Borough Business April 2021 by Benham Publishing Limited

BOROUGH

BUSINESS

IssueInterview 20: Spring 2021 The2021 voice of Kingston’s business community The Big

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KINGSTON BUSINESS

2021

KINGSTON 2021 BUSINESS 2021 KINGSTON KINGSTON BUSINESS BUSINESS

The Big Interview

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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.

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contents Welcome to New Members Economy Patron News Richard Burge LCCI Skills Cover Feature Expo Ask the Exert Chamber Events The Big Interview News Health & Wellbeing Top Tips Starting Up

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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 21 © 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. 1765 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. © 2021. 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.

Patron Members

The Royal Borough of

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WELCOME TO

BOROUGH BUSINESS The Kingston Chamber of Commerce magazine for all Businesses in Kingston Over a year ago, we were just becoming aware of the COVID-19 virus. I remember clearly our last Chamber networking event at Kingston College on March 12th. We had our hand sanitisers out and doing the elbow welcome, blissfully unaware of how things would change beyond our imaginations within a week. As we come into Spring, with the new roadmap ahead and the vaccination programme rolling out, there may be some light at the end of this long tunnel. I believe that business needs a period of stability, to gain the reassurance that the ground is stable and we can start planning ahead. Get that stability and the confidence to invest and spend will hopefully return. Kingston Chamber has a challenging, yet exciting year ahead. We host the Kingston Business Expo on April 28th which will provide business seminars, speed networking and diverse roundtable discussions on the local vision, skills and employability, start-ups and partnering with Kingston University, a Kingston Innovation webinar. We are delighted

that Kingston Council and Kingston University are the headline supporters and appreciate the many sponsors who have shown their commitment to support the business community. The day will provide a wealth of business growth opportunities and insights. As part of the Council’s Green Taskforce, the Chamber is facilitating the Business Growth Opportunities from the Green Economy roundtable discussions on May 11th. Be a part of this thought-provoking morning as we reflect on how businesses will need to be involved in these vital green changes in the coming years. Later in June, we will be aiming to host the New Malden Business Forum. This forum will bring local businesses together, to share updates on a range of issues such as regeneration projects and retail and provide close links with Kingston Council and other strategic partners. In July, we will be launching the Kingston Borough Business Awards. Delayed from 2020,

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this will celebrate and promote the resilience, positive impact, economic, creative and skills contributions of local businesses, social enterprises and education in the Borough of Kingston. Read more on page 23. Finally, I am pleased that KickStart has actually kick started! Like many gateways, it has been a long journey to get to this point but to date, we have over 65 placements and more in the pipeline. Jobs are now being taken so I want to thank all the employers for their patience and KAE and DWP for making this happen. There is plenty to do but as we take our next steps forward, the Chamber is here to support you, connect and influence. Thank you and take care

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

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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Welcome to our new members

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Ann GIbbon & Co

Kingston

Ann Gibbon https://www.linkedin.com/in/ ann-gibbon-defence-solicitor/

Anna loved the support she was getting from her local chamber

BeesMAX Ltd

FGDB LLC

Andy Donnelly www.unisource-tasks.com

Aaron Howe

St James’s Place

Hatem Kamal www.ajtwealth.co.uk

Director Aimhigher London

For more information or to discuss how we can help you, please contact us at:

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The Good Estate Agent Heléna Barnett-Lonergan www.thegoodestateagent.co.uk

Pippy Business Limited

Catherine Fenwick

Miles Palmer www.thamessailingclub.co.uk

Mark Gale www.beesmax.org/our-work/ wellbeing-at-work/ Frank Bailey

“ Thank you for connecting me with local support networks and saving me a lot of energy with something I have been grappling with for months. I’m sure you will see this as ‘just doing your job’ but I wanted to acknowledge how the small things can really make a big difference often without you realising it. I also signed up for an event run by another member you told me about and got 5* personal treatment. You are really showing your value, particularly in such trying times.”

Thames Sailing Club

Unisource-Tasks

Visiting Angels North Surrey Chris James https://www.visiting-angels. co.uk/northsurrey/

Reasons to join... Membership of Kingston Chamber of Commerce brings a wealth of immediate benefits to your business.

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Welcoming, professional and supportive environment Two successful business Expos; Kingston and Chessington Regular online networking events and business webinars Local supply chain opportunities and excellent links to the wider local community Advocacy for businesses to Kingston Council, strategic partners and MPs in the borough Learning opportunities and affordable training on all business-related matters Creative online social events and meet ups

Find out how to join and learn how others are benefiting from their membership. www.kingstonchamber.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

hr dept

Opportunities to shape the future

Porter the Sorter Ask our resident HR expert, Sandra Porter of The HR Dept for advice on your workplace worries. Kissing in the Call Centre?! “Porter the Sorter, I have been told that one of our Customer Service Advisors has been seen kissing our Customer Service Manager in the stationary cupboard. What can we do?”

We are finally seeing some gradual easing of restrictions, after an incredibly difficult year for everyone. The pandemic has changed the way we live and work in so many ways. While it has created hardship and struggles, it has also created an opportunity to shape the world moving forward. New ways of remote working have become normal, and the way we experience the world around us has changed for the better.

Ok, so it’s not ideal but many relationships blossom in the workplace. In fact 40% of individuals have engaged in a relationship at work at some point in their career. So, what can you do as an employer to manage the potential impact of Cupid’s arrow? There are a number of issues that you might need to consider when love blossoms in the workplace: - The impact of a romantic connection on a professional line management relationship - The potential impact on productivity, conflicts of interests or issues regarding confidentiality - The impact on the wider team of perceived favouritism - Concerns regarding potential claims against each other of inappropriate behaviour or sexual harassment - Risks of discrimination claims where employees are subsequently transferred or demoted So, as a responsible employer what can you do? 1. Check your assumptions – informally discuss with both parties whether the rumours are true, without being judgemental or accusatory. 2. Discuss the situation – use your Workplace Relationships Policy to discuss how their relationship should be managed at work or, if you don’t have one, set out your expectations clearly including keeping any physical contact outside of the workplace, the need to reallocate responsibilities if appropriate and any issues regarding fairness, consistency and professionalism. Ask them if they can think of any other potential concerns that might need to be addressed. 3. Follow up – note the content of the conversation and any agreements in case this is needed to refer to in the future. How can you best protect the business? To support an appropriate culture for your business it is useful to have a Workplace Relationships Policy that explains what the issues can be and how these will be managed. This should set out that relationships should be declared so that any necessary action can be taken to prevent issues. Ideally all employees should be made aware of the policy and all managers trained on policies like these to help them understand their responsibilities for providing a positive and engaging workplace including managing lovebirds and liabilities! 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 and Grievance Policies 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

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Chamber of Commerce

For me as a business owner, sustainability has always been important. As the country emerges from the pandemic, we have a chance to build back stronger and greener. As an IT professional, I know businesses can use technology to make cost savings at the same time as reducing carbon footprints. The green economy offers a chance to save the planet, but also offers new business opportunities. I am therefore delighted that the Chamber is partnering with Kingston Council to host an event on Business Growth Opportunities from the Green Economy on 11th May. Please book for this free event via the chamber website. Other employment positives have resulted from the pandemic, including the new Government Kickstart scheme. This great scheme offers young people 6-months paid employment, with all the costs being met by the Government. I have signed up for this initiative myself and am looking forward to welcoming our new employee soon. The Chamber is an approved Gateway organisation for any business wishing to apply to the scheme. If you are interested, please speak to one of the chamber team or fill out the enquiry form on the chamber website. At the end of April, the Chamber will host its second online Kingston EXPO.

On behalf of the Chamber, I would like to thank Kingston University and Kingston Council for their continued support as headline sponsors of this incredibly popular event. Alongside many other local organisations who are sponsoring and enabling this event to happen at no cost for those attending. I will be at the EXPO as an exhibitor, and I would encourage you to get involved, attend, exhibit, or join one of the seminars. It is all online again this year, but we are so looking forward to getting back to real life networking events again very soon. As we look ahead to the events calendar for 2021, we hope to host in person events as soon as it is safe to do so. We will be watching all the developments on this closely. One very exciting development this year will be the launch of the Kingston Business Awards, please keep your eyes peeled for announcements on this soon! I would strongly encourage all local businesses, no matter what size or sector to apply for the awards. This year, more than any year previously, there is so much to celebrate! My own company entered the awards previously and won. It was such a good learning experience to go through the awards process, our team felt valued and appreciated and rewarded for their efforts. Please enter your own business and celebrate everything you have achieved! I really hope that the next time I write this column, we are able to resume face to face networking events. The Chamber does these so well, and we have all missed them. In the meantime, stay safe, keeping looking ahead to better days for us all. Katerina Damcova Chamber President

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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

BCC responds to Chancellor’s budget Kingston businesses are digesting the contents of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s latest budget. As well as announcing new measures to help businesses through the coronavirus crisis and kickstart an economic recovery, he also unveiled a raft of tax-raising plans to repair the public finances. Among the headline business support measures was an extension of the furlough scheme until September, more financial grants for the selfemployed, a £3,000 incentive for firms to take on an apprentice, and £5 billion in restart grants for hospitality and high street businesses forced to close due to the pandemic. There was also £1.65 billion to support the UK’s vaccination roll-out and £50 million to boost the UK’s vaccine testing capability, almost £400 million to help arts venues in England to re-open, and a business tax “super deduction” that will allow companies to reduce their tax bill by 130% of their investment costs. The 5% VAT rate for hospitality firms will be maintained until September, while a business rates holiday for firms in England will continue until June, with a 75% discount to be imposed after that.

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economy To help rebalance the public finances, the Chancellor announced a freezing of the tax-free personal allowance and a significant hike in the corporation tax rate. From April 2023, companies with profits of more than £250,000 will pay a new rate of 25% – up 6% on the current rate. Giving his reaction to the Chancellor’s budget, Dr Adam Marshall, the outgoing director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “There’s much to welcome in this budget for business communities across the UK. The Chancellor has listened and acted on our calls for immediate support to help struggling businesses reach the finish line of this gruelling marathon and to begin their recovery. Extensions to furlough, business rates relief and VAT reductions give firms a fighting chance not only to restart, but also to rebuild. “We particularly welcome the massive ‘super deduction’ investment incentive that the Chancellor has put in place for the next two years. This responds directly to our call to encourage those businesses, that can, to invest and grow. “While no business will relish paying higher rates of corporation tax in future, the impact of the Chancellor’s tough decision is blunted by the big new incentives for investment, lower rates for the smallest firms, and the extension of coronavirus support measures in the short term. “This budget provides reassurance to businesses, provided that they are able to restart and rebuild according to the government’s road map. If firms face unexpected bumps in the road, the Chancellor must be prepared to take action until the economy is firing on all cylinders again.” Commenting on the super deduction investment incentive, Suren Thiru, head of economics at the BCC, said: “We are pleased that the Chancellor has listened to our call for bold incentives to encourage companies to invest. Super deduction will provide a major enticement for firms to invest and grow, helping to boost productivity and the wider economic recovery.” We are delighted that Suren will be our Economic Speaker at the Kingston Business Expo on April 28th. To attend this seminar and also listen to other business seminars, networking and roundtables, register here: www.accelevents.com/e/KingstonExpo21

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

patron news Government announcement on Apprenticeships means more money for your business All employers can benefit from the incentive payment of £3,000 for apprentices of any age, starting their apprenticeship between 1st April and 30th September 2021. You can employ apprentices at different levels, from school leavers and university graduates, to people who want to further their careers or change career direction completely. You can hire someone new or upskill an existing employee. If you are interested in hiring an Apprentice please join us for a Webinar on Wednesday 21st April at 11:00. In this session we will give you information on Apprenticeships, how the funding and incentive works and your role as employer, as well as further information about the Apprenticeships we offer at South Thames Colleges Group. Please email business@stcg.ac.uk to register. Please also take a look at the Employer pages on our website stcg.ac.uk/employers and follow South Thames Colleges Group on LinkedIn.

Experts in financial planning Holland Hahn & Wills have been helping clients with their financial plans, giving them peace of mind and clarity about their retirement for over 30 years. We work with people in various stages of life, including retirement, divorce or bereavement, sale of a business or inheritance challenges. Holland Hahn & Wills are excited to be opening their doors (once permitted) into a brand new office! Historical features and bold colours will make this a bright space into which we can welcome clients both new and old. Whether seeking a second opinion (free) or a review meeting, we look forward to welcoming people and making good use of our event space. We will be holding a series of educational events to help people understand the benefits of financial planning and have an exciting program to offer, including a masterclass on The Psychology of Retirement. For a complimentary copy of our whitepaper, please email enquiry@hhw-uk.com or check out our newly revamped Media page which includes Videos, Podcasts, Brochures and Blogs: https://www.hhw-uk.com/media

A reprieve for tenants, increased difficulties for landlords In early March, the Government announced that the current ban on residential evictions would not end as planned on 31 March 2021. Tenants have been handed a further reprieve, this time until the end of May. The ban on all possession claims was initially introduced during the first lockdown in March 2020. It was intended to stop tenants who had lost income due to the pandemic from losing their homes as well. There has been an almost total ban on evictions taking place. Landlords can still take action against trespassers and, since January 2021, they can also try to evict tenants if they are in arrears which equate to more than 6 months’ rental payments. However, the process is lengthier than it was pre-pandemic and many landlords are understandably frustrated by the effect of the new rules and ongoing restrictions on them. New rules have meant that landlords have to serve 6 months’ notice, apart from in cases of anti-social behaviour or where the arears are over 6 months, if they want their properties back. Even if there are 6 months of arrears when a notice is served,

Kingston University expands support for vaccination drive with launch of new community hub A new community vaccination hub has opened its doors at Kingston University, providing a dedicated space where patients from up to six of the region’s GP practices and health centres can receive their Covid-19 jabs. Working in partnership with two local Primary Care Networks, South West London CCG and Kingston Council, the University has repurposed an area of its Penrhyn Road campus into a 10-station vaccination site. The new hub is an expansion of the vaccination operation at the University, which began in December with a smaller space in which GP teams were able to administer residents over the age of 80 with some of the first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the capital. Following a successful pilot in January, the new site provides a flexible, more spacious setting where healthcare workers from six GP practices Fairhill Medical Practice, Kingston Health Centre, St Alban’s Medical Centre, Berrylands Surgery, Canbury Medical Centre and Churchill Medical Centre - can work together to vaccinate patients. After offering vaccinations to care home residents, the over-80s and healthcare workers, the practice

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

it is still several more months before a case can get to Court. Many Courts have introduced review hearings where parties are not required to attend, but the landlord’s representative is required to lodge all paperwork and be available if the Judge wishes to query anything. Certificates are also required to be filed by the landlord about the effect, if any, of the pandemic on the tenant. All of this only seeks to increase costs for the landlord. By the time of a final hearing, the arrears have often accrued to a point where there is little, or no chance, of the tenants ever being able to repay the debt. So the question is, what happens at the end of May? Will the Government extend the ban once again or tapper off restrictions? The answer remains to be seen, but many landlords are left wondering when the end will ever be in sight. If you have any questions or need guidance on this subject, please contact Claire Darby at Pearson Hards. www.pearsonhards.co.uk teams have been working their way through the next priority groups, including the over 55s and those classed as clinically vulnerable. The University’s Acting Director of Public Affairs and Insight, Jen Edwards, said the institution took its role in helping to support the public health effort and keep the wider community as safe as possible during the pandemic extremely seriously. “In a public health crisis, it’s vital everyone plays their part and it’s been fantastic to see how thrilled so many local residents have been to be coming into the University to receive the vaccine,” she said. “Through this partnership we have been able to provide space and logistical support for our local GP practices, enabling them to deliver jabs to their patients safely and efficiently and help protect those most vulnerable as quickly as possible.” Dr Naz Jivani, lead GP for Kingston for South West London CCG said: “It’s fantastic that we’re now building on this support and expanding the vaccination service at sites like the University so we can offer more people the vaccine. We’re really proud of all our staff and partners as we work together on this historic roll-out.”

patron news

Supporting

LOCAL

Canadian & Riverside Estates are a financial backer and supporter of a new hub for the Kingston community. This will be a unique exhibition, gallery, workspace and shop, creating a home for artists, creatives and business support. The aim is to bring a sense of community and belonging to all Kingston residents and to utilise the strong creative sector that we have in the borough. The Union of Kingston Students & Studio KT1, powered by students at Kingston School of Art and Business School have a big idea: to use a neutral space in Kingston to open up their talent pool and give people the chance to see creativity in action with maker spaces, student work on show and for sale, student-delivered services (SME advice), exhibitions, talks, workshops and workspaces.

It will be a professionally-designed concept that will help the community reimagine retail space, becoming a model for change in how Kingston residents use their town centre. The space will initially open April August 2021, and host a lively programme of events curated by the students and recent graduates of Kingston University, all open to the public. This exciting project will help to redefine the changing face of the high street, making use of one of the many shops left empty, whilst creating a legacy and space for Kingston students in the town centre. It will provide a lively space with opportunities for those who may not have access to materials, support, creativity or technology such as not in education or employment, or individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds. Watch this space!

IQ in IT aims for carbon neutral. At IQ in IT, we don’t just care about giving our clients the best IT support, we care about the environment, too. We’re working hard towards being carbon neutral and hope to achieve this very soon. We’re doing this by embedding sustainability in every part of our business operations. Even pre-pandemic, we had a remote working policy, to eliminate unnecessary travel. If we can avoid a journey and solve a problem remotely, we will. If we must travel to a client site, we only ever use electric vehicles in a bid to keep emissions low. All our internal and client systems are digital, we’ve been paperless for a very long time. Any surplus hardware is recycled or repurposed. Recently, we have been able to recycle laptops to give to school children for remote learning through a local charity. If we can find a way to repurpose something for the benefit of society as well as the environment, even better. We limit our office consumables as much as possible. Any that are unavoidable are recycled or upcycled. We have switched to an ethical bank for our business banking and are happy knowing our bank is both environmentally sound and morally principled. Our energy provider is also ethical and environmentally friendly, and we are constantly reviewing our entire supply chain to keep our carbon footprint low. The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

MD Katerina Damcova says, “Climate change is real, and we all have a part to play to halt environmental damage. I want to see sustainability at the heart of the post-pandemic economic recovery, as individuals and as company owners, we have the power to influence for the market to produce sustainable products and services.” Find out how to transform your business with IT email team@iqinit.uk or call us on 0330 1224 420

businesses City University – Agile Working Summers-Inman have been providing Quantity Surveying support to London’s City University. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, we worked with the University to create a fluid working environment – suitable regardless of varying social distancing measures. The premise of the Agile Working project is to amalgamate like-minded departments to create more interaction. After establishing how employees intend to work, such as remotely, or part-workingfrom-home, the University looked in incorporate this into the structure. This included the provision of locker spaces for a ‘hot-desking’ environment and AV equipment for remote meetings. Jon Spall, Associate Director at Summers-Inman’s Kingston office, has been leading this project and has worked closely with the client for a number of years, providing Employers Agent and Quantity Surveying input. by creating an environment where personnel can meet in one-to-one, small groups or as a larger collective – through small, medium, and large meeting rooms, as well as a collaboration area – the organisation has the space to adhere to Government measures, whilst providing a space for staff to bounce ideas off one-another.

Building Surveying Our Building Surveying team have been working alongside Royal Borough of Kingston-uponThames to review and implement repair schedules for many of the units at Kingsmill Business Park. Our Building Surveying are experienced and wellequipped for assessing local Schools, residential programmes, commercial renovations and listed buildings. We provide repair schedules for works that are needed to improve spaces and can provide EPC assessments and condition surveys. The team is led by Director James Milton, from our Kingston office. We also seek to involve local businesses for specialist input, such as Drone surveys, Mechanical & Electrical Engineers and Civil & Electrical Engineers. If you are a local organisation who provides these, then please get in touch – it’s always great to support fellow local consultants! www.summers-inman.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

legal Emma Shipp Consultant

Weathering the storm: top tips for facing the current economic climate At the moment businesses are facing a perfect storm. Not only is there a worldwide pandemic causing people to stay at home, affecting buying habits and supply chains around the world, but the UK has just extracted itself from the EU single market and single customs union. Overall the UK economy as measured by GDP is estimated to have fallen by 9.9% since 2019 which, if the estimates are confirmed, is the biggest fall since modern records began. Against this backdrop it is not surprising that businesses are struggling. In order to survive and thrive a business needs to know how to make the best of the current economic situation. Below are answers to some of the questions our SME clients are asking.

What if some of my contracts are now either impossible or unprofitable to perform? In the case of a contract which has become impossible to perform, whether because your supply chain has broken or you are prevented by Government regulation or for some other reason, then you should review the terms of the contract carefully. Many contracts will have what is

known as a ‘force majeure’ clause incorporated into the terms. This provides that if something occurs beyond the control of the party impacted (sometimes called an ‘act of God’) then that party is released from the obligation that has become impossible to fulfil. Whether or not the force majeure clause applies will always depend on the particular circumstances and whether the clause wording covers those circumstances will be a matter of interpretation.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

If the force majeure clause doesn’t cover your circumstances or there is no such clause in your contract then you can consider whether the contract as a whole has been frustrated. This means that since the contract was entered into circumstances have changed to such an extent that it is no longer possible to fulfil the contract or it has become illegal to do so. In that situation the contract itself falls away and neither party is obliged to fulfil it. Again, there is plenty of case law on what amounts to frustration and generally this can only be used in the most extreme circumstances. Using force majeure or the common law doctrine of frustration can be fraught with difficulties and, once you have reviewed your contract carefully to understand your legal rights, the best course of action in the first instance is

legal Applying for all available Government assistance can be key to the survival of a business. In parallel with the furlough scheme, businesses can apply for the Business Interruption Loan Scheme which provides loans up to £5m for small businesses or a Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan for loans up to £50,000 where funds are needed more quickly. to talk to the other contracting party or parties to try to come to a sensible arrangement that works for you all. In the situation where a contract has simply become unprofitable but not impossible to fulfil, your legal options are likely to be more limited. Goods that are supplied into the EU are a prime example, as it may be the case that delivering those goods to the EU is now more time consuming and costly but is unlikely to be impossible. Again, the starting point is to look at your contract. Is there a ‘material adverse change’ clause allowing a re-negotiation in the event of something that was not anticipated at the outset? If so, then depending on the wording you may be able to force changes to the contract or be released from it entirely. There may be specific provisions triggering variations and you need to look at those carefully. Again, once you know what your formal legal options are the best course is to talk to the other contracting parties. If you do agree a variation to the contract then be careful to document this in accordance with the terms of the contract as you do not want to later find that this is a matter of dispute. An exchange of emails may not be sufficient particularly if the contract requires a variation to be in writing and signed by representatives of both parties.

How can I protect both my staff and my business? You are likely to have various different categories of staff at the moment – some of your staff may be furloughed, others may be working from home and a few may be attending the office on a regular basis. As an employer, you need to consider each category both in terms of how you protect your staff but also how you protect your business. The furlough scheme has been extended to the end of April and possibly will be extended further. It now allows you to furlough staff for

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Chamber of Commerce

part only of their working hours and receive a government grant of 80% of their wages for the time that they are furloughed. You need to keep good records for this period and be careful not to ask furloughed staff to undertake any work during the time they are furloughed. This could include attending team meetings and checking work emails so ideally you should exclude them from your business network to ensure no work is being undertaken by them. Furloughed directors can continue to fulfil their statutory duties but must not do anything that is revenue producing. If employees are working from home then all relevant employment law regulations will still apply such as working time, health and safety and provision of suitable equipment. Ideally you should have a homeworking policy in place making it clear what is your responsibility and what is the responsibility of the employee. Data protection can be an issue for those with staff unexpectedly working from home and you need to consider how you protect the integrity of your data. As a very simple point, staff should be provided with work laptops and should not be downloading your data onto their own devices, the work laptop should have a secure password and should not be used by other members of the household. For staff attending the office, clear safety measures need to be in place. You should carry out risk assessments regularly and maintain records for future reference not only to protect staff but also in order to defend yourself if a dispute arises.

How do I best make use of Government assistance? Applying for all available Government assistance can be key to the survival of a business. In parallel with the furlough scheme, businesses can apply for the Business Interruption Loan Scheme which provides loans up to £5m for small businesses or a Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan for loans up to £50,000 where funds are needed more quickly. Securing these loans is subject to certain conditions and approvals. The Government also offers assistance with statutory sick pay, with allowing time to pay tax, with support grants from your Local Authority and possibly a business rates holiday depending on the nature of your business. It is important to consider the nature of the support you are seeking and particularly whether it is a loan or a grant. A loan, such as the CBILS loan mentioned above, will need to be repaid and will revert to normal commercial terms once the first year interest and fees have been paid by the Government. Local Council and Government websites are a great resource for finding out what you may be entitled to and how you apply.

Should the worst happen… Insolvency can be a scary prospect but often the earlier you seek advice from an expert, the clearer the process will be. There have been some changes to the insolvency rules as a result of the pandemic with the ability to issue

statutory demands and winding up petitions currently suspended until the end of March. There has also been a relaxation of wrongful trading rules so that directors are less likely to face personal liability if they continue to trade through a bad patch. If you do think you need to consider a formal insolvency procedure then you can file at court for a moratorium to consider your options. The directors will remain in control of the business but (with some exceptions) no legal action or insolvency proceedings can be taken without the leave of the court. What insolvency route you ultimately choose, whether CVA, administration or liquidation will depend on a number of factors including the underlying viability of your business and possibly the support of your creditors. If you have a secured creditor, such as a bank, then you have to start talking to them at an early stage as their security is likely to provide them with some control over the insolvency procedure you decide to use.

Looking forward On a more positive note, it is worth remembering that with great change comes great opportunity. Even if your business is not in an area naturally benefitting from the call to stay at home, the current economic climate may present you with the opportunity to re-set with customers, suppliers and staff and emerge stronger than ever. It is more crucial than ever to seek counsel early on to make sure that you navigate these stormy waters with the help of an expert.

Mental health and well-being are key topics when it comes to staff. In particular, thought should be given to keeping in touch with people whether they are working from home, furloughed or in the office. For those on furlough it may be more complicated and many businesses are setting up WhatsApp groups or similar means of communicating with furloughed staff which does not involve sending an email through the firms’ network.

LCCI

London: a world-class jewel in the country’s crown 12

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

LCCI It’s fair to say that Richard Burge has had a challenging year. Since he took over as CEO of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) in February 2020, the world has been hit by the biggest health pandemic in living memory and lives and livelihoods have been turned upside down. With many businesses hunkering down and just looking to survive in these difficult times, it seems slightly incongruous to embark on a mission to promote London as a premier destination for world trade – but that’s exactly what Richard is doing with great vigour and enthusiasm.

in relation to social impact investment and the use

“It’s not simply a case of how London and the

of innovative technology. An independent advisor

UK can benefit, either; how can our capital city

on international affairs, he has had a varied career

add value to the world in terms of its social and

that has seen him lead four multi-million-pound

economic impact, sustainability and inclusivity?”

government agency, a private company and a

It’s clear that London, with its ten million people

His belief is that if this message is marketed to the world effectively, the whole country stands to benefit.

membership body over a total of 18 years.

and 880,000 businesses, has the potential to

“London is the jewel in our country’s crown,” he says. “It’s a pearl richer than all of its tribe and should be treated by Westminster as such. That’s not to say that London is more important than or separate from the rest of the country but if we don’t champion our best asset, the resulting wealth and job creation won’t filter to other parts of the country.

has worked in more than 55 countries, principally

organisations including a famous charity, a UK

He has been on the board and a non-executive director of five multi-million-pound operations and in emerging economies, specialising in Africa, the wider Commonwealth, and post-conflict situations.

“London businesses are run by people who are hugely adventurous,” he says. “There’s a marvellous sense of diversity here, although there needs to be a greater effort to be more inclusive.”

organisation such as LCCI in place to act as a focal point for companies and to build links with other

Kingston Chamber of Commerce is an affiliate of LCCI and it is also a member of London’s Local Chambers, a forum that works closely with LCCI to promote membership of local chambers across the capital. By bring together these Chambers, and the views of their memberships, these partnerships have considerable strength, shared knowledge and experience. He’s acutely aware of the challenges posed by Brexit, yet believes it’s time to look forward, not back.

Richard says: “There’s no way that one

“Brexit has happened, whether we like it or

type of business in London. That’s why it’s vital

not,” he says. “The deal we have is better than no deal and now it’s time for London businesses – and businesses around the country – to seek opportunities to create jobs and foster growth.

in international trade and global affairs, particularly

the rest of the world.

Chamber of Commerce

community highlights the importance of having an

Kingston Chamber of Commerce

London is outward-looking, not just to Europe but to

Kingston

social mobility. The size and diversity of its business

London’s 32 boroughs.

Richard’s words are based on a wealth of experience

The Royal Borough of

climate change, economic prosperity, poverty and

chambers that operate across

“In short, there can be no levelling up in the UK if London levels down. The growth of London is absolutely critical to the health of the national economy.” While the UK capital is rightly viewed as an international financial services hub and primary gateway to Europe and beyond, Richard is keen to point out other its other assets, including a growing number of small, indigenous businesses built on a culture of innovation and entrepreneurialism.

influence the global debate on macro issues such as

organisation can cater for the needs of every that LCCI continues to work with Kingston Chamber, our other Chamber affiliates and the London’s Local Chambers (LLC) network to represent our businesses in the context of London as a world city.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

Skills

Kingston Chamber are helping to Kickstart employment in the Borough The Government Kickstart Scheme was announced back in September 2020 to help young people 1624 year olds on Universal Credit to gain valuable work experience and employability skills. Kingston Chamber of Commerce is proud to be an approved Gateway Organisation helping employers access the scheme. We currently have over 70 Kickstart placements approved, and our first young people are moving into employment.

Shakil Haque, one of the kickstart employees taken on by Oakhouse Software said: “Since starting employment as part of the kickstart initiative I have gained a priceless amount of information regarding software development. Although I would consider myself to be moving at a slow pace regarding the software we are using, I am continuing to learn a tonne of new things on a continuous basis that I would have never learnt, had I been self-studying. This opportunity continues to provide me with insight on real-life project development and the guidance from my manager is the perfect middle ground between giving me enough help, whilst still pushing me to conduct my own research and use my own critical thinking and problem solving skills”.

One of the first employers to recruit using the scheme was Lawrence Liao of Oakhouse Software Ltd, who said; “I’m amazed to see that there have been a good number of well qualified candidates with enthusiasm to our placement descriptions. My business will benefit from the scheme, and hope the young people can gain a lot too” For any employers who are interested in joining the scheme, we can help them navigate the system to ensure you can recruit quickly and efficiently. The Chamber does not take any employer funding for its services. Taking on a young person through the scheme could be a valuable resource to businesses as they re-open after the current business restrictions but it is not only beneficial to employers, it is has to be a worthwhile experience for the employees too.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

What does the scheme cover? • 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months • associated employer National Insurance contributions • employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions • Employers can spread the start date of the job placements up until the end of December 2021.

Apprenticeships now offer

EVEN GREATER SUPPORT TO EMPLOYERS Many small local businesses have been affected by the Covid-19 impact, however, there is cause for optimism with a recent Goldman Sachs’ survey of 10,000 SMEs finding that for every two businesses that had cut jobs, another had increased its number of employees. In the same survey 79% of entrepreneurs had also identified new skills gaps which need to be filled. Apprenticeships can play a big part in helping to bridge these gaps, and new measures have already been put in place by Government to support this. In Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s recent announcement employers who hire an apprentice can claim a £3,000 incentive payment for apprentices hired regardless of their age, between 1st April and 30th September 2021. This is on top of the £1,000 payment provided for new apprentices aged 16 to 18 and those under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan, meaning that some employers could receive £4,000 in total. So if you haven’t considered taking on apprentices before now, it might be the time to re-consider and South Thames Colleges Group (STCG) are here to support you in this process. Apprenticeships are an exciting option for both the apprentice and employer. You can employ apprentices at different levels, from school leavers and university graduates, to people who want to further their careers or change career direction completely. You can hire someone new or upskill an existing employee.

• 74% of employers said Apprenticeships helped them improve the quality of their product or service Other benefits of working with apprentices include: • you can adapt their training according to the needs of your business • they’re motivated to learn new skills • you can expand and upskill your workforce (Source: .gov website) At STCG we provide Apprenticeships across a range of sectors, at Kingston College these include: • Business and Management • Computing and IT • Education • Engineering • Law

• Motor Vehicle • Professional and Personal • Science As many Apprenticeships can involve 80% of the apprentice’s time being in the workplace, you may find that if the ‘study’ element of your sector can’t be met by Kingston College another of the Colleges in the group could support this element. We offer a range of Construction, Electrical and Motor Vehicle Apprenticeships based at Carshalton College and a range of Construction, Dental, Mammography and Customer Service Apprenticeships can be provided by South Thames College in Wandsworth. If you want to find out more about Apprenticeships or any other initiative that STCG are supporting local employers with, such as Kickstart, Pre Kickstart, T-Levels, Youth Hubs and Sector Skill Academies, please email business@stcg.ac.uk or contact Stella Raphael-Reeves, Assistant Principal for Business Development and HE at Stella.Raphael-Reeves@stcg.ac.uk

The benefits for your organisation Hiring an apprentice is a productive and effective way to grow talent and develop a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce. • 86% of employers said Apprenticeships helped them develop skills relevant to their organisation • 78% of employers said Apprenticeships helped them improve productivity

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

WEDNESDAY 28 APRIL

join us

SUPPORTING, INSPIRING & CONNECTING BUSINESSES

FREE TO ATTEND

The Kingston Business Expo 2021 will take place on Wednesday April 28. Having made the leap from in person events to online in 2020, Kingston Chamber of Commerce who organise the Kingston expo have already delivered 2 hugely successful business expos in 2020, which attracted more than 200 attendees at each.

This year’s event will incorporate a range of business seminars, inspirational speakers, round table discussions and plenty of networking. An interactive online event, bringing you the best of a face to face event, meeting real people doing real business in your local area.

To sign up visit: www.accelevents.com/e/KingstonExpo21 16

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

cover feature - 2021 kingston business expo

9.00am

10.30am

9.30am

11.30am

WELCOME AND OPENING

HOW TO INCREASE CONVERSIONS ON YOUR WEBSITE - LUCY KANE

10.00am

SKILLS & EMPLOYABILITY FOR THE FUTURE ROUNDTABLE

SPEED NETWORKING

KINGSTON INNOVATION NETWORK

12.00pm

UNLEASH THE ‘INTRAPRENEURS’ IN YOUR ORGANISATION - DAVID HARKIN

how idea management and idea development are key to finding efficiencies and continuing to reinvent a business. David has given two TEDx talks, and has spoken to both companies and schools across the world, he is on a mission to inspire people to take action with their ideas.

Unleashing the “intrepreneur” Colourful entrepreneur David Harkin is a keynote speaker at this year’s Kingston Business Expo. At the virtual event, David will give an insight into his interesting career journey and business success that has inspired the notion of “intrepreneurship”,

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

David is founder and CEO of Surbiton based www.8billionideas. com, which exists to give every student the skills and belief to change the world. 8billionideas teaches children what they don’t learn in school by providing online live experiences and mentoring around the clock. The company aims to help children lead a more fulfilling life and passion led career – and ultimately change the world. It’s one of twenty organisations that will be featured by St James’ Palace in a publication entitled “Leadership and Innovation – For the next 300 years”. Prior to 8billionideas, David created 7billionideas which

1.00pm

2.30pm

1.15pm

3.00pm

2.00pm

3.45pm

LOCAL VISION ROUNDTABLE

SPEED NETWORKING

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

was an award-winning education organisation recognised by the Times Educational Supplement and COBIS on a global scale. The education arm of the firm worked with more than 100,000 students in 500-plus schools in the UK and across the world including Dubai, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Australia and Europe. He was nominated as a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the recent UK Business Awards.

START – UP STORIES ROUNDTABLE

SPEED NETWORKING

CLOSING COMMENTS

the midst of a global pandemic. Due to the advent of technology, we can reach out to children all over the world. We’ve just had 400 kids in Indonesia on an education programme and I’ve had online meetings with teachers in Bangkok.

As a speaker and local entrepreneur he draws from his experience in Technology, Sales, Business Leadership and Education to impart impactful lessons to help you drive the growth of your business from within.

“I’m really grateful to Kingston Chamber for inviting me to speak at the Expo. I want to get across the message that we shouldn’t just leave it to company ownermanagers to take risks and come up with ideas. Staff who work for companies should also be encouraged to do so. That’s the concept behind intrepreneurship – a fearlessness to try different things and not to get shot down if they don’t work.

David says: “I’ve always been passionate about making sure students have the skills that they really need in the future to be happy, successful and able to change the world. Our business operates on a global scale even though we’re in

“This will drive innovation and creative thinking within companies and help individuals to get on in their careers. It will also encourage people to come up with unique solutions to real-world problems.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

OUR SPONSORS HEADLINE SPONSORS

PATRON SPONSORS

Kingston College is one of the highest ranked Further Education colleges in London. We are a major provider of Full Time, Apprenticeship, Part Time, Undergraduate, Access and Professional courses. Kingston College is part of the South Thames Colleges Group: Carshalton College, Kingston College, Merton College and South Thames College. The Group was rated Good by Ofsted in February 2020. The Regeneration and Economy service in Kingston Council brings together a multidisciplinary team of professionals, with our business-facing service covering a breadth of activity from the development of workspace to skills and employment initiatives. We work in close collaboration with borough partners such as Kingston University, the Chamber of Commerce and Kingston First BID to provide business communication and engagement. www.kingston.gov.uk

We are very proud of the quality of education we offer. Over 700 of our students progress to university each year.

Pearson Hards Solicitors is a traditional high street law firm, with a progressive and fresh approach to providing legal services. We have been serving New Malden and the surrounding areas, under various names, since 1928. After several mergers, the current firm of Pearson Hards was formed. As a firm we are looking to the future: a future where the core values that served our clients through the generations are still as important as ever, but where we embrace the changing faces of life and family, of communication and technology, and of clients’ expectations.

www.stcg.ac.uk/kingston-college

www.pearsonhards.co.uk

Holland Hahn & Wills are financial planners who help people to achieve their financial goals and have clarity and peace of mind about their financial future. We work to understand your goals and plans.

IQ in IT is an award winning, managed IT service company, based in Kingston, servicing clients across the UK and beyond. We provide secure, robust IT solutions and support. We act as your in-house IT partner, without the overheads. Our experts manage all your IT so you can concentrate on what you do best – managing your business.

We help you determine what is important to you, to design your ideal future & retirement. We build a plan to help you achieve these goals, adjusting every year for life developments. Our aim is to help people make smart decisions about money, allowing them to enjoy the peace of mind from a successful investing experience. We are community minded and would love to help you. www.hhw-uk.com

We are delighted to sponsor the Kingston EXPO 2021. We exhibited virtually last year and had a great experience. With the EXPO online again, we wanted to support Kingston Chamber and the local business community in any way we can. Please come and meet us at the EXPO! www.iqinit.uk

Kingston University has been named one of the top 40 institutions in the country in the newly released Guardian University Guide league tables for 2021. The University once again named top in the country for design and crafts – which covers creative and cultural industries, graphic design, interior design, illustration, animation and product and furniture design. It also came in at third nationally and best in London for education and fashion and textiles. www.kingston.ac.uk

Summers-Inman has provided a diverse range of Construction Consultancy services to clients, on a national and international basis, for 100 years. A long-established presence in Kingston upon Thames, we provide high-quality services to organisational clients both locally and across the UK. We service local public and private organisations across market sectors including education, health and social care, residential, retail, commercial office, affordable homes, senior living and more www.summers-inman.co.uk

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

cover feature - 2021 kingston business expo SPONSORS

Riverside Walk is an oasis hidden away in Kingstonupon-Thames. It boasts amazing views of the river and overlooks Kingston Bridge. You’ll find an abundance of eateries at Riverside Walk offering mouth-watering cuisine from around the world to suit every taste and budget. The range of restaurants covers a variety of cuisines and a great place to relax with friends and family as you enjoy al fresco along with the many outdoor seating areas. If you are shopping in Kingston, visiting the theatre or looking for the perfect place for a business lunch, Riverside Walk will provide the ideal location. www.riversidewalkkingston.co.uk

A&G Corporate Travel is a fresh, independent and dynamic travel management company. We offer tailored business and leisure services using dedicated account managers, enabling us to understand your specific requirements. We provide a seamless offering for traveller and travel booker alike. Your personal consultant will present you with various options, cost saving suggestions and other exclusive benefits that you or your company could not secure by itself. Our team have worked in the travel industry for many years, we pride ourselves on giving you not only a fast and efficient service, but one that saves you time and money. www.aandgcorporatetravel.co.uk/

At Daniel & Joseph, we believe in making outstanding brands stand out in the marketplace. Our agency covers all areas of digital marketing & sales from brand naming & strategic vision to new site launches & ongoing digital marketing support. Alongside our marketing support, we provide business development advice and sales training to a variety of industries. Daniel & Joseph prides itself on helping small businesses grow their presences on an ever changing digital landscape. We are a full-service sales & marketing agency, experienced and equipped to deliver innovative solutions, effective strategy, and prolific execution.

www.danielandjoseph.com/

This new ambitious project will aim to bring Inspiration, Connectivity & Achievement to every person & community across the World. Our ambition is to be the leading source of Sports Learning & Development, by inspiring others to achieve their Dreams! The website is currently in development but will announce updates and details shortly.

Barwell Business Park is a leading location in South West London for businesses to establish, grow and develop. Owned by global asset manager, Aviva Investors, the park has a wide range of regional, national and international companies in its high-spec and flexible, industrial, office and hybrid units. Barwell businesses operate across a wide range of sectors including research & development, manufacturing and logistics. The 400,000 sq ft business park has stunning landscaped surroundings, 24-hour on site security and exceptional amenities. Transport links are outstanding with close proximity to the A3 and national motorways, and direct services to London from nearby Chessington South Station.

forbesdesign

We believe that to be memorable, a design needs to tell a persuasive story, with some surprises. Whether this is for branding projects, logo identities, business awards, or business cards, we like pushing the boundaries to reach the best answer. Making our clients’ life a little easier, as we do this, is equally important. www.forbesdesign.co.uk

www.barwellbusinesspark.co.uk

It’s an amazing feeling - if you’ve ever been fortunate enough to take delivery of a brand new car, then you’ll know what we mean - it’s special. Our aim is to create this feeling, every single day. We’ve been operating in the vehicle leasing and management sector for over 17 years. We offer a bespoke approach, backed by exceptional customer service. We cater for Fleet, SME Businesses and Private Individuals. Working with a diverse client base is something we truly love about what we do, taking time to get to know our customers, to listen and understand their needs.

We take the hassle out of your HR so that you can get on with running your business. We can provide your business with HR support to manage any people issues from recruiting your first employee through to designing an effective people strategy to help your business thrive. We offer flexible PAYG support or retainer contracts to help make sure that we are there when you need us with a four hour turnaround and insured advice. Scoring 100% on Client satisfaction and value for money last year we can give you trusted, pragmatic and cost effective support. Come and talk to us for a quick chat to see how we can help you. www.hrdept.co.uk/elmbridge

www.conceptvehicleleasing.co.uk The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

cover feature - 2021 kingston business expo SPONSORS

Kingston Telecom Solutions was established in 2011 and is a leading provider of professional IT and Communication solutions for local and national SMEs. With over 100 UK and International clients and growing, you can trust us to combine the latest technologies to create solutions that work for your business. Whether you are looking for hosted telephony, business grade fibre broadband, leased lines, Cloud systems, 5G Mobile solutions, IT infrastructure design, deployment with 24/7 support or for complete office move services with remote workforce and a commitment to keeping you connected, we are clearly the IT managed service provider for you. www.kingston-telecom.com

Celia ~ the Queen Bee of LinkedIn ~ loves helping ambitious microbusinesses and solopreneurs to attract more prospects online and convert them into clients – on LinkedIn and beyond. Celia is a Chartered Marketer, a marketing mentor, and a LinkedIn strategist. There are only 5 steps you need to create a compelling online presence and get the results you want and deserve. Celia helps qualifying businesses to build these through 1-2-1 strategy sessions, group training and masterminds. Are you ready to clarify and refocus your online presence for maximum impact? Book your complimentary clarity call today. www.yourmarketingmentor.co.uk

The Corporate Escape Club, is a friendly monthly forum for professionals, consultants and experts that offers: • A chance for meaningful, 1:1, business-focused conversations • Opportunities for collaborations and cross referrals • High-quality, relevant connections • 24-carat marketing insight and business growth tips It’s for you if you’ve escaped corporate life and run an independent consultancy or professional services business. You’re also very welcome if you’re thinking about starting your own professional consultancy (and are still ‘tunnelling out’!)

NatWest is the largest supporter of UK business and is committed to helping SMEs thrive and achieve their potential. Building the right products for every customer whilst championing digital innovation, we are here to ensure businesses can continue to trade throughout challenging conditions. We are breaking down barriers to enterprise, for start-ups, to growth to maturity and everything in between. NatWest has been working hard for many years to support Britain’s businesses by running one of the largest, leading entrepreneurship programmes. Combined with our digital Business Builder resources and our range of entrepreneur programmes such as Dream Bigger and Accelerator, we continue to support entrepreneurs to help them start, run and grow a business.

The Corporate Escape Club is free to attend (with a refundable deposit). Russell-Cooke advises start-ups, SMEs, and not-for-profit organisations across a vast array of matters including commercial contracts, governance, dispute resolution, intellectual property, data privacy and GDPR, regulatory investigations, employment and real estate. Rachel Stewart is a partner in the Russell-Cooke conveyancing team and specialises in acting for clients with high-net-worth properties in the Surrey landed estates such as Fairmile, Claremont, Crown estates and St Georges Hill. www.russell-cooke.co.uk

www.business.natwest.com/business.html

At Paragon we want to make a positive difference to health and the environment when it comes to cleaning. They specialise in professional, reliable commercial cleaning and support services that are both environmentally responsible and affordable. Our approach provides a healthy environment for your staff, visitors, our cleaners, and the planet. We use eco responsible products that are green enough to protect the environment and are strong enough to clean homes and businesses without having to make a choice between health and sparking clean. So by engaging us, you reduce your impact on the environment too. www.paragongreencleaning.co.uk

At TaxAssist Accountants New Malden, we provide a personal and professional accounting service tailored to our clients. We help start-ups, sole-traders, partnerships, limited companies, property landlords, contractors and individual taxpayers with all their accounting and tax requirements, as well as providing business advice and support. Our breath of experience and expertise, coupled with strong support from a dynamic national franchise network of small business champions, makes us ideally placed to consistently deliver excellent services to clients. www.taxassist.co.uk/new-malden

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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MEDIA PARTNERS

ask the expert

Why should companies use outsourced services? Although some companies like the control of doing everything in-house, for many firms this is just not possible in today’s fastpaced environment. Some businesses might need extra support to cover seasonal peaks in demand, maternity or sick leave; others may just want a helping hand if they have too much on their plate to do on their own and can’t afford to take on staff. I’ve seen this happen with many business owners of small companies. They have to do the sales and marketing, the invoicing, chasing up late payers and generating new business, not to mention managing events, dealing with customer queries and putting out fires if a crisis should develop. An outsourced services company can help to relieve some of this pressure. Company owners can choose

the support services they want and the hours they need. This could be low-level assistance with a single activity to help them through a busy patch or ongoing support to plug a skills gap within their business. They may even need a full set of skills, such as business development, accounting services and administration, on a more permanent basis. By tapping into this flexible support network, company owners can ensure they don’t get bogged down by tasks that prevent them from running their business efficiently. Regardless of whether they’re running a start-up or an established company, this network can help them to get ahead, to stay “on” the business rather than “in” it by retaining a strong strategic focus. In the current pandemic, some businesses have had a lot of downtime. This has allowed them to reflect on their business models, their operational processes and whether they should be doing things differently. In an increasingly uncertain trading environment, many have been open to change. This has been reflected in Get Ahead Virtual Agency’s busy

start to 2021. We’ve received an influx of calls from various types of organisations – consultancy businesses, tradespeople, and coaches among them - asking for assistance that frees up time for them to run their business. I predict that this trend will only continue throughout this year and beyond. Marie Peters established the Get Ahead Virtual Agency franchise in Surrey in January 2020. Covering Kingston, Woking and Farnham, the franchise matches companies to the most appropriate experts for the job in hand; these include virtual assistants, social media managers, marketing and PR specialists, human resources experts, event managers and bookkeepers. Prior to starting the Get Ahead franchise, Marie spent more than 15 years in the digital media and advertising industry and is now using this experience to support small businesses with their marketing and communications strategies.

For more information visit https://west-surrey.getaheadva.com/

Get in touch today for a no obligation chat marie@getaheadva.com The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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chamber events

ONLINE NETWORKING DATES FOR YOUR DIARY FRIDAY 7TH MAY

Speed Networking

TUESDAY 11TH MAY

THURSDAY 13TH MAY

Kingston’s Green Economy in Chamber Networking partnership with Kingston Council

WEDNESDAY 26TH MAY Chamber AGM

From 17th May indoor events may be allowed to commence with reduced capacity. While we can’t wait to start face to face events again, the health and safety of our members is paramount in any decisions we make about when it is most appropriate to resume in-person meetings. Therefore, please check our website for the most up to date events for June onwards www.kingstonchamber.co.uk/events

The Royal Borough of

Kingston The Royal Borough of Chamber of Commerce Kingston

NEW MALDEN NEW MALDEN BUSINESS FORUM BUSINESS FORUM Join us for an opportunity to connect, Chamber of Commerce

Kingston Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Kingston Council to discuss how local businesses can grow back from the pandemic stronger and greener. We invite all businesses in and around the borough, to join our virtual roundtables, focusing on potential opportunities from the transition to a green economy. Free to attend, sign up via the Chamber website.

SAVE THE DATE

engage and withtothe New Join us for annetwork opportunity connect, Malden business community. engage and network with the New Malden business community.

Supported by: Pearson Hards Supported by: Pearson Hards

11 MAY 2021 10.30-12.30PM SUPPORTED BY: The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

Kingston Chamber of Commerce, working one ofofour Patrons, Kingstonwith Chamber Commerce, Pearson Hards, re-establishing working with oneisof our Patrons, a New Malden Forum. a Pearson Hards,Business is re-establishing New Malden Business Forum.

This forum will provide an opportunity to bring local forum businesses together New Malden and This will provide an in opportunity to bring Coombe, to sharetogether updatesinon a range of issues local businesses New Malden and such as regeneration projects retailofand Coombe, to share updates on and a range issues provide links with Kingston and such as close regeneration projects andCouncil retail and other strategic partners. This will launch provide close links with Kingston Councillater and in June. other strategic partners. This will launch later in June. Details will be made available soon or you can contact Forbes Low available at: Details will be made soon or you can forbes@kingstonchamber.co.uk for contact Forbes Low at: more information. forbes@kingstonchamber.co.uk for

BUSINESS GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE GREEN ECONOMY

KINGSTON BOROUGH

BUSINESS

AWARDS 2021

Save the date!

We will be launching Kingston Borough Business Awards (KBBA) on Wednesday July 7th 2021 We have more reason than ever to acknowledge and celebrate our businesses, their resilience and hard work to support our local economy. Sign up to our mailing list to ensure you receive details as soon as they are available. www.kbba.co.uk HEADLINE SPONSOR

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

the big interview

The property specialist with the personal touch Sallyann Holley is feeling proud. The company that has employed her for the last 15 years, Bridger Bell Commercial, was recently named Best Surveyor and Commercial Agent in SME News Magazine’s 2020 Southern Enterprise Awards.

Our personal service is what sets us apart. We’re happy to sit and chat in our office with potential and existing clients, and to spend all the time they need talking on the phone. We deal with problems quickly; we give advice and we understand our customers’ needs.

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

the big interview has been strengthened further by the fact that the firm is accredited and regulated by RICS. This imposes reassuringly high standards on Bridger Bell’s services and means that all funds are underwritten by RICS’s Client Money Protection Scheme – something which gives clients peace of mind. “Clients know that when they’re dealing with us, we have their best interests at heart”, says Sally. “Our team has decades of specialist experience in both the commercial and residential property markets.” Sally herself has built up a wealth of experience in these key sectors. She joined Bridger Bell in 2006 after spotting a vacancy for a director’s personal assistant and stayed in the role for six years before moving into credit control, managing a Londonbased property portfolio on behalf of a client. In 2014 she took on the role of senior commercial property negotiator before becoming an associate in April last year, when the first wave of COVID-19 was at its peak in the UK.

such as rent collection and payment, service charge management, repairs, negotiations on insurance premiums and account reporting that complies with RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) standards. All of this is necessary and takes a lot of time to sort out. We take this hassle and stress away from the client by doing all of the work for them. “Our personal service is what sets us apart. We’re happy to sit and chat in our office with potential and existing clients, and to spend all the time they need talking on the phone. We deal with problems quickly; we give advice and we understand our customers’ needs.” This personal touch has helped Bridger Bell build an unrivalled level of trust in the marketplace. This trust

It has been a difficult last 12 months for most firms, including Bridger Bell, but Sally is optimistic about the future. She says: “The vaccine roll-out gives everyone hope that the pandemic will be over soon. That’s probably why several markets, including retail and industrial, are really buoyant. In retail, there’s pent-up demand from consumers who have saved their cash and are ready to spend it once the shops reopen again. In the industrial market, companies are looking to set up storage facilities and expand into bigger premises as the world recovers from COVID-19. “The office market is less buoyant but although more people are working from home, most companies still see the benefit of having premises where staff can meet, even if it’s not 9am-5pm every day. Overall, we’re looking to the future with great confidence.”

This accolade is recognition of the company’s sterling work in the property arena, an expertise that stretches back more than 40 years to the firm’s origins in 1980. From its headquarters in the centre of Epsom, Bridger Bell has built an enviable client base that covers Surrey and many other regions throughout the UK. Whether the property is a small corner shop or a multi-tenanted building with a prestigious central London address, the company can manage it on behalf of clients. The firm works with clients who own a range of different properties, such as industrial units, blocks of residential flats and their communal areas, shops and offices. According to Sallyann (usually known as Sally to her friends and colleagues), the personal service offered to each and every client is the primary reason why Bridger Bell stands out from its competitors in a crowded marketplace. She says: “When you look after a property there are a number of different things to consider, The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

New Kingston firms survive and thrive in pandemic With the constant stream of negative news that we’ve been subjected to over the last year, it’s easy to forget good news stories, including those about businesses that have taken the bold and brave step of opening up in the midst of a pandemic.

He said: “I believe through challenges and difficulties, opportunities come up and no situation remains the same forever. I know it’s a very difficult time to open a cafe but if we manage to survive through it then it will be a successful business.”

Our lives have arguably been pretty bleak recently, and the town centre is missing its usual vibrant atmosphere that only streets full of people can bring. But there are many signs of hope and exciting developments in Kingston town centre, with several new businesses springing up, ready to welcome customers again once restrictions are eased.

Angela John, gallery manager, said: “We have adapted well, offering contactless delivery and organising window viewings for client requests. They can pass by the gallery and we hang the work in the window for the client to view from the street. We look forward to swinging open the doors in the not-too-distant future and hosting an event for a new artist show very soon!”

Cafe Lamour opened its doors in September 2020, serving organic coffee and fresh homemade cakes. Owner Muhsen Jalal has lived in Kingston for many years and always wanted to open a cafe offering something special to locals in the town he loves. In normal circumstances, most of Cafe Lamour’s trade would come from passing shoppers, thanks to its prime location on Fife Road opposite the Bentall Centre exit. Muhsen says the company has received great feedback from customers so far and he’s hopeful that good times will return.

“Forensic focus” needed to get Crossrail on track TfL and the Mayor of London need a “Sherlock-style forensic focus” on attention to detail if Crossrail is going to deliver the Elizabeth line within its latest budget and in its latest timescale. That’s according to a new report by the cross-party London Assembly Transport Committee. The London Assembly report highlights that if the project is to be completed in the first half of 2022 despite COVID-19 disruption, TfL needs to clearly predict challenges through project management, staff supervision and financial forecasting. The committee says that addressing these areas will serve to fast-track Crossrail’s delivery. The report identifies five key areas that TfL and the mayor need to focus on including: • Crossrail’s new leadership and governance structure The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

Another recent opening is Clarendon Art, which has a new boutique gallery on Church Street. Despite being forced to shut soon after launching, the business has been thriving.

E R A E W

OPEN

• the financial stability of TfL and Crossrail • staff wellbeing and proper staff deployment • evaluation of lessons learned and development of better ways of working • clear timelines to include delays such as COVID-19 impacts and extra costs The committee has also called on TfL to set out learning from the past and how it plans to avoid repeating mistakes made earlier in the project. Dr Alison Moore AM, chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said: “Now that Crossrail has been handed over to the mayor and TfL to deliver, it is vital that they adopt a Sherlock-style forensic focus to make sure no aspect of delivering the project on time and on budget is missed. “COVID-19 has understandably put increased financial and staff pressures on Crossrail opening the Elizabeth line. However, there are aspects to delivering Crossrail, such as supporting employees’ workloads and better forecasting project delays, that can contribute to delivering as promised. “When the lockdowns are over and London starts to return to some form of normality, it is imperative that the Elizabeth line is up and running as soon as possible so that the economic benefits to Londoners and London can be realised.”

news

The £9.5bn cost of Brexit Brexit will potentially cost London’s economy £9.5bn a year, with the capital’s service sectors bearing the brunt of the downturn. That’s the conclusion from new research published by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The Brexit trade deal that came into force on January 1 ensured that goods travelling between the UK and European Union will not face tariffs or quotas. British businesses in the services sectors, however, now face major barriers to doing business in the European Single Market and have to comply with varying rules across member states, together with additional red tape. Services industries – which include financial and professional services, law, creative, technology and hospitality sectors – contribute 80% to the UK’s economy and London accounts for 40% of the UK’s exports in services. Sadiq Khan has published an analysis of the government’s Brexit trade deal from a London perspective by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR). It shows that London stands to lose £9.5 billion of GDP as a result of reduced trade due to Brexit. London’s financial and professional services sector alone is set to lose more than £2bn of GDP per year. The findings also indicate that the economic costs could be even higher if the government fails to reach separate agreements with the EU to close gaps in the trade deal for the UK’s financial and professional services firms. Sadiq Khan said: “London is a world leader in finance, law, professional services, the creative industries and technology. However, whichever way you slice it, the government’s Brexit trade deal was the equivalent of a no-deal Brexit for financial and professional services, and our businesses now face a costly red tape mountain caused by the UK having to trade with the EU as a third country. “For the good of London and the UK’s economy, the government should have been focused on getting a deal that protected these industries. This report reveals the staggering losses that London could face as a result of the trade agreement.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

news

New foundation for Kingston Love Kingston, formerly part of Kingston Voluntary Action, recently achieved independent charitable status and the Kingston Charitable Foundation was launched in February. The occasion was celebrated with an online launch party hosted by entertainer Tom Morley, the Rockstar Activator; this was followed by a Meet the Trustees event, a yoga session, a comedy event, pizzamaking session and a pub quiz. There was also a virtual balloon race, where people could buy a balloon for just £2 each with prizes for the winners. Kingston Charitable Foundation will continue to build on the excellent reputation and heritage of Love Kingston, which has raised the funds for and given out £116,000 in grants to 53 grantees over the last eight years. Love Kingston will remain our much-loved local community engagement area of the new Kingston Charitable Foundation, which will continue to grow the charitable fund to provide grants to charities, both now and into the distant future. We will enable families, individuals, companies and trusts to establish funds to continue to support our local community in the ways it needs.

Our team has more than 20 years’ experience in bringing together donors, and those in need, through generosity and kindness. Kingston Charitable Foundation CEO, Hicky Kingsbury, has worked for Age UK Wandsworth for 13 years and with Love Kingston since 2019, managing a variety of projects. Danielle O’Shaughnessy will continue in her position as community engagement manager, a role she has been in for the last 18 months. Tony Mills, Chair of Trustees at Kingston Charitable Foundation, said: “The Kingston Charitable Foundation Trustees and I are extremely enthusiastic about taking Love Kingston to the next level, retaining the focus on local community needs whilst building a secure financial future for this vital charity.”

Please contact Hicky Kingsbury if you would like further information on Kingston Charitable Foundation at hicky@kingstoncf.org.uk

For further information visit kingstoncf.org.uk

The foundation is currently fundraising to raise monies for their small grants programme.

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Eight businesses joined Barwell Business Park in 2020 – a 10-year record - driven by expanding and diversifying commercial operations during lockdown and the park’s hi-specification units. New companies included medical equipment steriliser Steris IMS, mobility equipment expert Wheelfreedom, temperature and humidity management provider Stulz, bespoke lighting specialist Dernier & Hamlyn. Marathon Managed Services joined the community in January this year. Most of the companies relocated to expand their operations into higher-quality premises following an extensive refurbishment of the park’s units. This combined with a faster leasing process and a more flexible approach to alteration works meant that the companies could take occupation and be operational faster than they would have been in competing locations.

COMING SOON Get in touch today to find out more

Jonathan Hillman barwell@bridgerbell.com DD: +44 (0)1372 730011

Hicky Kingsbury said: “We will be awarding on average three small grants, each of £500 per month for the rest of the year, to help small charities and organisations that are supporting people in need in our borough. Charities can request our grant form by emailing us at grants@kingstoncf.org.uk”

Robert Bradley-Smith robert.bradley-smith@altusgroup.com M: +44 (0)7469 854799

@BarwellBP @barwellbp www.linkedin.com/company/barwell-business-park

Iain Maclean, Marathon CEO, said: “There is a real family feel at Marathon, so having a fantastic new

arwell advert for Kingston Chamber.indd 2

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BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

space where we can collaborate as a team and hold customer events [after lockdown] is really important to us.” Mark Harper has re-joined Dernier & Hamlyn and been appointed Head of Design. He said: “It is great to be back at Dernier & Hamlyn in vastly better premises, with a team firmly focussed on delivering the best of what the company is known for and enhancing this with new services to our clients.” Park owner, Aviva Investors, will be continuing the unit upgrade programme in 2021 while also improving the sustainability credentials of the park by installing electrical vehicle charging points and additional secure cycle parking within its stunning landscaped grounds. Visit www.barwellbusinesspark.co.uk

Happy spaces for Kingston town centre

Kingston First and Kingston Council are leading a public realm initiative to create inclusive happy spaces within the town centre for its local residents, visitors and business community to unwind, enjoy and connect with nature. Kingston-based landscape architects Davies White and The Edible Bus Stop design studio have been appointed to lead on the engagement and design to transform two prime locations – Eagle Brewery Wharf on Kingston’s riverside and Memorial Gardens in the centre of the town. The idea is to turn these locations into green spaces that improve the pedestrian flow around the town, encourage well-being, social and cultural activities and acknowledge their historical significance. Kirsten Henly, chief executive of Kingston First, said: “Well-being is more important than ever and we want to bring that feeling of happiness to the people who work, live and play in our town centre. These are two unique and significant spaces in Kingston which we hope, through shared conversations, will be transformed for everyone to enjoy whilst retaining their historical and community importance. “This work is part of our vision for developing our streets and spaces

and we want everyone to feel part of this. We encourage local residents, businesses and visitors to get involved through the numerous engagement activities planned.” Cllr Caroline Kerr, leader of Kingston Council, said: “I am really excited that this project will transform these two spaces in the town centre into lovely, accessible places where you can sit down, relax and enjoy being outdoors. If COVID has taught us anything, it is how precious our green and open spaces are to the whole community so I hope we hear from as many voices as possible. These spaces are for everyone, so we want everyone’s input! “We’ve been working with Kingston First and Kingston University on a new vision to improve the outdoor spaces in the town centre and it’s great to see new ideas coming to life.” For more information visit https://www.kingstonfirst.co.uk/ happy-spaces/

The CGT Game One of the big sighs of relief from the Budget on 3 March and the so called “Tax Day” on 23 March has been the absence of any proposals for increasing capital gains tax. The annual exempt allowance remains £12,300 for each person each tax year, rates remain at 10% for basic rate taxpayers and 20% for higher rate payers, and Business Asset Disposal Relief (the replacement for Entrepreneurs’ Relief) remains at 10% with a £1,000,000 lifetime allowance. The speculation prior to the Budget was that rates would rise, perhaps in line with income tax, and imminently. There could be changes from the new tax year, or even from Budget day itself. The costs to those who waited could be considerable. Cue panic. Retirements were brought forward. Contractors finishing contracts prior to the delayed changes to IR35 taking effect sought to wind up quickly. Properties were sold and completed at speed. All to get companies into members’ voluntary liquidation and get capital distributions to shareholders before Budget day. Of course, most were left to the last minute; my last one made initial contact at 1pm on 2 March! But we did it… And all for nothing! Except it wasn’t; the Chancellor has

been very clever. By letting speculation over the rates and relief fester, just the distributions made by our firm in March instead of April will lead to millions of pounds of capital gains tax being paid by January 2022 instead of January 2023. When considering insolvency first across the board, this will surely provide a boost to the state’s cash flow. At the same time, not making changes to this tax can encourage entrepreneurs to continue to take risks, build up businesses, and reap rewards for their efforts, a vital part of our nation’s recovery from these extreme restrictions. And yes, from our side, it means MVLs retain their appeal as a tax efficient way of dealing with companies at the end of their useful lives.

Call 020 8939 8240 or email insolvency@wsm.co.uk to contact one of our experts.

The Royal Borough of

Kingston

Chamber of Commerce

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

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Patients can meet their GP in a welcoming and safe environment, with short waiting times and quick access to specialist care. Private GP Service benefits The private GP Service at New Victoria Hospital provides patients with: • Extended appointment options • Fast access to specialist care • Quick path to diagnostic services such as Imaging and blood tests • Quick referral for Physiotherapy treatments • On-site Pharmacy for speedy collection of drugs and therapy start New Victoria Hospital is a well-regarded medical facility in the community, recently winning the Excellent Patient Experience Award by Doctify, the healthcare patient review platform where the Hospital consistently achieves a 4.90 out of a 5-star rating. To access the new Private GP service and book an appointment please visit New Victoria Hospital’s website: www.newvictoria.co.uk/ services/gp-services or call 020 8131 7277.

Kingston First hosts first ever Kingston upon Thames’ New Victoria Hospital has launched its new onsite dedicated Private GP Service for both adults and children, offering patients a range of appointment options, quick referrals and fast access care.

WELLBEING WEEK

The service allows local patients and their families to access face-to-face consultations six days a week. Virtual appointments are also an option, and patients can book the services they require, online. The Private GP Service at New Victoria Hospital

Patients also have the option to book an extended 30-minute appointment, should they require more time with the GP. The GPs at New Victoria Hospital can provide consultations to cover: • Acute and chronic conditions • Children’s Health • Fit notes and referral letters • Prescriptions • Blood Tests The Royal Borough of

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The online events took place between March 8 and 14, ranging from yoga, Pilates and fitness classes to mental health workshops and money management advice, all designed to improve the wellbeing of people in the local community. Several Kingston-based businesses and organisations got involved with the initiative, providing offers and hosting virtual events. Among these events was a session run by Nationwide Building Society offering top tips to improve financial wellbeing, an introduction to hand embroidery techniques by craft brand Hawthorn Handmade, and a virtual boxing session to get the endorphins pumping from Mind in Kingston & Surbiton Boxing Club. Kingston First’s Wellbeing Week was a reminder of the importance of good mental, physical and financial wellbeing – and the role employers can play in ensuring their staff are healthy in mind and body. However, fewer than half (44%) of UK employers have an overarching wellbeing strategy in place, according to a recent poll by professional services giant Aon, while seven out of ten had no designated budget for health and wellness.

Zoom Fatigue Employees’ mental wellbeing has been tested in the current COVID-19 pandemic, with many suffering from feelings of isolation, low mood or fatigue. Indeed, workers have cited “Zoom fatigue” – a prolonged tiredness that arises from back-to-back video meetings – as a key reason for their poor mental health. Experts at Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab (SVHIL) have identified several physiological causes of Zoom fatigue, including constantly seeing oneself on a computer screen, constraints on physical mobility and the cognitive load of trying to compensate for the absence of non-verbal cues. Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of SVHIL and author of the first peer-reviewed paper on the causes of Zoom fatigue, said: “Many of these problems could be solved with trivial changes to the design of the Zoom interface. For example, the default setting should be hiding the selfwindow instead of showing it, or at least hiding it automatically after a few seconds once users know they are framed properly.

20-minute face-to-face and virtual consultations are available at a price of £95.

• Postnatal Health

In response, Kingston First hosted its first-ever Wellbeing Week for the local community, with an exciting programme of virtual events, workshops and offers from local businesses that everyone could enjoy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on all of our lives. With many of us noticing a decline in our mental, physical and financial health, looking after our wellbeing has never been so important.

“People can also solve the problems outlined above with changes in hardware and culture. Use an external webcam and external keyboard that allows more flexibility and control over various seating arrangements. Make audio-only Zoom meetings the default, or better yet, insist on taking some calls via telephone to free your body from the frustrum.”

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

top tips

Get yourself camera ready These days we need photographs for everything from social media profiles to traditional publicity material, so it’s vital to have an impressive, professional headshot to present yourself in your best most, business-like way. But don’t worry if the mere thought of a photoshoot turns your knees to jelly. With a little planning, and the right photographer, you’ll get great results. And you might even have fun! Here are some tips to help you get camera ready. 1. Think about what you need your headshot for. Is it for your LinkedIn or Facebook profiles? Or do you need it for a corporate website? This will determine the style of the shoot, which will help you choose the right photographer. 2. Do your homework and visit the websites of professional photographers in your area. Take a look at their reviews on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google to find out what others think of their work. Rapport and trust are so important so have a chat with a couple of photographers to get a feel for how well you’d work together.

3. Once you’ve commissioned your chosen photographer, expect a Zoom consultation. This is a chance for you to get to know each other a little and to ask any questions you might have. 4. Make sure you discuss how the headshot will be used so your photographer can give you guidance on what to wear. My advice is to dress in the way you would to meet a client. Think too about how you might introduce your brand identity or logo colours into your outfit. If you intend visiting your hair stylist, make sure your appointment is 10 days before the shoot to give the cut time to settle down and look more natural. Bring a mirror and a brush or comb with you to the shoot so you can regularly check how you look. 5. Ask for a morning session so you and your photographer are at your best. The earlier the shoot, the less time you’ll have to get anxious. You

want to be bright eyed and bushy tailed for your session so get a good sleep the night before and drink plenty water so you’re well hydrated. And last but not least – RELAX! It’s your photographer’s job to get the best out of you so that you can enjoy the experience. The more relaxed you are, the better the results will be. Based in Kingston-upon-Thames, Annie Armitage is an award-winning professional photographer who has specialised in family, portrait, and personal branding photography since setting up her business in 2007. In March 2021, Annie won Silver in the Women Who Work With Families category of the Best Business Women Awards 2020. She was listed in the f:Entrepreneur Top 100 women 2020 and has been a keynote speaker at several photographic events.

m: 07711 391919 | e: annie@anniearmitage.com w: www.anniearmitage.com 32

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

The pandemic changed my life for the better – I left my old job and became a Visiting Angel.

Interview with an Angel! Nix is one of our amazing caregivers who throughout the pandemic has been supporting older people to remain living safely in their own home. Nix is a Chessington resident who found Visiting Angels North Surrey through Chessington Chat, a local publication. Gems like Nix are hard to find and we always need more ‘Angels’ just like her! Nix was the 3rd caregiver that we recruited and through her commitment to the company and her clients she has helped the company and our wonderful reputation for providing quality care grow. “It is a strong commendation of Nix that she helped me through this …., ” Client’s husband.

Nix, can you tell us what you were doing before you became a caregiver with Visiting Angels North Surrey? I ve had a number of jobs in my working life but more recently I was working in a tile shop. I’m quite creative and I loved helping customers choose the right tile for them. Interestingly I had a job as a senior project administrator in Trident court (which was Siemens Plessey at the time) where Visiting Angels are based many years ago, so it’s nice to be back.

What’s the best bit of being a Visiting Angel? Everyone at Visiting Angels is really caring and are wonderful people. The owners are considerate of their staff as well as clients and clearly strive to meet the needs of both. It is a pleasure working with them. What would you say to anyone who is thinking about care as a new job? Do it. It is so rewarding, knowing that you have done everything you can for someone to make them feel special - it makes you feel special too. It’s a great feeling. At Visiting Angels, we want to provide the best quality care through the recruitment of the best caregivers. We are committed to training and supporting people with the right qualities and passion for “care” to become competent caregivers. If you want to do care the right way and have a desire to help others then please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.

What attracted you to becoming a caregiver?

Are you our next Nix? - a true Visiting Angel.

During lockdown I had started to help my neighbour and realised that I liked making people happy. Giving them respect, patience and dignity. I enjoy finding out about their condition, i.e dementia or Parkinson’s and giving them the best care to make them feel comfortable and happy according to their specific needs. Basically, treat clients how I would like to be treated if I could not look after myself.

www.visiting-angels.co.uk/northsurrey/ https://www.facebook.com/ visitingangelsnorthsurrey

Exceptional home care visits from exceptional carers Most people in need of care would prefer to stay in their own home. Our home care visiting service is carefully tailored to suit your loved one’s needs, can help them retain their independence and stay connected to friends, relatives and pets. Our caregivers are carefully selected. We find excellent people with the right mix of skills, experience and a true caring nature, so that they can provide consistently superior home care. Companion & Social Care Personal Care Dementia & Alzheimer’s Care Post-Hospital Stay Care Palliative Care End of Life Care

Find out more about how a Visiting Angel can help

Call: 0203 143 4007 or 07923 157 020

www.visiting-angels.co.uk/northsurrey I northsurrey@visiting-angels.co.uk 190x112mm VA Ad Kingston Business Magazine.indd 1

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26/03/2021 15:01

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

starting up

Samir Gosrani TaxAssist Accountants New Malden

Tell us a bit about your business? At TaxAssist Accountants, we provide a personal and professional accounting service tailored to our clients. We help start-ups, sole traders, partnerships, limited companies, property landlords, contractors, freelancers, and individual taxpayers with all their accounting and tax requirements, as well as providing business advice and support. What gives your business ‘the x-factor’? I bring with me 15 years of experience having worked in accounting and tax practices and having dealt with a broad range of clients from large multinationals to the smallest owner managed businesses. This breath of experience and expertise coupled with strong support from a dynamic national franchise network of small business champions makes us ideally placed to consistently deliver excellent services to our clients. What motivated you to set up in business? Whilst working for a top tax firm had its own challenges and rewards, I came to realise that my real passion has always been working with small business owners to make a real tangible difference to their businesses and lives. It was extremely important to me that when I did step away from the corporate world, I would use my existing skills and knowledge to better serve the local business community. Towards the end of 2019 I decided to take the plunge and set up my own practice locally as it became obvious that the smallest taxpayers were often overlooked by other advisors. What do you like most about working for a start-up? Not only is my business focused towards the needs of the small business owners in the local community, I am a small business owner myself. I can therefore truly understand and empathise with the increasing hardships that other small business owners face. I recognise that small business owners are frequently faced with the challenge of not only running their business, but also having to try and keep up with the burden of rapidly changing reporting and

compliance requirements. It is satisfying knowing that we can take away some of the pain from our clients and extremely rewarding when we help save our clients time and money. What has been your greatest business success to date? Having started just prior to the pandemic and the first national lockdown with a zero client-base, the past year has arguably been the greatest challenge. Whilst this has meant the business has not been able to grow as much as I would have liked in terms of number of fee paying clients, I am proud to say that we have nonetheless been able to help many small businesses get through this extremely challenging period by using our expertise and being able to guide and support them, from ensuring tax returns were submitted on time to helping them mitigate and manage tax liabilities, from accessing various government assistance schemes such as furlough and grants, to helping them forecast and manage their cashflow, and sometimes by just offering a listening ear or a supportive shoulder. What has been your lowest moment? No doubt the uncertainty that Covid 19 has brought has been the lowest moment, as it has meant that even our most prudent business plans have had to be put aside. We fully appreciate the impact that the lockdown and restrictions have had on so many people financially, as well as on their mental well-being. It has been incredibly challenging for us too, but we are determined to come out on the other side stronger and being able to help our clients through these times has helped keep us motivated and grounded. In terms of business achievements, where do you want to be within the next year 5 years? We are on track to open attractive shop-front premises in a prominent and highly visible location

BOROUGH BUSINESS - The voice of Kingston’s business community

in New Malden within the next few months. The aim is to be easily accessible not just to existing clients but to potential clients as well and the shop will therefore be welcoming and modern. I believe that within the next 5 years, TaxAssist Accountants will become a trusted, reputable, and wellknown business advisor not just among the local businesses but also the wider community within the Royal Borough of Kingston. As the business grows, we will have opportunities to recruit trainee as well as qualified accountants and we would be delighted to offer roles to local applicants when the opportunity arises. What would be your top tip to someone thinking of starting up their own business? Thorough planning is always important, but as the last year has shown us, sometimes being meticulous is not enough. It is equally important to be dynamic, have a positive frame of mind, and be flexible enough to be able to adapt to the situation, to not just survive but thrive despite adversity.

We are on track to open attractive shop-front premises in a prominent and highly visible location in New Malden within the next few months

Assisted Living | Nursing | Dementia Care | Respite WELCOMING NEW RESIDENTS Coombe Hill Manor provides exceptional care by compassionate people for both individuals and couples. The home is expansive with large communal areas and apartments that are typically twice the size of the market average. Amenities include a cinema, landscaped gardens, spa bathroom, hair salon, therapy room, lounges, dedicated activities room and choice of formal and informal dining in the restaurant, bistro or café. Coombe Hill Manor is open to visitors and welcoming new residents.

To find out more about how Signature at Coombe Hill Manor can provide total peace of mind for you and your loved ones, please contact our Client Liaison Managers today.

020 4533 8912 | enquiries.coombe@signaturesl.co.uk | signature-care-homes.co.uk

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Costco Wholesale is a membership warehouse club, dedicated to bringing our members quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices. The annual membership fee for Standard Trade Membership* is £22 ex VAT (£26.40 inc VAT). The annual membership fee for Standard Individual Membership* is £28 ex VAT (£33.60 inc VAT). To sign up for Trade membership in the warehouse please provide one piece of business evidence, PLUS one piece of photographic identification, for Individual membership please provide your employee ID card or current payslip to prove your employment, PLUS one piece of photographic identification.

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Borough Business April 2021

Articles inside

Starting Up

Top Tips

The Big Interview

Health & Wellbeing

Richard Burge LCCI