B4 Magazine Berkshire

BERKSHIRE EDITION

B4

Magazine www.b4-business.com

ISSUE 3 SUMMER 2012

ADVICE P R

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Haslams Chartered Surveyors B4 get to know the partners and find out more about how Haslams function as a practice

BDO Thames Valley Business Barometer A quarterly snapshot - a compelling street-level view of business sentiment, helping you to make the right decisions

The Vineyard Eat. Sleep. And Drink Wine.

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B4 FORTHCOMING EVENTS 2012 / 2013 SEPTEMBER THURSDAY 6th

SEPTEMBER THURSDAY 27th

The B4 / MGroup Golf Cup Final at Studley Wood Golf Club 12pm

OCTOBER

Qualified Teams Only

B4 Oxfordshire Non Members Event

THURSDAY 11th B4 Berkshire Ambassadors Event

at Malmaison, Oxford Castle Quarter 6pm to 8pm

at Oakley Court, Windsor 6pm to 8pm

Open To All

Open to B4 Ambassadors And Members Only Plus One Guest Each

NOVEMBER SEPTEMBER THURSDAY 27th B4 Oxfordshire Workshop at The King’s Centre, Oxford 12.30pm Open To All

TUESDAY 13th B4 Platinum Ambassadors Event at Rhodes House, Oxford 6.30pm to 8.30pm Open to B4 Platinum Ambassadors Only Plus One Guest Each

DECEMBER WEDNESDAY 19th B4 Christmas Lunch at Pembroke College, Oxford 12pm to 4.30pm This Is A Paid Ticket Event

SPONSORED BY

MAY THURSDAY 23rd - MONDAY 27th 2013 B4 Bike Ride Edinburgh to Blenheim Palace, Oxford

DECEMBER

Open To All But Please Note There Is A Charge For This Event

DATE TBC

SEPTEMBER TUESDAY 18th

B4 Oxfordshire Ambassadors Event

The 2012 Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards

at Williams F1 Conference Centre 6pm to 9pm

at Malmaison, Oxford Castle Quarter 6pm to 10.30pm

Open To B4 Ambassadors And Members Plus Guests

This Is A Paid Ticket Event J > ; EN < E H : I > ? H ;

RESTAURANT

AWARDS SEPTEMBER THURSDAY 6th The B4 / MGroup Golf Cup Final at Studley Wood Golf Club 12pm Qualified Teams Only

To register for all events see the B4 FORTHCOMING EVENTS link on the www.b4-business.com home page for each area.

If you need assistance registering or would like to find out more about B4 Events, please call us on 01865 742211.

Interested in becoming a B4 Member from as little as ÂŁ150+vat per annum? Call Us Now On 01865 742211

Berkshire

Buckinghamshire

B4 Platinum Ambassadors We would like to thank our B4 Platinum Ambassadors for supporting B4 Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. To find out more about joining them and over five hundred B4 Member companies, please call us on 0118 317 7183.

Oxfordshire

Residential Letting · Property Management

D E S I G N

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P R I N T

meet oxfordshire

With annual memberships starting at £150+VAT*, entitling you to a business directory listing and unlimited press release, event, job vacancy and offer uploads, it’s no wonder our membership is increasing daily. Members are also invited to events in all B4 areas, up to 12 per annum. Call us now on 01183 177 183 to book your membership or e-mail sales@b4business.com for more details.

The B4 Website – the most efficient way to network your business from your PC! *Quoted rate is Membership for single person businesses. Rate increases for 2 to 5 employees to £250+VAT, 6 to 20 employees to £375+VAT per annum, £500+VAT for 21 to 50, £900+VAT for 51 to 100 and £1200+VAT for over 100 employees. The Ambassador scheme is separate and subject to a different charge.

B4

www.b4-business.com Contacts If you want to contact B4 Magazine Telephone: 0118 317 7183 E-mail: info@b4-business.com Publisher B4 Magazine is published by Designs On Ltd, The Firs, Headington Hill, Oxford OX3 0BT Chairman Colin Rosser colin@inoxford.com Editor Richard Rosser editorial@b4-business.com Events Director Tina Rosser Client Services Director John F Kennedy john@b4-business.com Art Editor Rob Scotcher rob@b4-business.com Assistant Editor Lorna Dodson assistanteditor@b4-business.com Proofreader Sue Rosser Editorial Contributors Ashley Merry Eliott Benoist Emma Watts George Walker George Ramsay James White Jane Reay Jess Houtby Jo Willett Louise Esplin Lucy Holmes B4 Photography Carli Adby of ADBY Creative Richard Shymansky Studio 8 www.studio-8.co.uk Studio Photography

Welcome to B4 Welcome to B4 Berkshire Issue 3.

It’s been a wonderful sporting six months for Berkshire, kicking off with Reading’s memorable Championship winning season catapulting them to the Premier League big time. New Platinum Ambassadors, Oakley Court in Windsor, played host to one of the most successful Olympic teams, the rowers, so no doubt the team at Oakley will be taking some well deserved credit!

But isn’t it funny how major events can be used as an excuse not to make decisions, held up as the big hope for a surge in business, yet blamed for poor trade, and more decision making delays once they’ve been and gone? At the time of going to press, a large Thames Valley event was cancelled, claiming that it had been hit hard by the Olympics. Do me a favour! How many people went to the Olympics? If it’s true that the rest of the country was on the web with me trying to unsuccessfully get tickets most evenings, then there’s a fair amount of disposable income still waiting to be disposed of.

But this epitomises a British mentality that we are, hopefully, casting aside as we endeavour to come out of recession. Let’s get on with it and not fabricate excuses where it suits; let’s enjoy these events, not get deflected by them; let’s feed off the incredible surge of goodwill generated by the Olympics, not blame something that happened over one hundred miles away for a dip in trade; let’s aim to deliver like Lord Coe did, in spades, and not allow the procrastinators to slow us down. Look at India, Brazil, China all increasing their share of the world’s trade. If we don’t cut this blame culture out, then we will get left behind.

Enjoy B4!

54. Reading FC

For free Subscription, please contact: Telephone: 0118 317 7183 E-mail: info@b4-business.com

www.stonestheprinters.co.uk

50. Vision Vision for Drivers

Subscriptions

B4 Magazine is printed by

Meet the Chief

Hopefully slacking is something we can’t be accused of at B4. Over the last quarter, we have successfully launched in to Buckinghamshire giving us a vast territory to develop across the Thames Valley. The recent B4 events featured on page 20 were a great success, in the most part due to our wonderful hosts, The Vineyard (see page 58), Aylesbury College and Blenheim Palace (see page 78), and to over four hundred B4 members and guests who attended. With a B4 community of over five hundred member companies, B4 is growing rapidly, and with a new telesales team starting in September, it’s an exciting time at B4. We have a busy calendar of events over the next few months to look forward to and lots of cross county networking opportunities for our members.

As the B4 community expands, places at events will be at a premium, so if you want to take advantage of the excellent connections that B4 can provide your business with and you’re not yet a member, please give me a call on 0118 317 7183.

© 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.

42. Policing The Budget

Blaming a fantastic Olympic games for poor trading is, quite frankly, lazy. Ridiculed by many as an accident waiting to happen, a poorly organised, overly bureaucratic machine doomed to failure, the Games were also seen, apparently, as an opportunity to treble business, to lure in stray tourists……believe me, they’d have to have been pretty dozy to wander from the heart of the East End to the extremes of the Thames Valley!

Richard Shymansky of www.hillsandsaunders.co.uk

Each business with a Berkshire post code is entitled to one free copy per issue. For additional copies and for businesses outside of Berkshire, there is an annual subscription charge of £25.

Inside

Royals Back in the Big Time Richard Rosser Editor

About

Magazine

B4 Magazine was established in 2006 to provide Oxfordshire businesses with a clear voice to raise their profile and to help businesses connect. With B4 Berkshire, we hope to achieve greater success now that the model has been established and refined. Direct mailed to three thousand business decision makers in Berkshire every quarter, and with a further four and a half thousand copies circulated to key outlets, featured businesses and made available at B4 events, we hope to make a mark in Berkshire businesses.

B4 is funded by paid for display advertising and editorial, although some editorial is granted without charge at the discretion of the Editor. Please call us to find out how you can connect with our networks in Oxfordshire and Berkshire. See more at www.b4-business.com which will give you access to both Oxfordshire and Berkshire networks, and now also Buckinghamshire.

WHY NOT FOLLOW B4 MAGAZINE ON

60. The Vineyard Regaining Reputation

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20

32 Haslams Chartered Surveyors: We talk to the Partners of Haslams and find out more about the firm and their outlook for the economy

20 3 B4 Events in 10 Days: A tall order?

Blimey it was but over 400 guests later…..

LEAD

SPOTLIGHT 42 Policing the Budget: Thames Valley Police Chief Constable, Sara Thornton, talks to B4’s George Ramsay 74

B4 Paris to Oxford: We did it! We cycled 270 miles from Paris to Blenheim Palace in Oxford. Mad? Probably!

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PROPERTY 72 Innovation at Blenheim: The perfect partnership as Oxford Innovation and Blenheim Palace work together to great effect

13 NEWS

13 Member News 23 B4 News

38 ADVICE

38 A Quarterly Snapshot: The BDO Thames Valley Business Barometer 40 Are You Ready?: With Field Seymour Parkes’ Penelope Garden

26 IOD 28 FSB 31 HR2YOU

46 Expanding or Trading Overseas: What are the Tax implications? With Grant Thornton 53 Are You Protected?: Against former employees competing?

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www.b4-business.com

B4 contents 54 R&R

54 Royals Back in the Big Time: What better way to combine business with pleasure?

58 The Vineyard: Eat. Sleep. And Drink Wine.

77

THE WIDER B4

60 Regaining Reputation: The Vineyard’s Executive Chef, Daniel Galmiche.

68 Bearwood Lakes: So much more than a first class golf course 70 Mal Life: Sunday Lunch at Mal and we meet the new GM

78 The Main Event: James Bond at the Palace? We get all shaken and definitely stirred at Blenheim.

80 Jolly Hockey Mics: B4 Ambasador, Nick Irvine, of Bloxham School, is also the Olympics ‘Voice of Hockey’ 82 Living on a Cloud: New B4 Ambassadors, CIS, shed some light on why the cloud is the future 84 It Takes Two: The Career Boutique tell B4 readers to be on the lookout for ‘Trust’, ‘Honesty’, and ‘Openness’ 86 The Red Lion: A polished gastronomical gem in the heart of Oxford.

44 SERVICES

44 Reading 107fm: 10 Years on the Airwaves 48 Momentum: The best way to predict the future is to create it

88 A Sweet Career for ‘Young Candy’: A profile on Carter Jonas’ experienced rural estate agent, Graham Candy 90 New Chrysler Ypsilon in UK: Big car comfort, small car package

62

FINANCE

62 Lloyds TSB Commercial: Three features from our Platinum Ambassadors

50 Vision: Vision for drivers 56 Adby Creative: The trouble with photographers?

67 In Touch CRM: Why all small business owners should master email marketing

93

CONTACTS www.b4-business.com

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Join the B4 Community 2

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So What is B4?

B4 is the fastest growing business to business network, providing over 500 businesses in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire with four great platforms to promote and connect their businesses. It's a business network with a difference where we facilitate face to face contact with other Members at B4 events held in iconic locations.

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4 Effective Platforms to Help You Connect 1

B4 Magazine - Packed with great features, news and promotional articles mailed free to 3,000 business decision makers (separate circulation of 3,000 in each county)

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B4 Website - Upload press releases direct to the site and promote forthcoming events and seminars. All B4 articles printed are uploaded to the business directory on the site.

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B4 Events - Meet other B4 members at high quality B4 events in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire...Why not even bring a guest?

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B4 Workshops - Promote your business to other B4 members at our workshops, a great way to get your message across.

Why Become a Member?

Memberships are specific to one area, not all, and gives your business a listing in the back of your chosen area B4 Magazine. A listing on the business directory of the relevant B4 website but access to all B4 events in all areas (restrictions may apply due to capacity limitations and we do have some Platinum Ambassador only events). Members can also promote their status on company e-mails and websites with our new B4 Member icons

Why Not Upgrade to an Ambassador?

Becoming an Ambassador gets a face to represent your business in the B4 community, Your chosen Ambassador will feature alongside your listing in the magazine directory, on your on line business directory listing and also in the Ambassadors’ section on the B4 website. Being an Ambassador gives you something in common to approach other B4 Ambassadors throughout the network.

The rate to become an Ambassador is £250+VAT per annum.

Become a B4 Member in less than 24 hours Here's what we need to get you started: 1. Your Logo - high quality is a must and in one of the following formats: jpeg, eps, pdf, ai 2. Between 50 and 300 words about your business - See the website for some great examples 3. Basic contact details - Basic contact details e.g. Address, telephone number, email address Our system will automatically generate a user name and password (which you can change) and you are ready to put up your first Press Release. But Don't Worry! There's a helpful online guide to assist you and we're always at the end of the phone.

Join B4 for as little as £150+VAT per annum B4 Membership is based on your number of employees and not the number of staff who could attend events: Rates start at just £150+VAT for sole traders and other single person entities.

Rates increase to £250+VAT for 2 to 5, £375+VAT for 6 to 20 and so on. See www.b4-business.com for full details.

What about Editorial in the Magazine?

Looks complicated? Well it's not! We can set you up to have your picture taken at our associate's studio. We can get one of our freelance PR or Editor to interview you. You have Full Editorial Control so, nothing's printed without your agreement. Editorial pages start at £500+VAT and we can do almost all of it for you! Just ask!

Get Connected to our Growing Community Now:

Call Us Now - 01865 742211 B

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Corporate AS A COMPANY, HOW DO YOU SAY ‘THANKS’ TO YOUR STAFF, YOUR CUSTOMERS OR SUPPLIERS? c WE HAVE THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR YOU. vouch have been providing fantastic offers to the general public for over three years now, great places like:

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

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

B4 news Malmaison Hotel Reading Italian Wine Dinner, Friday 31st August Join us for an informative and relaxed evening in the company of like-minded people on our Italian Wine Dinner. Enjoy a selection of wines from this wonderful country, matched with five delicious courses.

Meet for canapés and a glass of Prosecco on arrival at 7.00pm. Tickets are £55.00 per person.

Bowmore Whiskey Tasting, Friday 21st September Join us at the Mal for an evening of Bowmore Whisky Tasting. There will be five different expressions and tapas style food to match each whisky. Meet for canapés and a cocktail on arrival at 7.00pm. Tickets are £30.00 per person.

Call us on 0118 956 2300 for more details.

Property Costs – Unexpected Reductions Buying property became cheaper twice last week.

The Bank of England and Treasury are making £80Bn available to banks at low interest rates, but only on the condition they pass it on as cheaper loans and mortgages. Some major mortgage providers are already offering cheaper deals.

More great news for purchasers was the decision by a leading tax planning company to increase the Fee Insurance cover on its stamp duty mitigation strategy from 9 months to 4 years.

Now, whenever a taxpayer has paid to use this company to legally avoid paying stamp duty land tax, their fees are insured for the same 4 year period that HMRC has to argue that the tax planning strategy hasn’t worked and the tax should be paid.

A No Win-No Fee plan with No Financial Risk makes this a winner. Further information from Your Money Friend Ltd. T: 01235 838542 E: sdlt@yourmoneyfriend.co.uk W: www.yourmoneyfriend.co.uk

Outstanding natural woodland refuge just outside London Recognised as one of the finest inland courses to be built in Britain in the past twenty years, Bearwood Lakes has added another important accolade recently being awarded GEO Certified™, golf’s international ecolabel certifying comprehensive commitment and achievement around sustainability.

Managing Director, Carl Rutherford commented: “We have integrated sustainability into our decisionmaking from every-day items like irrigation and pest-control, to purchasing decisions in the clubhouse and on the course, and certainly around

the improvement work undertaken recently. The natural lakes and forested terrain on historically significant land perhaps add to the responsibility we all feel, but environmental stewardship also helps set our course apart from others, and makes good business sense.”

Golf Course Manager, Daniel Lightfoot MG MSc added: “As part of a rolling 5-year Ecology and Landscape Management Plan we have been doing good sustainability work for years. The GEO Certified ecolabel is something we can confidently and proudly show.

BDO puts a positive spin on things On 20 July, over 40 employees, partners and staff of Accountancy firm BDO LLP’s Reading office, took part in an 8-hour charity ‘Spinathon’ on Broad Street, Reading. The Spinathon itself raised over £700 for Cyclists Fighting Cancer (CFC) and helped to support the wider BDO charity initiative – the ‘One Firm Challenge’.

Two colleagues from BDO’s Reading office – Martin Woodhall and David Gardner, had the previous week taken part in the firm’s One Firm Challenge, completing a gruelling 10 day 900 mile bike ride from John O’Groats to Lands End.

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As a firm, BDO’s target is to raise £250,000 for a range of 12 charities and the Reading office has selected Cyclists Fighting Cancer as their preferred charity. The charity provide specially adapted bikes, tandems and trikes for children and young people who have been affected by cancer.

For more information and to make a donation the link is shown below: www.justgiving.com/bdobikeridereading

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Base Camp for Team GB Rowing and Canoe Sprint Teams

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

We guarantee the very best in service standards offering conference suites and executive boardrooms within a prestigious location. Our unique rooms range from original rooms in the Mansion House which are over 150 years old with high ceilings and original features, to a purpose built function room called The Boathouse on the banks of the River Thames.

It’s not only the picturesque riverside setting that creates the wow factor; extensive leisure facilities, fine dining and impeccable service all play their part in creating a memorable conference.

At A Glance UÊDedicated Meeting and Conference Coordinators UÊ virence facilities for up to 170 UÊExecutive boardrooms for 4 – 30 UÊExtensively equipped to meet your requirements UÊ virence café

UÊ ÕÃ iÃÃÊÃiÀÛ ViÊÃÕ«« rt Complimentary water UÊ UÊ Õ ÞÊÃÌ V i`ÊÃÌ>Ì iry kit Use of leisure facilities for overnight UÊdelegates – indoor pool, gymnasium, tennis and 9 hole par 3 golf course UÊ*À Û>ÌiÊ` }Ê «Ì ÃÊ>Û> >L i

UÊ Ã« À>Ì > ÊTraining

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The Oakley Court, Windsor Road, Water Oakley, Windsor SL4 5UR. 01753 609988 www.principal-hayley.com/theoakleycourt

B4 news Vision’s Guy through to the next round in Audi challenge Vision business development manager Guy Radford finished third out of a field of 72 to secure his place in the next round of the Audi quattro Cup 2012.

The Customer Invitation round at Donnington Valley Golf Club was challenging but Guy had a good front nine, only losing his form on the last hole to take him from joint first to third.

Guy said; ‘It was a pleasure to be invited and play on behalf of Vision in the Audi quattro Golf Tournament. Apart from a few wayward drives on the back nine, I managed to keep a fairly consistent

round together. A big thank you to Simon Li who organised the event and I look forward to the seeing everyone in July.’

Established in 1991, the Audi quattro Cup Golf Tournament Series comprises four stages beginning with the Customer Invitation round, followed by the regional finals. The two day UK final will then be held at Bowood Golf and Country Club in September with regional qualifiers competing for the coveted prize of representing the UK in a 5 day World Final which will take place in South Africa.

Guy will be playing in the regional final at Foxhills, Surrey in July.

Drive away the chance of blame victims are increasingly looking to employers for proof of the vehicle’s suitability and roadworthiness together with details of what driver training had been provided.

Ultimate Car Control (UCC) is one of the UK’s leading providers of advanced driver training programmes to both the business and private market.

Did you know that your company could be found guilty of corporate manslaughter if an employee is involved in a fatal road incident?

Employers face unlimited fines, or even prison, over crashes involving company car drivers.

You are required by law, to provide comprehensive driver safety and awareness training with documentation, and to maintain a strict audit trail of training for all employees who drive on business.

As the blame culture continues to gain traction,

UCC was founded by Robb Gravett, a former British Touring Car Champion and winner of numerous races and car championships across the world.

Years of success at the top of international motorsport has meant Robb has been able to reinvest his skills to develop a range of unique advanced driver training courses to protect drivers at every level of risk.

The courses provide drivers with the building blocks to gain a complete understanding of dynamic car control. This understanding is achieved through a mixture of classroom and practical instruction where

attendees can experience, in a safe environment, the art of high speed car control, with and without electronic driver aids. Drivers achieve a dynamic awareness and level of car control that is unsurpassed. This level of skill becomes instinctive - UCC call it Driver Encoded Knowledge (DEK).

The success of their training methods have been proven through UCC’s corporate clients who have seen a reduction in incident rates of almost 50% and a corresponding reduction in insurance premiums of over 35%. In addition, client companies will usually see significant reduction in fleet maintenance and repair costs together with reductions in productivity costs due to lost work days through injury.

Ultimate Car Control’s courses have been quoted as being the most innovative, educational, exciting and complete driver training programmes available anywhere in the world. www.ultimatecarcontrol.com

Rickerbys Solicitors Rickerbys Solicitors of Green Park, Reading, warn that people with relatives who have received care may miss out on money to which they may be entitled.

NHS CHC Funding covers the entire costs of care, including all medical, nursing and personal provision as well as living and accommodation costs.

A little known source of money called NHS Continuing Healthcare Funding (NHS CHC) was awarded to only half the 100,000 people believed to be eligible.

There are two deadlines: i) for those who received care between April 1st 2004 and March 31st 2011 - the deadline to make a claim is September 30th this year; ii) for those who received care between April 1st 2011 and March 31st 2012 - the deadline to make a claim is March 2013.

Now the Department of Health has announced deadlines for making claims. People should notify their relevant primary care trust (PCT) if their relative received care between April 1st , 2004 and March 31st 2012 and there is evidence they were eligible but did not receive the funding.

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Rickerbys offer 30 minutes free telephone advice and can assist in making claims.

Please contact Amelia Breakwell or Phillipa Bruce-Kerr on 0118 925 6100 or email amelia.breakwell@rickerbys.com

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B4 news Local Business Club for Local People Introducing Woodley Business Club Woodley Business Club is an informal monthly meeting for businesses and business people in Woodley.

Our Clubs charter is to be a forum for businesses based in Woodley.

• to meet, share and learn from others experience and best practises.

• to help in growing Woodley businesses.

The club is free. The only cost is in your time in attending and the benefit is from what you can learn & share.

Previously the Club has discussed topics such as • ‘5 things to do every day to build your business’ www.bbite.co.uk • Search Engine Optimisation www.themegroup.co.uk • Marketing Fundamentals www.littleacornmarketing.co.uk • The Highs and Lows in business www.need-a-cake.co.uk • Experiences of starting, running and expanding business www.southernfriedchicken.co.uk Next Meeting - Tues Aug 28th Berkshire Museum of Aviation from 8am Contact tom@bbite.co.uk or Find us in LinkedIn and Facebook

Back in the Barclays Premier League Reading Football Club is back in the Barclays Premier League and the season ahead is set to be jam-packed with excitement and drama as well as ‘I was there moments’, as some of the best teams and players in world football come to Madejski Stadium.

Royals’ fans can now buy tickets for the next five home games which include the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Everton. Don’t miss your opportunity to come and support the Royals as they take on the best teams in the

country! For tickets, go to readingfcdirect.co.uk or call 0844 249 1871.

If you want to make this incredible season even more special why not try Royals Hospitality, with options available to suit all occasions and budgets.

Watch from VIP seats while entertaining clients or colleagues or treating family and friends. Email hospitality@readingfc.co.uk or call 0118 968 1010 for more information.

Wilson Partners supporting Simply Waste Solutions As experts in advising ambitious and growing businesses, Wilson Partners are thrilled to be supporting Simply Waste Solutions, one of the UK’s fastest growing specialist waste and recycling companies who have just announced a million pound plus investment in a new fleet of vehicles.

The company is just seven years old; founded by James Capel as a 2 vehicle start-up, but its meteoric rise is based firmly on delivering personal and highstandards of customer service that many of its larger competitors struggle to achieve. The company

currently employs over 40 staff and, against a background of recession and redundancies in other sectors, is looking to grow further during 2012 and beyond.

Ross Wilson, as Chairman, has played a key role within the management team to advise on the major decision making and assist with the fund raising and strategic planning. www.wilson-partners.co.uk www.simplywastesolutions.co.uk

Jump For Andy In memory of the late Andy Lee, 20 of his family, friends, colleagues and business associates made a Tandem Parachute Jump, “Jump For Andy”, on 9th June 2012 at Hinton Airfield.

This is the 2nd year that a jump, in support of fundraising for Skin Cancer Research, has taken place and the group are aiming for it to be an annual event in memory of Andy Lee who last year

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lost his life to this terrible disease at age 52. Last year Jake Lee, Andy’s eldest son along with a couple of Andy’s friends, made the jump and raised £11,500 for cancer research. Each participant paid their own Jump Fees so every penny raised goes directly to cancer research.

Thanks to the sponsors: Lloyds TSB (communication material), Leedon Maintenance Contractors Limited (fundraising merchandise), Lazer Engraving (jumpers’ medals).

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B4 news An Outstanding Performance!

As we say “Goodbye to the Glorious Games” The Oakley Court Hotel, Windsor (a B4 Berkshire Platinum Ambassador) is proud to have played host to the highly successful Team GB Rowing and Canoe Sprint Teams for the duration of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The athletes were an inspiration to us all, winning the FIRST Team GB Olympic gold medal and bringing a total of 29 medals back to Oakley Court from the Dorney Lake Olympic venue across the river.

Golden Girls, Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins at The Oakley Court

With rowing events starting the following day, the team were unable to attend the Olympic Opening Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium on July 27th but instead were treated to their own “Best of British” celebratory dinner at the hotel – a fitting way to

start two weeks of supreme effort and medal winning performance.

Special security measures were in place at Oakley Court for the Games but lucky guests were treated to impromptu photo calls and autographs as athletes returned to the hotel with their medals across the riverside lawns.

Congratulations to the whole of Team GB - an outstanding performance! We are proud to have played a part in your success.

For more information please contact Rachel Pearce, Sales Manager on 01753 609988 or email rachel.pearce@principal-hayley.com

Employment Law & Pension Reform Update Join Clifton Ingram Solicitors LLP and the Employee Benefits Partnership Limited at a free employment seminar providing a practical insight into recent developments in employment law, including the pension reforms coming into play this Autumn.

Time: 3.30-5.30pm Date: Thursday, 11 October 2012 Place: Wokingham Topics covered will include: • Hiring and firing – protecting your business. • Understanding changes to workplace pension law. • Minimising impact of pension auto-enrolment on your business.

• If you can’t beat it, join it – driving value from autoenrolment. • Pensions issues on dismissals and redundancies.

Who should attend: Business owners, managers and HR professionals with responsibility for issues arising from the employer-employee relationship.

Registration: To reserve your place, or for more information, please contact Melissa Baxter on email melissabaxter@cliftoningram.co.uk or call 0118 912 0210. www.cliftoningram.co.uk & www.ebplimited.com

The Windsor Dragon Boat Regatta The Windsor Dragon Boat Regatta held on Sunday 23rd September 2012, is a part of the annual Windsor Fringe.

Featuring teams of friends, family, team mates and colleagues, the event is carried out in a great atmosphere and is a fantastic day out for participants and supporters young and old, where many also raise money for a local charity or school.

female), all ‘Ladies Team’ or a ’Junior Team’ (12-18 year olds). The price to enter for a team of up to 15 people is £295 (6-10 paddlers & a drummer are required for each race). Teams are guaranteed a minimum of 3 races and prizes are available for the first, second & third placed teams as well as the best dressed & named teams on the day.

Please contact Lauren on 0845 130 2248 or e-mail lauren@dragonsalive.co.uk for more details.

The team can be an ‘Open Team’ (mix of male and

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

3 B4 EVENTS IN 10 DAYS June was a busy month for B4 with three B4 Ambassador Events in just ten days. With over 400 guests in attendance at three great events, we just about pulled it off.

Photography: Hills & Saunders

First up was The Vineyard in Newbury, a superb five star hotel which had recently undergone an extensive reception refurbishment (see image left) including a futuristic floor to ceiling wine cellar which guests could walk through to the B4 event. Many thanks to General Manager, Hayden Bowl, for hosting the event and welcoming us all.

We then moved on to Aylesbury College, where Principal, Pauline Odulinski, welcomed almost 100 B4 Buckinghamshire Ambassadors and guests to the College and gave an informative presentation about the Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fantastic plans for expansion.

And, finally, we returned to Blenheim Palace, where over 230 guests were welcomed by Chief Executive, John Hoy, to the stunning Orangery. Many thanks to all at Blenheim for their first class hospitality. www.b4-business.com

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news B4 Platinum Ambassador Event B4 Platinum Ambassador Event, Rhodes House, November 13th, 2012 All B4 Platinum Ambassadors from Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire are invited to our B4 Platinum Ambassador event at the stunning Rhodes House in the heart of Oxford.

guest, and this can be a colleague, partner, customer or other associate. Please note guests who have been to previous B4 events and who have not since become members are not included.

Please register at: https://www.regonline.com/ RhodesHousePlatEvent If you have any queries, please call us on 01865 742211.

All Platinum Ambassadors are asked to invite a

B4 Event at Williams F1 Conference Centre This is an event not to be missed. The actual date of the event will be announced in September but will be in early December and we have already passed the 100 mark of our 300 capacity.

expect demand to be high so book in now.

Book an advanced place at the link below to avoid disappointment. This event is open to 300 B4 Members, Ambassadors and their Guests from Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire but we

Please book here: https://www.regonline.com/ B4WilliamsF1event Please note not open to guests who have been to a B4 event before.

Full access to the Williams F1 car collection and limited access to simulator – more details to be announced soon.

The Business of Education Our new supplement will be published in January. Offering educational establishments the chance to reinforce their business links with the local community and businesses the ability to promote opportunities to the educational establishments, this high quality guide will be packed full of useful information for a wide range of interested parties.

The guide also marks a first as it will include businesses and educational establishments throughout the B4 community in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire and the same guide will be included as an insert into all three B4’s in 2013.

Call 01865 742211 to find out more.

The B4 Bike Ride from Edinburgh to Blenheim Palace, Oxford The B4 Bike Ride from Edinburgh to Blenheim Palace, Oxford – Thursday May 23rd to 27th, 2013 Of course we’re bonkers, as if a 270 mile ride from Paris to Oxford wasn’t enough in June, we’re organizing another, longer, trip next year from Edinburgh Castle to the gates of the majestic Blenheim Palace. There’s obviously something missing somewhere as we must have actually

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enjoyed the hours of training, abstaining from alcohol for months and vigorous personal fitness sessions with Tom from TLA! I think if we can do it, so can you. It’s a great experience and if we have half the fun next year as we did this year, it will be incredible.

Already 14 spaces booked up. Call 01865 742211 to find out more. See pages 66 and 74.

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Benham Goodhead Print.

Always spot on!

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F i n a n c i a l

news Join Our Growing Team Write for B4 Why not join our editorial team and get in front of some great businesses, at the same time adding to your portfolio and being see writing for us in the magazine.

We have some fantastic opportunities to get involved with B4.

Transcribe for B4 Are you a budding journalist? Why not join our editorial team to help us transcribe articles and get your name in the magazine. A great way to get you fantastic experience, and learn how an article in B4 gets put together.

Telesales We have a growing telesales team who aren’t what we would call ‘hardcore’ sales people. The B4 membership sell is a gentle one, after all, it’s not often you get the opportunity to invite someone to a free champagne event! So, if you’re a people person, enjoy events and want to play your part in expanding the B4 community, call us now for full and part time opportunities.

If you are interested in finding out more about working with B4, call Richard now on 01865 742211.

B4 Membership Services Are you a B4 Member? Have you got something unique to promote? Why not talk to us about helping us to add value to our members.

preferential health insurance rates, sports tickets to high profile events, exclusive holiday offers and more.

We are launching B4 Membership Services where existing members create special deals which are attractive to our members. We’re not going to promote mainstream products or services that other members might offer, for example, legal and accountancy services, but more your unusual, niche services. The sorts of thing we are planning include

So, if you’ve got something special you would like to share with our 500 (and growing) strong community of B4 members, not to mention member company employees, then call us now on 01865 742211. We’d like to hear from you. www.b4-business.com

B4 Christmas Lunch, Wednesday 19th December, Pembroke College Relax with a pre lunch drink in one of Oxford’s most beautiful colleges and listen to Pembroke’s choir before sitting down to a memorable Christmas feast in the main dining hall.

150 B4 Ambassadors, Members and their guests from our Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire community will be served a fabulous three course Christmas lunch at 1pm

following pre dinner drinks and carols.

To book, see B4 promotions for online registration or call 01865 742211 to make sure you don’t miss out. This event is open to all.

Tickets £75 for main hall dining or £100 for top table dining (just 24 available including champagne).

B4 Workshop B4 Workshop: CIS introduce the cloud at The King’s Centre, Thursday 28th September, 12.30 to 2.15pm

We have 40 places available and you are most welcome – open to all. Register through the B4 on line registration at XXXXXXXXXX.

Book your place on our first B4 Workshop of 2012 where CIS will be telling you all you need to know about the cloud and why you should seriously entertain getting involved.

Also includes tour of the incredible Kings Centre, one of Oxfordshire’s best kept venue secrets.

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news IoD: constant and consistent in a changing world!

It was my first Board role and I needed to know more about my responsibilities and how to handle my day job alongside my executive remit. I felt that I needed to educate myself and draw on the experience of Directors from different industries to develop my skills and hone my knowledge. The Institute of Directors seemed to offer me the best opportunity to learn about my new world whilst networking with the ‘crème de la crème’! That was thirteen years ago, and today the IoD still meets my needs, although those needs have changed over time as my career has developed and I have moved from life in a FTSE 50 company to running my own business.

out that I needed local knowledge to support our activities across Europe. The IoD again provided me with some expert advice through their professional helplines: I could make a phone call and access legal or tax insight into a particular issue, knowing that my membership fees covered the costs and that the advice was current and independent.

During those years travelling around Europe, my constant companion was my Director magazine: it regularly made an appearance on short haul flights or in airport lounges during take-off delays – not only did it help me to pass the time, but it also provided an opportunity to apply fresh thinking to my business based on other’s insights.

The education that I looked for in 1999 is still offered by the IoD, although it has been updated many times since then and now interestingly can lead to the qualification of Chartered Director, an elite echelon within the IoD. Although my initial reason for joining the IoD was to learn, I also took advantage of the facilities offered at Pall Mall as a useful central London hub, and would regularly drop in to meet colleagues or host client events in the prestigious surroundings.

However, it was when I set up my own business that my membership of the IoD really started to pay dividends: I engaged with the Berkshire branch and seeking to build a local network I volunteered to join the branch committee. This experience opened my eyes to the work that the IoD undertakes across the country: local volunteer committees seek to expand the remit of the IoD beyond the London headquarters, taking the education and experiential development out to businesses in their locale.

Events in Berkshire range from peer to peer breakfast club meetings to industry debates and social events across the county.

When I joined a North American software business as head of their European business, I quickly found

My membership of the IoD has provided me with endless opportunities to meet talented individuals who inspire and inform; it has provided me with a flexible set of benefits that are accessible and have grown and changed in relevance as I have changed my needs. Like all things, you get most of those things that you put most into, and as Vice Chair of the IoD in Berkshire I believe that the IoD offers a compelling proposition to any business person who seeks to be the best that they can be in business!

Liz Maloney, MIoD Further information can be found at www.iod.com

Pub Hubs Have a drink with us!

Come and join us at one of our regular Pub Hubs – no need to book, just turn up and enjoy! This is an ideal opportunity to meet IoD members and non-members and mix with our volunteer Committee members in an informal and relaxed

atmosphere. You can network to your heart’s content or just enjoy a drink with friendly companions!

Pub Hubs Date: Thurs 6 Sept Time: 6.00 pm – 8 .00 pm Venue: The Crown, PlayHatch, Reading RG4 9QN The October Pub Hub will be on Mon 01 Oct at the Flower Pot in Henley.

Insight: Breakfast Workshops to challenge your thinking!

Join us at Reading’s only Michelin starred restaurant: L’Ortolan Directors need to develop their skills far beyond the routine activities that enable them to run their business. They need to learn to lead and develop a team, set a strategic vision for the business and understand the principles of governance that should inform their day to day decision making. In fact, every Director needs to have insight into every aspect of their business and the external factors that can influence how that business operates.

IoD Berkshire helps develop a Director’s insight at regular breakfast workshops. The October 2012 workshop will be on the subject of Value versus Price: we will test whether you can really increase profit and customer loyalty by a focus on value rather than price Develop your insight: join us at L’Ortolan at 7.30 am on Friday 12 October 2012 for a great breakfast and lively peer to peer discussion! £26 + VAT members & guests, £36 + VAT non members

Details on how to book and our full events programme can be found at www.iod.com/berkshire/events or contact the IoD Branch Administrator – Juliet Rushent on 0118 9429608 or via email at admin.berks@iod.net

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news FSB networking events To book in to any of the events listed below or any other events not listed, please go to www.fsb.org.uk/thamesvalley and follow the events link unless otherwise stated.

Slough Wednesdays, September 12th. – October 10th. – November 14th. – December 12th. 6:30pm Slough Business Network at the Haveli Restaurant, 93 Stoke Poges Lane, Slough. SL1 3NJ Not for profit network group for businesses in Slough, £10.00 includes curry & drink turn up and make new contacts, plenty of room and free car park.

Mark May Rent A Home Associates 01753 622686

Windsor Time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm Macdonald Hotel, 23 High Street, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 1LH. Tuesday 4th September - "Back to School" Menu comprising of: Toad in the hole, Cottage pie, macaroni cheese, Jam roly poly with custard, Tomato soup, Chips with curry Sauce, Apple crumble, Vegetable Fritters, Mini Pies.

Tuesday 2nd October - "World vegetarian day" Menu comprising of: Bloody mary shots, winter vegetable pot stew, rosemary dumplings, pea and mint risotto, Wild mushroom and Chestnut wellington, Vegetable Broth, Veggie Kedgeree, Vegetable Table Talk, Macdonald Mud Pie, Caleys mess.

Tuesday 6th November - "Firework Night" Menu comprising of: Bangers and mash, Spicy Squash soup, Mini Burgers and fries, Toasted marshmallows with dipping chocolate, Roasted Chestnuts, Pumpkin ravioli, Brandy snaps, Cheese fondue with breads, Fireworks on screens, indoor sparklers available.

Tuesday 4th December - Christmas Brochure menu as in St Georges Table: mini mugs of vegetarian broth, fish & chips buckets, turkey pot pie, pea & mint risotto, dipping plates with hunks of crusty breads, sloe gin jellies, Macdonald mud pie.

To book: please go to www.windsorbusinesscommunity.co.uk

Bracknell Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Thursday 16 August – The Atrium Ring Road, Bracknell Thursday 20 September – Bracknell and Wokingham college Thursday 18 October – The Atrium, Ring Road, Bracknell Thursday 15 November – Bracknell and Wokingham College This is an informal networking event and is FREE. It is an opportunity to meet other local businesses in a relaxed environment and locations are alternated between The Atrium Serviced offices on the Ring Road in Bracknell in the main foyer area and Bracknell and Wokingham College just inside the entrance. With 25 to 30 attendees at each event it is a good forum for networking. For more information or to book in please email richard@focal.co.uk

Reading Curry Club Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Royal Tandoori, 4 Duke Street, Reading RG1 4RY Tuesday 28th August, Tuesday 25th September, Tuesday 30th October, Tuesday 27th November Informal business networking with a drink and some excellent Indian food. This event is held on the last Tuesday of every month. Price includes a first drink, and two courses. Price: £15.00, payable on the night. Please confirm your attendance in advance to martin.judd@joinedupsolutions.com

Wokingham Curry Club Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm Square Bar Market Place Wokingham Wednesday 12th September, Wednesday 10th October, Wednesday 14th November If you like curry and networking, then this event is certainly for you. £15 for a two course buffet curry and this includes your first drink. You can pay on the night by credit card or cash and you need to email richard@focal.co.uk to book in.

FSB East Berks AGM Time: 7:00pm Holiday Inn Maidenhead Thursday 1st November Book through www.fsb.org.uk/thamesvalley and follow the events link

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news Managing Staff Moral After Redundancies Q: What are the symptoms I should look for in my work force?

A: The key symptoms of survivor syndrome are recognised as lower motivation and morale, reduced job satisfaction and job performance, loss of trust in management, feelings of guilt and fear about job security , reduced commitment and employee engagement, not to mention anger and resentment. Recognising these symptoms is extremely important as left unchecked and / or managed with can be financially damaging to the organisation. It can also result in key people deciding to leave, even if they have survived the job cuts for an organisation with more stability.

Q: How to I reduce/ illuminate Survivor Syndrome?

A: Overcoming survivor syndrome begins at the redundancy process when you are identifying a fair process, it includes how employees are treated and most importantly communication where consider the communication method, frequency and openness about the process should and what the future will hold for the organisation.

Q: The redundancy is now complete so I can’t go back and change the process, what should I do?

Photography: www.studio-8.co.uk

A: Firstly as I’ve already stressed, keep the lines of communication open, this can be introduced at any time. You could try a Companywide meeting where you have a Q & A session where employees are given the opportunity to ask questions relating to the future of the organisation. It would be worth mentioning at this point that the meeting should discuss the future of the organisation and not go back over old ground particularly surrounding how roles were identified as redundant, mainly because it’s confidential but it’s also negative and devalues the purpose of the meeting.

I also recommend that when providing outplacement and counselling for the redundant employees, you extend this to the remaining employees as they will also benefit from this.

B4 Ambassador, Sarah Morris, runs Oxfordshire based HR2YOU, a leading provider of Human Resources solutions for businesses of all sizes. Here Sarah answers questions put to her by B4 readers.

Q: I've recently made redundancies in my organisation and the employees left behind have become demotivated…What shall I do?

A: It’s often the case that following a redundancy process those remaining in employment undergo a range of attitudinal changes that directly impact performance. This is known as ‘survival syndrome’ which is used to describe the impact on the attitudes and resulting behaviours of employees who remain in organisations.

Q: How did this happen?

Surviving employees will need time to adapt to life in the organisation after redundancies, again keep communication channels clear, regularly meet both informally and informally on an on-going basis, BUT be aware that its shouldn’t be an excuse for on-going poor performance. Especially as it’s likely that they will be required to undertake the workload of the departing employees.

Be proactive, anticipate negative responses rather than wait for them to occur.

Effective survivor management can give organisations a real opportunity to improve the commitment and engagement of the remaining employees, thus ensuring the health of the business in the long term.

Q: Can HR2YOU help us with this process?

A: Of course we can! Quite often it’s more effective for an independent consultant to deal with these types of issues as it allows Management Team to concentrate on the business itself. www.hr2you.co.uk

A: The management of redundancies often focuses effort on those leaving the organisation but little attention is given to those who remain, particularly when the future of the organisation very much depends on them.

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B4 LEAD

HASLAMS

CHARTERED SURVEYORS Established in 1838, Haslams is one of the most established and respected firms of chartered surveyors in the Thames Valley. Based in high quality open plan offices in the heart of Reading, it is well regarded both locally and nationally. B4’s George Ramsay met with Haslams partners, Conrad Hill and Neil Seager, to discuss how they function as a practice, to obtain their thoughts on the future prospects of commercial property in a fragile economy, and to explain the diversity of the practice.

Located at the heart of the Thames Valley community, although many of the firm’s clients are based in the area, Haslams’ reach extends far beyond, giving it a unique, forward-thinking edge over its competitors.

Whilst established in 1838, the firm is anything but old fashioned. Managing Partner, Conrad Hill explains “Over the last few years, Haslams has worked hard to become the forward thinking, dynamic and agile practice that it now is. We have recently moved to prestigious open plan offices and have built a team of fresh and highly motivated partners.”

With eight partners, Conrad is quick to recognise that it is not just the partners who give the firm an edge. “Yes we are very much a partner led practice but behind the eight partners we have a solid team which helps us maintain an edge.

One key area of strength is our successful graduate recruitment programme including two new graduates which have been appointed in the first half of 2012.”

Reading, and there is a breadth to the firm which ensures that even against the backdrop of a fragile economy, the firm can more than hold its own,” underlines Conrad.

“We feel we have given the firm a positive facelift but retained all of the tradition and reputation which had built up over more than a century. We certainly have the best of both worlds.”

So how does Conrad view the current property market? “There can be no doubt that the market is tough but we continue to be extremely busy and indeed there is a large amount of high profile work in the pipeline for the remainder of 2012. The market is sector driven with strong activity levels in the industrial and residential land markets. In addition, the residential development land market is notably buoyant with the practice dealing with multiple sales of residential development sites.

“With regard to loan security valuations, it is true to say that volumes are down year on year, but

unusual but our focus follows the firm’s belief that client service is key. Ironically disposing of a building or site is more time consuming in a bad market than a good market so we need more hands to do it, especially with our high standards. Marketing is key, administration is key, client liaison is key and as the process is undoubtedly longer, we have to devote more man hours to the process.”

“We act for both landlords or vendors and occupiers or purchasers. We act for pension funds on larger schemes locally, such as Standard Life, Aberdeen Asset Management, Salmon Harvester Opportunity Fund, F&C REIT, Industrial Property Investment Fund (IPIF), Cornerstone, Cushman and Wakefield Investors, Ravenbourne and London and Cambridge.”

“We already specialise in the industrial and office sectors and with the recent addition of Stephen Holt to the team this has provided us with a new platform in the retail sector. We are particularly proud of a transaction we have just completed for Standard Life at Suttons Business

“Haslams has worked hard to become the

forward thinking, dynamic and agile practice that it now is”

Conrad explains how the firm’s diverse approach enables the focus to be on high quality client service, and that the individual partners are all specialists in their field and pride themselves on providing concise, commercial professional advice to their varied client base.

Haslams operates three main divisions including Professional Services, Commercial Agency and Building Surveying, though each of these covers a wide professional field. “We also specialise in acting as Expert Witness and Arbitrator in dispute resolution cases. The practice has a number of high profile and longstanding clients including the University of

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that is primarily due to the fact that bank lending is significantly down compared to previous years. We are particularly active in the Housing Association sector where we often interact with private property developers. We have also seen a significant increase in the amount of Expert Witness work and more litigation related work.

Building surveying work is fairly consistent.”

The firm’s Head of Commercial Agency is Neil Seager who explains how despite the recession, his department is recruiting, giving an indication on his positive outlook for the future.

Park. Here a 208,000 sq.ft chilled distribution facility has been constructed for Brakes Bros.

This deal represents Reading's largest ever industrial pre let and provided 500 new jobs.”

But what about speculative commercial development? “There hasn’t been the activity we once enjoyed but we are now seeing the green shoots. We are currently working on a scheme which will hopefully commence before the end of the year. It will be the first speculative industrial development for some time in the greater Reading / Berkshire area and represents something of a breakthrough.”

“Taking on staff in a recession is admittedly

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B4 LEAD In the last ten years, the industrial market has fared well as opposed to the office market, the latter having huge amounts of oversupply and limited demand, as Neil explains. “This is the case in the Thames Valley generally. Bracknell and Slough have suffered most in terms of drop off and take up of office space and as a result, landlords have had to reduce rents. This had the desired effect and increased occupancy. There are some great deals for occupiers in the market now although this all needs to be put into context. If we look beyond the Thames Valley, the Midlands and the North of England are suffering quite badly in comparison with severe excesses of office and residential space, impacting horrendously on rents and take up.”

“Even though here in the Thames Valley we aren’t as badly off as some parts of the rest of the country, we still need to get our hands dirty and go back to basics to get a deal done. We need to cover the ground, do our research and not cut corners.”

In terms of current deals in the pipeline, Neil is delighted with the firm’s current projects. “Salmon

“With little movement, it is often easier for a company not to do anything – it is often the safest route. But as companies start to lose business because their properties are perhaps more dilapidated than their opposition’s or their location isn’t as good as it should be, companies will be forced into at least considering a move to new premises.”

“Location is now a key consideration for staff and if a company is poorly located, firms will have to consider relocating if they are to attract high quality personnel. We also have to be aware of the threat from overseas, from emerging markets which have rapidly developed superior infrastructures to ours.

It is no secret that the Thames Valley is falling behind in terms of connectivity and there are instances where companies will prefer to look at Eastern Europe and the Far East than here.”

“The retail sector is a genuine concern. It never used to be the case that more than one vacant unit would appear in Broad Street in central Reading at the same time but now, with access to the web, free delivery and more confidence in the internet,

“The market is sector driven with strong activity levels in the industrial and residential land markets”

Harvester purchased an industrial estate in West Reading two to three years ago. Since we rebranded and repositioned it in the market we have attracted Halfords Autocentres and currently have two other trade counter units under offer. The estate is prominently located and already has a number of major trade occupiers. Trade occupiers like to cluster as their customers tend to go from door to door to pick up the varying products.”

“We have previously acted on behalf of Halfords when we acquired its 330,000 sq.ft national distribution hub in Coventry. We have also recently acquired a 50,000 sq.ft warehouse in Leeds for @Futsal. Unlike most of our competition that seem to be Thames Valley focused, we do spread a little further afield and this helps us to advise on a wider area and give us a broader view.”

So what do Neil and Conrad believe the future holds in store? “I certainly believe we are over the worst of it,” proclaims Neil. “It has been a longer recession than I envisaged but we are certainly seeing some positive signs of recovery and a definite change in activity since the start of the year.

There seems to be a renewed appetite to do business and we hope this continues.”

retailers are suffering. The types of occupiers are changing from shops to niche retailers. Big brands still want a High Street presence but some are beginning to seriously question the viability of outlets and negotiations for rents are becoming increasingly sensitive.”

That’s where Haslams can help. With the breadth and expertise of the partners, they can advise all types of clients with clear, concise property advice, concludes Conrad.

“We are a young and forward thinking partnership with a focus on succession planning to ensure our clients are well served for years to come. We are particularly involved in the local professional community with regular corporate events including a Client Party earlier in the year and more recently, the Reading Real Ale and Jazz Festival. We ensure we maintain a high profile and are always keen to fly the Haslams flag and maintain our excellent tradition of doing business with the local professional community.” www.haslams.co.uk

“Finance is still a major issue as the banks have gone from one extreme to another in terms of who they will lend to. The banks need double belt and braces when it comes to security and although it helps to have a good track record and security, it is certainly not the key to a deal anymore.”

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PARTNERS Steven Smith Senior Partner BSc (Est Man) FRICS FCIArb: T: 0118 921 1527 E: stevensmith@haslams.co.uk Steven has been Senior Partner since 1999 and is recognised across the country due to his role as Expert Witness or third party in dispute resolution cases. Other clients include a variety of private and public bodies including local authorities, trusts, charities, schools, plc developers and corporate businesses.

Conrad Hill Managing Partner BSc (Hons) MRICS: T: 0118 921 1524 E: conradhill@haslams.co.uk Conrad became Managing Partner in 2011 and also heads up the Property Valuation team, specialising in loan security work throughout the Thames Valley and beyond. His clients include most of the major commercial lenders, insolvency practitioners, solicitors and accountants, as well as private individuals.

John Short Partner BSc (Est Man) FRICS: T: 0118 921 1531 E: johnshort@haslams.co.uk John has a long history with Haslams. He has been a Partner for many years and was Senior Partner from 1990-1999. John deals with strategic land planning issues, as well as the sale of commercial and residential development land.

Keith Walker Partner DipArb FRICS MCIArb: T: 0118 921 1538 E: keithwalker@haslams.co.uk Keith is a Partner and in charge of building design and architectural projects.

His work areas include the design, planning and project management of both new build and refurbishment projects, acting as CDM Coordinator and as Expert Witness.

Matthew Ward Partner BSc (Hons) MRICS: T: 0118 921 1533 E: mattward@haslams.co.uk Matt is a Partner and specialises in commercial and residential building surveys, preparation of schedules of condition or dilapidations, and defect investigation and analysis.

Chris Newman Partner BSc (Hons) MRICS: T: 0118 921 1521 E: chrisnewman@haslams.co.uk Chris joined Haslams in 2000 and became a Partner in 2006. He specialises in valuations and development land sales. His client portfolio includes Thames Water, the University of Reading, local authorities, private schools, housing associations and a number of national house builders.

Neil Seager Partner BSc (Hons) MRICS: T: 0118 921 1516 E: neilseager@haslams.co.uk Neil joined Haslams in 2000 and became a Partner in 2006. He now heads up the Commercial Agency and Development team who advises clients on the disposal, acquisition and development of commercial property and land.

Stephen Holt Partner: T: 0118 921 1520 E: stephenholt@haslams.co.uk Stephen specialises in Lease Consultancy (including rent reviews, lease renewals and re-gearing) Property Acquisitions and Business Rates Appeals.

He has been based in the Thames Valley for over 25 years and has acted for a wide variety of clients including property funds, property companies, local authorities, major corporates and regional occupiers and investors.

www.b4-business.com

35

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A QUARTERLY SNAPSHOT The BDO Thames Valley Business Barometer...a compelling street-level view of business sentiment, helping to inform decisions on growth, investment and employment in the region.

In today’s uncertain economic climate, confidence and business sentiment play an important part in designing long term, sustainable growth. In the Thames Valley thousands of extremely diverse businesses - from SME’s to large multinational corporations - drive an impressive 15% of the UK’s economic output in an area of just 2200 square miles.

BDO, working in conjunction with the Twenties Club, felt it was important to develop a barometer for businesses operating in the Thames Valley that would not only measure how they are feeling about the economic conditions, but also provide an opportunity to benchmark themselves against other businesses in the region on areas of performance, recruitment and investment.

More than 120 Thames Valley businesses participated in the first survey, which took place during April, just as the economy officially slipped back into recession and the eurozone crisis started to intensify. This was combined with a small number of in-depth company interviews. It was also completed soon after the monthly BDO Business Trends report pointed to a sluggish recovery for the UK economy as a whole, amidst stagnant employment, output and optimism indices and suggestions that inflation was unlikely to reach the Bank of England’s 2.0% target by the end of the year.

Despite the sombre UK forecast, Thames Valley businesses are optimistic about their own prospects

“Growth and expectations of growth are a predominant theme” Julian Frost, partner and head of BDO in the Thames Valley

New business pipelines and turnover are increasing in the Thames Valley.

New business pipelines are increasing for the majority (64%) of businesses surveyed. More than half (57%) witnessed an increase in turnover in the last quarter, with 61% predicting further turnover growth in Q3 2012. Expectations were higher among the SME community with 67% expecting turnover to increase in the next quarter.

Profitability levels up, but continue to trail turnover growth.

47% saw their profitability increase in the last quarter and this percentage is constant in terms of expectations for the next quarter.

Businesses are cautiously optimistic when it comes to economic confidence . . . when asked about overall economic conditions in the Thames Valley. 37% believe the general level of economic confidence has improved while 45% say it has remained the same.

Employment is increasing slowly.

30% of businesses increased headcount in the previous quarter while 38%

38

www.b4-business.com

B4 ADVICE

None Do you plan any specific investments in the next quarter?

What key investment do you believe is MOST essential if businesses in the Thames Valley is to continue to thrive?

expect to increase headcount in the coming quarter. Half expect headcount to remain the same. This was slightly higher within SMEs where 60% expect headcount to remain the same.

Investment intentions are proving strong.

Almost half of the businesses surveyed plan to increase investment In marketing over the next three months. A third of respondents also plan to invest in training & development and in technology. Only 8% plan to invest in property and 3% In fleet and transport.

Investment agenda Respondents were also asked what key investments were needed in the region if business in the Thames Valley is to continue to thrive. Education and skills coupled with the availability of finance were deemed most essential (45% and 43% respectively named these). Transport and infrastructure and support for innovation and R&D follow in importance.

Availability of finance On balance, no change is reported on the availability of finance, though it remains very high on the agenda for the prosperity of the region. Views were somewhat mixed as to how much of a constraint this was on growth.

The full results of the survey can be accessed via the BDO LLP website (www.bdo.uk.com/press/bdo-thames-valley-business-barometer-launch). or to request a hard copy of the report please email Kit Booth at kit.booth@bdo.co.uk or call Kit on 01189 527362.

easier

11% change

reporte

11% declined to respond

n o ch a n

66% 12 % ge

d on th e a v a il ab

harder

il it y o f f in a n c e

Survey methodology The survey was conducted from 2nd April 2012 to 2nd May 2012. In total 123 respondents completed the survey. This was supplemented by five in-depth face to face interviews with key businesses in the region.

Barometer 2 The second Barometer re-opened on 2nd July 2012 and will also be accessed via these links until 31st August.. All companies in the region are invited to get involved.

A selection of Thames Valley companies will have the opportunity to be profiled alongside the full survey results, which will be shared in September.

If you would like to nominate your business to be profiled, please email kit.booth@bdo.co.uk or contact Kit on 0118 952 7362

BUSINESS PERSPECTIVES The Barometer includes a number of in-depth profiles of Thames Valley businesses, including this quarter: Achilles Group, GCS Recruitment, Grundon Waste Management, SEGRO and Ultima Business Solutions. These companies shared their perspectives on their own performance, the key challenges they face, and the prospects for the Thames Valley region. Here are a few extracts: “I hear good stories all the time and I think the availability of finance is there, but you need to have a strong business plan.”

Neil Grundon Deputy Chairman, Grundon Waste Management Ltd “It does feel as if people are more cautious at the moment, I am finding it quite mixed and patchy.”

Gareth Osborn Director, SEGRO “Our office in the Thames Valley is on a par with our London office” Chris Bartlett Managing Director, GCS Recruitment www.b4-business.com

“I believe there is a lack of available talent in the local market” Kevin Gaskell Deputy Chairman Achilles Group “Transport and infrastructure also present an issue for the region.”

Chris Bartlett Managing Director, GCS Recruitment “The Thames Valley is very resilient and very entrepreneurial“ Gareth Osborn Director, SEGRO “Banks are still not lending enough or doing enough to help businesses continue to grow and flourish...”

Kevin Gaskell Deputy Chairman Achilles Group “I think the Thames Valley region is very buoyant and this may be partly down to the fact that there are a lot of global companies in the area.”

Gordon Esslemont Commercial Director, Ultima Business Solutions 39

B4 ADVICE

ARE YOU

READY? Field Seymour Parkes are, as the majority of B4 readers will know, one of Berkshire’s leading solicitors, serving the legal needs of the community for over 135 years. The firm employs over fifty solicitors offering an impressive range of services, yet retains the personal touch so often lacking in larger professional firms. B4’s Richard Rosser spoke to recently appointed partner, Penelope Garden, about the importance of making sure your business is in the right shape to be sold.

‘But I don’t want to sell my business!’ Many of you might be saying. Fair enough. But what if the phone rings and you’re approached, there’s real interest in your business and it’s come out of the blue. Would you not be the slightest bit curious? Wouldn’t you want to know what sort of deal is on the table?

Penelope, who heads up the corporate team at FSP, has extensive experience advising on corporate acquisitions and disposals as well as advising on a range of corporate issues. So, when it comes to making sure her clients’ businesses are in the right shape to be sold, she has the experience to predict the pitfalls and help ensure you can maximize the return.

“There are so many things to consider if you are looking to sell your business. However, so often, the approach comes out of the blue and most businesses simply aren’t prepared. If an approach comes, the prospective buyer will want to really get 40

under the skin of your business to make sure they are offering a fair value. I’ve seen plenty of approaches for businesses that were simply not prepared, through no fault of their own because

“It’s vital to get your

house in order before a sale, make sure you think and prepare as if you are looking to sell, even if you have no intention to do so

”

they weren’t looking to sell, but in the majority of cases, the unprepared business would certainly achieve a better sales price if some basic housekeeping issues were kept on top of.”

Penelope talks of ‘price-chipping’ throughout our discussion and it’s evident that an unexpected call and the ‘oh my goodness somebody wants to buy my business’ rush of adrenaline can soon be diluted if the building blocks of your business aren’t solid. “We encourage our clients to keep a file of key documents. These would include shareholder agreements, compliance documents, key customer contracts (signed and dated), liability documents (all loans, finance agreements), fixed asset documentation, these sorts of things.

“If you are on top of everything, the buyer can get to know your business fairly swiftly. If you drip feed them information, remember loans you haven’t disclosed from the outset, forget to mention key facts, slip into the conversation that you owe Revenue and Customs significantly more than you first mentioned, then all of these things will only serve to undermine the confidence your prospective buyer has in your business. It could lead to a significant reduction in the price offered www.b4-business.com

or, worse still, a withdrawal of their interest.”

So how does the process work once agreement, in principal, is in place? “Initially you shouldn’t provide anything until a robust Confidentiality Agreement is in place. The approach might be from a competitor, or an internal approach from management, but no matter who it is, you don’t want the approach to be a veiled raid on your key business information, so make sure a Confidentiality Agreement is drafted and signed early on.

“You need assurances too. You don’t want to waste your time with a prospective buyer who doesn’t have the means to back up a purchase, so you will need to instruct your advisers to investigate this.

Don’t part with any information or incur too many costs until you know your buyer is bona-fide.”

The web is an increasingly important area buyers are looking at to make sure your business is fit for

www.b4-business.com

purchase, highlights Penelope. “A website can tell a prospective purchaser a lot about the business they are looking to buy. You need to ensure you are properly covered and compliant with disclaimers, privacy policies and copyright. There needs to be clear policies on the site with regards to cookies. You need clear data protection policies in place and you have to make it clear on your site if you are a limited company.

“If your site is designed by a third party, who owns the intellectual property? It’s a basic area which we see lots of businesses trip up on. Also make sure you own the domain and it’s not in an employee’s, director’s or shareholder’s name.”

It’s an exhaustive list which also covers employment law, employee contracts, obligations on leased property, condition of property, not to mention considerations such as which staff may be required to stay with the new owner, where do you

as an owner stand in the new business and more, concludes Penny.

“It’s vital to get your house in order before a sale, make sure you think and prepare as if you are looking to sell, even if you have no intention to do so. Think about succession management, think about your exit strategy, look at your structure and make sure it’s all clearly documented. After all, if the phone rings and everything is easily located and complete, it could literally save you a fortune.”

To find out more about what you need to do to get your business in shape for a sale, why not call Penelope on 0118 951 6200. www.fsp-law.com

41

POLICING THE BUDGET At a time of deep cuts throughout the economy, possibly the harshest cuts of all will be made within our emergency services, despite, arguably, needing the funding more than most. Between 2011 and 2015, over £55 million of costs will be eliminated from Thames Valley Police, against the backdrop of a 13% reduction in levels of crime, year on year, in the Thames Valley. Thames Valley Police Chief Constable, Sara Thornton, met with B4’s Richard Rosser to outline how policing the Thames Valley will have to adapt to a leaner budget, without allowing crime levels to grow.

Written by George Ramsay.

It is estimated that the grant for central government policing will be reduced by 20% once inflation has been taken into account, although Chief Constable Thornton and her team have pre-empted these cuts for some time, and ensuring that the service provided doesn’t suffer is top of her list of priorities.

“We had to begin by analysing the non staff costs within Thames Valley Police because we wanted to keep the number of officers and staff as far as was possible. The first planned reshuffle included condensing several buildings into just a few and utilising space as well as possible through the use of open plan offices. A block of offices is being built at the headquarters in Kidlington, meaning a number of buildings across Oxfordshire, which are currently rented by Thames Valley Police, can be released.

“We are also involved with a transport consortium with colleagues in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. This enables us to purchase favourable terms on vehicles throughout the area. We have converged the fleet and merged our maintenance sites. While we have looked at outsourcing we have found that efficient in house repairs can keep costs down.

“In terms of staff costs, a simple measure to curb costs without reducing staff has been to implement

42

the national pay freeze and an increment freeze.

While this is hard for staff it does mean that we can preserve jobs. We are very focused on our people and need them to be well selected, motivated and led if we are going to maintain our high levels of service to the public.”

Thames Valley Police have also recently published a booklet outlining just how complex the job facing Chief Constable Thornton and her colleagues is, complicated further by the public spending cuts.

“The document highlights aspects of our role which can go totally unnoticed by the public but which are vital to our safety consume significant levels of resource. We felt it was important to communicate the full extent of our role to ensure that the general public were aware that there is more to policing than what you can see.

Our interview took place just after Royal Ascot this year where Chief Constable Thornton explained that there were many protected principles in attendance. “These are essential roles we have to fulfil but the general public don’t always see these roles being performed.”

In another move to streamline costs, Thames Valley Police and Hampshire are now sharing specialist Services such as Roads Policing and Firearms, explains Chief Constable Thornton. “We have also streamlined processes such as booking overtime

and processing case papers online through more advanced technology. Moves such as this will make us considerably more efficient and enable us to focus on what we do best. The facts are that despite the cuts, we are still improving the job we do with dramatic falls in the levels of crime on our streets.”

Despite operating in an ‘Age of Austerity’, the appetite to join the Police Force has never been greater, underlines Chief Constable Thorntion. “We will be advertising externally for new recruits shortly and have had to demand that applicants have a minimum of two A-Levels, grade A to C. This may seem quite a stringent stipulation, but if you look at what officers have to cope with, understand and get to grips with, you will soon appreciate that our officers have to have a high level of knowledge and skills to adapt to the role.

“Officers have to not only investigate a case, they have to get a good understanding of the legal aspects and issues which need to be proven and understand what information is to be disclosed.

This is all highly complex and we have to ensure candidates are prepared for what they have to deal with on a day to day basis.

“Most officers and staff will say that the great thing about policing is that you never really know what’s going to happen from one day to the next. So, as a leader, I have to make sure that we are recruiting

www.b4-business.com

B4 SPOTLIGHT

the right people, training them well and making sure they have the right values.”

From September, Thames Valley Police will be working with Oxford Brookes University, Buckinghamshire New University and Northampton University on a two year foundation degree.

Students will join a foundation course and at the same time enrol as a Special Constable. By the end of the course, they will have spent two years in a Constabulary role and will therefore be fit for independent patrol.

Along with developing relationships with local Universities, Thames Valley Police has been

paid for a community support officer, so there’s a very real tangible partnership and we are looking to increase the numbers of such partnerships in the future.”

On November 15th, the Thames Valley public will be asked to elect their first Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). The PCC will be accountable to the public for setting policing priorities and working with Thames Valley Police to implement them. Chief Constable Thornton’s biggest concern is ensuring enough people turn up to vote. “I am concerned that if the turnout is very low, it will weaken the mandate, so I am encouraging local politicians to raise awareness of these changes

lessened. With the introduction of the new PCC, the public’s role in helping to influence the Thames Valley Police’s priorities and assist with their ongoing implementation has never been more in the spotlight. However, the role that the force plays in protecting us all must never be under-estimated and it’s down to all of us to help, concludes Chief Constable Thorntion.

“Policing by consent underpins all that we do. We are a thin blue line and rely on the support of the public and on the fact that most people obey the law most of the time. But officers do have considerable powers to use force, to arrest and to search and seize property. It is essential that these

“Officers have to not only investigate a case, they have to get a good understanding of the legal

aspects and issues which need to be proven and understand what information is to be disclosed.

This is all highly complex and we have to ensure candidates are prepared for what they have to deal with on a day to day basis

”

working on building relationships with businesses through a specialist business crime advisor, making links with various businesses across the region, as Chief Constable Thornton explains.

“We have partnerships with organisations such as Milton Park who have always paid for a police community support officer. Many of the service stations along the M40 have, at different times,

www.b4-business.com

because it won’t be reflective of the public’s choice if only 10% of the electorate vote.”

With massive changes ahead, Chief Constable Thornton and Thames Valley Police are braced but ready for changes. The force is tasked with an almost impossible job, but, thanks to modern day technology, such as social networking facilitating the awareness of new campaigns, their load is being

powers are used fairly and with integrity. Thames Valley Police is effective in fighting crime and protecting you and always seeks to do so in a way that inspires the trust and confidence of everyone.”* *excerpt taken from Policing The Thames Valley – How We Cut Crime and Protect Our Community. www.thamesvalley.police.uk

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B4 SERVICES

10 YEARS

ON THE AIRWAVES The tenth anniversary of Reading 107 hitting the airwaves may be getting closer, but don’t think that we are just sitting back and waiting for our cards, presents and cake. Far from it – in fact, this is probably one of the most exciting times for the station since we started back in October 2002.

We are immensely proud of our status as Reading’s only independent commercial radio station – in fact, we are one of the few truly independent commercial radio stations operating in the UK – but to stay on top, we need to meet the challenges that being in this unique position presents us with.

Breakfast Apprentice. Our very own Robert Kenny invited people from all over Reading to apply to join him as co-presenter on the breakfast show.

Doing his best Alan Sugar impression, he then whittled down all the applicants to the top five, each one of whom then joined him for a day on the show to put them through their paces.

For the past year we have been working to freshen our music and our presentation to provide a new sound for Reading, and now an old friend of ours is going to be taking us into an exciting future.

Tony Grundy, who helped found the station all those years ago, rejoined us in May and is aiming to build our audience, our revenue and our connections with the community.

We then threw open the competition to the public vote, with our top five – Andrew ‘Charlie’ Charles, Dan Lond, Yvonne Wan, Dean Webster and Kitty Coles – getting their pictures and sound file on our website, with the option of voting for your favourite.

We are already seeing signs that the efforts are paying off – our latest revenue figures are the highest we have seen for more than two years, which is even more remarkable in a time of recession. And we are now looking for exceptional people to join our sales team to boost those numbers even further.

It’s not just our sales team that’s getting bigger – we have also welcomed a new voice on our breakfast show, after a competition to find our

44

The votes came in thick and fast, and after many hours spent counting, Kitty Coles was voted the winner – she is now joining us on the show for the next six weeks, and finding out, in her own words, ‘how radio presenters sound so awake in the morning’!

As part of our plans to build more connections with the community, Reading 107 is also setting out to bring a bit of fun to Reading’s workplaces. For the last couple of months we have been rewarding our town’s hard working employees by bringing doughnuts round to their offices and shopfloors on Feelgood Friday, and in the run up to London 2012,

we decided our office workers should have a chance to experience the thrill of competition, so we launched the Office Games.

With Robert Kenny and Andy Jones acting as referees, staff from five workplaces – Abbey Windows, The Tile Depot, The Natural Heat Centre, Lewington and Son and Walton’s Jewellers competed for gold medals in such diverse disciplines as the Mouse Mat Discus, the 10 Metre Wheelie Chair Race and the Trash Bin Shot Put. As well as basking in the glory of their sporting success, the winners also won tickets to see Lionel Richie live at Newbury Racecourse.

We are also looking forward to Reading 107 making another appearance on your TV screens, as in July we welcomed celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal to the studios. He took calls from our listeners about what makes the perfect fry-up – and told us about his time as an Olympic torchbearer.

2012 so far has been a year of big changes for Reading 107, and we are looking forward to what the rest of the year brings. Don’t forget to send us a card in October! www.reading107.com www.b4-business.com

Dare you peek inside? get your 30-day free trial at www.intouchcrm.co.uk

EXPANDING OR

TRADING OVERSEAS?

WHAT ARE THE TAX IMPLICATIONS? In todays' global market place companies are commonly selling and manufacturing their products overseas.

To ensure the tax implications do not become a barrier to success, there are a number of points to consider.

Do I need to register with the overseas tax authorities?

Foreign Company' rules are complex and these are being completely revised as from 1 January 2013.

When carrying out overseas activities the first issue to address is whether those activities give rise to a taxable presence (a so called 'Permanent Establishment') in that overseas country. If not, there is unlikely to be a need to register with the tax authority for income tax (although VAT may be in point). Where a business simply solicits orders from overseas customers by UK staff visiting that country (or repeat orders) this is unlikely to give rise to a taxable presence. The requirement to register or pay tax normally arises where there is a fixed place of business, such as an office, factory or construction site, or where contracts are being negotiated and concluded in that country by individuals based there and representing the business.

This means all companies with overseas subsidiaries need to revisit their international structures to ensure they are still appropriate and reorganise in readiness for these changes. A key opportunity has been introduced to provide for highly tax efficient finance arrangements, applying a tax rate of only 5.75% to such operations.

International groups should make sure they are aware of this opportunity and understand whether they can take advantage of it.

Setting up overseas If you do need to register overseas, typically any business would be carried out through either a trading subsidiary (a separate company) or a branch (a division of the UK company). The distinction between branch and subsidiary structures can have differing tax consequences, which can result in a higher tax cost if structured incorrectly.

A new branch exemption for overseas branches of UK companies, introduced with effect from 19 July 2011, seeks to align the respective UK tax of overseas branches and subsidiaries, so that broadly, where an irrevocable election is made, branch profits will be exempted from UK corporation tax.

This is similar to overseas companies being able to remit profits into the UK tax free (by dividends).

While this exemption goes some way to aligning the tax treatment of branches and subsidiaries, there are still a number of important differences which need to be considered before any branch election is made.

Where a UK parent company has an overseas subsidiary in a low tax country (eg Ireland, channel Islands etc), the subsidiary can still be liable to UK tax. The rules which govern this, the 'Controlled

46

â&#x20AC;&#x153;expanding or trading overseas offers significant benefits to a business in terms of access to new markets or reduced cost base, specialist advice should be sought at an early stage to ensure such benefits are not reduced by tax complications

â&#x20AC;?

Transfer pricing Most tax authorities are well aware of the potential for profits to 'slip out of their own tax net' and accordingly, they look closely at overseas transactions between connected companies under what is known as transfer pricing. However, there are opportunities to ensure that a group's effective tax rate is minimised. This can be achieved through appropriate policies on royalty rates, management charges and intra group financing costs, whilst at the same time making sure transactions between group companies are considered to be at arm's

length (and demonstrably so) and that the arrangements are bona fide commercial ones. It is also important to have adequate contemporaneous documentation in place to support these policies.

Movement of overseas employees Where employees are seconded or relocated overseas, there are a host of tax considerations, both from an individual's and a company's perspective. There are planning opportunities to ensure that an employee's net remuneration is maximised through structuring their remuneration to include tax efficient travel, accommodation and relocation allowances and at the same time minimising the company's employer's NIC payable on these amounts. The impact of employees breaking UK tax residency should also be considered as well as their tax position in the overseas country.

The impact on UK tax concessions and relief There are many tax breaks given to UK companies (eg EIS, VCT, EMI) and they may be clawed back if business expansion overseas is not carefully reviewed and managed. In some cases, tax relief already given will be clawed back.

The withdrawal of reliefs in such cases may well be at both the corporate and personal shareholder levels and the prospect of disgruntled investors in a business will need managing.

Conclusion Whilst expanding or trading overseas offers significant benefits to a business in terms of access to new markets or reduced cost base, specialist advice should be sought at an early stage to ensure such benefits are not reduced by tax complications which can arise overseas if not carefully managed so that post-tax returns are maximised.

Chris Mundy and John Drury Chris Mundy is an international tax partner and John Drury is an international tax manager at Grant Thornton UK LLP, one of the world's leading international organisations providing bespoke advice to dynamic growing businesses. www.grant-thornton.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

B4 ADVICE

“There are many tax breaks given to UK companies and they may be clawed back”

www.b4-business.com

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B4 SERVICES

THE BEST WAY TO

Photography by Hills & Saunders

PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT

The developments at Momentum since the last time B4 spoke to Andrew and his team are quite astonishing. The commercial and IT team have been working on the creation of a voucher system, highly targeted marketing tools and a planning system to predict the volume of events in specific locations in the next year.

Joe Wright the IT director says “The IT team at Momentum have really enjoyed developing Momentum Hub and the associated products. It has been a fun and educational process.” These new developments have given the business the 48

opportunity to expand into new markets and increase the product offering to existing customers.

These new product offerings include club tickets, hotels, restaurant deals and big developments in the Wedding market. Lucy Parker sales executive for Momentum Hub has been working on setting up these new deals and says that; “it is refreshing to work in the ever changing and entrepreneurial environment.”

Riley explains “The opportunity might seem worlds away from the events business but the same principles that we have applied to the events industry are relevant in the fine art market.”

Momentum has definitely not been letting the grass grow under its feet since the spring edition of B4 and you can expect more exciting developments over the next year. www.momentumhub.com

One of the most exciting projects at the moment is a move into fine art with Eliza the Gallery. Andrew www.b4-business.com

M a g a z i n e s

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D i r e c t o r i e s

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C a t a l o g u e s

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C o m m e r c i a l

the cream of british printing since 1826

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F i n a n c i a l

B4 SERVICES

VISION FOR DRIVERS B4’s Richard Rosser, meets Martin Wills and Tony Copeland directors of non-fault accident management specialist Vision and has his eyes well and truly opened to some common misconceptions relating to motor insurance cover.

Picture the scene; You have stopped at traffic lights patiently and innocently waiting for them to change to green when bang – someone not paying attention rear ends you at 30 mph, leaving your 7 seater people carrier undriveable and you somewhat shaken but thankfully virtually unhurt.

You are clearly in no way to blame – you are in no way at fault. Fortunately the accident was witnessed by 20 pedestrians and two police officers in the car next to you and the other driver is admitting blame on the spot. You are quite literally the injured party and your much needed source of mobility is going to be off the road for some time plus there may be potentially expensive repairs. But you live in the countryside and need a vehicle for your daily life, taking the kids to and from school, tomorrow’s family dental appointment, this weekend’s swimming and tennis lessons etc. The good news – or so most people think – is that you are fully insured, indeed comprehensively insured. So, no problem – but the truth is very far from that.

You might well be fully insured but you are not really fully protected – even when you are totally innocent of blame. What you suddenly and all too late discover is that you get a courtesy car, eventually after much insistence, from the approved repairer, but only after waiting two days for one to become available and even then it is only a four seater – not much good to ferry six children around in for the 10/12 days they estimate you will have it! To add insult to your fortunately minor injury you find that your insurance company, who you and most people believe should be your first port of call after an accident, claim your excess of £500 and subsequently you are told that you will lose your carefully built up five year no claims bonus – which may result in a total of £1,500 in increased premiums over the next five years!

So despite believing yourself to be ‘totally insured’ in the event of an accident that was no fault of yours, it ends up potentially costing you £2,000.

You have suffered a minor injury and huge inconvenience in terms of your mobility, due to your car having been damaged and requiring repair and not having been provided with a suitable courtesy car similar to your own.

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The crazy thing is that the repairs end up only costing £1000! The really crazy thing is that you would have been much better off just paying the £1000 for the repairs and hiring a suitable vehicle rather than claiming through your insurance which you believed was there to protect you.

The lesson to be learnt is that your ‘fully comprehensive’ insurance really only protects you from ‘yourself’ i.e. from an accident that you are responsible for – and not from the actions of a third party who is totally at fault. Many people don’t realise this – at least not until it is too late, they then find out the hard way.

“when you are involved in an accident and someone else is at fault that is when you need Vision.”

This is also when you come to realise that your ‘no claims bonus’ really is a ‘no claims bonus’, regardless of whose fault the accident was – it is not a ‘no fault bonus’.

So, the real lesson to be learnt is that the last thing you should do is automatically contact your insurance company and start a claim through them if you are involved in an accident for which you are not to blame.

So who do you turn to? That’s where Vision come in. One call to Vision following a non-fault road accident will ensure that, without delay, you will be supplied with a like for like replacement vehicle to guarantee your continued mobility and you will also have the peace of mind that, your excess will not be called upon and your no claims bonus will not be affected. Additionally, in the event of your vehicle

being deemed a write off you will have use of the replacement vehicle until the claim is fully settled, causing you minimum inconvenience, suffering or loss.

Providing a solution to protect innocent motorists in such a situation was the vision of Martin Wills and Tony Copeland when they launched the company in 1995, with a clearly stated objective of assisting motorists and passengers involved in non-fault traffic accidents.

Martin Wills added; ‘When you are to blame for an accident, your insurance company is there to protect you and to mitigate your losses, but when you are involved in an accident and someone else is at fault that is when you need Vision. Claiming through your insurance company could be a big and potentially expensive mistake. Companies like Vision are misunderstood and there has been some bad press in the past, but the truth is that for full protection and peace of mind in the event of an accident, motorists require the services of a good insurance company and a good non-fault management specialist like Vision to cover all eventualities.’

Tony emphasised that in a non-fault accident there really should be no cost to the innocent party; ‘If the accident was genuinely not your fault, then ultimately, the law is there to protect you! We help you by ensuring that all your needs following the accident are dealt with so that you can continue your life as normal on a day to day basis, we also make sure that you do not lose out financially. Our interest is solely in what is right and needed for you, giving you access to justice, which is not always the case when an insurer is dealing with you directly.’

If the collision is your fault you call your insurance company to make a claim – if it’s someone else’s fault you call Vision on 01628 780011…... It’s as simple as that! www.vision4accidents.com

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B4 ADVICE

“The use of an effectively drafted confidential information clause is a key tool to protecting against competing former employees”

ARE YOU PROTECTED? How would your business cope if one of its key employees or perhaps an entire team left to join a competitor? Would your business be in a position to protect its confidential information and commercial connections? Matt Jenkin, a partner at Morgan Cole who specialises in restrictive covenants and post-termination restrictions provides some guidance.

The businesses that are in a position to properly protect their commercial interests are those that have given this matter some thought and taken preventative steps well in advance of being informed of an important departure.

Key to making your business safe is ensuring that contracts of employment contain adequate protections which survive the termination of their employment. These can include non-solicitation of and non-dealing with clients, non-solicitation of colleagues and non-competition. Such restrictions are only enforceable where they go no further than is reasonably necessary to protect the business interest. As such they should be carefully drafted to ensure that they will be enforceable.

If your business has such restrictions in its employment contracts it is important that they are reviewed and updated regularly. For example, the nature of your business may have changed and the restrictions should be amended too. Also, the employment relationship is fluid. An employee may start in a junior role but then be promoted over a period of time to become more senior and critical to the business. It is important that their employment contracts are revised to reflect their increasing responsibilities.

Don't just view the post restrictions in isolation. Other clauses can help reinforce protection – for example, a well drafted ‘garden leave’ clause can enable an employer to make an employee sit at home during any notice period whilst it uses the breathing space that this creates to cement relationships with key clients.

It is also important to ensure that confidential information is adequately protected. In the absence of any enforceable confidential information clause, an ex-employee may only be restricted from using information which is regarded as a trade secret, though a lot of sensitive business information will not fall within this. The use of an effectively drafted confidential information clause is a key tool to protecting against competing former employees.

You should also consider exit interviews for those staff that have indicated an intention to leave. This might reveal useful information such as a coordinated

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team move which may amount to breaches of contract on the part of the employee. Colleagues might not answer any questions about their future intentions at all or give misleading answers. That in itself may be helpful if the employee subsequently goes on to act in breach of his obligations having given equivocal or misleading answers.

Combined with an exit interview, monitoring use of IT and communication systems is also something to consider carefully. That might, for example, reveal evidence of solicitation of clients that an employee has tried to hide. Employers will want to make sure that they have the right to undertake such monitoring to ensure that they are able to rely on information that is discovered.

Also, don't overlook the future employer. They should be informed of any restrictions that the employee is bound by following termination and a clear message should be given that in the event of any breach, action may be taken against the new employer if it has procured or encouraged the employee to breach their ongoing obligations.

Finally, if there is evidence of breach of obligations and you are suffering or likely to suffer loss as a result you need to be prepared to take action quickly to protect your position. Delay can reduce the prospect of obtaining an injunction to stop any breaches continuing and may increase the losses that are being incurred.

If you are interested in finding out how safe your business is from a departing employee, you can use Morgan Cole’s free online assessment tool to highlight your current approach. Simply visit www.morgan-cole.com/safe - it takes just a few minutes and provides clear advice on 10 important aspects of restrictive covenants and post-termination restrictions. Matt Jenkin will respond personally to any assessment and suggest ways in which gaps may be plugged and current practice improved.

Matt Jenkin can be contacted on 0118 955 3053 or matt.jenkin@morgancole.com. www.morgan-cole.com

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B4 ---

ROYALS BACK IN THE BIG TIME Reading Football Club has always been a first class place to combine business and pleasure, and now that the Royals are back in the Barclays Premier League there has truly never been a better time to be involved.

Promotion to the best League in the world has taken Reading and its partners to a new level together, and under the new ownership of Anton Zingarevich, there is even greater promise for the future. All of this potential and excitement comes alongside a great infrastructure, location and now a global reach for companies who work in tandem with the club.

The Barclays Premier League is one of the biggest sporting brands in the world and its reach is simply staggering. The League is watched in more than 650 million homes worldwide, across 212 territories and with more than 100,000 hours of broadcasting. More than 60 nationalities are represented on the pitch, and its worldwide potential will only continue to grow.

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Reading Football Club has the best of all of those attributes, but also with very strong roots in Berkshire. Chairman Sir John Madejski remains life president and the club continues to work with a large number of local businesses.

Local firms in the area are attracted to work with the club on a number of levels, be it through video screen sponsorship like Wokingham-based Volume Group, A1 Group’s perimeter advertising or Porsche Centre’s match sponsorship and programme placements.

Businesses in Berkshire and beyond are attracted to the club for a number of reasons. With a membership base of more than 100,000 and full crowds on a regular basis, Reading FC can help businesses reach a wide-ranging affluent demographic across the ages and both sexes. As a

previous winner of Family Club of the Year, the Royals have a passionate and discerning fanbase.

Advertising and sponsorship affiliations with Reading FC come in all shapes and sizes. Whether a single perimeter board or a flagship stand sponsorship, the Royals’ commercial team work with each firm to tailor a package to their exact needs.

And if it’s hospitality that fits the bill, there are a wide range of options and all budgets are catered for, from bar packages right up to the most prestigious exclusive VIP offerings befitting a club of Barclays Premier League standard.

If you want to work with the Royals or simply find out more, phone 0118 968 1010 or go to www.readingfc.co.uk

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B4 R&R

MATCH S PONSORSHIP Sponsoring a Reading FC home match offers the perfect opportunity for you to promote your brand, as well as treating your guests to a truly memorable day at Madejski Stadium.

Our match sponsors will enjoy Premier Suite hospitality including a 3 course pre-match meal, and enjoy the game from VIP Balcony seats on the South West Corner.

Your package includes the following…

Exclusive branding benefits • Company logo on the front of the matchday programme and on the video screen • Company name on the Team Sheet • Company name featured in the matchday programme following your sponsored game • PA announcement

“The league is watched in more than 650 million homes worldwide, across 212 territories”

Plus • Framed and signed Reading FC shirt presentation with commemorative photographs • Man of the match presentation with commemorative photographs • Stadium tour and corporate gifts • Champagne reception • Complimentary bar 2012/13 Sponsorship Price for 10 guests Platinum fixtures £3,500 + VAT Gold fixtures £3,250 + VAT Silver fixtures £3,000 + VAT To view a list of our fixtures - including Platinum / Gold / Silver categorisation - visit readingfc.co.uk Platinum fixtures must be booked in conjunction with a Gold or Silver fixture.

To book call the Reading FC Hospitality team on 0118 968 1010.

Sponsorship & Advertising Partnerships We would be delighted to discuss how we can support your business with a tailored package to suit your requirements.

Please contact the hospitality team on 0118 968 1010 to discuss the latest commercial opportunities. www.readingfc.co.uk

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B4 SERVICES

THE TROUBLE WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS? Imagine you’re launching a product or a brand, or planning an ad campaign or a VIP event, perhaps you’re even introducing the world to a brand new business. Fuelled by excitement, coffee and chocolate cake, you and your team have come up with some great ideas. Now you just need to bring those ideas to life.

To do that, you need great photography. Something engaging, informative and creative that makes your brand bounce. Something that separates you from the rest of the business park, using recycled stock shots on their boringly ‘corporate’ websites, banner ads and business leaflets. Something that demonstrates to your clients what you can do and how you do it, and reminds them of the pride you take in giving them the very best.

Photography by Carli Adby of ADBY Creative

Somehow though, you don’t always end up with the service or the results you want to get particularly excited about.

So when making an impact and making considered decisions is ever more important, what can you do?

Did it used to be like this? Perhaps part of the problem is the introduction of digital, which has brought with it armies of amateur “photographers” (eyes raised at this point) looking to make a quick buck. Everybody knows someone who fits this description, and many marketers and event promoters suffer for it. Their brochure, flyer or website copy talks about quality and conveys an eagerness to impress, but their poorly lit, badly composed and frankly unimaginative photographs tell a different story. Where was that eagerness to

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impress when they asked Marge from reception to bring in her digital SLR? Images of cropped heads, badly considered lifestyle shots and, worse still, pictures that you have paid for but that you just can’t use… they have no value. But value is the one thing that people want. Many wince at that word, but it doesn’t mean cheap, and it doesn’t mean expensive; it just means providing someone with a service, a set of images, and an experience that makes them feel good and answers their business questions. You want to go above and beyond for your customers, so why shouldn’t your visuals and your photography service do this too?

Demand more. Here are some tips for people choosing photographers for events or marketing materials: • Look for that value. Look for what you want and need from a photographer. How can they give you this and more? For instance, what exactly does their service include & which you know is useful to you?

Can they advise on how best to use your images after the project?

• What sort of experience does your photographer have, or have they had in your area? Ask for a portfolio and a selection of images from the same shoot, so that you can get a good overview of a shoot in its entirety. Don’t shy away from a specialist.

• Talk to your photographer about how you are using the images, as often this will effect how they are shot in the first place.

• Look at your licenses and what terms are included with your images. Although it is the norm for images to come with a 12-month license, sometimes they don’t, so ask if you are unsure or don’t understand any of the conditions.

• What is the timeline of the project? A professional photographer should be able to give you a good guideline of times and any potential changes to these.

• It isn’t all about the equipment, but an iPhone isn’t going to give you the high-resolution files you need if you want to put an advert on the side of a bus.

• Is your photographer prepared to spend time with your business before the shoot, brainstorming, looking at ideas and building a brief and, more importantly, getting to know you so that they can better communicate your values?

• Look for someone who can get involved with the team, gets on with your staff and actively looks to engage with any other professional services you are employing, eg copywriters, web designers or art directors.

• Can your photographer help with project management? Often you will find that suppliers know a whole range of complimentary services, so how else can they be of help to complete your project and achieve your objectives?

If you would like a visual review or just an informal chat about how professional photography might work for your business drop us an email at sayhello@adbycreative.co.uk or visit www.adbycreative.co.uk

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B4 R&R

EAT. SLEEP. AND DRINK WINE. If you are looking for somewhere special to entertain a customer or impress your better half, then we have good news. Your search is over, look no further, stop surfing and book a table, better still, book a room!

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The Vineyard in Newbury played host to our recent B4 Berkshire Ambassadors Event, wowing the guests with the new space age entrance, indulging them in some of the finest wines from Sir Peter Michael’s Californian vineyard and engaging them with knowledgeable and welcoming staff. It would have been rude not to go back and find out what The Vineyard experience is like for the guests, so we bit the bullet and accepted an invitation to ‘Eat. Sleep. And drink wine.’ Well someone had to do it!

On a bright Friday afternoon in July (and there weren’t many of them), we arrived at The Vineyard, checked in and enjoyed afternoon tea with Executive Chef Daniel Galmiche, whom you can read all about overleaf. The Vineyard opened over ten years ago, but the connection with wine hadn’t been clarified sufficiently in that time as General Manager, Hayden Bowl, explained. “We often had guests asking where our vineyard was! There wasn’t a clear link made to the fact that we had a vineyard in California so we felt it was important to showcase the wine and give the background in a clear statement.

“it’s the impressive wine vault which is the main attraction for many, with a glass floor over the basement

”

wine cellar

“Last year, we decided it was time to share our enthusiasum, knowledge and expertise of wine and food pairing with all our guests and really get the message out there. With a successful winery in California, an award winning wine list, a friendly, knowledgeable sommelier team, headed up by UK Sommelier of the Year 2011, Yohann Jousselin MS, over 30,000 bottles in our wine cellar and an extensive wine events programme, we realised we had lots to shout about!”

The statement was something else. For those of you who have visited The Vineyard pre March this year, you simply have to make plans to visit. Not only has the reception area been transformed. “As guests enter through the hotel door, they will instantly see why we are called The Vineyard.

A dramatic new painting depicting the infamous Judgement of Paris wine tasting in 1976, an impressive glass-floored wine vault containing over 880 bottles giving guests the opportunity to see down to our cellar, and a brand new menu concept are just some of the exciting changes we’ve made.”

Explains Hayden. But it’s the impressive wine vault which is the main attraction for many, with a glass floor over the basement wine cellar, you are flanked www.b4-business.com

by a tunnel of wine bottles either side and below, with an electric blue glow giving this incredible ‘statement’ a space age feel.

Through the tunnel, The Judgement of Paris painting acts as a perfect centre piece to the new look and feel of the public spaces within the hotel as Hayden explains. “The painting sits within the Taste room, a new casual dining space with a stunning new bar giving guests the option to dine and drink in a less formal dining area. As you walk through the doors, you’re not only met with the view of the painting and the vault, but with the bright, airy and elegant lounge area, that’s perfect for enjoying a glass of wine and afternoon tea with friends, family or colleagues.”

After tea we were shown to our room, and 2nd Wow! With a tastefully decorated lounge area leading into the bedroom with a magnificent four poster bed at its heart, and then on to the marble floored bathroom with an iconic free standing bath tub and super powerful walk in shower, what more could we want? A glass of wine perhaps, and it duly arrived. A nice touch before dinner, we were served a glass of wine each in the room as we made ourselves pretty, well one of us and it wasn’t me!

Before dinner we enjoyed a glass of champagne in the bar and we were then shown through to the dining room, down the elegant staircase to our table. The menus’ have also had a facelift at The Vineyard - smaller plates and more variety in a more relaxed atmosphere. Executive Chef Daniel Galmiche has created an amazing new menu where you construct your own meal from a mouth watering selection including scallops, Aberdeen Angus beef fillet and lobster. With superlative wines accompanying each course introduced by our sommelier, the dining experience at The Vineyard has never been better. Hayden explained, not during our meal of course, how changes within the staff have helped to enhance the whole Vineyard experience.

“Our attitude towards service has also changed. All staff at The Vineyard from sommeliers and waitresses through to housekeeping and reception have been trained to deliver a more casual and personable approach to service that’s still sleek and professional. We’ve also developed a wine training course appropriately called ‘Vintelligence’, which all staff have attended so that we can be confident that whilst the sommeliers or ‘wine coaches’ as we call them, are the experts in their field, other members of staff also have great wine knowledge.”

The Vineyard, an indulgence, an experience, a masterpiece, located on your doorstep. If you’re looking to treat yourself or someone special, The Vineyard is perfect, and I haven’t even mentioned the spa! www.the-vineyard.co.uk Visit us for lunch and receive 25% off your total bill. Terms and Conditions: Subject to availability, valid from Monday to Friday until 30th November 2012. Please quote 'B4Business' when booking.

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B4 R&R

REGAINING REPUTATION When Daniel Galmiche became Executive Chef of The Vineyard, West Berkshire, he had visions of creating a sustainable restaurant that uses fresh produce to offer a modern perspective on traditional French cuisine. Having forged a link with the vineyards in the Sonoma Valley, California, he seeks to fuse the American wines with his French heritage and, in doing so, regain the restaurant’s reputation for producing Michelin-star quality food. B4’s Richard Rosser shared a tasse du thé with a man who has been described at ‘the champion of classic cooking with a contemporary twist’.

Born in the Comte region of France, Daniel was raised in a food-loving family and has inherited generations of cooking knowledge, channelled through his grandparent’s organic farm. This ignited his love for fresh organic produce as he regularly hunted in the local area with his father. He was therefore at home when presented with his first culinary break-through: a three-year apprenticeship with Chef Yves Lalloz which involved working closely with the ingredients sourced from the farm attached to the restaurant.

His career has taken him all over the world; having been tutored by Michel Roux in London.

He has since worked in Sweden, Portugal, Singapore, Bahrain, South Africa and the less glamorous highlands of Scotland (where he was crowned Scottish Master Chef of the Year).

He has also garnered a series of Michelin stars at Harvey’s in Bristol, L’Ortolan near Reading and Cliveden House in Berkshire.

Now at The Vineyard in Stockcross, this charismatic genius aims to bring a contemporary twist to his beloved French cuisine. Yet his philosophy remains the same: using fresh, organically sourced produce to turn out modern, exciting and colourful food. Daniel was quick to stamp his mark on the restaurant, replacing the eight water baths in the kitchen with stoves to promote cooking ‘à la minute’ with nothing pre-prepared or pre-bottled.

“It’s the same kitchen, the only difference is that we cook on a stove now and before they didn’t because they used only water baths and I like ‘live’ cooking. I like the feel of it, I like the noise of it, I like the fact that people are really cooking.’

Explained Daniel.

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Last February, The Vineyard was rated as a Two Star Sustainability Champion, thus cementing its role as an organic and sustainable restaurant.

In order to maintain this reputation, Daniel believes that it is vital to work closely with the cooking community, ensuring all the food is appropriately sourced and farmed throughout the production line. “That means meeting the suppliers, talking to the farmers, visiting the farm, line-caught fish and hand-dived scallopsthat sort of thing. We take pride in the produce of the season and we represent this on the plate.”

“I’m one of these

guys who cooks for my customers.

I don’t cook necessarily for the guide because it’s my customers who feed me as it’s my customers who pay the bills.”

The Vineyard is also unique as it is one of the rare restaurants in which the customer can choose their own five course meal. Daniel therefore aims to maximise customer-liberty by allowing them to sample a range of dishes to their taste. “I’m one of these guys who cooks for my customers. I don’t cook necessarily for

the ‘guide’ because it’s my customers who feed me as it’s my customers who pay the bills.

Some people don’t like things and they look at the menu and say ‘OK that’s the set menu and I would like instead… and oh I’ve had that before… and I like the starter but, oh, could I have had that…’ and at the end of the day you may as well make your own menu! It’s risky and very tough but, so far, it’s working well.”

Indeed, this unique system is risky, as it often proves difficult for a large kitchen of twenty chefs to juggle up to ninety covers of a range of dishes. Yet Daniel believes that he is running a tight ship and has faith that his staff will always deliver food of the highest quality. “We are a good team of good people and we work really well together. They know what I want. The standard and consistency needs to be there all the time.”

The restaurant has taken its name from the owner, Sir Peter Michael, the proud owner of vineyards in the Sonoma Valley in North California. Daniel aims to build on a movement in the nineteen-seventies that saw a surge in American wines in France, a movement that his father was part of. “I have focused on connecting the wines of California and France with the food at The Vineyard, so that our guests can appreciate them working together.”

Seeking to fuse traditional French wines with the modern wines from the Californian valley, Daniel brings yet another unique edge to the restaurant.

“We are cooking for pleasure and we are bringing enjoyment to our guests and it seems to be working.” www.the-vineyard.co.uk

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B4 FINANCE

UNLOCKING GROWTH IN UNCERTAIN

ECONOMIC TIMES

By Derek Beards, senior manager for Lloyds TSB Commercial in Berkshire Continued economic uncertainty has led to some businesses abandoning any expansion ideas, but with careful planning and a strong support network, growth can be possible even during a recession.

Indeed, research by the Federation of Small Businesses shows that 58 per cent of small firms are looking to grow over the next 12 months.

The strategies employed to achieve this can be broadly grouped under two themes: organic growth or mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Organic growth Businesses can build up their existing competencies in a controlled manner, by introducing new product lines or entering new markets, for example.

different set of challenges that it is important to mitigate against from the start, before the integration into the existing business begins.

Lloyds TSB Commercial’s team of locally based relationship managers can help business owners choose the right funding options to meet their growth ambitions. To find out more please contact me on 07739 817 176.

Methods for financing your growth • The National Loan Guarantee Scheme - a Government-led initiative aimed at eligible businesses with a turnover of up to £50milllion.

The scheme allows banks to offer loans at a rate reduced by 1 per cent to eligible customers.

• Term loans – a longer term solution which provides a fixed financial package to enable the undertaking of specific projects, such as company acquisitions.

Research and development forms an important part of this process, allowing organisations to identify opportunities that can resonate with their current, and a potentially new, customer base.

• Overdrafts – a flexible working capital safety net to cover periods of high expenditure and help you control cashflow.

There is also the opportunity to expand a presence into new territories. Whether this expansion is domestic or international, a period of research beforehand is vital.

• Asset based lending - enables companies to purchase new plant, machinery, equipment and vehicles, therefore improving services and product offerings without putting pressure on liquidity.

It is important to assess whether existing products and services are suitable for your target markets, the level of competition you can expect, and what legal and political challenges may occur if expanding abroad.

• Hold discussions with your finance provider as early as possible and ensure the funding you request is sufficient to meet your requirements in full.

M&A An often quicker route to expansion than that of organic growth can come through M&A. By purchasing organisations that offer the same services as the existing business, or those that are complementary to it, perhaps with access to different markets, it is possible to gain additional expertise.

Any property given as security which may include your home, may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other debts secured on it.

All lending is subject to a satisfactory credit assessment.

Lloyds TSB Commercial is a trading name of Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc and serves customers with an annual turnover of up to £15M. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority under numbers 119278 and 191240 respectively. Licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 under registration numbers 0004685 and 0198797 respectively.

However, while an M&A strategy can provide a quick entry into a new market, it will produce a

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We subscribe to The Lending Code; copies of the Code can be obtained from www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk.

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B4 FINANCE

NATIONAL LOAN GUARANTEE SCHEME

By Paul Smart, Area Director for Lloyds TSB Commercial in the Thames Valley In order to help businesses access cheaper finance to achieve their growth ambitions, and in turn help stimulate economic recovery, in March this year the Government announced the launch of the new National Loan Guarantee Scheme (NLGS).

As part of our commitment to support small and medium sized enterprises, both in the Thames Valley and across the UK, Lloyds TSB Commercial is one of the key participants in the two year, £20 billion scheme.

We understand that businesses across the Thames Valley may be suffering from a lack of confidence that they will be able to access the funding they need to grow their business, so the NLGS will be a welcome addition to the lending landscape.

Below is some key information for businesses looking to take part in the NLGS.

Are NLGS loans for a certain purpose, or for businesses in specific sectors?

Securing a loan under the scheme is not reliant upon using the funding for a specific purpose and so long as customers meet the scheme eligibility rules then they will be eligible for the scheme.

If I meet the eligibility criteria, will I automatically be accepted for a NLGS loan?

NLGS loans are still subject to the same credit assessment and lending criteria as other loans, so unfortunately meeting the NLGS criteria does not mean a loan will be issued automatically under the scheme.

At Lloyds TSB Commercial, we continue to approve eight out of ten requests for loans and overdrafts*.

Our relationship managers will be able to talk to you about your requirements, and whether an NLGS loan would be right for your business.

Which businesses are eligible?

When the NLGS was originally announced, the maximum turnover for eligible businesses was set at £50 million. However, it was announced in June that this maximum turnover would be increased to £250 million. In addition to meeting this criteria, businesses must be based in the UK and not be in financial difficulty.

What are the benefits of an NLGS loan?

Businesses which secure an NLGS loan will benefit from a discounted interest rate of one per cent. At Lloyds TSB Commercial, this reduced rate will be applied to the first five years of a standard rate loan.

To find out how we can work with your business and how you could benefit from the NLGS, please visit www.lloydstsbbusiness.com Any property given as security which may include your home, may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other debts secured on it.

All lending is subject to a satisfactory credit assessment. *January to March 2012 Lloyds TSB Commercial is a trading name of Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc and serves customers with an annual turnover of up to £15M. Authorised and regulated by the

How do businesses access a NLGS loan?

Financial Services Authority under numbers 119278 and 191240 respectively. Licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974

At Lloyds TSB Commercial, we have been a part of the scheme since it launched in March and are pleased to offer NLGS loans to our eligible business customers.

under registration numbers 0004685 and 0198797 respectively.

We subscribe to The Lending Code; copies of the Code can be obtained from www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk.

We have a network of relationship managers across the Thames Valley, who can discuss the scheme with customers and discuss the details further, as well as assess eligibility.

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B4 FINANCE

NEW INDOOR CENTRE DRIVES GROWTH FOR KARTING BUSINESS Business is booming for an indoor go-karting business, which is headquartered in Farnham, following continued expansion using financial support from Lloyds TSB Commercial.

Team Sport operates nine indoor recreational racetracks across the south of the UK, transforming large warehouse premises into individually-designed tracks.

Former IT business analyst and owner Paul Wrightman started the company in 1990, and it has since grown from its first indoor track in Guildford to its current nine sites as far apart as Cardiff and Tower Bridge, London, and employs around 300 staff. Since its newest site Brighton opened, it is already running at near maximum capacity, attracting around 500 customers each week.

In order to purchase and develop the business’ first eight sites owner Paul approached the business’ finance provider Lloyds TSB Commercial for funding, including through the Government-backed Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) scheme.

The business has grown rapidly in recent years, increasing its turnover from just under £5 million to over £8 million between 2009 and 2012, and Paul plans to continue its successful expansion into new areas of the UK in 2012 and beyond.

what I originally thought would be a part-time basis.

I’ve since been overwhelmed by the speed with which it’s grown, especially over the last few years, which were particularly difficult for many companies across the UK. “We’re always looking for new ideas and ways to put ourselves ahead of the competition, and we recently opened an indoor track in Crawley which extends over three levels, which was the first such indoor track in the UK.

site represented an important investment in Team Sport’s future growth.

“EFG loans can be particularly suited to SMEs like Team Sport, as they offer competitive rates of interest over variable repayment periods, and are just one of a range of funding packages that we are able to offer. As part of our commitment to supporting UK businesses Lloyds Banking Group lent a total of £12.5 billion to SMEs in 2011, and has made a unilateral commitment to lend at least £12 billion in 2012.”

“The support from Lloyds TSB Commercial was essential to successfully securing the bulk of our sites when time was of the essence, and helped us to expand into a new geographic area that we had identified as being a good opportunity for future growth.”

Any property given as security which may include your home, may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or other debts secured on it.

Chris Knight, Relationship Manager for Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: “Team Sport is a unique business that has bucked the trend seen in the leisure sector in recent years by continuing its steady expansion, and creating many new jobs in the process.

plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc and serves customers with an

All lending is subject to a satisfactory credit assessment.

Lloyds TSB Commercial is a trading name of Lloyds TSB Bank annual turnover of up to £15M. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority under numbers 119278 and 191240 respectively. Licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 under registration numbers 0004685 and 0198797 respectively.

Paul said: “I started Team Sport, which used to trade as Go Karting For Fun, over 20 years ago on 64

“With Paul’s track record of success in expanding the business, he recognised that the new Brighton

We subscribe to The Lending Code; copies of the Code can be obtained from www.lendingstandardsboard.org.uk.

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Property Experts 5 Units Already Let / Sold

Unit Recently Let to Halfords Autocentre

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Newly refurbished Warehouse / Distribution and office units. To Let

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Rents from £6.50 psf. To Let

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Two 2-storey business units available on flexible terms To Let

Cold Store / Industrial Unit with 9 loading doors and large yard To Let

Superb development of new 2-storey office / business units. To Let

Joint Agent: New Ballerino

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Join us on our 350 mile trip from Edinburgh to Blenheim Palace in Oxford next May. Having completed the 270 mile trip from Paris to Oxford earlier this year, we are doing it again next year, leaving from Edinburgh on May 24th, having travelled up the day before, cycling back through Newcastle, Leeds and Birmingham before the final leg to Blenheim Palace on Monday May 27th (Bank Holiday Monday).

The ride is open to everyone, and we already have a core of 12 cyclists who were on the trip earlier this year, plus a few friends who have already signed up. Cyclists will be expected to have a decent road bike and achieved a minimum level of fitness. Further details are available for all those interested.

The cost of the trip is ÂŁ850, which includes professional guides, a medic, mechanic, all accommodation,food and support team costs. If you are interested, we do have a payment plan option to help you spread the cost over the next six months.

We are currently adding to our list of preferred charities and hope to make further announcements soon.

So why not pick up the phone and get involved Ă? it will be a trip to remember.

Call 01865 742211 today or e-mail editorial@b4-business.com

Communication Partner

Media Partner

Support Vehicle Partner

2013 preferred charities. More to be announced.

Fitness Partner

Finish Line Host

B4 SERVICES Email marketing is still a vital part of your marketing suite, more than you may think. A new study from Pew Internet noted that internet users spend around 11% more time checking or sending email than they do visiting social media accounts like Facebook. The number rises to 25% when you compare it to other online activities, such as checking the weather and a massive 31% higher than watching video on social sites such as Vimeo & You Tube.

So in short, email is still ‘king of the hill’ in marketing terms. According to Econsultancy’s email census, a vast majority of responding companies (70%) rate email as 'excellent' or 'good' for ROI.

target your customers and prospects with relevant email messages.

2. Content, Content and more Content The more targeted your email campaigns, the more emails you will have to write and the more content or information you’ll need. The key to promoting relevant content in email is to provide an offer that is connected to the initial contact request or area of interest (survey tools are a great way to define your contacts scope of interest). How did you get the contacts details? Did they subscribe to something specific on your website? What action did they take?

Offer them content that fits with their intent and needs.

“Be clear to your target market about what

Interestingly mobile devices are playing a more important role with email open rates on mobile devices increased by 34% from April 2011 through September 2011 as compared to the previous six-month period.

With so many people using the Internet, it’s obvious that the digital world should be a key area of marketing focus for small business today. But the old adage still holds true: location location location. Online, that means deciding which system to put your money in to get the most for your marketing investment.

“Interestingly mobile devices are playing a more important role with email open rates on mobile devices increased by 34% from April 2011 through September 2011

”

Social media has taken the spotlight in marketing over the last decade and rightly so, but even without the headlines, email is still performing strongly.

Choosing a system that leverages the power of these two giants of digital marketing should be your first criteria.

So how do you go about making email marketing an effective part of your marketing strategy? There are four basic core principals to consider.

1. Segmentation of your contacts Combining your contact databases regularly in one central system allows for clear segmentation by groups or by custom criteria and gives you the ability to

they will get out of subscribing to your emails.

Give them a clear description of what the value proposition is

”

3. Maintenance Regular clean up of your email list by removing those addresses that are no longer engaged will keep your results fresh and ROI high. You can identify these addresses with metrics such as opens, clicks, or frequency of opens.

InTouchCRM offers a full range of email metrics to track contact engagement and deliverability of your emails.

4. Grow your list by offering value At InTouch we don't allow use of purchased lists within the system, we want you to maintain a trustworthy online presence so set out to earn your subscribers. Be clear to your target market about what they will get out of subscribing to your emails. Give them a clear description of what the value proposition is.

So in short, email is a powerful marketing option for driving real business results and achieving measurable success. Make sure you include email marketing in your plans for this year.

For more help and advice on email marketing, survey tools, CRM usage and much more visit us at www.intouchcrm.co.uk and download our ebook on Effective Email Marketing.

WHY ALL SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD MASTER EMAIL MARKETING Article by James White - CEO InTouchCRM.

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B4 R&R

BEARWOOD LAKES Bearwood Lakes Golf Club is synonymous with high quality, perfection and great traditions. The course is second to none in Berkshire, with immaculate greens and challenging fairways, but Bearwood Lakes has more to offer than a great golf course. B4â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Richard Rosser found out that underneath the prestige of a first class golf course, Bearwood Lakesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; facilities are second to none.

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Bearwood Lakes Golf Club in Berkshire is rapidly becoming regarded as one of the best golfing venues in Europe. In November 2011 it was posted by the UK Golf Guide as the number one venue in Berkshire based on independent reviews and was ranked second in the top one hundred golfing experiences in England on www.top100golfcourses.co.uk in 2010 (beaten only by Royal St. George’s, last year’s Open Championship venue).

Encapsulated by breath-taking scenery, the course snakes around the picturesque lakes allowing golfers to enjoy their rounds in a peaceful serenity.

But Bearwood Lakes is much more than just a golf club. Earlier this year, local entrepreneur and long time member Gary Holloway purchased the club from the founders (the Wilson and Newling-Ward families) and has set a number of ambitious goals; his aim is to catapult the club to the next level and for it to be classified as one of the finest, not just in Europe but in the world. Naturally, improvements to all aspects of the club have been at the top of Mr. Holloway’s list with a significant amount of money spent already on turning good golf holes into great golf holes. It’s notable therefore that, whilst many golf clubs around Britain are struggling financially, Bearwood Lakes is thriving, with ever continuous enhancements to both the clubhouse facilities and the course itself, the level of quality and leisure is constantly improving. Furthermore, in order to establish itself as one of the best, the alterations made to individual holes, for example, the pond between holes 8 and 9 has been

Equally as impressive are the conference facilities within the clubhouse, the meeting rooms provide a comfortable and well-lit atmosphere conducive to any business function. These, combined with the high speed WiFi throughout the clubhouse, outdoor terrace with spectacular views of the golf course, free parking and large amounts of open space, contribute to creating a tranquil and attractive environment to host a meeting.

Such is the growing reputation of Bearwood Lakes that golf superstar Luke Donald visited the course in preparation the week before the PGA Championship. His outstanding victory a few days later re-instated him to the position of World No. 1.

Many golfers have seized the opportunity to play the very same holes as Donald graced back in May, which has certainly provided an extra incentive to visit the course and has added to the profile and history of the club. Gary Holloway commented “Luke’s visit is an extremely exciting and proud moment for me personally and for Bearwood Lakes. To host one of the world’s finest golfers today at Bearwood Lakes is not only a great honour but it also signals my intention to continue the outstanding achievement of the previous owners and make Bearwood Lakes, not just one of the best courses in Britain, but on every golfers’ ‘must play’ list across the world.”

Donald enchanted Bearwood Lakes’ members and guests from Mizuno with a Q&A style clinic before saving time to sign autographs for Bearwood Lakes Juniors. He commented “This is my first visit to

“To host one of the world’s finest golfers today

at Bearwood Lakes is not only a great honour but it also signals my intention to continue the outstanding achievement of the previous owners and make Bearwood Lakes, not just one of the best courses in Britain, but on every golfers’ ‘must play’ list across the world.”

extended significantly and many other holes have benefited from subtle changes to make for a more enjoyable golfing experience.

Bearwood Lakes and I have been taken back by the beauty of the course. It has a fantastic layout and is in magnificent condition.”

However, that’s not to say that the course is only playable for seasoned golfers. At Bearwood Lakes there is a refreshing approach to membership, something the Managing Director Carl Rutherford is keen to maintain. It’s not just the course that’s first class either, the helpful and enthusiastic staff make every visitor feel welcome from their arrival at the clubhouse and provide a level of assistance that is rarely challenged by other venues; a source of great pride for Bearwood Lakes.

Remarkably, whilst numbers of members for many British golf clubs have dwindled in recent years, Bearwood Lakes has retained a very healthy membership and continues to buck the national trend. Bearwood Lakes is so much more than just a golf course. My advice is to make a trip there as soon as you can!

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www.bearwoodlakes.co.uk

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B4 R&R

MAL LIFE We’ve been to the Brasserie in the Malmaison several times, so it was with a considerable amount of expectation that we visited recently for Sunday lunch to try their new menu. Jo Willet of Oxford Innovation writes for B4.

The Reading Mal, like many of their hotels, is themed based on its location. With its proximity to the train station and the building’s previous life as a railway inn, you can’t fail to notice the distinct ‘Great Western Railway’ theme – the dark regency style wallpaper, the black and white pictures of engines and the very industrial feel makes for an interesting and somewhat enchanting atmosphere, harking back to the romantic era of the railways.

The new ‘Toast the Roast’ menu represents great value and the opportunity to have a high quality

and Rob went for the fish special of the day – cod fillet in a rich bisque sauce. The beef quite simply melted in the mouth – perfectly cooked, lightly pink and so tasty I could have eaten just a plate of meat. However, the accompanying vegetables were equally well cooked – the carrots were confidently al dente and the roast potatoes light and crispy. The beef also came with a rich gravy and a small gravy boat with extra in if I needed it. Rob’s fish was thick, chunky and really succulent. The bisque sauce was the perfect addition and added to an interesting dish.

“I had ‘Malmaison from the

shore’ – a rather grand name for a large salmon blini, which was, however, frankly delicious, and the perfect light starter

”

brasserie experience at a casual dining price, with either 2 courses for £13.95 or 3 courses for £15.95. Unlike many other limited menu offers, many of the daily specials are included, so there isn’t the danger that after a couple of visits we will have tried all of our preferred dishes. This did make choosing a challenge though!

In the end I decided to eat from the staple list of dishes, and my partner, Rob, chose some daily specials. For my starter, I had ‘Malmaison from the shore’ – a rather grand name for a large salmon blini, which was, however, frankly delicious, and the perfect light starter. Topped with a cream & herb sauce, the salmon was succulent and tasty and the blini was light and accompanied the topping perfectly. Rob had the terrine, which on first appearance seemed a little short on accompanying toasted bread, but was so delicious that Rob didn’t touch the extra bread he ordered.

After our starter plates were cleared we had a few minutes breather before our main courses were presented. I opted for the traditional roast beef dinner, despite the blistering temperatures outside

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After all that, I wasn’t sure I had room for a 3rd course, but was persuaded to after a 15 minute break. I chose the chocolate tart, with honeycomb and Chantilly cream, while Rob went for the cheese plate – and a wide and varied plate it was too – at least six different cheeses, beautifully arranged on a slate plate, with a selection of chutneys and grapes. My chocolate tart was very rich – truth be told, just a little too rich for me, so I could only manage about half of it, but the honeycomb pieces were delicious, and reminded me of my love of Crunchies as a child – this was just the grown up version!

All in all, our experience at the Reading Malmaison was definitely one to remember and frankly with the rates available on a Sunday night, combining lunch with an overnight stay is highly recommended. It is a long standing joke between Rob and I that I always pick the best thing off the menu – however, even I couldn’t choose between the dishes we tried – so we will have to return soon so that I can try and retain my reputation! www.malmaison.com

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PAUL

WATSON

He feels that Malmaison has the world at its feet as a luxury boutique hotel which ‘feels so different’ compared to the often ‘samey’ environment at large hotels. “Mal is a great brand... moody, sexy, everything you want to believe there is in a luxury boutique hotel. Our Brasserie style is unique within the Reading market.” Paul believes that success is grounded in good relations- both within larger companies and the local community- and hopes to use this as a platform for future success. Hoping to blend his Customer Service skills from his Red Star days with the revenue strategy and commercial focus he learned at Thistle, he deems Malmaison to sit ‘perfectly between the two’. “It’s just the sort of hotel I want to run.” www.b4-business.com

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Photo of Paul Watson by Hills & Saunders

Paul Watson is the new General Manager at Malmaison Reading. Paul started his career at the four Red Star Hotel, Stapleford Park, in Leicester as Food and Beverage Manager. From here, he has worked at a variety of hotels under the Thistle brand in St. Albans, Brighton, Bristol, Liverpool and, more recently, Heathrow, where he has been for the last eighteen months. This has therefore given Paul the opportunity to work in almost every market place in the UK, ranging from seaside resorts to the inner-city.

INNOVATION AT BLENHEIM Oxford Innovation will shortly be welcoming their first customers to the latest of their twenty one centres throughout the UK at Windrush Industrial Park, part of the Blenheim Palace Estate. Marketing and IC Development Director, Jo Willett, talked to B4’s Richard Rosser about the culmination of a successful partnership between B4 Platinum Ambassadors, Oxford Innovation and Blenheim Palace ahead of the opening of the Witney Business and Innovation Centre.

“This is a very positive conclusion to two very strong organisations working together in Oxfordshire, brought together by a third, West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC). Will Barton, WODC’s Business Development Director, played a massive role in ensuring this project came to fruition. Will and WODC have been incredibly supportive, offering support at every stage of the process. This is a huge project for the council to have on its doorstep and a fantastic boost to the local economy.” Explained Jo. As with any successful news story, a lot of hard work has gone on behind the scenes, but before the three parties came together, Oxford Innovation had to identify the right site and Blenheim had to identify the most suitable partner.

Blenheim Palace’s Property Director, Roger File, gave his account of how the partnership came about and why it has been such a positive experience for the estate.

“When we took over Windrush in March 2011, in discussion with WODC we came to the conclusion that the most effective use of one of the buildings on the estate would be to form an Innovation Centre. It was the size and nature of the building which interested Oxford Innovation and they were keen to share the area with other service office occupiers in order to develop a fully competent office service.

“There was considerable interest shown by several service office providers, but we felt that Oxford Innovation was more than a service office provider, more a ‘nurturing facility’ that could lend its full support to companies to enable them to achieve their full potential.”

Oxford Innovation were founded in 1987 and launched Europes’s first innovation centre in Oxford. Oxford Innovation has the experience to understand the service that companies need.

Creating a degree of synergy between businesses in Innovation Centres is a key point for owners and

customers alike, something that Oxford Innovation do very well.

The Innovation Centre will be fully operational by the end of 2012. As the building is in plain view and easy access of the old A40, it was important that the exterior was improved after significant neglect from the previous landlords, explains Roger.

“Our grounds staff from Blenheim have worked on the environment surrounding the building and the newly cultivated landscape can allow for a more relaxed and efficient working atmosphere and has also helped the Centre to build relationships with existing tenants. These relationships are strengthened further by the close proximity to Blenheim, enabling us to provide frequent contact and an accessibility and availability of support that previous owners (based in the North of England) didn’t have, ensuring crucial support for businesses on site.”

Against the backdrop of a fragile economy where businesses are reluctant to relocate to new

L to R: Roger File - Blenheim Palace Property Director, Chris Allington - Managing Director - Business & Innovation Centres, for Oxford Innovation, Margaret Hewitt, Centre Director and John Hoy - Blenheim Palace Chief Executive

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B4 PROPERTY

premises due to prohibitive costs, fears of disruption to the business and a distinct lack of compelling reasons to move, a move to the new Witney Business and Innovation Centre is a simple process providing businesses looking for a secure and supportive office environment with the perfect solution, explains Roger.

“Many believe that there is no future for commercial office space as there are larger

this for a number of years. The location was crucial, and as soon as Blenheim announced the acquisition of Windrush Industrial Park, we knew there was a perfect partnership to be formed.

“Blenheim were looking for an innovative solution to inject some high quality tenants to the park and, as part of their approach talked to a number of potential partners. We stood out because we are not just about providing tenants and filling spaces,

pay a membership fee for the privilege of using the facilities. We also provide meeting rooms and hotdesking.”

The flexibility of moving into the new Innovation Centre with agreements from as little as one month’s notice, means that the price of renting a new, private office space for a contracted period is very similar to the prices that Oxford Innovation charge for the same period of time, but with a

“we felt that Oxford Innovation was more than a service office provider, more a ‘nurturing facility’ that could lend its full support to companies to enable them to achieve their full potential

”

incentives to work from home; with technological advances and alterations in peoples’ working patterns. However, this Centre provides the ultimate flexible space for people that need a central focus for their office or business, but also enables them the flexibility to work from home when necessary. A fairly new company may, for example, employ six people but only needs to house, at any one time, two or three. The centre provides a logical solution where the space required isn’t wasted at any time.

“Businesses aren’t committed to three or five year leases at the new centre with options for shorter leases and licences, giving, particularly, new businesses the opportunity to breathe, find their feet and hopefully flourish.”

So Blenheim had found the perfect partner, and Jo confirms why Windrush Park was the perfect site.

“Witney has been in need of a development like

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we also offer business support. We also had established connections with the area given our history in Oxfordshire and this complemented Blenheim’s modus operandi.

“We are delighted to now be working in Witney and now have presence in the majority of Oxfordshire’s market towns.”

The new site is now being marketed having created a new identity and website, and prospective tenants are already making enquiries and visiting the centre, adds Jo. “We are getting encouraging interest at a relatively early stage, with lots of interest from the surrounding villages and enquiries about our virtual office package where companies use our address, have a telephone answering service and can hot desk when they are in the area, but it’s not a full time office for them.

much more flexible contract and the accomplished support that the business needs.

So if you’re looking for an office solution to give your business the best possible support and a flexible environment where your business can thrive, contact Margaret Hewitt, Centre Director to find out more about moving to the Witney Business and Innovation Centre.

With further expansion in Harrow, North West London in September / October, Jo isn’t slowing up the expansion of Oxford Innovation. “It’s exciting to be opening the new Witney site but we are already looking ahead to our next centre in Harrow and beyond.” www.oxin-centres.co.uk www.witney-bic.co.uk www.blenheimpalace.com www.lilyhillhouse.com (Berkshire)

“There will also be a business lounge so people can come in to a business environment and they will

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B4 SPOTLIGHT

B4 PARIS TO OXFORD Photography by Zoe Kemp

It was with some fear and trepidation that 12 plucky B4 cyclists ventured to Paris one Friday evening in May with the sole aim of cycling back.......a massive 270 miles!

But what an adventure! Throughout the gruelling hills and winding countryside of outer Paris, to the coast and a night time crossing to Portsmouth, the team were bonding and can now look back on a trip to remember. The Jubilee Monday 103 mile trek from Portsmouth to Blenheim Palace looked a tall order, but all twelve riders, ably assisted by Martin and Joe from Passion in Events, made it back to a one hundred strong crowd of family and friends. We would like to thank our sponsors below and all of the riders for helping us to raise over ÂŁ10,000 for Oxfam. Well done John, Rob, Keith, Richard, Kieran, Nigel, Dave, Jane the Legend, Dan, Steve and Wayne. Thank you also to Blenheim for hosting our return.

Would you like to join us on our trip from Edinburgh next year back to Blenheim Palace (350 miles!). See page 66. www.b4-business.com

www.b4-business.com

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The executive 4x4.

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OFFICIAL FUEL CONSUMPTION FIGURES FOR THE JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE RANGE IN MPG (L/100KM): EXTRA URBAN 39.2 (7.2), URBAN 27.4 (10.3), COMBINED 34.0 (8.3). CO2 EMISSIONS: 218 G/KM.

*Model shown is a Grand Cherokee Limited with Metallic paint at an initial rental of £8778 followed by 47 monthly rentals of £399 on Personal Contract Hire. All rentals exclude maintenance. Based on 10,000 miles per annum. Excess mileage charges apply. Offer subject to status, a guarantee and/or indemnity may be required. Terms and Conditions apply. Offer may be varied or withdrawn at any time without prior notification. †Free Satellite Navigation offer is available on all new models of Jeep Grand Cherokee purchased and registered between 1st and 30th September 2012. Should the model purchased have a satellite navigation system as standard (e.g. Overland and S Limited models) an equivalent value discount off the price of the relevant model’s option pack will be offered. FGA Contracts, 240 Bath Road, Slough SL1 4DX. Vehicles must be registered with FGA Contracts before 30 September 2012. Prices and specifications correct at time of going to press (08/12).

Jeep® is a registered trademark of Chrysler Group LLC.

The Main Event

78 Jolly Hockey Mics!

Living On A Cloud

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The Wider B4 Selected articles from the B4 Network It Takes Two

84 The Red Lion

A Sweet Career for ‘Young Candy’

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88 New Chrysler Ypsilon In UK

90 B U I L D I N G

B R I D G E S

B E T W E E N

B U S I N E S S E S

“The main aim of the Palace is to excite and ignite peoples imaginations”

THE MAIN EVENT Having worked at worldwide events company Talking Point for five and a half years, hotel chain Corinthia and British Airways special services for two and a half years, Paul Liczbinski has brought quite a considerable blend of experiences and knowledge to Blenheim Palace. He has played key roles in the setup of the defined brochures, e-mail system and newsletters that go out to clients in order to promote the corporate opportunities at Blenheim Palace.

Blenheim Palace has gained a fantastic reputation for high profile weddings and events in recent years, although clear confidentiality agreements prevent these from being used to promote the Palace, but as Paul explained, this is almost more of a positive. “Our hands are tied when it comes to promoting certain events that have been held here,

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but that works to our advantage as other outlets promote these events and we bathe in the reflective glory. It’s a great way to get priceless PR.” Blenheim Palace recently joined Eventia which sets the benchmark in the meetings industry, which has helped the palace diversify their hospitality towards several different markets. Emphasis is more and more being put on the conference and banqueting sector as well as the wedding market and the incentive market which enables Blenheim to welcome and cater for companies from all sectors of business. The main aim of the Palace is to ‘excite and ignite peoples imaginations’ and Paul is well on the way to doing just that.

And so the idea of the Marlborough Assignment was born. 2012 is the 50th anniversary of James Bond, and the latest Bond blockbuster, ‘Skyfall’, will

be hitting cinema screens in October; more than enough reason to create a special James Bond related event as Paul explains. “Blenheim has been planning the Marlborough Assignment for several months and will consist of six challenges taken from well-known Bond movies and the presence of Bond girls, look-alikes, cars and baddies to lend authentication to the experience. Clients’ imaginations will be set racing in the most high end event as they will be picked up by the classic James Bond transport, Aston Martins, and driven to Blenheim Palace where the games will take place.

We are are working with Spygames, an ex-military company that have an excellent reputation of doing events impeccably well, to add some sophistication to the challenges. For instance, there is a complex observation challenge around the Palace grounds as clients seek to spot six specific clues.”

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B4 TWB4

Blenheim Palace in Woodstock is well known for its beautiful Palace and gardens as well as the attractions it offers for visitors and particularly its spectacular events. Head of Sales at Blenheim, Paul Liczbinski, joined in November 2011 with a vision to improve the Palace’s hospitality profile. Since November, he has been incredibly busy incorporating new procedures, employing like-minded staff and increasing the flexibility of the Palace to attract the corporate market for meetings and events. B4’s George Walker reports for B4.

There are, of course, other novel ways of attracting people to the Palace without assessing them on their observation and endurance skills. The ‘Be a Knight for a Day’ in the Pleasure Gardens and ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Duke’ events will also continue to run through the year as well as fishing and other pursuits that can be staged in the Park.. The sheer size of the grounds and the commitment of the Blenheim Palace staff allow for a sublime depth and creativity of events and even mean several events are able to run on the same day without affecting each other. What’s more, ideas for an authentic jousting competition to be held at the Palace are becoming more prominent.

With the availability of ample space and the willingness of the catering company Searcys to cook special jousting food, it could present a fantastic experience for both families and clients.

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Added to this, the brand new visitor centre and Oxfordshire Pantry allow for a unique shopping experience as well as the possibilities for cocktail parties and specific events. There is also the four month old champagne bar next to the Water Terraces which provides another area for entertainment (the Marlborough Assignment finishes there in the evening). The space around the Palace and within the Park is also available for larger marquee based events for clients.

To accommodate the enormous increase in the wedding market, Blenheim Palace are seeking to push weddings onto weekdays in order to maximise the usage of the space and to satisfy demand. The Palace is also keen to set up a wedding planners’ club that can meet and discuss ideas, allowing for the more expansive networking between wedding planners whom often choose to

work independently. This will bring together planners from the US, China, Russia and all over the UK to create a society of ideas, driven by Blenheim Palace and will hopefully be up and running by April 2013.

The conference attraction to the Palace is also being strengthened by the availability of ten rooms that can be used for meetings and the Palace is releasing packages and special deals for business usage. Incentives include the offer of complimentary dining packages for group bookings and discounts on facility fees.

There’s no doubt Blenheim Palace can cater for every whim, fantasy and event. Make sure you speak to Paul about how the Palace could provide the perfect setting for your perfect event. www.blenheimpalace.com

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Next year will be my 25th year in the hotseat and it has given me fantastic opportunities to travel and make friends around the world. It has also kept me at a level in the sport that I never achieved as a player, having been involved in three Olympic Games and four World Cups

â&#x20AC;?

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B4 TWB4

JOLLY HOCKEY MICS! Bloxham School’s Director of Marketing and B4 Ambassador Nick Irvine leads an interesting life! He has just returned from the Olympic Games in London where the man they call ‘the Voice of Hockey’ was heavily involved with the sports presentation team at the mens’ and womens’ hockey events. B4 caught up with Nick at the Olympic Park and quizzed him about what must have been an incredible experience B4: How and where did this love of hockey start?

Well, as with so many things, the opportunity came from my school days. It was a sport that I quickly took to and enjoyed some success as a County and Divisional player. From there Club hockey soon followed and at college it was natural to keep it all going. I progressed into teaching where coaching and umpiring qualifications proved useful tools. The commentating came about through a piece of serendipity really and has been a great outlet for my passion for the game. Next year will be my 25th year in the hotseat and it has given me fantastic opportunities to travel and make friends around the world. It has also kept me at a level in the sport that I never achieved as a player, having been involved in three Olympic Games and four World Cups.

they made everyone feel so welcome in London and at the Games themselves.

We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. The facilities were truly first class and this was appreciated by all the competitors. As you would expect with Lord Coe at the helm, the conditions for those who came to London to perform were paramount at every tier of planning.

“My main concern was that we would put on an event worthy of being called the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’. Did we achieve that? It is for others to say but I think that we did

”

B4: What exactly was your role in the London Olympics?

I was asked to take on the role of stadium announcer and I was also responsible for providing in-ear commentary for blind or partially sighted sports fans who could access a play by play commentary via a small radio that fitted around their ear. These radios were also on general sale and enabled spectators, many of whom who were non – hockey experts, to follow the action and, hopefully to enhance their experience while at the Riverbank Arena. This was part of our Olympic bid proposal and therefore something that had to be delivered. It was ground breaking stuff for hockey and I was thrilled to be a part of it – as well as everything else. There were two of us working on these aspects of our coverage and a total sports presentation crew of around thirty.

Twenty hour days were not uncommon but I think that we would all do it again tomorrow as it was a special place and time.

And of course Team GB did amazingly well giving a huge boost to the Nation.

Our girls’ hockey team won a bronze while the men narrowly missed out, finishing fourth. That confirmed their world rankings and was a highly respectable performance but, oddly, for me it wasn’t a key feature. My main concern was that we would put on an event worthy of being called the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’. Did we achieve that? It is for others to say but I think that we did. The hockey event saw over 600,000 spectators over the fortnight – now that is sensational by any measure. They crowds were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and gave support to whoever was playing, although the decibel levels went off the scale every time a GB shirt was involved!!

B4: Did you ‘bump into anyone famous?’

Hockey attracted some notable figures.

B4: When did you learn about your role in the Games?

As soon as I heard that London had won the rights to host I knew that I had to be involved in some capacity. I had worked in Sydney and Athens running the media centre for the hockey competitions and had also done some commentary live and delayed from those Olympiads. About two and a half years ago I was approached by LOCOG to join the sports presentation team and, having agreed to work on the Games, the actual job evolved quite slowly with a flurry of activity in the last three months.

Royalty in the shape of Prince Edward and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who is a former hockey player herself and a great supporter of Team GB, Queen Sofia of Spain, Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands and I shared a lift together, fortunately he is also hockey mad! We had visits from leading politicians, plus Lord Coe and his LOCOG team and the great and the good from the world of the IOC, BOA and Sport UK. B4: What will be the Legacy for hockey?

B4: What are your feelings about the Games now that they are over?

I think that they have to be viewed as a triumph for so many reasons. I believe that we were able to showcase the Best of British and our ability to stage a major global event with a style and confidence that does us credit. The issues about security and transport were soon forgotten. Our armed forces did a fantastic job and showed a wonderful, smiling face at the security posts and gave great confidence to the Olympic Park. The volunteers were unbelievable – many of them never got to see a race run, a ball hit or a length swum but www.b4-business.com

Hockey will have a new national venue to be built a short distance from the Olympic Park. But of far greater importance will be if we attract new players and officials to our sport over the next few years. Then, and only then, will we know if London 2012 truly did ‘Inspire a Generation’. www.bloxhamschool.com

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LIVING ON A CLOUD In a world where technology is fast becoming the pinnacle of existence, companies are scrapping it out to find the best technology around in order to be at the top of their game and fight off the competition. CIS, an IT solutions company based in Faringdon, believes it has the key to success for many businesses with the release of its latest project – vBubble (otherwise known as Cloud).

Eliott Benoist reports for B4.

Having been in business for over twenty years, CIS has made some serious progress, trebling its clientele as one of the first companies to embrace the idea of virtualisation, and Cloud has been at the forefront of this exponential rise to success.

CIS has gained 85 brand new customers this year from Cloud’s existence with big names such as Force India (the F1 team) and even St. Paul’s Cathedral using it to enhance their computing experience. It’s even been referred to by business owners as ‘a no brainer’ when compared to other IT solutions due to its significant superiority.

The concept of cloud is in basic terms a way for companies to rent an IT Infrastructure instead of buying one. Offering an instant brand new IT suite, without the costs, monitored and maintained without the client needing to be involved in the process, working very much like a pay as you go model, always delivering value for money.

“It’s about working out what the customer needs and taking it to the best level for them. In this market everybody is price-sensitive, even the Formula 1 teams who have million pound budgets still want a deal.” Explained CIS Director, Richard Marsh.

You don’t have to have a big company to use Cloud. The package sizes range from as little as 1 user companies to CIS’s current largest at 280 user companies spread over 15 different locations, whose usage can all be monitored from the CIS data centre in Newbury. From there, CIS are able to tailor the Cloud model to the exact needs of the client.

“In this economy it bodes really well if you go back to a customer and say ‘we could actually save you £50 a month because you don’t need this extra bit of memory you’ve bought, so we are going to take it back and give you the money off the bill’. We look at the tariff every quarter, and for every Cloud server they’ve got, we understand exactly what they need, that works out really well for customers. If we can save them some money by reducing the 82

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B4 TWB4 resources we will.” Added CIS’s Business Development Executive, Lee Rudd.

Cloud is resalable but normally this is through IT and telecoms companies due to the fact that they are most likely to be familiar with the sorts of software being used by Cloud, clarifies Richard.

“We need to pick our partners quite specifically, in that they understand the technology and they understand how other people’s businesses work, which is why the telecoms and other IT companies get it. We don’t have to explain what Cloud is every time we go and pitch another resale. It’s really a case of us just growing and growing and growing at the moment. The last 5 years have been strong growth years, turnovers up, profits up, everything is going in the right direction to be honest.”

The company are looking to expand and have already looked at various other data centres. So, as a premium service next year, they will be able to offer customers a replication. If they want their service in two places, geographically north and south of the country, then CIS will be able to offer that.

“It’s about working out what the customer needs and taking it to the best level for them. In this market everybody is price-sensitive, even the Formula 1 teams who have million pound budgets still want a deal

”

Key to the Cloud is the connection to the internet, which comes relatively cheaply today and though its dependence rests mostly on this, clients are assured that the cloud is protected.

“We are 100% sure that it’s absolutely safe and its 100% up and we put our uptime figures on our website and rather than promising 99.9% we just say we are 100% up and if we are not, then we have put financial penalties in place in our contracts, so we refund you credit. But, in the last two and a half years that [an outage] hasn’t happened.” Declared Richard.

Testimony to its place at the forefront of current technology is the fact that all new manufacturer hardware is being shipped with the ability to connect direct to the cloud, including the latest mobile tablets and apps, the possibilities of its development and expansion are endless.

It costs a customer nothing to call us and have us come and understand their business and propose them a cloud solution. www.cisltd.com www.b4-business.com

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Photography by Studio 8

Unlike most of their competitors, CIS stores its data here in the UK therefore making it more accessible if anything does go wrong. The hub of all the physical servers in Greenham Common, Newbury, have got three power feeds from different power companies and is therefore extremely unlikely to get an outage. Similarly, they back up customer servers as one of their offerings, but do so from a business owner’s point of view, taking back-ups, data integrity, security and resilience into account.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Promoting and protecting your business is our prime concern but a lack of communication and honesty during the recruitment process can really damage the reputation and PR you will have strived so hard to achieveâ&#x20AC;?

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IT TAKES TWO

The Career Boutique tell B4 readers how ‘Trust’, ‘Honesty’ and ‘Openness’ are fundamental building blocks to getting the right advice when it comes to your recruitment needs, and growing your relationship with your chosen consultant.

Ok, so you’d rather not use a recruitment consultancy but due to time constraints and business requirements, you find that you have no option. So how do you get the best out of the service we can provide? There are three main aspects to a good working relationship with your recruitment consultancy, these are:Trust “Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing” When we engage with a new client, one of the most important aspects of this new relationship is TRUST. We will meet with you, find out about your organisation, how it ticks, what makes it successful and the ethos & ideology your organisation is based on. We’ll also find out about the role you’re recruiting for, what kind of personality or culture fit would work so we can match the perfect candidate to your organisation.

Honesty “The condition of being honest, sincere and fair” Along with Trust, HONESTY is vital in the relationship. We will consult with you every step of the way; we’ll even tell you if things aren’t going as well as we’d both hoped. We would rather tell you not to take someone on than be faced with a replacement situation further down the line.

Openness “Characterised by an attitude of ready accessibility (especially about one's actions or purposes); without concealment; not secretive” So, together with Trust and Honesty, OPENNESS is the third most important aspect of the relationship.

If you’re using other agencies, tell us; tell us what you have done so far to fill your vacancies; let us tailor our campaign to include something you haven’t thought about.

Communication is vital to set expectations – this

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goes both ways, we’ll tell you how we will go about attracting the right candidates, we’ll tell you how the process is coming along, who and how many people we’ve made contact with. But you need to tell us whether you’ve received sign-off or are just dipping your toe in the water. Tell us how far through the process you are, whether you’re at 1st or 2nd stage or have offered someone but want to hedge your bets. Tell us what your timescales and business constraints are and we’ll work with you to achieve your goal.

Promoting and protecting your business is our prime concern but a lack of communication and honesty can really damage the reputation and PR you will have strived so hard to achieve. From a candidate point of view if they don’t have a pleasant, open and honest recruitment process with your organisation, it can seriously damage their view of your business. Candidates talk to each other, they’ll pass on their experiences of organisations and as we all know “word of mouth” can work two ways – positive and negative.

face interviews.

The client wanted to progress, but they needed Board level approval to invite her to the UK because the next part of the process would involve obtaining a work permit. The client was prepared to pay her flight and accommodation whilst in the UK so they just needed the sign-off for that. They got it.

The candidate spent two full days being shown around the offices, the different sites and met the people she would be working with. During her visit she learnt more about the geographical area she would be working in and what local attractions and amenities there were. She thoroughly enjoyed her visit.

However, when we caught up with the client and obtained their feedback, they we less than positive.

It emerged that they didn’t have sign-off for the role. The client made reference to the ‘long winded’ process of obtaining a work permit and they would need to advertise the role externally in order to satisfy audit procedures.

Case Study (lack of honesty & openness) A few months ago we were approached by a client who hadn’t worked with us for some time but they’d continued to hear good things. They asked us to submit CVs for a specific role. We went through the process of advertising the role, contacting prospective candidates via social media and online job sites and conducting pre-screening interviews.

From all the CVs, the client chose one candidate they liked and wanted to interview. The candidate, however, was from Romania but was looking to move to the UK to start a new life and new career.

We arranged a couple of Skype interviews and they went very well. Skype was the best way forward before inviting the candidate to the UK for face to

This came as a great shock to us as they’d already advised they had sign off to invite someone to the UK, pay for their travel and accommodation and if they wanted to offer them the job, they had the approval to apply for their work permit. Our candidate was devastated.

If the client had been open and honest with us from the outset, we would have been able to advise them and the candidate of the best possible route to take, but by not communicating with us the client appears dishonest and untrustworthy, which will tarnish their reputation and make us seriously reconsider working with them again. www.thecareerboutique.com

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MORE ABOUT US Newly nominated to win gastro pub/brasserie of the year in The Oxfordshire Restaurant Awards 2012, The Red Lion has plenty to look forward to in the cooler season ahead.

Their Autumn/Winter Menu will debut in September and introduce a heartier, wholesome and utterly flavourful twist on their already standout menu.

Expect lovely little dishes to have while you wait and a starters menu that will really embrace the pubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mediterranean side, with mezzes, garlic pizettes and tapas selections among more traditional bites such as pancetta hash with savoy cabbage.

Also get ready for warmer takes on classic dishes, like homemade puff pastry pies and pork belly served with inventive accompaniments that will excite your taste buds as the cold weather sets in.

But fear not, their perfected pub classics will still be available, so you can indulge in their famous fish and chips, classic cheese burger or spit chicken anytime you like.

The Red Lion is also currently gearing up for the festive season, so if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a bit keen for Christmas then there is plenty of merriment to look forward to. Their Festive, Christmas Day and Boxing Day and New Years Day two and three-course menus are really something to encounter, making The Red Lion the ideal place for a joyous get together with colleagues, friends, family or the whole neighbourhood.

Always advocates of the good wintry tipple, there are also options for more laid-back celebrations with Bubbles & Bar Bites and an assortment of festive drinks that would make even Santa swoon. www.redlionoxford.co.uk

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THE RED LION

Laurence Cruse reveals a polished gastronomical gem in the heart of Oxford, with his review of The Red Lion located smack-dab in the city’s centre. Reworked and revived, the restaurant gives sophisticated classics a relaxed and flirtatious Mediterranean feel that effortlessly works to win the hearts of locals and those coming in from further afield, every time.

By its nature as a cultural (and I daresay a tourist) hotspot, Oxford has managed to attract a full house of perennially average chain restaurants that never fail to deliver acceptable yet uninspiring offerings. We have fortunately been granted a shining beacon of hope in the bustling city centre in the shape of The Red Lion, owned by Mitchell and Butlers and ably run by energetic GM, Tom Crouch.

The current incantation of this popular Gloucester Street pub has completely distanced itself from its former reputation as a somewhat insalubrious student watering hole. The décor has been completely and comprehensively overhauled with a combination of stylish bar seating, defined dining areas, private function rooms and the only city

success. It is this leadership that filters into all aspects of the pub – their staff retention is excellent, development is widely encouraged and they ensure that their team is always trying to foster and build new relationships with their growing, local base of patrons.

The food has been a big focus since doors opened 18 months ago. With a comprehensive yet uncluttered menu, they are aiming for British with a Mediterranean twist. If its drinks after work, an array of bruschetta and charcuterie awaits, 2 for £10 pizzas for a mid-afternoon treat or tuck into an aged rib eye steak for something just that little bit special. The food is cooked fresh, from scratch, and affords the diners the all too rare option of customising their dishes. “We don’t have the

there is the buzzing ‘Grape and Grill’ night with 50% off a bottle of red if you opt for a 21-day aged steak or the similarly themed ‘Fizz and Fish Thursdays.’

In an effort to buck the brand-driven competition in the area, The Red Lion are doing their best to encourage local, repeat business. They are consistently venturing into the surrounding businesses, working with the universities and, driven by the effervescent Tom, are identifying their regular customers and rewarding them with a 25% off loyalty card. Couple this with live music and evenings earmarked by fellow members of the hospitality industry, and you end up with a business that is demonstrably ingratiating themselves into the partisan Oxford community.

“This pub is an Oxford institution and not only offers a warm refuge in winter and a cool, open atmosphere in summer, but listens to and knows its clientele” centre beer garden big enough to not require you to become overtly intimate with the other patrons.

General manager Tom is an incredibly engaging and enthusiastic manager. “We want to be a place you can come to for a relaxed pint of ale or a great three course meal for a special occasion. We’re trying to do fresh food and do it well, whilst attracting a relaxed after work crowd – becoming a hub for the area.” From the passion with which he talks about the business he runs – it’s clear that he has a vested and indeed personal interest in its

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biggest range of vegetarian dishes,” Tom admitted, but with the ingredients we have available, the diners just need to let us know what they want and the chefs will do the rest.”

This flexible attitude permeates their function offerings as well. The restaurant can comfortably sit 110 guests and there are two frequently booked out private dining areas that hold up to 12 diners.

If it’s an occasion you’re after, the menus are fully customisable with fixed price, buffet or a la carte options all available. For something more regular

It is clear for all to see that the pub has had a heavy capital investment, but what the team at The Red Lion has effortlessly done is differentiate themselves by creating a tangible identity. They may have the backing of a larger organization, but they have been given autonomy and have totally embraced it. With a solution to suit every occasion, The Red Lion is well worth a visit and before too long, a loyalty card may be winging its way to you! www.redlionoxford.co.uk

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Graham Candy with Lord Carrington

A SWEET CAREER ‘YOUNG CANDY’ The son of a livestock farmer, Graham Candy's four decades of dedication to rural estate management, has seen him handle everything from tiny land holdings of a few acres to Lord Carrington’s sprawling Bledlow estate in Buckinghamshire. It has also seen him play an important part in the transformation of hundreds of run-down barns, farm buildings and cottages into new housing, workshops and shops as Oxfordshire land owners have sought to maximise the value of their land.

Retiring this year, Graham Candy can look back on a career that has seen him rise from a graduate land agent to become chairman of one of Britain's largest property firms. However, in the words of Lord Carrington on Graham’s retirement, “Young Candy is far too young to retire!”

Mark Charter, who heads up the Carter Jonas Oxford regional operation, affirms how much the firm owes to Graham: “The successful growth of this firm depends on our being able to bring in new ideas, business groups and people while retaining our strong links with the past.

“Graham has steered us through many periods of change and his influence on our success will be greatly missed.

“As we move to a new era of growth, it is now our job to ensure that his legacy of experience, knowledge and goodwill is kept in safe hands.”

The Oxford team at Carter Jonas now has over 80 people with business divisions covering every aspect of the property business. Graham’s legacy of 88

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professionalism mixed with local market knowledge stays with the firm as it goes from strength to strength.

Starting out as a negotiator for the sale of Oxford town houses, Graham Candy can vividly remember the time when no detached house in the city had sold for more than £5,000. He remembers it so vividly as he was the one to break the record by selling an Oxford town house for the princely sum of £5,100, a house that today would most likely be worth over £1m.

“Graham Candy can look back on a career that has seen him rise from a graduate land agent to become chairman of one of Britain's largest property firms” It was when Graham joined Carter Jonas in 1970 after completing a degree at London University that he began to thrive.

As a young land agent his first job saw him transferred from Oxford to Caernarfon, Wales where he looked after the estate of Colditz escapee Lord Newborough. www.b4-business.com

B4 TWB4 Renowned as a tough cookie, Lord Newborough nevertheless warmed to Graham, who diligently looked after lettings on Glynliffon.

Winning two national prizes as he completed his chartered surveyor exams, Graham returned to Oxford in 1972, promoted to partner two years later and achieved full equity in the firm in 1979. At that time Carter Jonas was a family run business with just nine partners, and an annual turnover of £1m, compared to the firm today, which has 31 partners, 470 employees and £35m turnover.

Based at the Carter Jonas office in Alfred Street, in 1979 he was appointed

Construction of the original three lane motorway began between Oxford and London in 1967. While the total construction of the corridor lasted 24 years, some of the compensation claims took up to two decades to complete as he was tasked with convincing the district valuer of the extent of the land owners' loss in terms of noise, light pollution and in some cases having their land split in two.

Graham Candy became chairman of Carter Jonas 1991, a position he held for 13 years before ‘retiring to the backbenches.’ He was appointed to the Lord Chancellor’s panel of Agricultural Arbitrators from 1991 until 2005 and was

“Graham Candy became chairman of Carter Jonas 1991, a position he held for 13 years before ‘retiring to the backbenches.’”

Land Steward to the Society of Merchant Venturers, a role which saw him assume responsibility for more than 38,000 acres of land nationwide. Little did he know that he would hold the position for 31 years, becoming the country’s longest serving Land Steward.

The 1970s saw a dramatic increase in the value of rural land in Oxfordshire and, as the UK negotiated entry into the EEC, the price of wheat sky-rocketed from £20 a tonne to £60 a tonne.

In the 1980s Graham had the important task of representing scores of land owners in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire as estate holders sought compensation for the extension of the M40 between Oxford and Birmingham.

secretary for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors for Berks, Beds and Bucks from 1974 to 1979.

In retirement he will continue to work as a trustee for two or three farming families, as governor for the Dragon School, Oxford, and will become more involved in his role as trustee for the Mikwano Children's Education Charity in Uganda, an organisation set up by Graham's daughter, Rachel.

Rural estate management has never been quiet for ‘Young Candy,’ and it seems likely his retirement will be similarly busy. www.carterjonas.co.uk

From handling the compensation claims of land owners whose estates were damaged by the construction of the M40 cutting through swathes of Oxfordshire countryside to becoming the steward of more than 50,000 acres of land across Britain, experienced rural estate agent Graham Candy has seen more than most during a 42-year career at the multi-disciplinary property firm Carter Jonas.

Graham Candy celebrates his retirement with Carter Jonas partners

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NEW CHRYSLER YPSILON IN UK: BIG CAR COMFORT, SMALL CAR PACKAGE The new 5dr Ypsilon, introduced by Chrysler into the UK supermini sector is a mix of segment-leading style, cutting edge technology, eye-catching design and world-class engines..

On sale in the UK now, the Ypsilon certainly isn’t a conservative ‘metoo’ entry into the most hotly contested class of cars in Europe. It’s a premium model in a small car’s body; original, full of character and targeting drivers who appreciate quality, elegance and innovation in equal measure. It marks a resurgence for Chrysler Group LLC which was formed in 2009 as a strategic alliance with Fiat.

Chrysler’s portfolio contains some of Europe’s most recognisable vehicles, including the striking 300C saloon and top-selling Grand Voyager MPV. Now with the help of Fiat’s experience and knowledge in the small and medium-sized car sectors, Chrysler can imbue compact, more environmentally friendly models with the luxurious character traits of its bigger cars.

“the Ypsilon certainly isn’t a conservative ‘me-too’ entry into the most hotly contested class of cars in Europe. It’s a premium model in a small car’s body

”

As well as bringing the Chrysler name to the supermini segment, the Ypsilon introduces a host of new technologies. For the first time in this class of car, buyers will have access to a raft of large car features such as Magic Parking, xenon headlights, Blue&Me™-TomTom LIVE and the Smart Fuel System.

On top of that, depending on the trim level they choose, buyers will be able to specify automatic climate control, fog lights, 16-inch wheels, cruise control, a leather steering wheel with audio controls, dusk and rain sensors, parking sensors and a 500-watt surround sound music system.

The Chrysler Ypsilon has been designed to compete in the increasingly

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popular supermini sector. To do so successfully it must appeal to a wide range of buyers, from down-sizers looking for an economical but comfortable small car, to those aiming to move up to a more luxurious model that is still affordable to buy and run. With a five-door body shape that has the appearance of a sporty three door thanks to hidden rear door handles, the Ypsilon combines practicality with good looks.

For added reassurance, it’s also one of the safest cars in its segment, featuring as standard up to six airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC – standard on Auto, optional on SE and Limited), Anti Slip Regulation (ASR), traction control and Hill Holder.

This is underpinned by a lightweight, super-strong and safe structure that sits on a new specially designed suspension. And beneath the bonnet there’s a range of class-leading engines including the 2011 International Engine of the Year, the TwinAir. With its two distinct ‘characters’, this diminutive 0.9-litre turbo gives drivers the option of a sporting drive or class-leading economy in a lightweight package.

The Ypsilon’s engine range is completed by a zesty 1.2-litre petrol and a potent 1.3-litre turbo diesel, all of which come with Start&Stop as standard, and promise improved refinement combined with reduced emissions and consumption.

The new 5dr Ypsilon, introduced by Chrysler into the UK supermini sector is a mix of segment-leading style, cutting edge technology, eye-catching design and world-class engines..

On Sale now in the UK the first ever City car from Chrysler offers Taxfree driving with emissions as low as 97g/km with the most fuel efficient Chrysler delivering up to 74.3 MPG, Magic parking option and 3 door coupe styling with 5 door functionality.

For further details on the Chrysler Ypsilon and all other Chrysler models, or to book a test drive call Chrysler Oxford on 01865 376000 or visit www.chrysleroxford.co.uk

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Chrysler Ypsilon has been designed to compete in the increasingly popular supermini sector. To do so successfully it must appeal to a wide range of buyers

â&#x20AC;?

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LEGAL

Wilson Partners 01628 770 770 www.wilson-partners.co.uk

Agenda for Change 01453 731 773 www.agendaforchange.net

Pitmans LLP P Christopher Avery Managing Partner 0118 958 0224 www.pitmans.com

Ardhurst Accountants Limited 0118 925 3286 www.ardhurstaccountants.co.uk

Bbite 07836 205262 www.bbite.co.uk

Berkshire Accountants Ltd 07794 510499 www.berkshireaccountants.com

Support Star Limited 07739 459469 www.mysupportstar.co.uk

Chariot Tax Services 0118 986 3738 www.chariot-tax-services.co.uk

BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS

Field Seymour Parkes A Ian Wood-Smith Founding Partner 0118 951 6200 www.fsp-law.com Gardner Leader LLP A Derek Rogers Managing Partner 01635 508080 www.gardner-leader.co.uk

Goringe Accountants Ltd 0118 941 9997 www.goringeaccountants.co.uk

BUSINESS ADVICE

Morgan Cole LLP A Michael Stace Partner 0118 955 3000 www.morgan-cole.com

Crowe Clark Whitehill LLP 0118 959 7222 www.crowehorwath.net

Rickerbys LLP 0118 925 6100 www.rickerbysthamesvalley.com

The FD Group 0118 948 1080 www.theFDgroup.co.uk

Belinda Knight 0118 900 1712 www.belindaknightsolicitor.co.uk

BUSINESS SERVICES

Clifton Ingram LLP 0118 957 3425 www.cliftoningram.co.uk

ACCOUNTING BDO LLP A Julian Frost Lead Partner 0118 925 4400 www.bdo.uk.com Grant Thornton A Jim Rogers Audit Partner 0118 955 9114 www.grant-thornton.co.uk Wilkins Kennedy 0118 951 2131 www.wilkinskennedy.com

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BUSINESS CONSULTANTS Direct 2 PA A Emma Watts Executive PA 0118 932 6698 www.direct2pa.com The Business Growth Show 0121 632 2300 www.thebusinessgrowthshow.co.uk Clinical Professionals 0118 959 4990 www.clinicalprofessionals.co.uk Pace Equity Ltd 01491 577889 www.paceequity.com id-choices 0845 519 6237 www.id-choices.co.uk

Institute of Directors, Berkshire Branch A Barry Lewis Chairman, Berkshire Branch 0118 942 9608 www.iod.com FSB A Richard Knight East Berkshire Branch Chairman 01256 767837 www.fsb.org.uk Click Berkshire A Harriet Slingo Owner 07725 740311 www.clickberkshire.co.uk The Business Wealth Club 01869 278900 www.thebusinesswealthclub.com Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group 01753 870500 http://www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk Bracknell Business Club 01256 767837

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Archway Business Solutions Ltd 0118 324 0135 www.archwaybusiness.com

INSURANCE Coversure Insurance 0800 093 57 80 www.coversure.co.uk Vision Vehicle Solutions Ltd 01628 780011 www.vision4accidents.com 93

SECURITY RISK Management Security Services 01494 469189 www.riskmanagementsecurity.co.uk

TRANSPORT EMT Jets Global Aviation 08453 888248 www.emtjets.com

EDUCATION Reading College P Lesley Donoghue Principal 0118 955 4300 www.reading-college.ac.uk Reading University 0118 987 5123 www.reading.ac.uk

CHARITIES & GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS

FINANCE

Berkshire Community Foundation 0118 930 3021 www.berkshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk

BANKING

Connect Reading A Clare Wright Managing Director 0118 959 1236 www.connectreading.co.uk Daisy’s Dream 0118 934 2604 www.daisysdream.org.uk Child Matters 07788720612 www.child-matters.co.uk

CONFERENCE, EVENTS, VENUES CONFERENCES Malmaison P Paul Watson General Manager 0118 956 2300 www.malmaison.com Oakley Court Hotel P Richard Smith Sales Manager 01753 609988 www.principal-hayley.com/theoakleycourt The Bird in Hand Country Inn 01628 826622 www.birdinhand.co.uk Fredrick’s Hotel, Restaurant & Spa 01628 581 000 www.fredricks-hotel.co.uk Holiday Inn Reading, M4 Jct 10 0871 942 9067 www.holidayinn.com

VENUES The Vineyard P Hayden Bowl General Manager 01635 528770 www.the-vineyard.co.uk

EVENT MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY The Active Network A Banks Holcombe 0207 313 5744 www.activenetwork.com

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Lloyds TSB Commercial P Derek Beards Senior Manager, Business Development 01442 233261 www.lloydstsbbusiness.com RBS Corporate Banking A Donald McDonald UK Head of Deposits & Director, Professionals 07768 427379 www.rbs.co.uk/corporate.ashx Santander Corporate Banking A Paul Robinson Relationship Director 0118 921 1621 www.ukcorporatebanking.com Coutts Reading A Robert Woodthorpe-Brown Client Partner 0118 3733509 www.coutts.com/locations/reading Barclays Corporate 07766 362053 www.barclayscorporate.com Handelsbanken 0118 959 5444 www.handelsbanken.co.uk/reading

TAX PLANNING

FITNESS Berkshire Fitness 07825 259612 www.berkshirefitness.co.uk Gareth France Mobile Personal Trainer 07853 381449 www.garethfrance.co.uk

SPORT Reading Football Club Limited P Sir John Madejski Chairman 0118 968 1100 www.readingfc.co.uk Bearwood Lakes Golf Club Martyn Norris Head of Marketing 0118 979 7900 www.bearwoodlakes.co.uk

LEISURE ACTIVITIES Team Activity Group 0845 130 2248 www.tag-events.com Bedlam Paintball 08453 707571 www.bedlampaintball.co.uk The Lookout Discovery Centre 01344 354400 www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/lookout Nirvana Spa 0118 989 7500 www.nirvanaspa.co.uk

TRAVEL Momentum Hub A Andrew Riley Chairman 0800 0726075 www.momentumhub.com

Your Money Friend A Ted Yeates Founder 0208 123 1193 www.yourmoneyfriend.co.uk

Livingstone’s World of Travel Ltd 0844 888 8383 www.livingstonesworldoftravel.com

HEALTH & LEISURE

HR2YOU P Sarah Morris Managing Director 07789 711997 www.hr2you.co.uk

ARTISTIC & CULTURAL Stanley Spencer Gallery 01628 471885 www.stanleyspencer.org.uk

BEAUTY Electric Hair A Alan Short Director and Salon Manager 0118 957 1010 www.electric-hair.com

HR

IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS IT SERVICES In Touch CRM P James White Managing Director 0800 056 6452 www.intouchcrm.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

B4 contacts TELECOMMUNICATIONS Everything Everywhere P Mike Tomlinson Small Business Marketing Director 07968 107671 www.everythingeverywhere.com

MARKETING & DESIGN ADVERTISING B4 Magazine P Richard Rosser Managing Director 01865 742211 www.berkshire.b4-business.com Focal Point Advertising Solutions 01256 767837 www.focal.co.uk

DESIGN Clever Little Design 01628 627853 www.cleverlittledesign.co.uk Blink Design & Print 01865 742211 www.on-the-blink.com Voyage Design 01189 835510 www.voyagedesign.co.uk

MARKETING Strangebrew Brand Alchemy P Phil Strachan Proprietor 07770 753975 www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk

RESTAURANTS & BARS

Dartnell UK Ltd 01635 278568 www.dartnell.co.uk

Island Bar and Restaurant 0118 9479530 www.islandbar.co.uk

PUBLIC RELATIONS Esplin PR A Louise Esplin Freelance PR Consultant 01235 850115 www.esplinpr.co.uk

RETAIL LUXURY GOODS The Vintage Affair 07855 951825 www.thevintageaffair.co.uk

Morgan PR A Nigel Morgan Founder 0845 00 33 666 www.morganpr.co.uk

WHY NOT JOIN THEM? 100 members and rising.

MEDIA Reading 107fm P Tony Grundy Acting MD 0118 986 2555 www.reading107fm.com

PROPERTY & BUILDING Haslams Surveyors LLP P Conrad Hill Managing Partner 0118 921 1500 www.haslams.co.uk

Glooo Robin Parker Partner 01865 595707 www.glooo.co.uk

Berkshire Centres at: Crowthorne Enterprise Centre 01344 751 600 www.crowthorne-ec.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM PRODUCTION

Lily Hill House 01344 317 900 www.lilyhillhouse.com

Hills & Saunders A Richard Shymansky Photographer 07878 162452 www.hillsandsaunders.co.uk

Quintons Specialist Commercial Property Advisors 01635 551441 www.quintons.co.uk

Stones the Printers P Steve Palmer Sales Director 01295 819 300 www.stonestheprinters.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

• Access to the B4 site to upload unlimited press releases, event details, offers and jobs • Invites to B4 Ambassador events in 2012 and 2013

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SERVICES Oxford Innovation Ltd P Jo Willett Marketing and IC Development Director www.oxin-centres.co.uk

PRINTING

• Presence in the B4 online and magazine directories

Synergy Facilities Ltd A Liz Maloney Managing Director 0844 800 2823 www.synergy-facilities.co.uk

The Social Media Café A Amanda Hill 0844 3305679 http://www.facebook.com/TheSocialMediaCafe

Take One 01494 898919 www.takeonetv.com

Become a B4 Member or Ambassador and in return, we’ll give you:

PROPERTY SERVICES

INTERIORS Amarestone 0845 2608070 www.amarestone.com

Memberships from just £150+VAT per annum*

It’ll be the smartest move you’ve made this year! www.b4-business.com for full details NOW! *rates increase as employee numbers increase: 2 - 5 employees £250+VAT; 6 – 20 £375+VAT; 21 – 50 £500+VAT; 51 – 100 £900+VAT; 100+ £1200+VAT Ambassador rate £250+VAT per annum.

Please call us for Platinum Ambassador rate details.

VAT at 20% Tel: 0118 317 7183

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

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Get a fresh perspective and enjoy something a little different.

From private wine tastings, chef’s table events and “Only at The Vineyard” ideas, we offer plenty of activities to inspire and motivate.

From £89 per day delegate*.

Call our events team on 01635 898 463 to hear more about how we can make your meeting memorable.

Discover more: www.the-vineyard.co.uk *Please quote ‘B4 Berkshire’ for the special rate of £89 + vat per day delegate.