Surrey Chamber Magazine - January/Feb 2016

theChamber Voice&VisionofSurreyBusiness|January - February 2016 www.surrey-chambers.co.uk | ÂŁ3.95 (where sold)

Helping young people onto the career ladder Page 24 Big Interview pg 14

Ask the Expert pg 17

Crowdfunding makes its mark in the business world

How the accountancy recruitment market has changed

Sector Focus - Health & Wellbeing pg 29 Positive Health & Wellbeing in the work place

Technology Showcase pg 40 Working at the centre of the space technology sector

Contents

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Welcome to theChamber 40 from our Chief Executive Louise Punter

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

January - February 2016

At the start of a new calendar year, the Chambers of Commerce are calling on ministers to make 2016 a year of action, with the ultimate aim of putting the UK economy on a strong and more sustainable footing.

A great start would be to end the prevarication that affected key business priorities during 2015, including a clear decision on airport expansion, real reform of business rates, delays to key infrastructure upgrades, and lack of progress in simplifying business tax.

2016 needs to be different, and it cannot be just about Europe.

In or out, Britain's fortunes will depend on UK government policy coupled with the efforts of the business community. There’s so much that needs to be done, from infrastructure and tax to skills and export support. 2016 must be a year of action, focused on preparing the British economy for the future. Building a true partnership between government and business, like so many other successful economies around the world, is absolutely essential.

The first quarter of 2016 will see us organising an exciting series of careers fairs throughout Surrey, designed to inspire, enthuse and motivate young people to think about their prospective careers, the employment options available to them and to make the most of their remaining time in education.

The Your Future Careers Fairs are part of a national project, backed

by the government, which will deliver 250 events through the Chambers of Commerce network across the UK attracting a total of over 70,000 young people.

The Surrey element of this project will comprise seven stand alone events across the county offering businesses and organisations the opportunity to engage with, and inspire, young people about their companies and the industries that they work in. With the help of our local businesses we believe we have the recipe to successfully prepare our future workforce.

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Introduction Chamber News Members News Members News Big Interview Members News Ask the Expert Members News 24 Hours With Development Cover Feature

Editorial and General Enquiries 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

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Sector Focus on Health & Wellbeing International Trade Legal Members News Design Technology Showcase New Members Member News Chamber Events Business News Chamber Chat

Production Manager Mark Etherington Email: mark@benhampublishing.com

Media No.

Chief Executive: Louise Punter Finance: Caroline Cherryman

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Editor

Disclaimer

Aisha Bennett Tel: 01483 735545 Email: Aisha.Bennett@surrey-chambers.co.uk

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. © 2016.

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

_________________________________________________

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 January 2016 © Benham Publishing

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Introduction

A word from our President Welcome from Frankie Tierney

Nurturing our talent The lynchpin for all business success lies within their people.

Great products, services and ideas come from skilled enthusiastic individuals with a passion for excellence.

The difficult task for business owners and leaders is finding and nurturing those who can grow into those roles. All people regardless of age have the potential to become those essential team members but one area that businesses should not forget is our young people.

technology and social media and providing a platform for training and harnessing that by adding industry specific skills, commercial ”savvy” and a real understanding about business team work.

Youngsters given the opportunity to get into work and seize those opportunities will often be extremely loyal and, if “grown” well, can be your senior people of the future.

With university places becoming more and more expensive and young people looking at other ways of launching their working careers; business leaders need to look at catching the interest of good youngsters early. Training “on the job” and a culture of encouraging a developing career can be hugely beneficial for both sides of the equation.

Surrey Chambers recognises the need for businesses to embrace the concept of bringing in and training young people and the fact that often there is not a great deal of opportunity for real interaction with business despite the best efforts of schools and colleges. The Chambers is therefore running a series of Careers Fairs in January - March 2016 further details of which are on page 46.

The business benefits from taking that raw enthusiasm allied with up to date ideas and understanding about

Why not use them as an opportunity to showcase your business and see what sort of young talent is out there.

“Youngsters given the opportunity to get into work and seize those opportunities will often be extremely loyal and if “grown” well can be your senior people of the future.”

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Kevin Hurley Police Commissioner

Keeping our young people safe online For many of us, the internet has become a key part of how we run our businesses.

foul to cybercrime compared to other age groups.

However, for young people, the internet is all manner of things - a learning tool, a shopping centre, and the place where they do much of their socialising. In the past, we told our children to come home before it got dark, and to avoid speaking to strangers in the street.

This is no longer enough.

Whilst this is the most techsavvy generation, it is vital that we teach our young people how to use the internet safely and what to avoid. Since 2013/14, we’ve been working with Eagle Radio, who we’ve commissioned to go into schools across Surrey, to educate young people about the dangers that they face online and how to avoid them.

Preliminary findings from our South East Cybercrime Survey (available here: www.surrey-pcc.gov.uk/survey) have told us that young people in the South East of England are significantly more concerned about harassment and cyber bullying than any other age group. They use the internet differently - accessing it using a smartphone rather than a computer or tablet.

They are also significantly more likely to say that they ‘do not feel at risk’ of falling

The assemblies, delivered by a cybercrime and social media specialist, seek to challenge any misconceptions that young people have, and to gather information about the online experiences of under18s. Assemblies are also delivered to teachers, parents and school governors, to ensure that all those around our young people have the right information and can provide advice to help keep our young people safe online.

“The assemblies, delivered by a cybercrime and social media specialist, seek to challenge any misconceptions that young people have, and to gather information about the online experiences of under-18s”

Chamber News

Chambers welcomes a new member to its team The Surrey Chambers of Commerce team are thrilled to introduce their new Events Manager Kimberley Quester.

Kimberley has recently joined the team after five years in the events and marketing industry.

Beginning her career as an exhibitions assistant whilst studying for an events management degree, Kimberley has developed a variety of skills across events and marketing from a number of different sectors.

Kimberley says: “I am delighted to be joining such a friendly team and I am excited to build an engaging events programme for all of our members.” Kimberley is

especially passionate about women in business and technology and hopes to make these integral aspects of the events calendar. When Kimberley is not working she likes to spend time at anti gravity yoga classes or on social media.

Kimberley comments: “It has been fantastic meeting so many members over the last few weeks and I look forward to meeting many more!”

Please feel free to give Kimberley a call and introduce yourself to her in her new role.

“I am delighted to be joining such a friendly team and I am excited to build an engaging events programme for all of our members”

Surrey Chambers seeks ‘Rising Stars’ for top businesswomen list Surrey Chambers Business Women in Surrey (BWiS) is calling for nominations for its 2016 Business Women in Surrey list.

Following the huge success of the inaugural 2015 Business Women in Surrey Top 50 list, BWiS has launched its 2016 campaign with the focus this year on the county’s younger (aged under 30) businesswomen.

The ‘Rising Stars’ Young Business Women in Surrey 2016 list will highlight the impressive and varied talent prevalent in young businesswomen across the county, with all those on the list nominated and voted for by friends, family and colleagues.

Nominations are now open and Surrey business people

are invited to publicly thank and promote the younger women they feel have made a significant and worthwhile contribution to their local business community.

Louise Punter, chief executive, Surrey Chambers of Commerce, says:“We want to celebrate everything good that is happening across the Surrey business world, thanks to the younger businesswomen of today, so we’re reaching out to you to nominate those you believe deserve recognition for all that they do.”

Success can be defined in a multitude of ways, so nominations from all

walks of life are welcome.

From young entrepreneurs, mentors, business owners, innovative and forwardthinking staff, and those who relentlessly give back to the community.

Nominations must be submitted by 29 January 2016 via the BWiS website.

Voting will then open on 1 February to create the final Young Business Women in Surrey 2016 list.

The winners will be announced on 8 March 2016 at the annual BWiS flagship event in celebration of International Women’s Day. So don’t delay - nominate today!

Women on boards: could do better Back in 2011, former trade minister Lord Davies issued a report recommending that UK listed companies in the FTSE 100 should be aiming for a minimum of 25% female board member representation by the end of 2015.

At the time the figure stood at 12.5%.

And in October 2015, he announced this voluntary target had been met and exceeded (26%) with the added bonus of no all-male FTSE 100 boards.

Good news. Better still, he also moved the posts and set a new goal: 33% of women board members at FTSE 350 firms by 2020.

His latest report states that while UK top companies have reached a major milestone in increasing the number of women in their boardrooms, more needs to be done. Agreed.

And while I’m all for promotion based on ability and merit (a no-brainer), I’m also keen on progress. If it takes positive discrimination to aid both these processes then so be it. A balance can, and should, be found. But there’s a catch.

While this increase is to be applauded, the actual figures are a little more skewed, as many of these women in board roles are non-executive rather than executive, and in some cases the same women sitting around several different board tables.

According to BoardWatch, at the time of writing in November 2015, the FTSE 100 statistic is made up of 31.4% non-executive directors compared to 9.6% executive directors.

For example, there are only five female FTSE 100 chief executives: easyJet’s Carolyn McCall, Imperial Tobacco’s Alison Cooper, Kingfisher’s Veronique Laury, Royal Mail’s Moya Greene, and Severn Trent’s Liv Garfield. And co-founder of LastMinute.com Martha Lane Fox, was at one point a board member of three such companies Channel 4, Marks and Spencer, and Mydeco - all at the same time.

Lord Davies’ proposals are spot on and making a difference, but this mustn’t turn into a token gesture. If 2020 is to herald the advent of a third (or more) women in the boardrooms of the UK’s leading companies let’s make sure it includes senior levels and several different ladies. Only then will this exercise have achieved its real objective.

Claire Dee is Business Women in Surrey co-chair, a member of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce board, and director of Claire Dee Communications

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The Productivity Gap? Is the productivity gap due to people or process?

The government has talked a lot about improving the productivity gap of UK business and their rhetoric seems to focus on staff and individuals not working hard enough.

However, in our experience people come to work to do their best and it is the systems and processes that hamper their ability to get more done in the time available, thus limiting their productivity.

ChangeWise has developed an operational assessment approach that quickly identifies the key factors that enable an efficient and effective operation.

Whether they are admin support teams, shared service centres, back office operations, customer contact centres or manufacturing plants they all have similarities that enable success.

For instance, they all have: • direct or indirect interaction with customers • customer demands and capacity constraints • processes and procedure to follow, • supporting roles or a dependence on others • skills, capability and training needs

• communication and measurement challenges • quality, controls and risks associated with their work • management goals and performance targets • workplaces organised to deliver a product or service Understanding the enablers that make an operation effective, and thus productive, is key to identifying where improvements can be made to liberate staff from the shackles of poor systems and processes.

ChangeWise can provide insights and opportunities for improving your business through a short site visit where we walk the process, interview the managers, Team Leaders and support staff then observe the processes in operation or listen to customer calls. From this we can give you feedback to show where your business sits compared to bestin-class operations that have been using Lean, Operational Excellence and Customer Service Excellence methodologies to continuously improve their businesses over many years.

“I have just completed an operational review of a contact centre for a bank in Ireland. The insights have helped them identify significant opportunities to improve their internal performance and the performance of the rest of the bank. By working with us to focus on key areas like reducing avoidable demand, improving first point resolution and using techniques to fix the root cause of errors and customer complaints they can become better at problem solving and start the journey to continuous improvement.”

Mike Williams This Quarter we are offering five free operational reviews on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you are interested, please call Mike Williams on 02380 464 153 or 07866 537 580 or visit our website. www.changewise.co.uk

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Member News

The Winter’s Tale launches 10th Anniversary Year 8-27 February 2016: The award-winning Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) begin their 10th anniversary year with Shakespeare’s great late play, The Winter’s Tale, in the newly restored Holy Trinity Church.

The Winter’s Tale is a play of contrasts: winter and summer; old and young; fantasy and reality.

The play covers 16 years and takes the audience from dark tragedy to new hope. A beautiful and captivating fable, The Winter’s Tale features one of the most truly magical moments in theatre, and possibly the most famous of stage directions: “Exit pursued by a bear”. When Leontes, King of Sicilia, accuses

his wife of being unfaithful with his childhood friend, the King of Bohemia, he sets in motion a chain of terrible events that destroys everything he holds dear. It is only the tender actions of an old man, and the redemptive power of time, which affords any hope that all may not be completely lost.

GSC’s The Winter’s Tale will take audiences from the power and majesty of Victorian England to the vibrancy and colour of India, on an enchanting journey of rediscovery and redemption.

Staged in the newly restored Holy Trinity Church on Guildford High Street.

This production will be brought to life by the same director / designer team behind GSC’s recent hits King Lear and Othello, Caroline Devlin and Neil Irish.

Taking inspiration from The Winter’s Tale, and the ambitions

for the theatre company’s future, GSC’s 10th Anniversary programme has been given the theme of ‘New Beginnings’, and will include The Comedy of Errors and Much Ado About Nothing, which will be staged later in the year. 2016 follows the company’s most successful year to date with over 15,000 audience members and 78% of 140 performances selling out.

More details about the production and the rest of GSC’s 2016 10th anniversary programme are on the website. The Winter’s Tale runs for three weeks and has twenty three performances, staged in Holy Trinity Church on Guildford High Street.

Tickets start from £18 and are available online or by calling the Box Office on 01483 304384. www.guildfordshakespeare-company.co.uk

Grow your business dramatically Looking to place your company centre stage?

Corporate sponsorship is not all handing over giant cheques or donating kit; it can be jolly good fun! Registered charity and thriving regional theatre The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, in Guildford gives its corporate partners a wide range of dramatic opportunities to enhance their local profile whilst supporting the community.

For Richard Stovold of Seymours Estate Agents, supporting the Theatre is a natural link with his customers. “It’s really brilliant for our local area to have an independent theatre which stages so many productions without the necessity of travelling to London, so when new families move into the area, we introduce them to the theatre and hope they will continue to visit.”

Sponsorship can increase the value of your marketing budget many times over, according to The Marketing Donut website. Whilst a corporate partnership might cost £1,000 for a whole year, one single direct-marketing campaign reaching the same audience would cost closer to £3,000. The Yvonne Arnaud literally has a captive audience, and of just the demographic sought by many local businesses: professional services, family products, luxury goods, etc.

“The nature of our work means we can offer our corporate partners a range of unique benefits, depending on their business needs,” says Madeleine Coleman, funding executive at the Yvonne Arnaud.

“These include memorable client entertainment in our private hospitality rooms, advertising promotions, displays and highprofile show sponsorships, and rewarding staff with show tickets.

Few clients will forget meeting a West End star at a ‘business meeting.’”

Arts sponsorship also offers multiple ways to showcase your investment.

You’re supporting the community, arts and culture, as well as young people (through the Youth Theatre) and those who are disadvantaged, as many theatres run outreach programmes. There is something for everyone. Which role will you play?

For further information, contact Madeleine Coleman, funding executive, mcoleman@yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

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Member News

New building, new future for hospices Woking & Sam Beare Hospices are launching a public appeal to raise funds for its new future for hospice care in the heart of Surrey.

The private phase of the Capital Appeal to fund the project was launched to trusts and foundations in 2015 and there were positive responses; including a £30,000 donation from Surrey County Council towards the community café area at the hospice and a 6 figure donation from a trust.

Friendly Storage at the Pod With half of The Storage Pod’s available space being let by businesses, they were keen to find out how and why their customers chose them and continue to use them to run their businesses out of their Brooklands, Weybridge facility.

Lionel Smith of The Storage Pod says, 'In our busy schedules, it is easy to only focus on price but there are many things that we do to create a 'value add' for your business clients. Here is a piece from one of our startup companies and how they have used us.'

Cotton and Olive, a client of The Storage Pod in Weybridge, are using their space to store a stock of linen and soaps that they import from Turkey prior to shipping them to UK consumers and wholesalers across Europe. Their business has steadily grown during their time with us and they have used our flexibility to flex their stock to meet their growing customer demand. When they need it and with almost immediate effect, they increase their space and decrease it again when the stock becomes manageable in the original unit.

Ilgen Paydas, Cotton and Olive's managing director, told us that they chose us over larger brands because we were local, more flexible and friendly people. She specially singled out Toni, our famous smiling Italian!

If you are planning a start-up or for any general storage needs then we'd love to hear from you.

You can call Lionel on 01932 353700 or email info@thestoragepod.com

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Construction is under way at the charity’s new building in Goldsworth Park, where a former office block will be transformed into a 20-bed Hospice and Wellbeing Centre, set to open in 2017 for the provision of in-patient care, a wide range of therapies, treatments, counselling and day care activities.

With more than 70% of the care offered being provided in patients’ own homes, the hospice will also be a base for a growing community nursing team.

Once completed, the existing premises at Sam Beare Hospice in Weybridge will be reconfigured to house a larger day care unit

and facilities for the therapies team and community nurses.

Mayor of Woking, councillor Derek McCrum, and councillor John Kingsbury, leader of Woking Borough Council, paid a visit to the site to officially mark the commencement of the building work. They were joined by hospices’ chief executive, Nigel Harding and ward councillors.

For the past 20 years Woking & Sam Beare Hospices have been providing care and support at one of the most important times in the life of its patients and their families and now a new future is being built for more residents of Surrey and the surrounding areas.

Donations from people who live in the area are a vital source of income for the hospices and during the public appeal, which is being launched in February, the community will be able to learn more about Woking & Sam Beare Hospices’ vision for developing hospice care throughout Surrey and have plenty of chances to pledge some money to help reach financial targets.

It’s hoped the campaign will help raise the £3.4million needed to build the new hospice and reconfigure the layout at Sam Beare hospice, and that the people of Surrey will support the new future appeal and help make the vision a reality.

You can find out about ways to get involved with the appeal by going online to www.wsbhospices.co.uk/ newfuture or call 01483 881750 and ask for the communications department.

Staines is the Startup Business Capital of the UK in ranking of business growth Want to find Britain’s most entrepreneurial bunch?

Head to Staines for highest startup business growth.

Perhaps otherwise best known as Ali G’s birthplace, Staines now has another claim to fame: the commuter belt town in Surrey has had the biggest jump in new businesses created per capita last year.

Some 43 more new businesses were created per 10,000 population compared to the year before, according to a study from

accountancy group UHY Hacker Young. This is over three times higher than the UK average of 14.

Staines, which officially changed its name to Staines-upon-Thames three years ago to shake off the connection to Ali G, is benefiting from its proximity to the prospering “Silicon Corridor”. This tech hub along the M4 is boosting the town’s business growth, attracting plenty

of tech talent, according to UHY Hacker Young partner Colin Jones: Staines offers the perfect mix of proximity to London, low rents and a fast-growing community of start-ups.

The home counties dominate when it comes to business growth, with other top performers including Slough in Berkshire.

Member News

Chance to find out more

We are delighted to introduce our Local Business Development Managers who are on hand to support and supply the Audi brand to the business sector of Surrey.

Dean Kellaway and Dan Suddaby have a background in customer service and relationship building, with the strength of the Audi Brand, which creates a confident and professional journey in financing, supplying and delivering the Audi product.

With our New A4 being launched in the UK, Dean and Dan would very much welcome supporting your business in offering to visit with the New A4,

enabling them to introduce your drivers to the new dynamics, Virtual Cockpit and the fantastic new technology.

If this would be an opportunity for your business to view the New A4, please contact Dan on dan.suddaby@lookers.co.uk, mobile 07815 620227 or Dean Kellaway on deankellaway@lookers.co.uk mobile 07814765399

Invite Tenders for your next Company Cars?

An effective tender process is vital to ensure you get the most cost-effective supply solution from a supplier.

Putting your requirements out to tender will help you ascertain which suppliers offer the best solution, and will often help you identify alternative ways of solving a problem.

A tender is also guaranteed to help you cut your costs as suppliers will know and understand they are in competition with others to win your contract. And don’t be surprised if tenders come in at widely varying rates: the best solution may not necessarily be the cheapest, but such tenders can often work out as the more cost-effective choice in the longer term.

Achieving the most from a tender:

• Take your time: Be realistic about the time it will take to review fleet requirements, draw up the tender document, select candidates, evaluate responses and make a selection.

• Consult widely: Ensure all stakeholder departments in your company are involved and are given the opportunity to have their say on requirements.

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• Talk to other fleets: Lessons learned from other fleets during tenders are invaluable in putting your own together. Try to find out what has and hasn’t worked for others.

• Clarity is key:

• Add value rather than cut the price: The lowest price need not always offer the best value. What other services are available from the tenderers and what can they offer?

Obtaining the answers you need requires clear, unambiguous questions. And don’t let suppliers confuse you with jargon.

• Visit tenderers:

• Start wide and narrow down:

• Present and appoint:

Issue a Request for Information (RFI) questionnaire to potential suppliers and narrow your selection down from that.

• Meet with your shortlisted suppliers: You will have to work with your chosen supplier, and they have to comply with your company culture, so make sure you meet them face-to-face.

• Offer a level playing field: Give all suppliers an even chance. If one supplier asks for additional information, ensure the other suppliers receive it too.

Ensure you visit tenderers and see their operation. They should be forthcoming with references so check they fit with your outlook.

You may need to ask for final presentations to make a final choice between favourites before appointing.

Historically, fleets have opted to lease vehicles for three years because in years four and five the costs of maintenance start to increase due to mileage and age.

David Lacy is the group fleet manager at Lookers Audi and his Surrey based team offer free, no obligation company car advice to small, medium and large organisations in the South of England. www.lookers.co.uk/audi/fleet Tel: 0844 800 9343 email: davidlacy@lookers.co.uk

“Don’t be surprised if tenders come in at widely varying rates: the best solution may not necessarily be the cheapest,but such tenders can often work out as the more cost-effective choice in the longer term.”

Focus on Finance

How you can help ease the problems caused by mental ill-health Have you ever struggled to help someone, perhaps a colleague or friend, who was suffering from anxiety or depression and wished your knowledge of mental health was better?

Perhaps there is someone in your family who has a learning disability or is suffering from dementia and you think more could be done to help them?

Alternatively, you may be simply be interested in taking an active role in helping to improve mental health, drug and alcohol and learning disability services in Surrey.

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, you may wish to consider becoming a member of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

Surrey and Borders is a leading provider of mental health, drug and alcohol and learning disability services for people of all ages and it is keen to recruit new members to help strengthen and develop the crucial work it does.

Mental health problems can affect anyone at any time.

It is estimated that one in four people will suffer from mental ill health at some point in their lives. The annual cost to employers of people taking time off work due to mental illness is a massive £30 billion. In addition, nearly 200,000 adults seek treatment from drug and alcohol problems each year while 2.5 per cent of the population has a learning disability.

Membership of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is free and anyone over the age of 14 can join. Members automatically receive the quarterly newsletter that keeps them up to date with news about services, events and developments within Surrey and Borders. They can attend any of the informative member events for free which cover a range of issues, including ‘living with mental ill-health’, ‘Understanding drug and alcohol services’ and ‘Understanding mental health issues for young people.’

The next events are; ‘Carer’s Matter’ which is being held on 28 January 2016 and ‘General wellbeing for people with a learning disability’ on 8 March 2016.

Members who wish take a more active role in the work of Surrey and Borders can help to influence the way services are communicated and delivered.

They can also stand for election as a Trust Governor. Members are also eligible for discounts and offers from high street retailers.

For more information, please contact the membership team on: 01372 216158 or email them at: engage@sabp.nhs.uk

Planning your exit strategy - why business owners need to think ahead For a business at any stage of growth, planning an exit strategy is vital even if you think it will be some time away.

Chris Cairns, partner at Alliotts Accountants based in Surrey and London specialises in providing strategic financial advice to SMEs. Here he looks at some of the common exit options.

“From the time you start your business, you need to have an end goal in mind. This means thinking about your exit plan and ensuring that your structure, investment strategy and product, match that plan. I meet so many business owners who have never really thought about the exit strategy for their business and certainly not planned for one.

However, if you want maximum return for all your hard work, you must plan accordingly. Also, if you have investors in your company, they will often have invested on the assumption that your business will eventually be acquired by another business and their investment realised so if you are thinking of selling, it is vital to make sure your business is structured to make it an attractive prospect for a potential buyer.”

Here are the some of the key avenues for exit that businesses typically use.

Selling to someone known to you: this is a straightforward and effective exit strategy for businesses and allows you to make good on your initial investment and sell to someone that you know and that shares your vision.

It may be that someone who shares your passion and already works within the business will want to buy from you. Often in this kind of sale, the seller finances the sale and lets the buyer pay it off over time. If your business is family run, you may pass it onto another member of the family.

Both are good options because your buyer is already known to you and understands your business well already.

Acquisition and merger: An alternative option is to sell to an outside bidder. This can take some time as due diligence will be need to be much stricter and there will be more legal issues to be ironed out.

The main benefit of acquisition is that you can sell the business at market value and that can often make you a

tidy profit. If more than one business is interested in buying you, then your potential asking price can sky rocket.

Before you accept an offer, make sure that your potential buyer is a good fit with your company otherwise you may find that your business will not survive under new ownership.

If you’re looking to exit entirely, then it will be important that the merger partner can cover your skill set.

However, if you want to keep some involvement in the business, a merger can be a good way of increasing the overall value of the part of the merged business that you bring to it.

Think about what your business is worth, not just on its own but as part of a merged business and make sure that you do not under value what you have.

Stock market flotation: this is potentially a very lucrative exit route and can make you a lot of money.

Shares are issued which are tradeable on the stock market and if the float is successful, the business owner can stand to gain a small fortune.

However, if you are planning a stock market flotation, there are strict regulations that you must follow and also significant costs involved in this type of exit strategy.

As well as that, success is by no means assured. You must make sure that you have advisors who can give you both the technical advice, which is a pre requisite, plus also plenty of strategic advice.

Shutting up shop: some business owners decide to just “shut up shop”.

There is no obligation to hand the business on or sell it on. In this scenario, your assets will need to be disposed of, creditors paid and any remaining funds split between shareholders.

Whatever option you choose, make sure you have good advice from a financial expert who will help you.

Chris Cairns is a Partner at Alliotts Accountants based in Guildford and London. For details of how Chris can help your business, he can be contacted at chris.cairns@alliotts.com

Chris Cairns, partner Alliotts Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors Friary Court, 13-21 High Street, Guildford, Surrey. GU1 3DL t: 01483 533 119 e: guildford@alliotts.com w: alliotts.com

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Members News

Julia Budd to succeed Anthony Cane as chairman of Epsom Downs Racecourse New Year, New Challenge!

Julia Budd will succeed Anthony Cane as chairman of Epsom Downs Racecourse, the course's owner, The Jockey Club, announced on 21st December 2015.

If you’re looking for a new challenge this year, then look no further!

Whether you’re a couch potato who quakes at the idea of running a mile, or a gym bunny looking for a new high - Get Fit for Phyllis has a myriad of challenges to get your adrenaline pumping!

From running a half-marathon to trekking the Great Wall of China, you can chose the challenge which best suits you. If you’ve got a head for heights, why not try a sponsored skydive? Think you’re indestructible?

Meet your match with the Tough Mudder challenge! Like your wheels?

Take to your bike for the London to Paris ride - or head further afield and Cycle Transylvania.

As well as burning off those Christmas calories, you’ll feel the satisfaction of facing a new challenge head on - and beating it! And at the same time you’ll be raising money to help local people who are facing a very different sort of challenge.

Phyllis Tuckwell provides supportive and end of life care to those facing a terminal illness, such as cancer.

Every day its staff and volunteers support over 250 patients and relatives - at the Hospice in Farnham and the Beacon Centre in Guildford, and in patients’ own homes. It provides medical care, nursing, therapies, counselling, social work advice and practical support, yet as the NHS/Government only covers 20% of its costs, it has to raise over £15,000 every day to be able to do this.

Make 2016 a year to be proud of.

Choose your challenge and show everyone what you’re made of. Visit www.pth.org.uk/getfit-for-phyllis to see the full range of challenges on offer.

And if bike riding is your passion, there’s not a minute to lose! Phyllis Tuckwell has 10 places in the Prudential RideLondon Surrey 100 - call 01252 729446 to secure your spot now.

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The appointment will come into effect following the next Investec Derby Festival in June 2016, when Anthony Cane's term concludes.

Julia Budd is a founding partner of leading international search firm, The Zygos Partnership, where she specialises in chairman, CEO and non-executive director searches and board succession planning. She is also a member of the Government’s Professional and Business Services Council. Previously she ran the Board Practice at executive search firm Egon Zehnder International, focusing on chairman and non-executive director appointments.

Julia Budd is a 'Steward' (nonexecutive director) on the main board of The Jockey Club, currently a racecourse committee director at Epsom Downs and a trustee of the British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust (BHEST).

She was elected a Member of The Jockey Club in 2008.

She has been a member of racing syndicate Highclere

since it was formed, which has included having an interest in three runners in The Investec Derby (Housemaster, Regime and Bonfire) and Vow who contested The Investec Oaks.

She has recently invested in a horse in training with local Epsom trainer, Pat Phelan. She also has interests in jumps horses in training with Philip Hobbs, Mick Easterby and Oliver Sherwood.

Anthony Cane has been the chairman of Epsom Downs Racecourse since 2008.

During this time he has played an important role in the successful completion and opening of the Duchess's Stand and hotel development, helped to secure Investec as a loyal and proactive partner, and subsequently their 10-year extension through until 2021, and ensured The Investec Derby remains the richest race in Britain with a prize fund that has risen to £1.325 million (2015).

Announcing the appointment, Roger Weatherby, senior steward of The Jockey Club, said: “I am delighted that Julia

has agreed to become the chairman at Epsom Downs after next year’s Investec Derby Festival. Currently she is an active member of the racecourse’s committee and makes an invaluable contribution to The Jockey Club as a steward. She will play an important role building on the progress the course has made under Anthony Cane’s excellent chairmanship since 2008.”

Julia Budd said: “It will be a privilege to succeed Anthony at Epsom Downs, home of the greatest flat race in the world and the ultimate test of the thoroughbred. I look forward to working with The Jockey Club team at the course and my fellow racecourse committee directors to ensure we continue to play an important role not only in our sport, but in the local community and in support of the training centre.”

Anthony Cane said: “I have known Julia for many years and it will be my honour to pass on the baton to her.

My final season as chairman is one I am looking forward to greatly because I believe it will culminate in a very special Investec Derby Festival. I will save my goodbyes until next June, but I have been tremendously fortunate to be here for Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and what a treat in my first year as chairman for Look Here to win The Oaks for my great friend Julian Richmond-Watson. It remains a privilege to work with Bernard Kantor and his Investec team and we will work hard to repay their support in 2016.”

Members News

Good accounting habits for Small Business Owners As a business owner, do you find that your accounting deadlines come around too fast?

Time flies when you're running your own business and your accounting records are likely to be low on your priority list.

But a monthly routine will keep your business on the right track and will give you the information you need to make better business decisions.

Rebecca Trudgett is a Senior Audit and Accounts Manager specialising in advising small businesses with Alliotts Accountants (www.alliotts.com) based in Guildford and London.

Here she shares some tried and tested great habits that will help you to grow your business and keep it on track.

1. Write up your accounting records regularly - Whether you complete a simple spreadsheet or use a cloud based product will depend on your circumstances and preferences, but creating and maintaining decent records helps you know how you are doing.

2. Sales invoices - Have you chased all your late or slow payers? Be consistent with credit limits and deadlines and make sure you keep a record of late payers and follow them up.

3. Purchase invoices - Organise and retain in folders or consider scanning in and attaching to cloud based software. Try to keep a list of items purchased where you haven’t received an invoice.

4. Expenses - Ensure all staff members including the directors produce expense claims where they pay for items on behalf of the business including mileage. Set time limits for claims to be made. Make sure you reclaim VAT.

5. Corporation tax - Review your profits and put 20% to one side as a provision to pay your corporation tax liability, which is due within 9 months of your year end.

6. VAT - Check that your VAT control account tallies with your VAT return quarterly. If there are differences then investigate.

7. Statutory accounts - Need to be submitted to Companies House within 9 months of the year end to avoid incurring a fine. Aim to get your records to your advisor within 3 months of the year end.

8. Talk to your advisors - Maintain regular contact with your accountant or bookkeeper and use their knowledge and experience to get the best value from your relationship.

9. Review business performance Keep a regular check to make sure you're hitting your KPIs (key performance indicators). If not, investigate any anomalies and take action straight away.

Adopting these habits will help you to stay on track and in control will make a positive difference to your business.

If you would like advice on accounting software, credit control procedures or employment documentation, please get in touch with Rebecca at rebecca.trudgett@alliotts.com or call her on 01483 533119.

Ask the HR Expert Dennis Upfold, Reigate based Regional Director at leading employment law consultancy Peninsula Business Services, answers questions from local business owners.

I have an employee who seems to be suffering from stress. His work performance is dipping as a result.

I value him and don't want to lose him - what can I do to help?

Stress is a very serious condition leading to sickness absence, staff turnover and human error. Tackling stress should be a high priority and it's great you want to help your employee.

The first thing to do is to implement health and safety checks and organisational stress policies. Listen to staff concerns and make time to tackle stress properly.

One idea is to set aside 10 minutes a week to chat about issues with your employee. Together look at his job and identify which parts are causing the most stress and how this may be alleviated.

He may be suffering with stress due to pressures outside of work. Communication is vital if this is the case; when employers are sympathetic, workers often find it easier to deal with their problems. You may want to consider offering an Employee Assistance Programme a confidential telephone based counselling service for employees to talk through difficulties with trained counsellors, provided at minimal cost to employers.

I run a seasonal business and will be drafting in temporary staff. Do I need to give them contracts?

Although you describe these workers as 'temps', in your case, they're fixed term employees; that's a person whose engagement lasts for a specified period of time, whose engagement will end when a specific task has been completed, or whose engagement ends when a specified event, does (or doesn't) happen.

You should give all employees a statement of main terms (often called the contract of employment but actually only part of it). Only employees who are employed for one month or more are legally entitled to this. If your temporary staff won't be with you for that long, there's no legal requirement for them to receive one.

It's vital with fixed term employees to ensure an end date to their contract is stated within the statement, or to state the event upon which the contract ends Dennis Upfold Regional Director 07966 112099 As a family owned business, we have grown and developed with an inclusive philosophy, where all staff are integral to the overall service provision for our clients. It is due to this ethos, that we were 3rd in the Sunday Times best companies to work for in 2014.

When you have a workforce that feels included and empowered, the resulting service is enhanced beyond the expectations of the client. That is why Peninsula have been in business for over 30 years, have 30,000 businesses that have on-going contracts with us and have assembled the most highly skilled and qualified team in the sector.

Peninsula Business Services Ltd www.peninsulagrouplimited.com

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Big Interview

Crowdfunding makes its mark in the business world Gaining access to finance is the key to growth for many businesses but sometimes it can feel like the help is simply not there.

Banks do not seem as sympathetic as they could be, particularly since the crash of 2008, Government funding schemes are over-subscribed, reduced or closed down altogether and venture capitalists often want too much in return for investment.

However, one source of funding is becoming increasingly popular as it seeks to rewrite the rules of finance by opening up opportunities to both borrow and lend through crowdfunding.

One of the companies helping entrepreneurs get to grips with this new way of accessing funding is ArchOver, which was founded by a group of entrepreneurs who have run start-ups, AIM listed firms and digital businesses.

ArchOver, the UK’s fastest-growing B2B crowdlending platform and which is unique in using credit insurance to safeguard lenders against possible default, has proved so successful that it recently passed the £11m figure for loans advanced to borrowers having opened its doors for business just over a year ago.

The company harnesses the willingness of investors large and small to support projects that they think are viable with a strong emphasis on ensuring that the loans that they make are secure.

Key to that is ArchOver’s choice of companies to support and it works with well-managed businesses that historically have strong Accounts Receivable (debtors) and can demonstrate a strong future customer base and revenues.

“The idea for the business came because we had all worked in business and had experience of trying to raise finance.

We knew that many business people were being turned away by the banks and we wanted to come up with a different way of helping them access funding.”

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Big Interview

Its model allows businesses to borrow against the creditworthiness of their clients and the company will loan up to 80% of the value of the Accounts Receivable (ARs).

Once the loan, is made the ARs must be maintained at 125% of the value of the loan, which provides a quickly realisable asset for investors in case the borrower gets into difficulties paying it back.

The ARs are insured and underwritten by global insurance firms and ArchOver is supported by the Hampden Group, a leading provider of financial and business support services.

The company has facilitated numerous individual projects without brokers and the average loan size is increasing from about £100,000 this time last year to currently £200,000 and this figure is rising. The largest loan they have facilitated to date is £1m.

ArchOver CEO Angus Dent, who qualified as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse, has helped build a number of technology businesses, holding senior directorships in these AIM and TSX listed companies.

He said: “The idea for the business came because we had all worked in business and had experience of trying to raise finance.

“We knew that many business people were being turned away by the banks and we wanted to come up with a different way of helping them access funding.

“There are plenty of people that wish to invest through crowdfunding and one of our strengths is that we do not just lend money, we subject potential borrowers to due diligence and turn away more applications than we accept.

The rules are just the same if you are lending a small loan or a large one.

"Having said that, a strong part of what we do is helping businesses so we do not just turn them away and leave it at that, rather we try to point them in the right direction for someone who can help them."

The combination of strong security provided by its backers and a rigorous approach to lending means that the business has grown rapidly.

Indeed, ArchOver hit the landmark £10m in loans in December with a loan of £150,000 to VFS Legal Funding - a firm that specialises in

providing cash flow finance for smaller UK law firms. The new loan, which fully subscribed within 48 business hours, brings the total amount lent to VFS via the ArchOver platform to £1.9m.

The news followed the announcement that ArchOver had entered into a partnership with Coface, one of the world’s largest credit insurers, to create £100m of insurance cover for future borrowers.

ArchOver has since topped £11m and Angus said: “Naturally, we were pleased to reach the significant figure of £10m. Having achieved it in around a year of operation, exceeded our expectations in a very competitive marketplace and we remain very ambitious.

“Taken together with our recent teaming with Coface, we feel we are really beginning to make our mark with our ‘secured and insured’ proposition which provides lenders with a protected return of around 7% per annum.

“At the same time, we are also helping to bridge the funding gap left by the banks, which can sometimes force SMEs to accept the pernicious terms demanded by some of the invoice discounters and factors.

“As for the VFS funding, this is just the sort of reliable repeat borrower we are looking to support. This particular loan falls within range of our typical loan size of around £200,000.

“Because using crowdfunding is a different way of lending money, it did take a while for word to get out and for people to buy into the idea but we are seeing an increase in approaches from both people wishing to borrow money and to lend it.

“I think that the more people perceive that the banks are unlikely to lend them money, the more popular we will be.

“People like the fact that our way of operating is very democratic and can bring about results quickly.

“We recently posted one £150,000 project on our platform on a Tuesday night and within a day or so we had the money ready and waiting for the borrower. It is a very flexible way of funding businesses.

“We grew six-fold in 2015 and we are confident that our expansion will continue in 2016 when I think a growth of two and a half or three fold would be a reasonable expectation.”

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Members News

Foxhills Gym wins top award At a glittering awards ceremony Foxhills Club & Resort in Ottershaw, Surrey beat off fierce competition from 179 gyms across the UK and four finalists to pick up the ‘Best Hotel Facility of the Year’ award at the National Fitness Awards.

The ceremony at The Athena in Leicester recognised excellence, innovation and achievement in gyms across the UK and was hosted by fitness entrepreneur and TV personality Katie BulmerCooke along with former Olympic swimmer and commentator Steve Parry.

Accepting the award on behalf of the resort Jason Adams, general manager said: “We are truly honoured to receive this award which, coming in our 40th year, is a fitting tribute to all the hard work the team has put in to maintain our reputation for excellent sporting and fitness facilities. It recognises the exceptional levels of service which both members and visitors enjoy when visiting Foxhills.”

“The Foxhills family includes world-class sporting professionals, fitness experts and enthusiastic and experienced team members whose sole purpose is to ensure members and visitors get the most out of the resort.

This honour will sit proudly alongside the award our healthspa received at this year’s Professional Beauty Awards for Residential Spa of the Year (10 rooms or less), and shows that Foxhills’ guests always leave feeling better than when they’ve arrived.”

The National Fitness Awards are organised by leading fitness industry magazine Workout, with support from headline sponsor ServiceSport.

How to make the most of your professional portrait experience In our visually driven world a quality photograph is a must for anyone serious about their personal brand, as a professional image enhances any type of social media, online or press related communication.

But what should you consider before you invest your time and money in a professional photoshoot?

Firstly, decide on the type of portrait image you would like, and what most accurately reflects your own style. A simple headshot against a plain background, or a more natural ‘environmental’ portrait that shows a little of the space you work in?

Secondly, think about what you are going to wear. Wardrobe is as important for a professional photograph as finding a great photographer and hair and make-up artist. Choose at least two outfits, one formal, one more casual. Try to choose

16 theChamber

simple block colours (not too many patterns or stripes which can be very distracting) and items that won’t date too quickly.

Thirdly, ask what happens on the actual photoshoot.

How long will the session last?

Will they come to you or do you go to them? Do they work with a hair and make-up artist/stylist that can help you look your absolute best on the day? What happens after the photoshoot?

How many print ready images will you get? How much are additional images? Do you get to choose them or does the photographer? How will they be shared with you?

Finally, and most importantly of all, try to remember that the

professional is there to make you look and feel your absolute best, so trust them and what they ask of you, and try to relax and enjoy…your images will only look the better for it!

If you’re looking to enhance your personal brand with a professional portrait visit www.lookluxe.co.uk or contact Sarah Martin Photography

Ask the Expert

How the accountancy recruitment market has changed ...

It doesn’t seem so long ago since Accountancy and Finance recruiters were enjoying working with huge numbers of candidates across all levels.

Having worked in financial recruitment for almost 21 years I think it is fair to say that this is now a real “candidate driven” market.

Firms of Accountants as well as local business owners are feeling more confident to hire key positions as their confidence in the UK economy has increased.

Businesses now really need to work in partnership with their chosen recruiters. The recruiters hold the golden key to providing the best candidates to their client base. Partners and Business Owners, more than ever need a relationship with their recruitment agency to ensure their firm is best placed

to be offered the best selection of applicants the same day the recruiter meets them.

Brutal as it seems, firms will be seeing a reduced talent pool in the local area. Business owners need, not only, to proactively retain good staff however they also need to work hard and "in partnership" with their recruiter in order to recruit the best candidate for their current needs.

Take the time out with your recruiter: • To review salary and benefits packages of current staff.

• Meet with your recruiter when instructing them with a new vacancy – do not rely on a brief telephone call.

Spend the time to ensure the recruitment consultant is really committed to representing your business in the local market place.

• Make sure you communicate with your recruiter every step of the way; after the first and second interview stage AND pre / post offer - remember “counter offers” are a real threat in this market.

• Stay local with your recruiter; choose a recruiter whose offices are based close to your own - they are much more likely to be in a position to offer you local applicants.

• Finally, respect your recruiter - a lot of work goes on behind the scenes to source quality candidates.

Lisa Wintrip Fletcher George Financial Recruitment

Telephone: 01372 364 160

www.fletchergeorge.co.uk

“Businesses now really need to work in partnership with their chosen recruiters.

The recruiters hold the golden key to providing the best candidates to their client base.”

... works with finance and accounting professionals resident locally in the Surrey area recruiting for both Public Practice and also for commercial businesses in the local area.

If you would like to have a confidential chat please contact Lisa Wintrip on 01372 364 160

www.fletchergeorge.co.uk

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Members News

Local firm’s donation benefits children’s PE lessons Midgley Snelling LLP is pleased to announce that in Summer 2015 it donated a cheque to Woking High School and the money has made a significant difference to the schoolchildren.

The Midsnell Activity Fund, from the Weybridge based chartered accountancy firm, is designed to provide funding to organisations such as clubs, groups, associations and schools seeking financial assistance for their projects.

The first recipient of the fund was the Specialist Centre for Students with Visual Impairment at Woking High School.

It received £700 towards the cost of specialist sports equipment to increase participation for students who are blind or visually impaired.

Alice Stonehill, the school’s Head of Specialist Centre for Students with Visual Impairment, said: “The Midsnell Activity Fund has allowed us to purchase specialist equipment such as Kurling sets, Boccia sets and audible balls to use in tennis. This has allowed students to have equipment that is specifically suited to their needs as they are visually impaired and some students have additional physical disabilities, too. The equipment is used within PE lessons and part of the funding will be used to provide staffing for an after school club in the spring and summer terms.

“Accessing mainstream PE can be very challenging for students who have a visual impairment, but this funding allows them to continue to make progress and develop physical skills alongside their peers.”

Tracey Wickens, partner at Midgley Snelling LLP added: “As a firm, we have always placed a great deal of importance on engaging with our local community and that’s how the Midsnell Activity Fund was born. It allows us to give something back to these communities and see the benefits that our funding can bring to different groups of people.

“I’m delighted to see that the money is benefitting the children of Woking High School that ordinarily would not be able to participate in PE. They can now be included and that is exactly what we hoped the fund would do; benefit the community.”

If you know of a project that could benefit from up to £1,000, visit: www.midsnell.co.uk/aboutus/midsnell-activity-fund/ and complete an application form.

To find out more about Midgley Snelling LLP visit: www.midsnell.co.uk.

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Charles Russell Speechlys continues growth with 15 new appointments Leading South East law firm, Charles Russell Speechlys has appointed 15 new Associates and Paralegal team members across a range of specialisms, extending its headcount in the Guildford-based office to 137, including 90 lawyers.

The new joiners have been recruited to bolster the teams in corporate law; real estate; private property, charities, corporate recovery and insolvency; construction, engineering and projects; and contentious trusts and estates.

They are: Laura Marchant, Construction, engineering and projects, Rebecca Burford in corporate and commercial, Kate Parkinson in charities, Charlotte Boyd, Richard Long and Samuel Jenkins in real estate, Richard Hosmer in property litigation, Katie Bewick in commercial dispute resolution, Mark Johnson and James Roberts in Corporate recovery and insolvency, Thomas Britten in

contentious trusts and estates, and Rachel Bardell in private property. They join newly promoted lawyers Simon McIlroy and Richard Honey, plus paralegal Aiden Wiffen into our property and private client teams.

According to Duncan Elson, partner and head of the Guildford office, “We have had a very successful year since merging and moving to One London Square in Guildford and are seeing increasing demand across all areas - from private wealth through to corporate law.

I am delighted that we continue to build our team with high calibre lawyers, ensuring that we have the breadth and depth of skills required to look after the county’s wealth generators,

both in their personal and business affairs. The exciting growth is planned to continue.”

Charles Russell Speechlys is a law firm headquartered in London with large regional offices in Guildford and Cheltenham, as well as offices in Europe and the Middle East. Our Guildford office provides a full range of services to businesses and private clients in the region, backed by the resources of an international law firm with offices in some of the key centres for Private Wealth in Europe and the Middle East.

Charles Russell Speechlys is recognised as a ‘Regional Heavyweight’ in the South and South East of England by the Legal 500 directory.

For more information, please visit www.charlesrussellspeechlys.com

Members News

Introducing the Looking Staff-Management past the Solution of the Future headlines Local agency does away with administrative worries for small business.

PayrollsDirect is a management bureau dedicated to giving clients peace of mind in the midst of ever-changing regulations and mountains of paperwork, all with an added personal touch.

Bringing HR and payroll departments wholly into the modern online age, cloudbased services eliminate inefficient administration.

This development entails a significant gain for any small business to have in time and cost efficiency.

No paper is wasted, nor time or resources. Leaving clients to focus more on the growth of their venture, the care for their residents, catering to their guests, etc.

PayrollsDirect’s service can also help with the recent autoenrolment/workplace pensions measures being put into place. It checks the latest developments in legislation and regulation and advices

accordingly. This way, businesses can ensure that they comply at all times.

Payroll calculations are conducted via an acclaimed international specialist firm at an accuracy rate of 99.6%.

Information is easily accessed online, in the cloud and entered by employers and employees (wages, sick days, holidays, expenses, etc.).

Edward Shin, the regional manager at the payroll bureau, brings with him over 15 years of experience in treasury and cash management, having worked with several high-profile banks and blue chips. He understands personally the importance of maximising efficiency both operationally and financially.

Furthering the individual commitment, each client is assigned a personal payroll expert. A free helpdesk is also available to help with any queries the client might have.

Well it’s been a dramatic start to the year. From winter floods at home to geo-political fears from the Middle East, and then to top it off with an arrogant little dictator setting off his own hydrogen bomb, it reads more like a soap opera than the global geo-political news.

Sadly though such things are enough to impact on the key word that effects all our economies confidence.

The financial news in January is often blurred by a plethora of retail figures telling us what everyone else spent at Christmas, and “outlook” papers from investment houses casting their runes as to what they think is going to happen. Add to that the geo-political fears and you have a perfect recipe for a case of economic nerves.

However what we all should do, but few actually will, is look at the greater picture of the global economy, and not just the fearful populist headlines designed to unnerve us but just make for good copy. The reality is that the global economy is still growing at just over 3% per annum, which in fact is the long term growth rate for the world. If we take the trends that we saw at the end of last year, then we are likely to see continued growth, but quite likely slower and lower.

However slower and lower is definitely not falling back or reducing.

Already this year I have heard some commentators talking about shrinkage and even recession in certain areas of the globe, and that is certainly not the case at the moment.

However if you allow the “nay-sayers” to have their way, then miserable talk can easily become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So even as the New Year celebrations fade into blurred memories, now is not the time to be frightened by journalist rhetoric. We have big issues to address in the UK not least of which is our future with the EU, but in the meantime we have a successful economy which has been bolstered to a great extent by our own business acumen and innovation. So now is not the time to be dissuaded by a desperate media in search of a fearful headline.

Happy New Year Justin

Call 020 7760 8777 or Email: information@7im.co.uk

www.7im.co.uk

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Member News

Buying off plan Business confidence for the South East’s

By David Lewis, partner at Grillo LLP

As Battersea Power Station advertises flats which will only be ready for occupation next autumn, is buying off plan a good idea?

Purchasers should be aware of the many dangers that buying off plan can present.

Usually, the developer is unlikely to produce a detailed specification, yet this is vital for a buyer. Glossy sales brochures showing similar schemes completed by the developer may not accurately reflect the property that you are buying.

Detailed plans and a full specification are essential, listing precisely what is being built and the quality and extent of fixtures and finishes included in the price.

Paying a deposit and agreeing a price up front can result in savings when house prices are rising as some developers will consider reductions on the full sale price to reflect they have a sale before the property is built.

However, where prices are falling, the buyer could be locked in to a contract that requires them to pay more for the property than it may be worth when completed.

Agreeing a price in advance of the development being completed can result in purchasers accepting to pay more than the property is sensibly worth in the open market, simply for the prestige of being one of the first owners.

If other buyers cannot be found at those levels, subsequent prices for other properties in the development may expose those earliest sales as excessive when the remainder of the scheme comes to be sold.

Then there is the added risk of the developer running out of funds before the scheme is complete.

A buyer can then be faced with a lengthy and expensive legal battle to see the development finished or to recover their deposit, which in some circumstances may simply not be worth the effort. This is a costly error to be avoided.

Grillo LLP are at www.grillollp.com

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professional practices reaches all-time high

Confidence in business outlook reached its highest point in the 21-year history of the professional practices survey, conducted by Smith & Williamson, the accountancy, investment management and tax group.

99% of respondent firms cited a positive outlook for the year ahead, up from 96% in 2014 and exceeding the previous high point of 98% in 2006.

Claire Perrett, professional practices tax partner at the Guildford office of Smith & Williamson, said: “The survey shows that professional service firms in the South East are enjoying an unprecedented level of confidence. This is a genuine

signal that activity is now exceeding the levels seen before the financial crisis. Political certainty, economic resurgence and corporate actions are driving optimism.”

This optimism is also demonstrated by the 86% of respondents from the region who believe the outlook for their business has strengthened since the May general election.

Additionally, the survey revealed that 60% of respondent firms from the South East (excluding London) feel competitive pressures have increased in the last year.

According to Smith & Williamson, this reflects widespread changes in the professional services market, driven largely by new

entrants to the sector and new ways of working are making life very competitive.

Claire remarked: “Professional firms are being squeezed on all sides by the arrival of new business models and new entrants to the market.

In particular, all firms face a massive threat from new uses of technology to gain and interact with clients.”

She continued: “Firms need to develop a ‘clear differentiator’ to stand out from the crowd, thereby demonstrating the value they deliver and to help them resist downward pressure from clients on fees.” www.smith.williamson.co.uk

Pennyhill Park welcomes MasterChef: The Professionals winner Steven Edwards as Guest Chef at The Latymer Pennyhill Park, an Exclusive Hotel & Spa in Bagshot, Surrey, has announced Steven Edwards, winner of BBC MasterChef: The Professionals 2013, will be a guest chef at its Michelin-starred restaurant, The Latymer.

Steven makes a guest appearance at the awardwinning restaurant with his business partner, Josh Stanzl, who together own and run creative restaurant experience etch, an innovative and relaxed fine-dining concept designed to deliver lasting memories for its guests.

Offered as a series of exclusive dates throughout February, Steven and Josh will be bringing their love of local seasonal ingredients to The Latymer, having developed simple yet elegant 6course tasting menus specifically for the award-winning Surrey restaurant.

Dishes include celeriac cured and flamed line caught mackerel, roast celeriac, pickled celery; coffee glazed duck breast, pressed leg, artichoke puree, roasting juices; fillet and belly of Petworth pork, slow cooked celeriac, mustard and Twineham

grange doughnut, crispy kale, broccoli puree, gherkin.

In addition, dishes on the menu during Valentine’s week include sea trout carpaccio, tartare, oyster beignet, oyster mayo; roast fillet and tail of Sussex beef, leek & potato puree, charred spring onion, and mango pannacotta, passionfruit sorbet, fennel.

British chef Steven is a familiar face at Exclusive Hotels and Venues having worked as Head Chef at The Camellia restaurant within South Lodge, an Exclusive Hotel near Horsham, West Sussex, before launching etch in 2014. Steven is passionate about using locally sourced, quality produce to create elegant, awardwinning food that celebrates the freshness and simplicity of each

unique ingredient and transforms them into spectacular dishes.

Julian Tomlin, General Manager at Pennyhill Park commented, “We are delighted to welcome Steven Edwards to our kitchens at The Latymer. We are immensely proud of The Latymer’s reputation and popularity among local residents and guests here at the hotel; Steven’s unrelenting passion, unique talent for marrying wonderful flavours and his creative artistry in the kitchen will complement the restaurant offering perfectly.”

Steven added, “I am honoured to have been asked to be a guest chef at Pennyhill Park and am really looking forward to bringing my food to diners at The Latymer.”

Steven Edwards will guest chef at The Latymer, Pennyhill Park on 5th, 6th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 19th and 20th February 2016, offering 6-course tasting menus from £65 per person.

For more information or to make a booking www.pennyhillpark.co.uk

24 Hours with

24 Hours with Nigel Blake of Perfect Pitch A truly global working day emails, ahead of our European team arriving for the day’s calling.

It’s always great to hear our callers chatting in Arabic / French / German / Italian / Russian / Spanish, although it’s a shameful reminder of my inability to master a second language!

08:30

More coffee and a chat with our campaign managers to ensure everything is in order for the day’s telemarketing campaigns.

08:45 Alarm goes off and the day begins with coffee, and feeding time for the dogs, ahead of leaving for the office.

06:45

Arrive at the office and catch up with our Middle East Team who start calling at 6am each day.

07:30

45 minutes of uninterrupted time, and a check of the night’s

07:45

The UK team arrive, and with over 70% of the team being actors, the noise levels rise accordingly!

09:15

Just manage to polish off a bowl of Crunchy Nut Cornflakes ahead of a new client meeting at our offices. One of the nicer parts of my job is the insights I get into other business and industries. I find these insights

10:00

fascinating, and it really helps with Perfect Pitch, as you hope you can learn from the good and bad in all businesses.

Business/ Networking Lunch in Guildford with a really interesting speaker. As with all these events, you can never really be sure what you might get from it, but I’ve learnt to go with an open mind and a view that for every bad one, there will be a good one, and more often than not it will give me a chance to catch up with someone I may not have seen for a while.

12:00

Back to the office, and its home time for the ME team, who are replaced with the US team. The office is given a new lease of life and remind me that I am clearly on the wrong team!

14:30

Admin time, with various emails to respond to, and proposals to send out. Typically something will happen in the day that I did not plan for, and

16:00

today the drains are blocked in the car park - oh well, never a dull moment here, and one thing I have learnt over the last 6 years is to expect the unexpected!

Home for dinner and family time, where we all discuss our day’s events, and get a chance to gain some perspective. I think that sometimes, as a small business owner, there is a danger that work can become all-consuming, and it’s good to tune out for a short while at least.

18:00

I will have a final check in with our US team leader, and a last check of the emails, before switching off for the day.

20:00

The last part of the day consists of “I’m a Celebrity” and a glass of red, and then off to bed dreaming of blocked drains and snakes….

21:00

“One of the nicer parts of my job is the insights I get into other business and industries. I find these insights fascinating, and it really helps with Perfect Pitch, as you hope you can learn from the good and bad in all businesses.”

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Apprenticeships & Training

Get Ahead with an Apprenticeship There has never been a better time to employ an apprentice or a trainee.

The Skills Minister to the Chief Executive of the Skills Funding Agency announced in the latest Skills Funding Letter that the budget for Apprenticeships for 2016/17 is £926million (compared with £740million in 15/16.)

Apprenticeships will see a big government investment and small to medium-sized employers who have not taken on an apprentice within the past 12 months could also be eligible for a £1,500 Apprenticeship Grant to put towards an apprentice’s training.

National Apprenticeship Week which runs from the 14th to the 18th March 2016 celebrates every subject and level of apprenticeship

available including higher and degree apprenticeships.

Events up and down the country will take place to champion apprenticeships and highlight to employers how offering an apprenticeship or traineeship is a lot easier than you might think.

JACE Training has been a prolific provider of apprenticeships and work based learning qualifications since 1981 and is part of the respected Jancett Childcare Group based in the London Borough of Sutton. JACE trains apprentices for Jancett’s own day nurseries and Playsafe out of school clubs and helps local businesses to recruit an apprentice across a range of industries including Health and

Social Care, Childcare, Hospitality, Catering, Business Administration, Customer Service, Retail and Property. JACE also offers sector essential short courses and certificates that employers can offer existing staff, from Allergens Training and Food Safety to Paediatric First Aid. JACE are proud Apprenticeship Information Ambassadors for the National Apprenticeship Service and in 2015, Jancett Childcare and JACE Training Limited & Jace the Catering Company were awarded Investors in People GOLD.

Visit: www.jace-training.co.uk email: apprenticeships@jace-training.co.uk or telephone: 0345 241 7738 : @JACETraining : JACETraining

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With centres across London and the South East and courses available all year round, there is no need to wait.

Apply today!

Development

Boost your business by taking on an Apprentice The Conservative Government have promised to support businesses with an additional 3 million Apprenticeships by 2020.

This is great news for employers who enjoy business benefits of taking on an apprentice which include: • ‘realising an improvement in the quality of their product or service’ 1 • providing motivation and interest within the existing team • facilitating a culture of learning within the organisation • providing a choice for young and mature applicants which enables them to learn and practise their skills in a workplace environment • the potential to help decrease staff turnover • Creating a positive impact on corporate social responsibility (CSR) As well, benefits lead to a significant return for the taxpayer too: the amount of return is between £26 and £28 for every £1 of government investment in apprenticeships at level 2 and level 3 respectively.

This is considerably higher than the average of £20 for every £1 of investment for further education qualifications as a whole.

So what does this mean for local businesses?

The opportunity to be supported to take on new talent (apprentices) has never been better. As the age of mandatory participation for education has now increased up to and including 18 year olds; businesses now have the chance to positively impact the development of a young person, to enable them to learn key work ethics and skills which help them progress in industry; whilst increasing the skills bank within their business.

As well, far more young people are choosing the apprenticeship route as a preferred choice, due also to the fact that university fees are so high. 99.5% of businesses in Surrey are small and medium enterprises (under 250 employees).2 New talent is necessary to drive these

businesses forward and Government have confirmed that grants will remain available for those SME’s who recruit apprentices.

How can Straight A Training help?

Straight A Training will support you to write your advert, help to recruit and select your apprentice and then provide full support, pastoral care, training and assessment whilst your apprentice is employed. We have helped many local businesses with their administration, business, customer service, hospitality or management apprentices.

Blackdown Fernhurst Printers is a small business based in Haslemere whom we have supported to recruit and train two apprentices.

Philip Jackson who is the business owner, came to us to help recruit his first apprentice. Two years on Blackdown Fernhurst Printers. Business and his second apprentice has owner Philip Jackson and his second now been recruited. apprentice, William Girard

Jayne Raftery founded Straight A Training in 1999 with her business partner Mathew Nutt.

The business has grown; employing professionals who provide training and assessment in some of the nation’s best known establishments, such as The Ritz Hotel, The Berkeley Hotel, The Langham Hotel, ITV, Channel 4, Intercontinental Hotels, Accor Hotel Group, Eton College and Virgin Care, as well as quality local businesses such as Blackdown Fernhurst Printers, Lewis Visual’s (Architects) and Gordon’s School.

Contact Straight A to recruit your apprentice on 01276 469020 / info@straighta.co.uk 1

HM Government - English Apprenticeships: Our 2020 vision 2 Surrey County Council - Surrey Economic Overview 2013

Businesses turning to Apprenticeships to fill the skills gap With the heavily reported shortage in skilled workers, there is an increasing pressure on businesses to find a solution Apprenticeships and traineeships have been set to play a vital role in reducing the national skills gap whilst providing employees with the ‘soft skills’ that employers want.

Supported by a nationally recognised qualification, and offered by recognised training providers, apprenticeships are designed to reflect and support the employer’s needs.

Apprenticeships can help develop the specialist skills needed to keep pace with the latest technology and working practices.

Steven Sammut, founder of the Rock and Pop Foundation, said on hiring an apprentice from the

Guildford College Group “Having an apprentice has given us the opportunity to shape, upskill and mould a young member of our team to best benefit our business.”

The Government has recently increased its investment in the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers (AGE) scheme by £85m in 2015/16 to support an extra 100,000 apprentices.

This scheme, solely for employers with fewer than 50 employees, is designed to offer firms that have taken on an apprentice in the past 12 months grants of up to £1,500 per apprentice aged 16-24.

As one of the largest providers in the area, the Guildford College

Group offers apprenticeships in over 20 subject areas at mixed level. With apprenticeships available at Guildford College and Merrist Wood College, they offer courses in many specialist areas from arboriculture to marketing.

Guildford College Group also recently announced that they have introduced a Higher Apprenticeship in Business Professional Studies and Advanced Manufacturing

Engineering. The Level 4 apprenticeship, equivalent to the first year of an undergraduate degree, enables businesses to train their employees in high-level industry specific skills that are critical to growth.

If you want to find out more about an apprenticeship, please call the Guildford College Services to Business hotline on 01483 44 85 30 or email employers@guildford.ac.uk.

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Cover Feature

Helping young people onto the career ladder Surrey Chambers of Commerce are delighted to be organising an exciting series of careers fairs throughout Surrey in the first quarter of 2016, designed to inspire, enthuse and motivate young people to think about

their prospective careers, the employment options available to them and to make the most of their remaining time in education.

The Your Future Careers Fairs are part of a national project,

backed by the government which will deliver 250 events through the Chambers of Commerce network across England attracting a total of over 70,000 young people.

The Surrey element of this project will comprise seven

stand-alone events across the county offering businesses and organisations the opportunity to engage with and inspire young people about their companies and the industries that they work in.

Apprentice Week aims to celebrate success of apprentices From engineers to hairdressers, apprenticeships are opening up new opportunities for the nation’s young people, giving them the chance to earn while they learn and offering a viable alternative to university.

To celebrate the success of the initiative, this year’s National Apprenticeships Week will run from 14 to 18 March when businesses will be encouraged to take on Apprentices.

Co-ordinated by the Skills Funding Agency, the week will include hundreds of events and activities across England, all designed to showcase the work of apprentices and employers.

Apprenticeships are already thriving in England and National Apprenticeship Week will celebrate the positive impact that both apprenticeships and traineeships have on individuals,

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businesses and the wider economy.

Employers, apprentices, business support organisations, colleges and training organisations and schools across the country will be encouraged to support the week by hosting activities to showcase the achievements and benefits of apprenticeships.

The Government is committed to three million apprenticeship starts over the next five years and this ambition will be a key driver for National Apprenticeship Week.

Richard Harrington MP, Prime Minister’s Advisor on

apprenticeships, and joint Chairman of the Apprenticeship Delivery Board, said: “Employers take on apprentices throughout the year but National Apprenticeship Week is about celebrating the crucial role that apprenticeships and traineeships play in upskilling the nation and increasing productivity.”

Successes during the 2015 week included another 200 businesses joining the Trailblazer programme to design high quality apprenticeships and also the launch of degree apprenticeships.

Throughout the week, a recordbreaking 23,000 vacancies were

pledged and the ambition for National Apprenticeship Week 2016 will be to better this.

Sue Husband, Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “Last year’s National Apprenticeship Week saw some tremendous achievements but I want next year’s National Apprenticeship Week to be the best yet.

“I am looking forward to once again raising the profile of apprenticeships and traineeships and celebrating the important role they play in equipping people of all ages with the skills that they need to prosper in their lives.”

Cover Feature

Young People key to securing economic growth Enterprise M3 is a business-led Local Enterprise Partnership (one of 39 English LEPs) that is working to secure economic growth at sub-national level.

We bring together leaders from the business, public and not-for-profit sectors and provide the vision, knowledge and strategic leadership needed to drive sustainable private sector growth.

Our aim is to create the foundations on which our businesses can flourish. We strive to improve business productivity, increase jobs and maximise the number of businesses operating across Enterprise M3. The link between schools, colleges and employers is seen as particularly important for developing our workforce for the future.

The Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (stretching from the hinterland of London to the New Forest) has an economy based on technology and knowledgeintensive services firms with high proportion of employment, and is known as the Sci:Tech Corridor. To support the Sci:Tech Corridor we need a world class skilled workforce equipped with higher level, economically valuable skills to ensure we remain globally competitive.

The demand for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills is particular pronounced in the Enterprise M3 area.

The number of jobs in the Enterprise M3 area is projected to rise by around 64,000 over the next decade (20122022) but nearly two in five firms requiring STEM employees reported difficulties in recruitment and

other sectors have experienced similar difficulties.

There are two key strands to supporting young people into employment. The supply of high quality qualifications, in particular apprenticeships, higher levels of STEM qualifications, is essential to young people and to meet business demands.

Apprenticeships are valuable career paths providing both the knowledge and the vocational capabilities to meet business demands.

High quality careers advice for young people is essential to prepare them for their working lives. Young people have identified that they require more information about types of careers and options and value work experience opportunities to make the link between their education and their futures, building the attitudes and attributes they will need throughout their careers.

Projects and initiatives designed to motivate young learners to pursue career and further studies are needed to ensure sustained interest

and achievement. Business engagement is extremely effective in this process, showcasing jobs, products, activities and providing role models for young people.

Inspiring students to follow these careers paths, in particular STEM, will provide opportunities for our economy and ultimately create our future leaders and innovators.

Geoff French CBE, chairman of the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Inspiring young people to invest in their future careers is essential for our economy.

STEM skills are a priority investment for Enterprise M3 and crucial for our economy to remain competitive in the global market. We have a hotbed of knowledge-based, high-value businesses in our area and they require a world-class workforce.

Businesses who want to be more productive and competitive should definitely take on an apprentice.

The training they receive in the apprenticeship programme is of excellent quality and, as a result, apprentices are able to bring fresh ideas and innovation to the businesses they work for.

We are working with partners to ensure good careers and advice provision, quality qualifications and higher level apprenticeships are offered.�

Businesses in Surrey are encouraged to engage further with young people to support our future workforce and can do this by a number of means.

Engaging with careers, information, advice and guidance events like the Your Futures Career Fair and the Careers & Enterprise Company Enterprise Adviser Network.

Exploring the potential of providing work experience and traineeship placements.

Boosting business to become more productive and competitive, as well as increasing turnover by employing an apprentice.

For further information contact sarah.carter@enterprisem3.org.uk

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Cover Feature

Top tips from Canon - how to get your perfect job Now is the time to focus on your career and look at ways of how you are going to achieve your goal. Not sure how to start?

Start researching now - write down what you are good at and what you enjoy - hopefully you can produce lists that complement each other!

This exercise starts to build a profile of the types of jobs or industries you could be interested in.

Start to look into those areas. It’s fun to do and you will be learning more about what you might like and what you may not. Learning more about the industries and working environments is important. Even a few hours work experience, or talking to someone about an area of work you do not know anything about, can help you understand what it might be like to work in a certain industry sector.

Once you’ve done this, investigate further by looking at jobs on company websites. You’ll be able to see what is available and if there is any further experience or qualifications you will need.

When it later comes to applying for jobs or work experience, you’re aiming to make yourself appealing to the company. At Canon, as with

most companies, when we receive an application for a role, we read through all the information you provide but will also look elsewhere such as social media and other websites to help gain a better understanding of the candidate. Make sure your CV and covering letter match and that you are clearly demonstrating any experience within relevant industry. Also, it can sometimes be a good idea to share a few interests, hobbies or out of school activities within your CV or cover letter, especially if they are relevant to the industry or role.

Employers are interested in the whole person and want to understand if you will be a good fit within their company.

Most employers will look at the candidate’s profile on social media such as Twitter and LinkedIn. It helps us to gain a better understanding of the person and their interests, skills and hobbies. Therefore always be

aware of what you are posting on social media sites and consider how you would want to be seen by a potential employer.

If you are looking to advance yourself in the world of social media and are over 14 years of age you can set up a LinkedIn account www.linkedin.co.uk - this is a professional networking social media site. Take a look first and see if this is for you. You will need to set up a free account to join groups and connect with other professionals. Think about how you communicate to members on LinkedIn, you can always use it to request work experience.

The world is waiting for you to explore, use technology to reach out and discover some fantastic opportunities. Always remember how you communicate to engage with others, even using social media, so you build up a strong network to support your future career. Good Luck.

A Career in IT?

by John Owen, Managing Director, Arcomit One of the interesting side-effects of the continued and accelerating advances in technology has been the opportunity it has provided sociologists and marketing experts to re-inforce their labelling of successive generations (from “pre-war” through “baby boomers” to X, Y and Z) by their degree of aptitude and comfort with new products and gadgets.

But does familiarity and easy-adoption translate into a flair for a career in IT or do the more traditional buildingblocks of sound learning and education still prevail?

Younger people are more techsavvy as they have grown up in a world surrounded by devices and that is all they have ever known.

A recent survey by O2 / Childwise found that 73% of 5 - 16 year olds (Generation Z) have either a laptop, PC or tablet and that they spend an average of 2.5 hours online per day. 49% of Millennials (aka Generation Y, by common consent born between 1980 & 1999) think they have an excellent knowledge of technology, with more than three quarters (76%) of them believing that this will make it easier for them to find a job.

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Is digital literacy becoming a minimum standard in the same way as maths and english? Or is it assumed that whilst everybody is proficient in using technology, very few are equipped with the skills needed to understand how systems work which may lead on to a career in IT? It’s certainly true that the advance of technology - from the virtualisation of servers through to the move to cloud-based solutions and applications - has led to a significant reduction in the number of IT managers supporting on-premises systems.

The choices involved for a technical career in IT now include working for a solutions reseller (such as Arcom where we design, build and support bespoke systems); becoming

a web-designer / application developer (e.g. business software or the huge number of gaming companies); or gaining a job at one of the larger software houses providing support to their reseller base. Looking after your own servers is increasingly a thing of the past - managing a SLA governing delivery of IT is far more likely.

Understanding how information flows is a key competency in our cloud-enabled world.

Faster and more reliable networks will continue to remove any geographical limitations and IT consultants will operate in virtual, boundary-less environments.

For those seeking to broaden their horizons, get acquainted

with the habits and customs of other countries. Whereas the fundamentals of Microsoft Office are the same the world over, it may help to be able to distinguish between greetings and insults in foreign languages!

As IT increasingly becomes more and more commoditised, the successful consultants will be those who add real value to their businesses through their deep understanding of the end to end process delivery. Logical minds honed by sound educational practices and allied to some real-life experience will always be in demand.

I’d recommend maths, English and a few months travelling the world!

Employment Law

A step too far for the Human Resources Department On a number of occasions, when advising clients about disciplining employees, we see the roles of human resources and management are confused.

In the case of Ramphal v Department for Transport, Mr Ramphal was employed by the Department for Transport (“DFT”) as an aviation security compliance inspector.

An investigation was launched by the DFT into suspected misconduct by Mr Ramphal about his expenses claims.

Mr Ramphal’s manager, Mr Goodchild, was appointed to carry out the investigation.

He was inexperienced in dealing with disciplinary proceedings and, consequently, relied heavily on the advice and guidance of the DFT’s human resources department when writing his investigatory report.

Mr Goodchild’s initial view was that Mr Ramphal had committed misconduct and the appropriate sanction was a final written warning. However, after consulting further with human resources, he decided to summarily dismiss Mr Ramphal on grounds of gross misconduct.

Upon being dismissed, Mr Ramphal brought a claim against his employer for unfair

dismissal. The Employment Appeals Tribunal (“EAT”) found that the changes in Mr Goodchild’s report following human resources’ involvement were considered 'disturbing' and so striking as to give rise to an inference of improper influence. The EAT considered that such influence exceeded the human resources department’s role in providing advice and, accordingly, it referred the matter back to the Tribunal for further consideration.

It is important that human resources advisers understand the extent of their involvement in a disciplinary. If they become too involved in the decisionmaking process, this may lead to dismissals being found to be unfair. This could expose an employer to unwelcome claims for compensation.

This may be a difficult balance for human resources advisers who want to use their experience and expertise to do the best for their business.

As solicitors, we benefit from legal professional advice privilege. This means that normally the advice given cannot be relied upon as part of Tribunal or Court proceedings. This is not a luxury available to human resources advisers, whose advice is disclosable as part of proceedings. Of course, we also cannot make decisions for our clients and ultimately, at times, these tough decisions still have to be made.

For any questions relating to the issues discussed in this article, please contact Alistair McArthur, the head of our employment team on 01189 977 4045.

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Health and Wellbeing

Your health is our number one priority Looking after yourself is important to us all, but with busier work, family and life commitments, sometimes our best intentions go astray, so knowing where you can turn for the right type of advice and treatment, when you need it, becomes really important.

Spire Clare Park Hospital is part of Spire Healthcare, the UK’s second largest private hospital group, with 38 hospitals and a number of additional clinics nationwide.

Our hospital in Crondall, Farnham, offers patients the very best quality of service with access to expert consultants and multidisciplinary teams with excellent facilities.

At Clare Park, we have extensive services including; breast surgery, cardiology, cosmetic surgery,

dermatology, fertility, ENT, gastroenterology, general surgery, gynaecology, Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence, paediatrics, pain management, urology, vein care and weight loss service. In addition, full support services are available for investigations, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation, including; pathology, radiology, physiotherapy and pharmacy.

We are very proud of the high quality healthcare we offer, our clinical governance performance, and the positive feedback we

About Spire Healthcare Spire Healthcare is a leading independent hospital group in the United Kingdom, with 38 hospitals, 12 clinics and two Specialist Care Centres across England, Wales and Scotland, treating insured, self-pay and NHS patients. The Group delivered tailored, personalised care to more than 260,000 in-

receive, including our patient satisfaction being very high in recent surveys, with 99% of respondents rating the overall quality of service and the care from their consultant and the hospital as excellent, very good, or good, with the same percentage saying they would recommend us to others. Spire Healthcare was also the first private hospital to publish clinical outcomes, and since 2006, Spire Clare Park is proud to say it has no reported cases of MRSA or C.Difficile infections, which

patients and daycase patients in 2014, and is the leading provider by volume of knee and hip operations in the United Kingdom.

Spire offers in-patient/daycase procedures in areas including orthopaedics, gynaecology, cardiology, neurology, oncology and general surgery and also diagnostic services including imaging and pathology. The Group also offers out-patient services, such as

is no mean feat, but extremely reassuring for our patients.

All these factors demonstrate that your health is our number one priority, and whether you wish to access our services through your private health insurance, or as a self-funding patient, we are always here and happy to help you.

For more information about Spire Clare Park Hospital, please contact: 01252 895 490, info@spireclarepark.com or visit our website; www.spireclarepark.com

consulting, minor procedures, treatments, health checks and physiotherapy.

In 2015, Spire Healthcare was voted Private Hospital Group of the year 2015

by Health Investor Magazine for the second year running.

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Health and Wellbeing

Promoting Positive Mental Wellbeing in the Workplace - Caroline Button from Becoming by Doing Refreshed from your Christmas break, or have you come back to work feeling emotionally exhausted from the demands of the season?

Our mental wellbeing, is a subject often brushed under the carpet, however, nearly 3 in every 10 employees will have a mental health problem in 2016 accounting to 91 million working days of absenteeism.

We British, famous for our stiff upper lip, are expected to remain silent, and just get on with it, keep saying to ourselves “we are strong,” “It will not happen to me,” until, as a client, observed

to me, “my wheels on my bus fell off and I came to a grinding halt.”

Mental ill health, is not confined to medically defined conditions such as depression or bipolar disorder, it can simply be struggling to cope with a host of different scenarios; those that are life changing: young family, elderly parents, divorce or bereavement, to the many and varied daily activities including, bully & harassment, financial concerns, work deadlines,

the M25 commute, the clash between work and parental responsibilities.

We can’t stop the stressful activities and events in our lives, yet by promoting a culture that dispels stigma, keeps communication channels open, and ensures managers can spot the signs of mental ill health and then can engage with the individual and their problems to find appropriate solutions ensures the individual can remain

in work during this period and avoid long term absenteeism.

How to achieve this environment?

There is a wealth of information out there, and individuals to guide and support you to ensure that a workforce can cope with the stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to continue to make a valuable contribution to the organisation.

Why not make it one of your top aims for 2016?

Do you have graduates, trainees or apprentices in your business?

Have you got space in their induction programme to include a workshop on nutrition that will benefit your business?

At Sarah Zorab Nutrition, we believe there is a strong link between what, when and how you eat and the productivity of the workforce.

Being new to a business and working hard to understand how everything works is a large undertaking. Our one-hour workshop can advise your trainees, graduates and apprentices on the right foods to eat to make their minds more alert, keep their energy levels stable and improve their focus, mood and stamina.

Sarah talks regularly to business of all shapes and sizes, and across all industries, in London and the South East.

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Typically, her talk looks at: • The right breakfast to start the day • Delicious, easy and economical lunches to bring to work • What to order from the local deli or shop • Healthy choices from the canteen For more information visit www.sarahzorab.co.uk

Health and Wellbeing

Have you a moment to do 1 thing 4 Oakleaf?

Who is Oakleaf Enterprise? Oakleaf Enterprise. We are asking We have set ourselves the target

How can you get involved?

everyone we know to do just 1 thing and donate the proceeds to support our work. The campaign will start in January so our clients can receive the benefits over the course of the coming year.

For further information, drop us a line at 1thing@oakleafenterprise.org and talk to us about how we can help you make your “1 thing” count or visit the campaign page at http://tinyurl.com/j7vl8xf At Oakleaf we see many small actions everyday that together have a huge, positive impact on the lives of our clients.

Please help us to do more with #1thing4oakleaf.

Oakleaf is the only mental health charity in Surrey working as a social enterprise to provide vocational training for those suffering from mental health issues.

We offer training in horticulture, upholstery and IT enabling people to acquire new skills and ultimately return to work.

What is #1thing4oakleaf? #1thing4oakleaf is a campaign to raise awareness and funds for

What is the objective?

As a social enterprise, we are able to provide training and support in an environment where our clients thrive, many moving on to meaningful employment or further education.

of raising enough funding to deliver 1,000 additional client training sessions in 2016.

What 1 thing can you do?

Anything you like! 1 dress-down day, 1 sponsored run or 1 collection would be the obvious choices but why not engage your team to come up with something different? If you are stuck for ideas let us know and we can provide an A to Z list of activities.

1 in 4 people in Surrey will suffer a psychiatric disorder at some point in their lives.

For 18 years Oakleaf has been providing help and support to some of the most vulnerable people in our community, those suffering or recovering from mental illness, enabling them to re-build their lives and rediscover their self-esteem and independence.

We believe that mental illness should not be a barrier to living a fulfilling and productive life. Oakleaf addresses the problems of social isolation, unemployment, poverty, discrimination and ill-health faced by those people with

mental health needs living in Surrey. As a social enterprise, we are able to provide training and support in an environment where our clients thrive, many gaining useful, industry-recognised qualifications.

Nearly 200 people access our vocational and social inclusion activities every week activities as varied as yoga, music, fitness and art, along with studying for qualifications to re-enter the workforce.

When clients are ready to look for work our Job Club provides practical help

and support to build a CV and develop interview skills and confidence.

Oakleaf works. Over the past year we have seen 44 of our clients move into meaningful employment or further education, and 96% tell us they feel less isolated.

Mental illness is not a typically ‘popular’ cause and is challenging to fund so we are very grateful to the Surrey businesses who fundraise for us and contribute to our success.

To know more about Oakleaf and the work we do, visit us at 101 Walnut Tree Close, Guildford, Surrey, GU1 4UQ, click on our website www.oakleaf-enterprise.org, call us on 01483 303649.

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Health and Wellbeing

5 good reasons to offer voluntary benefits to your employees Do you offer your employees anything more than a basic salary?

Here are our top 5 reasons for offering voluntary benefits to your employees 1) It’s a Win-Win! A good benefit scheme is a win-win for both employer and employee. Since voluntary benefits are met 100% by the employee, there are no cost constraints for the employer.

Group discounts are awarded to every single employee, leaving everyone feeling valued and motivated.

A good employee benefit scheme strikes a balance between being both affordable and easy to implement for businesses, whilst being attractive and rewarding enough for employees so as to increase motivation, productivity, and retention.

Today’s benefits for employees often focus on rewarding milestones achieved or targets hit for salespeople – but what about the rest of us? What about the person responsible for marketing your business and

coordinating events? The person who answers the telephone to book appointments and deal with cancellations? What about the team of people who manufacture your products, and the people who deal with holidays and payroll?

A good employee rewards scheme should focus on all employees, not just the few selling, or those at the top of the organisation. It should show employees on the shop floor and middle-tier staff that you value their input, which in turn develops highly motivated employees.

“A good employee rewards scheme should focus on all employees, not just the few selling, or those at the top of the organisation”

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2) The power to motivate I think everyone finds it hard to motivate themselves at work, at times. Rather than having benefits to reward us when we meet company goals and hit targets, would it not be far more inspiring to be offered benefits which are available at any time, even if you’ve had a bad month?

3) Morale booster Good rewards promote a happy and harmonious working environment which in turn can reduce absence and reduce costs for the company. Morale at the top is of little value if it is not trickling down the hierarchy.

Be sure to implement a benefit scheme that promotes 100% inclusion, and that benefits the range of benefits available offer “something for everyone”.

4) Maximum employee attraction and retention One thing you cannot buy is company loyalty, but benefits that provide for an employee’s wellbeing, by giving staff a helping hand and promoting enjoyment and relaxation, do go a long way to making an employee feel valued and appreciated, which in turn increases an employee’s allegiance.

In 2013, research commissioned

by Capita Employee Benefits found that from 3,000 respondents, 46% cited their benefits as a reason for staying with their current employer.

A benefit scheme which appeals to the wider audience also has the ability to draw talented candidates towards you, prompting them to apply f or jobs within your business.

5) A highly tuned and engaged workforce Offering benefits keeps employees happy and switched on. Employees tend to speak highly of their employers when great voluntary benefits are offered, which in turn can lead to recommendations and referrals.

About the author: Mr Zaheer Mohammed is Corporate Account Manager for Spire St Anthony’s Hospital, supporting businesses and organisations in Surrey with their employee retention and rewards strategy through a free voluntary benefit for employees at no cost to the employer.

For further information, please contact Zaheer Mohammed at zaheer.mohammed@spirehealthcare.com

Business News

What does the future hold for Buy to Let? Simon Lewis weighs up the financial cost of forthcoming changes to the financial dynamics of buy to let investment and concludes that the future is not so bright.

If increasing your buy to let portfolio or embarking on a new adventure as a buy to let investor was your New Year’s resolution, then there may be some unwelcome surprises for you on the horizon.

Buy to let investors have enjoyed relatively bountiful returns over the last 7 years but the tailwinds of slow supply growth, cheap borrowing, and quantitative easing induced asset price inflation are unlikely to prevail for much longer. In fact, the Chancellor has already set his sights on more readily harvesting some of the profits accrued by such investors, the least contentious of which is a new requirement (from April 2019) for capital gains tax liabilities to be settled within 30 days of sale compared to the current grace period of up to 20 months. This new mechanism will help to reduce tax evasion as well as improve the Treasury’s cash flow.

It will also apply to second homes.

However, the big changes to come relate to the impact of stamp duty land tax (SDLT) on the cost of purchase and the way that income tax is assessed on rental income. You might need a stiff drink before you read on.

November’s Autumn Statement announced a 3% SDLT surcharge

for buy to let and second homes, to apply from April 2016.

According to Rightmove, the average price of a terraced house in Surrey is £450,000. SDLT of £12,500 would currently be paid on its purchase. However, this will increase to £22,250 from April and the extra £9,750 represents an increase of 78% in the tax paid.

New rules that will fundamentally change the way that tax relief is granted to buy to let mortgage interest payments will be phased in over 3 years from April 2017.

Interest payments will no longer be deducted from rental income to determine taxable profit.

Instead, a separate relief will be calculated by reference to basic rate income tax on the interest payments.

Because the effect of the new rules will restrict tax relief to the

basic rate of income tax, you might conclude that they will not affect basic rate taxpayers.

This is not the case. To illustrate the point, consider Buy to Let Bob, who has established a portfolio of residential properties that generate income of £120,000 per annum net of expenses but before interest costs. He pays interest of £80,000 per annum on the associated buy to let mortgages. His taxable profit is therefore £40,000. After deduction of his personal allowance, he will pay tax of £5,880 (all at the basic rate).

If the new rules were now in effect, Buy to Let Bob would have a tax liability of £41,400 on income of £120,000. A basic rate tax reduction on the mortgage interest (£80,000 @20% = £16,000) would reduce the income tax payable to £25,400, meaning his income tax bill has more than quadrupled!

It is not only the Chancellor that appears to be taking a dim view of buy to let. In its December 2015 Financial Stability Report the Bank of England commented that since 2008, the aggregate value of residential property mortgages held by owner occupiers had increased by only 0.3% per annum on average. By comparison, the aggregate value of residential property mortgages held by buy to let investors has increased at an average of 5.9% per annum and more recently, the rate has increased to 10% per annum. In other words, much of the new lending from banks is to property investors rather than traditional homebuyers.

The Bank comments that credit losses (defaults) are running at roughly twice the rate of loans to owner occupiers and ominously concludes that there may be implications for financial stability.

Such considerations are a likely precursor to intervention. The Bank’s Financial Policy Committee (FPC) has been weighing up whether to utilise macro prudential tools, for example by requiring retail banks to hold ever greater reserves against such defaults. This would discourage demand for further lending of this type by effectively increasing the interest rate differential charged by lenders.

Finally, with the US Federal Reserve having increased its base interest rate in December 2015 there is speculation that the UK will follow suit by increasing the base rate before the end of 2016. The cost of borrowing is therefore set to rise.

These headwinds will easily dissipate the current rental yield of about 3.5% on properties in the South East. Buy to let investors might well be saved by capital appreciation but this is by no means certain and of course, is not liquid. Increased rates of SDLT will also act to discourage portfolio turnover.

It probably makes sense to avoid highly leveraged situations at the moment although unleveraged property investment continues to have some attraction as part of a strategy of wealth diversification. Do bear in mind that property is no longer a one way bet and you can never be sure what surprises lie in store…

Simon Lewis CEO Partridge Muir & Warren www.pmw.co.uk

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International Trade

Surrey Chambers of Commerce are delighted to launch the International Trade Training Course for 2016 This year we are increasing the number of topics cover to ensure that all of the requirements for businesses who are exporting or looking to export are covered.

Each course is run by an accredited trainer who have many years of experience to train and teach the delegates new skills and develop the delegates understanding of international trade and help your business to export efficiently and effectively.

All of our courses are ideal for those who are new to exporting or are thinking about possible starting to

export in the future. They are also ideal for any experienced export staff to refresh their knowledge and for new starters / in-experienced staff to your business.

To celebrate the launch of the international trade training events for 2016, we are

delighted to offer a special offer of ‘book 3 places at one of our training courses for the price of 2’. (T&C: 3 for 2 Offer expires on 1 April 2016 and does not include Developing a Global Mind-set event on 5 February or any nonInternational Trade event)

If you would like to take advantage of this offer or find out more about the training course, please contact Gary Hayes, international trade manager at gary.hayes@surrey-chambers.co.uk

Want to export? Pick up the phone!

Whether exporting is something you are considering, or have tried already, it is safe to say that it comes with plenty to consider. Firstly, how will you find your clients?

B2B Telemarketing is a cost efficient avenue to consider when it comes to finding and creating new business opportunities. For example, it can be used on the back of an

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e-marketing campaign, or to follow up a piece of direct mail.

At Perfect Pitch, we have a pool of foreign language speakers who call globally. Our team regularly book appointments for our clients

to meet with prospects, or register delegates to attend seminars.

We also offer customer service calls and market research survey completion.

We have strengthened our offering by using foreign nationals as the voice of our campaigns. By using natives, not only do you have a reliable language speaker, but also, you obtain cultural knowledge which can help you get the edge. You would be surprised at how far knowing about the local cuisine can get you on a business call!

When calling abroad, ensure your marketing material is suitably adapted. You don’t want the opportunity to go cold due to your copy being in the wrong language.

Furthermore, it’s important to research the area you are calling, and preserve your budget by being aware of typical working hours and public holidays.

If used correctly, telemarketing can increase brand awareness, fatten up your pipeline, and potentially uncover golden opportunities.

There’s a reason it has such an attractive ROI (B2B - 1000%), but it needs to be used intelligently.

It’s not enough just to have a language speaker, you need them to be trained in telemarketing!

So, if you want to ride the export wave, and open up your business to a whole new gateway of opportunity, before you set sail, think about the potential telemarketing could bring!

Business Support

Businesses need to be prepared for Cybercrime Attacks Robert Bond, partner and head of Charles Russell Speechlys’ internationally acclaimed data protection and cyber security team, joined forces with DI Andy Haslam, head of Surrey & Sussex Police Cyber Crime Unit to advise Surrey businesses about how to prepare for and tackle cybercrime attacks.

The event, at Charles Russell Speechlys’ offices in One London Square on November 11th, was attended by over 40 local businesses, keen to find out more on how to deal with this increasingly prevalent and potentially destructive corporate crime.

The speakers talked about a variety of internal and external threats, including disgruntled employees misusing client and staff data; emails with sensitive data inadvertently sent to the wrong recipient; and hackers infiltrating a company website.

They asked businesses to be wary of phishing emails requesting changes to bank mandates or clicking on email links or attachments which could contain damaging viruses.

According to Robert Bond who is also an author on data protection, information security and cyber risks, “Businesses should never

be ashamed of admitting there has been a data breach or they have been a victim of cybercrime.

However, they should be ashamed if they did not have processes and procedures in place to anticipate such events.”

He explained that new laws may require that data breaches are reported to the Information Commissioner within 72 hours and that data breach subjects must be alerted under current laws. Depending on the attack, a business may be investigated and have to pay a fine if they have not complied with the Data Protection Act. The fine can sometimes be reduced if it’s evident that the business had all the processes in place to protect itself from such an incident.

“In my view, it’s not the fine that could be the most damaging to a business,” explained Robert, “The biggest damage from a corporate cyberattack is the reputational one

4. Appoint a rapid reaction task to your brand. Losing trust is far force/information security officer more detrimental to businesses and make sure the business of all sizes than any other fall out has agreed procedures and it can take years to build that trust policies in place should a back again.” breach of security or Robert’s advice to business cyberattack happen. included the following top five tips: 5. Make sure you know what 1. Have strong antivirus software security measures your third and keep your software up-toparty suppliers have in place date with the latest patches.

- such as your outsourced IT 2. Require everyone in the or HR companies who will have business to change their access to your data, data which passwords on a regular basis. you are liable for.

3. Think twice before clicking on Robert Bond highlighted the emails - especially if there’s importance of increasing coa link or attachment which operation between businesses you weren’t expecting. If you and the police. DI Andy Haslam receive a request to change advised businesses to report details on a bank mandate, cybercrime attacks to ActionFraud telephone the company you on 0300 123 2040 as the more believe it is from to verify that intelligence the police has on internet crime, the better equipped the information you have they will be to address it. received by email is correct.

Visit www.cybersafesurrey.org or www.cyber-essentials-scheme.co.uk for further information on how to prevent or deal with cybersecurity issues.

Tailor-Made Security Solutions At Shield Security we understand that no two clients are the same.

We offer a personal risk assessment to all our customers so that we are able to find the right solution for you.

Shield Security services include: Key holding Emergency response Our key holding service means that we securely store a spare set of keys to your home or business, so that no matter what happens to your main set of keys or wherever your registered key holder is, you can still gain access to your premises.

Our complete range of cost-effective services are available 24/7, 365 days, and we pride ourselves on providing a high-quality, personalised service.

All keys are unmarked and stored in an electronic ‘keywatcher’ management system, at our 24/7 manned headquarters.

What happens if your intruder or fire alarms are activated out of hours, or if you’re unable to respond?

Shield’s emergency response service provides guaranteed attendance at your home or business by one of our fully trained guards, no matter what time day or night.

Many of our clients combine our key holding service with other support services such as emergency response or locking/unlocking.

For full details of all our services visit: www.shieldsecurity.co.uk For a FREE, no obligation risk assessment at your business or home, contact us today: 01252 319 899 | admin@shieldsecurity.co.uk Quoting reference: sc10

theChamber 35

Members News

Support and funding for IP

By Jonathan Bancroft, Venner Shipley LLP

The benefits of protecting your intellectual property (IP) are far reaching.

It may be that you have identified a completely new business sector and wish to deter others from entering the

marketplace; it may be that your IP is what allows you to charge a premium for your product, and you wish to make consumers aware of this with a “patent pending” mark; or you may be trying to entice investors.

Companies are sometimes deterred from seeking patent protection due to the perceived high cost of the process.

However, the patent system is designed to defer the largest costs, such as entering foreign jurisdictions, until it can be determined whether the product is going to be commercially successful.

It should be stressed that the patent should be filed as soon as possible, and before any marketing material is published.

The initial outlay comes from drafting the patent, the cost of which varies depending on the complexity but will usually run to several thousand pounds. The UK government recommends using a patent attorney, as patent law is a complex field that lends itself to many pitfalls.

For a fledgling company with no immediate sales on the horizon, it may seem difficult to justify the initial expenditure on a patent application. However, this figure must be viewed in terms of the revenue or investment that the patented product will ultimately bring the company. A patent for a truly innovative product may be vital to prevent competitors from

simply copying your idea.

The good news is that there are several ways by which UK SMEs can reduce the cost of IP protection. For example, Innovate UK provide a £5000 voucher to cover the cost of expert advice.

Further government support comes in the form of “Smart” and R&D tax credits.

TSB provide Catapult Centres, intended to bring together businesses and research institutions to help transform ideas into products.

Finally, the HMRC’s Patent Box scheme significantly reduces the rate of corporation tax on profits that can be attributed to a patented product, from the usual 20% down to 10%.

For a successful product, this can easily recoup the costs of obtaining IP protection.

High Achievers Reach for the Stars Explorer and anthropologist Benedict Alllen joined graduates and award winners of all ages to help celebrate their achievements at the Guildford College group graduation and awards ceremony at G Live.

Guest of Honour Benedict, from the BBC TV series ‘Skeleton Coast’ and ‘Ice Dogs’ captivated the audience with tales of how he trekked through the Amazon rain forest where he was hunted and shot at, and his adventures in the remote wilds of Siberia, the Mongolian steppe and Altai mountains.

Those who had received foundation degrees, higher national certificates, higher national diplomas, degrees and professional qualifications donned caps and gowns and processed across the stage to receive commemorative certificates from the principal, Benedict Allen and the High Sheriff of Surrey, Elizabeth Kennedy.

Officially opening the ceremony, Dr Mike Potter CBE, principal and chief executive of the Guildford College Group, said that he viewed the event as “The pinnacle of the College’s performance and one which justifiably merits very special attention and celebration”.

Later in the event, 22 individual students from Guildford, Merrist Wood and Farnham sixth form colleges received special student of the year awards for outstanding academic achievement or for conquering adversity to succeed in their studies.

He also talked about the college’s high success rates on degree level programmes and other notable achievements throughout the academic year.

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The award-winning students were Arrianne Leversuch, Alex Brown, Iryna Shevchuk, Bonnie Jarrad, Nicole Lawrence, Dominic Tuffy, Billy Perrott, Colin Garland, Tammy Mayes,

Laura Vandensteen, Samantha Warren, Rachel Barrie, Jack Hall, Isabella Fowler, Om Gurung, Andrew Watson, Josh Noakes, Trudie Bree, Ashley Dart, Jane Francis, James Barrow and Lois King.

They were sponsored by ALPS Partnership Ltd, the Unique Communications Agency, Lloyds Bank, the Eagle radio, Morgan Hunt, DVH Man & Van, Big City Banners, Stevens & Bolton, RSM, Surrey Chambers of Commerce, Surrey Police, Guildford Borough Council, Jon Treasure Tree Services, TG Media Group, Baroness Margaret Sharp, Rokers Animal Feeds, the Old Farnhamians’ Association and the Guildford College Corporation.

The students demonstrated some incredible stories of achievement. Isabella Fowler achieved a distinction grade in her public services course

as well as completing an additional course which is a pre-entry requirement for joining the police. Isabella has just been offered an appointment as a Surrey police officer.

Tammy Mayes, disabled mother of four children, sometimes was unable to attend class due to her health problems but always caught up. During the last academic year, she and her husband have been involved in launching a book on the impact of poverty in peoples lives.

Supported learning student Alex Brown, who has ASD and bilateral hearing loss, has thrived on his course and recently took part in work experience at a local bookshop, increasing his interest in books and reading.

The ceremony was opened and closed with performances by the college’s dance and performing arts students.

Members News

Jargon busting for SMEs

By Angus Dent, CEO, ArchOver

The varied funding structures used by new companies can be a bewildering topic for the uninitiated, not least because they are mired in financial jargon. Let’s cut through the jargon and take a look at the key concepts.

When any company is created, or in its early stages, it is described as a startup. They are often not profitable or even generating revenue.

Thus, they desperately require a financial lifeline to help navigate through this formative period.

This seed capital, as it is known, is usually equity rather than debt and allows startups to invest in areas such as product development and general operations.

It is hard to come by from traditional funders such as banks, or venture capitalists, as it considered a very high risk investment, so startup directors must often look to friends, family and their own savings.

It is also likely that some angel investors (like TV’s dragons) will be interested in investing at this very early stage.

Latterly, crowdfunding platforms have also offered funding.

If the startup moves forward, the business may then be in a position to launch a new round of funding. This is likely be referred to as a Series A funding round and may be followed by a Series B, C, D and so on. These are sometimes termed alphabet rounds.

These will usually be for a stake in the business, though some businesses may offer debt instead if their balance sheets are robust and directors do not want to dilute their ownership.

Unlike the initial round, the business will now likely be able to attract institutional investment from venture capitalists to stabilise them over the medium-term.

Venture capitalists invest through a business, rather than as

individuals or part of a syndicate as angel investors do, and also tend to offer larger amounts than angels. They will likewise offer a growing business support and contacts to help them, but will generally take a more active role in its running and require a seat on the board.

Companies with more robust balance sheets will now be in a position to seek out senior debt in the form of loans secured against assets of the business.

Senior debtholders are those that are most likely to be repaid in the event that a business gets into financial difficulty.

Gaining a loan from a bank at this this stage of development is notoriously difficult however.

As such, businesses are increasingly turning to newer sources of finance, such as

marketplace lending platforms, to provide them with the credit lines they need.

Others businesses that lack assets against which to secure debt, or the stable cash flows to service it, may look to invoice financing to improve their cash flow.

Invoice financing can be split into discounting and factoring, both of which involve the third party finance provider advancing the money owed to a business by its customers, minus a service fee.

These types of funding will suffice to meet the business requirements of many companies, allowing for growth while keeping ownership in private hands. The next step, if the company chooses, is to go public with anIPO (Initial Public Offering).

Pirbright Tony’s sausage is best in Surrey The Surrey committee of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (R.A.B.I), organised a competition to find the best sausage in Surrey and veteran Tony - who has been a butcher in Pirbright for 60 years - won out at the charity’s dinner at the Wotton House Hotel in Dorking.

Tony said: “I was a bit surprised, but my dad, who was also a butcher, always made good sausages.

He told me ‘if you make good sausages, you’ll make a good business’.

“The secret is high quality meat and natural skins, along with seasoning such as sage, thyme, salt and pepper.”

About 170 guests attended the Dorking dinner, where they sampled and voted for their favourite locally produced sausage from the shortlisted finalists. The Surrey committee of R.A.B.I originally asked local butchers to create a sausage recipe based on their interpretation of ‘the flavours of Surrey’ and 10 butchers signed up to compete.

Members of Beare Green Young Farmers Club served drinks and waited on guests and the night raised more than £15,000 for R.A.B.I, farming’s oldest welfare charity.

MC Tim Kenny kept proceedings flowing and R.A.B.I trustee Malcolm Thomas spoke to diners about the work the charity is doing to help those in financial

need in the farming world. John and Georgina Emerson, who suffered during the Foot and Mouth crisis, gave a personal account of how R.A.B.I helped them, while TV presenter and vet Steve Leonard entertained everyone with stories about his career, including ‘the top 10 ways to die at the hands of a wild animal’.

theChamber 37

Members News

A venue to remember

Brooklands Museum, the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, is located in Weybridge, and with direct trains to London and less than 30 minutes from Heathrow, it is an ideal location for meetings and events.

With the demand for more memorable and original experiences increasing, Brooklands Museum offers the perfect opportunity to organise an event that gets people talking - not only with its fascinating and unique exhibitions and landscape but also with its stylish function rooms.

With extensive outdoor space, seven dedicated event rooms and a world class collection of historic Motoring and Aviation exhibits including Concorde, all of which can be used as hospitality spaces, it is an ideal Venue to meet all your hospitality requirements.

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Special Offer for events in January & February

10% off day delegate packages

Book your dinner at the Museum and enjoy a complimentary glass of sparkling wine in the ERA exhibition surrounded by a world famous collection of Classic cars and motorcycles Book your event in the Vickers suite and receive complimentary tickets on our new and thrilling 4D red arrows experience

For more information please contact: 01932 858005 or email: hospitality@brooklandsmuseum.com

www.brooklandsmuseumhospitality.com

Design & Development

There are many career paths, but are they all easy to follow?

With the focus of this issue being young people, I thought I might offer comment on how we could better design the services and pathways they take when thinking about their careers.

It is something we at FdK have been thinking about for a while and led to us setting up a year-long, paid graduate placement to help give design graduates that all-important work experience straight out of university.

Our placement is now in its second year and we are proud of what we have done so far, but after speaking with a client’s apprentice about his experience so far, I wonder if we, along with other businesses and schools should be doing more to promote apprenticeships and other career paths as much as University.

From our conversation, two things stood out to me: The first

was hearing just how much this opportunity means to him as he didn’t do well in his AS exams and didn’t feel like he had much academic skill at all. What he does have is a love for computers and building websites, which led him to scoring this apprenticeship.

He now earns a good wage and works on some projects he never thought he would be working on at the age of 17.

The other thing that stood out was that, much like myself when I was in school, he knew very little about apprenticeships being an option, especially ones covering web development and other STEM subjects, so he was very lucky to get the job he did.

Ofsted believes too few young people are going into apprenticeships but considering what I have heard, are they and schools really doing enough to promote them? And are they treated as an equally viable option compared with A-Levels and University?

The main concern is that the academic route through A-Levels to University is far easier and more accessible than others, discouraging young people from seeking out alternative paths that could be more relevant and beneficial for them.

Also, schools seem keen to hold on to bright students for financial reasons, encouraging them to stay at school and follow up with a degree course, which would explain why so many young people don’t know about the alternatives and why some end up and University without truly wanting or needing to be there.

It is true that, with some industries, degrees are vitally important, but with many others this just isn’t the case and it’s time to rethink and redesign the approach we take when guiding future generations.

Of course, the responsibility doesn’t just fall on schools.

Businesses large and small should definitely be doing more too: Apprenticeships, school visits, advice and mentoring.

Anything to help make young people aware of the options they have.

Apprenticeships are especially worth promoting and offering as they can grant degree-level qualifications without all the debt associated with finishing University.

The Surrey Careers Fair will provide a great chance for youngsters to learn about the pathways available to them and we hope to see many of you there!

Written by Ollie de Kretser PR & Online Communications Manager FdK Design Consultants Twitter - @FdK_Studio ollie@fdk.co.uk 01483 243565

“Ofsted believes too few young people are going into apprenticeships but considering what I have heard, are they and schools really doing enough to promote them? ”

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Technology Showcase

Major Tim’s mission boosts UK Space sector The mission that took UK astronaut Major Tim Peake into Space is not just an exciting news story but is set to have a dramatic impact on the companies developing technology being developed in the UK to aid exploration.

Many UK companies are involved in what is a rapidly-growing sector, working either to develop Space technology itself or the experiments being carried out on the International Space Station (ISS).

The latest mission saw European Space Agency astronaut Major Tim, the first official Briton in Space, blast off with NASA astronaut Tim Kopra and Russian cosmonaut commander Yuri Malenchenko in mid-December.

They arrived at the International Space Station six hours after their

launch and, after the Soyuz TMA19M spacecraft, docked the trio be welcomed aboard by Russian cosmonauts Mikhail Korniyenko and Sergei Volkov, and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly.

The event marked the start of a sixmonth mission and the culmination of six years of training for Tim since he was selected for the European astronaut corps in 2009.

During the Principia mission, Tim will work on dozens of experiments for researchers on Earth as he orbits our planet at 28 800 km/h.

Highlights include growing crystals and blood vessels in space, simulating atomic structures and charting areas in the brain as they adapt to stressful situations.

The team will work 40-hour weeks conducting experiments and maintaining the Station and throughout the mission the UK Space Agency will be running a £3 million programme of education activities, bringing the excitement of Space to classrooms and venues across the country and encouraging interest in STEM subjects.

There is also expected to be a knock-on effect on businesses working on technologies designed to be used in Space.

A report published in 2014 showed that the UK space industry contributes £10.8 billion a year to national GDP and supported 72,000 jobs through indirect effects in addition to the 34,300 jobs supported by direct employment.

The drive to increase the sector really started to gather pace in 2012 when the UK committed funding for the first time to the European Life and Physical Sciences (ELIPS)

programme and the ISS Utilisation programme: 16m€ was committed to ELIPS over a four year period, and 20m€ to the ISS as a ‘one-off’ contribution, the first time the UK had been involved in human spaceflight, and the decision was based upon detailed business cases prepared by the UK Space Agency in consultation with scientific and industrial communities and other government bodies.

In 2014, the Agency again pledged money to the ISS. This money, £49.2 million, gives UK researchers continued access to the $100 billion ISS programme, allowing them to use the unique environment of space to carry out research and make important advances in areas such as materials science, additive manufacturing and medical / biological sciences. The money will also be invested in the demonstration of a UK-built communications terminal for the European module of the ISS, lunar research activities - preparing for the likely next destination after the ISS, and developing key flight hardware.

Working at the centre of the space technology sector Global space technology is a fast-growing industry and is set to grow even further to reach the Government’s target of expanding Britain’s share of the expected £40 billion space-enabled market to 10% by 2030.

Partner at Alliotts Accountants Chris Cairns, specialising in the technology sector, has been working closely with the space technology industry over the past two years and has seen a huge growth in the sector in the UK. Chris is based at Alliotts Accountants in Guildford - a space technology hub - and also has a satellite office at Harwell Campus in Oxfordshire, a world leading technology hub, home to 200 organisations in the technology sector.

Chris said: “With offices in Guildford, home to the University of Surrey’s Surrey Space Incubator, and our satellite office at Harwell, south of Oxford, we are uniquely placed at the centre of the action and are currently working with some exciting companies in the

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space technology sector advising them on business growth and providing them with financial advice.

“We have been involved with Surrey University’s technology innovation hub, Set Squared, for a number of years and regularly sponsor the Surrey 100 Club, the South East’s leading Angel Investor Network which provides advice and support for early stage technology businesses looking for seed funding.

“The office in Harwell has been running for about a year and has really helped to cement our expertise in this sector. Harwell is an amazing place and is home to some really innovative and cutting edge companies.

It is incredibly inspiring to be able to work here and it has given me real insight into the industry.

“The space technology industry is very different from other sectors in many ways and entrepreneurs involved with it need to make sure that their business advisors and accountants truly understand and appreciate how it operates in order to help them maximise their success and growth.

Chris’s role has also involved working with Oxfordshire Business Support’s Space Network Navigators which provide advice and guidance to businesses and help to link clusters and networks. He has been providing financial advice for large space

technology businesses abroad looking to set up at Harwell.

Mark Burrows,Science and Technology Facilities Council, Harwell Campus Development Manager said: “Chris, with his friendly outgoing personality. is often on hand to help the start-up companies. He is highly respected, his advice is heeded and overall comes over as one of the key team players that is contributing towards the development of the Harwell Campus.”

Angus Horner, Director of the Harwell Campus Partnership, said: “Chris has been a great addition to the supporting infrastructure for companies on Campus. His and Alliotts' contacts in the Space and other industry sectors are untypical of similar professional advisers."

Applying Ancient Mastering the technology at events Wisdom - how an AV expert can add value If you have been tasked with organising a business conference or event and it is not your full time job, there are many elements that you need to consider - venue, seating, food, guest list etc.

One element that inevitably gets pushed to the bottom of the list is the audio visual element of the day yet it is one thing that can make or break a good event.

Neil Walker is production director at event management and party planning experts MGN Events.

He is experienced in providing strategic technical support to clients for a wide range of events.

Here he looks at the key elements to think about when planning the audio visual (AV) element of an event.

In house v external supplier Sometimes a venue may use their own in house AV expert but, if not, then think about what you may need from an external supplier and set an appropriate budget. Get a few quotes so that you can judge where you are getting the best service and the best price combined. Don’t use a firm just because they cost less than others - you really do get what you pay for. Make sure that they share your vision of the event and that you can work with them.

Provide a clear brief It is up to the technical team to ensure that your vision of the event becomes reality. Any AV supplier will need as much information as possible when organising the day. They will need to know details such as duration, number of attendees, seating style, room dimensions, format of the event, equipment required in terms of microphones, power leads, projectors, all devices to be supported, types of ports and content to be displayed.

Site visit A site visit with your AV provider will help them to recce what is already on site that may fit your requirements. They will need to be able to see where power sockets are located, what internet access is available, what projection facilities are like, room access and parking to unload equipment.

On the day The technical team is there to make sure that everything runs smoothly on the day. If they are professional and experienced, they will make your job easier and the speaker’s role less stressful.

AV technicians will have sound checked everything in advance to ensure that speakers are positioned and working correctly, they will check hand held and lapel microphones and ensure that the slide show or Powerpoint is ready for presenters.

They will also be on hand should there be any technical glitches.

They are a vital support on the day and their expertise should not be underestimated.

Getting the audio visual technology right is a vital part of your event planning, so make sure you budget accordingly and have professionals on hand to provide support and help to make your event stress free.

For more information, please visit: www.mgnevents.co.uk

Sam Farrow, Managing and Creative Director of Farrow Creative tells us what drives great design communications.

In discussions about design, it’s never long before someone comes out with the famous line: ‘Form follows function’.

Coined by the American architect Louis Sullivan in 1896, this simple principle - that the shape of a building or object should be primarily based on its intended function or purpose - has become one of the basic laws of the universe for us as designers.

Sullivan himself attributed the thought behind it to the Roman architect, engineer and author Vitruvius, who declared that a structure must be firmitas, utilitas, venustas - solid, useful, beautiful. It speaks volumes that we’re still following his advice 2,000 years later, even though today we’re working with iMacs, code and pixels, not chisels, marble and stone.

Ultimately, everything we do as designers has the same purpose: to communicate a message. So our starting-point for any campaign or design project is always: what do you want to say, and who do you want to say it to? Sometimes, those simple questions change everything. A client might come to us wanting an ad, for

example, but direct mail might actually be a more effective way to reach the target market.

Likewise, if all your customers are local, highly specialised, or in a specific demographic group, does the theoretical global reach offered by social media really help you much?

To go back to Sullivan, the form of any campaign must always be dictated by its function.

The same is true of a website, brochure or any other piece of design. Thanks to Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and countless image libraries, creating something beautiful isn’t really that difficult. You might even win an award (and who doesn’t want that?!) But if it doesn’t do its job or achieve its objectives, it fails to satisfy Vitruvius’s requirements of solidity and usefulness. Put simply, if it’s not an effective communication and business tool, it’s not good design: it’s just pretty pictures and clever words.

And it really matters to us.

Because while we may not be building Vitruvius’s aqueducts, or Sullivan’s skyscrapers, we still want to do work that stands the test of time.

For further information please call 01730 710033 www.farrowcreative.co.uk

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Technology Showcase

New Year, New Digital Strategy Happy New Year, folks. Well, as if to anticipate the question on everyone’s lips in January, what’s your New Year’s Resolution this year?

Using video to boost sales is easily within reach for Surrey SME’s Taking the first step to commissioning a video can be daunting. Knowing where to start, what to create and what budget to set aside can prove challenging for businesses.

But with 73% of consumers more likely to buy a product or sign up for a service after having watched a video that explains it1, the opportunity for small to medium sized businesses is huge.

Surrey based video production company From the Hip Video helps SME’s to take that first step to unlocking video’s potential, providing the know-how and creativity without the jargon.

Dan Neatherway, Founder of From the Hip Video states “We are all turning more and more to video to help us decide on what products or services to buy. Videos help answer the questions we have and can help give us the confidence that a product is right for us.

For example, a short video that interviews key staff builds confidence that a business is a thought leader and expert in their field; a detailed product demo video can develop an understanding of how a product is unique versus its competitors; a video of happy customer testimonials on a company’s website can build trust and assurance in their product and a series of videos posted on a company’s website to respond to frequently asked questions can encourage a feeling of being supported 24/7.”

Using video in marketing is within reach of SME’s and From the Hip Video has already enabled many of Surrey Chambers’ members, from software companies to dental practices, of varying sizes and with differing budgets, to use video to help guide their prospective customers to a purchase.

If you would like to explore how you could start using video in your marketing in 2016 call us on 0844 375 8876

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Instead of trying to give up chocolate or join the gym (you’re never going to stick with it are you?!) how about making your resolution something you will stick to?

At Canvas Digital, we’ve drawn up our top five tips for making 2016 the year your digital marketing really takes off - and when you see the benefits they deliver you won’t want to give up on them!

1 Revamp your website January is typically a quiet month for most businesses, and as such it’s the perfect time for making significant changes to your website whether it’s a redesign or a new site entirely.

2 Commit to content marketing With web research the most compelling factor in researching decisions, findings show that marketing teams are funnelling half of their 2016 budgets into content marketing. These efforts ensure useful material keeps your customers loyal and makes you more attractive to prospects.

3 Try something new The beauty of digital marketing is how easy it is to prototype something new and, vitally, how quickly and easily you can measure the success of that activity.

Commit to being bold and trying a new approach to your marketing; whether it’s a new look and feel in your design, or trying to engage your customers in an entirely new channel like social. See what works, and do more of it! What have you got to lose?

4 Crunch some data The chances are that if you’ve had any kind of online presence for any period of time, you have got a lot of analytical data at your disposal. Whether it is from social channels, email marketing, or web, there will be a lot of information about your users and their habits.

But when was the last time you really took a long hard look at it? By crunching some data you can expose some fascinating information about what your customers engage with and what drives those all-important enquiries.

5 Commit to video Let’s face it we’re lazy people by nature. Show us all the carefully crafted copy you like, but we’d much rather click ‘PLAY’ and have someone explain a potentially complicated concept to us in 45 seconds, saving us all that reading. The production costs of video have never been lower and all video trend data shows us that users love this type of content.

So there you have it. Stick with these five and you’ll get your 2016 plans off to a really great start. And of course, we’re always here to help if you need us. www.canvas-digital.co.uk @canvas_digital

New Members

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies: All Things Nice Nicci Potts Nicci@AllThingsNice-Ewell.co.uk Hotels/restaurants/venue De Vere Venues Sunningdale Pratik Lad plad@deverevenues.co.uk Hotels/restaurants/venue Dolly Goes Dancing Lucie Oliver TheParlour@Dollygoesdancing.com Retail/wholesale Essential Business Training Paul Brown paul.brown@essentialbusinesstraining.net Training & Education Everest Spice Vadilal Shah info@everestspiceepsom.co.uk Hotels/restaurants/venue Haines Watts Chartered Accountants Daniel Morgan dmorgan@hwca.com Accounting Home Instead Senior Care Paul Tame paul.tame@homeinstead.co.uk Health & Wellbeing Invotra Alex Roebuck Alex.roebuck@invotra.com None

iTrust Digital Marketing Ltd Doug Mathieson doug@itrust-reviews.com Marketing & PR Jack Media Surrey Ltd Maureen Alexander maureen.alexander@jackfm.co.uk Marketing & PR

Mazars LLP Pamela Chatterjee pamela.chatterjee@mazars.co.uk Financial services Paul Jay Associates Paul Jay pauljay@pauljayassociates.co.uk

Jackie Quinn Award Winning Estate Agents Jackie Quinn jackie@jackiequinn.co.uk Construction & Property

Business Consultants

Lime Street HR Limited Helen Taylor helen@limestreethr.com Recruitment & HR

Financial services

Lucozade Powerleague Sunbury Aaron Bullock sunbury@powerleague.co.uk Leisure & Entertainment Maria Franzoni Ltd Maria Franzoni maria@mariafranzoni.com Business Consultants Masters of Epsom Geoff Masters mastersofepsom@hotmail.com Retail/wholesale

Thesis Asset Management Plc Kate Nathoo kate.nathoo@thesis-plc.com

V1 Sales and Marketing Limited Sam Bufton sambufton47@gmail.com Business Consultants Xierra Consulting Ltd Andrew Lee andrew@xierraconsulting.com Business Consultants Yomp Marketing Elliott Pike elliott@yomp.biz Marketing & PR

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Members News

projectfive are the best IT Reseller for SME’s in the UK Surrey-based IT Support company, projectfive, wins a prestigious award at the computer industry’s CRN Awards.

The team at projectfive were absolutely delighted and completely surprised to win the SMB Reseller of the Year award at the 22nd Computer Reseller News’s Award ceremony in Battersea.

They’re no strangers to winning awards, having recently won the ‘Employer of the Year 2015’ award in Camberley, beating 380 other businesses but this one will be remembered as a massive achievement for them, and a major milestone in their continued growth.

At a glitzy evening in Battersea in November, the projectfive team were thrilled when they heard Rob Brydon announce that they had won. Several thousand of the IT Industry’s key people were at the award ceremony, which is a major date in the industry’s calendar.

The CRN ‘SMB Reseller of the Year’ award recognises excellence in the delivery of solutions, service and support to small and medium sized businesses. The other firms who were shortlisted all appeared to be much bigger than Surreybased projectfive - but the judges

spotted something a little special about this well-known local firm and Surrey Chambers’ member.

Steve Coburn, the managing director of projectfive, and a great supporter of Surrey Chambers, said “It’s our greatest achievement to date - to be recognised at such a prestigious UK-wide computer industry event as the Best IT Reseller for SMEs in the UK is a fantastic achievement for us - we’re all very proud of ourselves, and really pleased that the judges were able to see how special we are.”

“We know we’re a small company and we have a long journey ahead of ourselves. We’re hoping that this award will give us a huge boost in our visibility within the IT industry. We know we’ve got a

good story and are striving to do things differently. All we’ve got to do now is figure out how to keep this momentum going!”

Sarah Giles, the operations director at projectfive, said “It means so much to us as a business, and individually, to be recognised in this way.

All 24 members of the team are buzzing and really proud of what we’ve achieved. Now, it’s back down to earth, as we concentrate on making sure we continue to look after our customers…”

The Surrey Chambers’ team are really pleased to see a local Surrey-based business win such an award and to be recognised on the UK stage. It’s proof that great things are happening in Surrey.

Building for the future Here at Wilkins Kennedy, keeping up to date with all the latest rules and regulations means that our staff and partners are learning all the time.

All are required to take advantage of our extensive training and development programmes and this is particularly important for our many audit, accounts and tax trainees as they work hard towards their target of becoming qualified accountants.

Wilkins Kennedy actively encourages students and young people to train with the firm in order to develop themselves and achieve their full potential. Their fresh ideas and an enthusiasm to learn are extremely beneficial to us. In addition, youngsters often come fully-equipped with practical IT skills and so, when it comes to using cloud accounting, for example, they are ready to hit the ground running. In fact many highly experienced staff and partners find themselves learning a thing or two from our students!

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In terms of culture, we also recognise that bringing more young people in to Wilkins Kennedy produces new blood in to a firm that is 133 years old and that is something really important to us. Despite our age, Wilkins Kennedy has a diverse and varied employee group but we pride ourselves on creating and growing our staff’s knowledge and expertise, even after they are qualified. We do this through effective and ongoing training and development programmes, so that they can achieve their career aspirations as quickly as possible. The right candidates can move to partner level at a young age - and we have some of the very best partners on board.

Not only does this mean we are well-placed to offer more young people an excellent career path and an incentive to stay with us

for the long term, but we are also an attractive place to come to work. Word quickly spreads about our trainee and apprenticeship programmes that we have on offer and we are frequently approached by colleges and parents asking about our latest placement opportunities.

It is not just students from the UK who take up work placements with us. We are lucky enough to be able to welcome students from abroad too. We know that for many relocating students it can be an unnerving experience, but we try to make them feel as “at home” as possible and we have been known to really throw them in to the deep end of local culture from attending football matches to a meal at the local pub.

We also try to expose our students to as varied a range of

practical experience as possible from preparing, analysing and testing through to evaluating documents and compiling reports. We even get them involved with our clients too and let them look after some accounts to really get the “hands on” experience that we at Wilkins Kennedy put at the heart of our business. It doesn’t matter whether you are an apprentice or a partner, everyone has one-to-one contact with clients so that it helps build and develop an effective relationship.

In return, our trainees get the chance to work with a top-20 firm, which is a great opportunity for them. We encourage them to stay after they’ve completed their studies and, in fact, we have several partners who started out with work placements at Wilkins Kennedy.

Members News

Surrey Chambers of Commerce 2015 Golf Champion declared!

The final 2015 Surrey Chambers Golf Society (SCGS) day was held on 8th December at Woking Golf Club.

Barrow Hills appoints new head

(Left to right) Simon Smith, with Andrew Lane and Champion for 2015 Richard Knight.

40 players competed in the competition for the golf day playing off the white tees and the winner was declared as Mark Hynes with 34 Stableford points, off a handicap of 13. Sponsors of the day were Maris Interiors.

Also up for grabs on the day was the 2015 Order of Merit Champion golfer, sponsored by the CSL Partnership. The winner was declared as Richard Knight from Palabora Europe Ltd, who scored 103 points, with Mark

Hynes in second place with 99 points and Simon Smith in third place with 98 points. The best 6 scores of any player goes towards the Order of Merit, an accumulative competition that runs throughout the year at the 12 golf days.

Members benefit from networking with local business owners, directors and partners and have the opportunity to invite and entertain their business clients building bridges and relationships.

Courses for the 2016 season are some of the best in the local area; Hankley Common, St George’s Hill, West Hill, Blackmoor, Coombe Hill, Hayling Island, Worplesdon, Swinley Forest, Camberley Heath, New Zealand and Woking.

Surrey Chambers Golf Society is run as part of the membership of Surrey Chambers of Commerce and further details are available by telephoning 01483 735546.

“Members benefit from networking with local business owners, directors and partners and have the opportunity to invite and entertain their business clients building bridges and relationships.”

Barrow Hills School is appointing a new Head, effective from 1st September 2016. Mr Sean Skehan will take up the position following the current Headmaster’s, Mr Matthew Unsworth, family emigration to his wife’s homeland Australia, at the end of this term.

The Governors of Barrow Hills selected Mr Skehan from a strong field of candidates. Mr Skehan, a committed Roman Catholic has been in the education sector for the last 25 years, most recently working as a Head at St Andrew’s School in Bedford (independent coeducational Nursery and Junior School / girls’ Senior School) and Deputy Head (Academic) at Mayfield School in East Sussex (independent Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18).

The new Head will take up residence in the Head’s house with his wife Eva and their daughter in the summer of 2016, although Mr Skehan will be regularly attending key events at Barrow Hills in the run up to his official tenure, commencing with the end of term Carol Service.

Justine Voisin, Chair of Governors, commented, “We have made the selection from an extensive and strong field of candidates, several of whom would have made an excellent Head. By selecting Mr Skehan we have chosen the candidate who, more than any other, we believe can build best on the strengths and leading reputation of Barrow Hills School.”

In the interim, the School will be led by the current Deputy Head (Pastoral) Mr Paul Crisell.

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Chamber Events TV’s The Apprentice Star Richards Woods: Leading a Team Members' Networking Evening Monday 25th January 18:00 - 20:00pm Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd Member: Free Non-Member: £20 Join members and non members for another networking opportunity. Networking is a sure fire way to creating sales and ultimately growing your business. Developing fresh, new and long lasting business contacts is a constant need for any business wishing to succeed. The question is, “Are you networking enough”?

The event is absolutely free to members and refreshments and canapés will be served throughout the event. What do you have to lose?

Just don’t forget your business cards!

Chamber Connections Camberley Thursday 28th January 08:00 - 9.30am Camberley Heath Golf Club Member: £14 Non-Member: £22 This breakfast is designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

Come to one, some or all of the breakfasts - it’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

Thursday 4th February Epsom Downs Racecourse Member: £22 Non-Member: £35 Entrepreneur and BBC’s The Apprentice Star Richard Woods will join us for the evening to share his insights.

One of the stand out candidates of the latest BBC’s The Apprentice, Richard Woods share the ups the downs and the ice skating! - from this year record breaking year.

As the most successful candidate in terms of task wins, project management wins and highest sales, Richard has some interesting insights upon what it is like to work with, lead and compete against teams of highly opinionated and diversely motivated individuals.

Richards unique, fun and entertaining story telling makes this an event not to be missed.

Your Future Careers Fair Guildford Thursday 28th January 11:00 - 17.00pm Guildford College

St Bedes Monday 1st February 10:00am - 12.30pm St Bede’s School, Redhill

Open 18 Hole Golf Competition Tuesday 26th January 09:00 - 17.30pm Hankley Common Golf Club Member: £75 Non-Member: £100 18 Hole Stableford competition open to all business people. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team to network with other business leaders. 08.00 hrs coffee, 18 hole Stableford competition followed by carvery lunch and prize giving, finishing by 17.30 hrs

Tomlinscote Monday 8th February 10.30 - 17.30pm Tomlinscote School, Camberley

Wednesday 27th January 08:00 - 9.30am Denbies Wine Estate Member: £14 Non-Member: £22 Come and join us at one of our most popular types of networking events!

This breakfast is 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.

Come to one, some or all of the breakfasts - it’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

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Member: Free Non-Member: Free

Developing a Global Mindset Cultural Awareness in Business Friday 5th February 10:00am - 16.00pm Arcom IT, Woking

Chamber Connections Dorking

This will be an exciting and engaging event for young people aged 14-24 to get directly involved in shaping their future career! The young people attending will be able to discover different career paths and employment opportunities available to them here in Surrey. This is a fantastic opportunity for local businesses. Exhibitors will not only gain exposure to hundreds of local young people and a variety of schools but also have the chance to network with the various other organisations attending.

Member: £395 Non-Member: £395

Cultural Awareness for Business Success, is a dynamic training programme designed to enhance effectiveness in working across cultures. Delivered by global intercultural specialists, Farnham Castle Intercultural Training, and underpinned by cutting edge research from Surrey University.

The programme focuses on the elements that strongly impact on business relationships across borders and gives solutions and strategies that can be used straight away when working with partners, shareholders, clients, etc.

It covers an understanding of culture and communication across linguistic and cultural boundaries, and highlights the cultural dimensions that help us to differentiate cultures.

At the end of the programme, participants will be able to: • Understand and explain the impact of culturally bound behaviours and their implications for management styles and working with overseas markets • Develop strategies to operate effectively with people used to a different style of communication and conducting business • Project the right image and generate respect and trust with people of other cultures around the world Communicate effectively face-toface and remotely with colleagues, clients and suppliers.

Tea and coffee on arrival, working lunch, afternoon tea.

Chamber Events Chamber Connections Woking Friday 5th February 08:00 - 9.30am Doubletree by Hilton, Woking Member: £14 Non-Member: £22 Come and join us this regular informal breakfast being held in the centre of Woking.

This breakfast is designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

Come to one, some or all of the breakfasts - it’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

08.00 Delegates arrive, tea & coffee, networking Sit down for breakfast, a choice of a 08.30 cooked one or continental Close 09.30

Out with the Old, In with the New - Breakfast Wednesday 10th February 08:00 - 10:00am Dorking Rugby Football Club Member: Free Non-Member: £20 It’s easy to put business critical data (Paper/media) in storage (Physical/Cloud) somewhere, but to get a cost effective solution to comply with the legal requirement for every business, could be tricky and costly. Our speaker today will offer expert advice on what to look for when searching for an effective records management solution with general good practice.

Guest speaker: Armand Roux, Business Development Manager, Saracen Armand have been involved with Saracen since 2004 and been providing both public and private sector clients with records management solutions by implementing retention policies, restricted access policy and tailor-made solutions as required.

Enjoy a delicious breakfast at Dorking Rugby Club followed by a talk looking at the pitfalls of record management and general good practice.

Badminton Networking Event Thursday 11th February 18:45 - 21:30 Lightwater Leisure Centre Member: £12 Non-Member: £17 Local companies meet for a couple of hours to play badminton in a relaxed and friendly environment.

Here's your chance to reserve your place. The standard of play (and fitness) is varied, and you'll take part in several games of mixed-doubles. Come along and see for yourself - you'll get to play with at least 5 partners during the evening, against different opponents each time.

Then after the badminton it’s a catch up with everyone while quenching your thirst with chilled beers, soft drinks and snacks which are all included in the price.

18.45 hrs - Arrivals 19.00 hrs - Projectfive / Surrey Chambers welcomes guests and provides introduction and details of event format 21.00 hrs - Badminton finishes, refreshments provided and networking 21.30 hrs - Close

Leadership and Management Business Networking Breakfast Thursday 11 February 2016 Guildford College, Guildford Member: Free As a Surrey Chambers member, we are pleased to invite you to attend a Leadership and Management Business Networking Breakfast at Guildford College.

The breakfast will be centred around a keynote address from Kate Cooper, Head of Research & Policy on the rise of remote working. Kate will identify steps leaders and managers can take to improve communication and more consistent working practices.

1-2-1 Start-Up Business Growth Review Thursday 11th February 10:00 - 16:00pm Basepoint Centre Ltd, Camberley Member: Free Non-Member: Free Running a business can be challenging and you may feel that you are suffering from a particular issue or challenge. Who do you turn to? What advice do you listen to?

Our Business advice clinics are specifically designed to give you the opportunity for you to discuss what help and advice you need with your business. You may want to discuss a particular issue, how to improve your business or talk about some new opportunities.

At the meeting, you will be able to discuss where your business is now, the growth you want to achieve over the next few years and the challenges you are facing.

Chamber Connections Ottershaw Thursday 11th February 08:00 - 09.30am Foxhills, Ottershaw Member: £14 Non-Member: £22 This breakfast is designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

Come to one, some or all of the breakfasts - it’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

There will also be a short update on the leadership and management courses on offer at Guildford College. A complimentary breakfast will also be provided by the Hospitality students.

If you would like to attend, please email Liam Beauchamp at lbeauchamp@guildford.ac.uk by Friday 29 January.

5 and a Half Lightbulb Moments That Will Unlock a Marketing Plan

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Networking Lunch

Wednesday 10th February 17.30 - 19.30pm Guildford College Member: £22 Non-Member: £35

Friday 12th February 12:00 - 14:00 pm Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford Member: £15 Non-Member: £25

Marketing inspirer Vanessa Lanham-Day has been coaching and mentoring small business owners for 27 years, helping them discover the perfect marketing plan for their specific business and goals. In this talk she shares her key insights from that process,

with five (and don’t forget the allimportant half!) essential business growth strategies that proved to be the most powerful ‘lightbulb moments’ time and time again. If you don’t understand how they apply in YOUR business - then you need to attend this session.

Teaming up with Surrey Chambers of Commerce, guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre will be hosting a new lunchtime networking event which will be a great opportunity to meet some new clients in the area.

Running from 12 until 2pm you have the chance to pop out for a buffet lunch, make some new contacts and find out what is happening locally.

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Chamber Events

Business Breakfast at The Bulldog

Members' Networking Evening

Chamber Connections Epsom

Thursday 18th February 09:00 - 10.30am The Bulldog, Ashford Member: £5 Non-Member: £5

Wednesday 24th February 18:00 - 20.00pm The Lightbox, Woking Member: Free Non-Member: £20

Thursday 25th February 08:00 - 09.30am Epsom Downs Racecourse Member: £14 Non-Member: £22

Join members and non members for another networking opportunity. Networking is a sure fire way to creating sales and ultimately growing your business. Developing fresh, new and long lasting business contacts is a constant need for any business wishing to succeed.

The question is, “Are you networking enough”?

The event is absolutely free to members and refreshments and canapés will be served throughout the event. What do you have to lose?

Just don’t forget your business cards!

Come and join us at one of our most popular type of regular informal breakfasts.

They breakfast is designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

Come to one, some or all of the breakfasts - it’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

This is a joint networking business breakfast being promoted by Spelthorne Business Forum, Hounslow and Surrey Chambers of Commerce, so an excellent opportunity to make some new contacts.

Chamber Connections Shepperton Tuesday 23rd February 08:00 - 09.30am Holiday Inn Shepperton Member: £14 Non-Member: £22 Come and join us at one of our most popular type of regular informal breakfasts.

This breakfast is designed to give you a regular opportunity to meet and discuss local issues, share best practice with decision makers and widen your own network of customers and suppliers.

Come to one, some or all of the breakfasts - it’s a great way to start the day, meet new people and get well fed into the bargain!

Open 18 Hole Golf Competition Wednesday 24th February St George’s Hill Golf Club Member: £82 Non-Member: £105 18 Hole Stableford competition open to all business people. Join us as a team of 3 or 4 players and entertain your own clients or as a solo player and we will place you in a team to network with other business leaders.

08.00 hrs Enjoy a Bacon roll and coffee, 18 hole Stableford competition followed by lunch and prize giving, finishing by 17.30 hrs. Unlikely to have any tee mats, or temporary greens. No trolley ban.

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Overcoming the Demands of International Trade Thursday 25th February 09.00am - 16.30pm Reigate Manor Hotel Member: £225 Non-Member: £280 A course for SMEs that are new to exporting with a logical step by step view of the possible challenges encountered in the process and how to get over them.

Who should attend: • Those who are new to exporting • Exporters looking to update their knowledge Relevant to: • Field and Office Based sales staff • Purchasing Staff, • Shipping and Dispatch personnel • Accounts and Finance Staff • Customer Service • Freight Forwarders Topics covered: • Introduction • How committed are you to exporting?

• Do you have the right product or service to export and where best to export it?

• How to chose the best route to market • Formalising your partnership with a contract - How to be in control.

• Setting the right export price and what's involved when drawing up an international quotation

• Processing your export order, using the right freight terms and documentation • Getting paid and the different tools at your disposal to ease the process • Importance of understanding language, culture and business etiquette when dealing with overseas contacts.

Seminar Objectives: Following the export training course, delegates will be much better prepared for the challenges ahead when exporting. From correctly processing an international order to dealing with the different demands of importing into a different country, be it aware of legal requirement to dealing with different language and cultures.

Training Methods: The trainer will use oral and visual presentations, reference to fictitious and real examples and participatory exercises to illustrate course content.

All delegates will receive a copy of the presentation on which notes can be made together with the notebook for future reference.

Business News

Fighting Fraud: Don’t be taken in by CEO impersonation scams

By Peter Quilter, Director - Commercial & Corporate Banking, NatWest Fraud techniques are continuing to evolve as criminals look for new ways to defraud their victims and everyone is a potential target.

At NatWest, we’ve learned of a new form of scam, one that uses email to impersonate a senior executive to defraud businesses.

This type of scam is more commonly known as “CEO Fraud” or “Whaling Fraud” and is a method that fraudsters are using to facilitate payments from unsuspecting customers by sending emails that appear like they’re coming from a known contact in the “From” field.

What is CEO Fraud and how does is work?

• A member of staff in the finance team receives an email which appears to have originated from a senior person within their own organisation e.g. the finance director or CEO. • The email instructs the recipient to make an urgent payment to a specified beneficiary (this may be outside normal procedures).

• The email appears genuine as the details in the “From” box may reflect the genuine address of the individual.

• Believing the email to be genuine, the member of staff processes the payment, which arrives in the fraudster’s account. The monies are then usually quickly withdrawn.

How does this happen?

There are two known methods being used: • Email spoofing - this is where the fraudster constructs a fake email that appears to have come from a genuine source but is capable of hiding its true origination. The sender’s email address will have been slightly changed from the genuine address. For example it may be showing as .org instead of .com.

• Email account hacking - is where the fraudster hacks a genuine email account and starts to issue fraudulent

emails. These types of attacks are typically associated with email services e.g. Gmail, Hotmail and Yahoo. The details in the “From” box may reflect the genuine address of the sender.

What are the warning signs?

• The email will usually have been sent from a mobile device such as an iPhone/iPad. • The sender of the email will appear to be a senior person within your firm.

• The sender’s email address may be slightly different from the real address i.e. ending .org instead of .com.

• The first email request may ask what details are required to make a payment.

• There may be a number of emails in the conversation requesting the payment, with the sender usually saying they are unavailable at the moment.

• The payment request will usually be urgent.

• The words used and style of communication may be different from that used normally by the named sender but on some occasions the fraudsters may seek to mimic it.

How to mitigate this type of fraud As with most types of fraud, we recommend that you ask your staff to operate with high levels of vigilance, especially those entrusted with access to your online payment systems.

At NatWest, we’re committed to helping you safeguard your

money. We use a wide range of fraud prevention and detection processes in the fight against financial crime. Our aim is to help our customers remain vigilant and to follow best practice in order to help you safeguard your business.

Here are five top tips for avoiding executive impersonation scams: 1) Be suspicious of any unexpected emails that ask for an urgent bank transfer even if the message looks like it’s from someone in your organisation.

2) Check any unusual payment requests directly with the apparent sender, ideally in person or by telephone, to confirm they’re genuine.

But don’t use any telephone numbers or email addresses in the suspicious email as they will go directly back to the fraudster.

3) Be alert to unusual wording that you wouldn’t expect the real senior executive to use.

There may be odd expressions, or incorrect spelling or grammar. Ask yourself: does this sound like the turn of phrase or tone of voice you’d expect from the real person?

4) Make sure that internal email passwords are strong - they should include a minimum of eight characters and a mixture of UPPERCASE, lower case, numeric and special characters.

5) And if your company doesn’t already have a welldocumented internal process for requesting and authorising payments, create one.

To find out about the latest developments in fighting fraud, we recommend that you regularly visit the Financial Action Fraud’s website: www.financialfraudaction.org.uk

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Chamber Chat

5 minutes with...

Sarah Zorab Sarah Zorab Nutrition What differentiates you from other nutritionists?

At Sarah Zorab Nutrition, we have a very practical approach to nutrition. We are fully aware that many people are short of time, and are looking for quick, easy, delicious and healthy meals to keep their engines fuelled. We always give advice and ideas for breakfast, lunch, supper, and even snacks to encourage people to look at their day and see where they can make a few changes for the better.

Explain Sarah Zorab Nutrition to someone unfamiliar with the business In a nutshell, we offer expert nutritional advice to individuals and corporates to help people become healthier and feel better. A good diet can give you increased energy, a stronger immune system and a clearer, more focused mind. We have three main strands to our business: private patients, corporate wellness talks, and a range of cookery demonstrations and workshops.

What is your vision for the future of the business?

Growth, maintain our good reputation, and a satisfied and healthy client base.

Businesses need to plan but remain flexible. We are aware that modern living is leading to weight gain, increased diabetes and heart disease. These conditions can be addressed by a better diet and we want to show individuals and companies how to incorporate healthy changes into a busy lifestyle.

What advice would you give to a company considering setting up in Surrey?

Surrey is a busy and thriving community with plenty of opportunities. As a business grows, it will need support from other enterprises. There is a wealth of choice in Surrey, which creates healthy competition, innovation and professionalism. Always try and differentiate your business and be clear to your market about what makes you different and why they should choose you. Never take anything for granted!

If you were telling another business person about the chamber what would you say?

The SCC has a great network of different companies but all with the same goal - to grow and promote their business and offer a professional service to others.

The SCC team is enthusiastic and helpful and keen to support their members with useful contacts, practical advice and plenty of opportunity to meet other like-minded members.

“At Sarah Zorab Nutrition, we have a very practical approach to nutrition. We are fully aware that many people are short of time, and are looking for quick, easy, delicious and healthy meals to keep their engines fuelled.�

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