshire are being left further behind their school friends than elsewhere in the country and we don’t think that’s ok. We want to ensure that Quest for Learning can continue to play an active part in closing this attainment gap, as well as inspiring a love of learning in the next five thousand children. Our ambition is to continue to roll out our teaching across Oxfordshire, developing long-term, sustainable partnerships with schools in areas of inner city and rural deprivation so that the children who need our help are able to access it now and in the future.

 info@questforlearning.org.uk  01235 313 713  www.questforlearning.org.uk

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How technology is connecting smallscale coffee farmers & independent roasters to benefit coffee communities, Oxfordshire business & your daily cup Written by: Emily Stewart

Coffee is a truly global industry. Grown in over 70 countries, it is the world’s most popular drink with 2.25 billion cups served or prepared each day. Coffee is grown mostly in developing countries, yet consumed most prolifically in the developed world, making ethical trading a hot topic.

What makes the economics more complicated is the question of quality. Coffee is a culinary experience, with a world of difference between a really flavoursome cup and a poor cup, and we have seen a rapidly growing awareness and appreciation for this over the last 15 years. Good coffee requires a little extra care and attention at every stage of its production, and rewarding those who deliver this

Questions I am often asked – Your coffee is Fairtrade, right? That’s the best coffee? The most ethical? Fairtrade coffee was launched in the 1980s in response to a collapse in the price of coffee on the world markets and the subsequent plight of coffee farmers. It was a critical situation which called for emergency measures. Many positives have come from its establishment: a wage system, health and safety standards, farming efficiencies. Fairtrade ruled out discrimination and invested in medical care, education and business support. This all sounds wonderful, really, doesn’t it. What could be the downside? If we dig a little deeper, Fairtrade has limitations. It encourages oversupply and often diverts farming resources away from the production of food, critical in more remote subsistence living areas. The guaranteed minimum price might be good news for the workers and immediate community, but not for the many farmers who can’t access the system due to its costly and rigorous examination processes and regular licensing fees. Fairtrade is an administratively-heavy organisation and these costs are passed on to the producer and the small, local businesses owners. There are also countless stories of unfair practices on Fairtrade farms being overlooked and non-Fairtrade farmers selling their coffee to their Fairtrade neighbours to achieve the premium. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Coffee is “ increasingly a

culinary experience. Rewarding communities who produce quality coffee benefits everyone

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directly from small scale farmers, purchasing direct without the carbon foot print and cost of regular trips to origin. Ground breaking companies such as Algrano uses technology to provide these farmers with a platform from which to market their coffee, sharing a wealth of knowledge about their crop, their farming and processing techniques, and also their lives and communities. The platform also provides a forum for two-way communication, enabling feedback and relationship building. Character and flavour is crucial to us; we can now request samples, efficiently and centrally organised by the platform, to allow us to make a selection on quality and evaluate value for money. Algrano facilitates the buying process, ensuring the farmer receives 100% of their asking price, and organises the logistics to provide an affordable and transparent supply chain service. In short, this technology allows us to offer delicious, fresh, ethically sourced and honestly priced coffee to our local market, both individuals and wholesale partners, whilst building up long-term and sustainable relationships with our coffee growing partners.

to produce something of high quality is a route to continuing upward trends in flavour, fulfilment and social and financial sustainability. Environmental sustainability often goes hand-in-hand with this, as higher-quality coffee is usually the result of traditional and sustainable farming rather than intensive and ecologically damaging practices driven by yield, not flavour. Fairtrade in itself does not guarantee quality. So, what is the answer? In our view, traceability, transparency and direct relationships. Thanks to modern communication and internet technology, small roasters like us are now in the exciting position of being able to communicate with and source

 hello@horseboxcoffeeco.com  01491 598 520  https://horseboxcoffeeco.com

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SUPPORTING COMMUNITY GREEN INITIATIVES

The orchard and wildlife haven came out of a desire by Sustainable Woodstock to do something useful with a narrow field at the end of the community woodland. They approached Blenheim to see if they would be open to the idea of creating a community orchard - and they agreed. The orchard is viewed as an important part of Woodstock’s plan for a sustainable future and fruit trees in particular are vital for local ecology; filtering air, conditioning soil, providing shade and shelter to wildlife as well as attracting pollinators to local gardens. The project has been awarded a couple of grants and is planning a second phase of tree planting to promote more pollinators and increase birdlife in the future. The organisers welcome volunteers, many of whom have been actively involved in planting trees, checking for pests and looking after the orchard but more are always needed – for both the woodland and orchard project. Further ecological projects involved Owen Mumford entering into a corporate membership arrangement with the Wychwood Project. One of the services rendered by the membership is the undertaking of a Biodiversity Audit at each of our Oxfordshire sites. This audit was duly conducted at the Chipping Norton site by James Aylward. Several recommendations on how we could increase biodiversity and improve the way our site blends into the local natural environment were made.

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After a search of local nurseries, a supplier of a native hedging mix comprising 60% hawthorn, 10% blackthorn, and 5% each of field maple, hazel, dogwood, spindle, crab apple and wayfaring tree was sourced. At the request of the Town Council the blackthorn element of the mix was replaced with holly (for evergreen and winter berry interest), and additional field maple. A total of 300 saplings

Another key finding is the interest “shown in cycling to work and the need to support those who do so, or would like to, with the provision of shower facilities which have now been installed

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were purchased. Over the next three weeks a team of Owen Mumford volunteers spent their lunchbreaks removing the old wire fence and posts, digging out perennial weeds, and planting the saplings in a double staggered row of five plants per metre. This is part of Owen Mumford’s ongoing commitment to its

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Owen Mumford takes its local environmental responsibilities seriously and has recently extended its involvement across several ecological projects. These have included sponsoring 10 fruit trees in the Sustainable Woodstock Community Orchard where there are currently, 82 heritage fruit trees including, apple, cherry, pear, Perry pear, damsons, plums and Medlar. These are managed organically both for the enjoyment and consumption by the community and to benefit wildlife. The orchard is an extension of the Community Woodland Project which has been running for nine years and 73% of the fruit trees are now sponsored, which is a great achievement. Written by: David de Leyser ; HSE Advisor

orchard is viewed “asThe an important part of Woodstock’s plan for a sustainable future and fruit trees in particular are vital for local ecology

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local environmental impact and how best to support its local community. Owen Mumford also launched a Green Travel Survey with a view to better understand the travel and transport patterns of associates for their commute to and from work. The company recognises that the method of travel associates employ, their work location for the day and times that they leave home to secure a parking space play a significant part in the daily decisions they make. These factors also play a big part in associate morale and ultimately satisfaction in working for Owen Mumford. The intention of the travel survey was to enable Owen Mumford to better understand the current effect of associates travelling to and from work to further minimise the company’s impact on the local environment. This would provide the information

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necessary for any potential interventions which the company might seek to implement. To this end the survey would equip us with the necessary information and evidence to support such intervention(s). In demonstrating its commitment to the exercise Owen Mumford pledged to donate £2.00 for every survey completed to the Oxford based charity ‘SeeSaw’, which provides support to children and young people experiencing grief. We are very pleased to say that a total of 259 associates completed the survey resulting in a donation being made to ‘SeeSaw’ for the sum of £518. The key findings from the travel survey are that real interest was shown in the idea of Electric Vehicles (EVs). To this end Owen Mumford has installed vehicle charging points on both of its UK sites. Another key finding is the interest shown in cycling to work and the need to support those who do so, or would like to, with the provision of shower facilities

which have now been installed. These environmental initiates are just some of the ways Owen Mumford continuously monitors and seeks ways to improve its daily operations to benefit the environment. For more information please visit owenmumford.com

   

info@owenmumford.com 01993 812 021 @OwenMumford www.owenmumford.com

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news New Deputy Managing Director appointed to Oxford Innovation A leading light in the economic development of the Thames Valley has been confirmed as the Deputy Managing Director of the UK’s foremost innovation centre operator. Tim will support Oxford Innovation Managing Director, Jo Stevens, who is leading the organisation’s ambitious growth plans, which include the management of more than 40 innovation centres across the UK and Ireland. Jo said:

“We are delighted to be welcoming Tim, who has spent many years leading on programmes of economic development for the Thames Valley and beyond. “Our clients are wrestling with many of the issues that have been at the forefront of Tim’s in-tray, notably how to ensure that the presence of great universities translate into local jobs and economic growth as well as how to develop and support the ‘harder-to-help’ towns of a region. “Oxford Innovation’s work is about making places work better, through the delivery of successful and sustainable innovation centres, particularly for small business, entrepreneurs and for the innovation economy; we and our clients will greatly value his experience and leadership.” Established in 1987, Oxford Innovation has grown to become the country’s largest provider of innovation centres; flexible workspace and support for innovative, early stage business. So far this year, three new innovation centres have been launched; two in Oxford and one Essex, with additional centres in Newcastle, High Wycombe and Aylesbury to be launched in the next three months. Future plans include a centre in Haverhill, Suffolk and a first centre in the Republic of Ireland. Tim Smith said:

Tim Smith, Deputy Managing Director of Oxford Innovation

“I have been involved with the SQW Group for several years and have long respected the integrity, professionalism and expertise of Oxford Innovation and its sister companies.

Tim Smith MBE has joined Oxford Innovation in a new key role focussed on the day-to-day running of the company. Previously the Chief Executive Officer of the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Tim brings immediate knowledge and experience of the critical part that innovative start-up companies play in economic growth.

“I am delighted to have joined the company and look forward to helping it realise its growth ambitions and supporting even more innovators in the future.”

Between April 2015 and March 2019, he led the implementation of a strategy that created or safe-guarded nearly 4,500 jobs, assisted 1,500 businesses and helped to train and upskill over 3,700 workers.

 info@oxin-centres.co.uk  01865 261 480  oxin-centres.co.uk

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To find out more about any of the services Oxford Innovation provide visit:

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Alnylam at Woolley Firs Environmental Education Centre

Oracle team building day by Tristan Blaine

How Wildlife Works for Your Business

Colin Bunting

Written by: Colin Bunting Photography by: Ric Mellis. Colin Bunting & Tristan Blaine

Better Environmental Performance Stimulates Better Business Performance You might view environmental credentials as an “optional extra” for your business, but be careful you don’t get left behind. Companies across all industries are proving that putting environmental performance at the heart of what they do can provide a competitive advantage whilst benefiting both local wildlife and local communities. The ethical, sustainable and social responsibility positions of suppliers are becoming increasingly important factors in customers’ purchasing decisions. And it is not just your purchasers who are taking notice. Shortage of skills is a key concern for growing businesses in the 21st Century and evidence shows that employees are also voting with their feet. A recent report found that 88 per cent of millennials want to work for an employer whose values match their own, a group that in a few years time will make up three-quarters of our workforce. By partnering with the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust you will be demonstrating and promoting your environmental and corporate social responsibility credentials.

Wild Wellbeing We are becoming ever more concentrated in urban areas, spending our working days in front of computer screens. Whilst we live in a time of mental health crisis, there is increasing evidence and recognition that spending time outdoors amongst nature provides us with measurable wellbeing benefits. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Improvement in workforce wellbeing leads to improved business performance and profitability, whether you are a sole-trader or an employer of a large workforce. Additionally, having an enlightened and active approach to employee wellbeing can enhance recruitment and retention performance, contributing significantly towards improving the bottom line. We can help you and your employees harness the power of nature by providing beautiful natural spaces to visit in your local area, through team-building and team-bonding projects or Wild Wellbeing Courses.

Investors in Wildlife Our Investors in Wildlife scheme can provide huge benefits for your business: • Promotion of your support for the local environment • Business image and reputation enhancement • Increased marketing and PR reach via our extensive media network • Helping your employees to connect with nature • Knowledge and networking events

corporate solutions to tackle these key environmental concerns. We’ll be joined by speakers from Erskine Murray, Oxford University, The Jordans Farm Partnership, and Saïd Business School. Contact us to book your place details below.

About your local Wildlife Trust The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust is one of 46 Wildlife Trusts across the UK. Together The Wildlife Trusts form the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated to protecting wildlife and wild places on land and at sea. Locally, our experts work with more than 1,800 volunteers to look after over 80 nature reserves, four education centres and run hundreds of amazing events across our three counties.

To find out more about becoming an Investors in Wildlife Partner, please contact Colin Bunting, Senior Corporate Partnerships Officer.

Upcoming events The role of business in creating a wilder future Wednesday 11 December 2019, 2-4pm Saïd Business School, Oxford OX1 1HP Hear how climate change and biodiversity loss will impact on your business and join us to help shape

 partnerships@bbowt.org.uk  01865 775 476 ext 3208  www.bbowt.org.uk

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WHERE ARE YOU? Embracing diversity and an aging population in the workplace At You HR Consultancy we work hard to practice what we teach and creating a diverse workforce is an important part of who we are. According to ACAS one in four people in the UK Workforce is now aged over 50 and by 2030 the population aged over 65 will have increased by 50 percent.

productivity; we have the stats to prove it! Our business growth outcomes demonstrate the vital components of any business where the recognition of diverse differences should be at the fore to enable purposeful and meaningful success for all.

With Millennial workers currently a hot topic, we wanted to focus on how a diverse workforce can work together and create a winning team. The familiar stereotypes of the ‘tech savvy’ millennials being more valuable and the older generation ‘stealing’ their jobs are simply not true and we emphasise the importance workers of all ages can bring to a company. With age comes experience and a wealth of knowledge that can compliment the enthusiasm for new ideas and ways of working that are different to what a younger worker may bring. The challenge lies in an employer recognising what engages the diversity in their workplace in the right way. We have the right approach in You HR and we practice this with our clients embracing our strap line:

Want to do more to proactively manage the diversity in your workplace? Arrange your FREE HR Healthcheck with us by emailing alice@youhr.co.uk or call 01491 820764.

“It’s all about the people” People evolve and have different needs throughout their working life and we encourage employers to consider these changes and help support their employees in a multitude of ways to maximise the retention of their most important asset..... their people. This approach engenders loyalty and increases

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 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

 www.youhracadmey.com

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news

ACCOUNTANTS

Oxford United in the Community joins NEXUS An Oxfordshire accounting firm has paired up with Oxford United in the Community as part of B4’s county-wide NEXUS programme linking businesses and organisations. Tim Tarby-Donald, Head of Charitable Activities at Oxford United in the Community said:

“This is a crucial time for Oxford United’s charity. We have developed an exciting new strategy titled ‘Oxfordshire – A Community United’ which we will be rolling out across the whole county over the next 18 months. It will see us working with grassroots organisations and a range of charity partners, harnessing the power of football and Oxford United to help improve the lives of the people around the county.

Christopher Lowes, Community Manager, Oxford United in the Community and Mike Foster of Modus

Oxford United in the Community is the football club’s official charity and helps inspire people to reach their potential and improve their health and wellbeing via the power of football, engagement and education. B4 member Modus Accountants, based in Witney, has sponsored Oxford United in the Community to join the network’s new NEXUS initiative.

“Our objective is to positively change lives in some of the most disadvantaged communities in Oxfordshire, creating and facilitating opportunities to build on the strengths that already exist. We recognise that business will be a significant contributor to the future positive development of these communities and so to receive sponsorship from Modus Accountants to help us access the range of opportunities provided by B4 via the NEXUS initiative is hugely exciting.” Greig Box Turnbull, Vice Chair of Oxford United in the Community added:

The Nexus programme pairs ‘supporter’ and ‘partner’ organisations with one another and stages regular events including an annual award show at the end of the Business in Oxford (BIO) conference. Modus director Mike Foster said:

“Modus Accountants are delighted to be sponsoring Oxford United in the Community to become part of the B4 network via the Nexus initiative. “I’ve worked closely with the charity for some time and we wanted to support the great work that they are undertaking in support of the local community on behalf of the football club.

“Modus Accountants is an innovative business that supports clients to drive their strategies forward successfully and helps them achieve their ambitions, both of which we are looking to do at Oxford United in the Community, and so we are really looking forward to a strong, mutually beneficial partnership. “This is a great step forward for United’s charity as we continue to build key strategic partnerships with business and charities that will enable us to develop and make a bigger impact across Oxfordshire.”

“As supporters of grassroots football and development, we saw this as the perfect partnership for Modus and we are excited about exploring how we can work together in support of the charity’s new strategy.”

Oxford United in the Community is currently celebrating its 30-year anniversary. As part of the anniversary celebrations the charity launched a Dream Big Appeal to raise funds in its 30th year to help it do more impactful work across Oxfordshire. People can donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/OUITC30YEARS

Chris Lowes, Head of Oxford United in the Community said:

Modus Accountants is a business advisory and accountancy firm, you can read more about the company here: https://modus-accountants.co.uk

“Thank you to Modus Accountants for its generous support. By sponsoring us to join the B4 Nexus group it will further connect the charity in the county’s active and engaging business community. Working in partnership with businesses and other charities will be vital to our ability to deliver increased social impact.”

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 hello@modus-accountants.co.uk  01993 225 030  https://modus-accountants.co.uk

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BLENHEIM LAUNCHES MENTAL HEALTH CHAMPIONS Written by: Megan Carter, Head of HR Photography by: Blenheim Palace

Blenheim is encouraging its managerial staff to undertake free training to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental ill-health. The Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site has launched a new Mental Health Wellbeing Champions training scheme. It is hoped the scheme will equip staff with the knowledge and skills to approach someone who appears to be struggling, and to be able to help them to access the right support. Studies* have shown that one in 4 people will have mental ill-health during any 12-month period. Despite this, less than half of those affected feel confident to share their condition with anyone. Mental ill-health is rarely talked about openly. Staff in organisations are more likely to tell their manager that they are off work due to a cold or a headache than because they are suffering with anxiety or stress. “The happiness of our workers is of the upmost importance here at Blenheim,” said Megan Carter, Head of Human Resources.

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“We recognise mental health is still a difficult subject for many and we see the importance of incorporating it into everyday conversations and raising awareness so that people feel they are in a safe and non-judgmental environment. “Our mental health champions are another point of contact other than HR and line managers who can advise on where to turn to and what channels they can take.

“ Mental health is just

as important as physical health and there needs to be a shift in attitudes towards this

raising awareness, they promote initiatives and work confidentially with employees. “We also have a mental health and wellbeing policy which demonstrates our commitment to mental health and our attitude of: ‘It’s ok not to be ok!’. We are here to support and understand, and most importantly not to judge, we are all human after all,” she added. Mental ill health covers a range of different conditions, ranging from stress, anxiety, OCD, depression to schizophrenia and personality disorders. *Mental Health statistics taken from: https://peoplefirst.nhsbt.nhs. uk/news/mental-health-wellbeing-champions/60890

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“Mental health is just as important as physical health and there needs to be a shift in attitudes towards this. Our mental health champions are one way of

 customerservice@blenheimpalace.com  01993 810 530  www.blenheimpalace.com

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7.6m working age people in the UK have a disability

Are you disability confident?

If you’re not actively recruiting talent your competitors probably are. Tap into the talents of people with disabilities “Having an employer who actually took the time to understand me has been life changing. I now feel that I have something to get up for every morning and I am a valued member of the team. It’s changed my life.” The powerful and inspirational words of Simon Cooper, a project administration apprentice at Activate Learning in Oxfordshire. Simon has Asperger’s Syndrome, a form of autism which affects how people make sense of the world, seeing, hearing and feeling the world differently to others. They have average or above average intelligence and as Simon say, although living with a lifelong disability, he offers other benefits for his employer. “I have Asperger’s Syndrome – that means I’m very organised, very efficient. It is part of me and nothing is going to change that.” Simon’s father Timothy Cooper is grateful for giving his son a chance to show the qualities he can bring to the workplace. “We would like to thank Activate Learning for giving Simon a chance to show that people with disabilities can do a good job. Simon is enjoying his apprenticeship and the reports we receive are all very positive.”

“

We know from our experience of working with young disabled learners and developing learning companies to give these students a chance to get first-hand experience of a proper job, how much value an employee with disabilities can add to a business.

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Sally Dicketts, Chief Executive, Activate Learning

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Activate Learning is one of more than 15,000 organisations and companies who’ve signed up to the government’s Disability Confident Scheme. With 7.6m working age people in the UK with a disability, the scheme aims to make the most of the talents people with disabilities can bring to the workplace. It’s all part of the Government’s ambition to get one million more people with disabilities in work by 2027. Sally Dicketts, Chief Executive, Activate Learning, said: “We know from our experience of working with young disabled learners and developing learning companies to give these students a chance to get first-hand experience of a proper job, how much value an employee with disabilities can add to a business.” Historically there has always been a significant gap between the proportion of disabled people in work compared with non-disabled people. In Oxfordshire, there were 417,000 working age adults (aged between 18 and 64) according to Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) in July this year. Of those 81% were in employment, but only 66% of working age people with disabilities were in paid work. For Simon, businesses need to open their eyes to the potential of taking on a person with disabilities: “I think just because someone has a disability it doesn’t mean they are not capable of working. “There are a lot of misconceptions about what people are capable of, but being in the right environment with the right sort of support people can really thrive. It is easy to say they’ve got a disability I’m not even going to look. I think the big thing to do is to say what are they good at, what are their key assets.” Oxfordshire businesses are being invited to get behind the Disability Confident campaign to dispel the myths and reduce the stigma around employing people with disabilities. A conference to encourage more local businesses to join was held earlier this month sponsored by Unipart Group. Entitled Dispelling Disability Myths in the Workplace, it was hosted by Activate Learning, Oxfordshire Business First, OxLEP and Job Centre Plus to inform companies of the support that is out there to help recruit, train and retain staff. Speakers included Angie Matthews from the Business Disability Forum, a notforprofit membership organisation that makes it easier and more rewarding to do WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Are you disability confident?

business with and employ disabled people, and Keshav Sankla, AI programme lead at Solutions4Health, on using artificial intelligence (AI) to support people with disabilities in the workplace and improve health outcomes. The Disability Confident scheme has three levels designed to support businesses at every step of their journey. Support is out there for placements including funding and training options.

“

We’re encouraging businesses to look beyond the disability. This is an untapped talent pool with people with huge potential who don’t get through the selection process.

”

Simon Cooper, project administration apprentice at Activate Learning in Oxfordshire

Paul Essery, Commercial Director, Business Disability Forum

The National Disability Confident campaign Paul Essery, former Commercial Director, Business Disability Forum, said: “We’re encouraging businesses to look beyond the disability. This is an untapped talent pool with people with huge potential who don’t get through the selection process.“There are myths that it is costly, time consuming or that a person with a disability cannot perform tasks as well. Businesses just need to be a little more flexible and do a few things that make it easier for people to perform in the workplace.”

More details about the national Disability Confident campaign, can be found at disabilityconfident. campaign.gov.uk/ and from the Business Disability Forum at businessdisabilityforum.org.uk/. If you would like to discuss the options available to you, contact Angela Mathews by email: angela.mathews@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk

Meanwhile Simon’s father Timothy Cooper, describes the enormous difference it has made to their son’s life: “Simon now has a good goal in life and is excited for his future. We as parents can now look at our son and see this and we are excited for him also.”

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HELEN BROWN ORLA MURPHY Co-Founders / Directors SEEBLUE Marketing www.see-blue.co.uk What is your role in the business? Orla and I are co-founders and Directors at SEEBLUE. We have each had careers spanning over 15 years in blue chip global tech sector businesses before setting up SEEBLUE Marketing.

What are your areas of expertise? Using our deep understanding of our clients commercial drivers we build customer obsessed and scalable Marketing Strategies. Personas driven by buyer intent. Propositions centred on inherent value. Targeted Account Based Marketing connecting the dots between your sales and marketing teams.

What do you enjoy about your work? Most of all, we love being able to help our clients meet their commercial objectives and share our experience of marketing strategies and tactics to help their business grow.

What are your hobbies / interests? We both love to keep active and fit, both for ourselves and as time out from our toddlers (we each have two under 5, which on top of running the business keeps us pretty busy!) I love netball and play in the Newbury Netball League as WD for Altair Media. Orla doesn’t play competitive sport anymore but enjoys going to the gym, taking the kids swimming and to tennis lessons. And is a big armchair sports fan!

Do you have a favourite sports team? I love The Vitality Roses (England’s netball team who won Commonwealth Games Gold in 2018!). Orla is a big supporter of the Ireland rugby team.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? History history and well, history! Did you know that during the Civil War for a brief period Oxford became the Capital for England?!

Who inspires you? I am inspired by people who fight a cause with poise, persistence and the upmost integrity. Top of my list is Nelson Mandela and I am in awe of Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate change warrior’s inner calm and determination.

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CEO look familiar?

Stressed, long hours, cashflow, investment, profit, growth… Written by: Sue Rees

When it’s time to grow your team I’ve spent the last 25 years working with business owners of all sizes in many sectors, from micro-startups to brand leaders. You won’t be shocked to learn that the most successful of these are talented, driven, and passionate individuals. What might surprise you is how many of them will readily confess that they found the growth phase of their business remarkably stressful, particularly for SMEs or fledgling businesses. It’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed by trying to keep an eye on cash flow, regulatory changes, maintaining or developing relationships with bankers and investors, updating business plans, and developing new strategies.

There’s no time like the present It’s also usually the case that many people leave it a little late in the day to bring on a new member of the senior team to help. Part of that delay is the natural reluctance to “let go” of what’s been your baby, but there’s also often a paralysis caused by either not knowing the kind of talent you need or - most concerning - making a bad decision.

What you want versus what you need Sometimes, you can be the worst person to see what you actually need, versus what you think you do!

about what kind of individual will complement you. The best teams are fully rounded, with a variety of strengths and experiences, each member bringing something to the table that wasn’t there before.

2. It’s not all about the money Just putting up an attractive salary isn’t enough to help you attract the right people. With low unemployment and a candidate-driven market at the moment, you need to think beyond basic salary in order to attract the right people. I’m seeing more businesses thinking outside of the box here, beyond salary, car, and share options. What is your competition offering? What about flexible working? How about extending employee benefits to family members? Take a critical look at your office environment and culture to see if you can make some small, simple tweaks that will add up in your favour.

Sometimes, you can be the “worst person to see what you

actually need, versus what you think you do!

”

An MD client called me one evening, panicking and desperate for help. The business was growing, and following a board meeting that afternoon the decision had been made to scale up. The board were pushing for growth and time was of the essence.

3. Don’t just advertise

When I met with them the next morning, I not only got a good insight into the experience they needed but most importantly, the personality type and cultural fit that would work. It was also clear to me that what they needed wasn’t a full-time FD - the job spec actually meant a part-time solution was perfect!

Your time is valuable - do you really want to be wading through CVs and applications? Recruitment is not a “numbers game”, so avoid the many companies who use algorithms or don’t personally vet candidates. Getting the right person is the most important criteria for successful recruitment, so work with someone who understands you, your culture and your personality and is looking for the most suitable person.

Here are my top three tips Over the years, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t - and the mistakes that business owners make. So here are my top 3 considerations you should have in mind when you’re looking to bring the right person into your business.

Which area of your business requires new executive talent to drive your growth? Let’s chat about the people you want in place to help you grow in 2020.

1. You don’t need “Another You” This is a trap I’ve seen plenty of people fall in to. Lots of founders have a very narrow vision of what they think the ideal recruit will look like, often based around their own traits and experience. The key here is to step back and think WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

 suerees@suerees.co.uk  07917 804 779  www.suerees.co.uk 117

JANETTE CARDY

Richard Rosser chats to Janette Cardy about her inspirational sporting background and how she bounced back from a near-death experience. Interview by: Richard Rosser

Can you tell us more about you and your sporting background? I have always been sporty. When I was a teenager I competed for English schools in cross-country and also national level swimming. Sport was a huge part of our childhood, mine and my 2 brothers. In my 20s and 30s I was working in the fitness industry already running my own business of Janette Cardy Fitness. I always knew I wanted to be offering a variety of things and to work for myself. I was fit but not really competing or training for any specific event. I was mainly fit for my job to be able to run with clients, or to teach a number of classes in a day.

There are plenty of examples where being fit isn’t necessarily a guarantee that you will lead a healthy life. Your own experiences are testament to that but you’ve managed to turn this very dark period in your life into a source of strength for others. Please tell us more. As I was approaching my 40th birthday I remember struggling with this, thinking “How have I gotten to middle age!” However, within a month of my birthday I was losing a lot of weight and couldn’t go more than 40 min without having something to eat. I couldn’t sleep as it felt like my heart was coming out of my chest. I knew I wasn’t well, but thought it might be

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early menopause. However, during a class, I had a “moment” where my arm swelled up, I lost use of speech and didn’t know where I was. It didn’t last long but it was a little scary. I spoke to a doctor friend of mine and he suggested I visit my GP. I was sent to the hospital for an MRI and it transpired I had had a stroke. However, as it had happened a couple of weeks prior to the MRI, I decided to not tell anyone and not to worry about it. I just carried on working just as hard as before. Within 2 weeks, it happened again and I collapsed. I was taken by ambulance to the hospital and it transpired I had had another one. These were 2 full blown strokes but because I was fit and strong I gained speech, motor skills and balance back fairly quickly. About 2 weeks after this I knew I was still unwell so took myself to A&E and thankfully met a professional who specialised in thyroids. He basically saved my life. It turned out I had Graves’ disease, and my readings were off the chart. This is what had caused the strokes, and in that doctor’s words he didn’t know how I was still alive. Within a few months I had to have the thyroid removed as they said I couldn’t risk another stroke. At this point, I was feeling fairly positive, thinking that as soon as the thyroid was out I would be able to get on with living, and that perhaps being 40 wasn’t so bad after all!

However, during the operation, my vocal chords were damaged and I was left unable to speak in anything over a light whisper. I couldn’t speak in public, I couldn’t speak on the phone and I was told fitness as a job and hobby might not be possible for me in the future. I hit rock bottom at this point. But after a few weeks of really hiding from the world, I decided I needed to set some goals to get me back on my feet: 1. Set up an online fitness business 2. Speak again. At this point I was having speech therapy and I committed to my exercises like crazy. 3. Wear a GB vest in a sport. Any sport. Within 6 months, I was speaking again. I had set up my online fitness business as an add-on to the other things I did and I qualified for GB in Aquathlon (swimming and running) World Championships (age group). I came 5th in that World Championship so I decided to add on an extra goal: To get up on the podium. The following year (2014), I won the European Championships in Germany and silver at the World Championships in Canada. For me, getting through this dark period was about taking control of the things I could, and letting go of the things I could not. Resilience, fighting adversity and goal-setting definitely worked for me.

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B 4 H E A L T H

F I T N E S S

I am a different “person. I find joy in simple things now. Every day I appreciate being alive.

”

Janette Cardy

Although you haven’t turned the corner, has making this a key part of your working life and talking about your life experiences ultimately helped you? I am on meds for life. I have to go to the hospital for tests regularly. It’s something I just have to live with. I recently started working for Inspiring Women, sharing my story and how I turned such a dark time into a positive experience. I go into companies and help them to work on confidence, mindset and achieving their goals. I am a different person. I find joy in simple things now. Every day I appreciate being alive.

We’re looking forward to hearing more from you at BIO2020. What can delegates expect? Delegates at BIO2020 can expect an inspiring, honest account of my story, but also how I have learnt from my own near-death experience to become the best version of myself. I want to share, inspire and motivate as many people as possible to find joy in life and to appreciate having a healthy mind, body and soul.

things I could, and letting go of the things I could not. Resilience, fighting adversity and goal-setting definitely worked for me. Janette Cardy

www.b4-business.com

”

BIO

2020

For me, getting through this dark “ period was about taking control of the

Hear Janette speak at BIO2020, 2nd-4th June 2020. For tickets visit: www.businessinoxford.com

 info@businessinoxford.com  01865 742 211  www.businessinoxford.com 119

Is Plant Based a Game Changer? Written by: Helen Money

The most talked about diet right now is the plant based diet; the new name for vegan. Plant based diets have been growing in popularity over the past few years but growth has been accelerated or at least discussion around turning plant based, by the documentary Game Changer. Here I discuss whether being plant based is a game changer, and if one is going to turn plant based what considerations are needed? For those that have not seen the documentary Game Changer, in summary large meat eating athletes of various levels ditch meat and fish and only eat plant based foods to find that their performance improved. So why is this? The participants change in diet increased their intake of nutrients used in energy metabolism as well as antioxidants that support the immune system, bring down inflammation and aid muscle recovery. Compared to their previous diet that was most likely very high in meat protein, low in complex carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables; an inflammatory diet low in energy creating nutrients. But the big question is, are the improvements experienced exclusive to a plant based diet? Based on having studied nutrition at 2 universities for a total of 5 years, been in practice for 10 years and reading 7 hours of new research every week, my view is no, one does not have to be exclusively plant based to achieve optimal performance. Vegan athletes and non athletes can perform well on a plant based diet but if choosing this diet just for performance that is not necessary. A diet high in vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts, seeds with some fish and a little meat will be supportive of good performance (and wellbeing). However there are good reasons to follow a plant based diet. Firstly one’s ethical views on eating

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animals and secondly sustainability. The United Nations has called for a shift by the Western world to move to a more plant based diet estimating that emissions could fall by up to 8 billions tonnes a year. So what are the considerations needed when turning plant based? The main challenge is vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is essential for making red blood cells to transport oxygen around the body, and is only found naturally in animal sourced foods. For vegetarians this is less of a concern as milk is high in B12, but as the gas from cows is one of the main contributors to global warming one may choose to go dairy free. In which case a B12 supplement should be taken or fortified foods consumed. The next biggest challenge is calcium which is essential for strong bones, teeth and muscle contraction.

...The most common “question from people

considering turning plant based is ‘where will I get protein from?’

”

Dairy is an excellent source of calcium as is fish with edible bones such as sardines. Plant based calcium rich foods include sesame, almonds and green leafy vegetables such as watercress; but these need to be eaten in vast quantities to meet daily requirements - 100g of sesame, 300g of almonds, 600g watercress or a mixture of. Most dairy-free milk alternatives are calcium fortified, but not all so do check the label.

The most common question from people considering turning plant based is ‘where will I get protein from?’. This is not actually that difficult if including protein from beans, pulses, whole grains and seeds with meals and snacking on nuts. Also there are shelves and shelves of meat alternatives and replacements now available in supermarkets. However some of the meat alternatives are very processed which is a consideration if choosing veganism for wellbeing; but also many of the vegetable ‘burgers’, ‘sausages’ and patties available do not contain much protein always check the label for protein content if using as a direct meat or fish replacement. If choosing to go plant based I encourage a change in mindset - move away from a meat(replacement) and two veg looking plate and take inspiration from communities that are traditionally vegetarian such as in South Indians. Think dal and chickpea curries. In summary performance and wellbeing is not the reason to choose a plant based diet, there is no need to be so extreme. However we do all need to think about sustainability, some will be committed enough to go fully plant based, for those that are not then adding in more vegetables, beans, pulses, nuts and seeds and reducing meat all contributes, and you’ll feel great.

 helen@helenmoneynutrition.com  07961 394201  www.helenmoneynutrition.com

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FINDING YOUR FEET WITH

COMMUNICATIONS Big Foot Communications was introduced to help small to medium-sized businesses make use of the many different communication channels available to them. The company specialises in public relations, social media and podcast production and has worked with a range of industries including events, education and transport. In this interview, founder of the company, Emma Gascoigne, explains four tips to help navigate the changing landscape of communications. Written by: Emma Gascoigne Photography by: Oxford Atelier Emma Gascoigne

We are lucky as communicators to have so many ways to tell our story. Just 15 years ago, people were still sending press releases in the post and having a website wasn’t even a given; and as for social media - nobody had even heard of it! Keeping pace with change can be a real problem even for large organisations. So how are smaller businesses meant to cope?

1. Ensure all communications are in touch with your audience

I’m always trying to keep up with change and evolve how I do things. I was responsible for introducing social media to a transport company back in 2008 when Twitter was not commonly used as a customer service channel. A big lesson that I learnt during this time was how important it is to be in touch with your customers and I found that this linkage between the real-time customer feedback led to more in touch and meaningful PR campaigns. It is so important that anyone involved in communications immerses themselves in your world by experiencing your product or service and taking time to understand your customer.

2. Are you making use of all the fantastic opportunities available to you?

It is irrelevant how big your company is now; the disruption of traditional PR and marketing means there’s so much you can do without a big budget. It should be empowering for a small business owner

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that you can read reviews about your brand or service, take photos on your phone to a high-quality, make a video, have an online presence and influence where you appear on search engines. Having a clear strategy can help to navigate all of this to ensure that these opportunities are actually delivering value for you. Using the plethora of channels consistently, and with purpose, is important for anyone wanting to maximise their return on investment.

“ It is irrelevant how big

your company is now; the disruption of traditional PR and marketing means there’s so much you can do without a big budget

”

3. Respect other people’s time We need to be more mindful of our own and our colleagues growing tasks, so take time to understand what really gives value and concentrate on those items. Sometimes it can help having a company like ours to help you find your feet. It is especially important when thinking of PR. Reporters now have a pressure to not only write or report news, but also to get images, infographics, edit video and use social media. Therefore, it is essential in PR, for example, to be ensuring you actually have a news story and how you can package it up and provide the reporter with everything they need.

4. Build real relationships It’s hard to navigate the best way to talk to people. E-mail usage is decreasing and according to a social etiquette book I read recently, you should reserve phone calls for extreme cases such as to inform of a bereavement! I’m not sure I agree with that, but the way we form relationships with our stakeholders is going to evolve more and more, but face to face is always going to be a key form of communication and it is why we are all lucky to have B4 to help us build meaningful relationships. Big Foot Communications, based in Oxford, is producing podcasts for B4 Magazine. Listen on iTunes, SoundCloud or by visiting b4-business.com. If you would like more information about working with Big Foot Communications contact us below.

 emma@bigfootcommunications.co.uk  07342 728 832  www.bigfootcommunications.co.uk

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Celebrate Christmas at one of Oxford’s most stunning venues and enjoy a magical evening to remember. We have a range of sparkling options available to work with your ideas and guest number.

HARTWELL HOUSE & SPA

OXFORD NORTH ROTARY CLUB

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50% OFF DAY MEETINGS AT HARTWELL HOUSE, NR AYLESBURY NOW £37.50 + VAT PP 50% off day meeting rates on any bookings placed within two weeks of the meeting date. This late availability offer applies to meetings of 6 – 16 people and includes welcome tea & coffee, mid-morning pastries, lunch, afternoon tea & cake, free WiFi and a range of equipment for use.

NOW £37.50+VAT pp Valid mid-week for 6 – 16 people until 31st March 2020; subject to availability.

Are you free on 25th April 2020? If so, then our Annual ROWATHON is for you! Details on the website, www.rowathonoxford.co.uk or from martin.cowell1@ntlworld.com

VALE OF AYLESBURY, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE HP17 8NR TEL: +44 (0)1296 747 444 WWW.HARTWELL-HOUSE.COM

CONFERENCE OXFORD Celebrates 25th Anniversary Written by: Marie O’Connor

Martha Bagnall, Matt Brown, Marie O’Connor, Mike Naworynsky and Victoria Allen

This year Conference Oxford is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. It was originally set up in 1994 to provide a central point of contact, information and help for anyone wishing to organise an event in one or more of the colleges of the University. Over the years Conference Oxford has grown and is now proud to represent 68 college and University of Oxford venues, including museums, libraries, gardens and ceremonial buildings. Marie O’Connor, Head of Conference Oxford, says ‘Our college and University venues offer a wonderful mix of traditional and modern facilities to suit all events. Our team has an excellent knowledge of the University, the colleges and the City of Oxford, which enables us to offer a first class service to our customers. The service we provide is free and is available to anyone wishing to organise a conference, meeting, dinner, drinks reception, party, wedding, exhibition….the list is endless! Offering advice and

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support, we help our customers to find the perfect venue for their event.’

Every year Conference “Oxford receives huge

numbers of enquiries for all types of events and it is therefore wonderful to report that their 25th year has been hugely productive and successful

”

Mike Naworynsky, Chair of Conference Oxford

In spite of the challenges posed by the uncertainties surrounding Brexit, Conference Oxford received a record number of enquiries, over 3500, an increase

of 10% on last year’s excellent results. With 68 stunning venues to choose from year round and over 7000 college bedrooms available during vacations, why not contact Conference Oxford to help you find your dream venue for your next event. For more information, please contact Marie O’Connor

   

marie.oconnor@conference-oxford.ox.ac.uk 01865 276 190 www.conference-oxford.com @confoxford

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Christmas Dinners and Functions from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford Dinners and functions set against beautiful backdrops with exceptional cuisine. Written by: Verity Donovan

Photography by: David Fisher

As well as offering state of the art award-winning conference facilities, we also offer a wide range of functions- from informal street food style dining through to plated dinners, sit down buffet dinners, gala dinners, themed dinners and Christmas parties. The focus of the award-winning catering team at Oxford Saïd is on the quality and standard of the food offering, with locally sourced British produce, and sustainably sourced fish. The team recently won a Green Impact Award for sustainability from Oxford University in June 2019. Aware of the industry’s movement in reducing food waste, we love to turn produce often thrown away into valuable ingredients. Head chef Gemma uses carrot tops to make pesto, using toasted sunflower seeds to give it a nutty taste. Similarly, Executive head chef Steven uses Toast Ale, craft beer brewed with surplus bread to create a poolish ferment to soak their old bread in. The team have recently introduced Rubies in the Rubble relishes and ketchups, made from wonky, wasted vegetables. Oxford Saïd holds the Soil Association’s Food for Life Catering Mark. We were one of the first business schools to achieve this, which is something we are immensely proud of. The catering team are fully equipped to deal with any allergen or dietary requirements and are consistently finding new and innovative ways to accommodate these requirements such as the ‘free from’ range and a fully inclusive vegan day delegate rate (DDR) package. This summer we introduced a garden party package to take advantage of the beautiful gardens at both Park End Street and Egrove Park. We believe food and drink are essential to the success of any function.

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Christmas Parties – A Classic Christmas with all the trimmings for 2019! We are delighted to offer a Classic Christmas party package at either of our unique and stunning venues this year, including: • Exclusive use of either venue • Award-winning • Lighting and classic theming • Music and entertainment

Park End Street venue –In the heart of the City of Oxford Enjoy the stunning views of Oxford’s dreaming spires in the Pyramid dining room. We offer private dining from 40 guests up to 250 guests. Dedicated AV technicians are available for speeches and music if required. Entertainment is also available pre or post event at an additional charge. The Club Room with a bar, lounge space, terrace and views across private gardens, is the perfect space for a seasonal drinks reception and networking. The Garden Room: a new addition to the main building with lovely views of the private gardens and dining for up to 60 delegates.

for a drinks reception and networking. Outdoor functions and teambuilding activities are also available. The Nautilus dining room can seat up to 60 guests. The courtyard can be used exclusively for pre or post dinner drinks and summer outdoor functions such as BBQs. The Rosemary Stewart Lounge is a small private dining room ideal for intimate dinners for up to 30 guests. The floor to ceiling windows showcase the beautiful grounds and woodland areas of Egrove Park. Plated dinner menus vary on a regular basis in keeping with seasonal changes. Wine is included with the meal and will be selected to complement your menu choice. We also offer: • Teambuilding • Experience weekends • Training and networking events • Conference facilities • Residential conferences Contact The Conference Team below.

Egrove Park Venue – In a rural parkland setting The Dining room enjoys spectacular views of the 37 acres of grounds that surrounds Egrove Park. We offer private dining from 40 guests up to 108 guests. Dedicated AV technicians are available for speeches and music if required. Entertainment is also available pre or post event at an additional charge. The Common Room areas with a bar, lounge space and views of the grounds, are the perfect spaces

 conference@sbs.ox.ac.uk  01865 288 846  www.sbs.oxford.edu/conference

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TALENT SPOTTER How to attract and retain Millennials in your workplace Written by: Darren Aston

We’ve all said it ‘‘doesn’t that policeman/ solicitor/doctor look young’’. A sure sign that we’re all getting older. And the fact is, that we are getting older, and for every year that passes in our working lives, another wave of young, fresh,

SO WHAT IS A MILLENNIAL? There are variations to these definitions, however Pew Research defi nes these dates as:

technologically advanced employees enters the workforce, bringing with them fresh ideas, new ways of working, and high levels of expectations. It’s fair to say that every business needs a good mix of experienced, knowledgeable staff , along with fresh new talent and whilst we fully value our long term employees who know our businesses inside out, the majority of businesses need to introduce a younger element to their workforce. This will keep them modern, relevant and able to keep a competitive edge. But how do we attract and retain this new breed of employees? Well ﬁrstly, we need to understand what a Millennial is, and what makes them tick. Only then can we begin to understand how we need to shape our businesses to attract them. Of course, once we’ve undertaken the expensive task of recruiting these talented individuals, we will also want them to stick around and add value to our businesses for the long term. Given that Millennials are reported to change jobs more frequently than any other generation, this could be easier said than done!

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Baby Boomers: Born between 1946-1964

Generation X: Born between 1965-1980

Millennials: Born between 1981-1996

Post-Millennials (Generation Z): Born between 1997-Present

It is said that Millennials are most at home with digital technology, they are considered to be ‘‘digital natives’’ rather than ‘‘digital migrants’’. Millennials use this technology seamlessly in their personal and working lives, they’re not afraid to embrace changing technologies. Indeed they consider them exciting, progressive and will be most likely to optimise their use to help make working practices more efficient.

WHY DO WE NEED MILLENNIALS IN OUR WORKPLACE? The fact of the matter is, as the workforce ages, we lose a generation. Many Generation X’s are now moving to part time hours or taking early retirement. In the next ten years the ﬁrst of our Generation X’s will be reaching retirement age. These roles and skills will need to be replaced within our businesses and there is a keen, hungry workforce chomping at the bit to bring their skills to the forefront. Additionally, if you’re not employing new talent, in touch with modern techniques, your company could risk falling behind as your competitors will likely be embracing these new entrants and developing their businesses accordingly.

Ultimately, Millennials are the workforce of the now and the future. They are generally highly skilled, highly motivated, and hungry for success. They are technologically savvy, in touch with current trends and advances, so are considered an essential part of the workforce for progressive businesses.

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Another great example of smart products are the Dymo wireless labellers whereby you can control them through a simple app and be mobile at the same time. It is a cost saving solution as multiple users can access the same machine to print labels.

Old fashioned, outdated businesses will need to rethink themselves in order to attract and retain the cream of this workforce, or risk losing them to their competitors. We’ve collated a series of new and innovative offce supplies that should appeal to Millennials and give your workplace a modern feel.

9 7

WHAT ARE MILLENNIALS LOOKING FOR WHEN CONSIDERING NEW ROLES? Millennials have grown up in the age of the internet, they are used to a fast pace where everything is available at their ﬁngertips. Due to connectivity through news feeds and social media, they have a direct insight into modern trends around the world, as well as insight into friends and connections working lives, who display success stories for all to see. They crave environments that have high tech capabilities that are ﬂexible, fashionable and super connective. Millennials like to be effcient, so an app to control everyday tasks is appealing as they will save time.

The Dymo wireless labellers app is called Dymo Connevts There is also the new Post-it® App, where you can organize your brainstorming sessions with your phone or tablet by simply snapping your Post-it notes and converting them to various formats such as PDF or Excel to share with work colleagues and keep a digital copy. No more excuses of losing your notes!

10 11

Elba A4 Snap Wallets Assorted Pack 5 3 for 2 OFFER - 03320X

2. Elba A4+ Snap Ring Binder 25mm, Assorted Pack 10 - 572548

3. BIC Cristal Fun Ball Pen Assorted Pack 20 - 482128

4. BIC Cristal Stylus Black, Pack 12 - 107454 5. Plantronics CS540 & Lifter (Headset) - 102859

6. Rexel AutoPlus SmarTech Shredders Crosscut, P4 300x - 300 Sheet Capacity - 147596 600x - 600 Sheet Capacity - 146379 750x - 750 Sheet Capacity - 145113

7. Dymo Wireless Labeller Black - 168002 8. Post-it Super Sticky Miami Notes 51x51mm, Pack 12 - 156508 76x76mm, Pack 6 - 138345 76x127mm, Pack 6 - 137429 101x152mm, Lined Pack 3 - 137841

The SmarTech shredding app from Rexel tells you when the job is complete so no unnecessary getting up to see if it has jammed. It can also tell you if the shredder bin is full or needs oil!

9. Sigel ArtVerum Magnetic Board Black, 1000x650mm - 101920

10. Sigel Cube Magnets, Pack 6 - 128880 This sets the bar very high for these individuals and drives their aspirations. They strive to work in a modern, vibrant, forward thinking environment and want to use the latest technologies to get them through their working day.

WHAT IS THE OPTIMAL ENVIRONMENT FOR A MILLENNIAL? They are looking for modern environments, with a wide range of resources available instantly.

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11. Sigel Chalk Markers Chisel 1-5mm, Fluorescent Assorted Pack 3 - 108371

Everything for the Workplace

 sales@aston-james.co.uk  01993 706 900  www.aston-james.co.uk 127

WAYS TO BECOME A MORE SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLER

Written by: Sian Pages

Tourism is one of the biggest industries in the world and is one that helps local communities thrive. It’s in our nature to want to explore the unknown and see what this wonderful planet has to offer, with human wanderlust urging us to experience other cultures and explore off the beaten track. But if we are to continue to do so, we must begin to take steps towards more sustainable travel. It has never been more prevalent to start making some serious changes to the way we travel. David Attenborough has once again pointed out just how important it is for us to be aware of the impact humans are having on the environment in the newest edition to his documentaries, Our Planet. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t travel, but we should be mindful that the parts of the world that are still untouched are at risk of being destroyed if we don’t collectively start making small steps to changing the way we travel. So, here are just a few simple steps you can take to becoming a more sustainable traveller and protecting our planet.

1. Use the most sustainable form of transport If you’re looking to get to the other side of the world, flying is unavoidable, but you can make a small 128

improvement to the environment when planning your next holiday by opting for the fastest route to your destination. Taking direct flights rather than a connecting flight might be a little pricier, but it will reduce your journey’s carbon emissions massively (most emissions are emitted during take-off and landing). This also means less time on a plane and more time on holiday, which I think we’ll all agree is worth the extra £50-100.

Attenborough has “onceDavid again pointed out just

how important it is for us to be aware of the impact humans are having on the environment in the newest edition to his documentaries, Our Planet.

”

And if you want to save the pennies as well as the planet, then choosing to fly economy will benefit your wallet and our environment. Economy class allows for more passengers on the plane, which is more efficient and will reduce your own carbon footprint.

It doesn’t just stop at air travel though. No one wants to be sitting on a stifling hot bus or riding in the back of a dodgy cab anyway, so once you’ve arrived at your destination, opt to walk or cycle around. Not only is this better for the environment, but it also means you’ll get to take in more of the beautiful place you are visiting.

2. Pack light A plane’s carbon emissions are greater the more weight it’s carrying, so packing light not only saves on fuel, but it makes it easier for you to get around on foot/by bicycle too. If you’re going travelling for a while, only take a few essentials and then buy anything else you need from local stores, as this will also give back to the local community. Pack things like a reusable water bottle, an e-reader and opt for organic products where possible as these will all reduce your carbon footprint in the long run.

3. Choose ethical wildlife tours As cool as it might sound to get up close and personal with elephants and tigers, the stress it puts them under really isn’t worth the perfect Insta shot. Always do your research before booking a wildlife tour, and just be mindful that any tours that allow you to touch, ride or interact with animals is unethical. Tours that allow you to spot wildlife in their natural WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

4. Eat, drink and discover local Tourism is what helps keep countries thriving, but in order to make sure that money is actually going back into the local community, you need to live like a local. Don’t be afraid of eating local cuisine. As long as you’re careful in certain countries (always drink bottled water and avoid salad and ice cubes), you’ll be surprised at what delicious cuisine you can get in the local restaurants and cafes and wonder why you didn’t try them sooner. The same goes for stores. As tempting as it may be to buy some home comforts from a supermarket chain you recognise, why wouldn’t you opt for the delicious locally grown food that’s in season where you are? Remember, the importation of food internationally is just another cause of carbon emission. Head to the local farmers market and stock up on fruit and veg there.

5. Stay in accommodation dedicated to sustainable living We recommend staying local too. Large resorts WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

habitat without disturbing them are far more rewarding, and the same goes for diving and snorkelling tours. Be sure not to step on coral when in the ocean and if possible, use a ‘Reef Safe’ sun cream to avoid polluting the ocean.

are the biggest culprits when it comes to carbon emission, but you can do your bit by asking your Personal Travel Expert to find the most energy efficient accommodation available. Many hotels and hostels now have sustainability initiatives in place, which include using things like solar power. Smaller hotels and hostels run by locals will mean less energy consumption, and you’re also putting money back into the economy by staying there.

And if you want to save the “pennies as well as the planet, then choosing to fly economy will benefit your wallet and our environment. Economy class allows for more passengers on the plane, which is more efficient and will reduce your own carbon footprint.

Eco-friendly hotels and holidays are a big trend in 2019 (check out our blog on Eco-friendly breaks), so you won’t struggle to find somewhere that is committed to doing their bit for the environment. But remember, this is not just a trend, this is a lifestyle change we must all work towards and even the smallest changes can make a huge difference. You don’t have to do all of these at once, but by taking at least one of these suggestions on board, you are paving the way to a more sustainable future and a planet we can continue to admire for years to come.

Ready to book your next holiday the sustainable way? Get in touch with Sian Pages - your Personal Travel Expert for more information.

”

Or if you’re a lover of the great outdoors (which is quite likely if you’re reading this article), then why not camp! Be at one with the environment and pitch up somewhere under the stars- just be sure you’re using reusable and sustainable accessories.

 sian.pages@notjusttravel.com  07738 050 864  www.sianpages.notjusttravel.com

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“

With all dishes cooked from scratch by our lovely chefs and using the best seasonal produce you will be spoilt for choice.

”

The Black Horse The Black Horse, in the heart of the historic market town of Thame, is a gorgeous pub is full of cosy nooks and snugs for lazy days with a pint or two or an expertly mixed cocktail served by our friendly bar team.

We are the perfect destination for Christmas with our festive menu full of favourites that are guaranteed to please everyone. We will also be serving warming seasonal drinks with a cheeky twist which are perfect as a post-Christmas shopping treat.

To the rear you will find our beautiful brasserie which is open all day everyday serving beautifully cooked pub fare with a Gallic twist. With all dishes cooked from scratch by our lovely chefs and using the best seasonal produce you will be spoilt for choice. Take your pick this winter from slow-cooked duck confit with blackberries, classic boeuf bourguignon or grilled cauliflower steak with truffle cream for a deliciously different veggie dish. Sunday lunches are our specialty with the fluffiest roast potatoes, perfectly risen Yorkshire puddings and the best gravy around!

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 11 Cornmarket, Thame OX9 2BL  01844 219 050  www.blackhorsethame.com

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Whether you take “ a seat in the front and

watch the world pass by over a leisurely meal with a glass of wine or pick a spot in the dining room to the rear, our lovely team will take care of you.

”

Brasserie Blanc If you are popping into Oxford, why not visit our sister restaurant, Brasserie Blanc, situated in the heart of Jericho? With its wealth of independent shops, it is the ideal destination for finding the perfect Christmas present for that someone special and you can then pop in to our beautiful brasserie for a delicious meal. Whether you take a seat in the front and watch the world pass by over a leisurely meal with a glass of wine or pick a spot in the dining room to the rear, our lovely team will take care of you. Christmas at BB is also a special occasion whether you are choosing to celebrate with colleagues or are planning a more intimate event with friends and family; we have a menu just for you. Little ones are catered for with our specially created children’s menu which is full of flavoursome dishes that are guaranteed to tickle tiny taste buds. You can also

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start your day the right way with breakfast which is served every day until 11am. Tuck into a full English or go veggie with smashed avocado on sourdough toast, all washed down with freshly-brewed coffee to perk up your morning. Whether you are visiting The Black Horse in Thame or Brasserie Blanc in Oxford and whatever the occasion, you can be assured a very warm welcome from our lovely teams and we can’t wait to see you…

 71-72 Walton St, Oxford OX2 6AG  01865 510 999  www. brasserieblanc.com

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VICTORY IS VICTORS Victors opened in May 2018 on the garden terrace of Westgate and has already established itself as a firm favourite of mine. It’s just fun! The atmosphere is always upbeat and the staff so welcoming. With enough gloom and doom out there to sink a battleship most days, we all need a bit of Victors sunshine to brighten our day. B4 recap on a visit to the Hamptons inspired restaurant with its brand new menu. Written by: Richard Rosser

The team at Victors, lead by GM Mike Hogan, have made a great impression in Oxford. It’s a competitive space, the restaurant sector, but Victors have got it right in so many ways. With a mixture of relaxing music, a beautiful wisteria clad interior, superb food and service which is second to none, it’s difficult to quibble about anything. I must admit the new menu is great and easier to make your selections from. There are plenty of standout dishes so we had a glass of Veuve Clicquot each to help us decide!

when you’re next in.

Our starters included Shrimp Tempura with soy, youzu and cilantro, Chicken Skewer with sweet soy and sesame dressing, Seared Scallops with soy and white truffle dressing, Japanese mayonnaise, pickled radish, crispy shallot and wasabi arugula. But just as we had these works of art delivered to our table, Mike popped up and said ‘you have to try the Beef Tataki’. Within 5 minutes we were savouring what can only be described as the best beef you could ever desire…with soy and white truffle dressing (I’m not a big fan of truffle usually), it was incredible. Great suggestion from Mike and make sure you order it

To accompany, Tina had an Eternal Autumn mocktail including blood orange, cloudy apple, cranberry and lemon topped with soda. We ‘shared’ a bottle of Gavi di Gavi, La Toledana, but I think I might have had the lion’s share!

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We shared a main because we were already quite replete. The Teritaki Salmon with wasabi arugula and herb salad was mouth-watering and the halloumi fries and spinach ensured our decision to share was a good one…we’d had more than enough! But, surprise, surprise, the ‘two spoons’ dessert made an appearance with Chocolate and Mascarpone Mousse with dried raspberry. Now we were done!

Slick, professional service is in abundance at Victors. Knowledgeable and engaging staff make the Victors experience a pleasure…let’s face it, there are enough run of the mill restaurants where the staff make it clear their jobs are hard work. The staff at Victors take the time to explain how it works, share their

favourites and the rest is perfection. You just can’t ask for more. If you’ve not been, you don’t know what you’re missing and I guarantee you’ll be going back, time and time again. With thanks to Mike, Lee and the rest of the excellent team at Victors. Book now to experience #thevictorsway

 info@victors.co.uk  01865 689 064  www.victors.co.uk

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Contacts Directory

Platinum Member

B4 G

Gold Member

ADVICE.......................................................................................................133 BUSINESS SERVICES..............................................................................134 CONFERENCE, EVENTS & VENUES..................................................134 EDUCATION........................................................................................135 FINANCE....................................................................................................135 HEALTH & LEISURE...............................................................................135

ADVICE

Critchleys 01865 261 100 OXON www.critchleys.co.uk

James Cowper Kreston G 01189 590 261 OXON www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk Andy Cowie B Marketing & Business Development Director

Wellers P Debbie Austin Partner 0333 241 6000 OXON www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

Grant Thornton UK LLP P 01865 799 899 OXON www.grant-thornton.co.uk Wendy Hart Managing Partner Jim Rogers Assurance Partner 01189 559 114 BERKS Chapman, Robinson PBC & Moore Accountants Tony Hobbs Managing Director 01865 379 272 OXON www.crmoxford.co.uk The MGroup Partnership G Ian Walker Business Development and Corporate Finance 01865 552 925 OXON www.theMgroup.co.uk Whitley Stimpson Ltd G 01494 448 122 BUCKS www.whitleystimpson.co.uk Jonathan Walton Director Stuart Haigh Director 01869 252 151 OXON

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Auditel 01865 582 888 OXON www.auditel.co.uk

Ridgefield Consulting 01865 245 511 OXON www.ridgefieldconsulting.co.uk MODUS Accountants 01993 225 030 OXON www.modus-accountants.co.uk

BUSINESS ADVICE

FC Webster Consulting BC Frank Webster Director uk.linkedin.com/in/ frank-webster-1735238 4P Business Development 0333 335 0431 OXON www.4pbusinessdevelopment.co.uk Exec Support Solutions 07951 006 741 OXON www.execsupportsolutions.com Lola Chapman 01865 765 529 OXON www.lolachapman.co.uk Sam Bishop Coaching 07791 791 235 OXON www.sambishopcoaching.com CMC Partners 01844 319 286 OXON www.cmc-partners.co.uk

B4 Connector

NEXUS

HR..................................................................................................................135 IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS............................................................136 MANUFACTURING................................................................................136 MARKETING & DESIGN..........................................................................136 PROPERTY & BUILDING.........................................................................137 R&R..........................................................................................................137

Explosive Learning C Solutions Cath Convery Learning Lead 01235 861 805 OXON www.explosivelearningsolutions.com

Richardsons Accountants 01844 261 155 OXON www.richardsons-group.co.uk

Connecting to Excellence Diane Wilkinson Managing Director 01865 430 470 OXON www.dianewilkinson.co.uk

B4 Board

Oxford Professional C Consulting Alison Haill Founder & Owner 01865 436 791 OXON www.oxfordprofessionalconsulting.com

ACCOUNTING Wenn Townsend P Tony Haines Partner 01865 559 900 OXON www.wenntownsend.co.uk

Endeavour Consulting 07711 825 005 OXON www.endeavour-consulting.co.uk Collaborent BC Grant Hayward Founder & Director 01865 881 047 OXON www.collaborent.co.uk

Hedges Law PB Nicola Poole Managing Director 01491 839 839 OXON www.hedgeslaw.co.uk Freeths LLP P 01865 781 000 OXON www.freeths.co.uk Sarah Foster C Managing Partner Mark Emery C Partner Rebecca Howlett C Commercial & IP Partner Stuart Elliston CB Principal Manager, Business Development Isabel Protheroe N Legal Assistant

Mark Carrington 07939 642 169 www.jmarkcarrington.co.uk Vistage International C (UK) Ltd Peter Collins Group Chairman 01489 770 200 www.vistage.co.uk ANPR Consulting C Helen Joy Director 07434 962 871 www.anprconsulting.co.uk Highfield Business Associates Martin Gubb mgubb@btinternet.com OSEP CIC N www.osep.org.uk

Gardner Leader LLP G Derek Rogers Managing Partner 01635 508 080 BERKS www.gardner-leader.co.uk Blake Morgan LLP G Penny Rinta-Suksi Commercial Partner 01865 248 607 OXON www.blakemorgan.co.uk Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP 07867 334 231 OXON www.bholegal.co.uk Lewis Silkin 0207 0748 494 OXON www.lewissilkin.com

LEGAL

Moorcrofts LLP 01628 4700004 www.moorcrofts.com

Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP P Richard Smith Partner 01865 722 106 OXON www.penningtonslaw.com

Addis Law C Sally Addis Director 01865 339 457 OXON www.addislaw.co.uk

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Contacts Lawbox Group Limited 01865 952 711 OXON www.lawboxgroup.com

Oxford Hospitals Charity 01865 743 444 OXON ouh.nhs.uk

Julian Taylor Solicitors 01869 351 833 OXON www.juliantaylorhr.com

Oxfordshire Youth N 01865 767 899 OXON www.oxfordshireyouth.org

BUSINESS SERVICES ARCHIVE & STORAGE Oxford Duplication Centre CB Cheryl-Lee Foulsham Business Manager 01865 457 000 OXON www.theduplicationcentre.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Aston & James Office PCB Supplies Ltd Darren Aston Director 01993 706 900 OXON www.aston-james.co.uk CRS Document Solutions 01235 555 531 OXON www.copyrightsystems.co.uk The Red Corner 01865 887 555 OXON www.theredcorner.co.uk

LOCAL GOVERNMENT Oxford City Council P Dan Hodge Principal Regeneration & Economic Development Officer www.oxford.gov.uk Oxfordshire County Council P www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

SOFEA N 01235 510 774 OXON www.sofea.uk.com

OxfordshireLEP P 01865 261 433 OXON www.oxfordshirelep.com Nigel Tipple Chief Executive

Quest For Learning N 01235 313 713 OXON www.questforlearning.org.uk

Richard Byard Director of Business Development

Aspire Oxford N 01865 204 450 OXON www.aspireoxfordshire.org

Sebastian Johnson B Head of Innovation & Inward Investment

Business Beats Cancer N 0300 123 4452 OXON www.cancerresearchuk.org/ business-beats-cancer

Rob Panting CN Communications Manager

Emmaus Oxford N 01865 402 073 OXON www.emmaus.org.uk

Helen & Douglas House C Lucy Walker Community Fundraising Manager 01865 799 150 OXON www.helenanddouglas.org.uk Oxfordshire Community Foundation B Jayne Woodley CEO 01865 798 666 OXON www.oxfordshire.org

B4 PBN Richard Rosser CEO 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com

OceanMind N 01235 567 999 OXON www.oceanmind.global Oxford Homeless Movement N www.oxfordhomelessmovement.org.uk

Headway Oxfordshire C Jamie Miller CEO 01865 326 263 OXON www.headway-oxford.org.uk BBOWT 01865 775 476 OXON www.bbowt.org.uk

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Oxford United in the Community 07736 843 093 OXON www.oufc.co.uk Oxfordshire Mind N 01865 247 788 OXON www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk SeeSaw N 01865 744 768 OXON www.seesaw.org.uk

Lorna Waterfield B Production Manager NX PBN Edward Rosser Founder 01865 742 211 OXON www.nxmagazine.com Business Buzz C Katrina Sargent Co-Founder & Regional Lead 0844 358 5800 OXON www.business-buzz.org Natural Netwalking 01491 833 222 OXON www.oxfordbusinessnetwork.co.uk

SpecialEffect N 01608 810 055 OXON www.specialeffect.org.uk

TRANSPORT CLEANING SERVICES Oxford CleanTech Ltd Jose Gouveia Managing Director 01865 596 105 OXON www.oxfordct.co.uk

Royal Cars 01865 415 183 OXON www.royal-cars.com Hilltop Chauffeurs 01865 595 262 OXON www.hilltopchauffeurs.co.uk

TRANSLATION Conversis Craig Harrison Managing Director 07956 170 682 OXON www.conversis.com

TRAVEL City Sightseeing P Jane Marshall Transport Manager 01865 790 522 OXON www.citysightseeingoxford.com

NETWORKING GROUPS

CHARITIES Sobell House GCB Tim Wraith Corporate Partnerships Manager 01865 857 067 OXON www.sobellhouse.org

London Oxford Airport 01865 290 710 OXON www.londonoxfordairport.com

Oxford Bus Company PB Phil Southall Managing Director 01865 785 400 OXON ww.oxfordbus.co.uk

Not Just Travel C Sian Pages Franchisee 0800 530 0621 OXON www.notjusttravel.com

ASSISTANTS Admin Support And Solutions 0330 333 5111 www.adminsupportandsolutions.co.uk

CONFERENCE EVENTS & VENUES CATERING SERVICES Passion For Food G Nicola Parke 01296 651 755 OXON www.passion-for-food.co.uk Lamb Catering 01865 511 995 OXON www.lambcatering.co.uk Indulgence Boutique Hospitality 01295 690 888 OXON www.indulging.co.uk

Findlay Chauffeurs G Claire Hickson Managing Director 0845 644 7099 OXON www.findlaycs.com

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B4 CONFERENCE VENUES Blenheim Palace P Hospitality 01993 813 874 OXON www.blenheimpalace.com /hospitality Dominic Hare B Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Duncan C Head of Marketing Rhodes House P Isabelle Barber Business Development Manager 01865 282 599 OXON www.rhodeshouseoxford.com Bombay Sapphire Distillery Amy Dobson G Sales and Marketing Manager 01256 890 090 BERKS distillery.bombaysapphire.com Venue Services, Bodleian Library G 01865 277 224 OXON www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk Alice Ogilvie C Head of Venue Services Kate Del Nevo C Facilities & Events Officer Saïd Business School G Martin Garside Conference Manager 01865 422 757 OXON www.sbs.oxford.edu/conferencing Horticulture House C Anne Clark Director of HR 0333 003 3550 OXON www.horticulturehouse.co.uk Howbery Business Park 01491 822 305 OXON www.howberypark.com

EVENT RESOURCES

Events @ Ashmolean 01865 610 406 OXON www.ashmolean.org /venue-hire

Boys and Girls Promotions 01865 595 707 OXON www.boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk

Wendy Ball B Head of Events Marie Giraud CN Events Sales and Communications Manager Conference Oxford C Marie O’Connor Head 01865 287 378 OXON www.conference-oxford.com

Pembroke College 01865 276 484 OXON www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/Conferences

Exeter College 01865 279 600 OXON www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/conferences Oxford Town Hall 01865 252 195 OXON www.oxfordtownhall.co.uk

Cherwell College 01862 242 670 www.cherwell-college.co.uk

Oxford University Event Venues 01865 276 905 OXON www.venues.ox.ac.uk

Bicester Hotel Golf & Spa 02392 361 426 www.bicesterhotelgolfandspa.com

EQUIPMENT HIRE Moonlite Productions P James Iyengar Owner 01296 488 900 OXON www.moonlite.co.uk

FINANCE

Tina Rosser Event Solutions 07824 154 642 OXON

TBAT Innovation 01332 819 740 www.tbat.co.uk Charles Stanley 020 7149 6315 www.charles-stanley.co.uk

Tara Tripp Hearing Care G Vincent Tripp Practice Manager 01865 910 202 OXON www.tripphearing.co.uk

FUNERAL HOMES Sandra Homewood Funerals 01869 208 000 OXON www.homewoodfunerals.co.uk

SPORT Frilford Heath Golf Club P Alistair Booth Director 01865 390 864 OXON www.frilfordheath.co.uk

WELLBEING Helen Money Nutrition Helen Money GC Owner 01865 339 672 OXON www.helenmoneynutrition.com

INSURANCE

HR CONSULTANTS

Spencer Insurance C Jo Spencer Owner 01235 868 535 www.spencerinsurance.co.uk

You HR PBC Jonna Mundy Owner 07703 719 464 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

EVENTS Business in Oxford 2020 P 01865 742 211 OXON www.businessinoxford.com

HEALTH CARE

FINANCIAL ADVICE

Flexible Funding 01235 424 464 www.flexiblefunding.finance

That Event Company 01844 215 857 OXON www.that-event.com

Metro Bank Oxford C Grant Shergold Local Business Manager 07855 097 403 wwww.metrobankonline.co.uk

HEALTH & LEISURE

Proficio Solutions Limited Michael Pawley C Director 07795 180 795 www.proficiosolutions.co.uk

Hartwell House Hotel 01296 747 444 BUCKS www.hartwell-house.com

Cowley Road Carnival 07816 681 704 OXON ww.cowleyroadworks.org

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Activate Learning P Bernard Grenville-Jones Group Executive Director 0800 612 6008 www.activatelearning.ac.uk Oxford Brookes University, Business School Giles Orr Head of CPD 01865 485 858 OXON www.brookes.ac.uk/business

EVENT PLANNING Tewkesbury Park Hotel 01684 272 311 www.tewkesburypark.co.uk

EDUCATION

NatWest C Howard Feather Business Growth Enabler 01865 305 175 OXON www.natwest.com

BANKING Barclays Corporate Banking P Trevor French Head of Business and Corporate Banking 0800 015 4242 OXON www.barclayscorporate.com

Meraki HR 01280 848 415 www.merakihr.com Edelweiss HR 01367 860310 www.edelweisshr.co.uk

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Contacts RECRUITMENT Sue Rees Associates Ltd 01865 292 141 OXON www.suerees.co.uk A R Hine Associates C Alan Hine Owner 01865 339 313 OXON www.alanhine.co.uk

IMEurope Ltd 01993 866 166 OXON www.imeurope.co.uk claireLOGIC 01865 989144 OXON www.clairelogic.net

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

Thompson & Terry Recruitment 01235 797 177 OXON www.thompsonandterry.co.uk

Alberon C Tim Ault Managing Director 01865 263 220 OXON www.alberon.co.uk

Better People Ltd 01491 836 632 OXON www.betterpeopleltd.co.uk

XIST2 01993 835 117 OXON www.xist2.com

Keastone 0121 582 1500 OXON www.keastone.co.uk

WEB IT & TELECOMMS TELECOMMUNICATIONS STL Communications Ltd G Nina Lees 01993 777 113 OXON www.stlcomms.com 45G 01865 686 172 OXON www.45g.co.uk

IT SERVICES Computing Information P Systems (CIS) Ltd Neill Lawson-Smith B Managing Director 01367 700 555 OXON www.cisltd.com Storm Internet G Salim Benadel Founder and Director 0800 817 4727 www.storminternet.co.uk CQR Consulting G Simon Glover Operations Manager 01865 987 182 www.cqr.com Databasix 07777 610 900 OXON www.dbxuk.com Bongo IT C Andrew Elder Marketing Director 01865 988 217 OXON www.bongoit.co.uk

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MANUFACTURING Unipart PB Frank Nigriello Director of Corporate Affairs 01865 383 339 OXON www.unipart.com Owen Mumford P 01993 812 021 OXON www.owenmumford.com Jarl Severn B Director Gavin Jones B Group Finance Director G-Smatt Europe GB Orhan Ertughrul Executive Vice President 01865 688 228 OXON www.g-smatteurope.com

MARKETING & DESIGN ADVERTISING B4 Magazine PB Richard Rosser Managing Director 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com

CORPORATE IDENTITY Recognition Express P Andy Olejnik Managing Director 01295 257 611 OXON www.re-oxfordshire.co.uk

Strangebrew PBC Phil Strachan Director 07770 753 975 BERKS www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk Brand New Dawn 01865 400 640 OXON www.brandnewdawn.com

FRAMING Isis Creative Framing G John Brooks Owner 01865 203 420 OXON www.isiscreative.co.uk

MARKETING Brand Asylum C Andrew Hancock Creative Director 01235 606 091 OXON www.brandasylum.co.uk Ellard Outloud 07812 587 224 OXON www.ellardoutloud.co.uk Heart of Business C Jackie Jarvis Owner 07801 293 022 OXON OJI Marketing 07463 994 834 OXON www.ojimarketing.co.uk Juicy Designs 01367 820 929 www.juicy-designs.com SEEBLUE 07500 291 400 OXON www.see-blue.co.uk

MEDIA/DIGITAL MARKETING Global G Leigh Armstrong Area Business Director, Oxfordshire 0333 200 2000 www.global.com Imageworks 01865 865 656 OXON www.imageworks.co.uk Indulge Media C Paul Wood Managing Director 01865 686 093 OXON www.indulgemedia.com

Torpedo Group Limited 01865 733 710 OXON www.torpedogroup.com

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Studio8 P Clark Wiseman Managing Director 01865 842 525 OXON www.studio-8.co.uk Oxford House Ltd CN Frederick Jewson DOP 7817 395 660 OXON www.frederickjewson.co.uk Digital Gold HQ 01235 819 187 OXON www.digitalgoldhq.com

PRINTING Carbon Colour G Nigel Allen Managing Director 01235 438 938 OXON www.carbon.co.uk MRD Digital Print 01865 715 181 OXON www.mrddigitalprint.com

PUBLIC RELATIONS Build Your Brand Story 07850 198 681 OXON www.buildyourbrandstory.com Papa Romeo PR BC Claire Thompson Managing Director 07811 339 577 OXON www.paparomeopr.com Spacecraft Consulting C Olivia Lane-Nott Director 07968 081 128 OXON www.spacecraftconsulting.com Big Foot Communications C Emma Gascoigne Communications Consultant 07968 081 128 OXON www.linkedin.com/company /big-foot-communications Coconut PR 01491 821 630 www.coconutpr.com Fabulous PR 01844 281746 www.fabulouspr.co.uk

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 Target 01242 633 100 www.targetgroup.co.uk

Lambert Smith Hampton G Simon Butler Associate Director 01865 587 713 OXON www.lsh.co.uk

MARKET RESEARCH Nielsen 01865 742 742 OXON www.nielsen.com

Marriotts Chartered Surveyors 01865 316 311 OXON www.marriottsoxford.co.uk

PROPERTY & BUILDING

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SERVICES

ARCHITECTURE

Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub Shelley Furey G Centre Manager 01344 388 000 BERKS www.bracknell-hub.co.uk

Gray Baynes + Shew 01865 305 130 OXON www.gbsarchitects.co.uk Adrian James Architects 01865 203 267 OXON www.adrianjames.com

Digitizelectric 01865 517 018 BERKS www.digitizelectric.com

BUSINESS PARKS & OFFICE SPACE

Mantle 0333 00 66 330 OXON www.mantle.co.uk

Oxford Innovation PB Jo Stevens Managing Director 01865 811 191 OXON www.oxin.co.uk Arlington (Oxford Business Park) Daniel Williams Development Director 0118 370 3065 www.arlington.com Begbroke Science Park 01865 283 700 OXON www.begbroke.ox.ac.uk

ESTATE AGENTS

Wallers Estate Agents 01865 435 175 OXON www.wallersestateagents.com Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

Finders Keepers 01865 302347 OXON www.finders.co.uk

Oxford Technology Park 01865 883 364 OXON www.oxfordtechnologypark.comm

Righton Group Limited 01865 311 696 OXON www.rightonstay.co.uk

Harwell Innovation Centre 01235 838 538 OXON wwww.harwell-ic.co.uk

Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AGENTS

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS

Carter Jonas G Scott Harkness Partner 01865 511 444 OXON www.carterjonas.co.uk

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel 01865 248 332 OXON www.accorhotels.com

Solid Structures 01608 690 858 OXON www.solid-structures.com

CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT

Mulholland Landscape Consultants C David Mulholland Director 07734 253 579 OXON www.mulhollandconsultants.co.uk

PROPERTY SERVICES Darke & Taylor Ltd G Simon Newton Managing Director 01865 290 000 OXON www.darkeandtaylor.co.uk JT Interiors 01993 700 515 OXON www.jtiuk.com Headington Carriers 01993 811276 www.headingtoncarriers.co.uk

R&R ACCOMMODATION Macdonald Randolph Hotel 844 879 9132 OXON www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

LETTING AGENTS

Harwell Campus 01235 250 091 OXON www.harwellcampus.com

VSL and Partners PBC Richard Venables Director 01865 848 488 OXON www.vslandp.com

Ridge and Partners LLP 01993 815 101 OXON www.ridge.co.uk

COEL P Dan Brown Director 01865 986 822 OXON www.coel.uk.com Beard Construction 01865 860 046 OXON www.beardconstruction.co.uk

Jurys Inn Oxford P Anna McInnes General Manager 0203 564 5225 OXON www.jurysinns.com/hotels/oxford Marriott Courtyard Oxford City Centre 01865 306 900 OXON www.marriott.co.uk/hotels Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon 01235 553 456 OXON www.oxfordabingdonhotel.com Milton Hill House 01235 831 474 OXON www.miltonoxfordshire.co.uk Hawkwell House 01865 749 988 OXON www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk Conifers Guest House 01865 763 055 OXON www.conifersguesthouse.co.uk

Sam Strange Magic G Sam Strange Owner 01865 742 211 OXON www.samstrangemagic.co.uk Oxford Castle & Prison 01865 260 666 OXON www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK SUPPLIES Neve’s Bees 07891 633 356 OXON www.nevesbees.co.uk TOAD 01865 767 918 OXON www.spiritoftoad.com The Wonky Food Company 07596 488 518 OXON www.wonkyfoodco.com Chadlington Brewery 07967 210 151 OXON www.chadlingtonbrewery.com Horsebox Coffee Co 01993 880 597 OXON www.horseboxcoffeeco.com The British Honey Company Limited 07967 210 151 OXON www.britishhoney.com

RESTAURANTS Victors Oxford 01865 689 064 www.victors.co.uk Pizza Pilgrims C Gavin Smith Operations Director 01865 808 030 OXON www.pizzapilgrims.co.uk Tap Social 01865 236 330 OXON www.tapsocialmovement.com Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant 01865 553 823 OXON www.benugo.com/restaurants/ rooftop-restaurant

137

2020

BIO  WE LOOK FORWARD

TO SEEING YOU

TUE 2ND-THU 4TH

JUNE 2020 For all Sponsorship and Exhibition enquiries, please call 01865 742211 To buy tickets see www.businessinoxford.com 

Contacts



PARTNERS ON THE

The Cherwell Boathouse 01865 552 746 OXON www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk Brasserie Blanc 01865 510 999 OXON www. brasserieblanc.com

HILL

Magazine Design

The Black Horse 01844 219 050 OXON www.blackhorsethame.com

Official HR Partner

SHOPPING Westgate Shopping Centre Brendan Hattam P General Manager 01865 263 600 OXON www.westgateoxford.co.uk

Official Cloud Partner

© 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.

Wild & Fine G Hannah Rogan Owner www.wildandfine.co.uk Neve’s Bees C Julie Macken Deputy Queen Bee https://nevesbees.co.uk

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B4 Issue 60 - Enterprise Nation Edition

Articles inside

Future Trends: Robotic Process Automation

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE CYBER SECURITY INDUSTRY