Surrey Chambers of Commerce Business Magazine September 2014 by Benham Publishing Limited

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Voice&VisionofSurreyBusiness| September-October 2014 www.surrey-chambers.co.uk | ÂŁ3.95 (where sold)

Skills and Education See centre pages

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Contents

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Voice & Vision of Surrey Business www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

September-October 2014

Welcome to theChamber from our Chief Executive Louise Punter Celebrating Educational Success in Surrey. Surrey students achieved a strong set of academic A-Level results this summer and businesses will applaud the increased take up in science and maths, subjects that are vital for the success of the UK economy. Despite strong academic results, we must not be complacent and action must still be taken to ensure young people are attractive candidates to employers looking to hire. It is imperative that young people should leave the education system with a career direction that is relevant to them and with the skills and attitude that employers want. Surrey Chambers are strong advocates of internships and apprenticeships and there are over 190 different apprenticeships offered in Surrey across 80 different industry sectors with intermediate, advance and higher levels available. Our members tell us that it is a great opportunity for their businesses to ensure they get the skills that they need in their respective industries. Better careers education from primary school age, compulsory work experience placements and employer visits in schools and colleges

will equip students with the best possible chances of finding employment. Internships offer a great opportunity for both graduate and employer to get to know and understand each other. We are now also a step closer to Surrey’s first university technical college backed by Surrey County Councillors. University Technical Colleges are designed to meet the demands from employers for students with practical experience in engineering, science and technology. Surrey Chambers of Commerce are fully supportive of the new proposed college, which will offer a different option for students, with emphasis on digital technologies and engineering and will benefit hundreds of students and employers across the county. Employers will soon get several opportunities to influence University of Surrey students as the Chamber and Surrey Business School embark on a partnership to bring students and businesses closer together. A number of events are planned over the next few weeks, which aim to close the gap between knowledgeable students and experienced employers.

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Introduction Chamber News Member News Spotlight On... Ask the Expert Health and Wellbeing International Trade Cover Feature Big Interview Development Education Finance

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Legal Leisure Design Technology Showcase Social Media New Members 24 Hours With... Christmas Venue Chamber Events Business News Chamber Chat Member Benefits

Editorial and General Enquiries

Production Manager

Surrey Chambers of Commerce Unit 14a, Monument Way East, Woking, Surrey GU21 5LY Tel: 01483 735540 Fax: 01483 756754 Email: info@surrey-chambers.co.uk

Fern Badman Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: studio@benhampublishing.com

Chief Executive: Louise Punter Finance: Caroline Cherryman

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Editor Ella Parkes Tel: 01483 735545 Email: marketing@surrey-chambers.co.uk

Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited 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

Media No.

Disclaimer The Chamber is published for the Surrey Chambers of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members in the county. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Surrey Chambers. Views expressed in The Chamber are not necessarily those of Surrey Chambers of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2014.

Advertising and Features

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.

Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com

Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

Published September 2014 © Benham Publishing

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Introduction

A word from our

President Through my own experience of parenthood, I have seen the challenges first hand of my daughters’ experience when completing higher education and looking for their first graduate jobs. Compared to thirty years ago when having a degree and being a graduate made you stand out and highly employable, this has forced many graduates to accept jobs that do not match their ambitions and expectations, leaving many discouraged and asking – was it worth it? Generally speaking higher education provides the fundamental skills and knowledge needed for employment, leaving the specific training of the application of these skills to employers. Therefore, employees will always need some amount of training investment before they become fully proficient at their jobs, be they graduates or school leavers. On the one hand, we may have an applicant fresh out of university with a gleaming 2:1 degree. However, on the other, we may have an applicant with three years experience and thus a solid understanding of the working world. As employers, we have to ask ourselves - who will perform better once fully trained? During my own business career, I have been challenged with the dilemma of taking on graduates, or school leavers and have seen a lot of evidence that it makes very little difference in the long term. Attitude and soft skills that can be gained purely through work experience, and not solely a degree, can be far more relevant to progress. Perhaps the key is that work skills can only be learned through real work. There is clearly a place for degree and higher levels of education, but can it afford to be the perceived pre-requisite it has been in many career paths? It is great to see Surrey Chambers, working with new Patrons the University of Surrey Business School, looking to build the bridge between students and employees, with the intention to provide the future workforce the expertise they need for employment in the world of business today. This will not only be beneficial for the students when applying for jobs, but this new partnership will also allow businesses to have their input about the skills they require from higher education and graduates.

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Kevin Hurley Police Commissioner

I was fortunate during my 30 year career as a police officer to receive some of the best, most comprehensive training in the world. Training was central to the job not only did it ensure that police officers could do a better, more effective job for the public, it boosted morale and gave the sense that a real investment was being made in them and their careers. So it is of the utmost concern to me that we have witnessed, over the last few years, what I can only describe as the systematic dismantling of a training and education system for police officers that was the envy of the world. We have lost many facilities. Gone are the police colleges where tens of thousands of probationers learned their craft under the watchful eyes of experienced, expert police officers. Shortly we are to lose Bramshill, the jewel in the crown of our police heritage, part of the mythology of the service and a college where officers from around the world would come to learn the best of British policing. What an asset it is – for our policing and for policing around the world. The short-sightedness of the decision to sell it is unforgivable. More worryingly, we have seen the amount of training given to officers slashed. What was once taught over years is now taught over weeks. In some forces, posts such as Superintendent – a role of enormous responsibility previously attained through years and years of experience and learning, can now be reached by a member of the public (you don’t even have to be a constable to apply!) in as little as 18 months. I, with the Chief Constable, flatly refuse to entertain this idea in Surrey. It will never happen here for as long as I am in office. In policing, like so many organisations, our people are everything. In the age of austerity we have seen an emphasis placed on the quantity of officers. Quality is every bit as important. We lose sight of the need to invest properly in their morale, training and development at our peril.

Chamber News

Natural Burial Reserve named Let’s dance! as one of the best in Britain Clandon Wood Surrey Hills Natural Burial Reserve is one of the best in the UK – and that’s official.

Dance Woking’s winter programme of events will start on 27th October with a half term project and a show week at Rhoda McGaw Theatre from 19th November to 22nd November.

Established in 1995, Dance Woking is an innovative dance organisation which provides high quality opportunities to watch perform and take part in dance, providing new experiences that inspire artists, audiences, participants and communities. Dance Woking champions and celebrates dance as a socially and culturally relevant force through an annual programme of events that resonate with our audiences. The organisation is an outstanding contributor to the arts, culture and sport in Woking and the South East of England, with a regional and national reputation in its support and development of dance.

The natural burial site is among a recordbreaking 1,476 parks and green spaces that have received a Green Flag Award from Keep Britain Tidy. Clandon Wood officially opened in June 2013 and this is the second prestigious accolade won by the site this year. It was recently judged The Best Natural Burial Ground in the UK voted for by the many families who have chosen to bury a loved one among the wildflowers and young woodland at the 31-acre site north of Guildford. Louise Punter, CEO of Surrey Chambers of Commerce, helped to raise the flag at Clandon Wood together with family members and local charities, The Brigitte Trust, Cherry Trees and Surrey Wildlife Trust. Fran Hall, Operations Manager at Clandon Wood, said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive a Green Flag Award from Keep Britain Tidy on our very first application. “This Award recognises and highlights the fact that people in Surrey and the surrounding areas can now benefit from a green space of the very highest quality, which is also a place of tranquility and peace for funerals and memorial ceremonies. “At Clandon Wood we are creating not just a lovely natural burial ground but a

wonderful legacy for future generations through the sustainable management of the land to encourage wildlife. The recognition that we have achieved the very high standards required to warrant Green Flag status endorses all the hard work by the team here.” Keep Britain Tidy’s Green Flag Award scheme manager Paul Todd said: “We are delighted to announce yet another recordbreaking year for Green Flag Award parks and green spaces. “A Green Flag Award provides national recognition for all the parks managers, staff and volunteers who, through their dedication and hard work, have helped to create these fantastic places for everyone to enjoy. “Quality green spaces are a vital resource for communities and that is why it is so significant that we have given out more awards than ever before.”

Dance Woking presents three seasons of dance every year. National, regional and local artists as well as bespoke commissions and premieres of new dance are featured in the spring, summer and winter programmes.

Programme of Events Winter Shorts 2014 27 - 31 Oct 2014 – October Half Term Project TBC – Tavaziva TEN school and college workshops 19 Nov – Young Dance Makers Platform 20 Nov – Boys Platform 21 Nov – Tavaziva Ten 22 Nov – INNOVATE: Community Dance Platform Dance Woking are always looking to engage more of the community in dance and more information about their future events can be found on their website: www.wokingdancefestival.co.uk.

Any green space that is accessible to the public is eligible to enter for a Green Flag Award. Awards are given on an annual basis and winners must apply each year to renew their Green Flag status. A Green Flag Community Award recognises quality sites managed by voluntary and community groups. Green Heritage Site accreditation is judged on the treatment of the site’s historic features and the standard of conservation.

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Member News

Putting Surrey on the map! Great leadership is paramount particularly in the current climate. From leading yourself well to leading a large company, L2: Lead – Learn is for you. It is the leadership event for the South East of England for 2014. Chamber member Tony Lynch, Keep Thinking Big, will be hosting the afternoon, and as a leader and an entrepreneur with a wealth of experience, having led various teams for over 30 years, as well as leading his own successful real estate business, he delivers valuable insight in how to grow a business and develop teams. L2: Learn – Lead is organised by the John Maxwell Company, and is an international event which has only 300 sites worldwide, giving Surrey businesses a rare worldwide opportunity to hear from 3 amazing speakers, who will deliver content to provide a strategy for your further success. John C. Maxwell has mastered the art of asking questions and will share why they are so important for successful leaders, what questions we should be asking ourselves and what questions we should be asking our teams.

Charity is donated once in a lifetime prize The Eikon Charity has been donated an incredible prize by luxury tour operator Beachcomber Tours in Guildford. Beachcomber Tours have given a 5* holiday of a lifetime for two people to Mauritius for seven nights. It is half board, with flights and transfers included. Heather Boardman, Community and Events Fundraiser for The Eikon Charity, said: “We feel so privileged to have received this amazing holiday which we are raffling off to raise vital funds for the vulnerable young people we work with in Surrey. It has already had a great reception, with tickets selling by the day. “We hope that more of the public will realise what an amazing opportunity this is for someone wanting to have a

John C. Maxwell and Tony Lynch

Linda Kaplan Thaler – will share inspiring stories and offers practical tips to harness and put your own GRIT – Guts, Resilience, Industriousness and Tenacity, to work for you. Tim Sanders – You will learn from Tim three key areas for becoming a people centric leader – confidence, leading people and customer experience. For more information visit – http://keepthinkingbig.com/l2

perfect trip away for the incredible price of £10 per ticket.” If you would like to win this amazing, once in a lifetime prize visit http://eikon.org.uk/feature/ paradise to buy your ticket. All proceeds will benefit the vulnerable and at-risk young people the charity supports in Surrey. Eikon is a Surrey based charity that has been working in the local community for almost two decades, providing long-term support to some of the county’s most vulnerable young people and their families.

News from the University of Surrey The University of Surrey is delighted to be hosting Surrey County Council’s Electric Vehicle Summit on the 16th September 2014 on the Guildford campus. Minister of State for Transport, Baroness Kramer, will be speaking at the event which promises to be a unique opportunity to discuss the local and national strategy for this exciting area. Delegates will be able to network with business leaders and

academic experts, discuss the latest trends and opportunities, and discover the latest research across the sector. If you’d like to come and join the University on the 16th you can find out more and register at www.evsummit.uk.

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Member News Timing and structure the cornerstones of deal making

East Surrey College Traineeships help tackle the local skills shortage amongst young people

James Lamont, of law firm Hart Brown, advises on how to get the best deal for mergers and acquisitions

East Surrey College continues to develop employability prospects amongst young people within the community by offering Traineeship programmes across a wide range of business sectors including creative media and health & social care.

Timing In January 2008, Facebook was valued at between $3 billion and $15 billion. In January 2011, Facebook was rumoured to be valued at $50 billion. In August 2013, that figure was $100 billion. The importance of timing in a sale, acquisition or investment, is of paramount importance in nearly every transaction. In terms of getting the best price and incurring minimal professional fees, if at all possible, when looking to sell your business:• Sell when the business is going well • Sell when you don’t have to • Sell to someone who desperately wants you • Sell to someone who has the funds to buy you and when looking to buy a business:• buy when they want to sell more than you want to buy. Structure Some of the possibilities worth considering are:• Cash up front / no cash up front • Earn-out / no earn-out • Buy / Sell part now with option to buy / sell part later • Don’t sell side-line business • Take / offer a stake in acquiring entity • Sell for less but aggressively limit potential future liability In addition to timing, and as part of agreeing the structure, it is advisable to agree full (but not overly detailed) heads of terms and take tax advice. These heads of terms will set out the parameters, positions and requirements of each party and the proposed and subsequently agreed structure.

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The College programme also provides young people with an opportunity to undertake work experience placements and gain employability and functional skills qualifications in Maths and English. Traineeships at East Surrey College have received backing from the TUC (Trade Union Congress) and CBI (Confederation of British Industry) who recently signed a joint statement to encourage

businesses to take part in the scheme. By offering a Traineeship through the College businesses can benefit from a local, loyal and talented workforce, with no stage recruitment cost. In addition it can form part of your business’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. Dave Warnes, Associate Director of Business Development at East Surrey College said:

“The Traineeship scheme benefits both young people and local businesses. It offers young people the chance to gain skills needed to succeed in their career and gives them an understanding as to what is expected in a work environment as well as giving businesses the opportunity to train and develop a workforce specifically tailored to their business.” Katja Hall, Deputy DirectorGeneral at CBI commented (statement taken from CBI press release on 1 August 2014): “While the economic recovery is starting to reach young people, levels of youth unemployment in the UK are still worryingly high. Traineeships give young people the chance to improve their skills and gain experience, which is vital if we are to address this crucial issue.” If you are interested in finding out how a Trainee can help your business, please call the Employer Services team at East Surrey College on 01737 788316 or email at employerservices@esc.ac.uk.

New challenge for Patrick Sight for Surrey has named Patrick McCord as its new chairman, succeeding Alan Howell after his six-year tenure. Mr McCord started his career at Kent County Council, after graduating from Leeds University, before being recruited by Mole Valley District Council in 2007 where he has worked in a variety of roles including community safety and development and strategic partnership working. Diagnosed with Juvenile Macular Dystrophy (Stargardts) in 1996, aged 17, Mr McCord has been a Sight for Surrey service user and is passionate

about promoting disability equality. The change in personnel coincides with exciting times for the charity, as it has recently won two new contracts which will radically increase its ability to offer low vision services across Surrey. Jointly with Surrey’s hearing services provider, FirstPoint, the charity will provide a mobile sensory bus for Surrey people with vision loss, hearing loss or combined sight

and hearing loss. In teaming up with 4Sight of West Sussex, Sight for Surrey will provide low vision assessments in East Surrey and West Sussex hospitals. Crucially, together they will be able to clear a 13month low vision assessment waiting list left by the current provider. Mr McCord said: “It is reassuring to have Alan Howell remain on the Board of Trustees, as he has shown vast commitment to implementing and maintaining the objectives of our charity in the last six years.”

Member News

Should I buy a listed building? By Dominic Earley, partner at Grillo LLP Chartered Surveyors

Owning a listed building comes with its challenges and will usually entail additional costs compared with a modern building.

New recruitment services provider for SMEs in Surrey Introducing Friday & Co, a recently launched provider of recruitment services, advice and training to SME businesses across Surrey and into West Sussex.

However, if you are passionate about helping to preserve a piece of this country’s history, with the right advice and an understanding of what is involved you are likely to find it a rewarding experience.

Personnel and Development. Georgina set up the business with a view to enable SMEs sized businesses access to recruitment support.

The importance of the owner • Listed buildings are more than just buildings - they are a tangible record of this country’s rich history • A listed building is in safest hands when it is owned by someone who understands the social importance of ownership and approaches it as a hobby rather than a burden. Relationship with a professional advisor • As with the owner, the professional advisor should have the right approach to the listed building. They must take a personal interest in the long-term good of the building. • The professional advisor must have appropriate experience Planned Maintenance • There is no avoiding the fact that most listed buildings will require more maintenance than a modern building. Potential owners must understand this before they buy. • Significant long term savings can be made by carrying out regular planned maintenance. • The professional advisor is essential in ensuring that appropriate work is carried out. For more information please visit www.grillollp.com.

Described as a recruitment agency alternative, Friday & Co are an outsourced recruitment provision and take a holistic approach to recruitment by following the theory ‘understand, prepare and deliver’. Clients are their primary focus and they can work as if they are in-house or on behalf of your business. Friday & Co is led by Georgina Friday, a Recruitment Specialist who is a fully qualified member of the Chartered Institute of

Georgina understands that every business is different and therefore offers her expertise in two ways; on a flexible, consultative basis and through Friday & Co’s bespoke recruitment packages. Friday & Co work alongside a leading online recruitment marketing firm, various HR Consultants and a Talent Dynamics Consultant meaning that they have every base covered. Until the end of September, Friday & Co are offering 10% off any of their recruitment packages to members of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce! To take up this excellent offer visit our website www.fridayandco.co.uk.

Post-recession marketing industry faring well Recession pain has led to business gain for the SME marketing industry, says Surrey-based business Something Big. Four years ago, when the UK was in the depths of the recession, many marketing SMEs were reinventing themselves and embracing the opportunities coming their way from resource-strapped companies.

but still needed creative marketing solutions during a difficult business climate. The SME marketing industry was agile enough to respond to this, and as is in much better shape now than prerecession.”

Sally Pritchett, director of award-winning SME marketing agency Something Big, says: “Despite the so-called doom and gloom, the economic downturn led to opportunities for us and others like us. Clients were scaling back their marketing teams and budgets,

Something Big is a case in point. Since 2010, staff numbers have increased by over 300% – from eight to 33 – and revenue has grown 250%. The business’s client base has also expanded with national household names like Colgate, DHL and Hertz, and local

brands The Lightbox, Raycross Interiors and Woking College. Nick Butcher, director, Something Big, said: “It’s all about diversifying. In 2010 marketing was predominately about printed materials, whereas now almost every campaign has a digital or social media element to it.” Something Big has just launched a video showcasing its work with DHL and Surrey Sports Park regulars the Harlequins as part of The Daily Telegraph Business Club.

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Member News

The commercial importance of emotional intelligence Many people who have not had any experience in the field of emotional intelligence (EI) find it very easy to dismiss it as one of those airy-fairy, soft management principles used by large organisations.

Are you running your business or is your business running you?

However once those same people have been exposed to the potential that training in this area of personal development can release in themselves, their colleagues/employees and their businesses they usually change their opinion. Many of the world’s top business schools now require that applicants for MBA programmes take an EI test before they are accepted. Why? Because emotional intelligence is now widely regarded as one of the best predictors of success in the workplace and in business. When used as a part of the recruitment process it improves the likelihood of a successful hire, when implemented in the workplace it has been proven to help sales people improves sales, safety managers to reduce accidents, HR managers to reduce grievances and the list goes on. In fact most areas of commercial life can be improved through the implementation of EI principles. In short there is now concrete proof that investment in developing EI skills in business yields a real return on that investment and impacts positively on most key performance indicators but, most importantly, the bottom line.

Dene Stuart is an accredited practitioner in emotional intelligence and regularly delivers workshops on EI and talks and writes about this increasingly important subject. He is the author of ResourcefulMe and is the managing director of his training and development company: I Want To Be.

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A question regularly posed by Business Coach, Adrian Brown. Sadly he found most business owners felt that it’s their business that seems to have the upper hand. Having owned a number of successful enterprises himself, he now uses this extensive experience to turnaround businesses, resulting in increased profits and improved staff performance for his clients. Irrespective of the products or services offered Haslemere businesses are affected by the same local issues and face similar business challenges. The Business Mastermind Programme is a unique opportunity for Haslemere business owners to take advantage of a comprehensive business coaching and mentoring programme within a collaborative group environment over a period of 6 months. The benefits of committing investing one day a month focusing on your business with like minded business owners – with the support of an experienced business coach include: • Greater clarity on what is preventing you, your staff and your business from fulfilling its full potential • Understanding how you can take back control. • Identifying the elements to measure to track your business, the most effective

way to do this - and to use this information to continuously improve performance! Places are limited, so if you would like to benefit from an experience that will have a tangible effect on all areas of your business performance. Please contact the team at 2Be2Serve for more information. Telephone: 01483 387281 Email: adrian@2be2serve.com

Member News

One-Stop-Shop Mobile Solutions Mobile B2B Partners is a one-stop-shop for all your mobile and smart phone repair needs.

With years of experience in the industry and excellent technical knowledge and skill, the team has what it takes to get the job done quickly and efficiently. In most cases, you

can expect a turnaround time of 48 hours. The company also offers 30 day payment terms, uses only genuine and original parts, and all repairs are guaranteed for defects for one year. In addition to its repair services, Mobile B2B Partners offers warranted, quality used mobile and smart devices, as well as the option to recycle your old ones to help reduce upgrade expenses. You can be sure that there are no hidden costs, as all prices include labour, parts, VAT and delivery. It’s all about honest work and good value for money for both corporate and private clients.

A commitment to quality

Covenants on leaving employment

365 Print Solutions Ltd is a new start company incorporated in 2014 and a proud new member of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce.

The aggravation of constructing restrictive covenants for employees leaving a company can outweigh the benefits. It’s the responsibility of the employer to prove the restriction is reasonable for commercial purposes. There has recently been a case, Capgemini India Private Limited v Krishnan and others, where the departing employees, leaving under a settlement agreement, reaffirmed their noncompetition agreement. As a result of the former staff not being employed when they signed the agreement and because they had been receiving legal advice, the court held that the agreement was binding.

have 40+ years of experience dealing with SME business through to national corporates. Supplying Multi Function Devices, from desktop through to print room both mono and colour together with managed print solutions and consumables. Our contracts are transparent and with no lengthy tie in. Our product portfolio includes manufacturers such as Canon, Ricoh, Hewlett Packard and Kyocera.

The employer had applied for an interim injunction prohibiting the employees from working for the new company but the court held that damages would be sufficient. Had the company sought out professional HR advice at the beginning their cost would have been reduced dramatically. Daniel Stewart, Business Development Manager daniels@mspsecretaries.co.uk Sasha Warr, Head of HR Services sashaw@mspsecretaries.co.uk

Based on the Surrey / Middlesex border, our aim is to offer high levels of service and supply in the office equipment industry where these are not always achieved. Offering nationwide coverage, we

E: mail@365printsolutions.co.uk

“Because we care”

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Spotlight on...

A great place to do business With Gatwick Airport on the doorstep, excellent access to London Heathrow, fast train connections to London and the south coast, and the M23/A23 and M25 running through the borough, it is no surprise that many major international companies are already based in Reigate and Banstead. Canon, Kimberley Clark, Just Retirement, AXA Insurance, Balfour Beatty, Toyota and Pfizer are just a few that have chosen to base their businesses in Reigate and Banstead. Its strategic location means local businesses can also attract skilled workers from Greater London and locally. The borough has a diverse business base and particularly attracts financial and business services; public services; and distribution, hotels and catering. Innovative engineering and technical manufacturing are also growing sectors. Office rents in Redhill and Reigate are amongst the most competitive in Surrey, with a good choice of spaces. The borough has ten industrial estates in Redhill, Salfords, Horley, Reigate and Tadworth.

Many businesses choose Reigate and Banstead because it offers great quality of life for their employees. Located within the Green Belt in the rolling Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the borough is predominantly open countryside. With a thriving community life based around the four main towns of Banstead, Horley, Redhill and Reigate, each has its own distinctive character, surrounded by attractive villages.

Investing for success The emphasis of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council is on creating a commercial environment in which businesses can thrive. ÂŁ250 million public and private sector investment in Redhill, Horley, Preston and Merstham over the next five years will make the borough an even better place to live, work and do business. Ambitious plans for regenerating Redhill include redeveloping several key sites to transform the town centre. Proposals include a new cinema, shops and homes, along with transport and leisure improvements. Horley, the boroughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s other commercial centre, is also attracting significant investment in commercial, retail, community and residential developments, including 2,600 homes in two new neighbourhoods.

Supporting small businesses

Gatwick Airport

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Redhill office space

Nine out of ten Reigate and Banstead businesses have fewer than four employees. To recognise their vital role in the local economy, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has developed a range of initiatives to help small firms succeed and grow.

£250 million public and private sector investment in Redhill, Horley, Preston and Merstham over the next five years will make the borough an even better place to live, work and do business.

Russell Square, Horley

Business Support Grants Business Support Grants of up to £1,000 provide funding for small businesses and start-ups who can find it difficult to get the funding needed to develop and grow. In the past 18 months over £35,000 has been awarded to help fund: • new or improved equipment such as machinery, tools or IT • property improvements • training and support for business growth Grants have benefited 26 job seekers, helping them move from unemployment to self-employment.

Entrepreneur Academy The second Entrepreneur Academy is in full swing, equipping budding entrepreneurs with practical advice and skills, as well as the opportunity to win a share of £5,000 start-up funding, to turn business ideas into reality.

First Entrepreneur Academy start-up funding winners, Froosion, pitch the business idea

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Spotlight on... The monthly sessions, run in partnership with East Surrey College, Redhill, cover essential commercial topics, from business planning, finance and legal matters to marketing and online business promotion and the sessions are run over six months.

Learning Lunches The popular Learning Lunches, run in partnership with ‘Let’s Do Business’, are an opportunity to hear informative presentations on a range of business topics and network with local like-minded professionals. Topics include social media skills, website optimisation, presentation skills and converting visitors to customers. To find out more about our business support initiatives, visit www.reigatebanstead.gov.uk/business.

Business Support Workshops The Business Support Workshops run by Let’s do Business help job seekers gain skills to set up in business. So far over 325 people have benefitted from the course, resulting in 176 new businesses being set up.

Incubator space The council is working with property owners and agents to establish low-cost office space so that home-based microbusinesses wanting to grow have the opportunity to do so.

Helping young people into work Over the past three years the innovative Young Workers Scheme has helped 160 18-24 year olds gain valuable skills to help them get a foot on the career ladder. The initiative provides six-month paid work placements, along with learning and development support. The council is keen to help other local employers adopt similar schemes and enjoy the benefits. If you’d like to know more, contact Steve Bevan, Talent Development Business Partner on 01737 276090 or email steve.bevan@reigate-banstead.gov.uk.

Simon Bland

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Simon Bland, Economic Prosperity Programme Manager, said: “We listen carefully to what our local business community has to say and work hard to understand their needs. We host quarterly meetings to give local business leaders the opportunity to meet the Council and network. We’ve also fostered good links with business organisations, including Surrey Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and Gatwick Diamond Business.

“As an active member of the Gatwick Diamond Partnership and the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, the Council is well placed to represent the voice of our businesses in the strategic investment debates affecting the borough and the sub-region.”

Contact Simon: 01737 276303 simon.bland@reigate-banstead.gov.uk Connect with Simon on Linked-In

University launches Profitnet in Reigate The University of Brighton has secured funding from the Regional Growth Fund to re-launch its highly successful business collaboration network Profitnet, in the Coast to Capital area. Groups of like-minded businesses owners and managers meet in total confidence once a month to develop their strategy and tackle real business challenges whilst also accessing resources and expertise from the University of Brighton. If you are looking to grow your company through innovation and would like a meaningful connection with a group of like-minded businesses professionals, we would love to hear from you.

Funding will support the launch of a dedicated group in Reigate. With the support of Reigate and Banstead District Council, employers are invited to attend a practical two hour free Taster Session on Thursday 25 September at 10am at Reigate Town Hall which will demonstrate the impacts and innovations

companies have achieved through Profitnet. Attendees will hear first-hand from former Profitnet member.

To find out more and to book a place please contact the Profitnet team on: 01273 641 037 or email: profitnet@brighton.ac.uk www.brighton.ac.uk/business/profitnet

Profitnet drives innovation and growth in small and medium sized companies by bringing business leaders together to share their collective experience to problem-solve, collaborate and develop opportunities.

Would you like to connect with like-minded entrreprreneurs to sharre e insights, whilst benefiting ting from specialist university resour resourc ces? Come along to our FREE Profitnet taster workshop on Thursday 25 September at Reigate Town Town Hall Now in its tenth year, the University of Brightonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highly successful business collaboration and learning network, Profitnet, has helped over 1,200 businesses to grow o in Sussex and internationally ly. For morre e information and booking please contact the Profitnet team on 01273 641037/07984 122 195 or email profitnet@brighton.ac.uk, or visit our website at www.brighton.ac.uk/business/profitnet.

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Ask the Expert

Last chance to avoid RTI penalties Don’t be caught out in October when HMRC’s Real Time Information penalties commence. Since April 2013 employers with a PAYE scheme in place have been required to report salary payments, along with Tax and National Insurance deductions to HMRC on or before the date the payments are made. As the most significant change to the PAYE system in over 60 years employers have been given 18 months to get to grips with the new reporting requirements. However from October 2014 penalties will begin for late submissions and errors.

First month free A4C offer an outsourced payroll solution, ideal for small businesses. Competitive fees and outstanding service guaranteed. If you need help with your payroll get in touch for a friendly, no obligation chat and quote SCC14 to receive your first month free!

And coming soon…. Pension Auto-Enrolment – the next major change facing employers. For more information and regular updates register now to join our mailing list http://a4cgroup.co.uk/join-mailing-list.

Free compliance check

About us

If you are worried that you might not be up to speed with the changes then call A4C today for a free compliance check on 01737 652 852.

A4C provide accountancy and payroll services to small businesses. We are proud members of Surrey Chambers of Commerce and love getting to know fellow business owners.

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Connect Esther, Natasha or Lyndsey today: Tel: 01737 652 852 E: info@a4cgroup.co.uk W: www.a4cgroup.co.uk F: www.facebook.co.uk/a4cgroup

Member News

Businesses are putting the fun Diamond Logistics expands back into corporate away days franchise network As Britain slowly climbs out of recession it seems that companies are keen to put money into making corporate away days more fun.

MGN events, a national events and party planning business, has noticed a growing trend in bookings for big budget fun events in the past six months as companies start to invest in looking after their staff. Managing Director of MGN events, Mike Walker said: “We are definitely seeing an element of fun returning to the corporate away day as clients see the benefits of giving employees a pat on the back as well as taking time for the

more serious business of helping them to engage with a company’s aims and values.” Mike’s top five tips for managers considering an away day for staff: • Set objectives for the event well in advance and plan activities that help to achieve these • Make sure you find and book your venue well in advance and that it is suitable • Keep the itinerary interesting and fun • Someone needs to take ownership of the event and ensure it runs smoothly • Don’t lose the ability to measure the return on the objectives from the day. Make sure there is proper feedback.

Diamond Logistics Ltd has announced a dramatic expansion of its franchise network, with seven depots opening. Recent franchise depot openings include Slough, Lichfield and Bolton, and outlets are due to open within the next few weeks in Coventry and Northampton. Kate Lester, CEO and Founder of Diamond Logistics, said: “It’s brilliant that the Diamond network is expanding so well. This is a testament to the Diamond team, and our franchisees who are all doing such a terrific job. We are well on track to achieve our target of nationwide coverage by this time next year, turning Diamond into one of the leading couriers in the UK.” Built upon a strong customer ethic, high service levels and a carefully crafted franchise

offering, Diamond is one of the UK’s fast growing franchise networks. Founded in 1992 by Kate Lester, Diamond Logistics Ltd is a specialist same day courier and logistic company providing a wide range of organisations with delivery and fulfilment solutions. The firm works with SMEs, blue-chip corporate, local government and healthcare providers. In 2013 Diamond Logistics Ltd embarked on a programme to create a franchise network, with 16 franchise depots currently trading, two signed waiting to open and a target of 40 depots giving national coverage by mid-2015.

Financial advice for tech start ups According to a recent report by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the technology sector is one of the largest wealth creators in the UK and one of the fastest growing sectors. Most tech companies tend to be clustered in London and the South East with Wokingham attracting the highest cluster of employment outside London. Chris Cairns, a partner at Surrey-based Alliotts accountants, offers some thoughts on the challenges: • Finance – start-ups often find it difficult to get initial funding for their business and end up relying on friends and family for help, particularly if the business is at idea stage only • Intellectual property protecting your idea whilst at the same time being able to

tell the market enough is a fine balancing act • Raising first round funding once seed capital has run out – it is vital that your business is in a fundable position prior to this • Commercialisation of the project while still in R&D phase – usually some form of revenues will be required by the funders of the business whilst it is still in the R&D phase The key for tech start ups is to get good advice and work on getting the basics right before trying to grow. www.alliotts.com

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Health and Wellbeing

Mobile Workers –

are we managing their health? It is estimated that there are over 1 million remote and mobile workers (RMW’s) in the UK. This steady growth in mobile workers being led by businesses wishing to reduce overheads, improve competitiveness and create greater flexibility for both clients and staff can also present its own challenges for the workers themselves, which can have a significant effect on their health, performance and productivity. Studies have shown that certain personal working & driving behaviours and vehicle design issues are linked to an increase in back pain: Higher levels of back symptoms were also shown to be associated with lower levels of colleague interaction and feelings of overwork. In order to create the right environment for effective mobile working it needs to be planned and important factors such as isolation and managerial support taken into consideration alongside: • Home Working & Ergonomics on the move- appropriate setup and finding suitable ways of working when out & about. E.g. forearms supported when using a laptop, sitting at a table rather than on a sofa, adequate support for IT & technology problems, personal safety as a lone worker.

• Mental wellbeing - reduction of stress factors, fatigue, burnout, & demotivation. E.g. Regular one to one & team meetings, provision of good communication channels and development of supportive relationships.

BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital has a dedicated in-house expert physiotherapy team available for consultation around a range of work-place issues. For more information please contact the team on: 01483 442761

• Musculoskeletal issues - adequate education in ways to minimise their potential increased risks of back, neck & shoulder pain, plus occupational health support & access to professional advice as required.

Joanna Hudson is a chartered Physiotherapist and head of Physiotherapy at BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital and is a member of the association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Occupational Health and Ergonomics.

• Vehicle ergonomics: good vehicle selection to provide adequate adjustability in lumbar supports and steering wheels, education on rest breaks & appropriate seat adjustment.

• Life-work balance –the travelling lifestyle-long hours of work, affecting eating, sleeping & exercise habits causing fatigue. Need for regular contact with the workplace & family and support for a right to some privacy.

References Albert C, Managing Health & wellbeing for mobile workers. Occupational Health Physiotherapy Vol17.1 March 2013 Sang K, Gyi D & Haslam C. Musculoskeletal Symptoms in pharmaceutical sales representatives Occupational medicine (Lond) 2010 60:108-114 Skov T, Borg V & Orhede E. Psychosocial and physical risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, shoulders and lower back in sales people.

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Surrey Chambers support Camberley Judo Club

Preventative health check-ups save you time and money! If your work and home lifestyles have to be delicately balanced then so does your health. Ever thought of having your nervous system checked? The nervous system is your very own motherboard and ensures that everything relates to everything else in a harmonious way. If your body is even slightly out of balance it is ËºÇÎ ¹¾»Ĳ¸ÊÁÉ ÉÄ »ººÁ ¼ÄÄ¹ ¶Ã¹ function well. Call now for a free consultation to see if you are operating at your optimum and let us help you be the best that you can be.

Camberley Judo Club arrived at the Commonwealth Games knowing it would be a special event. Fielding 3 of the 7 male England representatives guided by Camberley’s head coach Luke Preston who was one of the England Judo Team coaches, it was going to be an action packed few days! What an understatement that turned out to be!! Ashley McKenzie -60kg, Danny Williams -73kg and Owen Livesey -81kg all gave inspiring performances, show-casing their skill, determination and fighting spirit.

Expectations were high and the pressure was on for the CJC fighters from day one. Ranked 17th in the world, Ashley McKenzie the 2013 European bronze medallist was favourite to win the title in the -60kg and he did not disappoint. Ashley’s route to the final saw him come up against the experience of Scotland’s John Buchanan, former world bronze medallist, Neuso Sigauque of Mozambique and in the final Navjot Chana of India, a four-time national champion. Ashley defeated them all earning the first gold medal for England and Camberley Judo Club. Talking about what it means to be Commonwealth Champion Ashley McKenzie said: “I’m pleased to be here and would like to thank the people who have got me here: My coach Luke Preston and all the sponsors at Camberley Judo Club, we couldn’t do what we do without their support. Concentration is one of the things I struggle with but judo has helped me. Now the focus is on Rio and I will be at the World Championships in Chelyabinsk in a couple of weeks.”

A late replacement, Danny Williams, was called up just days before the games due to an injury resulting in withdrawal of another athlete. Williams also faced some tough contests, including a young Welshman Connor Ireland, three-time Oceania champion Arnie Dickens, Northern Ireland’s Eoin Fleming, Australian Jake Bensted and in the final Kiwi Adrian Leat. The English judoka came out on top and claimed the second gold for CJC. Also on day 2 was Owen Livesey -81kg, he started his campaign by beating John Muthee Kirimi of Kenya, then Zambian Boas Munyonga, Canadian Jonah Burt, and England team mate Tom Reed in the final. Triumphant Owen secured another gold making it 3 golds for Camberley and a 100% success rate! Coach Luke Preston said “I am extremely proud of the 3 athletes and the England judo team in general. For Camberley to be home to 3 Commonwealth Games gold medallists is a fantastic achievement. It is great for the club, the whole town and borough. We now need continued support to help qualify our athletes for Rio 2016. At the moment we only have one funded athlete at the club so sponsorship is vital if we want continued Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic success.” For more information contact Sam Lowe on E: samlowecjc@hotmail.co.uk.

2a Guildford Park Road Guildford Surrey GU2 7ER

01483 579500 A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings. (Hippocrates)

Telephone 01483 579500 Email info@reve-pavilion.co.uk FOR GOOD HEALTH NAURALLY

Osteopath and Natural Health

Surrey workplaces to take on the Travel Smart Challenge Throughout September, workplaces across Surrey will battle it out to show that their employees make the smartest travel choices, in the online Travel SMART Challenge run by sustainable transport charity Sustrans. Scores of workplaces will compete to travel the most journeys to, from or for work by sustainable means whether by bike, foot, public transport or car sharing. Even working remotely can count! Individual challengers will be judged on the number of journeys they complete, while workplace teams will aim to achieve the highest average number of journeys overall. There will be some great prizes for both teams and individuals. Anita Powell, Workplaces Officer, Sustrans said: “Sustrans is encouraging everyone to get involved and

reclaim rush hour by clocking up some miles for the Travel SMART Challenge. Find people to share your car journeys with, get your bikes and trainers out, try out local bus and train routes, save money and discover that work travel can be fun!” For more information please email anita.powell@sustrans.org.uk Business looking to improve their health and wellbeing within the workplace and interested in rewarding their staff for sustainable travel on a long-term basis can now join the Surrey Chambers Eco Rewards Scheme. For more information turn to page 50.

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Health and Wellbeing The stress epidemic – are you infected?

Is stress holding you back? Is it costing you money in absenteeism and staff turnover? Is it affecting your health? Would you like a fresh approach? To help you holistically and effectively manage work related stress I offer the following services: • Stress awareness and management • Emotional Intelligence training • Email management • Time saving techniques • Making habits, breaking habits • Managing perfectionism • Recognising and dealing with procrastination • Effective, confident decision-making • Managing interruptions I deliver my services personally via on-site training sessions, workshops, and one to one coaching or by webinar. Please contact me to book a free, no obligation consultation.

Hazel McCallum

Moving On Up Coaching Limited www.movingonupcoaching.com Tel: 07786221257 / 02037125872 hazel@movingonupcoaching.com

Have you ever boiled a frog? If you put a frog in boiling water it will immediately leap out. However, if you put it into cool water and gradually increase the heat it will stay there until it eventually boils to death. Under stress, we react like that frog. As the ‘heat’ is turned up, we get used to it; it starts to feel familiar, even normal. We don't notice how much it's affecting us. But stress doesn’t have to be harmful. You can change the way you think about stress and change the way you respond to it. But to do this you need to be very self aware - of your emotions, your stress triggers, your reactions. Because you can’t change what you can’t see. This is where Emotional Intelligence brings noticeable results. By developing your Emotional Intelligence skills (self management, self awareness, relation ship management, social awareness) you will manage the way you think, feel and act and when you do that you can handle almost any situation that you find yourself in. By making lasting changes in your behaviours, so that they become good habits, you will have the resilience to deal with the day-to-day challenges of modern working life. If you would like to know more about Emotional Intelligence and how it could benefit you or your organisation why not visit my website www.movingonupcoaching.com and sign up to receive my free e-book?

Take up of mental health first aid courses increases by 400% Surrey based Minding Your Business (MYB) is experiencing a huge surge in the popularity of their internationally recognised Mental Health First Aid courses. In the wake of a report, published by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and King’s College London, which reveals the cost of mental ill health to businesses across Europe at a substantial £77 billion, MHFA England reported a 400% increase in take up of the courses nationally and this is impacting locally. MHFA is the mental health equivalent of physical First Aid and teaches participants how to spot the signs and symptoms of a range of mental health conditions and the correct course of action to assist someone who may be suffering. Evidence shows that early intervention strategies are effective in supporting a more positive recovery for the person who is experiencing a mental health problem, often resulting in a speedier return to work. Jane Cattermole, Service Manager of MYB, said, “MHFA is by far our most popular course. Despite the 2 day duration – a big ask for any business – more organisations are realising the return on their investment in terms of reduced absence and a healthier workforce.” MYB can deliver other MHFA (including MHFA for Schools and Colleges) and bespoke courses, depending on need. They also provide a specialist employment retention and stress audit service. For more information go to www.mindingyourbusiness.org.uk.

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Providing the best levels of care for your staff North Downs Hospital understands that sick days are expensive, whether you are the employee on sick leave or the employer losing valuable man hours, we can offer access to appointments with our Consultants and Private GP’s quickly, often on the same day for both privately insured and self-funded patients. The latest Friends and Family data published, for June 2014, shows that North Downs Hospital are currently rated as 9th in the country in terms of recommendation1 and our own internally run satisfaction survey shows that 96.3% of patients surveyed were satisfied with the service they received and 100% of them would recommend our services. Our Premium Care patients receive many benefits including choice of consultant providing care throughout their pathway, Private room with en-suite facilities, healthy a la carte food, priority referral for treatment and individual physiotherapy treatment (where required). The hospital is conveniently located, just five minutes from junction six of the M25, close to Caterham, with fifteen en-suite bedrooms, two theatres and a daycase suite we offer a high level of individual patient care.

The health and wellbeing of your workforce is arguably one of the most key aspects of business, without your employee’s the business fails so it’s exceptionally important they are looked after. We will work with you to provide the best levels of

care for your staff, ensuring a speedy and healthy return to work. For further details on how North Downs Hospital may be able to work collaboratively with your organisation or to arrange an informal meeting please contact Nicola Morgan, Sales and Marketing Manager on 01883 337449 or email nicola.morgan@ramsayhealth.co.uk.

1 Taken from all hospitals with a response rate of over 85% who have treated more than 25 patients.

Yo ou deserve the e best…

we’l ’ll treat yo ou u that wa ay. y. Leading g specialists, p , shortt waiting w g times,, free parking, p g, modern ern facilities and great meals North orth rth Downs Hospital is where you can get the quality

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For more inforrmation call:

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International Trade

Clarifying the misconceptions surrounding export By Sarah Butcher ProjectLead for ExportSurrey

Since the launch of ExportSurrey the team have been involved in a variety of events ranging from networking, pop up events, webinars and more recently the International Festival of Business (IFB) in Liverpool. What has been noticed in discussions with local businesses is that there continues to be a misinterpretation about what ‘export’ actually means and how export can improve the turnover and reputation of a business. ExportSurrey aims to demystify these misconceptions and get Surrey companies taking their business overseas. Exporting can be a profitable way of expanding your business, spreading your risks and reducing your dependence on the local market. On average, exporting companies are more profitable than their non-exporting counterparts.

Importantly, strength in the domestic market will also provide you with cash flow and the working capital you need to invest in developing your export markets.

Exporting exposes you to new ideas, management practices, marketing techniques, and ways of competing that you wouldn’t have experienced by staying at home. All this considerably improves your ability to compete in the domestic market as well.

Exporters find they need strong financial resources to expand overseas to cover the costs of product modifications, travel, people and international marketing.

By going overseas, you can become more efficient and increase your productivity. Exporting companies have better growth prospects, highly skilled, highly productive staff and tend to adapt technology and best practice techniques faster. What does it take to be ready for international business? To have a successful international business, you need a product or service which is in demand in overseas markets, as well as the necessary commitment, resources, skills and information to support sustained exporting activities over the longer term. The following are key signs your business is well on its way to being export ready: • Significant management time and strong management commitment

• The resources to succeed

• Business and export planning Many smaller companies don’t get around to formal business planning, but once you start exporting you are moving your business to a different level, so it is wise to consider putting these plans in place. • Export knowledge and skills To export successfully you will need to learn about a wide range of issues such as how foreign markets operate, export documentation and foreign currency management. For more information about the ExportSurrey service please contact the international trade team on 01483 735 548

Developing an international business is no different to starting and building your domestic business; in fact, you can expect it to consume more management time than developing business at home. • Strength in the domestic market In most cases, solid domestic sales form the basis of a good exporting business. A successful domestic business gives overseas buyers confidence in you as a supplier and will ensure that your business processes are in place and well tested.

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Looking for FREE training and investment to help you cut business costs? Travel SMART can help with: • Free eco-driver training for your staff • Free cycle parking for your workplace • Free match funding for cycle facilities like lockers and showers • Big savings on cycle training, bike hire and car club membership

Smarter travel choices make good business sense Visit travelsmartsurrey.info for more information Surrey County Council working in partnership with other local organisations. Travel SMART funding is provided by the Department for Transport.

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Cover Feature

Preparing our young people for the world of work? The University of Surrey is fortunate with its history and geography. The former means that there is a well established reputation as the ‘University for Jobs’. The majority of students take advantage of the Professional Training year – generally twelve months in the real workplace – which requires excellent and early preparation for employment and results in a CV that graduate employers fight over. If the track record were not persuasive enough, then a beautiful, accessible campus makes it very easy for employers to engage with individual departments, the central Careers and Employability Service and other support areas such as SPLASH, the library based source of advice on improving academic and learning skills. The university is very proud of its reach to international employers, but is very aware of the importance of local opportunities, particularly given the number of students who want to continue to live in the area after graduation. The Surrey Research Park community is increasingly involved in panel events promoting career opportunities and the advantages of operating in the SME space. The May Careers Fair had more than a dozen startup businesses among the 130 employers, rubbing shoulders with the likes of IBM, Unilever and PwC. I represent the university on the Surrey Employment and Skills Board which allows higher education input into the challenges facing the county and particularly the ambitious growth agenda. The importance of high quality and early careers information, advice and guidance is a key finding and is encouraging closer working relationships between complementary groups. The University of Surrey Careers Service Employability Pyramid is a simple translation of what it takes to succeed in recruitment processes and then into the job itself – academic staff, students (potential applicants and parents) and employers can all buy in to this pictorial summary of the range of skills needed.

The University of Surrey Careers Service has devised a number of employability initiatives to develop these skills and, perhaps more importantly, to make students aware that they are much harder to apply in the modern day workplace than they might first appear. Students have the opportunity to engage in simple sounding exercises where they work in newly formed teams, undertaking unfamiliar tasks, with a tight time deadline and some changing requirements. The importance of teamwork, clear communication, leadership, organisation, solving problems and dealing with adversity become very obvious. It allows

individuals to reflect on their areas of relative weakness and take conscious positive action in the safe university environment to make sure these are strengthened before being put before employers. The results speak for themselves with July 2014 data showing that 96.9% of Surrey graduates were in work or further study six months after leaving the university, and more than 80% in a graduate level role, as classified by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. John Watkins, Director of Careers Service, University of Surrey

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Cover Feature

Surrey businesses invited to take up The two Local Enterprise Partnerships covering Surrey – Coast to Capital and Enterprise M3 - are working with Surrey businesses to help develop and up-skill their workforces. The initiative is running through the Skills Support for the Workforce Programme, which is offering fully-funded training to firms with under 250 employees, including sole traders and self-employed workers. Skills Support for the Workforce is a programme, funded by the European Social Fund, that offers businesses fullyfunded training and qualifications to help lesser-skilled employees improve their career opportunities and their existing skills and knowledge through work-based learning.

Ron Crank, Chief Executive of Coast to Capital

In order to be eligible, businesses must employ less than 250 employees and be based within Surrey. Employees must be aged 19+ years or over, have no formal qualifications or who have achieved GSCEs at grades D-G and work an average of 8 hours or more per week.

Kathy Slack, Executive Director of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership

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Kathy Slack, Executive Director of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Skills Support for the Workforce is a funding stream available for businesses in the Enterprise M3 area. It will give businesses within the area an excellent opportunity to both develop the skills of their workforce and improve their bottom line. Ongoing skills development within the Enterprise M3 workforce is vital if we want our area to remain prosperous and competitive in this rapidly-changing economic market place.”

Ron Crank, Chief Executive of Coast to Capital, said: “Skills Support for the workforce programme can help hundreds of young people in the Coast to Capital region improve their employability and develop crucial workplace skills. We are thrilled to be able to offer this fully-funded programme to a number of small businesses who will benefit greatly. Skills development is a key factor for economic growth in the Coast to Capital region.” To find out more about the Skills Support for the Workforce programme and to check the eligibility of your employees, contact either Marian Sexton 01243 786321 (ext 2625) marian.sexton@chichester.ac.uk or Michael Gilchrist 01243 786321 (ext 2125) michael.gilchrist@chichester.ac.uk at Chichester College.

skills programme

Bespoke training and away days for Surrey companies Whether you want to improve your team’s Excel proficiency or you fancy preparing tasty dishes with your colleagues on one of our bespoke Sushi making courses, Surrey Adult Learning can design and deliver tailored training courses and team building sessions to meet the needs of your workforce. Away days are a very cost effective way of boosting motivation and strengthening team relationships as people work together and learn to value each other’s skills in a way that produces positive and practical outcomes to take back to the workplace. Surrey Adult Learning provides a number of team building sessions and away days for local businesses such as: • Pottery • Drawing and Painting • Cookery eg. Sushi, Chocolate or Bread making, or Wine Tasting • Dance lessons Another way to improve business performance, profit and staff morale is bespoke staff training. Surrey Adult Learning offers customised training courses such as: • IT – Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint • Social Media for Business • Web design, SEO, Adobe Photoshop • Food Hygiene Investing in development and training for employees with activities such as these improves confidence and productivity in the work environment, and shows your team that you are invested in their future. Surrey Adult Learning offers its facilities in 7 centres across North and South West Surrey. Most of the rooms have Wi-Fi internet access and interactive whiteboards. In addition to the courses on offer, SAL facilities are available for hire, including: IT suites, meeting rooms, cookery studios, art and crafts rooms, and dance studios. Interested? Please contact our Business Development Team for more details. Phone:

01932 794535

Email:

business.development@surreycc.gov.uk

Website:

www.surreycc.gov.uk/adultlearning

Locations:

Camberley, Esher, Farnham, Guildford, Molesey, Sunbury, Woking.

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Big Interview

Big decision that paid off The CEO and Co-Founder of SAS & Company has amassed more than 30 years of experience in the beauty industry, working for the likes of Clinique, Calvin Klein, Unilever Cosmetics and Selective Beauty in increasingly senior positions. However, the idea of running her own business was always present, leading eventually to the creation of Woking-based SAS & Company in late 2010. The move has paid off and the fragrance distribution company has grown rapidly since its formation just over three years ago to now employ 73 people. SAS & Company specialises in sustaining long-term development within the UK and Eire for international fragrance and beauty brands including La Perla, Ferrari, Kim Kardashian and I Coloniali as well as

Shelley Smyth CEO and Co-Founder of SAS & Company

For Shelley Smyth, the decision to start her own business grew gradually as she built a highly successful career working with some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best known and most glamorous brands. 28 theChamber

newest additions Atkinsons, One Direction, Rihanna, Carven, Dennis Basso and Valeur Absolue. SAS is also the UK distributor of Burberry Beauty and recently became the license holder for Cheryl (Cole) fragrances of which the debut fragrance launched in August 2014. The work of SAS & Company has received significant recognition in the form of awards, starting in 2012 with a FiFi Award for work on the Justin Bieber Someday fragrance launch and a Cosmopolitan Magazine award for Best Celebrity fragrance for the Kim Kardashian Signature fragrance. The following year, SAS were awarded the 2013 FiFi award for

“Celebrity is important to us and can drive exceptional growth. Celebrity sells and we deal with fragrances including those linked to the likes of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, One Direction and Jay Z.” Best Celebrity fragrance for the second year running for Kim Kardashian‘s True Reflection as well as an award for work on Carven Le Parfum. More recently in 2014, SAS received three Fifi awards including Best Celebrity Fragrance for Nude by Rihanna, Parfum Extrodinaire for Atkinsons 24 Old Bond Street and the coveted award for Ultimate Launch for Our Moment by One Direction.

it Via SAS licenses Limited along with Cheryl and her management company. This has been a really exciting project and product development adds a new dimension to our business.

Shelley said that the idea of going it alone was one that grew steadily during her years in the corporate world.

“However, we do not just handle brands linked with the younger market. Perfume appeals to women of all ages. One of our more recent brands is Atkinsons, which alongside La Perla, Ferrari, Carven, Dennis Basso and more recently Burberry all appeal to a broader consumer base.

She said: “Before starting my own business I had worked for some of the major names in the industry for many years but just before I set up the business I had taken some time out from my career. “I spent some time doing consultancy work but the idea of creating my own business had been growing over the years. A few people had said ‘why do not do something for yourself? “Eventually I obtained some investment and started the business. I have some terrific investors, which is important because you need a lot of investment to set up a business like this, and their support has helped us grow. “Also important is the quality of the people that we employ. I had worked with a lot of our major team members earlier in my career and a substantial proportion of the people we employ have come to us through word of mouth, which inspires trust and loyalty.

“Each celebrity extends the brand’s appeal to certain age groups. One Direction appeals to young people and Rihanna to the slightly older consumer for example.

“The key to our success has been the diversity of our portfolio, we offer something for everyone. “I think perfumes are something that appeal to all age groups - people want to smell nice and that has always been the case.” That desire to be well turned out is one that has proved itself remarkably resilient even through recessions. Shelley believes that is down to the way women view perfume. She said: “Perfume is seen as an affordable luxury by many women. Women like to get their hair done, put on some mascara, make sure their lipstick is right and have the right perfume that is something that is just as true in tough economic times as it is good times.”

“Women like to get their hair done, put on some mascara, make sure their lipstick is right and have the right perfume - that is something that is just as true in tough economic times as it is good times.”

“We are very much a family-orientated business in the way we do things and two of my three daughters work in the company, as well as people with whom I have been close to personally over the years. Our people have been pivotal to our success.” Also helping to drive the team’s success is the enduring power of the celebrity fragrance category. Shelley said: “Celebrity is important to us and can drive exceptional growth. Celebrity sells and we deal with fragrances including those linked to the likes of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, One Direction and Jay Z. “More recently Cheryl (Cole) has become part of our portfolio, we actually hold the licence for this brand and have developed

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Development

Minister signs first local growth fund deal The Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has announced that Greg Clark MP, Minister of State for Cabinet Office (Cities and Constitution) and newly-appointed Minister of State for Universities and Science, has signed its £118 million Growth Deal.

It was the first to be signed off in the UK, following announcements on local growth funding to be awarded to the 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships. The Enterprise M3 Growth Deal was signed at the Farnborough International Airshow by Greg Clark and Enterprise M3 Chair Geoff French in front of a small group of Enterprise M3 board members, strategic partners and key businesses in the area, including BP, IBM, Telefonica and Fujitsu. The Enterprise M3 Growth Deal will see significant investment in skills and technology centres, improvements to roads, sustainable transport measures and unlocking of housing developments to ensure the Enterprise M3 area remains at the forefront of technological development and innovation. The 21 projects that form the Growth Deal will help the area to retain its position as an economic powerhouse both nationally and internationally. The deal includes £35m of investment in 2015/16 that will support economic growth in the Enterprise M3 area, and see investment in key infrastructure projects, such as £5m to support the world – leading 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey with additional activity to support local businesses take advantage of these new technologies. Additionally an investment of £13m on skills centres in Andover, Brockenhurst, Brooklands, Ashford and Whitehill and Bordon majoring on STEM skills and construction will ensure we further capitalise on the skills and innovation in the Sci:Tech corridor.

Major road schemes to alleviate congestion and improve access in Basingstoke, Guildford, Woking, Whitehill & Bordon and Camberley are also part of the package plus a series of sustainable transport measures that will support public transport links by rail, bus and bicycle. Greg Clark said: “This deal marks the beginning of a new era of economic freedom and prosperity for Surrey and Hampshire, an era in which spending decisions are taken out of the hands of Westminster and Whitehall and placed directly in the hands of the councils and businesses who know the area best.” Geoff French, chair of Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The Growth Deal will not only build on Enterprise M3’s strengths in aerospace and defence but also support a new generation of UK technologies, notably £5 million of Growth Deal investment in 5G technologies.” Commenting for Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe, a founding member of the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey campus, executive vice president Dr Adel Rouz said: “Fujitsu is delighted to be part of this initiative, and congratulates Enterprise M3 on its Growth Deal success and commitment to drive economic development across Hampshire and Surrey – the heart of the UK’s Sci:Tech corridor.” Dr Mike Short, vice president of Telefonica Europe, one of the 5G Innovation Centre’s commercial partners who attended the signing of the Growth Deal, said: “I applaud Enterprise M3 for their imagination and successful bid.”

Avoiding death by Q & A As your company’s leader, do you relish opportunities to answer your staff ’s questions? Or do you look ahead with trepidation to that moment at the end of every company meeting when, with heavy heart, you ask the question everybody has been dreading…“Does anybody have any questions?” I often hear CEOs bemoan the fact that their staff never seem to want to ask questions or, more deluded still, convince themselves that their staff aren’t interested in quizzing their boss. There’s a simple solution: • Use a facilitator to coordinate the process. Somebody external might be useful for the first time or, if you have a very formal meeting, but try to find a trusted internal colleague (not too senior) to take the role • Don’t cram Q & A into a five minute slot at the end – give it 45 minutes at least to demonstrate how important you regard it • Divide your audience into groups of 4-6 people • Groups have 15 minutes to come up with a minimum of three questions they want answered TODAY • Each group nominates one elected spokesman to read out their questions • Facilitator writes them on a flip chart, clarifying any vagueness – this allows time for the CEO to think about the questions • Facilitator repeats the questions to the CEO who must answer on the spot. Answers are written on the flip chart • The Q & A is typed up afterwards and distributed to all staff, whether present at the meeting or not The learning is always the same:• It energises the group and is well received. • People have fun • People quickly relax and the process of having an elected spokesman read out each group’s questions provides sufficient anonymity for even the most sceptical colleague. • Your credibility as a boss is raised enormously and the questions are never as scary as you expected Gordon Bromley

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Education

Independent schools at the forefront of the education revolution Education is undergoing a dramatic revolution with more and more academies being established to ensure that schools meet the increasingly exacting standards being set by the Government and Ofsted.

Welcoming boys from September 2014 That sense of going it alone is nothing new, though, because it has long characterised the approach taken by the independent schools sector, of which Surrey has some excellent examples. Independent schools are nonprofit private schools and, although they serve many different types of students and provide a wide range of educational options, they all share a commitment to

providing educational excellence in safe, supportive environments. They all have high academic expectations for every student, regardless of ability, which fits perfectly with the national expectation that all young people can achieve and that schools must provide the very best opportunities to make that possible. Independent schools instinctively believe that and

Proud Heritage, Secure Future, Excellent Education and now part of United Learning To find out how exciting life at Dunottar will be for your child, please visit one of our regular open days throughout the year. For further details, or to register your interest, call us or visit our website. Next open day: Thursday 18th September 2014, with an introduction from our new Headteacher Rowena Cole, and tours of the school.

www.dunottarschool.com 01737 761945 High Trees Road, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 7EL

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13:32

Education There are plenty of reasons to choose an independent school. They include: • an approach that constantly seeks academic excellence through innovative teaching with teachers encouraged to explore different ways of delivering their classes • a combination of specialised teachers and lower studentteacher ratios that guarantee a highly personalised approach to the needs of each student can point to consistently good exam results as evidence to show that their approach works. However, alongside their high academic expectations, they also seek to meet each student’s social, and emotional needs. That emphasis on the wider person means that the students who emerge from independent schools are generally well-rounded people,

Take the call for stronger support of science in schools as an example. Much of the emphasis in recent national educational policy has been on reading, writing and arithmetic but there has also been a growing call for the improved teaching of science.

full of confidence and well prepared to take the world on . Schools achieve this through encouraging young people to take part in sports, arts, community service and other extracurricular programmes, creating a wealth of experience which will stand them in good stead when they move onto further education and eventually into the world of work.

• a choice from a wide variety of subject options

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independent schools are constantly trying out new things in the pursuit of academic excellence and supporting some of the big changes taking place in the classroom.

• strong support from parents who are welcomed into the school and encouraged to play a full role in supporting their child.

The call has been driven by the need to support industry‘s requirement for young people who are able to initiate the type of groundbreaking research which will ensure that the UK remains a world leader.

That mix of strong characteristics means that

Independent schools have been at the forefront of

meeting that challenge, finding new and exiting ways for teachers to communicate often-complicated ideas to young people studying the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The same is true of technology, which presents students with opportunities that many of their

parents never had when they were children. With schools equipped with Web access and whiteboards, a world of learning is available at the click of a button and schools are advancing the subjects at an astonishing rate. Indeed, information technology is now widely regarded as a

key element in the education of pupils and young people. Within the National Curriculum, all pupils are now required to become familiar with a range of technological applications and develop skills which they can take into their working lives. Independent schools have played a big part in the revolution by providing

students with the range of equipment that is crucial in giving them a solid grounding in the technologies that they will need in the workplace. Everywhere you look, independent schools are rising to the challenges presented by the demands of an everchanging educational landscape.

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Education

A historic celebration

2014 sees best ever top A-level grades St George’s College, Weybridge

On 11 September 1863, Queen Victoria signed the Royal Charter of Incorporation granting Reigate and Redhill municipal borough status.

In summer 2014, students at St George’s College, Weybridge received the best ever top A-level results at the School: 60% of the grades were A* - A, an increase of 11% on last year, whilst 85% of the grades achieved overall were A* - B, reflecting the College’s encouragement of every individual to fulfil his or her own personal potential.

150 years on, in celebration of this auspicious event, the current Mayor of Reigate and Banstead, Mayor Councillor Dr Lynne Hack, had a celebratory coin designed. Shortly after her term of office began, the Mayor was kind enough to accept an invitation as a guest of honour at Greenacre School for Girls Junior Prize Giving where she spoke to the girls about her work and presented the awards and prizes. On the 12 June, her last day as Mayor she returned to Greenacre to present a celebratory coin to all of the girls in the junior department. The girls were thrilled to have a visit from Madam Mayor again and for her to visit us on the

day that her term of being Mayor comes to a close. Dr Hack said “The aim is to share the coins with people who have assisted with a local event, or with people I have met at the Town Hall”. The Greenacre girls always proudly represent Banstead in the ‘Banstead May Fayre Parade’ and the coins will be a lovely reminder, and will hopefully encourage an interest in the history of the borough and in civic matters. Mrs Redding, Headmistress said that it was an honour for the school to have such a special visit on the last day of Dr Hack’s term as Mayor. It was a beautiful end to a very fulfilling year in office.

Almost all of the Upper Sixth students achieved their first choice university place amongst prestigious Russell Group universities, whilst seven students gained places at Oxford and two at Cambridge. For more information please visit www.stgeorgesweybridge.com

United learning This term heralds a fresh approach at Dunottar School as they welcome boys into the classroom for the first time since World War II.

Happy children learn The Hawthorns is a thriving co-educational school for children aged 2 to 13 years who are nurtured under the motto “Love God, love thy neighbour”. In the friendly family ethos the children develop a sense of purpose, a love for learning and a care for others. Set in 35 acres with modern and historic facilities there are many extracurricular opportunities, such

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as sporting fixtures, concerts, residential trips. Inspired staff enable children to reach their full academic potential. Telephone Admissions on 01883 743048 for more details or visit www.hawthorns.com.

Mrs Rowena Cole, who took over as Headteacher at the beginning of this academic year, said “I feel privileged to be taking on the Headship of Dunottar School, and excited about leading the school in its next chapter as a coeducational school and as part of United Learning”. Dunottar School already has excellent facilities, ranging

from an impressive learning environment to a huge sports hall and swimming pool. United Learning have committed to developing the range of sporting facilities including a multi-use games area (subject to planning permission), and the introduction of mobile information technology throughout the school. To find out more about the open events throughout the year, please call Sue Edwards on 01737 761945 or visit www.dunottarschool.com.

Finance

Mentor - to be or not to be? A mentor is someone who has the experience to support and encourage others to develop their skills, improve their performance and achieve their goals. 5)Self-insight - enables the mentee to understand their own drives, ambitions, fears and thinking patterns. 6)Behavioural change - allows the mentee to meld insight, strategy and tactics into a coherent programme or personal adaptation. 7)Integrative - helps the mentee develop a clearer sense of who they are, what they contribute, how they fit in and to resolve inner conflict. Mentoring relationships are most successful when there is trust, focus, empathy and empowerment. It can be a rewarding process for both the mentor and mentee in that it helps both parties to grow, develop skills and achieve goals.

Mentoring is not just telling someone what to do when they come to you seeking guidance.

For further information on mentoring, please contact Ed Hussey, HR Services Director at Menzies Chartered Accountants on 01784 497100 or email HRConsulting@menzies.co.uk.

It is a value-adding process based around a clear goal the mentee wants to achieve and you as the mentor are supporting them by helping them to investigate all possibilities and routes to achieving that goal. A mentor is someone who is interested in: • Helping others to learn and grow and find their own directions • Giving back to their business/industry • Nurturing talent and retaining quality people in the business • The personal satisfaction of seeing another succeed. Ideally they should be someone that has ‘been there and done it’ so that they can share their experience and knowledge. The mentor needs to pay attention to the needs of the mentee and offer the appropriate ‘function’. In their book “Techniques for Coaching and Mentoring” Megginson and Clutterbuck identify seven layers of dialogue: 1)Social - developing friendship and providing support/encouragement by demonstrating an interest in the mentee and actively seeking common interests. 2)Technical - meets the mentees needs for learning about work processes, politics and systems. 3)Tactical - helps the mentee to work out practical ways of dealing with issues in their work or personal life. For example, managing time or dealing with difficult situations. 4)Strategic - takes the broader perspective by helping the mentee to put problems, opportunities and ambitions into context and to envision what they want to achieve through their relationship and through their own endeavours.

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Legal

Challenges face the charity sector Catherine Beringer, charity lawyer, has recently joined Charles Russell’s Guildford team. Here she gives her view on some of the challenges facing the south east charity sector It would be a mistake to let the common perception of the Home Counties as a particularly affluent region mask the reality for charities and not for profit organisations, which battle the same challenges as elsewhere in the country. Many charities are operating on a shoestring and even those with more sophisticated set ups are facing constant challenges about ongoing funding and must make bold choices in order to secure their future. Meanwhile it is clear that the two main political parties,

through the Big Society and One Nation concepts, still share a view that greater localisation of services and greater provision of public services will be required to be delivered by the voluntary sector. Matthew Smerdon, CEO of The Legal Education Foundation based in Guildford, understands the challenges presented by a huge change in environment in the voluntary sector. He said: “We know that in times of austerity, public sector funding comes under intense pressure. This time of austerity

also coincides with a rapid rise in the demand for services provided by charities. Whilst charities are well placed to respond to this challenge, those that relied on public funding will need to find new ways of working, new sources of income and smarter ways of delivering services.” Increasingly we find that charities are considering various forms of collaboration or mergers to maximise funding opportunities but these are not without challenges such as integration of staff, values, governance issues, assets and ambitions whilst sustaining income. Keeping up to date in terms of knowledge and understanding of their obligations under charity law is essential these days as so much more is expected of trustees in terms of exercising

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their responsibilities and complying with regulations than was the case in the past. Many of the lawyers at Charles Russell also serve as charitable trustees, myself included, giving us valuable insight into the needs of our charity clients. We know that trustees are mindful about incurring costs, such as professional fees, but often pursuing this approach until there are very limited options left can be far more costly. Adopting a ‘one step sooner’ mentality is an essential challenge for all those involved in trying to meet needs - identifying challenges, planning ahead and seeking professional support early on can make a big difference. www.charlesrussell.co.uk

Leisure

A future of opportunities for Foxhills Foxhills invests £1.2m into the resort, plays host to The European Tour, The PGA, International Ladies Tennis and commits to a further £25 million investment in The Collection over the next 10 years.

Design

Designing our way out of a crisis The UK could have a serious crisis on its hands. But perhaps design can help. Three-quarters of British businesses believe a significant skills crisis will hit the UK within the next three years, according to a new report by the Prince’s Trust and HSBC. More than 40% said they were already experiencing skills gaps within their firms, while more than half are facing difficulties filling vacancies. It’s one heck of a challenge, but if we take a step back and consider this issue using design thinking, then maybe it can help prevent a crisis.

Last year Foxhills welcomed Jason Adams to the helm as general manager. Jason joined The Collection from the Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon after having started his career with Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saison. From 4 Red Stars to Condé Nast nominations; Michelin Stars to Time Travel Magazine awards, Jason is not shy to a wealth of awards and accolades and strives for more in the future of Foxhills. With Jason at the helm, 2014 kick started with a fabulous investment strategy. In just 3 months, the club finished their £1.2 million resort investment, welcoming 20 new look poolside bedrooms, a dazzling cocktail and lounge bar, state-of-the-art manor kitchen, new look Nineteen restaurant and a refurbished youth club reception area. Foxhills also welcomed the 7th annual International Ladies Tennis Tournament, bringing world class tennis action to Surrey. Previous stars include GB Laura Robson & Tara Moore. With great investment comes fabulous opportunity; 2015 will see Foxhills become the host venue for the qualifying tournament of the Senior Open Championships presented by Rolex. Not only have they played host to The PGA and welcomed the return of the only Seve Ballesteros Foundation Pro-Am in the world, next year The European Tour have chosen the club too. This means members and guests will be able to watch world class golf next year, whilst seeing the capital investment for golf being guided by the experts; The PGA and The European Tour. It is an extraordinary year for Foxhills and they don’t intend to rest on their laurels, with further investment already in the pipeline for the next 10 years across The Foxhills Collection.

By taking lessons from the way designers learn to understand the needs of their clients, maybe we can change the way businesses understand and interact with potential employees. After all, the best designers aren’t necessarily the most creative ones, but the ones who can translate their ideas into the priorities of their clients. As design consultants, we understand that each client is different; their needs, their audience, their budget. It’s important to empathise with them and produce a solution that considers all of those elements as well as our own thinking, because otherwise it just won’t connect with its intended audience and is doomed to fail. So why not apply this human-centred design thinking to help prevent the skills crisis? You can design the perfect education or employment system on paper, but if employers and educators don’t learn to understand their prospective employees and design a system that, right at its core, takes into account what those employees want and what they need, then it won’t work and employers will fail to attract candidates with the skills they need. To use our very favourite quote, ‘good design is good business’. So let’s make sure that UK business continues to thrive by designing our way out of the crisis. Ollie de Kretser PR & Online Communications Manager Foster de Kretser Design Consultants ollie@fdk.co.uk 01483 243565

Join us for our Membership Open Day on Saturday 13th September. Foxhills, Stonehill Road, Ottershaw, Surrey, KT16 0EL t: 01932 872050 e: hello@foxhills.co.uk w: foxhills.co.uk

For your FREE copy of our e-book “Good Design is Good Business”, visit http://www.fdk.co.uk/blog-posts/gooddesign-is-good-business//

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Technology Showcase

Space: upstream, downstream and on our doorstep The idea of commercial spaceflight or ‘space tourism’ is rapidly moving from the realms of science fiction into science fact.

The spaceplanes necessary for space flight are currently being developed and many operators, like Bristol Spaceplanes and Reaction Engines in Oxford, are affirming that they will be ready for operation within five to ten years. The UK government has its eyes on space, too. The announcement at this year’s Farnborough Air Show confirmed that there is an ambition for Britain to open its first spaceport in 2018. Launching commercial spaceflights is likely to have positive impact across many areas of UK technology. The associated manufacturing and service industries which form part of the extended supply chain will undoubtedly benefit. As will UK science and innovation. Did you know, because I certainly didn’t, that the UK space industry is divided into upstream and downstream sectors? Upstream refers to the providers of the technology, for example, space component suppliers. Downstream refers to the users of the technology, for example, satellite broadcast services. According to the ‘Space Innovation and Growth (IGS) Strategy 2014 to 2030’, downstream revenues are in the region of £8billion and upstream revenues in the region of £1billion. Growth plans are ambitious and have been set at £40billion by 2030 with projections for downstream revenues of £37billion and upstream of £3billion. The IGS Strategy puts forward five top

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level recommendations designed to help turn plans into reality. These include: ...making the UK the best place to grow existing and new space businesses and attract inward investment by providing a regulatory environment that promotes enterprise and investment, and ...stimulating a vibrant regional space SME sector by improving the supply of finance, business support, information, skills and industry support. In Surrey, we have to look no further than Guildford and Surrey Space Incubator to see this type of investment in action and delivering results.

With growing companies and highly respected scientific satellite research on the doorstep, Surrey was, and still is, home to many space success stories. Take Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL). Originally a spin-out from the university, it continues to be a world-leader in small satellites. This pedigree combined with the university’s reputation within the space industry meant it made sense to support space-related businesses. In 2011, the Space Incubator was launched, alongside the already successful Tech Incubator. Over the following years the team at SSI has supported 25 space companies; two upstream businesses working on items that go on satellites before they are put into space and 23 downstream businesses, working with GPS or GNSS. Sarah says: “We have many achievements to shout about. Two of our start-ups, iGeolise Ltd and ManagePlaces Ltd, won the UK leg of the European Satellite Navigation Competition in 2012 and 2013 respectively. iGeolise has developed a travel time platform that locates, ranks and sorts content using travel time not distance. “ManagePlaces has created software to enable the effective management of the workflow of mobile teams. We have also assisted our space businesses in raising over £14 million in grants and equity investment and helped create and safeguard 150+ jobs. I think the team at Surrey Incubation, who manage the Space Incubator, should be very proud.”

Surrey Space Incubator: Space Champions According to Sarah De Lacy, head of incubation at the University of Surrey, there are two general questions that need to be addressed when talking about Surrey Space Incubator (SSI). Why incubation and why specifically space? Answering the incubation question first, the University of Surrey has a successful track record of incubating businesses. Since 2002 it has been helping start-up companies to grow and has incubated 160 technology businesses, including many that are space-related, with greater than 80% survivability rates. But why space start-ups? In 2010 the UK space industry was concentrated in the south east of England. Approximately 75% of the UK annual space-related turnover was being generated in the region.

Dr Elaine Hickmott is creator of The Diamond Effect and Technology ambassador for Surrey Chambers of Commerce. www.eh-enterprises.com

Social Media

Enjoy interactive Electronic Art at The Lightbox The Lightbox gallery and museum’s current exhibition, on show until 2 November, is a modern take on the Victorian fairground. Featuring the work of seven multimedia artists, the pieces in the exhibition range from the low-tech to the hightech, with one common goal not usually associated with art exhibitions – that visitors do touch the exhibits.

Noisy Table © Will Nash

Do you know who owns your online content? Most of what you post online as a small business you lose control of and, in some instances, images or videos on Facebook, for example – you are actually handing over copyright. Did you know that?!

Visitors to the exhibition can enjoy a game of ping pong on Will Nash’s ‘Noisy Table’ which is designed to immerse the player in an intense futuristic journey, using electronic sound to influence the game’s tempo and sequence. As players compete,

Well if you didn’t, here’s a quick guide to online content ownership: Blogging

get competitive with a foam mallet on

If you use a third party platform such as Wordpress.com, Blogger or Typepad to host your blog, be careful - in the event of the site closing or if sold you will lose your content. It’s much better to self host using Wordpress.org. You get all the great SEO benefits on your domain too!

Jason Hotchkiss’ ‘Hammer Pong’, a

Social Media

piece that has been specially created

You may own the content you’ve created, but by agreeing to the terms of a social media site you may be unwittingly granting that site a licence to use your material however it likes! This is most notably true in Facebook’s case - you still own your content, but you cannot control where or how it might be used by them. It is, after all, a free service (for now anyway), so the deal is you have access to a huge social network and a powerful online marketing tool that costs nothing, but your images or videos may be used for other purposes if the content takes their fancy! This is a biggie you need to be aware of.

the vibrations created when the ball hits the table are transformed into electronic, arcade sounds which are broadcast live back into the game. Or,

for this exhibition. ‘Hammer Pong’ is a five metre high, wall-mounted interactive that will evoke memories of the early fairground. ‘The Giant Electronic Art Show’ will be on show at The Lightbox gallery and museum, Woking, Surrey, until 2 November 2014, entrance is free of charge.

So how do you deal with this? At the end of the day, you don’t own the platform on which you’re posting so this highlights the risks of building your business on sites other than your own website. Imagine building up a huge following on your Facebook business page, and then overnight the platform is removed or becomes too expensive for you to use. Unless your followers have given you their email addresses you’ve just lost a large chunk of your customer base, and all your hard work will have come to nothing. So don’t rely on a single platform on which to attract customers, spreading the risk across different platforms is by far the safest approach and make sure you convert them into your own email database. Sarah Orchard director, Orchard Marketing Associates vice chair, Chartered Institute of Marketing Surrey Branch Follow us on Twitter: @cim_se Join our LinkedIn group: CIM Surrey LinkedIn Group

theChamber 41

New Members

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies: 2Be2Serve Vanessa Halliwell 01483 387279 www.2Be2serve.com

Flavour Tastings & Events Louisa Mason 07785 790213 www.flavourtastings.co.uk

Business Consultants

Cheese tasting events

365 Print Solutions Mitchell Dodds 02033 848623

Frere Lyddon Associates Ltd Tony Lyddon 01483 481122

Business Consultants

Recruitment & HR

a4e Ltd Alex Reid 01483 302045 www.mya4e.com

Friday & Co Georgina Friday

Recruitment & HR Alliance Boots Billie O’Connor 07880 780310 www.allianceboots.com

Retail/wholesale Andrew McWhirter Associates Andrew McWhirter 01252 821994

Construction & Property Arthur J Gallagher Kevin O’Neill www.ajg.com

01483 358315

Health & Social Work

Marketing & PR iAutoUK Greg Hannah 01483 779950 www.iautouk.com/guildford Jackson-Scott Associates Ltd Sue Towner 02087 867907 www.jackson-scott.co.uk Kalex International Ltd Jill Poke 02089 419933 www.kalexinternational.com

Office/shipping supplies

02392 221444

Construction & Property Britten’s Restaurant Daniel Britten 07710 741616

Hotels/restaurants Carrington Crisp Ltd Andrew Crisp 02072 297373 www.carringtoncrisp.com/ Chris Barlow Business Coach Chris Barlow 07802 690400

Business Consultants Crellins Carter Michelle Fitzpatrick 01932 833917

Legal David Spouncer David Spouncer

Handle Your Own PR Bernie Muir 01372 747565 www.handleyourownpr.co.uk

Accounting

Bookham Counselling & Wellbeing Jennifer Hegarty 07803 258356 Bouygues UK Mike Kimmer

07774 006503

Recruitment & HR

Keep Thinking Big Tony Lynch 07747 481142 www.keepthinkingbig.com

Business Consultants Lilipad Rukshana Horwood 07801 015497 MobileB2BPartners Mark Pollak 01372 844491 www.repairmobilephones.co.uk

Marketing & PR NatWest - Commercial Banking Paul McConalogue 07766 442213

Banks NFU Mutual Charlotte Williams 01883 714444 www.nfumutual.co.uk

Financial services Optichrome Vivien Nuttall

Marketing & PR Page & Page Stephen Page 02082 551480 www.pagepluspage.com

Marketing & PR Parc Ferme Surveyors Ben Woodcock 01276 488059

Construction & Property Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Georgi Robinson-Welch

01252 729420

My Networking Presentation Ges Ray 07941 083722

Retail/wholesale

Training & Education

Step by Step Partnership Ltd Sandy Fitzgerald 01252 346112 Surrey Business School Abi Bradbeer 01483 688621

Training & Education Target In 1 Natasha Money 01293 773021 www.targetin1.co.uk

Marketing & PR The Digital Work Hub Alec Grant 01932 881282 www.thedigitalworkhub.co.uk

IT and communications

Business support

International trade Radisson Blu Edwardian Guildford Hotel Amanda Goddard 01483 792300

Hotels/restaurants

01737 668080

Reigate Manor Hotel Giles Thomas 01737 240125 www.reigatemanor.co.uk

Elitepoint Ltd Jocelyne Delatorre 07917 746223

Legal

PR Plastics Ltd Raj Mistry 02082 240653 www.prplastic.co.uk

My Networking Presentation Louise Camby 07889 304460

Health & Social Work

Springhouse Solicitors Ltd Ben Power 01483 698989 www.springhouselaw.com

The Farnham Hub Emma Selby

Redstone FM Des Shepherd www.redstone.fm

02033 840498

Transport & Storage

Charity

Radio station

Presentation skills

Shippo Ltd Chris Veale www.shippo.co.uk

Charity

01483 740290

Mobile phone repairs

My Networking Presentation Keith Davies-Evans 01483 870125

01483 762517

Mzuri Design Anne-Marie Alonso 01428 722990

Hotels/restaurants Retrotouch Tom Lay 01293 279426

Manufacturing RHS Wisley Chrissie Milton 01483 212349 www.wisleyvenuehire.co.uk

Venue & tourist attraction

07967 631170

The Internet Business Mentor David North 07831 607189 www.internetmentor.co.uk

IT and communications The Whiteley Clinic Mark Whiteley 01483 477180 www.thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk

Health & Social Work Thrive Studios Limited Lisa Clunie 01252 819354 www.thrivestudios.co.uk

Marketing & PR Unities Jon Holt 07969 567344 www.unities.co.uk

Business support University of Chichester Paul Dallibar 01243 793528 www.chi.ac.uk

Training & Education

Flagship Events Ltd Matthew Smith 07557 199516 www.flagshipevents.co.uk

Myers Catering & Consultancy Sarah Sims 01784 730340 www.myerscateringandconsultancy.co.uk

Sandler Training Jeff Smith 07834 789198

Venncomm Ltd Philip Wride 02071 930124 www.venncomm.com

Marketing & PR

Catering

Training & Education

IT and communications

42 theChamber

24 Hours with

Busy time as restaurant tastes success Chef Daniel Britten’s working day begins early and finishes when the last customer leaves the restaurant. The day begins at 8am for the Head Chef of Britten’s Restaurant when he immediately begins prepping for that day’s meals.

in to work. By 9.30, Restaurant Manager Sylvia Machen arrives, and she and her team are starting their preparations for the day ahead”.

The restaurant, which is on Sydenham Road in the heart of Guildford, represents a dream come true for Daniel.

She said: “Most days are busy and there is a lot to do before we open for lunches at noon. We use the couple of hours before opening to make sure that everything is ready for the customers, including making any changes to the seasonal menu from Dan.

Having appeared in BBC Master Chef in 2008 and worked his way up through the ranks under the tutelage of some of the best head chefs in the business, the business opened in November 2013. It’s a demanding job. Daniel said; “When I arrive at work, there is plenty to do. The building is empty at 8am, which allows me to get on with prepping, maybe doing some research online, checking what is in season, placing some orders, perhaps preparing some new recipes ready for people to try when they come

“I like there to be something different on the menu on a regular basis so we will regularly try out new dishes. “I also try to make sure that our deliveries come early in the day and as they come in at the back door, I tend to deal with them. “We open for lunches at noon then we close at 2.30pm when I try to get home for an hour before returning to start preparing for the evening.

“We have a team meeting, go through what is on the menu, then we re-open at six. The kitchen closes at 9.30 but the restaurant will not close until the last customer has gone, which can be midnight. “I do like to get out in the restaurant and talk to our customers along with listening to any feedback they may have.” A family man, with one child and another on the way, Daniel also tries to take time away

from his demanding all-hours job, although he and his team found it difficult in the early months of the business. The restaurant closes on Sundays and Mondays and Daniel said: “Sunday is my family day, people can’t disturb me then, but I am a bit guilty because I sometimes spend some time devising new recipes. On Monday I catch up on paperwork.“

theChamber 43

Christmas Venue

Getting ready for the season of goodwill

Waverley Abbey House

It’s that time of year when the nights are drawing in and people are thinking about booking that all-important Christmas Party. A good Christmas party can do wonders for staff morale and in Surrey the chance of finding the best venue for your needs is very high indeed, whether it be in a town or a more rural location. The area is blessed with excellent restaurants, hotels and other venues that can stage the best parties possible, taxi companies that can get you home or hotels and guest houses should you decide to spend the night. When organising company Christmas parties, there are a few things to bear in mind. Just as people remember a great party, they also remember a bad one. So how do you know how to select the best venue? Well, it’s all down to first impressions - do you like the setting and the décor, does it look like it can generate a good atmosphere, are the staff friendly? In short, is it the right place for you and your friends and colleagues? When planning Christmas events, themed parties can work really well so consider what will generate the most goodwill and what kind of event will

appeal to most people. It is crucial to continue that mindset when selecting venues that make everyone feel welcome. Older staff members might not appreciate a busy pub, younger ones might not want a restaurant whose clientele are normally on the older side. It’s worth putting a bit of thought into making a choice that strikes the right balance. Choosing the right menu is important as well. People like choice so even though most guests will go for the traditional Christmas meal, it’s a good idea to make sure there is an alternative - and definitely a vegetarian option. Also, people like to be appreciated. Maybe your staff and suppliers have gone over and beyond what was expected of them to help the business emerge from the recent economic tough times in good shape? A good boss knows to acknowledge that at the Christmas party. Maybe a tribute in a short speech or a thank you note on place settings would be a good idea. And, yes times, have been tough, yes, budgets have been tight, but a cheap party looks cheap so if you are a boss who is determined to hold one, loosen the purse-strings a little - err on the side of generous and your staff will appreciate the gesture. Next year will bring its own challenges and a little bit of goodwill will repay itself many times over.

Waverley Abbey House, near Farnham, is a stunning Georgian mansion set in the tranquil scenery of south west Surrey. With its peaceful surroundings and excellent facilities, Waverley is the perfect choice for corporate meetings, conferencing and bespoke events at affordable rates. With capacity for up to 100 delegates, Waverley has 7 character meeting rooms with beautiful views. Each room offers a flexible layout to suit your requirements, be it for meetings or dining/banquets. Our spacious dining room accommodates 100 seated guests with food being prepared in-house by our experienced chefs using the freshest ingredients available. Our extensive lakeside grounds with views across the water meadows of the River Wey, towards the ruins of the ancient Waverley Abbey, are ideal for marquee events, private or corporate hire. Jackie Girling, Manager of Waverley Abbey House, says: “For those who have yet to discover this hidden gem in the heart of the Surrey countryside, they will be surprised at how much we have to offer”.

44 theChamber

Celebrate Christmas in the stunning Surrey countryside at our beautiful Georgian house. Bring your team to Waverley and enjoy a delightful Christmas menu in our dining room or in one of our elegant private rooms. CHRIS TMA S DINNERS

•

P R I VAT E H I R E

•

BESPOKE EVENTS

r in k F R E E d a l. iv r r on a o m o n ly P r ic e s fr 0 p p . £ 18 .5

fo r n ta ct u s P le as e co d et ai ls . m o re

Christmas at WAV E R L E Y A B B E Y H O U S E Waverley Abbey House, Waverley Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8EP • 01252 784733 • waverley@cwr.org.uk www.waverleyabbeyhouse.org.uk

Chamber Events The Most Effective Marketing Mix

Key events coming up in Surrey Chambers’ calendar Business Women in Surrey at Pennyhill Park

Chamber Connections Betchworth Breakfast

Date: Location:

Date:

24 September 2014

Location:

Hartsfield Manor, Betchworth

Price:

Members £10 Non Members £20

Time:

08.00 – 09.30hrs

17th September 2014 Pennyhill Park Hotel and Spa, Bagshot Price: Members £22 Non Members £44 Time: 15.30 – 17.30hrs Join us for a delicious cream tea and indulge yourself in the totally relaxed, yet lively atmosphere of the Pennyhill Park Spa’s Themis restaurant. These networking ladies afternoon teas are designed to give you an opportunity to meet with like minded people, entertain your clients, share issues and widen your own network of customers, suppliers, neighbours and competitors

ExportSurrey Surgery Date: Location:

18 September 2014 The Digital Work Hub, Walton-On-Thames Price: FREE Time: 11.00 – 13.00hrs Whether you are new to trading internationally or an experienced exporter looking to expand into new overseas markets, Sarah Butcher, project lead for ExportSurrey at the Surrey Chambers of Commerce and Teri Carnegie, UK Trade and Investment International Trade adviser would be delighted to chat to you about your export experiences and questions over coffee on Thursday 18th September.

46 theChamber

Come and join us at this informal networking breakfast being held at Hartsfiled Manor, midway between Dorking and Reigate. Designed to give you the opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

The Alternative Board Meeting Date:

24 September 2014

Location:

Kingston Smith, Redhill

Price:

FREE taster session

Time:

08.00 – 09.30hrs

Sponsored by: Kingston Smith This free “Taster Board Meeting”, will enable you to truly experience how The Alternative Board Meetings work. You will have the opportunity to share insights and thoughts, learn about ideas for success from people who understand the unique perspective of a business owner - because they are business owners. It is a sample two hour session where you can discuss issues important to you and your business. You will share an issue and by asking questions and sharing real world advice we will take away.

Date:

25 September 2014

Location:

Export House, Woking

Price:

Members £20 Non Members £35

Time: 07.30 – 10.00hrs What impact does your marketing activity have on sales and exposure? Are your strategies working or not? What is marketing? These questions and many more will be examined and discussed in this upcoming event, where experts in Marketing and PR explore the most effective marketing mix with Surrey businesses. A lot of hard work needs to go into finding out what customers want, and identifying where they do their shopping. Then you need to figure out how to produce the item at a price that represents value to them, and get it all to come together at the critical time. But if you get just one element wrong, it can spell disaster. Each element of the marketing mix (product, price, place, promotion) needs to work in tandem to overall be suitable for the target audience. The marketing mix is a good place to start when you are thinking through your plans for a product or service, and it helps you avoid these kinds of mistakes.

Business Networking at Foxhills BBQ & Golf

Kempton Park – Jockey Club Host Evening Date: Location:

25 September 2014 Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-On-Thames Price: Members £50 Non Members £65 Time: 16.30 – 21.00hrs Join us for an evening of Twilight Flat Races at Kempton Park and impress your clients with an evening of hospitality. Our Jockey host, Adele Mulrennan will guide you through the evening with information, hints and tips. Enjoy a delicious hot and cold buffet dinner at our Pimms reception whilst enjoying an evening of races in an exclusive box. About our host Adele Mulrennan. In her racing career she had 259 rides and 12 winners. She was apprenticed to Mick Easterby and David Nicholls whom which David provided her majority of winners and her biggest win which was the Scottish Sprint Cup on board MastaPlasta. Adele has competed in some of the big races up and down the country including Glorious Goodwood, Epsom Derby, Ayr Gold Cup. Adele is married to Paul Mulrennan and they are the only married couple to finish 1st and 2nd in a race, Paul beating her by a short head!

Date:

30 September 2014

Location:

Foxhills Resort & Spa, Ottershaw

Price:

FREE

Time:

17.30 – 20.00hrs

Join us at Foxhills Resort and Spa for Golf, BBQ and networking! Everybody is welcome to come along and try out the driving range, or even have a go on the Manor Par 3 course. This will be followed by a delicious BBQ and the opportunity to continue meeting of business people and making new contacts while enjoying the last of this seasons evenings.

Using Letters of Credit, Drafts and Bills Date: Location: Price: Time:

06 October 2014 Woking Member £225 Non Members £350 09.30 – 16.00hrs

Chamber Connections Guildford Breakfast Date: Location: Price:

07 October 2014 The Mandolay Hotel, Guildford Members £10 Non Members £20 Time: 08.00 – 09.30hrs Sponsored by: Bessler Hendrie Come and join us at one of our most popular networking breakfast. Designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet likeminded business people - It’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

All prices are exclusive of VAT. To book please visit the Surrey Chambers website www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

theChamber 47

Business News

Arm yourself with the right information to negotiate better business insurance Every year, business owners are speaking to brokers with a similar shopping list:-

Below is some ammunition to help you secure the best deal

• Most competitive premium

Myth number one; “more brokers, more quotes, more competition, equates to cheaper premiums”. In our experience this actually has a negative outcome on achieving best terms from insurers. Often, if insurers receive differing information from competing brokers, they put forward a no quote. With available insurers relatively limited it is more important to select the right competing broker capable of putting your existing broker to the test.

• High standards of policy cover • Proven claims handling track record • Proven service standards • Value added services such as risk management advice

Myth number two; “not providing brokers with a target premium means you will get best terms first time”. No doubt you set goals and targets within your own business and share them where possible with your management or employees. The same advantages apply to insurance premiums. The first thing this will achieve is a more efficient process with brokers able to eliminate the uncompetitive insurers quickly. Myth number three; “review your insurance provider every year”. The downside to this strategy is that insurers really want long term clients. Often the administration costs

for insurers are high in the first year so changing insurers’ year on year can be more costly than reviewing every 2-3 years. Myth number four; “not engaging with the competing broker will provide a satisfactory outcome”. This is rarely the case. A competing broker is going to represent your firm with insurers. If they are going to do this effectively then they should be asking questions around your current arrangements, previous claims, risk management procedures and so on.

A couple of tips Set a clear timeline. If you want everything completed by a specific date, ensure the competing brokers are aware of the deadline. Everyone will tell you that they have spectacular service but not everyone shares your definition. They should provide a customer service charter outlining what service they do in return for the negotiated fee or commission, or you could request testimonials from existing clients. Tristan Webb, Managing Director, Aspire Insurance Services Limited www.aspireinsure.co.uk.

King Edward’s School Witley celebrates outstanding results Pupils at King Edward’s School Witley are celebrating achieving an outstanding 100% pass rate in their International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma exams published in July. An impressive 75% of grades in the exam considered to be the global “gold standard” for school leavers - were at the equivalent to A-level A*-B grades. The average score was 33.4 points, well above the national average and the best result for King Edward’s since 2009. Denys Natykan and Anton Sharapov both scored 42 points (out of 45) – the average score for IB students is 30 points out of 45. Denys will be taking up a place at Cambridge to read Computer Science, while Anton can now look forward to studying Aerospace Engineering at Imperial College, London.

48 theChamber

River Clarke achieved 41 points, which provides her passport to study History at Bristol University. Charlie Beckwith from Chiddingfold secured his place at Edinburgh University with a score of 38. Charlie will be reading History and Politics in 2015, following an action packed gap year. Morgan Johnson (who gained 35 points) has won a highly coveted place on the prestigious KPMG Channel Islands MyCareer Training Programme, which integrates professional studies with technical training to help launch a career in accountancy.

River said:“it is good to challenge yourself, if you don’t it is not worthwhile and the IB was the biggest challenge of my life so far. When I opened the results I was just so happy, I burst into tears.” Headmaster John Attwater said, “I am absolutely delighted for this year’s leavers: they have worked extremely hard and thoroughly deserve their success. The IB has shown once again that it rewards hard work, organisation and independent thinking, and allows students to demonstrate the skills that universities and employers across the world are looking for.”

Business News

Haines Watts wins Accountancy Excellence Award for third year Accountancy firm Haines Watts, which has several offices in Surrey, won the title ‘Accountancy Firm of the Year – SMEs’, at the annual FDs’ Excellence Awards. The award comes after the firm won ‘Auditor of the Year’ for the past two years. The awards recognise the service providers that support Britain’s finance community and are based on the results of an annual survey in which financial directors and financial decision-makers recorded their opinion.

Barry Potter, partner at Haines Watts in Godalming, said: “It’s great to see Haines Watts win such a prestigious award. This type of award really matters to us because it’s voted for by business people and not by an academic panel of experts.

The ceremony was held in Grosvenor Square, London and was hosted by Real Business in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), supported by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

“It’s fantastic that we are the first firm ever to have won an award in three consecutive years. We are proud of all of our staff, who do an outstanding job for our clients day to day and who have contributed towards us winning this award.”

Representatives from Haines Watts collect their ‘Accountancy Firm of the Year – SMEs award.

Start up tips For support and advice on starting a business please contact: Erin.Walls@wardwilliams.co.uk.

Why does your business need a bookkeeper? Many business owners believe they save money by doing their own bookkeeping. Sadly, for most this is a false or even risky belief. Consider this:-

1 Check your business idea for sustainability. You may be great at what you do, or have a product that delivers excellent benefits, but if it’s not significantly different or cheaper than what is already out there, it will be hard to sustain a business. 2 Before you get stuck into the practicalities of trading think about the business structure and get some tax advice. There is a lot of free advice and guidance available so make sure you use it. ICAEW BAS, www.GOV.com, grants export, start up loans, mentoring/ coaching. 3 Network. Its not a natural thing for many of us but it is the best way to obtain both assistance and custom in the long term, make time and keep the connections live, attend events, exchange business cards. 4 Get organised from the start. Keep a log of income and expenses as you go through the year. Don’t leave it until the end of the year to sit down with a box of papers.

5 Get everything in writing; funding, shareholders agreements, employee contracts, supplier agreements, everything!

1 Are you losing out on new projects because you are spending time on accounts instead of researching new ideas?

6 Know the market and your position within it. Many entrepreneurs are so busy doing what they do, that they don’t look at figures, research or market findings which can help make vital decisions like when would be a good time to launch a new product.

2 HMRC rules are continually being reviewed. Do you have time to find out? If not you could be risking fines or penalties for not presenting correct information at the correct time. 3 Is your information safely backed up regularly? You could face fines if your data is corrupted or lost.

7 Identify the skills your business requires. Work out which ones you don’t have and go and get them. It’s vital that you build a team covering all basic business skill sets.

4 When your books and records are sent to your accountant at year end, are items missing or not filed?

8 Don’t expect your business to take off over night. Some very fortunate people have this experience, but most work at it for years before they gain success.

5 Do you know accurately what your profit and loss is on a regular basis or only when the accountants prepare the financial accounts?

9 Don’t be afraid to fail. It happens, you can come back from it and if you don’t try you will never succeed. Many very successful entrepreneurs have failure in their past. If it happens to you, learn from it and move on.

So could you be costing your business by not employing a qualified ICB bookkeeper? Contact GDC Bookkeeping today gillian@gdcbookkeeping.co.uk.

theChamber 49

Chamber Chat

Member Benefits

5 minutes with... Ken Nathan Sales & marketing director

How would you like to receive up to £2.50 cash-back for every day you travel to work by… Bus? Train? Cycle? Walk?

Forfront

If you answered YES, find out about Eco Rewards for Green Transport Choices at www.ecorewards.org.uk/surrey-landing.

Explain Forfront to someone unfamiliar with the business: At Forfront we make it simple for businesses to expand and grow. Our repertoire covers software development, state-of-the-art mobile apps, a suite of customisable digital marketing services, website creation, bespoke corporate branding designs, the leading email marketing product eshot™ and more. Whether you need one, some or every element of our portfolio, we will create and deliver a personalised programme tailored to suit your requirements, so you can easily surpass your business objectives.

What 3 words would you use to explain your company? Fun, innovative, reliable

What differentiates your organisation from others? The key differentiator is the way in which we engage with our customers. Forfront’s philosophy is to create business partnerships rather than just acquire customers. We work to tailor our design, development, technical and management capabilities to meet their evolving needs. Our success is underpinned by our company stability, the quality and expertise of our staff, our collaborative approach to business and our skill at providing cost-effective solutions to software development challenges.

What is your vision for the future of the business? The vision for the business is to continue to provide an excellent environment to enable our staff to flourish. Well trained, well-motivated and free to express themselves, the team at Forfront will continue to deliver far in excess of the objectives set by the business.

50 theChamber

Discounted Services for Members of Surrey Chambers of Commerce

What advice would you give to a company considering setting up in Surrey? Don’t hold back on marketing. Attracting customers will be one of the biggest challenges that you will face as a business which is why you need to have an effective marketing plan, an efficient method of implementation and strong analysis. This is something that a lot of companies really underestimate the importance of. I would also place emphasis on the use of technology for the sake of the business, not for the sake of technology. I see too many organisations over investing in systems which are either never used, or only partial functionality is deployed. Ensure you specify what you actually need and drive to achieve ROI as quickly as possible.

Surrey Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with Smartran Ltd, is delighted to offer its members the opportunity to join a new scheme designed to reward green travel choices by employees of Surrey’s businesses. Whilst regular and continual choices will obviously benefit the most, the scheme is also designed to encourage those that can only infrequently travel sustainably. Leave the car at home one day a week, a fortnight, a month - and you still benefit. Eco Rewards, worth up to £2.50 per day, can be exchanged for free offers, discounted products and cash-back financial rewards from 1000’s of online retailers. The scheme works by the participant completing a weekly online survey, receiving points that then allow them to gain cash back at 1000’s of online retailers including Argos, Expedia, Next amongst others. Great benefits of the scheme are:

If you were telling another business person about the chamber what would you say? It’s an excellent resource which Forfront highly recommends to get involved in to make yourself known. It’s a great place to network, build valuable relationships and keep informed with Surrey business.

And finally, as a Surrey business, what do you see as the local key factors for success/growth over the next 12 months? Becoming well known and respected locally is key for any business. I believe that there are many opportunities for local companies to work with each other, share resources and experiences, become trading partners and deliver mutual benefits. Tapping in to this market will undoubtedly drive growth for all concerned of the coming twelve months and beyond.

• Financial Incentives for your employee, • Health Benefits for your employees, especially if they are cycling or walking to work, therefore improving staff efficiency and lowering absenteeism. • Reduction in traffic at peak times, reducing pollution and congestion in the area, • Reduction in traffic will also mean better public transport journey times, as well as reducting travel times for your business needs/deliveries. The scheme is easy to use and is open to any business and we would welcome any business interested in joining to contact the Surrey Chambers team at 01483 735540 scan the QR code below!

Fr rafts to Ballroom Cookin ng to Compu uting, Languages to Phottography As well as ou ur c rey A offe ers: • room hire es* • team building • bespoke staff training * r

business.development@su urreycc.gov.uk

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