INSPIRE.05
The business magazine of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Aug-Sep2014
90 years of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce
n Spotlight on St Albans n Young Chamber
Spirit defined. GTS: three letters that declare the concentrated essence of Porsche. Cars with increased power, enhanced specification and a direct link to our motorsports roots. Cars driven by individuals who always desire more.
The new Boxster GTS. Purist. Find out more at porsche.co.uk/boxstergts
Porsche Centre Hatfield 1 Hatfield Avenue Hatfield Business Park Hatfield Hertfordshire AL10 9UA Tel: 01707 277 911 info@porschehatfield.co.uk www.porsche.co.uk/hatfield
Fuel consumption for the Boxster GTS in l/100 km (mpg): urban 12.7-11.4 (22.2-24.8), extra urban 7.1-6.3 (39.8-44.8), combined 9.0-8.2 (31.4-34.4 mpg); CO2 emissions: 211-190 g/km. The mpg and CO2 figures quoted are sourced from official EU-regulated test results, are provided for comparability purposes and may not reflect your actual driving experience.
InspireIntroduction
From the Chief Executive This issue of Inspire is largely one of celebration: Herts Chamber’s 90th birthday, a Crossrail to Hertfordshire proposal (p 15), improving business optimism and professional services leading the way in UK’s international trade activity. However good this news is there are a few more hills to climb. We remain apprehensive about a possible early interest rate rise — unchanged salaries and wages are still too vulnerable to bear a rates increase.
International trading According to a just released British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) report, the UK deficit on trade in goods and services was £2.5bn in June 2014, compared with £2.4bn in May, contributing to a trade deficit increment from £5.5bn (2014 Q1) to £6.9bn (2014 Q2). The deficit on goods (£9.4bn) was partly offset by a services surplus (£7bn). While the decline is slight, a Q2 increase could partly reverse the previous two quarters’ improvements. The BCC’s International Trade Survey 2014 has just been published. Professional services are ahead of other sectors in getting their wares around the world. The survey outline (page 49) points to the huge market opportunities that exists for the UK, showing a gap
between the overseas markets that UK businesses are considering and those where there is demand of our service exports. Funding challenges, regulations differences and language-culture barriers remain. Language skills and cultural awareness are critical for international business communication.
Country seminars Our programme of half-day seminars (p 46) focuses on Turkey, UAE, Mexico, Brazil & Columbia, Singapore & Malaysia and Poland from September to March. They provide massively useful insight into new business potential.
Autumn events
29 September (p 25) at which the topic of cyber-crime will be addressed by Charlie McMurdie, an expert on cyber-crime (30 years’ Metropolitan Police service). The Chamber is launching the STEM pilot study in September at a Women in Leadership lunch — for both business men and women (p 42). Key speaker is Kate Bellingham, TV presenter and ardent advocator of science and engineering learning in schools. Come and network. You never know who you might meet.
Of course we must celebrate our 90th anniversary. We shall be at Hanbury Manor on 3 October, and invite you to join us. We have charted our way through the decades (p 26), and pay homage to the many members who have prospered over the years, and who remain members, particularly British Lead Mills, which joined the Chamber in 1932 (p 5), and Beales (Beales Hotel group), Hertfordshire’s oldest company, established in 1768. On a less celebratory note, nevertheless an important one, we are running a network breakfast on
Information Editorial and General Enquiries Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce MacLaurin Building, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9NE Tel: 01707 398400 Fax: 01707 398430 Email: enquiries@hertschamber.com Web: www.hertschamber.com Chief Executive: Yolanda Rugg Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing 3tc House, 16 Crosby Road North, Crosby, Liverpool L22 0NY Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published August 2014 © Benham Publishing and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce.
Contents Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com Production Manager Fern Badman Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: studio@benhampublishing.com Media No. 1391 Disclaimer Inspire is published for Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members. All correspondence should be addressed to Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in Inspire are not necessarily those of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2014.
Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.
Up Front
4-15
Spotlight on... 24 Hours
16-20 22
Chamber Events
24-25
Cover Feature
26-31
New Members
35
Business News
36-37
Forum News
38-39
Young Chamber
40-41
Women in Leadership 42-43
Cover Image Cover photograph of the de Havilland building, taken on 2nd July 1950, by Ken Watkins, CEng, MRAeS.
Skills
44-45
International Trade
46-47
Member Spotlight
48-49
Last Word
50
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London Stansted Cambridge Consortium conference Skill The London Stansted Cambridge Consortium (LSCC) Conference was held in July 2014 at the Wellcome Trust in London. The Consortium and the outcomes it seeks to secure are, Hertfordshire Chamber believes, important to our county’s economic health. It affects places such as Stevenage in north Hertfordshire and Broxbourne, in the east.
Necessary basic work skills Neville gave a real example of what one particular large company looks for when recruiting graduates: • good system skills – Excel Advanced, as a minimum • good to excellent analytical skills • ability to come to the point quickly and concisely • good understanding of how one action can affect many areas of the business • understanding of Lean and 6 Sigma principles (ie- eliminate waste and customer non-valueadded) • understanding of the word ‘customer’ – not just external customers; most customers are internal • ideally a second or third language Neville Reyner, Chairman of Herts Chamber of Commerce CBE DL, addresses audience at LSCC (London Stansted Cambridge Corridor ) on Skills workshop last Thursday.
Getting the skills right Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is an associate member of the LSCC. Neville Reyner CBE DL, Chairman and President of Hertfordshire Chamber and former President of the British Chambers of Commerce, was speaker in the breakout session on Getting the Skills Right. Neville said that ‘getting the skills right’ must be a relationship between the individual, the actual employer, potential employer, schools, colleges and universities. In the case of universities, he said that the quality of Industrial Advisory Groups is vital, and that they must be allowed to
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influence the curriculum so that employability is seen as a criterion for graduates. He recalled his own start in business life – beginning with an apprenticeship at the same time as studying. He suggested that student apprenticeships should become the norm. He also said that the UK should develop a split between academia and vocational qualifications and that funding should be directed to academictype universities for research and to vocationaltype universities, such as perhaps a university polytechnic. But he was insistent that both academic and vocational qualifications should carry equal status with society.
Enterprise incorporated into schools He also talked about Young Chamber, with its brand and its ambitions recently transferred into the British Chambers of Commerce. It is an excellent example of how enterprise is incorporated into schools. He mentioned Groundwork in Hertfordshire, Luton/Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire as a vital vehicle for bringing skills to those less well off who are looking to reach the first rung of the ladder with Green Adders and Teams and suggested the government should ask him to run it out nationally.
UPFront
Oldest Herts Chamber member; 83 years - British Lead Mills In the Chamber’s 1932 minutes, there is a record of welcome to British Lead Mills, a Welwyn Garden City manufacturer — they remain members, 83 years later.
manufacturer of steel wire and rope, which generated new products and new demand. Two years later the company changed its name to Firth Cleveland Ltd and the name British Lead Mills Ltd was reserved for a new, private subsidiary company for lead manufacture. Over the next decade, the group acquired four other lead companies and in 1972, itself was acquired by GKN, to be acquired later, in 1977, by Shell Metals Division. In 1981, the company bought another rolling mill at a cost of £1.5 million and in 1994, Shell sold British Lead Mills to US-owned Quexco, known now as Eco-Bat Technologies.
Today, world’s largest lead recycling company Eco-Bat Technologies is the world’s largest lead recycling company, operating in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Austria, South Africa and Asia. In Welwyn Garden City, the subsidiary, now known as BLM British Lead, continues to produce quality lead product and sheets using recycled resources at its original address in Peartree Lane, which just a few years before, in 1928, was a farm field. British Lead Mills Ltd was incorporated in June 1932, according to a report by Robert Gill. The directors purchased a rolling mill from Sheffield at a cost of £6,578. It was still in use in 2012 (and still is), after 80 years’ of hard toil — this, in today’s terms, should be the benchmark for a return on investment!
Successful from the outset British Lead Mills must have been doing the right thing from the outset. It was subject to a takeover bid six months after start-up and others in the next four years. In 1936, it listed on the stock exchange. It continued to manufacture lead sheet and pipe during the war, but its main business was war effort supply.
proposal to recover lead from scrap. They approved the capital investment of £850. In 1951, the company bought a Morgan crucible rotary furnace to recover lead waste from melting and refining. Their Scrap Back initiative remains a large part of their business today, and the company is part of the world’s largest lead recycling group that ensures the raw material used to produce lead is 100 per cent recycled.
Post war demand After 1945, British Lead Mills returned to business as usual as new housing for returning soldiers and their families became imperative, and new buildings for new businesses created greater demand than supply.
Recycling
Expanding
War brings out the best in people and organisations. In 1941, the directors reviewed a
In 1948, according to the report by Robert Gill, the company acquired Firth Company Ltd, a
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Oklahoma Chambers visit Hertfordshire In July, Neville Reyner, Chairman of Herts Chamber and Yolanda Rugg, Chief Executive, met a delegation of business people from the US state of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City.
The delegation comprised the State Secretary of Commerce, from the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, Larry Parman, Gary Pence, the Manager for Military and Aersopace of the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Wes Smithwick, the Chief Executive of the Broken Arrow Development Corporation and also President of Broken Arrow Chamber. Aerospace and defence is one of Oklahoma’s strongest industries: it is one of only seven aerospace hubs and home to the largest military and commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul operations in the US. An estimated six per cent of the entire state’s economy is attributed to the aerospace and defence related industry that employs more than 120,000 people. More than 500 aerospacerelated companies do business in the state, which has an industrial output exceeding US$12b, exporting to 170 countries. Their interest in visiting Hertfordshire and specifically Stevenage was naturally Airbus Defence & Space (formerly Astrium). They were given a conducted tour around the Stevenage facilities by Grant Lethby, Head of Satellite and Platform. Yolanda Rugg says “We have now established a relationship with the Oklahoma Chambers of
Commerce and look forward to ensuring this relationship encourages international trade opportunities. “We clearly have some real synergy across aerospace and high tech companies, and face similar challenges affecting growth, such as attracting young people into engineering. Our visitors were delighted with their tour around Hertfordshire, and particularly inspired with their tour of Airbus Space and Defence.’’
Apprenticeships Developing the next generation of aerospace technicians, engineers and administrators will be partially achieved by apprenticeship programmes. Grant Lethby, as well as heading satellite and platform projects is also apprentice advisor to Airbus Defence and Space, which coincides with Yolanda’s interest in apprenticeships and her role with the Hertfordshire LEP.
Forging links There are 90 aerospace companies in Oklahoma; 25 of them in Oklahoma City. In addition, there is a fully integrated supply chain made up of over 500 companies which meet the needs of the aerospace industry. Herts Chamber has established some very useful connections and has been invited to visit. If you or your company are interested in forging links with this state, please contact Yolanda.
“We have now established a relationship with the Oklahoma Chambers of Commerce and look forward to ensuring this relationship encourages international trade opportunities.”
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Hertfordshire perfectly placed at MIPIM UK More than three thousand property professionals from across the country will converge on London in October for one of the biggest events in the UK property calendar.
“The county has much to offer potential investors with its wealth of science, innovation and commerce assets, proximity to London and position at the heart of the UK’s golden research triangle of London, Cambridge and Oxford.”
Hertfordshire – perfectly placed for business Visitors to MIPIM UK will hear how Hertfordshire is an economic area renowned as an engine of growth that can help businesses realise their European and UK investment aspirations. Yolanda Rugg, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, says “This will be a formidable force that represents Hertfordshire at this UK property market conference and exhibition. We continue to work closely with town and district councils in presenting this county’s business credentials and opportunities for investors and local businesses looking to grow. In Hertfordshire, we have the skills, the expertise and the ambition to offer investors and local businesses.” With over a million inhabitants, the county has one of the most highly skilled labour forces in Britain, with 40 per cent educated to degree level or above.
Lisa Devayya (Dacorum), Paul Pullin ( East Herts), Liz Dand (Stevenage), Paul Maguire (Magnite PR), Charles Lartey (LEP), Alex Castle ( Broxbourne and Hertsmere), David Saunders (Three Rivers)
MIPIM UK is a three-day exhibition and conference that will be held at Olympia between 15 and 17 October.
Exploring opportunities, building partnerships It is the first time that so many professionals interested in the UK property market will be gathered under one roof to explore opportunities, build partnerships and close deals. Among those attending will be property investors, developers, local authorities, occupiers, hotel groups, agents and business service providers. Over 20 panels of experts will discuss a wide range of topics covering all aspects of the UK property market. Keynote speakers will include Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, who will open the event, and
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Greg Clark MP, Minister of State for Cities and Constitution, who will highlight the role that cities and towns play in making Britain the real estate capital of the world.
Hertfordshire councils and LEP presenting county opportunities Hertfordshire will be well represented with districts drawn from across the county including Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Herts, Hertsmere, Stevenage, Three Rivers and Watford joining forces with the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership to highlight the property and development opportunities available here. Charles Lartey, Inward Investment Manager, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said “MIPIM UK is a great opportunity to showcase why Hertfordshire is so perfectly placed for business.
Knowledge, enterprise and skills are key to Hertfordshire’s success, resulting in many globally recognised brands putting down roots in the county. The county’s excellent transport links to the capital, as well as to the rest of the UK and the world, mean businesses based in Hertfordshire can benefit from easy access to both the city and international markets, but without paying global city centre prices.
Hertfordshire, preferred for multinational corporation headquarters Many national and international businesses have their headquarters or key facilities in Hertfordshire and thousands of new businesses choose to start up here every year. Companies such as Airbus, MBDA, GSK, MerckSharpDohme, Imagination Technologies, EE, Computacenter, Axis Communications, Tesco and Warner Bros. Studio Tour continue to make significant additions to their footprint in Hertfordshire.
UPFront
Hertfordshire LEP secures £200m funding to deliver jobs and growth Yolanda Rugg, Herts Chamber Chief Executive recently welcomed the heartening news of £200m government funding for Hertfordshire. She said “The numbers look good: 16,000 new homes for our construction industry and 13,000 new jobs to bolster the Hertfordshire economy. On top of which, there’s provision for infrastructure development – arterial roads, business parks and public transport.” In July, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) secured over £200 million investment for infrastructure, businesses and skills in the county by 2020-2021 – with £21 million in new funding confirmed for 2015-2016.
Housing, public transport, roads improvements, jobs, business sites This funding, part of the Government’s Growth Deal with Hertfordshire LEP, will help deliver 16,000 additional homes and about 13,000 new jobs. It includes: • Strategic investment in transport improvements, including a major extension of the London Underground at Watford, road upgrades for A120 and A602 together with improvements to public transport, cycling and walking across the county. • £18.85 million to establish three Growth Area Forums to advance housing and employment sites by 2020-2021. • £5.3 million investment in 2015-2016 to create new space for businesses at key sites – Broxbourne, Stevenage and Rothamsted.
Hertfordshire – with world-leading science and technology sectors To mark the announcement, Secretary of State for Health, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, visited the LEP’s offices in Welwyn Garden City, where he met with businesses men and women from the Hertfordshire’s bioscience sector. “Hertfordshire has so much to offer – in addition to a world-leading science and technology sector, there’s expertise in the creative industries, a highly skilled workforce and thriving small and medium- sized businesses. By securing this funding, the LEP can ensure that this potential becomes a reality.”
“Hertfordshire has so much to offer – in addition to a worldleading science and technology sector, there’s expertise in the creative industries, a highly skilled workforce and thriving small and medium- sized businesses. By securing this funding, the LEP can ensure that this potential becomes a reality.” Incredible, economic potential – flagship infrastructure projects John Gourd, Chair of the Hertfordshire LEP Board, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the Government has recognised the importance of targeted investment in Hertfordshire’s infrastructure, skills and businesses in ensuring that we meet our incredible economic potential.” “In addition to flagship infrastructure projects like Croxley Rail Link that will really open up the county, it’s also great to see a real commitment to developing our skills and businesses through additional funding for projects like Broxbourne Enterprise Centre, Stevenage BioScience Catalyst, West Hertfordshire College and more. With this funding we can ensure that Hertfordshire has a brighter future than ever”.
About the Local Growth Fund The Local Growth Fund guarantees £2 billion a year to be allocated to LEPs as part of the Government’s Local Growth Deals. Local Growth Deals will be a partnership between the Government and LEPs, where the Government will respond to the offers made by LEPs in pursuit of the shared objective of growth. In March this year, the LEPs submitted Strategic Economic Plans that outlined their growth stimulation ambitions for the next six years to 2020.
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British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey, Q2 In recent weeks, news that Britain had slightly surpassed its pre-2008 economic strength measured by GDP has been generally well received by media and businesses. John Longworth, director general of British Chambers of Commerce said “Yet even though we’re one of the fastest-growing developed economies, there’s no room for complacency. Without sustained action, these growth figures could be ‘as good as it gets’ for the UK.
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HERTFORDSHIRE QUARTERLY ECONOMIC SURVEY Q2 2014 The British Chambers of Commerce’s Q2 2014 Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) results are positive for Hertfordshire and point to continued economic growth. 6,944 businesses across the UK responded to the survey during the period 26 May to 18 June 2014. _____________________________________________________________
QES results are presented as balance
1 9 8 9 to 2 0 1 4
25 YEARS
Domestic Sales
“The government and the Bank of England must pull out all the stops to encourage business investment, help exporters and get finance flowing to growing firms who still aren’t seen as a safe bet by the banks.”
Services
Solid business confidence driving growth
Manufacturing
He said that interest rates need to stay low for as long as possible, and rise slowly and predictably when they do go up to avoid undermining the solid business confidence that’s driving the growth that is being seen in businesses across Britain.
“The government and the Bank of England must pull out all the stops to encourage business investment...” 10
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Export Sales
+80%
+25%
Services
+67%
+32%
Investment in training
Yolanda Rugg of Herts Chamber says “Many businesses are concerned about the challenges of filling the vacancies, and also retaining good staff. They are adjusting remuneration packages and flexible working practices to compete with local and London competitors, which places further pressures on their margins and profitability.” Domestic sales of services in Hertfordshire are up by 25 per cent, and interestingly manufacturing is up by 32 per cent. She said “It’s fantastic to see employment growth expectations have risen by 34 per cent, corresponding with training investment, particularly for manufacturing, up by 55 per cent. It’s good to speak with businesses around the county, and hear their quiet optimism.”
The QES has been figures (the percentage of firms that a reliable indicator reported an increase minus the percentage that reported a decrease). of the UK and Hertfordshire economy + represents an expansion since 1989 - represents a contraction
Manufacturing
Confidence - Profitability
+38%
Services
Manufacturing
+55%
Services
Manufacturing
+28% +54%
Employment Expectations Services
+34%
Manufacturing
+33%
The interactive BCC Quarterly Economic Survey is available at www.economicsurvey.org.uk Be part of Britain’s biggest and most influential business survey: #joinyourchamber
UPFront
British Chambers of Commerce Global monthly economic review, July 2014 IMF lowers global economic forecasts The IMF lowered its forecast for global growth this year, from 3.7% to 3.4%, reflecting a weak start to the year in the US and a number of downgrades to several individual economies’ outlook.
Rising risks Geopolitical risks have risen relative to the IMF's April forecast: higher risks of oil and energy price spikes owing to recent developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, with a longer-term worry about the impact of higher oil prices on inflation for major economies, which could force central banks to raise interest rates.
The UK’s foreign direct investment (FDI) stock was greater than that any of its European neighbours.
Whilst we have seen the recent extension to flexible working, a Government intervention in zero hour contracts, and the announcement of new equal pay audit regulations from October 2014, we have also seen the introduction of “Early Conciliation” which it is hoped will prevent weak claims entering the Tribunal system. Only time will tell! Here is a brief snapshot of these changes. Flexible working - All Employees with at least six months’ service can now request flexible working and Employers need to check that their
Upgraded UK’s growth forecast The IMF upgraded its forecast for UK growth to 3.2% this year and 2.7% in 2015 – the upward revision was the largest upgrade of any major western economy. The UK is expected to grow faster than the US, Germany, France and Canada. While encouraging, it is noted however the recovery is not yet sustainable. A looming threat is when consumers can no longer rely on their savings for spending. A slowdown in consumption could put the brakes on the recovery – which is why rebalancing towards investment and exports is important.
More pressure on Employers?
flexible working policies have been amended to
Manufacturing stagnates, but UK buoyed Growth in manufacturing across the globe begins to show divergence. China’s manufacturing activity grew at its fastest pace for six months in June, suggesting that recent stimulus moves have started to have an impact. The US manufacturing pace of growth slowed in June. However, the UK was buoyed by rising exports with growth in manufacturing increasing. This in turn will increase the appetite amongst manufacturers to invest, export and grow their international presence. The UK’s foreign direct investment (FDI) stock was greater than that any of its European neighbours. FDI stock is a stable measure of foreign investment, demonstrating the longterm interest of foreign investors and their confidence in an economy. The UK is making headway in attracting investors as the strength of the UK brand overseas is strong.
Argentina’s recession deepens, but UK opportunities exist Failure by Argentina to reach agreement with ‘holdout’ creditors and to avoid a second default in 13 years will deepen the recession, fuel inflation and prompt a sell-off in the peso. It’s the second largest economy in South America and a globally important producer of agricultural commodities; it also has unexploited shale oil and gas reserves. In 2013, Argentina was the UK’s third largest export market in South America. UK exports of goods were worth £343m. They have fallen in the last two years due to import restrictions and the slowdown in the economy. Despite the challenges, opportunities for UK businesses exist in Argentina, particularly in the education and the oil and gas sectors.
reflect this change. Zero hour contracts – the Government are to ban ‘exclusivity clauses’ which prevent employees on these contracts working for another organisation. A Code of Conduct will be introduced later this year which Employers using these contracts will need to understand. Equal pay audits - From 1 October 2014, any employer losing a sex discrimination claim related to pay will be ordered by the Employment Tribunal to carry out an equal pay audit and to publish the results to all staff. Early conciliation – before starting an Employment Tribunal claim ACAS must be contacted to discuss conciliation. ACAS reports success so far (launched in May 2014) with around 98% of those making contact deciding to pursue conciliation. Contact by the potential claimant is mandatory, taking part is not. Early Conciliation has to be a good thing to try before both sides start to incur the costs of dealing with an Employment Tribunal claim. Should you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact Rachel Harper on 01992 558411 or email rachel.harper@breezeandwyles.co.uk.
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Crossrail to Hertfordshire – must happen A BBC news report (7 August) quoted Yolanda Rugg saying that a Crossrail extension to Watford to Tring would be a catalyst to drive economic growth in Hertfordshire.
“It will provide vital high-speed transport connectivity from London to the New Watford Health Campus, and to the financial and creative services sectors,” she said. “It will most definitely support long-term regeneration across Hertfordshire.” This follows the welcomed out-of-the-blue news from the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, that there are proposed plans to extend the £14.8 billion Crossrail link that would connect Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead and Watford to the new London rail line.
Connecting west to east London, and now the north — fast Crossrail, Europe’s largest infrastructure project is, according to an MSN News report (7 August), a 73-mile high-frequency, high-capacity line from Heathrow to Shenfield in the east. It will have 38 station stops that include nine new stations — Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House and Woolwich. According to the Daily Telegraph (7 August), plans for a new railway across London were mooted in the 19th century. Its present iteration was planned in 1974, and work began in 2009 to be completed for 2018 — four years’ time.
Bringing business, employee skills and inward investment Crossrail will connect all of London’s major business centres in a single line, bringing 1.5 million people within a 45-minute commute of major employers in the West End, the City and Canary Wharf. Rail-side areas will be regenerated; employers along the route will have access to larger pools of skilled people, which in turn should stimulate private sector investment, all adding up, says the
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report, to a £42 billion injection into the economy.
Regeneration and reduced commute The extension would support long-term regeneration across Hertfordshire and shorten commutes by up to 16 minutes — Tring to Liverpool Street, 13-minute reduction, Watford Junction to Canary Wharf, 12 minutes less, and Tring to Bond Street, a 16-minute reduction.
Why is this good for Hertfordshire? Hertfordshire is a mix — London commuters, historic market towns, manufacturing industries, global commercial giants. While we’re not a
London over-spill, having our own long history of trading and enterprise success, we have nevertheless, mutual trade-offs with London. The Crossrail extension will bring inward investment to the county through new housing, supporting infrastructure, new skills, supply chains and opportunities, for both businesses and Hertfordshire residents. The link that directly and quickly connects Watford and Hemel Hempstead to the city will bring huge advantages to all kinds of businesses — start-ups, SMEs and to the large, multinational corporations that selected Hertfordshire for their headquarters or aspects of their operations.
SponsoredFeature
Content is still King
Top quality Board will drive forward Broxbourne plan The Chamber of Commerce is to play a key role in the ongoing work to drive forward the Ambition Broxbourne programme.
Members of the Economic Board representing Broxbourne council, Herts County Council, Herts Chamber, London Stansted Cambridge Consortium, Hertford Regional College, John Warner School and local businesses Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce was represented when the first Economic Board Meeting was held at Theobalds Park Hotel in Cheshunt. Representatives from across the borough attended to discuss delivery of the Council’s plan for economic growth and prosperity in the area.
“I am pleased with the high calibre of this Board, which will be critical for directing and driving the delivery of Ambition Broxbourne over the coming months and years.” was identified as a critical area that the Board needs to drive. Cllr Mark Mills-Bishop said: “I am pleased with the high calibre of this Board, which will be critical for directing and driving the delivery of Ambition Broxbourne over the coming months and years.
Membership of the Board consists of Broxbourne Borough Council’s new leader, Cllr Mark MillsBishop and Chief Executive, Jeff Stack; Hertford Regional College Principal, Andy Forbes; Hertfordshire County Council Leader, Cllr Robert Gordon; John Warner head teacher, David Kennedy; B3Living Chief Executive, John Giesen; Naomi Connell from VolkerWessels UK; Tim Dobson from Dobsons; Ian Richardson from the Centre for Voluntary Services Broxbourne and East Herts; Mary Sykes from the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and John McGill from the London Stansted Cambridge Consortium.
“I am determined that the Council plays its part in galvanising all local stakeholders to make sure the action planned is delivered.”
The meeting was an opportunity to discuss issues affecting the area such as the infrastructure needed to support growth, including road, rail, broadband and housing. The need to improve local skill levels was also on the agenda and it
To find out more about the Ambition Broxbourne strategy, residents and businesses can get in touch by emailing the Economic Development Team at economic.development@broxbourne.gov.uk or calling 01992 785624.
With so much emphasis now on electronic media and search engine optimisation for web sites, the importance of high quality written content for both new and traditional media is easily overlooked. Yet, if we follow the old saying that “first they see you, then they hear you”, it is essential that once you have attracted the attention of potential buyers, what you have to say is relevant, easy to read and requires little effort on the readers’ part. To help achieve this, follow a few simple steps: 1. Know what you want to say... Sounds simple but too often there is no clear focus to stories. 2. Know who you are talking to: Many of us have multiple audiences and it is essential to remember who you are focusing on so that you make information relevant and interesting to specific groups. 3. Know what you are trying to achieve. So often communication is created with no defined objective and so does not achieve a specific goal. 4. Know your limits. Don’t be afraid to call on a professional. The initial outlay will pay dividends in the end as you are more likely to get the response you require.
For more information, or an informal discussion on creating strong, effective and interesting copy, call Jane on 07738017313.
The Board is supported by the Borough Council’s newly-formed Economic Development Team, which will take forward all agreed actions relating to the Ambition Broxbourne work programme. It will meet quarterly to oversee Ambition Broxbourne’s progress to ensure that it remains on course and that any blockages to delivery are removed.
Jane Ducarreaux, Director Artizan Communications Limited 01920 466678 07738 017313 www.artizan-on-line.com
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Hertford Regional College Bucking the National Trend At HRC we take employability of our students and the local community extremely seriously; we were praised by Ofsted who said: “The College places particular emphasis on developing learners’ employability skills, enhancing their learning through work experience and links with major employers”. We also have an excellent partnership with local Job Centres. High demand occupations are identified at liaison meetings held with the College and Jobcentre Plus teams, leading to courses being offered and developed which will provide the skills required by local employers. Working with Jobcentre Plus; providing sector skills academies and resource through our unique Employment Service has contributed to a 24% reduction of the 18-24 year old customers that are registered as unemployed in the Broxbourne area to date (against a National Trend showing an increase).
Looking for new staff? The free professional HRC Employment Service can offer you: • Enthusiastic candidates available for work, either full/part time or as apprentices. • The best people for your business, pre-selected through a rigorous selection process. Call our Employment Service team on 01992 411572. Email: business-solutions@hrc.ac.uk. Attwater Jameson Hill Solicitors: “Very professional service, excellent candidates”.
Looking to train your staff? We have a number of professional courses in areas from counselling and childcare to accounting and business. We now run a number of courses on Saturdays. For more information please visit www.hrc.ac.uk.
Broxbourne Campus Turnford, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, EN10 6AE
Ware Campus Scotts Road, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9JF
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UPFront
Pro Vice-Chancellor awarded MBE Julie Newlan, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Enterprise and Director of Marketing Communications at the University of Hertfordshire, has been honoured for her services to higher education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2014. During her 20 years at the University of Hertfordshire – more than five years as Pro ViceChancellor (Enterprise) - Julie Newlan has successfully led the University’s student employability and entrepreneurship agenda. She has been a critical advocate in the development of enterprising students in Hertfordshire which has led to a continual rise in students gaining meaningful employment within the region. Julie said: “I am delighted to be awarded this great honour. It is a real privilege to work at the University of Hertfordshire and be part of such a committed team of people working for the benefit of our students.” She was appointed as a senior lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire in 1994. Prior to this she was a lecturer in marketing and held an established career in a retail marketing consultancy. She is an active Board member for three of the University’s companies and
previously held a Board appointment at West Herts Regional College. Professor Quintin McKellar, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire said: “I am delighted for Julie and I know that colleagues will join me in wishing her the warmest congratulations on this wonderful honour.”
“I am delighted to be awarded this great honour.It is a real privilege to work at the University of Hertfordshire and be part of such a committed team of people working for the benefit of our students.”
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St Albans looks to St Albans has a varied business landscape but one that has its roots in professional service, retail and tourism.
There are more than 8,000 businesses in the district, most of which are small businesses. A total of 87% of those businesses are microbusinesses and employ under 10 staff. There are 20 (0.2%) employers with more than 250 staff. Many of the larger businesses are known nationally and globally, especially within the management consultancy, legal and financial sectors, including Deloitte, Aecom, PwC, Premier Foods, Logica and Aon Hewitt. St Albans is situated in central Hertfordshire, 20 miles from central London, and has excellent transport links. Major road routes include the M1, M10, and M25 motorways, the A414 and A1081, the Thameslink rail service operates between St Albans and Bedford and central London and Brighton, and these link St Albans to London and the rest of the country, including Heathrow, Luton, Stanstead and Gatwick airports. St Albans also has direct rail routes to the Eurostar rail service to Paris and Brussels via
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the future Herts Chamber members today reflect that commercial character, resilience, service and success — adapting with the times.
Sawyers to lawyers, and more besides Chamber’s oldest St Albans member is Taylor Walton LLP, member for 32 years. This wellestablished law firm provides legal services. Their commercial expertise is property and real estate, corporate law, employment law and dispute resolution. They help individuals with property conveyance, probate and wills, tax advice, family law and employment law. The second oldest member (31 years) is Buttle Plc, established when George Buttle left farming life 125 years ago to begin as a sawyer in St Pancras. He set his standards on quality and value. Today, Buttle’s is the supplier of timber and fencing, doors and joinery, sheet and building materials plumbing and electrical ironmongery, tools and plant. The third oldest member (28 years) of Herts Chamber from St Albans is Rayner Essex, established in 1968, a firm of chartered accountants with eight partners and 70 staff that Continued St Pancreas International. The Abbey Line railway service also connects St Albans to Watford. Another attraction is the highly skilled workforce; 46% of residents aged 16 and over are educated to degree level or above. This is higher than both the county (32%) and national (27%) levels. This also represents the eleventh highest proportion of adults educated to higher education qualifications in England, the second highest outside of London. St Albans has the third highest proportion of higher and intermediate managerial, administrative and professional occupations.
St Albans businesses St Albans’s history begins as a Celtic settlement well before the Romans arrived. The Romans built their own town, second largest to London, on the thoroughfare to the north, bestowing the town with political importance. Interestingly, centuries later the first draft of the Magna Carta was drawn up in the abbey. Its social and commercial history endures today.
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work for small to large to international organisations. They provide audit, business services, corporate finance, tax and payroll services. Chamber’s fourth oldest St Albans member is Sopwell House, which features on page 20, with its own Hertfordshire heritage. Other hotelier members are: The Noke Thistle (see page xx), St Michael’s Manor and Quality Hotels.
Business essentials – solicitors, accountants Sherrards Law has been a Herts Chamber member for 25 years, serving the St Albans business and local community with their legal expertise across banking, finance, corporate recovery, employment, intellectual property, and law services for the individual: tax, wills, property litigation. SA Law became Chamber members in 1992. They also offer business services — litigation, retail, media and technology intellectual property, and specialist corporate services, as well as law service for individuals: property, wills, trusts and family. They specialise in the less commonly known areas: healthcare, sport, immigration, equine law and education. Two companies that have been Chamber members for 20 years are Scott & York Intellectual Property Law and WMT Chartered Accountants. Member also for well over a decade is Kingston Smith LLP, offering accounting services and also forensic accounting, inward investment and charity fund-raising management specialisms.
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Another long-time member is Mercer & Hole, chartered accountants, with business and private clients, and offering help in corporate finance, restructuring, financial planning and international business services.
Finance, banking St Albans is not just a city of professional service providers. Chamber members include 16th year financier, ASC Finance for Business, and banks: Clydesdale Bank, Lloyds Bank, Lombard and Royal Bank of Scotland Group.
Engineering to consultancy to lab supplies Austin Trueman Associates are structural and civil engineer specialists, members for 14 years. Cheeky Munkey, IT support, has been a member for 15 years, and International Labmate, joined Herts Chamber in 1999. There are many newer members, each offering business consultancy and service to St Albans enterprises and entrepreneurs. Membership reflects the whole spectrum of business and enterprise in St Albans, but it also reflects its wider community-, education (schools, colleges) health and well-being and importantly, charities.
St Albans is not just a city of professional service providers.
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St Albans MP Anne Main has welcomed the recent surge in business startups in the area The latest Duport Business Confidence Report revealed an 18% increase in business formations in St Albans in the first quarter of the year, well above the national average of 12%. Company closures also fell by 27% on the previous year. Anne said: “I welcome the data, and the strong performance of St Albans in creating new enterprises, with fewer business closures. “It is pleasing to see such robust figures from the survey, following on from last month’s unemployment figures which shows joblessness at its lowest level in St Albans since November 2008. “We have a vibrant and flourishing city but it is not without its difficulties. I am aware some shops have come under pressure and have had to change their business model. “A local café I often frequent has recently stopped trading, while others are looking at different ways they can sustain their balance sheet. I would urge residents to support local businesses where they can. “However, overall trading conditions are positive and these are encouraging figures for St Albans.” She added: “St Albans has a very robust and resilient economy. Latest unemployment figures are well under national the average, at 1.4%, coupled with the increasing rates of business start-ups, and fewer company closures. “There is a problem, however, with the housing market and this is why I’ve been pushing for a debate on Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT). In an area with high average house prices, SDLT is a major expense for young people looking to get on the housing ladder, or indeed, anyone looking to move to a more appropriately-sized home. “The tax is clearly acting as a barrier for local residents to move and I’m glad we will now have the chance to debate it in Parliament on 4th September. This is important as we need a fluid housing market to support the labour force. All of these factors contribute to the success of a local economy.”
Women in Leadership lunch We’ve organised our third Women in Leadership lunch, to be held at The Thistle Noke Hotel in St Albans on 19 September.
We use these occasions to bring together business men and women to participate in discussions on creating more positive conditions for women at work. We invite people from partnering organisations to contribute to our discussions by leading on thought or sharing information on what is being achieved elsewhere.
Improving parity, encouraging full potential Our focus is on improving the parity of women in the workplace, encouraging them to achieve their full potential within a more equitable work environment that properly uses their talents and capabilities, and to inspire younger women to aspire, through presentations by successful women who have seized opportunities for themselves. These lunches have already produced cohesion among our members and business in general. We have a strong programme of activity for September through to the end of the year, which we will present in outline.
Herts Chamber leading the way Possibly our own initiatives so far is encouraging the Government to take action. It recently announced a list of new peers of the realm: former managing director of Birmingham City Football Club and current vice-chairman of West Ham United and BBC Apprentice star, Karren Brady, former Facebook senior executive, Joanna Shields, TalkTalk Chief Executive Dido Harding and ex-CBI Scotland chief, Nosheena Mobarik.
Lunch at The Thistle Noke The Thistle Noke, a Herts Chamber member, has served the needs of the thirsty, hungry or weary traveller on their way northwards since the Victorian age. Today it offers much more to the tourist visiting St Albans, the business needing a conference venue or local people needing a meeting place for a drink. Join us for this occasion. For more information: Jodie@hertschamber.com
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Sopwell House in St Albans has been given a facelift, taking it from understatedchic to the next level of contemporary country house glamour. • The bedroom refurbishment has created a more contemporary style and all offer individual Sky HD boxes with Sky Sports, ESPA toiletries and complimentary WIFI Marleen Mason; Director of Sales & Marketing at Sopwell House said; “This is an extremely exciting time for us as well as our existing and potential clients to enjoy our fantastic and unique facilities combined with a personalised service. A merited investment for the well-established and much loved Sopwell House.” For Meeting & Events enquiries – 01727 750 466 or events@sopwellhouse.co.uk. For more information: www.sopwellhouse.co.uk.
Following a multi-million pound investment over the past few years, Sopwell House has invested an additional £2 million this year with further refurbishments planned for the end of 2014 and beyond. On Thursday 3rd July Sopwell House hosted a Garden Party to celebrate the completion of recent refurbishments. The corporate refurbishments include: • The ground floor Meeting & Events area – ideal for larger scale conferences and events - has been refreshed to complement the extensive refurbishment throughout the entire property. • The first floor Meeting Rooms, which are ideal for ‘boardroom-style’ meetings, now hold up to 20 delegates and are equipped with new fixtures and furnishings including an 80” internet-ready HD TV with plug in & play connectivity.
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A BEAUTIFUL, BROAD CANVAS ON WHICH TO CREATE THE PERFECT EVENT, FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE Nestled within 12 acres of Hertfordshire countryside, yet only 20 minutes away from London, the former Georgian residence of Lord Mountbatten has recently been restored to contemporary country house glamour. From small meetings to lavish product launches, any business need can be expertly accommodated across our 19 recently refurbished function suites. With the hotel offering guests Sky HD in all 128 bedrooms, complimentary WiFi throughout, extensive onsite parking, and access to our luxurious spa — a very special experience awaits you and your guests.
Cottonmill Lane St. Albans Hertfordshire AL1 2HQ T +44 (0) 1727 750466 E events@sopwellhouse.co.uk www.sopwellhouse.co.uk
24Hours
24.Hours Simon Mercer Managing Director Pearldrop
“We are very much a 24/7 business and you go where the work is when you need to do it.”
Working all hours the norm in the film industry The working day for Simon Mercer can start early in the morning. Very early indeed. Simon is managing director of Hertfordshire video production company Pearldrop and very often he and his team can find themselves heading into central London as dawn streaks the sky, on their way to set up for their next shoot. The company, which was founded in January 2003, creates video content for companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Sage Publishing, Elsevier and international high-end shirt retailer Thomas Pink. Simon said: “We are very much a 24/7 business and you go where the work is when you need to do it. “I spend 70 per cent of my week on the road and if we are on a shoot, I can find myself getting up at 5am and heading into the city to find a parking space in one of the underground car parks that we use. “A lot of our work is in London and we go in early partly to avoid being caught in traffic - we simply cannot afford to be late - but also because there is a lot to do before we begin filming. “People see a three minute video and think that is all you did but there is so much more to it. “You have to set things up, get your equipment ready, brief your actors or your presenter if it’s a documentary-style film - we worked with Anne Diamond recently - and go through the rehearsals before you shoot. “I have done quite a lot of work as an extra on films at Pinewood and you can be there for 12-15 hours and come out with just thirty seconds of film. “On our shoots, we’ll grab breakfast when we can but hope to have the cameras rolling by 8.45. “Every day, every shoot, every client is different and that keeps us fresh. Each film throws different challenges up. “For example, we did a recent one in a street and when we arrived they were chopping a tree down in the background so we had to change the way we shot things. We don‘t refer to ourselves as film-makers, we use the phrase problem solvers. “In terms of finishing time, there is no such thing as a typical day. You work until the job is done. They can be long days.”
“Every day, every shoot, every client is different and that keeps us fresh. Each film throws different challenges up.” 22
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ChamberEvents
Dates for your diary... ... Training
... Events Aug
21 12:30-17:00
Clay Pigeon Shooting AGL Shooting Ground, Markyate
19:00-23:30
Property and Construction Network – New Rules of Measurement
18:00-20:00
18 09:30-11:30
19 12:00-14:00
2 07:30-09:00
3
Sep
3
Sep
Oct
9 08:00-10:00
West Herts Business Breakfast The Waterside Café, Croxley Green Business Park, Watford
90th Birthday Gala Dinner Marriott Hanbury Manor, Ware
Networking Breakfast at Best Business Expo
9 09:30-12:30
16 09:30-12:30
30 09:30-12:30
Holiday Inn Elstree
22
HR Forum – Generation Y Bourne Leisure, Hemel Hempstead
Women in Leadership Networking Lunch – STEM
16 13:00-15:00
22 12:00-14:00
West Herts Networking – Afternoon Tea
Operational Management: ‘Working Smarter Not Harder’ Maclaurin Building, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
Learning and Growth Perspective: Managing People Maclaurin Building, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
Oct
Champneys Tring
Networking Lunch with Growth Accelerator
7 09:00-17:00
Cheshunt Park Golf Club, Cheshunt
The Thistle Noke, St Albans
Networking Breakfast – Cyber-crime Pricewaterhouse Coopers, St Albans
23 18:00-20:00
Networking and Wine Tasting Evening
09:30-16:00
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Opening and Closing the Sale Maclaurin Building, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
Managing Performance to Achieve Awesome Results Maclaurin Building, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
The Wine Society, Stevenage
29 09:00-17:00
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Maclaurin Building, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
VolkerWessels UK, Hoddesdon
14 08:00-10:00
Financial Perspective: ‘Using Your Numbers to Drive Performance’
Objection Handling and Negotiation Skills Maclaurin Building, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield
ChamberEvents
Networking breakfast – Cyber-crime – be aware Cyber-crime costs the global economy US$445 billion each year. The growth of the internet economy has provided businesses and individuals with opportunities to make significantly more profit and savings, but has exponentially increased risk. Cyber-crime is now ranked within the top four national security threats. It takes the form of fraud, ID theft and computer and network hacking.
Small businesses, large organisations In the UK, it costs our businesses £21 billion a year and according to a Telegraph report (May 2013), cyber crime costs small companies £800 million a year. The most expensive UK cyber-crimes are those, the report states, caused by malicious insiders, denial of service attacks and malicious code. It also reported that
according to a US study, cyber attacks more than doubled over a three-year period, with a financial impact increment of nearly 40 per cent. According to computerweekly.com, the cost of attacks on UK organisations ranged between £400,000 and £7.7 million at the time of the report.
Government action now The government’s own shift to digital services (online registrations, national databases, payments, etc) has increased its own awareness of the very serious threat to its operations and to UK businesses and citizens at large. It has to improve cyber security and increase preventative measures for us all.
Addressing primary issues Guest speaker will be Charlie McMurdie, senior crime adviser at PwC accountants. She has over 30 year’s service in the Metropolitan Police
where she built the police central e-crime unit, a world- class cyber-crime capability and the national cyber-crime investigative and enforcement body in the UK. She is an acknowledged cyber-crime and security expert and an internationally acclaimed authority and adviser on cybercrime within government and industry in relation to the internet, communication technology, computing and security sectors. She will be joined by David Lloyd, the Hertfordshire police and crime commissioner.
Breakfast with Pricewaterhouse Coopers Please join us for this insight into cybercrime at a networking breakfast at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in St Albans on 22 September. For more information: Jodie@hertschamber.com.
Hertfordshire Chamber 90th year party time We’re nonagenarian and proud. Why shouldn’t we be? Reaching ninety and living through the social, industrial and technological changes from 1924 to today that gives Hertfordshire its enviable place in the United Kingdom are something to shout about.
Time for a party Chamber Patron, Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel and Golf Club, is the elegant venue of the party to celebrate our 90 years. We have held many of our networking events at Hanbury Manor and members will know how well we’re looked after and how enjoyable each occasion has been.
The date is Friday 3 October. At 7pm we sip cocktails, as the sun goes down we dine sumptuously and when the stars come out, we dance until carriages just before midnight. Celebrate our birthday with us. For more information: Jodie@hertschamber.com
We’ve gone through so much change ourselves — adapting to new challenges, learning new technologies and encouraging new ways of business — that we’re in the mood for dancing. In the very early days of our existence, our business affairs were recorded by pounding the keys of a manual typewriter, developing deltoid and pectoral muscles as we executed a hefty carriage return at the end of a line. Now we ping Twitter updates on feather-weight mobile phone apps. At least Qwerty hasn’t changed.
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CoverFeature
Hertfordshire Chamber 1924
an Arrnchair and Salvador Dali his surrealist The First Days of Spring, possibly precursors to Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin.
Vladimir Lenin is buried in Moscow’s Red Square; Joseph Stalin prepares for leadership. In Britain, Ramsay MacDonald becomes the first Labour Prime Minister, and in Germany, Adolf Hitler goes to jail.
Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and Patricia Routledge – Mrs Bucket, the lady of the house – were born in 1929, as were Christopher Plummer (irascible Von Trappe) and still acting, and Ronnie Barker (irrepressible one of the two Ronnies). Also born this year were the good and the bad: Martin Luther King, Roger Bannister and Ronnie Biggs (Great Train Robbery). The BBC broadcast a television transmission for the first time. The world was changing.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) spawns a galaxy of stars in California and Edwin Hubble announces that the Milky Way is one of many galaxies in the universe. In Paris, the Summer Olympics spawns the Vangelis opening chords of Chariots of Fire some 55 years later and George Gershwin writes Rhapsody in Blue.
1929 was also the year of the Wall Street Crash, and the beginning of the Great Depression.
Imperial Airways (later British Airways) is formed, flying long haul with its fleet of De Havillands – airplanes with its history in Hertfordshire.
1930s The Welwyn Chamber – as today – was ‘open to all persons and companies interested in the various branches of trade, commerce and manufacture’. Annual subscriptions – unlike today – were 10s. 6d. (ten shillings and six pence) for firms employing 12 to 30; rising to £2. 2s. for firms with more than 30 employees. There were 40 members.
1929 was a year of the arts, some serious, some not: Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, comic book character Tintin by Herge and Popeye. Pablo Picasso painted his cubist Nude in
In 1931, minutes record a medical service set up for child workers, 14 to 16 years, before the advent of the NHS. The Chamber lobbied to raise the school-leaving age to 15 (passed, but only enacted after World War II). There was a discussion on whether married women should be allowed to work, and a note of welcome to
Welwyn Times front cover, Thursday 30th May 1929
Chamber formation article, Welwyn Times, Thursday 30th May 1929
Sir Frederic Osborn
De Havilland Aircraft Company - Head office building, photographed 2 July 1950. This historic company ceased operating at Hatfield in 1993. The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, or its genesis, was inaugurated in Bridge Hall, Welwyn Garden City.
1929 Herts Chamber has evolved through a number of existences, the first of which, in 1924, coincided with the establishment of Welwyn Garden City (1920) as a town; the second of which is the 1929 inauguration of the Welwyn Chamber of Commerce, affiliated to the Association of British Chambers of Commerce – for the sum of ten guineas. The company secretary of Welwyn Garden City Ltd – the company formed to build the new city – was Sir Frederic James Osborn. He was also a committee member of the Chamber, along with Messrs A.E. Odle (Dawnay & Sons), E.L. Wallace (Shredded Wheat), L.H. Crump (Welwyn Foundry), W.H Close (Welwyn Garden City Laundry) and T.C. Lemmens (Welwyn Stores, later John Lewis).
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1924... 2014 British Lead Mills – the company is still Chamber members today (see page 5). In 1933, Miss A.M. Jones, who ran the Welwyn Secretarial School, was the first female member. In the April 1934 minutes, it was agreed to reappoint Mr Gilchrist as the Chamber representative on the Hospital Committee. A letter was read from the Secretary of the AntiFascist Demonstration Committee asking for the support of the Chamber. It was minuted that the Chamber is a non-political organisation, and unfortunately couldn’t respond. A letter received by the St Albans Chamber from the Postmaster General produced agreement that Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield telephone exchanges be included in the St Albans Directory. On the matter of gas charges, Major Close and Mr Minton should represent the Chamber at the interview with the Gas Company.
It was a decade of bleak depression, economic gloom and impending doom – but interestingly, also one of innovation and progress. In the 1930s, Birdseye frozen foods and the long-playing (LP) record were introduced in 1931. Kodak produced its first colour film (1936), Germany produced one of the best ever selling cars, the Beetle, (1938) and radar was invented in Britain (1938). It was a period of Art Deco, literature and film: AA Milne (Winnie the Pooh), PG Wodehouse (Jeeves and Wooster), Agatha Christie, DH Lawrence, JRR Tolkien, Steinbeck, Hemingway, Graham Greene; and entertainers – Louis Armstrong, Fred Astair and Ginger Rogers, and fabulous film stars: Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh and Olivia De Havilland – same family as the airplane manufacturers.
There was frequent mention of the Jarrow Employment Scheme. High unemployment in Jarrow, near Newcastle was resolved by moving men, known as the Jarrow Boys, and their families to southern towns for work and rehousing.
A decade of war and its aftermath had a profound effect on decades to come: computers, nuclear, jet propulsion, women in work, the welfare state. It also produced the microwave oven, Tupperware, commercial television and something very topical today – hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
In 1938, the minutes recorded discussions on contacting new manufacturers, arrangements for apprentices, and inviting manufacturers and their works managers to a meeting to discuss war raid precautions.
Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean introduced new film genres and glamorous actors. Artists of the day were Nat King Cole, Glenn Miller, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra.
In 1939, the Welwyn Chamber President is Sir Frederic Osborn, the offices are now in Midland Bank Chambers in Howardsgate; membership had grown to 90. This would have represented a sizeable proportion of existing businesses in the area for its time.
Later minutes reflected issues for the Manufacturing sub-committee on material production and that a report would be sent to the Air Ministry. There were a number of subcommittees, one of which was a Retail subcommittee that undertook to represent their industries’ concerns. Although this aspect of council-like involvement has changed with the development of other civic bodies, the minutes mirror the Chamber’s grasp of local situations and their impact on business growth – as it does today.
In the May minutes (1944), the employment of a public relations officer was discussed. However, it was agreed the Chamber’s finances would hardly permit the employment of an officer, even part time, and that a sub-committee be appointed to deal with the work. The audited accounts for the Chamber (31 December 1944) reflect a balance of 287 pounds, 14 shillings and seven pence. The June 1945 minutes makes no mention of the end of the war despite Germany’s surrender six weeks earlier. Agenda items were the education committee report, employment and desired improvements to the rail service to Kings Cross.
In 1936, the minutes recorded that the Coronation celebration committee stated: ‘in view of the present uncertain position, further planning was deferred’ – referring to Edward VIII’s relationship with Mrs Wallace Simpson.
The July minutes record discussions of air raid precautions, training of industrial representatives and the supply of steel helmets. The October minutes recorded agreements about aerial camouflage for the industrial area, the inadequacy of war-time train services and payments of wages lost during air raids.
debate. Mr R. Wiles was nominated to represent the Chamber of the Committee of Users of Transport to resolve issues of post-war transport. In a subsequent meeting he reported that the London Chamber of Commerce favoured the retention of transport in private ownership subject to state control through legislation other than nationalism. It was unanimously agreed to support such findings.
1950s
Press clipping of membership invitation to Chamber of Commerce, 1940
1940s In the February meeting in 1942, agenda items were warworker shopping facilities and housing arrangements. The military had now left the town, and houses formerly accommodating them were being transferred to the war workers. In the October (1942) minutes, the matter of decimal system in book-keeping was discussed, but it was agreed that while certain advantages were apparent, it was a matter for national
Items on the agenda for the Chamber on 26 February 1957 were duty-free import of machinery, shipments to Viet Nam, Northern Rhodesia Industrial and Commercial Show, youth employment. After years of deprivation, food stamps and immense social change, the fifties heralded a brighter era. The DNA structure was cracked at Cambridge University, polypropylene (for packaging, thermal wear, product casings) was invented. And Rock and Roll arrived: Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, followed by the king. Fifties’ music yielded Haley and the Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, The Drifters. The fifties brought Marlon Brando, Marilyn Munroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren and other glorious and glamorous film stars to our local picture houses. continued
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1960s The Chamber continued its work in the local business community. Minutes record a discussion about affiliation with the Luton & District Chamber of Commerce and a request for the council of the Chamber to consider the payment of the fee, five shillings per member, for affiliation to the National Chamber of Trade. 1963 minutes record the agreement to protect members’ interests in light of the Lee Valley Water Company’s proposal to lay water-mains on a 21-days notice over members’ property without their consent. In the following year, minutes show a proposal to invite senior pupils of senior schools to a film showing the work opportunities in the town and the type of goods manufactured here. In 1965, minutes noted a discussion on installing a telex facility, and in the following year, there is discussion on computer personnel training and an approach being made to the Education Authorities. The post-war boom thrived and the baby boomers arrived. Mary Quant was in vogue and JF Kennedy Was in the White House. It was an age of wars: Cold War with the Soviet Union, civil war in Africa, Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East. It was a time of coups: Greece, Libya, Iraq – assassinations: JF Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and an age of revolutions – cultural in China, sexual in Britain, civil rights in America, social: feminism and activism. But despite turmoil, we performed the first human heart transplant, put a man on the moon and played Beatles 45s on the turntable. We also carried on with Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor.
The seventies changed our leisure time. VHS video recorders, Sony Walkman and cassette tape. Music was dominated by the Jackson 5 and cute Michael, ABBA and reggae. Films became blockbusters: Grease, Jaws, Star Wars. The period revolutionised our work – computers, pocket calculators, floppy disks. The carphone, mobile phone, fibre optics and e-commerce were invented, and Apple set up in a garage.
1980s Hertfordshire’s oldest company, established in 1769, joined the Chamber. Today Beales Hotel in Hatfield is still a member. The fall of the Berlin Wall to the rise of technology – desk-top personal computers and computer games: Pac-Man, Super Mario, and brands: Nintendo, Sega, Game Boy. TV was dominated by space exploration, Dallas, soap operas and shoulder pads.
Beales Hotel, Hatfield
1990s
In 1971, the Mid Herts Chamber of Commerce, as the Chamber had become, was incorporated under the Companies Act 1948, and three years later was renamed The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. The September 1978 minutes reflect that Mr E J Veale (modern writing had dropped full stops after initials) proposes that Mr D Yield be appointed Vice Chairman of the Board. Edward Veale remains on the Board of Directors of Herts Chamber today, the longest-serving director.
In 1996, the Stevenage and North Herts Chamber of Commerce were affiliated with the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce – followed a few years later by Hemel Hempstead – and in 1997 became the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
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World wide web changed life for ever. Pentium processing and Microsoft changed how we worked. Amazon and eBay changed how we shopped. The MP3 player substitutes the Walkman, and 24-hour rolling news became everyday.
2000s The Chamber team introduced networking: buffets on the last Thursday of the month and breakfasts at Knebworth Barns. In 2003, it organised the Innovation at Stevenage exhibition, attended by Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The team organised environmental, tourism and customer services conferences, and House of Commons dinners. In 2012, it staged its first Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards. The first decade was one of bubbles, mainly burst – dot com, housing, borrowing, banking. Globalisation through movement of people and advanced communications altered how we live. We got Google, wifi and Facebook. We watch sport and re-runs on flat-screen TVs and we take selfies.
2014
In 1994, Tim Hutchings took on the role of chief executive, a year later appointing Jill Coggins as his PA. They remained with the Chamber for 18 years, moving the Chamber with the times. In the wake of the foot and mouth disaster, they set up the Tourism and Leisure Partnership to help support tourism in the county, winning The Best Tourism and Leisure Partnership Olympic Initiative in 2012.
1970s
In 1998, Neville Reyner became its Chairman, a role he retains today.
The Chamber has a new chief executive, Yolanda Rugg, with new ideas for a new business age. It has rebranded for stronger identity with British Chambers of Commerce and has grown its reach within the private, public sector and charity sectors. It connects with other Chambers around the world to share ideas and networks, bringing businesses into contact with others. Throughout the nine decades of Chamber minutes, while the language shifts from pre-war courtesies to today’s more forthright semantics, the underlying intent of the Chamber remains true to itself. One is left with the deeply entrenched impression that the Chamber – through its changes in committees, councils, board directors and staff over the years – still and will support, facilitate and represent business’s best interests.
(with thanks to Jodie Reid, Sulina Odwong and Damien Dussaux and to Jill Coggins for research of Chamber’s earlier years).
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Businesses that succeeded with a Little Help from their Friends Townshend, Mike Oldfield, Trevor Horn, Roundhouse Studios, Trident Studios, Dolby Laboratories, GMG Radio, Virgin, Channel 4 and Carlton TV. Eddie took his first steps in the business in the 1960s at a time when music was being revolutionised with the emergence of bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who. Those musicians demanded high quality sound systems and Eddie has been involved in breakthroughs including the first rock ‘n’ roll film dubbing theatre, the first professional home recording studio in Europe and pioneering the use of acoustics for recording. Having initially worked for other companies, he set up Veale Associates in 1971, the year he completed a home studio for John Lennon at Ascot and participated in the recording of the hit record Imagine, the biggest selling single of Lennon’s solo career.
Being part of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce brings with it many advantages, ranging from help with exporting to the chance to meet other business people. Longstanding Chamber members remain highly appreciative of the support offered in the early days of their business careers and have stayed loyal to the organisation ever since. During its history, the Chamber has attracted some remarkable business people but few can point to such a colourful career as Eddie Veale, who initially joined to develop his knowledge. The man who designed recording equipment for big names including The Beatles, John Lennon and Mike Oldfield has long been grateful for the support provided to him by the Chamber. Edward, who is a board member and runs his business from Stevenage, has more than 40 years’ experience pioneering recording studio design and sound studio design, working in fields including music, radio, TV and film, post production and theatre. Clients down the years have included John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Pete
Eddie, who is credited on the record, said: “The 60s and early 70s was a time of great innovation and we were involved in a series of new ways of recording. “I had designed some equipment on which The Beatles recorded and also created the home studio at John Lennon’s house. I met him at the time and he was a really nice guy and being associated with him is something I am proud about.” Edward went on to design studios and equipment for, among others, George Harrison and Gus Dudgeon, at The Mill Studio, Cookham, who worked with Elton John. In 1976, Veale Associates developed the first presenter-driven UK radio station for Beacon Broadcasting and the business has continued to work with major names down the decades. Throughout that time, Eddie has been a big supporter of the Chamber, having joined in 1973. He said: “There were two reasons I joined the Chamber. At the time we were starting to do work across Europe and the Chamber helped us with the export documentation we needed. “Also, our industry is a small and closed world and what I lacked was the broader outlook. I needed to find out more about what was involved
in running a business. Being part of the Chamber did that, allowing me to meet other business people and add to my knowledge.” For Honorary Vice-President Roy Walton, there have been a number of key differences in the 41 years since he joined the Chamber. He started Bromwall Ltd, of Hatfield, a specialist commercial insurance brokers, in 1973 and became a Chamber member at the same time. In the years that followed, he chaired the organisation a number of times and was part of the team that amalgamated several chambers into one. He said: “Joining the Chamber of Commerce seemed the right thing to do. Once I had joined, it seemed more viable to have one chamber which had more members and was capable of running more activities. “We went through some tough times financially but with the help of people like Richard Lamb and Tony Devaney we stabilised the situation. “It was a very different situation in those days. Business was more restricted and local authorities did much more. We fought hard against the restrictive climate. “Today, things are very different. The Chamber is much more stable and there is more a free enterprise feel to the way that Chambers of Commerce operate. It is less restrictive and Chambers are able to offer much more extensive services. “There is also more of a sense that they offer a united front and that they are listened to more. Chambers have become much more influential.” Another business involved with the Chamber for many years is Hatfield-based Otodynamics, whose range of products assist in the detection of early-stage deafness and support subsequent treatments. Co-founder Gillian Kemp said the business joined the Chamber when the company was formed 25 years ago and she has been a huge supporter of its work ever since. continued
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Growing confidence underpins the Chamber as it looks to the future Former Chamber Chief Executive Tim Hutchings believes that the organisation is a much more confident one than he was appointed to lead in 1994.
finances but that can prevent you from achieving growth. I felt that there was not much fundamentally wrong but the organisation did need a shake-up in order to move forward.
Currently a lecturer at Hertfordshire International College and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire, Tim has spent his career supporting businesses.
“I think its financial problems meant that it was not as confident than it could have been.”
Tim, who joined the Chamber in 1994 and served as chief executive until December 2012, a period of just over 18 years, said: “The organisation that I joined was very much smaller than it is now. It had about 400 members and financially was not very strong but it had a decent reputation. I also enjoyed the stalwart support of the then Chairman, Roy Walton. “The early priorities were to increase membership and strengthen the financial position. “There is an argument that faced with such a situation you can just do things to protect the
During his 18-year tenure, that confidence grew steadily, supported by increased membership and improved finances. Tim, who sits on the Hertfordshire Business School Advisory Board and has been a county councillor since May 2013, said: “I eventually decided to leave my post at the Chamber because there comes a time in every organisation when senior people need to move on. “I was the longest serving Chief Executive of a British Chambers of Commerce Approved Chamber and felt that I had taken the organisation as far as I could. I also felt that the Chamber needed a fresh approach.
“The organisation that I left was much larger than the one I joined in 1994 and more influential it was also in a financially stable position. “I think that the Chamber is important to Hertfordshire and I think that it is listened to much more than it was in 1994. “I am very pleased to see how it is developing. It’s going from strength to strength and Yolanda and her team are doing a great job.”
Discovery that led to creation of company research was needed and David did this at what is now UCL’s ‘Ear Institute.’ Only one company showed interest in making an ‘OAE’ hearing test instrument. This fell through but in 1988, after sending out trial units directly from the research lab, a French distributor offered to purchase 10 systems, and was willing to pay up front! Otodynamics Ltd was born. Since then millions of babies all over the world have had their hearing checked using our instruments. Although I had a varied background (teaching, law, media) over the years, running a company, and an export one at that, was totally new. Otodynamics took over our home. The garage became a testing and final assembly ‘lab’ whilst the administrative centre was established in the dining room. David continued with his scientific research, and we outsourced manufacturing to an ex-research colleague who had set up an electronics business. I took on testing, packing, invoicing, and everything else involved in getting the goods out of the door. “I think I’ve made a discovery!’’ my husband David, an auditory research scientist (now UCL Professor Emeritus) exclaimed late one night in 1977. This comment changed our lives. He had discovered that sending a sound into an ear generated an ‘echo’ from the inner ear that he had captured with a special earpiece and recorded on a computer. If there was any hearing loss then the ‘echo’ wasn’t recordable. The sounds became known as otoacoustic emissions or OAEs. Like many discoveries, scientists around the world refuted the idea but there were some who understood the significance. A great deal more
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The Herts Chamber was then in Hatfield Old Town near to our home and I quickly became a member and regular visitor! There was so much to learn. Norma was in charge of export at the Chamber and incredibly helpful. My panic gradually subsided as she patiently taught me the requirements for each country. Phil Dubery helped me with Letters of Credit. At first I took parcels to the post office but staff began to duck when they saw me arrive. As orders increased it was time to use DHL whose courier was extremely helpful and very patient. As the business grew the work became overwhelming. I’ve never minded working on my own but this was a new venture and I wasn’t sure of myself – how did other people cope?
Again, Herts Chamber was able to help with social activities to get to know other business people. The wide variety of courses on company procedures and exporting provided opportunities to share ideas and experiences. The Chamber came up trumps! I was definitely not alone. In 1993 we won a Queen’s Award for Export Achievement and enjoyed the thrill of visiting Buckingham Palace and meeting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. By this time the boxes were creeping up the stairs and the paperwork was seeping under the door. It was time to take on staff and move to premises. So another stage of our company began and with help from the Chamber once more I learned not only the requirements of taking on premises but also of having employees - a very steep learning curve! We gradually extended our premises in Beaconsfield Road to accommodate the company’s growing needs. We won another Queen’s Award, for Innovation, and in 2000 a Design Centre ‘Millennium Award’, propelling one of our instruments into the Science Museum as an exhibit. Otodynamics has now been going for 25 years. It has been a time of ever changing technology and widening horizons. Part of the fun has been developing relationships with people – scientists, doctors, and distributors – around the world. There have been countries to visit and experiences to learn from. For a number of years I enjoyed being on the Chamber's Board. Today our company still continues to benefit from the help and support of our membership. Long may it continue! Gill Kemp Director, Otodynamics Ltd, Hatfield
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Looking forward with confidence “I think the Accredited Chambers of Commerce movement nationally and in Hertfordshire has become much more aware in recent years of its ability to influence policy-makers, both at national level within Government and on a local level. “I am keen that, as an Accredited Chamber of Commerce, we are regarded as a strong voice for small and medium-sized businesses, although we also have some large companies among our members.” While supportive of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, he respects the role played by town chambers, which also have long and rich histories. He is determined that those links are maintained. Neville said: “The British Chambers movement has been here for 150 years and it is important that we respect the local traditions that have existed within the town chambers for a long time. “However, we are the BCC-accredited Chamber of Commerce for Hertfordshire and that means we are the business voice for Hertfordshire at the county level, with the County Council, LEP and so on, and the Hertfordshire business voice at a national level. “The big message is that we want to work with local chambers, giving them assurances that their identity is respected. “At the same time, their members need to know that in terms of export, for example, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is part of the BCC International network of some 41 countries which are there to help exporters and those that are, and those that have ambition to be, in Hertfordshire as a whole. If a company were to want to export to Mexico they can use our BCC office in Mexico City.
For Hertfordshire Chamber Chairman Neville Reyner, the organisation’s rich history provides it with a platform from which it can ensure that the voice of business is heard both nationally and locally. Neville, who was appointed a CBE in the 2001 New Year Honours for services to business and was President of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) between 2008 and 2011, said: “My time at the BCC really brought home to me the potential that exists within the movement.
“The big message is that we want to work with local chambers, giving them assurances that their identity is respected.”
“My hope is that individual chambers in Hertfordshire are connected in some way to Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce so that there is an even stronger voice for business in Hertfordshire.” Neville said that the Hertfordshire Chamber was making rapid progress, adding: “I think that we are looking forward with confidence as a Chamber. “We have come through some difficulties down the years but our finances are stable and our membership is growing. “We have good governance and I hope that businesses will look at how we run ourselves and wish to be members.”
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BusinessNews
Location, Location, Dacorum For businesses looking to start up or expand, finding the right base in a convenient and attractive location is a key consideration. But not every business wants the same set up or the same setting. Dacorum in west Hertfordshire offers a diverse range of business locations, from the centre of town to the heart of the countryside. many years at other health spas and resorts. Inspired by traditional spa rituals from around the world they launched Nutmeg Spa. However, they soon outgrew their beauty rooms on the high street in Hemel Hempstead Old Town and wanted additional space that offered customers a different kind of experience. They were drawn to the rustic setting of Oakengrove Yard as a second location – a move that was well received by new and existing customers alike. Whitehouse Farm has been developed into nine units of varying sizes as well as the farmhouse. One tenant is independent award-winning wine merchant The Flying Corkscrew. Founded in 1996, The Flying Corkscrew moved to Whitehouse Farm when its business moved away from the high street and focused instead on importing high quality, great value wines from Europe for independent wine merchants and the on-trade. Central to success of the Gaddesden Estate is the manner in which it has successfully evolved over the years by making best use of its assets. Alongside the farming and business centre activity, the Gaddesden Estate is regularly used as a film location and also hosts outdoor productions of Shakespeare. The Centre of Horseback Combat is based at the Gaddesden Place Stables and offers tuition for jousting, horseback archery and stunt riding. Whitehouse Farm Business Centre “Diversity is our speciality in Dacorum,” says Rebecca Oblein, team leader for Strategic Planning and Regeneration at Dacorum Borough Council. “We have all types and sizes of businesses here, from innovative start ups through to global giants, but it is a single business community. “A characteristic they all share is their ambition to grow and it is encouraging that they have chosen to do that in Dacorum, basing key offices, operations and facilities here.”
And despite its rich history the Gaddesden Estate has its eyes keenly focused on the future as it plans to develop all aspects of its operation and realise the benefits of its business units. For further information visit gaddesdenestate.co.uk. For free advice and guidance on how to grow your business in Dacorum call 01442 228000, email business@dacorum.gov.uk or visit dacorumlooknofurther.co.uk.
Dacorum embraces the new town of Hemel Hempstead and the historic market towns of Berkhamsted and Tring as well as picturesque villages and rural locations and a diversity of attractive business areas. The Gaddesden Estate for example occupies 1,800 sprawling acres in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Though much altered in the intervening centuries, many of its boundaries are thought to be more than 2,000 years old. The Halsey family has lived in the district since the late 1300s, surviving both the Black Death and the Wars of the Roses. Today, the family manages the estate and has overseen its transformation with the traditional operation of pasture land, livery business and woodlands now run alongside two modern business centres, Oakengrove Yard at Home Farm and Whitehouse Farm in Gaddesden Row. Oakengrove Yard, a quiet courtyard set amongst beautiful woodland, is home to an eclectic mix of businesses including Hemel Shipping, a longestablished firm of international shipping and forwarding agents, and live event specialists TSE Productions - Dacorum’s current Business of the Year. Another company that has flourished in the tranquil surroundings of the Gaddesden Estate is Nutmeg Spa. Owners Victoria Armstrong and Joanna Eldred came together having both worked as holistic beauty therapists for
Nutmeg Spa
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Three course dinner Lavazza coffee and mini mince pies Bar until 12.30am Disco until 1.00am Fun casino – Black Jack and Roulette tables Professional croupiers Complimentary professional photography Christmas crackers Table decorations Complimentary overnight parking
£42.50 per person
Friday: 28th Nov, 5th, 12th & 19th Dec Saturday: 29th Nov, 6th, 13th & 20th Dec
Traditional Christmas Party Nights • • • • • • •
Three course dinner Lavazza coffee and mini mince pies Bar until 12.30am Disco until 1.00am Christmas crackers Table decorations Complimentary overnight parking
£31.00 per person
Available Sunday to Thursday from 26th November and throughout December Bookings of 10 guests or more. Exclusive use available. Minimum numbers apply.
Aldwickbury Park Golf Club | Piggottshill Lane | Harpenden | AL5 1AB | 01582 760112 | info@aldwickburyparkgolfclub.co.uk | aldwickburyparkgolfclub.co.uk
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NewMembers
Welcome to new members Absolute SG UK
Falcon
Nonna’s Kitchen
Signs, graphics and display items 5 Royston Road BALDOCK Hertfordshire SG7 6QZ 0203 0788000 www.absolutesg.co.uk
Supplier and support for printers, photocopiers systems and document management 3 The Forum Icknield Way TRING Hertfordshire HP23 4LY 01442 822229
Restaurant Unit 6, The Clock House Brewery Road Hoddesdon BROXBOURNE Hertfordshire EN11 8HF 07810 021010 www.nonnaskitchen.com
Capstern Group Online retail of garden ornaments and accessories 39 Pound Avenue STEVENAGE Hertfordshire SG1 3JB 0330 22 30 222 www.gardenornamentsdirect.com
Clearcut Recruitment Recruitment agency specialising in white-collar across Hertfordshire 3a Chestnut House Farm Close SHENLEY Hertfordshire WD7 9AD 01727 223 072 www.clearcutrecruitment.co.uk
Connected Clubs Limited Sports club and school sport management and construction The Maylands Business Centre Redbourne Road HEMEL HEMPSTEAD Hertfordshire HP2 7ES 07929 581 206 www.connectedclubs.co.uk
DueDil Business information provider 8 Warner Yard Second Floor LONDON EC1R 5EY 0203 031 6244 www.duedil.com
Engineering Development The largest provider of STEM enrichment activities for UK youth Weltech Centre Ridgeway WELWYN GARDEN CITY HERTFORDSHIRE AL7 2AA 0238 059 7061 www.etrust.org.uk
Export Advisory Solutions Ltd Advice and help to export and sell overseas 2 Tyttinhanger Green ST ALBANS Hertfordshire AL4 0RW 01727 830 612 www.exportadvisory.com
FT Solutions Communication and branding solutions including print and mail operations supported by warehousing and consultancy services Centrus Business Park Mead Lane HERTFORD SG13 7GX 01992 501500 www.ftsolutions.co.uk
Hitachi Capital Invoice Finance Provision of working capital via factoring and invoice Isis House Red Cross Road Goring-on-Thames READING Berkshire RG8 9HG 07714 15117 www.hitachicapital.co.uk/factoring
Mayhem Theatre of Arts Performing arts studio, lessons for children and adults Brewery Yard Brewery Rd HODDESDON Hertfordshire EN11 8HF 01992 465 100 www.mayhemtheatrearts.co.uk
Media Five Marketing service including digital print, large format, litho and online 8 Millfield House Woodshots Meadow Croxley Green Business Park WATFORD Hertfordshire WD18 8YX 01923 225 369 www.mediafive.co.uk
NWES Enterprise organisation part of Cavendish Consortium delivering partner growth vouchers Norwich Enterprise Centre 4B Guildhall Hill NORWICH Norfolk NR2 1JH 07968 487 523 www.nwes.org.uk
PlayBox Manufacture and sales of software and hardware tv broadcast Brookmans Park Teleport Great North Road HATFIELD Hertfordshire AL9 6NE 01707 664444 www.playboxtechnology.com
Teddington to Calais Charity swims from Teddington to Calais supporting two local charities The Poolhouse 6 Deards End Lane KNEBWORTH Hertfordshire SG3 ENL 01438 811729 www.TeddingtontoCalais2012.org.uk
Veolia Waste management and waste collection Archewood Way Hatfield Road ST ALBANS Hertfordshire AL4 0JY 0203 567 6558 www.veolia.co.uk
Wallace Holdings Café, meeting rooms and party venue (specialising in Caribbean cuisine) 117 Hatfield Road ST ALBANS Hertfordshire AL1 4JS 01727 568 381
Nirva UK Improving critical documents and related processes for clients in utility telecom and finance 78 York Street LONDON W1H 1DP 07920 027554 www.nirvauk.com
Whitham Jones Legal Services Legal documents, collection, DNA sample collection, phlebotomy 57 Wedgewood Road HITCHIN Hertfordshire SG4 0HB 07594 982091
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BusinessNews
Simplifying the printing process Ventative have recently joined The Herts Chamber of Commerce. We are new and exciting managed print specialist company based in Hoddesdon, Herts. Mark White, the owner, has more than 10 years’ experience of working in the managed print sector and in that time he has seen many changes and introductions of some fantastic technology. Of Mark’s many aims and ambitions, one is to create a business model more friendly to the environment and cost effective for potential customers that aim to boost productivity within their office. He has found over the years that most office document solutions can be confusing and lead by elaborate technologies and bespoke payment plans. Ventative like to ‘strip back’ working closely with their customers to create a workflow solution designed to meet the evolving needs of their company. Ventative do not confuse matters, they simplify them.
Ventative can relate to potential customers when it comes to needing to make the right choice. We need to be extremely confident in our choice for a manufacturer to partner with, as it will determine our future working relationships. We chose Ricoh and with this strong partnership in place, what Ventative has to offer is very strong and future proof in every sense.
Ventative will also run reports tracking performance from an environmental perspective and make it easy to visualise trends in C02 savings, power usage and paper consumption through your Ricoh devices. The reports are designed to help business understand and achieve the potential environmental benefits through better management of their fleet of networked MFPs or printers.
With costs being scrutinised and energy prices rising, there’s never been a better time to go green. Ventative can help you streamline all areas in relation to your print infrastructure. We are currently offering a free green audit health check, looking to reduce your carbon foot print, and deliver financial savings of up to 30%, putting a lid on financial waste by implementing an effective print strategy.
Ventative has a passion for working within the local community and with local businesses, and are always looking to expand their customer base. We have found over the years that when speaking to customers they are unaware that there can still be cost-effective options available to them while in a contract.
The easiest mistake for fleet decision makers Time is incredibly precious to us all. My son is now three and a half months old and there is nothing quite like a new-born baby to help you appreciate how few hours there are in the day (and night!). With so many demands on our attention today, what is worth consideration? How do we juggle ever-increasing workloads and responsibility without dropping the ball? We can’t do everything, but missing certain things can have more of an impact than others. I was reminded of the value of buying out the time to make effective decisions recently when my car insurance renewal came through the post. It was £1,100. After 10 minutes on a comparison website I discovered that my current insurer could do it for £750. One phone call later and I’m £350 better off. It made me wonder how often our decisions are based on convenience rather than economy, especially in business. My job involves reviewing light commercial vehicle fleets and assessing whether Northgate Vehicle Hire’s services would save businesses time, money or hassle. What’s shocking is how many black holes of efficiency exist within many companies; 10-year old vehicles using 30% more fuel than current models, vans that spend more
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time in the garage than on the road, repeated breakdowns that cost immeasurable thousands in damaged reputations’, missed deadlines and lost contracts (one company I met with recently identified efficiency savings of over £100,000 per annum). But what’s even more shocking is how few decision-makers are willing to spend the time to sit down and identify those areas. So often I hear that “we purchase because that’s the way we’ve always done it,” “we use that supplier because they’re round the corner” or “it’s just not something we’re looking at right now.” Are these decisions based on convenience or economy? When looking for insurance, 10 minutes made me £350 better off; could a brief fleet review make your company tens of thousands of pounds better off? For some businesses in this economy, that can be the difference between the red and the black. Samuel Williams, new business manager at Northgate Vehicle Hire
We can offer free advice on alternative solutions or future requirements.
Satellite Broadband Global Teleports, based in Hatfield, recently launched a highly costefficient satellite broadband service, Vip3Play. This state-of-theart triple-play service is capable of delivering data, voice, and video services to both domestic and enterprise users. While the main superfast rollout is progressing slowly, satellite broadband has evolved dramatically, making it a competitive and compelling alternative. Once installed Vip3Play costs from just £13 per month, covers 100% of the UK geography and can achieve speeds of up to 45Mbit/s for enterprise users, and 20Mbit/s for domestic users. For more information, please visit http://www.globalteleports.com.
BusinessNews
Cloud for your business? Do you really need it... What is the Business Cloud all about – why is everyone in business talking about it? There are a number of leading Business Cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Rackspace, Salesforce – the list could go on. But what does this mean for your business? How can the Cloud improve your business proficiency and help save your business costs? Is it secure? These are reoccurring questions that you have in the debate about whether to adopt the Cloud into your business processes.
Most of us think of everyday personal use tools like the Dropbox and GoogleDrive as the Cloud and see it as a relatively new technology breakthrough. On the contrary, Cloud is a technology that has matured over time providing more offerings, convenience (as it can be accessed globally) and price benefits – it’s affordable and can help save you costs.
At Ardent we are making it easy for you to take that decision. We have a forthcoming seminar in September at our offices at Capability Green in Luton, addressing these questions helping you make the right decision based on our experience of helping other growing businesses take the right direction and future proof your business systems. We would love for you to join us at this Cloud seminar and would look forward to you attending. Spaces are limited, so get in touch now to book your place by emailing software@ardentisys.com. Let’s make it easy for you.
Pizza Hut Restaurants reveals Stevenage investment Pizza Hut Restaurants has unveiled a quarter of a million pound restaurant makeover at Stevenage Leisure Park, creating 15 jobs. It is the first restaurant to reopen in Hertfordshire as part of a multi-million pound refurbishment programme of Huts across the UK. A total of £260,000 has been invested into the restaurant, which is now open to customers. Pizza Hut Restaurants MD Jens Hofma said: “Stevenage is a really important site for our business and this investment is key to the future of Pizza Hut Restaurants in the wider area. “We have a fantastic community in and around Stevenage, so we hope to delight our valued
guests here by giving them the best possible experience at our new look Hut.” The investment in Stevenage is part of a £60 million refurbishment and restructuring programme of the business, secured through private equity investment from Rutland Partners in late 2012. More than 60 Huts are being transformed by the end of the year.
Obesity a Disability? The Advocate General of the ECJ has recently announced that obesity may come within the definition of disability under EU Law, potentially causing problems for employers in the future. This announcement was prompted by a case at the European court after a child-minder, Karston Kaltoft, told the court that he had been dismissed due to his weight and not his performance. The case is ongoing however, the outcome to date suggests that obesity should be seen as a disability when it reaches a point where it hinders the employee in the working environment and impacts on factors such as mobility, endurance or mood. This point is estimated to be at around 40+ on the Body Mass Index (BMI) scale. So what does this mean for employers? Firstly, under the Equality Act, an employer must make reasonable adjustments to the workplace to allow disabled people the same opportunity as others. Therefore, companies may need to accommodate obese employees by changing the structure of their role; removing physical barriers such as wider desks, more spacious chairs or parking spaces closer to the office; or by providing support such as ensuring there are healthier options in vending facilities. Conversations with larger employees about their performance could become more awkward as employers try to ascertain whether or not they need to treat the individual as disabled. Asking employees, “What is your current BMI?” or “Do you feel uncomfortable in your workplace due to your size?” is almost impossible without potentially causing offence. The offended employee could claim for constructive dismissal – a situation no employer wants to face. More details from this case are likely and employers will have to look at their equal opportunities provisions and capability procedures before embarking on performance discussions with larger employees. However, no one is untouchable and employers should not be ‘scared off’ from dealing with any capability or performance issue. For more information contact beststart HR on 01438 747 747.
The newly designed Stevenage Pizza Hut Restaurant can be found at Unit 10, Stevenage Leisure Park.
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ForumNews
Business well-being at the library wide range of criteria – location, industry, size, turnover, etc. FAME has information on all UK limited companies, including contact and director details, financial strength indicators and up to 10 years of accounts. Sally King, who runs a small business in Hertfordshire, makes extensive use of the library’s business resources. She says: “Key amongst these is the FAME database, which I use to identify companies. Whilst FAME’s data originates from Companies House, its powerful and intuitive structure allows me to select from a number of criteria. In addition to normal search criteria, such as industry, turnover and location, it is possible to undertake more unusual searches. For example, it is possible to identify companies that pay higher salaries, or who have foreign parents.”
Start-up business advice from Peter Cabon, executive director of Wenta If you have a great idea for a new business of your own, research will help you decide if your idea is worth pursuing. You need to think about what it is you want to achieve and whether your business idea has the potential to deliver this successfully. To research your idea, head to the library where you’ll find newspapers, magazines and books on the kind of business you’re considering. Look for information from business journals, industry associations and consumer publications. Find out as much information as possible regarding the industry, including regulations and legal requirements. Hertfordshire County Council helps local businesses by offering specialist information resources in Hertfordshire libraries. In particular, Welwyn Garden City Central Library and Information Service (WGCCLIS) has a wide range of business information, including company directories, market research, legislation and livechat advice from experienced business advisers. For those thinking about setting up in business there are many things to consider, such as
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WGCCLIS can also help with market research. MarketLine and Key Note provide online access to full text market intelligence reports. Key Note covers all the major UK markets and reports, and includes data on market size, consumers and the performance of key market players. MarketLine reports deal with sectors in other countries and regions as well as the UK, making it useful for businesses looking for new markets abroad. All our resources are free to use and available during library opening hours. If you can’t visit the library, staff can carry out FAME searches on your behalf. The cost of this service is £15.00 for each 15 minutes of research.
researching the market, writing a business plan, finding suppliers and sources of business finance.
Steven Bratton of Bratton Technical has used this service on a number of occasions. He says:
Cobra (Complete Business Reference Advisor) is a comprehensive online resource offering practical fact-sheets on all aspects of starting up and running a business, including finance, marketing, regulation, health and safety and finding premises. It also has over 500 Business Opportunity Profiles that provide key facts on individual business ideas. Cobra is available at St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Watford and Bishops Stortford libraries, as well as WGCCLIS.
“This research has been very beneficial in our targeted marketing campaign, resulting in us finding new customers. Hertfordshire Libraries offers an extremely cost-effective solution for small businesses such as ours to find information regarding potential B2B clients and to perform competitor research.”
In addition, WGCCLIS works with local enterprise agency Wenta to provide a live-chat advice service – My Incubator Ventures (MIV). Users can chat online to business advisers, access details of training courses and network with other entrepreneurs.
Our Business Information service can help whether you’re in the early stages of setting up or are already running your own company and looking to grow your business further.
Visit us at: Welwyn Garden City Central Library and Information Service Campus West, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6AJ Or contact Heather Memess or Barbara Short
The library can also help people who are already running a business to market to new customers, find suppliers or research competitor information. Using the FAME database you can create tailored business-to-business (B2B) mailing lists using a
0300 123 4049 libraries.information@hertfordshire.gov.uk http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/libraries.
ForumNews
Stevenage Leisure receive Go Green – Flame Award for Outstanding Achievement At the recent national UK Active Flame Awards 2014 ceremony held at Telford International Centre, Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL) was awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award in the ‘Go Green’ category, recognising SLL’s overall environmental performance as a company.
DIVORCE AND THE FAMILY BUSINESS Marion Foley shares her experience of what are important business factors to consider when separating. In Marion’s experience, the big issue for divorces involving a business is whether to treat it as an income generator or as an asset to be sold or refinanced to pay out a settlement. Unless a small business is asset rich, it is usually treated as an income generator and will not be sold. For a couple who are partners in business, one usually leaves unless personal differences can be set aside. This rarely works in Marion’s experience. A retiring partner can still receive income from the business through maintenance. A partner’s business share can be bought out immediately or over time using resources drawn from the business or the share can be offset against other marital assets such as the home, a pension or investments. A business partnership involving one spouse is usually treated as an income stream. The consent of the other partners will be required before capital is released. Partners cannot be forced to release capital and will be reluctant to do so if it risks disrupting the business. Offsetting a partnership interest against other marital assets could be the better alternative. Many companies are small in size. The sale or transfer of shares can be financially disruptive and the dividend is often a valuable income for a family. Valuing shares can be expensive and there is little point for most small companies. The disposal or transfer of shares can be restricted by the shareholders agreement. Minority shareholdings or shares in a family company will be less valuable as they not generally attractive to an independent buyer.
SLL is a registered charity which operates 17 sports, leisure, health and cultural facilities on behalf of five local authorities across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Rutland. David Stalker, Chief Executive of UK Active said of SLL “You are a credit to our sector and we hope that your gaining this accolade will encourage other organisations and individuals to follow your example. Every year the quality of entrants just gets better and better. We thought it important this year to have a blue ribbon category for those who are going above and beyond to produce really innovative work that drives the sector forward. This award is an endorsement of hard work, dedication and excellence.” Ian Morton, SLL managing director, added “We are extremely proud to receive this award, which is a tribute to the passion and environmental commitment demonstrated every day by our teams at the Centres. They work tirelessly to try and find innovative ways to reduce the amount of energy used in the leisure facilities, which helps to keep the costs low and prices affordable for customers in the local communities.”
This is a complex area of law. Making the wrong decision could be costly which is why it is so important to get advice from an experienced family lawyer early on. This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. For expert legal advice Marion is a matrimonial specialist at solicitors Vanderpump & Sykes LLP. You can contact Marion on 020 8370 2888 or by email: marionfoley@vanderpumps.co.uk
Vanderpump & Sykes LLP are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority Lough Point, 2 Gladbeck Way (off Windmill Hill), Enfield, Middlesex EN2 7JA www.vanderpumpandsykes.co.uk
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YoungChamber
Inspiring and inspired – a Hertfordshire story This is a remarkable story about two remarkable people; one most possibly the youngest Herts Chamber member, the other, an extraordinary woman in her sixties, some 7,000 miles away in Africa. Their paths crossed in the most unlikely way. membership. He hired more coaches, each FA qualified, and set about making the business work. Life looked brighter. At the same time, North Herts College received a government funding opportunity, and invited Daniel to lead a Future Choices fitness course. First, he had to find and enrol prospect students. With a mobile phone, a few contacts and a blank spreadsheet, he built a database of potential students – all NEETs, young people not in education, employment or training. Within a week, he had enrolled 66. His programme achieved a pass rate of 82 per cent; 52 per cent of those students went on to further study.
Mission – being accomplished It is easy to see how these developments shaped Daniel’s vision for Broomfield Youth – education, inspiration and empowerment for children.
Lynne Gissing, Daniel Moss Daniel Moss is the Inspiring Hertfordshire 2014 Social Enterprise winner and a Young Herts finalist. But Mossy wasn’t always so glossy. In his teens, he entered a dark period of his life he’d rather forget. He rebelled against everything and left school with nothing. All he had were football passion, a certainty that things couldn’t get worse, and a demonic drive that took him nowhere.
Searching for something, he found everything At 17, doing the one thing he loved, playing junior league for Stevenage Football Club, he found at last what he had been searching for – a role model and a future. The first helped him readdress his life; the second helped him to live it. He began coaching younger boys, passing on his skills and knowledge to the next generation, and loving it. This self-discovery led Daniel and his poor school record to a two-year B Tech Sports course at North Herts College and a BSc (Sports Studies)
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at the University of Hertfordshire. At 19, while studying, he worked as a volunteer for a small coaching company. Enthused and motivated by working with children, he discovered the club’s philosophy was to play an important role in deciding his immediate future. At 20, he ran three part-time jobs and bought a 25 per cent share in a youth football club where he was coaching juniors. It was a horrible mistake. The major shareholder was focused on producing profit; Daniel was focused on producing excellent coaching – his parting of the ways was painful and expensive. At 22, in very low spirits and considerable debt, he scouted around for other coaching roles and found two kindred spirits. The three, sharing the same high ideals and passion for junior football coaching, set up Broomfield Youth football in 2011. It wasn’t long before Daniel’s former young players transferred. Parents liked and trusted what they saw. He produced flyers and offered local schools taster courses to boost club
Its mission is to help children to thrive on and off the pitch, and to bring them opportunities, possibilities and enjoyment in life by improving their skills and by participating in social and charity projects.
Football coaching, ubiquitous… but this one unique Broomfield Youth, a not-for-profit business, is unique. It is as much the result of his unswerving passion for youth football coaching as it is about his own self discovery – that every child needs a role model – something he badly needed in his own early life. In the two years after inception, the football club has doubled its membership, has a girls’ team and weekly fun sessions for 5 to 7-year olds. There are 21 employees, all under 30 years of age, four of who have sports-based degrees. There are eight FA qualified coaches, eight assistant coaches and not one volunteer dad coaching from the side-lines – another unique point. His rules are simple: no swearing, no disrespecting coaches or other children, no parental side-line coaching and no disregard of proper kit. The club has an education programme for the 8 to10-year, 11 to12-year and 13 to15year groups based on football tactics, skills and play, and which includes sessions on health,
YoungChamber Crossed paths In July, in preparing for his climb up Kilimanjaro, Daniel came across a struggling Tanzanian orphanage situated half way up the mountain, founded and run by a lone English woman. Lighting up Africa – caring for HIV-infected boys abandoned by their parents – became the second charity project that Broomfield Youth has taken into its heart. To hear Daniel speak about Mama Lynn, one visualises a strapping no-nonsense mid-40s woman striding fearlessly across the African continent, scooping up abandoned children and giving them a home, hope and some medical treatment in an assortment of huts that she has commandeered for the task. Lynn Gissing is not what one imagines her to be – nor is Daniel Moss.
picture courtesy of Colin Williams
He is a six-foot-two 25-year old from Hertfordshire who has risen from his own ashes to inspire young boys and girls through football, in a way that is nothing short of inspirational to the rest of us.
fitness and well-being. There is even a development programme for those reaching sixth form who need to study for their A levels but who want to assist part time in coaching.
Lynn is a five-foot nothing sixty-something woman from Lincolnshire, with curly white hair and smiling eyes. She is very tiny, and very pretty.
The Broomfield Youth syllabus teaches that learning the skills and playing by the rules helps the young players to develop into responsible, disciplined, focused and socially aware people with aspirations for themselves and compassion for those who don’t have the same advantages. A rule of membership is the requirement for young players to participate in the club’s charity projects – another unique point.
It was 15 years ago that Mama Lynn – as she’s called by the thousands to whom she’s brought light, hope and care – followed a sudden, silent, unsolicited call to go to Africa. She went, and came back to England to sell her house and everything she owned and to say good bye to her grown-up children.
Raising money – raising hope In March last year, Broomfield Youth raised over £8,000 for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research by hosting a youth football tournament on an unprecedented scale involving 2,500 people. There were 400 teams to be organised. All this was achieved by Daniel and his small team of 18 to 25-year olds. Large corporate organisations wouldn’t have done so well.
Little woman
Miracles for Africa This little woman with enormous compassion is unassuming and quietly spoken; she has brought light to Tanzania’s abandoned children – many disabled, all homeless and most helpless. They’re orphans or abandoned because they were born infected with HIV. Over the past 14 years, Lynn set up food kitchens and useful medical contacts to help those desperate, starving, ill and poor. Through the medical outreach programme of free medicine and treatments, over 200,000 destitute people have had medical treatment.
picture courtesy of Colin Williams
Food kitchens, schools She has served over 700,000 meals to starving families through her outreach food kitchens and over 1.5 million meals to children in her care home. She set up school to teach them to read and write, and for those with great promise, she used her own funds to send them to nearby private schools. Tanzania has done comparatively well over the last five or so years, relying on its mining, agricultural and tourism industries. Nevertheless, according to records it has about 19,000 abandoned children and about 2.5 million orphans. The country lies on the great north road through Africa upon which HIV/AIDS is transported as easily as crates of Coca Cola. She does for the people of Tanzania, one fears, what it seems their government doesn’t.
£25,000 so far In June this year, Mama Lynn returned to England to visit family and friends. She spent an evening at Broomfield Youth, meeting its young members and their parents who have committed to raising £40,000 to build a new care home for homeless children on Lighting up Africa’s newly acquired 6-acre property in the foothills of Kilimanjaro. Already there is livestock, and vegetable and maize planting to make this little community selfsufficient. Today she has a volunteer team working with her; running the charity, planning building projects, teaching the children, cooking and caring for them and nursing the very ill. Daniel says that through various Broomfield Youth fundraising activities, they have raised £25,000 so far. This is what can be done by a handful of under-30s and about 200 junior footballers with their parents. If you need to believe in anything good, there’s no better place than starting here. It’s been a privilege to meet both Daniel Moss and Lynn Gissing. By Fiona Wilkinson, Guineafowl Creative
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WomenInLeadership
Women in Herts Chamber has committed wholly to the STEM Pilot Study, to bring together businesses and schools to promote the advantages to girls of studying science, technology, engineering or maths as they prepare to select their GSCE and A level courses. The STEM Pilot programme will be launched on 19 September at the Women in Leadership networking lunch at The Thistle Noke Hotel, St Albans. Women in Leadership, a Herts Chamber initiative to inspire young women to aspire to exciting careers and great achievements, continues to focus on STEM potential for young women, recognising that women, despite workplace changes, remain under-represented in these sectors. The initiative’s objective is to raise awareness of the need for greater attention to gender diversity by exemplifying women that have established successful career paths for themselves. It is a call to women business owners, directors and senior managers in private and public sectors to participate in discussions, in school presentations and in mentoring programmes. Already there have been impressive presentations by Nora Senior, British Chamber of Commerce’s President, by Sue Nelson, an award-winning science journalist and radio presenter, and by Wendy Bowers, an exceptional professional with specialisms in manufacturing and finance who has worked towards establishing Women’s Enterprise forums nationally and internationally. There are many more women, each an inspiration to peers and to the future generation of young women. It is also an invitation to educationalists, teachers and heads of schools and colleges to participate by engaging more actively with business to expand the boundaries of female student career expectations.
For business men too This is not an event for ladies that lunch. It’s an event for both business men and women that provides invaluable networking opportunities for Hertfordshire businesses at the same time as stimulating discussion on employability of young women in sectors traditionally dominated by men, such as engineering, technology, construction, IT, agriculture, etc.
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WomenInLeadership
Leadership It’s an event for business people with recruiting pressures to find the right people and skills for their businesses, many of whom have daughters of their own. The subject of STEM subject promotion is interesting and necessary from many perspectives. One of the key speakers will be Kate Bellingham who is very involved with the pilot study, and who will also be speaking to girls at schools.
This is not an event for ladies that lunch. It’s an event for both business men and women that provides invaluable networking opportunities for Hertfordshire businesses at the same time as stimulating discussion on employability of young women in sectors traditionally dominated by men, such as engineering, technology, construction, IT, agriculture, etc.
Key speaker – Kate Bellingham Kate, born and schooled in Yorkshire, has A levels in maths, further maths, physics and music; she plays the piano and oboe. She studied physics at Oxford University and began her career as a computer programmer, but at 24, switched to audio engineering, becoming a BBC Radio trainee in London. Through chance, she was offered the opportunity to present Tomorrow’s World, a half-hour science and technology magazine programme, live from BBC TV studios. She began promoting science and engineering to schools and is still today the President of Young Engineers, the network of engineering clubs in schools and colleges. Taking a career break to start a family, she studied for a Masters degree in electronics – Communications Systems at the University of Hertfordshire – and in continuing her work in promoting STEM subjects, had begun helping out in her children’s primary school. She qualified as a teacher, with QTS, in 2007 and taught maths at the Hemel Hempstead School. She has huge respect for the teaching profession, which makes her an excellent choice for leading STEM programmes. Not only does she understand the challenges of schools and curricula, she is herself a scientist, mathematician and engineer. In 2012, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Science from the University of the West of England. She moved out of the classroom to take on the role of National STEM Careers Co-ordinator for the government department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). She wrote Discovering Talent, a guide to employers engaging with schools.
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SkillsFocus
STEM Pilot Study – The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Despite improvements to workplace and employment conditions, women remain under-represented in STEM-based (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) industries. The gender divide in STEM subjects is stark. According to Learning Plus UK, twice as many boys took maths than girls at A level in 2013. Nearly 5,000 boys, compared to 40 girls, completed an engineering apprenticeship (Level 3), and over 18,000 boys applied for a higher education engineering course compared to 2,000 girls. This affects the pay gap and career prospects for girls. The British Chamber of Commerce, and with it, Herts Chamber, argues that this encouragement to pursue success as scientists, mathematicians or engineers must begin when girls are at school. Herts Chamber, in our focus this year, acknowledges the importance of raising and broadening girls’ career aspirations. The STEM Pilot Programme focuses on the gender split in key STEM subjects in schools. It will examine ways to encourage more girls to study STEM subjects and to understand how girls assimilate careers advice or experience interaction with business. More generally, the programme will aim to understand what works to create sustainable local partnerships between schools and businesses.
Sustainable local partnerships – businesses and schools Encouraging girls to choose STEM subjects for school study makes good business and social sense. By failing to identify the potential of female students, employers reduce their pool of possible talent, schools close career windows before their female students get to see the possibilities of exciting, rewarding careers, and society neglects many young women’s true potential and their promising contribution.
Herts Chamber is looking at ways to increase the mutual interaction and the partnership period, and will be initiating and organising events and activities such as Making it in Medicines and Mission X to bring together businesses and students in an informal setting. 44
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The main objective of the pilot programme is to establish business and school partnerships. Setting up these partnerships begins with selecting schools and local businesses to participate, bringing them together to discuss and agree action plans and agreeing criteria to gauge success.
Herts Chamber is looking at ways to increase the mutual interaction and the partnership period, and will be initiating and organising events and activities such as Making it in Medicine and Mission X to bring together businesses and students in an informal setting. We are scheduling presentations by women scientists and engineers to inspire and inform young girls and are arranging opportunities for mentoring and guidance. The intention is to secure the involvement of local schools and local businesses. These business and school partnerships should involve companies in sectors traditionally maledominated to ensure that girls have exposure to careers where women are under-represented. It is important that the focus is not solely on large employers, so SMEs are encouraged to participate and also engage with existing government programmes to improve careers advice for girls.
Herts Chamber steering group A steering group comprising multinational corporations, smaller businesses, media, schools, educationalists, young people organisations and educationalists will be setting schedules and coordinating ongoing activities.
Pilot launch
• improve workplace skills through work experience, mentoring and extracurricular activity.
The pilot study runs from September to January. In January specific criteria will be used to assess the impact of the pilot and how it can be applied to a wider range of schools. Activities are scheduled from October to December in line with: World Space Week, Biology Week, HERTS Open STEM Week and Tomorrow’s Engineers Week.
Herts Chamber is working with six schools: The John Warner School (Hoddeston), St Mary High School (Chesthunt), Da Vinci Studio School (Stevenage), St Albans Girls School, Kings Langley Secondary School and Sheredes School (Hoddeston). These schools already engage with businesses in their local area.
The STEM Pilot programme will be launched on 19 September at the Women in Leadership networking lunch. One of the key speakers will be Kate Bellingham, who is very involved with the pilot study, and who will also be speaking to girls at schools.
The focus of these business and school partnerships will be to: • raise students’ (particularly girls) career aspirations
SkillsFocus
STEM subjects for girls, but schools have already embraced technology Herts Chamber continues its programme to encourage girls in Hertfordshire to take STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects at school in preparation for university study and careers in sectors still too largely dominated by men. While most of us, in business for years, are aware of the technological advances in offices, factories and business communication, we left school in an era of whiteboards (and some of us, blackboards), overhead projectors and heavy text books to tote around. us, it can be hard to switch off. Such immense developments were bound to have drawbacks, yet this is a small price to pay for the growth of the global community and technological world.
Interactive state-of-the-art whiteboards Approximately 20 years ago, interactive whiteboards were practically unheard of, now it’s abnormal to be without them. On average, there are nine interactive whiteboards in primary schools and 25 in secondary schools.
Virtual learning environment (VLE) Technology is at the centre of modern-day education, with students relying on the internet, instant messaging and apps to maximise their learning experience. Here at St Albans Girls’ School (STAGS), we have a room dedicated to virtual learning; the Innovation Centre contains 30 iMacs and 40 iPads for our use.
Classroom learning is delivered rather differently today, and is much more reliant on technology than we could have visualised in the 1970s or 80s. This is a report by two Hertfordshire school girls.
What is it like to be a student in school today? Our education system is continually evolving as we take advantage of the new developments in everyday technology. Even in the short period of time we have been in education, these changes have been significant to our learning.
Social media Social media has become a huge part of both student and school life. Adults often complain that students nowadays spend too much time online instead of socialising, however, it is clear from the growing forms of communication that “teenagers are not addicted to social media; they are addicted to each other.” One of the most recent trends is the move to Twitter, with teachers promoting their subjects
enabling students to associate what they learn in school with real-world situations. There are an infinite number of ways to contact teachers and other students outside of school, allowing students to extend their learning in a way that was once unimaginable. Students create Facebook chats and groups to work on group projects, to share ideas and to support each other. The use of email and the growing number of students synching their multiple email accounts on their phones means communication between teachers and students has never been easier. While we have seen and continue to see the benefits of being constantly connected to one another, from Facebook to Snapchat, the drawbacks are becoming more apparent. With a constant stream of updates coming directly to their devices, students may find it difficult to escape the virtual environment and concentrate on one task. Within minutes of an event occurring we are updated, regardless of the place or the time – but with so much going on around
The introduction of the VLE has allowed students to access their work outside of school with ease; they can refer to textbooks and resources at the click of a button. The influx of technology in schools has broadened the curriculum and, in turn, the future career prospects of pupils. Computer science and ICT are now highly respected and popular A level choices as these skills become more sought after in the working world.
Today’s education requirements As exam results improve nationally, for students to succeed, we must demonstrate that we are more than just good-grades achievers. Education has become more than just tests and exams – school now emphasises the importance for us to become well-rounded young adults by our taking advantage of all the opportunities available. Despite the pressures that come with being a student today, the chance to make friends, have fun, acquire knowledge and ultimately become the person we aspire to be outweighs all of these pressures. by Sadia Ahmed, Lucy Andrews, Year 12, senior students – St Albans Girls School
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Economic Growth and Prosperity The British Chambers of Commerce Accredited Network is the leading private sector provider of export support in the UK. The BCC and the Accredited Chambers in the UK – of which Herts Chamber is one – are working in partnership with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) on the Overseas Business Networks initiative. High-growth, hard-to-access overseas markets
economy is the world’s seventh largest by PPP (2012) and is one of the fastest growing major economies. Its industries are agricultural, mining, manufacturing and service. Columbia has a population of 47 million and a GDP of US$560 billion. It is rich in natural resources and has industries in forestry, agriculture and food, machinery, electronics, petrochemicals and much more.
The Overseas Business Networks initiative was launched in late 2012 by the Prime Minister. It aims to transform the support available for British SMEs wanting to do business in highgrowth, hard-to-access markets across the world. It is a crucial part of the drive to double the UK’s annual exports to £1 trillion and to increase the number of UK exporters by 100,000 by 2020.
Singapore and Malaysia – February
This represents excellent opportunities for Hertfordshire manufacturing and services businesses.
2014 - Year of International Trade Herts Chamber has designated 2014 as the Year of International Trade, and is supporting the initiative with a series of articles on exporting and importing activity, by running seminars and networking events, and working with Chambers of Commerce from other countries. Herts Chamber Chief Executive, Yolanda Rugg, very recently met with various business people attached to the Oklahoma Chambers of Commerce. They toured the Airbus, space and defence facilities in Stevenage as they have their own similar industries in Oklahoma. Earlier this year, she met with the Rioja and Singapore Chambers of Commerce to explore ways in which our respective members can do business together.
Finding new markets Finding new markets in other countries is for many Hertfordshire businesses just practical sense and good forward planning strategy. The issue is finding the best markets to test and enter, which starts with evaluating the opportunities, planning the import and export activity, making the right contacts and of course, implementing the plans and monitoring progress.
Knowing what’s out there Herts Chamber is running a series of international trade seminars and country-aware events, some in collaboration with Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce.
Half-day seminars: • Arrival and networking over coffee • Welcome and introduction to the country • Entering the market – advice and information by an expert • Entering the market – case study of successful activity • Legal and financial considerations • Market and business culture • Q&A panel • Individual 10-minute meetings with experts
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Turkey - 11 September Turkey has a population of 76 million people, 75 per cent of who live in cities and towns. Its GDP is US$ 820 billion, representing 1.32 per cent of the world economy, the 15th largest by PPP, purchasing power parity calculations (Sept 2013: World Bank). The Prime Minister in 1983 (Turgut Ozal) initiated economic reforms to change the state-based economy to a market-based system. Markets opened up and inflation was brought under control. It has strong tourism, automotive, shipbuilding, banking, petrochemical products and construction industries.
United Arab Emirates – 7 October A relatively new country, the federation of seven emirates was established in 1971. Today it has a population of nine million; one million Emirati citizens, eight million expatriates. Oil was discovered in the 1950s. It has the second largest economy in the Arab world and a GDP of US$377 billion, a third of which is derived from oil. To reduce this dependency, the country has established financial, tourism and construction industries.
Mexico – 4 November Covering an area of 2 million sq kms, Mexico’s population is over 113 million. Its bleak economic history, particularly through the early 1980s of hyperinflation, spiralling public spending, high unemployment and devaluation, left the country in a poor place. Since then it is rebuilding its economy on industries such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, construction, mining and importantly, energy.
Brazil and Columbia – January Brazil is the world’s fifth largest country in area and by population: 201 million people. Its
Its population is 5 million and its GDP is US$328 billion (PPP). One of the four Asian tigers, it is the 14th largest exporter and 15th largest importer in the world. Its key industries are petroleum refining, chemicals, electronics, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences. Malaysia has a GDP of US$556 billion and a population of 30 million. Its economy is described as an open-state oriented system and a newly industrialised market economy. It relies on its tourism, manufacturing, agricultural and petroleum industries.
Poland – March Poland’s GDP is US$814 billion and its population is 38 million. Its banking sector is one of the largest in the world and its economy is thought to be one of the fastest growing in the EU. It is the only European economy to have avoided the recent recession. It has liberated its economy which is now market-based. The country has 40 per cent of the 500 biggest companies in east central Europe. It is Europe’s sixth largest economy.
Full-day training programmes Getting down-to-earth practical guidance on how to import or export Herts Chamber International Services runs a series of training days for businesses that export or import goods and services. These public courses, accredited by British Chambers of Commerce, are held in Hatfield. We also run them inhouse for clients at their offices.
A practical guide to Export documentation and procedure 16 September Essential knowledge for successful exporting of goods to overseas customers: • overview of export documentation – how to complete them, finding help • summary of Incoterms – choosing the right one • transport methods – full container load (FCL), less than container load (LCL) • preference procedures, community transit • calculating your freight
InternationalTrade • other related documents – Air Waybill, Bills of Lading, insurance, certificates of origin, invoicing, movement certificates
A practical guide to Import documentation and procedure 18 November
Ask Alan
Helping businesses handle their imports more efficiently, with minimum finance expense
Case Study Six
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I have recently joined a small company as their export clerk – without previous experience. There is only one other person in the export department. The other person works part time, Monday to Wednesday, and never has time to train me. I have been promised export training but my boss keeps putting it off saying we are too busy to let me attend a course. We export all our goods FOB by sea. My Ask Alan question is: which documents and procedures am I responsible for up to FOB.
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Introduction – import licence procedures Preferential duty rates – eligibility Document examination – certificates, examples Interpreting import documents – revised EC import procedures Commodity codes – tariff numbers Customs clearance Customs regimes – deferred duty, VAT, Inward Processing Relief, bonded warehousing, rejected imports Minimising your import costs Rejected imports and your options
A practical guide to Documentary Letters of Credit 21 October Provides a working knowledge of Documentary Letters of Credit and greater confidence to make successful presentations for payment: • how to reduce errors that result in 80 per cent of Letters of Credit being rejected for payment on first presentation • the roles of the contracting parties • the procedure, and how it works • action to take if the process goes wrong • exercises • Bills of Lading, Insurance certification, invoicing, Bills of Exchange, UCP 600 compliance
International Trading – online training course Delivered by email, VoIP (Skype), telephone through six easy modules Import and export training courses delivered flexibly, at a time convenient to you, focusing on every issue you’re likely to encounter to save you money and time. • Export – Incoterms 2010, insurance, documents • Import – import procedures, regimes, customs management • Logistics – carriage by sea or air, freight costs, cost centres • Finance – methods of payment, letters of credit • International – international sourcing, preshipment inspection, market research, negotiation skills, methods of selling • Exam – LIST validation These courses are delivered for Herts Chamber members – and also non-members – by Alan Bracken, Director of ABTS Logistics Consultants, which has worked closely with Herts Chamber for over 25 years. He has vast experience in international trading in both export and import management roles and as a director of his own freight forwarding company. For more information on these courses, contact Frances Harris at Herts Chamber on 01707 39 84 08.
Alan answers:
PLEASE NOTE
First of all, your employer should understand that they cannot afford not to have you trained. A well-trained export clerk is an asset to any company.
Loading charges from dockside to on board the vessel are usually included in the freight rate as the buyer will be quoted Liner terms. You do not pay these charges.
Regarding your question, let’s start off with understanding the term FOB and your company’s responsibilities under FOB.
As the risk for the cargo passes from your company to the buyer when the cargo is delivered on board the vessel, it may be advisable for your company to insure the cargo from the place of collection to on board the vessel (your risk area).
FOB means free on board. The correct term is FOB (named port of shipment), for example: FOB Felixstowe. When your company quotes FOB named port of shipment, they are identifying three important elements: 1 place – where your company is responsible for delivering the goods to. 2 costs – which your company is responsible for in making that delivery. 3 risk – the place where the risk for the cargo passes from your company to the buyer’s company To eliminate confusion and misunderstanding of who’s responsible for what, the International Chamber of Commerce produced a set of rules identifying the sellers and buyers responsibilities under all terms of delivery. These rules are called INCOTERMS (International Commercial Terms) – the latest edition came into effect in 2010, so we now have Incoterms 2010. Note the following criteria, under FOB Incoterms 2010: • the place of delivery is on board the vessel nominated by the buyer. Therefore, your company is responsible for the cost of the follow-documentation and procedures. • export packing • export custom entry • export licence (if required) • transport from your warehouse to the UK dock • Terminal Handling Charges (THC) and possible security check at the export dock.
Finally, under Incoterms 2010, the seller should offer assistance to the buyer in obtaining any documentation outside the documentation the seller is responsible for, but at the seller’s request, risk and expense. For example, many buyers trading under FOB request the seller to collect the Bills of Lading from the buyer’s freight forwarders, or issue a Certificates of Origin and forward those to the buyer. These costs, such as Certificate of Origin and courier fees, would be for the account of the buyer. I strongly advise that your employer should purchase a copy of Incoterms 2010. Your company may purchase a copy of Incoterms 2010 from Frances Harris (Herts Chamber). Frances can supply your company with dates for their one-day Import and Export courses that you’d find very useful. The Chamber can also offer bespoke in-house training to cover your company’s particular training needs.
Regarding your question, let’s start off with understanding the term FOB and your company’s responsibilities under FOB. INSPIRE
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MemberNews
We don’t do R&D... do we? When R&D is mentioned, most people imagine people in white coats in a lab surrounded by test tubes and bunsen burners. However, for tax saving purposes it is much, much wider than that. R&D tax relief provides an additional tax deduction for costs incurred on certain development activities. It has been in existence since 2000, but since 2010 the benefits have been substantially increased, and now for every £1,000 spent on R&D by SMEs, in addition to the normal £200 tax relief, there is an additional £250 saving for profitable companies, or a £326 cash payment from HMRC if loss making.
uncertainties, i.e. something that is new and difficult. The definition is therefore very broad and is likely to encompass some element of the work undertaken not just by technology companies but also a number of businesses in almost every other sector. Examples of projects that would qualify are:
R&D includes any project that aims to achieve an advance in science or technology through the resolution of scientific or technological
• development of a new, bespoke software system for the business (either with or without assistance from a software development firm)
• development of a new, or appreciably improved, product • design and implementation of a new process. R&D claims are commonly made by businesses in the engineering, pharmaceutical, software development, manufacturing and biotechnology fields, but successful claims have also been made by some of our architect, design engineers and construction clients too. For further details please contact Tom Byng on tom.byng@mhllp.co.uk.
British Chambers of Commerce’s just released International Trade Survey 2014 finds that professional services — financial and business, professional services, education and training and IT and communications — are our most successful export commodities: £200bn in 2013. However, exporting potential is impeded by language and cultural differences, regulations and standards differences and funding access.
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MemberNews
How events can promote your business Many businesses are choosing events as a marketing tool. Lucy Shaw, business development manager at TSE Productions, an award-winning Hertfordshire event company, offers some tips How can an event give my company more exposure? It’s a highly effective way of gaining exposure, especially to new customers. This will be your event, which means you can promote and market your business and services in person, creating a more personal touch, without appearing like you are going in for the hard sell. The more tailored the event is to the identity of your brand, the more impressive the event will appear and, as a result, your company will be remembered. This is so much more appealing to new clients than receiving an e-shot or another email!
How can an event help with client interaction? There is something very important and beneficial about meeting face to face with your customers and potential clients.
Why not plan a product launch to make your new product available for customers to experience and interact with or you could prepare a bespoke event that is relevant to your target market? If you are interested in becoming a leader in your field why not plan a conference with a twist, share your industry knowledge and have likeminded business people sharing information and networks? Be creative and always ensure you have thought about finishing touches. Sound, lighting, staging and event management can add the professional touches you need to command people’s attention.
Will an event be too expensive? You may be thinking that quality events are too expensive or perhaps you see them as something that only larger companies can do. Think again! Events are actually much more economical than you may think and can be more beneficial to
your longer-term business aims. It doesn’t have to be lavish – just professional.
What if I don’t have the time to put on an event? There are lots of options to be able to prepare and deliver an event which also allows you to continue with your workload and commitments. Using an event company can be a total solution for your requirements and can provide more specialised event services that you may be looking for. A good production company will be able to tailor an event for your business and offer creative advice about bringing your brand to life. An event company would ensure every detail has been thought about and will take the stress out of the event preparation and delivery, which leaves you time to network with clients and enjoy the event.
Capture the event Finally, make sure you capture the event with photos and even with video footage. Documenting the event can be great for your social media channels and can feed back into your other marketing campaigns. www.tseproductions.co.uk
Anything is Possible ... if you put your mind to it That’s what Chamber member The Red Rubber Ball Foundation (a UK registered charity) believes. It works with young people from 11 years old, in Herts and overseas, to raise their aspirations and achievements through the “Anything is Possible” workshop. The Foundation has been working successfully in UK schools, so far to great effect with 450 children. Developed with the School of Education at University of Herts, the programme helps children learn: • to take personal responsibility for their life and what they achieve • to have vision and set goals • to take consistent action, even when it feels uncomfortable, to achieve these goals • to be able to listen to others and communicate effectively with them • to have an awareness of self and the impact that their behaviour is having on others • to help others make the most of their skills and abilities. In November 2014, the Foundation takes the programme to Nairobi in Kenya to work with more than 60 children there. It is clear from many sources that education is the key to overcoming poverty. If children lose access to primary or secondary school, they miss the chance to better themselves and improve the lot of their families. So if you have an adventurous streak and would like to impact the lives of many disadvantaged children, why not join them?
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LastWord
In this issue we feature St Albans Girls’ School Headteacher, Margaret Chapman
Q What was your first job and what was the pay packet? Volunteer at Oxfam in Cardiff - no pay. Q What do you always carry with you to work? Note pad and pens. Q What is the biggest challenge in your business? To instil the values of lifelong learning in the whole STAGS community. Q If you were the Prime Minister, what one thing would you change to help business? Prevent education from being a political football. Q What can you see from your office window? A pond and a memorial garden.
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Q As a business person, what are your three main qualities? Integrity, empathy and continuously striving for improvement. Q What was your biggest mistake in business? In educating the future generation I cannot afford to make mistakes. Q What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs? Don’t be afraid to fail - you will learn far more from failure than when you succeed - and always have passion for what you do. Q Who do you most admire in business? I admire those who inspire me with their values and beliefs - most of all my Dad, who spent his career in education serving the community in South Wales.
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Q If you could do another job, what would it be? Nothing could ever get close to this job, but in the future educating young offenders and improving their literacy skills would be my ideal.
UPFront
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