Borough Business Kingston Chamber of Commerce April 2020

BOROUGH

BUSINESS The voice of Kingston’s business community

Issue 16: Spring 2020

Building resilience

in challenging times - p14 Inside

• Welcome to New Members p4 • New Patrons p10-11 • • Cover Feature - Resilience p14-18 • The Big Interview with Sandra Porter, HR Dept p24-25 • Top Tips with Pinnacle p31 •

Professional training and development programmes to meet your business needs.

At Kingston College we are committed to working in partnership to support your organisation’s skills, employment, Apprenticeship and training strategies.

For a FREE skills assessment or for more information please contact: 020 8546 2151. kingston-college.ac.uk

contents Welcome to New Members 4 Chamber President 5 Economy 7 Patron News 8-9 New Patrons 10-11 Skills 12-13 Cover Feature - Resilience 14-18 Chamber Events 22 Ask the Expert 23 The Big Interview 24-25 Health and Wellbeing 27 Person behind the business 29 A day in the life 30 Top Tips 31 News 33 Starting up 34 Editorial and General Enquiries Guildhall, High Street Kingston upon Thames. KT1 1EU. 020 8541 4441 Email: office@kingstonchamber.co.uk Web: www.kingstonchamber.co.uk Chief Executive: Forbes Low Publisher: Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published Spring 2020 © Benham Publishing and Kingston Chamber of Commerce Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com Production Manager Peter Wilkinson Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: peter@benhampublishing.com Media No. 1700

WELCOME TO

BOROUGH BUSINESS The Kingston Chamber of Commerce magazine for all Businesses in Kingston By the time you read this edition of Borough Business, the impact of the COVID-19 virus will have already changed the environment for businesses, locally, nationally and globally. I recognise that this is a worrying time for everyone and the absolute priority in any decisions we take over this difficult period is the welfare of staff, families, our members and our business friends.

The situation is changing at such a pace. We are in conversations with our local MPs, senior Kingston Council partners and Kingston First to represent the concerns and stresses of the businesses. The Chamber urges everyone to take immediate steps to review all areas of their operations and to balance carefully-measured decisions regarding staff as they are often the greatest asset to a business.

I hope the steps being taken with the Job Retention Scheme, the Business Interruption Loan scheme, business rates / grants and support for the

self-employed will aid us to get over this period. The bottom line is that the success of all these measures is that businesses get access to the cash quickly, without additional loopholes, bureaucracy or guarantees.

As a Chamber, we are looking at ways that our membership can support each other on online platforms. There is a wealth of experienced advice and we need this to be shared.

While we are understandably preoccupied with the nation’s physical health, it is worth paying some attention to the effect this crisis is having on our minds and wellbeing.

Psychologists have often talked about “the negativity bias”; our tendency to hold on to negative information and dwell on it in a way we don’t with positive information. It is largely the scary stuff that stays with us.

be careful to control how we respond to our current conditions.

With the circumstances rapidly changing, we have put on hold the launch of the new Kingston Borough Business Awards until a later, appropriate time. We still believe that there is, at the right time, reasons to recognise business successes in Kingston but for right now, the wellbeing and health of our business community, friends and families are the most important.

We will continue to support you the best that we can and act as your business advocates. Take care and please look after each other.

It may be wise, therefore, to expose ourselves to the minimum amount. For the sake of our state of mind, we must

Forbes Low CEO Kingston Chamber of Commerce forbes@kingstonchamber.co.uk

PLEASE NOTE: Some articles in this edition were written before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Article content therefore reflects this time lapse.

Disclaimer

Borough Business is published for Kingston Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members. All correspondence should be addressed to Kingston Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in Borough Business are not necessarily those of Kingston Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2020. Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

11 New Patron IQ in IT

12 14 Skills - Kingston College

Cover feature - Resilience

24 The Big Interview with Sandra Porter, HR Dept

Patron Members

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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join us

Welcome

The Royal Borough of

to our new members

Chamber of Commerce

BG Infotech Ltd Bhanu Goud www.bginfotech.co.uk

Kingston

Block Design & Marketing Ltd Mangrove Trading Academy Ozan Demir Michael Rogan www.weareblock.co.uk www.mangrovetrading.com

Clare discovered that Chamber networking online still got her business noticed

“ As a small business owner, networking with others through the Chamber is a key way for me to build business relationships and get mutual support.

In these turbulent times it’s even more critical to interact with others who are experiencing similar issues.”

Amanda Cullen

Business Made Simpler Coaching and Workshops for Small Business Owners For more information or to discuss how we can help you, please contact us at:

Kingston Chamber of Commerce T: 020 8541 4441 E: natalie@kingstonchamber.co.uk W: www.kingstonchamber.co.uk Connect with us on

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@KingstonCOC

Mane Electrical Ross Farquharson www.mane-electrical.com/

Kingston CoC

Chesters & Daughter Colette Chesters www.chestersanddaughter.com

Refugee Action Kingston Amy Lenderyou www.refugeeactionkingston.org.uk

Costco Wholesale Alex MacHorton www.costco.co.uk

Rents Guaranteed Neil Charlton www.rentsguaranteed.co.uk

GHL Direct Ltd James Kurian www.mortgageandinsuranceadvice.co.uk

Suzanne Arnold Suzanne Arnold www.suzannearnold.com

Greyafro Marketing Julian Harcourt www.greyafro.com

The Lensbury Sam Woolamore www.lensbury.com

Hollywood Bowl Tolworth Chris White www.hollywoodbowl.co.uk/our_ centres/tolworth ImagePip Phil Park www.imagepip.com IntraLAN Group Mark Dressel www.intralan.co.uk

The Park Brewery Ltd Frankie Kearns www.theparkbrewery.com The Video Message Company Ltd Sally Bocquet www.thevideomessagecompany.com Travel Surrey Ltd Joanne Redington www.joanneredington.notjusttravel.com

Veronica Moreno Personal Karen Barrett Photography Development and Career Karen Barrett www.karenbarrettphotography.com Coaching Veronica Moreno www.veronica-moreno.com Kingston and Richmond Education Business Partnership Clare Huntingford www.achievingforchildren.org.uk

West9 Design Ltd Claire Harrison www.west9design.co.uk

KML Occupational Health Mark Blunden www.kmloh.com

Yes But Sam Ball www.yesbut.digital

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

hr dept Porter the Sorter Ask our resident HR expert, Sandra Porter of The HR Dept for advice on your workplace worries for some top tips.

Are your emojis mixing your emotions?

We have had a number of cases recently where the use of emojis has proved problematic. Could you soon suffer the same?

Over recent years, business writing etiquette has become less formal. There appears to be less discipline regarding the spelling and grammatical accuracy than would previously have been expected. As authors of emails now sometimes shorten words into ‘text speak’ or use punctuation to highlight the intended emotion, the use of our language skills now continues to evolve with our use of technology and messaging services. However, this can become problematic in the workplace.

We were recently contacted by a small business that had dismissed an employee for poor performance and were being threatened with being taken to court for unfair dismissal.

We asked to see the history of their conversation regarding the individual’s performance. While there clearly was some feedback within the verbiage of the conversation, any reference to not meeting targets and requests to improve were swiftly followed by a ‘thumbs up’ or a ‘smiley face’. So, what’s the problem? Well, the addition of friendly ‘emojis’ changes the tone of the message being received. Whenever we train line managers in the key skills to be effective, we always talk about preparing for the giving of difficult feedback and ensuring that the message is being understood. We use a model called EEC – give the individual Examples of the issue, explain the Effect that the issue is having and be Clear about the change you want to see.

I think by nature we all feel uncomfortable about giving challenging feedback and the sense of discomfort with resulting confrontation. We therefore are tempted to seek to find ways to ‘soften’ the message. However, this can lead to more difficult conversations later on. Ensuring that the message is understood by the employee is crucial to enable them to rectify the issue. Wrapping the message in ‘emoji’ style cotton wool only leads to confusion and frustration. Nobody likes surprises so the quicker and more clearly that we can address any minor issues, the less likely they are to become dismissable offences. So, to be clear……….when giving performance feedback leave the emojis out or you risk a very unsmiley face!

If you have questions for Porter the Sorter, email hrhelp@hrdept.co.uk for consideration for future editions.

The HR Dept are an outsourced HR services provider supporting local SMEs with their people issues and strategy. For advice on disciplinary policies, probationary periods and anything else people related call 0345 208 1290.

Always seek employment law advice regarding management of your people issues to ensure that you and your business are well protected from potential litigation risks.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

Dr Martha Mador, Chamber President.

My thanks in this (my last) message as President.

I am writing this as we end our second week of lockdown against CVD19. The government has committed to vast economic investment to reduce the impact of shutdown on businesses and individuals. However, many are not being captured by this support. If you are one of these, I would urge you to contact the Chamber as well as the government to state the case for your particular circumstances. The Chamber is supporting your calls for help in the course of regular meetings with RBK and government. We need to know your specific concerns.

The business environment has never seemed so uncertain.

The emergency is worsened by uncertainty about exit from lockdown: when exit might happen, and how it will be designed. And of course, how consumers (us!) will react thereafter. This is a time

to get ready for anything: more online working, more opportunities to serve those who will continue to be at home, more re-thinking of supply and delivery chains, different technologies, and business ideas to respond to different customer profiles.

The Chamber is running online collaborative meetings to explore how you might be able to develop your business next. Please join in to share your ideas and find more.

Our resilience as a (business) community will continue to be tested for years to come. Let’s work together now to make ourselves as fit as possible for that test.

My thanks in this (my last) message as President to the Chamber team and their exceptional commitment to the Chamber community.

Dr. Martha Mador

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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legal The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

everything you need to know In the light of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown, the Government is introducing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help employers and employees overcome the financial challenges of the crisis. HMRC expects the scheme to be up and running by the end of April 2020.

What happens for employees with more than one job?

What does the scheme do?

It allows employers to seek financial compensation from the Government to continue paying employees laid off because of the effects of the virus on their business. These employees will be on “furlough leave,” an entirely new form of lawful absence.

As an employer, what should I do?

You should designate affected employees for whom there is likely to be little or no work and notify them.

You will then need to discuss with them whether they will agree to remain off work for up to three months. If not, then you may need to explore granting unpaid leave or considering a redundancy consultation.

You should submit information to HMRC about the employees and their earnings on a new online portal.

How much pay can I claim from the Government?

HMRC will reimburse 80% of costs up to £2,500 per month per employee plus Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on that wage.

You may choose (but are not obliged) to top up wages to 100%. For full-time and part-time salaried employees, the employee’s actual salary, before tax, on 28 February 2020 should be used to calculate the 80%..

For employees whose pay varies; • if they have been employed for at least a year, you will be able to claim for the higher of their earnings in the same month the previous year or average monthly earnings in the 2019/20 tax year • if they have been employed for less than a year, you will be able to claim for an average of their

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monthly earnings since they started work • if they started in February 2020, you will be required to pro-rate their earnings so far Does it apply to my business?

It applies to all UK companies, sole traders, LLPs, partnerships and charities that created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 28 February 2020 and have a UK bank account.

Where a company is being taken under the management of an administrator, the administrator will be able to access the Job Retention Scheme.

Which employees does it apply to?

It applies to employees on the payroll since 28 February 2020 on any type of contract, including full-time and part-time, agency contracts and flexible or zero-hour contracts. Significantly, employees who have been made redundant since 28 February 2020 can be furloughed if they are rehired.

There is no limit on the number of employees per employer.

If an employee has more than one employer, they can be furloughed for each job. Each job is separate, and the cap applies to each employer individually.

Can employees on maternity leave be furloughed?

Yes, they can switch from maternity leave to furlough leave if it does not apply to the two weeks immediately following the birth of their baby.

What about employees on National Minimum Wage?

Since employees are only entitled to the NMW while working, furloughed employees must be paid at the 80% rate (or £2,500) even if, based on their usual working hours, this would be below the applicable rate of NMW. However, HMRC guidance states that if employees are required to, for

example, complete online training courses while they are furloughed, then they must be paid at least the NMW for the time spent training, even if this is more than the 80% of their wage that will be subsidised.

How long is it in place for?

The Government has said it will be in force from 1 March 2020 for three months and extended if necessary.

When the Government ends the scheme, you must decide whether employees can return to their duties.

If not you may need to consider redundancy.

Do I need to amend my employees’ contracts?

No, you don’t need to amend their contracts, but you should confirm the agreement to place the employee on furlough in writing and keep it for five years.

An employee is considered furloughed only if he or she does no work for the employer. The scheme doesn’t cover the wages of employees on reduced hours.

Furloughed employees have the same rights as they did previously i.e. Statutory Sick Pay entitlement, maternity rights, other parental rights, rights against unfair dismissal and the right to accrue holiday.

What about employees off sick or self-isolating?

Employees on sick leave or self-isolating following guidance from Public Health England should get Statutory Sick Pay but can be furloughed after this.

For help with employment questions during this difficult time pls call the Russell-Cooke employment team on

+44 (0)20 8789 9111 or email jeremy.coy@russell-cooke.co.uk or jannine.jenkins@russell-cooke.co.uk

economy

Multi-billion-pound boost for beleaguered businesses The government has unveiled a £350 billion package of financial measures to shore up the economy against the effects of the coronavirus.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that £330bn will be made available in the form of loans, as well as £20bn in other aid.

The business rates holiday will be extended to all firms in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors irrespective of the rateable value of their business premises, and cash grants of up to £25,000 will be made available to smaller companies.

In a move to allay widespread fears over the potential impact of the virus on businesses and everyday life, the Chancellor also said he would make further funds available should there be demand for it.

He said: “The measures I have announced are part of a comprehensive, coordinated and coherent response to what is a serious and evolving economic situation.

“This is not a time for ideology and orthodoxy. This is a time to be bold. A time for courage. I want to reassure every British citizen [that] this government will give you all the tools you need to get through this.

“We will support jobs, we will support incomes, we will support businesses, and we will help you protect your loved ones.

“We have never faced an economic fight like this one. But we are well prepared. We will get through this.

And we will do whatever it takes.”

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

Responding to the Chancellor’s announcements, BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall said: “Businesses will welcome the scale of the Government’s latest response, as well as the specific support it is offering to some of the worstaffected parts of our economy. These measures could be a lifeline for many businesses across the UK who are now experiencing wholesale disruption as a result of the pandemic.

“The key to the success of these measures is whether they get cash to businesses on the front line, fast.

Companies need practical details, at great speed, for these interventions to have the desired impact, and to reassure firms across the UK. “Both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were clear that the Government would do whatever it takes over the coming days to support businesses, their employees, and the economy. Further measures will be needed to help all firms and their employees meet this unprecedented challenge.”

Mr Marshall’s comments come after the BCC downgraded its economic growth forecasts amid disruption caused by the coronavirus. The organisation expects growth to fall from 1% to 0.8% in 2020 – which outside of the 2008-09 financial crisis would be the weakest full-year growth outturn since 1992.

However, the BCC also said it expected growth to pick up in subsequent years, to 1.4% in 2021 and 1.6% in 2022.

This forecast indicates that by the end of 2022, the UK economy will have grown below its historic average growth rate of 2.6% for eight successive years, the longest period since records began.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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patron news SUMMERS INMAN APPOINTS NEW NATIONAL MARKETING AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR “Summers-Inman has an excellent client base and I believe I can use my knowledge and experience to strengthen relationships with both new and existing customers, to drive and support the evolution of the company.”

Alex Lodge (pictured right, with Director David Blakey, left) will have a UK-wide responsibility for business development and marketing within Summers-Inman. This includes the Kingston upon Thames office which has recently been involved in many projects including work for Philips Electronics UK, Kingston University, City University London, Kings College Hospital and the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames.

Commenting on his new role, Alex said: “I am very much looking forward to working with the team at Summers-Inman to grow the business and contribute to the company’s ongoing success.

Lee Orchard, Director at SummersInman Kingston office said: “We are delighted to welcome Alex to the team. In recent years, we have gone from strength to strength, opening offices in Manchester and Birmingham within the last six months and we continue to make a major impact in a range of markets, including, education, healthcare, residential, retail, heritage, leisure, energy and food and drink.

“There is enormous scope to build on this success and further develop our presence in these sectors now that Alex is on board.”

SUMMERS INMAN WORKS CONSTRUCTIVELY FOR CHARITY Summers Inman is working with children’s palliative care charity, Together for Short Lives, in celebration

of its Centenary Year. The partnership will help the charity to make a lifetime of difference for families caring for a seriously ill child. All Summers-Inman offices will be twinned with their local children’s hospice, to help make a difference in their own communities.

Summers Inman is a national construction and property consultant with regional Head Quarters in Kingston - the Kingston team will be paired with Shooting Star Children’s Hospices in Hampton & Guildford.

have been chosen as Summers Inman’s Charity of the Year – their support will help us make a difference for families facing the toughest of times.”

Now more than ever, with children’s hospice services facing a challenging future and many families feeling isolated and alone, being there for Together for Short Lives to help them support seriously ill children is crucial.

Find out more about their vital work at www.togetherforshortlives.org.uk

Ian Griffiths, Director of Summers Inman commented “We are proud to be supporting Together for Short Lives in our Centenary year. We take our responsibility to help local and national causes very seriously and are excited to help support families and young people giving them precious quality time together. I’m sure our teams will be energised by meeting staff and families and the charity will have a lasting impact on all resulting in an on-going partnership.”

Together for short lives CEO Andy Fletcher says “We are delighted to

HOLLAND HAHN AND WILLS

Virtual Financial Planning Masterclass Series: Launching in April Recently we delivered our first live financial planning masterclass upstairs at The Bishop on Kingston Riverside. It was a great success, but further classes have had to be postponed for obvious reasons. As financial planners, we have been thinking how best to use our skills for the benefit of all during this difficult time. We have therefore decided to launch a series of online masterclasses to attempt to take some worry away from people. They will be free of charge and open to anyone. The idea of the sessions are to help people to think about their finances and to reduce stress by robust financial planning. We will consider some of the steps people can take to organise their financial affairs, to give greater clarity about future through to retirement. We will address how several factors interact and can all work together to provide financial wellbeing.

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Other topics to be covered in the series include: • The Psychology of Retirement • The Psychology of Investments • Financial Planning in a drawing We would also invite people to send us topics to discuss, explore or explain.

Inside Kingston Podcasts Amyr will be continuing with his Podcast interview series, Inside Kingston.

This has been enormously popular, and successful with new and existing chamber members as well as other local businesses. The podcast is all about telling the stories of successful business owners, experienced professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders based in Kingston upon Thames.

The aim of this show is to highlight these people, their businesses, and what they’re doing in the community – hopefully bringing you an

awareness about what they do and why they do it.

In short, the goal is to strengthen the business community in and around Kingston upon Thames. You can discover more here: Inside Kingston™ Podcast on iTunes, Libsyn or YouTube.

Holland Hahn & Wills: Open for Business & Supporting the Community We are all adapting to a strange, yet hopefully temporary, way of life during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Holland Hahn & Wills is very much open for business, and we have seen several new enquiries from residents in Kingston and the surrounding areas, looking to us to provide financial plans, guidance and support. Many people are using this period as a time to organise their financial affairs, organise aspects of their lives that have been on the To Do list for some time.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

As financial planners, at Holland Hahn & Wills we work with our clients to plan for the long term and are experienced at helping people enjoy financial peace of mind whilst preparing for the future, whatever it may hold. Assuming you’ve prepared a will, have you told your family where it can be located?

Furthermore, does it contain all the information that will be needed to put your affairs in order? In order to reduce the stress to family and friends, Holland Hahn & Wills offer a simple workbook which, once completed, will provide a comprehensive summary of your day-today life and your final wishes, helping your loved ones at their time of need.

It’s just one less thing to worry about.

Plan for the worst, assume the best and don’t forget to wash your hands!

If you would like a copy of the workbook, or would like to know more about financial planning and Holland Hahn & Wills, please contact Amyr Rocha-Lima at amyr@hhw-uk.com or via our website www.hhw-uk.com

patron news Kingston College donates PPE Pearson to NHS in National Campaign Hards New Kingston College along with the whole of the South Thames College Group has donated pairs of science goggles, plastic aprons and gloves to local NHS Trusts for use as Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) by staff in the dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. This donation was made as part of the urgent call for colleges and schools across England to help supply this vital equipment.

Kingston College provided resources used for its courses in Engineering, Science and Hair & Beauty to Kingston Hospital Trust A&E and Pathology Laboratory as well as local GP Surgeries.

Kingston College said: “We contacted the hospital after hearing they were short of PPE as we had new PPE in stock. We are pleased to be able to support our NHS colleagues with this essential equipment as they care for our community, during this unprecedented time.”

Professional Studies at Merton and Carshalton Colleges) said: “We did this as it is important to support those on the front line in the NHS with whatever we have to offer that is of use to them. We are all in this together!”

Merton College donated 90 pairs of safety glasses from its Science Department to St George’s Hospital in Tooting. Nicola Laver, Head of School (Commercial, Creative &

Christine Bentley, Head of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Professional at

KINGSTON UNIVERSITY OPENS

NEW TOWNHOUSE BUILDING The Mayor of Kingston Margaret Thompson and Leader of Kingston Council Liz Green joined a host of other key representatives including local councillors, members of Kingston University’s board of governors and former staff and students for an exclusive preview event to celebrate the landmark Town House building ahead of its official opening later this year.

Guests were treated to jazz and hip hop performances by the University’s dance society in the cathedral-like courtyard space on the ground floor before hearing from Vice-Chancellor Professor Steven Spier on how the building, designed by RIBA Gold Award winning Grafton Architects, is already transforming the lives of those who use it.

“Town House is an uplifting space - people come in and feel good about themselves,” Professor Spier said. “It provokes different ways of thinking, working and studying. Someone could be in the library reading a book about a

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

Malden Forum

post-colonial literature and they’ll see dance students performing - it’s about broadening your horizons so you understand the world as a very rich and complex place and believing all those different ways of thinking and knowing deserve mutual respect. We also wanted to soften the threshold between the University and the community - it can be quite daunting. We wanted to invite the community in to this building and that is really working, with people in the café, in the library and feeling at home.”

Professor Spier said the building achieved all that in a monumental space which was also very informal. It created a campus that gave students a place to be - something particularly important for commuter students who could immerse themselves more fully in University life by spending more time on site and getting involved with extra-curricular activities such as clubs and societies, he added.

Following the dance performances and speeches,

guests were taken on small bespoke tours of the five floors of the Town House, taking in the ground floor studio theatre, the three storey academic library and dance studios, culminating in a reception on the fifth floor.

Pearson Hards are continuing to work closely with the Chamber, and Forbes Low in particular, to establish a business forum for the New Malden area. The project was launched just after Christmas with a view to creating a forum for businesses to connect with each other and engage and support each other through challenging times for businesses. The recent epidemic of Coronavirus is currently hampering an already difficult period for businesses, with people being encouraged to stay at home to avoid the spread of the disease.

The firm wants to ensure that New Malden doesn’t just become a forgotten suburb of Kingston and the thriving and established businesses of the town have a voice that is heard throughout the Borough. With the help of Forbes Low from the Chamber, Ed Davey MP and local Councillors, Pearson Hards are hoping to get local businesses to come together and encourage better communication between themselves, residents and local Government.

They hope this will help potential customers in the area to understand and make use of the wide range of goods and services that is offered by the businesspeople of New Malden.

Meetings are currently being arranged with the organisers and then local businesses will be encouraged to come together and participate with the scheme. Watch this space!

If you are interested in being kept abreast of developments, you can contact Ian Lipscombe of Pearson Hards - ilipscombe@ pearsonhards.co.uk.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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new patrons

CANADIAN AND RIVERSIDE ESTATES BECOMES NEWEST PATRON MEMBER

We are thrilled to confirm Canadian and Riverside Estates as our newest Patron Member of the Chamber.

Canadian and Riverside Estates encompasses Riverside Walk, a popular waterfront destination next to Kingston Bridge, housing a series of stunning eateries, with extensive retail, entertainment and office space in Bishops Palace House, in a uniquely located development.

Riverside Walk opened in 2014, following extensive investment and transformation of a former car park and shopping centre. Now an attractive leisure destination, the site boasts an eclectic choice of international dining with unrivalled Thames views. Restaurants include: Chakra, Bills, Busabai EatThai, Comptoir Libanais, Hache Riverside Social and Cote Brasserie. The development includes Bishops Palace House, home to TK Maxx stores, solicitors Russell Cooke and The Viper Rooms night club.

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highlighting Kingston’s rich cultural and artistic heritage.

They have an ambition to host art and music events alongside its eateries.

Canadian and Riverside Estates are committed to improving the whole of Riverside Walk and Bishops Palace House for the benefit of both residents and businesses. Plans are underway for further extensive investment and improvement works to enhance the leisure and commercial facilities.

Riverside Walk is owned and managed by Canadian and Riverside Estates, with long standing ties to the local area and a passion for all things Kingston. Greg Miles, of Canadian and Riverside Estates, lives locally and volunteers on the Board of Kingston First. The team is passionate about improving the local area and

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Greg Miles, Project Liaison Manager, says: “Becoming a Patron Member of Kingston Chamber is important for us to do. Riverside Walk and Bishops Palace House is an iconic part of the Borough, we are here for the long-term and want to demonstrate that commitment in a meaningful way that supports the businesses around us. These are challenging times for all, it is more important than ever that we continue to invest and show our support to the local community and its economy.” https://www.riversidewalkkingston.co.uk/

new patrons

Kingston Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce a new Patron Member IQ in IT is a cutting edge, award-winning company, providing excellent customer service with security at heart in the IT field.

Working with growing businesses providing a priceless IT partnership as well as undertaking projects for large enterprises and public services with the in-house expertise of their team.

Helping companies run securely and efficiently with tailored managed IT solutions, including support, emails, cloud services, virtual and physical infrastructures, disaster and business continuity as well as telecoms and internet connectivity.

IQ in IT was established in Kingston in 2009 by Luke Whitelock (Technical Director) and Katerina Damcova (Managing Director). Both have extensive skills and expertise gained in high level, corporate and public sector organisations including education and government. They wanted to bring high level corporate best practice to smaller firms in their hometown.

Katerina and Luke are passionate about technology and are always looking to provide

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

new and improved services. The aim is to make organisations operate smoothly with pro-active support and excellent customer service backed up by the latest security protection and updates.

Technical Director Luke Whitelock says: “We identify any potential problems before they become a problem for our customers, good IT support is about being PRO active, we pride

ourselves on keeping our customers working securely and reliably. We have robust systems in place, and this offers our customers peace of mind that they can focus on their business and let us take care of their IT.” On their decision to become Patrons of Kingston Chamber, Katerina Damcova says: “We are incredibly proud to become Chamber Patrons. Now, more than ever, the business community needs Kingston Chamber to be its champion and advocate. We need the Chamber to continue its vital work, providing information and representing us as business owners and managers.

The Chamber has helped our business in so many ways since we started in the Borough, the business support and local connections have been invaluable. Our business IQ in IT has grown and we are now in the position to put something back into the business community which has supported us.”

Website: http://www.IQinIT.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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skills Kingston College goes the “distance” during the COVID-19 crisis and will be here stronger than ever to play its part in the Borough’s recovery

Kingston College, like all schools and colleges across the land, remains closed during the COVID-19 crisis, except to students in vulnerable positions and children of key workers who are physically attending at one of the other Colleges in the Group (Merton). Learning has moved online and “at distance”, using our Moodle virtual learning environment as the centrepiece, and with teachers using a whole range of interactive tools to support students including Skype and Zoom lessons, other contact via email and phone and all sorts of different ways of assessing, with performing arts students delivering soliloquies via Skype, fashion and make up students using home sourced materials to continue making, and engineering students sorting out all sorts of domestic based equipment problems, sometimes to the pleasure of their parents, and on other occasions to their frustration.

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

skills “Students and apprentices gain valuable insights into the demands and rewards of work through site visits and work experience.”

Whilst this is undoubtedly a time for new ideas, creativity and innovation, it is also a time where anxiety is high, and much support is being provided to all students, including our adult and work based learners who face the combination of family worries, employment concerns, and perhaps anxiety about elderly relatives, alongside their own efforts to maintain their focus on study.

The College is however looking to the future, how it can play its part in getting Kingston, and the country, back on its feet when the COVID-19 crisis has passed, and support the economy, including those in work and those who have been unfortunate enough to lose theirs, and will need training, or retraining for different careers.

In the week before the lockdown commenced the College was delighted to host for the second time a Chamber of Commerce Networking Breakfast, which was also attended by the Mayor, at its Creative Industries Centre (located in Richmond Road) – the event actually taking place in the Penny School Gallery, a space that houses, during the year, a range of arts and design exhibitions which are open to the public and is available also for hire – choirs, orchestras and local production companies hire the space for rehearsal and performances.

David Hillier, Assistant Principal Higher Education and Business Development, again took the opportunity to tell the attendees of “more things that they might not know about Kingston College” to add those ten that he had told them at the previous breakfast a couple of years ago; • The College, which has its shared roots with the University, in the Kingston Technical Institute, is in its 122nd year (founded in 1899).

• Youngs Brewery, at that time still situated in Wandsworth, and a great supporter of the College’s science courses, brewed a “Centenary Ale” to add to the 100-year celebrations in 1999.

posthumously awarded the VC in 1944, having piloted his damaged Halifax Bomber from a raid over Germany to eventually crash in County Durham resulting in his own loss of life, but the survival of three of his injured crew members.

• The College is very hopeful that its status, along with the Tate Modern and Battersea Power Station, as a haven and breeding ground for Peregrine Falcons will continue this year, with a female (the falcon) having laid at least three eggs. Follow the updates and watch the videos via KC Twitter.

David, at the earlier networking breakfast, had highlighted that the College is sometimes a little misunderstood, and whilst its education of more than 2,500 16-19 year olds is a key and successful part of its operation, there is much more than this to the College; • More than 300 apprentices study, as part of their employment, including the engineers in the picture, many of whom work for blue chip companies as well as local employers.

• More than 600 Higher Education students are studying for Higher National Certificates and Diplomas, Foundation Degrees and Honours Degrees with four university partners – Kingston, Middlesex, University of West London, and Greenwich.

• Many more students of all ages study a range of part and full time courses, including those aspiring to enter higher education and gain a degree at later times in their lives via Access to HE courses, professional and vocational courses for those in careers such as early years education, hairdressing and beauty, law, human resources and sport leisure and recreation, and those developing their English language skills.

• The College’s Creative Industries Centre is a modern extension of the previous primary and junior school, and the name of the Penny School Gallery, comes from the requirement at the schools inception for parents to pay 1d per week to the teachers for their children’s education.

Once the current health crisis passes, which we all hope will be sooner rather than later, Kingston College feels it is excellently placed to support the borough, the capital and the neighbouring county of Surrey, and their populations to gain the education and training they need at a difficult time for all. The successful outcome of the College’s recent Ofsted inspection provides robust evidence of such capability.

• The College within its alumni has a Victoria Cross (VC) holder. Cyril Barton, who was

The College was delighted with the awarding of an overall Grade 2, ‘Good’. Of particular note

to local employers was the highlighting within the report of the positive working relationships with employers and a curriculum offer aligned to the needs of employers and local industries: “Leaders are highly effective in engaging employers in curriculum development. They work closely with local authorities and local businesses to plan for future skills needs.” It further praises the College Group on how well it prepares its students for progression to their next step stating that: “Teachers ensure that students and apprentices know how to conduct themselves in professional contexts and are well prepared for future employment.” The report goes on to say: “Students and apprentices gain valuable insights into the demands and rewards of work through site visits and work experience.”

Mike Tweedale, Kingston College Principal explained that “the new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework is transformative and has taken 2 years to produce. It requires a completely new and very different approach. We are therefore absolutely delighted with such a positive and complimentary report so early into the inspection process which really acknowledges the fantastic teaching being delivered by academic and support staff and the tremendous engagement with students who get such incredibly good outcomes and go on to have such wonderful futures.”

Group Principal and CEO (of South Thames Colleges Group, of which Kingston is the largest College), Peter Mayhew Smith added; “The time since our merger has been really well used, raising standards and strengthening our common culture. We are very proud of the progress we have made and can face the future with great confidence.” Rob Foulston, Chair of Governors expressed his appreciation; “We are delighted with the recent inspection report, which validates all the hard work and commitment of our staff and the decision making and leadership of the senior team. On behalf of all the Governors, I would like to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to everyone involved.”

Much of the College’s success has only been achieved through the working partnership we have with local organisations, and we thank you for supporting us. Going forward we are confident in our ability to turn that gratitude into support to local organisations in their recovery post COVID-19.

To find out more about how you can work with Kingston College, and its education and training offer please see; kingston-college.ac.uk and contact info@kingston-college.ac.uk The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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cover feature - resilience

Building resilience in challenging times

The world is facing the biggest health pandemic in living memory. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused chaos across the globe, with countries in lockdown, companies having to temporarily or permanently lay off staff, and the death count rising by the day.

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

cover feature - resilience In Britain, businesses that don’t sell essential services, such as food or medical supplies, have been ordered to shut down and despite financial measures introduced by the government to protect jobs and incomes, there is huge uncertainty surrounding the state of the economy and how it will look in a few months’ time.

While the health and economic consequences of COVID-19 have been played out often in the media, less attention has been given to the effect the pandemic is having on mental health and wellbeing. How do businesses and the staff increase and maintain their resilience so they’re in a better position to cope, both during the crisis and after it has passed?

“There is so much negative news to try to digest, not just from official channels but also on social media.

The problem is that not everything posted on Twitter and Facebook is true – in fact, a lot of it is untrue – but people tend to read it anyway and get sucked into a negative mindset.”

Giselle Monbiot, stress and anxiety management practitioner at Asana Health, says: “Keep talking – communication is key here. Speak with your friends and work colleagues who are experiencing the same and listen to what they are feeling. As the manager of the business, make sure that you keep the lines of communication open. During these talks, be aware of which employees are struggling the most and spend extra time finding out their concerns and then helping them to work through this, or signpost them to get assistance. Acknowledge how unknown and unsettling the situation is but assure them you will keep them up to date on a daily basis.

Forbes Low, CEO of Kingston Chamber of Commerce, says: “There is so much negative news to try to digest, not just from official channels but also on social media. The problem is that not everything posted on Twitter and Facebook is true – in fact, a lot of it is untrue – but people tend to read it anyway and get sucked into a negative mindset.

“This mindset is exacerbated by the sense of isolation that people feel, with many avenues of social pleasure cut off for the time being. In this context it’s an unsettling time for everybody, whether they’re employees who are worried about their job or company directors concerned about the future viability of their business. That’s why it’s so important that people take steps to look after their mental health.”

So, what practical things can people do to achieve this goal? The answer is plenty, according to Asana Health, which helps people of all ages and abilities to master their life struggles and achieve their full potential.

“When working from home, make sure there is regular contact between employees to stop isolation and keep morale up. This is a temporary situation and you want them to keep connected for when they can all return to the workplace. Make sure they feel safe and protected. Let them know how to protect themselves and the workplace by basic hygiene such as handwashing, avoiding unnecessary travel and ensuring social distancing.

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The Royal Borough of

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Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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cover feature - resilience “Even if you don’t know what you are going to do, let your employees know that they are being thought about and a plan is being put together. You are all in this together. Remind them that the whole world is going through this – they are not alone.

“Encourage them to see the changes as a chance to increase their resilience. Let them know that every time we need to change, resilience grows; we learn new strengths and the ability to adapt to this new change.

“Look for something positive that is around you – the sunshine, quiet skies, hearing birds. This helps you get through another day because focusing on worstcase scenarios only adds to anxiety.”

Meditation and breathing exercises, she says, can also help – especially as a means of managing and controlling stressful situations and even panic attacks. Taking these measures not only helps to promote positive wellbeing on an individual level, it also helps to put businesses on a healthier footing.

Giselle says: “Focusing on the wellbeing of a business is often seen as a luxury or add-on.

However, it needs to be seen as fundamental for any business. Good wellbeing directly links to an increase in productivity, efficiency and effectiveness whilst increasing energy and motivation. It creates improved health, better concentration, problemsolving abilities and efficiency. Relationships improve, which increases trust and co-operation between individuals and teams. So, to improve your productivity, improve the wellbeing of your team.”

While maintaining a positive frame of mind is vital to building psychological resilience in this crisis, it’s also important for businesses take action to remain financially resilient. Many firms will be faced with a loss of income due to being unable to trade normally, while still having to cope with the burden of paying overheads.

“When working from home, make sure there is regular contact between employees to stop isolation and keep morale up. This is a temporary situation and you want them to keep connected for when they can all return to the workplace.”

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Jerry Irving, a business growth specialist at Thameside Enterprise, says: “In this uncertain climate, what should be understood is that profit is really not the focus; this really is a scenario where cash is king. The priority exercise is to work out how a positive cashflow can be maintained over the next six to twelve months.

“There are both similarities and differences between the situation now and what was happening to businesses in the financial crash of 2008. Back then, the banks weren’t lending and businesses couldn’t get access to the funding they needed to operate. The problem now is, whilst banks have finance to support business, companies are finding it difficult to trade because large parts of the economy have shut down – and, with no trading income, they are being suffocated by a severe cash shortfall.

“The challenge now, as it partly was in 2008, is to accumulate and retain cash within the business by collecting what is owed, reducing overheads and delaying [the payment of] liabilities. In addition, business owners should vigorously investigate their eligibility for the various business support schemes just introduced by the Government” Thameside Enterprise provides practical support and advice to individuals who wish to set up their own business, as well as enterprise development mentoring and consultancy to early-stage businesses with a keen appetite to achieve their business growth objectives. The company hosts workshops on a variety of business topics such as business modelling, financial forecasting and business growth planning. In some of these workshops the subject of business resilience is covered, with Jerry offering guidance and advice on how companies can adapt, plan and forecast to strengthen their position in the marketplace.

Jerry says: “The effect of the coronavirus on trade and commerce worldwide has been rapid, indiscriminate and potentially devastating. The only comfort, perhaps, is that this will be a relatively short-term issue. However, for businesses to survive

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

“The challenge now, as it partly was in 2008, is to accumulate and retain cash within the business by collecting what is owed, reducing overheads and delaying [the payment of] liabilities. In addition, business owners should vigorously investigate their eligibility for the various business support schemes just introduced by the Government ” the current crisis, taking positive action now is imperative. Good businesses will proactively try to manage the situation and understand what’s required to improve their chances of survival. Clear decision-making followed by effective action is what’s needed, even though in some circumstances this may be hard.”

In a perverse way, some businesses will be benefiting from the crisis; for example, those that provide healthcare services and medical products. Others, however, are quieter than usual and in some cases, have no work at all.

cover feature - resilience

CONTINUED The Royal Borough of

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Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

17

cover feature - resilience “this is not the time to be aggressively pushing paid services and/or putting up prices. It smacks of profiteering and is not a good idea.”

Amanda Cullen, coaching and mentoring specialist at Business Made Simpler, says companies should use existing downtime to nurture client relationships.

She says: “In my view, this is not the time to be aggressively pushing paid services and/or putting up prices. It smacks of profiteering and is not a good idea. It may work in the very short term but people know when they’re being taken advantage of and resent it. In the longer term, it will count against you!

Whilst doing this, however, it’s vital that companies continue to look after the wellbeing of their staff, as Mark Blunden highlights. The company he manages, KML Occupational Health, provides health services to thousands of employees and business owners (we mustn’t forget them) and offers dozens of different types of medicals and assessments. In the current climate, where good physical and mental health is of paramount importance, KML’s services hold much appeal. These services include counselling and other wellbeing services both face to face and online and a system of ongoing health checks designed to detect and monitor signs of employees’ work-related ill health.

She says: “Investing large amounts of time or money into something new that may not be viable in a few days or weeks is not sensible. Having said that, if they were already developing an offering that is ideally suited to the current environment, I’m encouraging them to grab the opportunity to speed up its development and launch – even if it’s not perfect!”

Mark believes that, in these troubled times, managers need to do more than ever to improve workplace culture, especially with many people doing their job remotely to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Businesses can build resilience by ensuring they have a stable, committed workforce,” he says. “They can achieve this by recognising and rewarding contributions from staff, embracing transparency, communicating clearly and having an open-door policy where employees feel they can talk about their anxieties and concerns.

“Many of these measures are pure common sense but sometimes that goes out of the window in challenging times. As the country tries to come to terms with the coronavirus, businesses need to show leadership and stay strong.”

It’s fortunate, then, that strength and tenacity are key characteristics of the Kingston borough business community – traits that Forbes Low believes will hold local firms in good stead in the long run.

“It’s the time to remind people of what you do and, if it’s relevant and beneficial in the current environment, they will respond. For example, I’m contacting my current clients to ask where they’re at both business-wise and emotionally, and to offer my help. I’m separately offering free virtual chats to anyone exploring their options, looking for creative solutions or just needing some moral support. I’m fortunate that I already offered coaching by Skype or phone alongside my face-to-face coaching, so it’s not a big change for me to do this; I know that it can be just as effective as working face-to-face.”

Amanda is encouraging business owners to keep abreast of the financial support available and to stay flexible in a fast-evolving situation. She also believes that businesses can increase their resilience by fasttracking the development of products and services that can help people deal with the current situation.

an appreciation of personal needs – occasionally over professional needs. It may also include working from home – especially so at this time – or accommodations for personal responsibilities such as parenthood. Companies that want their employees to sacrifice everything for their jobs aren’t going to survive.”

“We are a very tight-knit borough,” he says. “There has always been a keenness to collaborate locally and trade with each other. I’m confident we’ll support each other through these difficult times and are resilient enough to get through this.”

Mark, Business & Operations Manager at KML says “Workers’ wellbeing has never been more important.

Over sixty per cent of all management referral cases seen

by KML are now mental health-related. In the increasingly busy world we live in, a healthy work-life balance is now sought by more and more people who want to work in an environment that prioritises the health and happiness of its workers even if it means being paid less.

“There are no strict definitions here, but healthy work-life balance environments often allow for flexible hours, flexible vacation time, personal time, and

“There are no strict definitions here, but healthy work-life balance environments often allow for flexible hours, flexible vacation time, personal time, and an appreciation of personal needs”

• SEQOHS certified Occupational Health Provider working with you to look after you and your employees physical and mental health.

• From pre-employment Fit for Work certificates, through on-going health surveillance to retirement, KML are here to help.

Tel: 020-7643-1028 | Email: admin@kmloh.com | www.kmloh.com 18

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

FINANCIAL SERVICES

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our Supporting the community Year? through adversity momentum

Momentum Children’s Charity supports families across South West London, Surrey and West Sussex whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition. They provide personally tailored support to the entire family, both in hospital and at home, through counselling, creative therapies, experiences, respite breaks and children’s ward refurbishments.

an support more challenging condition As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Momentum, like many charities, is facing the reality of cancelled events and fundraising activities, meaning a big drop in income. They have also found themselves unable to continue their vital face to face support in line with government guidance on social distancing. All this at a time when their support services are needed more than ever, both for the families

who are feeling especially vulnerable and isolated, and for their local partners hospitals who are more stretched than ever.

Despite these challenges, Momentum is rapidly adapting to ensure they can continue supporting families who need

them. Instead of face to face support, their specialist Family Support Workers are supporting families via phone, email, skype and text. Their one-to-one creative therapies have been replaced with weekly ‘creative and wellbeing’ packs for the whole family. Their regular princess visits - which brighten up the day for sick children - will continue virtually, and an online counselling service will be offered and extended to grandparents who are feeling worried about their family and their own health.

support of the community. If your organisation would like to help them continue their vital services, please visit www.moment-um.org or email fundraising@moment-um.org

There is no denying that it is going to be a difficult few months, but as their name suggests, the charity is committed to maintaining ‘momentum’ and will continue to stand by families in the community to ensure that they don’t have to cope alone.

Get in touch Momentum Children’s Charity can’t do what they do without the generous

Could we beinfo your @moment-um.org Char ty of the Year?

0208 974 5931

moment-um.org

With your organisation's help, we can support more local children with cancer or a life-challenging condition

Get in touch info@moment-um.org 0208 974 5931 Registered charity number: 1106677 moment-um.org Registered charity number: 1106677

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

PRIVATE DINING With seating for up to 32 guests.

Available for lunch & dinner.

Choose our beautiful upstairs room for your special occasion and know that you and your guests will be well looked after.

Our private room offers a bespoke three course menu.

For more details, please ask our team or email sarah@thefrenchtable.co.uk 85 Maple Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 4AW 0208 399 2365

Discover Corporate Membership at

THE LENSBURY CLUB All set in our stunning 25 acre gardens and grounds on the banks of the River Thames

Corporate membership pricing Our corporate membership offers a significant discount on our individual membership prices so take advantage and put your company’s wellness first.

Find out more about our Corporate Membership on membership@lensbury.com or call 020 8614 6500 The Lensbury Club, Broom Road, Teddington, TW11 9NU

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

21

chamber events KINGSTON Business BOROUGH Expos 2020 BUSINESS AWARDS

The Kingston Business Expo is due to take place on Tuesday 23rd June 2020 at Kingston University Business School. We are still very much hoping that we will be able to host this event, although possibly on a smaller scale than usual. Please do continue to register online for a free ticket, this way we will be able to keep you up to date with any news. www.kingstonchamber.co.uk/expo/

Kingston Chamber of Commerce is committed to recognising achievements, innovations and successes in the Borough of Kingston and plan to launch a NEW Kingston Borough Business Awards (KBBA) in 2020/1.

Due to the current challenges businesses are facing we have chosen to delay the launch until later in the year however we still believe that there will be, at the right time, more reason than ever to acknowledge and celebrate our businesses, their resilience and hard work to support our local economy.

We look forward to being able to announce more details soon. If you would like to hear more about the launch and awards in future, please register your details on the website www.kbba.co.uk

Looking Ahead

Dates for your Diary Thursday 9th July Networking Breakfast

Wednesday 15th July Wych Networking at The Wych Elm

Thursday 13th August Networking Breakfast

The Chessington Business Expo is scheduled for Friday 23rd October 2020 at Chessington School. I am sure by October we will all be raring to go and looking for ways to increase our networks, re-connect with, and meet new, local businesses. The day will include speednetworking, business exhibition and free seminars.

Register online to attend.

If you are interested in exhibiting please do get in touch, you can book a stand online now and confirm later in the year when business activity has returned to normal.

August Joint Chambers Summer Networking Party (with Merton & Wandsworth Chambers –Venue TBC)

Thursday 10th September Networking Breakfast

Wednesday 16th September Wych Networking at The Wych Elm

Monday 28th September Chamber Golf Day at Surbiton Golf Club

Thursday 8th October Networking Breakfast

Thursday 22nd October FIRE Marshal Training at The Guildhall

Looking Back

Photos by Karen Barrett Photography.

Our Women in Business Lunch was held on 28th February 2020 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel London Kingston. It was an absolute pleasure to have adventurer and entrepreneur Fiona Quinn who in 2018, despite being scared of the sea, stand up paddleboarded from Land’s End to John O’Groats, 800 miles up the west coast of Britain, crossing the Irish Sea en route. Fiona shared her amazing story with us over lunch but if you couldn’t join us you can read all about it in her new book: IGNORE THE FEAR. Get your copy at www.fionalquinn.com/sup-lejog-book

Online events are still listed on our website - Visit www.kingstonchamber.co.uk 22

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

ask the expert

What is the best way to coach the modern-day entrepreneur?

Chris Churchman, ActionCoach One of the shortest coaching assignments I have had was with an online retailer with three joint owners who were uncertain about the pace and direction of travel. Difficult discussions were being avoided and no decisions were being taken. Sitting down with the individual shareholders and coaxing out of them their true feelings and ambitions, coupled with an understanding of how they each communicated and behaved, was the precursor to a facilitated strategy session to determine the way forward.

The moral of the story?

Entrepreneurs communicate, learn and work in different ways so there is definitely no one way to coach. And the outcome? The business was split into two separate entities and my coaching intervention was over!

Coronavirus has seen the biggest and fastest shift in business confidence in living memory, and Business Owners are confronted with the need to change FAST to (a) survive and (b) adapt for the new economic world. But what to do?

With no previous experience of such a dramatic shift to call on, knowing what is the first step to take will be daunting for commercial and/or emotional reasons.

Having the courage to do so without an external perspective can be very difficult.

So, what are the components that contribute to a brilliant coaching experience in current times?

1. Quick Wins. The impact of COVID 19 on businesses is causing a great deal of stress and anxiety for you, having invested so much time and effort in building your business and now you are facing the prospect of it going up in smoke. When you are feeling overwhelmed, where are the simple wins that will provide some calm and sense of progress?

2. New Goals. Are you clear about what your goals should be in the new coronavirus world? Goals will act as a focal point and motivator for yourself and a measurement tool of the impact of coaching. Do you have a Business Plan for the next 90 Days? Putting one together NOW is essential.

3. Change. The World has changed so how do you need to change?

What are your strengths and weaknesses as an Entrepreneur?

Businesses grow because the Business Owner grows so what do you need to learn and do differently? Where can you get that learning from?

4. Know your numbers. How financially sound is your business?

The better the data, the better the decision-making. Do you have a 90 day cash flow forecast? If you are applying for any of the government programmes, you will need to have one ready. Where can you save money without undermining the business? What should you invest more in? Where are you getting the best return?

5. The Virtual World. Bar some trades and sectors, you are likely to be working remotely and that presents a whole raft of challenges.

We are all having to work from home so how do you maintain or improve you and your team’s productivity when you are working in isolation? How do you change your leadership style to reflect this?

6. Commitment. What worked in the past won’t work now so you need to challenge your previous thinking and logic. Are you prepared to go through the discomfort that

comes with anything new? It is easy to retreat from that so you need to be pushed to deliver the changes you recognise you need to make.

For a great experience, ask yourself these questions of a prospective Coach: • Are they genuinely committed to helping me on my journey?

• Do they have my best interests at heart?

• Are they clear about what I want to achieve?

• Are they offering a programme that reflects my level of ambition and a style of delivery that I enjoy?

• Is there respect and rapport between myself and the coach?

• Am I ready for the challenge and accountability of a Coach?

Chris Churchman works with Action Coach, helping Business Owners for over 15 years to build a commercial, profitable business that works without them. He is running free drop in sessions daily and a weekly webinar where you can explore all of these suggestions further. Tel 07768 346456; chrischurchman@actioncoach.com https://bit.ly/2wRrGBQ

During the crisis I am putting aside 5 pro-bono hours a week to coach 5 business owners who need help to survive and thrive.

Have them message me directly...#plandontpanic actioncoach.co.uk/covid-pandemic-resource The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

23

the big interview

HR expertise benefits firms in coronavirus crisis The COVID-19 pandemic has given Sandra Porter much to reflect on as she attempts to help businesses get the support they need‌

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Although the world of human resources is generally a fast-paced environment, the last few weeks have been exceptionally busy for Sandra Porter.

As owner of a franchise of The HR Dept, Sandra has been inundated with calls about the new government measures to safeguard companies, jobs and livelihoods following the COVID-19 outbreak.

While the headline announcements look impressive – 80% wage subsidies for employees and the self-employed, grants for small businesses, VAT holidays – the detail behind them is complex, the caveats numerous. If the technical complexity of the Job Retention Scheme is challenging for employment lawyers and HR professionals, try explaining it to SME owners who are desperately trying to look after their finances and staff in intensely difficult circumstances.

Sandra says: “Small business owners are generally trying to do the right thing and protect their company and their workforce. A lot of them have put their heart, soul and livelihoods into their business and don’t want to see it go to ruin. They want to know what sort of government support they’re eligible for but the guidance is not crystal clear, as ministers have had to introduce these measures quickly without much time to reflect on their implications.

“If anything , Covid 19 has highlighted the need for SME owners to be aware of their contractual clauses and policies so that they can protect themselves and their staff.”

Having spent more than two decades in the HR profession, Sandra is used to being adaptable to change.

After graduating from Staffordshire University with a degree in psychology, she started working for an executive search company where she gained knowledge and experience of psychometrics. She then took up the position of HR The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

manager at a finance company which eventually became part of Bank of Scotland, before joining O2 as Head of HR for their retail network and then later their Finance, Technology and Engineering divisions.

After 4 years, Sandra was headhunted to sit on the UK Board for coffeehouse chain Starbucks and held this role for a number of years before ditching her corporate life to start and raise a family.

“If anything , Covid 19 has highlighted the need for SME owners to be aware of their contractual clauses and policies so that they can protect themselves and their staff.”

“When it was time to return to work, I didn’t really want to step back into the corporate world,” she says. “I wanted to find a role that utilised my skills and experience, while providing flexibility to look after my family.”

Sandra found that owning a HR Dept franchise, an outsourced HR services provider that supports SMEs with day to day and strategic HR needs, fulfilled her sense of purpose and need for flexibility. In November 2016, she seized the opportunity to buy a franchise of the company and since then has built it into a thriving business with around 150 clients. Many are on a monthly retainer, while others sign up on a pay-as-you-go basis.

“I have two distinct types of client”, Sandra says. “There are companies that have had their fingers burnt in the past and want to make sure they’re complying with HR legislation so they’re not at risk of being taken to a tribunal. I also work with highgrowth, aspirational businesses that need help to drive forward their expansion plans. They might need advice on recruiting the right people or remuneration packages that will attract and retain top talent. Some just want ad-hoc advice and some want us to sit on their board and effectively operate as an extension of their business.

Inside track:

“In many respects, our business is weather-proof. Some of our clients need us more in difficult times, whereas others require our help when the market is buoyant.”

Favourite holiday?

Hiking to Machu Picchu

Perhaps it’s this reason why Sandra is looking to the future with confidence. She aims to double the size of the business in the next three years with the help of her team.

Keen to develop the next generation of talent, she has also taken on an intern who can grow and progress within the business.

For now, however, it’s a case of helping other firms through the coronavirus crisis and prepare businesses for the changes brought into legislation by the Good Work Plan this April.

“The current situation will teach us a lot about ourselves,” she says.

“How well do we pay attention to our finances? Are we adaptable in times of adversity? How well do we cope under pressure.” Are we sufficiently adaptable in times of adversity?”

“The Coronavirus impact has been overwhelming personally and professionally but we continue to be inspired by those businesses that have reinvented themselves and focused on ‘opportunity thinking’ during these unprecedented times”.

Sandra Porter Favourite food: Thai food or roast dinners Favourite tipple: Gin and tonic

Describe your family life? I’m a single mum with two little ones who are seven and five years old – which means that life is generally pretty bonkers!

How do you spend your downtime? Downtime, what’s that?! I remember that I used to love cooking, theatre, cinema, indoor rock climbing and hiking before family life took over What are your key strengths as a manager? My collaborative approach and creativity And your limitations?

Impatience and passion for biscuits Best thing about doing business in the borough?

It’s great working with such a tight community of ambitious, inspirational small and medium-sized enterprise owners Famous person you’d most like to spend dinner with? The Obamas. I wouldn’t want to invite one and not the other; that would be mean!

Most interesting fact about yourself? I once hosted a conference with David Hasselhoff who requested that he entered the arena to his song Jump in my Car. It was an interesting event to say the least!

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

25

Private healthcare at Kingston Hospital At Kingston Hospital we offer a wide range of private services for those who wish to use their health insurance* or who want to pay independently.

Private fertility clinics supported by Kingston Hospital’s Assisted Conception Unit Consultant-led maternity packages, which include one-to-one midwifery care throughout delivery and postnatal stay Competitive package prices across a number of specialties including general surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics and urology A wide-range of cosmetic and dermatological procedures All profits are reinvested into Kingston Hospital’s NHS services.

Please contact us for further information or visit our website for more information about the services we offer: T:

020 8546 6677

W: E:

KingstonPrivateHealth.co.uk KPHEnquiries@nhs.net @KPHKingston KingstonPrivateHealth

* Kingston Private Health is recognised by leading UK and international medical insurers

health & wellbeing

Ways to improve wellbeing while staying safe How workers can stay happy and mentally well-balanced in these uncertain times…

On Friday, March 20 the UK government took the unprecedented step of urging the British public to stay at home and ordering all bars, restaurants, sports clubs and gyms to close for the foreseeable future to slow down the spread of the deadly coronavirus. People who experience any of the COVID-19 symptoms – a persistent cough or fever, for example – have been told they must self-isolate for a period of time.

These instructions from the government were entirely understandable, with the death toll from the virus rising on a daily basis. However, it has forced everybody to recalibrate their way of life, to commit to doing things differently until the threat of the virus has passed. Many workers are now doing their day jobs from the comfort of their own home, elderly people and those with underlying health conditions are sensibly staying indoors to avoid infection, and much of the public are using Skype, social media and other forms of communication to keep in touch with their friends and loved ones.

Some people will cope with making these adjustments but for others it will inevitably have an adverse impact on their mental health and well-being – especially if they live on their own.

However, there are several measures that they can take to maintain a positive mood.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

• Support groups such as Mind (www.mind.org.uk) are available to provide advice and guidance online or over the phone • Maintaining good physical health during quarantine or isolation is key to keeping mentally well. Walking, running or cycling outside can help, although stay a safe distance (at least two metres) away from others. Yoga is also a great stress-buster and can be done at home. For those needing additional guidance on specific poses, there are several decent videos on YouTube • Take regular breaks from social media.

Various social channels are rife with rumours and misinformation about the virus. Stick to official sources of information, such as the World Health Organisation website https://www.who.int/ • Video calls with friends and loved ones can be a great way of lifting the mood and reducing loneliness • Join an online community. These forums are places where people can make new friends, get inspired and chat about things they’re really passionate about, such as a charitable cause,

a particular sport or television programmes.

For those who like music, British choirmaster, composer and TV presenter Gareth Malone has launched a digital choir, The Great British Home Chorus, to bring together amateur and professional performers around the UK by encouraging them to sing with others online • Learn some meditation and mindfulness techniques. There are several apps such as Headspace that offer tips to alleviate anxiety and stress and get people in a positive frame of mind • Practise the art of planning. Often, poor mental health can result from drifting aimlessly from one hour to the next. While life will be different for the next few months and normal routines may be disrupted, take some time to write down the key tasks that need to be achieved that day.

Remember to build in time for little treats, such as exercise or a glass of wine in the evening.

Planning gives a structure and sense of order to the day ahead • Above all, reach out. Those who are struggling can pick up the phone to a friend or family member if the sense of isolation gets too much

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

27

SERVICED OFFICES

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City Skyline REACHES FOR THE STARS A boutique operator of high-quality fully serviced offices is capitalising on increasing demand for flexible office space...

James Hale has been working in the serviced office sector for over 25 years and in that time he has witnessed much change.

James started his career in the industry at multinational giant Regus in 1995, when the company had only a handful of centres in the UK. Now it has more than 3,000 worldwide.

When he started out, companies generally signed a long-term lease and were used to providing their own infrastructure and being responsible for their occupational costs. He remembers it being a hard sell as people did not understand the concept of an all-inclusive desk rate rather than a per square foot cost.

James is owner and MD of serviced office operator City Skyline, which he set up in 2006.

He says: “The market for flexible workspace has expanded beyond recognition during my time and particularly in the last few years, with dozens of new operators jumping on the bandwagon. This is good for flexible workspace and will help provide more growth potential and much-needed credibility within the commercial property sector.

“The demand for a more flexible model has attracted a lot of investment from investors prepared to finance several centres to create economies of scale and a brand quickly. This investment has led to a dramatic increase in the number of centres, particularly in London but also in other key cities across the UK. Now you can find a serviced office

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Chamber of Commerce

in almost every major town, which was certainly not the case even ten years ago.

“There are several factors contributing to this demand but fundamentally it is the advances in technology which means far more reliable and flexible solutions that are cloud-based and can therefore be accessed from anywhere. The demand is also being driven by a younger and more versatile workforce who no longer want to go to the same location every day so employers need to be able to offer them flexibility that currently the serviced office sector is able to provide.”

“We offer contracts from just three months to 24 months or longer at a fixed monthly cost with no up-front investment,” he says. “This makes the serviced office solution ideal for start-ups with cash flow concerns, SMEs with ambitious growth plans, or even a corporate with short-term overflow or expansion needs.”

At the time of the interview, the coronavirus had just started to grip the economy and this has only added to a slowing in demand seen

over the past 12 months, particularly outside of London. However, James believes the flexible workspace model has a long-term future, one that will be driven by technology.

Now he’s actively seeking further opportunities to manage offices in and around London and Surrey. With the technological revolution and demand for agile working gathering further momentum, it’s likely he’ll get plenty of chances to do just that.

However, the model is not without its risks. Survival for the ever-increasing number of operators will depend on their ability to meet the changing needs of customers in a far more competitive marketplace. Serviced office centres are costly to set up and income can be slow to start with so funding is crucial in the early days. Unfortunately, the operators themselves do not benefit from the same flexibility that they offer their customers. They have long-term liabilities and high running costs if they take on a conventional lease.

Many operators, including City Skyline, have signed management agreements which are designed to share the risk and reward between the operator and landlord.

In 2009 City Skyline took the opportunity to manage Global House in Epsom and since then James and his team have operated centres in Park Lane, Sutton and New Malden under the City Skyline brand.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

29

a day in the life

Holiday heaven

inspiration, we’ll use our knowledge and expertise to create a bespoke holiday you’ll love. From the whole package to those finishing touches such as car hire and travel insurance, we’ve got you covered! We save you time and money, we offer low deposits and easy payment options including direct debit, and we give you fantastic choice as we have access to more than 500 suppliers. We also give you peace of mind via ABTA and ATOL protection.

Joanne Redington spends much of her working day helping people plan their perfect holiday…

Before I took up my current position, I worked in various roles as a finance manager for local businesses. At my highest level I managed a team of six people, a task I found to be very stressful and unsatisfying. After about five years in the role I got made redundant, which turned out to be a godsend; it gave me time to reflect on what I wanted to do next.

I decided to do some research on franchises and after a while I came across The Travel Franchise, also known as Not Just Travel. I liked the offering and completed a training course at the company’s Bournemouth head office in October 2019. After one week of intense training I was ready to go!

The franchise is part of the UK’s largest independent travel agency, Hays Travel, and we exist to help people plan their next holiday. Whether you know exactly what you want or need some travel

“Whether you know exactly what you want or need some travel inspiration, we’ll use our knowledge and expertise to create a bespoke holiday you’ll love. From the whole package to those finishing touches such as car hire and travel insurance, we’ve got you covered!”

There’s no such thing as a typical day but a lot of my time is spent doing research on various locations around the world, from sunny hot spots to package holidays in the UK. I’m also in regular contact with my suppliers so that I can source the best deals for customers. Currently there’s a lot of concern surrounding the coronavirus but that will eventually pass and things will get back to normal.

The franchise gives me flexibility and a good work-life balance. I also have a photography business and was the photographer for the Kingston Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business events.

In addition, I work as a part-time freelance bookkeeper for several small businesses so my typical day starts with walking my dog, then checking all of my e-mails relating to the different jobs I have – so lots of juggling! This is usually followed by research and training along with social media blogging and finding tempting holiday offers whilst trying to attract interest from potential new clients and setting up google ad campaigns.

There’s never a dull moment and it’s great fun!

This interview took place before the the current COVID-19 outbreak. While this means we can not longer travel freely, we can still dream and plan ahead so why not ask Jo for some inspiration so you have something to look forward to!

For more information call 07909 962991 or visit www.joanneredington.notjusttravel.com

tops tips

Are you putting your employees’ health first?

In such uncertain times, all eyes are on business leaders and how they look after their people. Andrew Brunton, Founder of Pinnacle Healthcare tells us why it’s never been more important to look after employee wellbeing and some of the top misconceptions he hears from clients.

2. I only get my money’s worth when staff fall sick

1. Extra benefits will cost me too much I encourage business owners to look at the loss to their business if employees fall sick or are waiting for medical treatment. The government estimated that 141million working days were lost because of sickness or injury in 2018*. The cost of private medical insurance is an investment in helping your employees return to health as quickly as possible and to help them thrive in the longer term. A private medical insurance policy is a tax-deductible business expense and cover levels vary from cash plans all the way up to complete health and wellbeing packages.

Medical treatment once somebody falls sick is just the tip of wider benefits on offer. Clients report services that help employees proactively take care of their health are some of the most popular. This might be gym discounts, remote GP consultations, supermarket discounts for healthy food, partner perks to reward regular exercise or complementary therapies such as acupuncture.

3. Employee wellness is just about medical insurance About 83% of companies say they offer benefits to help employee health and wellbeing, but only 35% offer financial advice and only 59% offer mental health first aid**. These are just 2 of the often overlooked benefits I’d encourage business owners to consider. Pinnacle Healthcare also advises on income protection and critical illness cover and can offer

Wellbeing Workshops to help engage employees in all the benefits their company offers.

4. It will get more expensive each year The role of an independent broker is to review your policy each year to help find the most cost-effective solution. This is at no extra cost to business owners and brokers tend to have access to the entire marketplace. Benefits can change each year, as do requirements and all advice is fully regulated by the FCA. Pinnacle Healthcare also assist with any claims and benefit queries, and prides itself on customer service with a 100% client retention rate.

the best talent. I encourage business owners to refer to their employee feedback or pulse surveys and find out how their staff are feeling. Are you offering what they need most?

Listening openly to whether you are meeting their work/life needs will not only help your employees thrive, but your company thrive too. *Office for National StatisticsSickness absence in the UK labour market, Nov 2019. **EmployeeBenefits.co.uk May 2019 survey

5. My staff care only about pay, not benefits Research has shown that over two thirds of employees would choose one job over another if it offered better benefits. Current pressure on wage increases also means that an attractive benefits package comes into its own in not only attracting, but keeping

“The cost of private medical insurance is an investment in helping your employees return to health as quickly as possible”

Your partner in employee benefits Contact us for an independent review 020 3855 0971 The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

andy@pinnaclehealthcare.co.uk

www.pinnaclehealthcare.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

31

cats protection

Promoting awareness for Cats Protection in Kingston Sutton, Kingston & District are your local Cats Protection branch. Cats Protection is the only national charity specifically for cats whose vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. The branch was formed in 1982 originally in Sutton and Cheam and expanded to the Kingston area in 2012. We help with rehoming and rescuing stray cats, promote neutering with campaigns when we offer free neutering and microchipping and we aim to educate the public about cat welfare.

Our aim for 2020 is to promote awareness of our branch in the Kingston area and to hold a Community Neutering campaign in an area of Kingston that has many unneutered and stray cats.

Neutering cats has many health benefits for the cat as well as the obvious one of reducing the cat population through stopping unwanted kittens. We would also like to educate the public to stop buying kittens from websites and unlicensed breeders when there are so many rescue kittens and cats needing a good home.

We are also looking for volunteers especially if you are recently retired. If you are a person with a bit of spare time on your hands and you are an animal lover there are many ways you can help the cats in our care by supporting our fosterers and welfare team. This could involve assisting with a rescue, trapping a stray, scanning a cat for a microchip, delivering food and supplies to our fosterers or taking a cat to the vets. Experience is not necessary, and we provide full support and training.

Being able to drive and having a car is essential. You would not have to commit to a set day or time each week (as the needs for help are more random). Expenses will be reimbursed so you will not be out of pocket.

We are also looking for local businesses to help us either by sponsoring one of our newsletters, choosing us as a partner charity, encouraging staff to help us with fundraising activities or join us as a member through various payday schemes or just by putting up posters in your businesses.

If you or your business can help us in any way or would like more information see our website www.sutton.cats.org.uk or call 07873 157585.

Other volunteer roles available involve administration duties needed to run the branch. One of these we need help with is organising our Social Media. All administration roles would be undertaken from your own home so you would need access to a computer and WiFi. They would not be a set time or day so can fit in with your lifestyle and commitments.

Sutton, Kingston & District Branch HOW YOU CAN HELP US Support us financially - See our website for ways to donate and our membership scheme Volunteer with the Branch - spare a little time to help local cats and kittens B ecome a Fosterer - open your home to a stray cat Adopt one of our cats - if you are thinking of adopting a cat please adopt a Cats Protection cat from your local branch or Homing Centre

For further information please contact: T: E: W: fb:

0345 260 2792 enquiries@sutton.cats.org.uk www.sutton.cats.org.uk cats protection sutton kingston & district

Reg Charity 203644 (England and Wales) and SC037711 (Scotland)

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

news

Hotel opens after

MAJOR RENOVATION Crowne Plaza London Kingston has announced it has opened its doors after undergoing a major transformation.

The modern riverside hotel is situated in suburban Kingston, an ideal location to explore Hampton Court Palace, Chessington World of Adventures, Wimbledon, Twickenham Rugby stadium, Kew Gardens, Mercedes Benz World, Sandown Racecourse and several business parks within a five-mile radius.

The renovation of the 121-bedroom hotel includes an extension of the reception area, resulting in a modern but welcoming open plan lobby, and the re-opening of the 360 Restaurant & Bar with a unique international

tapas concept. All function rooms have been redesigned and renovated to include state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and a stunning marble foyer breakout area, while a new club lounge has been developed for loyalty members and full renovation of the hotel’s bedrooms carried out.

The person behind the new look is architect and designer, Varuna Aravindan, who has created a range of contemporary designs that integrate traditional elements and natural materials.

For businesses, the hotel is set up for success with five on-site meeting rooms to accommodate groups as small as ten or as large as 250. The hotel has a team of event planners and seasoned chefs on board to help firms plan special gatherings – whether a board meeting or a banquet – and tech experts are also available.

The hotel is conveniently located 25 minutes from LondonHeathrow Airport and 35 minutes from London-Gatwick Airport, making it ideal for holidaymakers or business travellers.

Rishu Roshan, general manager at Crowne Plaza London Kingston, said: “The hotel will allow guests to make the most of their visit to Kingston or London. Surbiton railway station, with fast services to central London, is five minutes away by car and 15 minutes’ walking distance.

Guests on business or leisure can easily explore the sites of the city.

“We look forward to welcoming guests to our hotel and helping them have a comfortable and productive stay.”

For more information visit www.cplondonkingston.co.uk

Kingston First lends support to businesses Kingston First Business Improvement District (BID) has issued a message of support for its businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak of the virus has caused widespread concern in the business community, with workers worried about their livelihoods and companies taking steps to conserve cash as work dries up.

Kingston First has pledged to support businesses, the town centre and key partners by sharing round-ups of official local and national government updates and policy as soon as they are available. The organisation said it would also continue to coordinate and collect town centre data and feedback The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

from the business community to inform local policymakers and partners, industry bodies and national government.

situation and we are here to support you by ensuring you are informed on relevant updates as they become clear.

In addition, Kingston First has postponed its regular programme of workshops, training and Thumbs Up It’s Thursday events for an initial period of three months, as social distancing measures are enforced throughout the country.

“Our team are working on a combination of skeleton staff rotation in the office and remote working, but if you require any help from us during this difficult time, please do let us know by getting in touch with any member of the team via phone or email. Let’s stay safe and work together.”

Kirsten Henly, Chief Executive of Kingston First, said: “This is a fast-changing

Long-term vision for Kingston town centre Kingston Council and Kingston First have appointed design consultancy Arup to develop a new vision for the town centre for the next 15 years.

The six-month study will look at the opportunities and challenges facing the town centre and will develop a plan to drive its future employment, cultural, education, business, transport and regeneration offer.

Working with Arup, the council in partnership with Kingston First will review options for the town centre, including how key sites such as the Cattle Market car park, Surrey House, Eden Quarter, Guildhall and Ashdown Road car park can contribute to meeting these challenges.

The future approach and direction will be developed with residents and other key town centre users including Transport for London, land owners and local businesses. The findings of the study will then form a strategy, taking into consideration national trends in retailing, technological advances and population growth to deliver social, economic and environmental outcomes that support the borough’s residents, businesses and visitors in years to come.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

33

starting up

The Park Brewery are currently offering a home delivery service.

Visit their online shop at www.theparkbrewery.com/shop

More than JUST A BREWERY

Frankie and Josh Kearns, The Park Brewery

Tell us a bit about your business?

We are a husband and wife team running a microbrewery in KT1.

We produce several craft beers throughout the year from porters and stouts through to hoppy pale ales. We sell to approximately 100 outlets, including pubs, hotels, bars and cafes. The business started in our family kitchen in 2014 and has evolved from there. We ran a crowdfunding campaign in 2018 and thanks to the support of mainly local investors, we were

34

able to move to bigger premises and buy a significantly larger brew kit (producing approximately 3,000L a brew, that’s over 5,000 pints).

We now have an on-site tap room for people to visit and try our beers direct from source. It’s currently open every Friday evening 5-9pm and is also available for private hire, meetings and client outings etc.

What gives your business ‘the x-factor’?

We create a big range of tasty, thought provoking craft beers.

These are beers to be considered

and enjoyed, packed with flavour.

We use hops from all over the world and work hard to combine our ingredients to max out the flavours.

What motivated you to set up in business?

A love of beer and desire to recreate some of the amazing beer styles that were starting to creep over from the US.

What do you like most about working for a start-up?

Being our own bosses, managing to be home for the children after school and having a very short commute to work! (5 minutes on a bike).

What has been your greatest business success to date?

The crowdfunding campaign was probably our biggest success.

Going from a very small start-up to smashing our £175k target. We hit £310k, allowing us to really push the business on.

What has been your lowest moment?

Probably when we lost a whole pallet of canned beer, after a courier dropped them off the back of a lorry and left without so much as a note. Thankfully

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

we had CCTV footage, but we lost an entire batch of one of our core range beers which was desperately needed over the summer months. (Approximately 2,500 cans were ruined).

In terms of business achievements, where do you want to be within the next year 5 years?

We would like to be on a level with some of the major craft beer producers in this country within 5 years. National distribution, export, having our own bar in Kingston, a bigger team and being part of some major events are all on our ‘to do’ list and LOTS more in the pipeline.

What would be your top tip to someone thinking of starting up their own business?

Have a really clear plan and do your best to stick to it. Make sure you have a strong support team around you, not just Accountants and Legal Advisors, but also friends, family or support groups who can prop you up when you go through rocky patches (you will go through rocky patches)!

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