Business Matters June 2017

BusinessMatters The business magazine of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce Summer 2017

The Big Interview Jane Brooke

Vice Dean Chester Cathedral Together, We’re Well Connected

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Business Matters

Welcome

Welcome to our latest edition of Business Matters

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Colin Brew

Chief Executive Officer West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce Enquiries Riverside Innovation Centre, 1 Castle Drive, Chester, CH1 1SL t: 01244 669988 e: info@wcnwchamber.org.uk w: www.wcnwchamber.org.uk Publisher Benham Publishing Limited 3tc House, 16 Crosby Road North, Crosby, Liverpool L22 0NY t: 0151 236 4141 f: 0151 236 0440 e: admin@benhampublishing.com w: www.benhampublishing.com Published June 2017 © Benham Publishing Media no. 1593 Advertising and Features Karen Hall t: 0151 236 4141 e: karen@benhampublishing.com Design Chris Moran t: 0151 236 4141 e: studio@benhampublishing.com

s 2017 continues to raise questions as to the future of the United Kingdom and its place in Europe, creating further uncertainty for the business community, there has never been a better time to get involved with West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce.

As a Chamber, we continue to grow and develop in line with our 5-year business plan, extending further opportunities to our membership to thrive through challenging times. The recent promotion of Debbie Bryce to an Operational Director role gives the Chamber a chance to review its progress and implement further change to the business, whilst maintaining robust momentum and focus on our strategic engagement work making certain that the Voice of our membership on economic matters, whether large or small, is heard loud and clear by key decision makers across our great region.

Through our 2021 Vision wcnwchamber.org.uk/wp-content/ uploads/VIsion-2021 we are ensuring

your voice is heard on the matters which affect your business and its ability to grow, such as connectivity, infrastructure and regulatory barriers. Through our International Trade service, we are providing support and guidance to those with an ambition to trade overseas, connecting and signposting new and existing exporters to global markets.

Chamber membership also means we are able to provide you with the networking opportunities that you seek via our events schedule and through our communication streams we can provide promotion of what you do to a wide range of local stakeholders.

Chamber membership takes many guises and I am hopeful that each and every one of our members are making use of the elements relevant to them. Our mission is to provide you the service you expect from the leading business representative body across West Cheshire & North Wales.

Both myself and the Team here at the Chamber look forward to engaging with you in the coming months. Together we really are well connected!

INSIDE:

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the economy BCC Quarterly Economic Survey

getting started The Alternative Board (North Wales)

The big interview Jane Brooke, Vice Dean Chester Cathedral Disclaimer Business Matters is mailed without charge to all Chamber members

and distributed to businesses in the region.

All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in publication are not necessarily those of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2017.

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.

The person behind the business Steve Jackson

24 hours with Richard Smith, Wine School of Cheshire

What I’m passionate about in business Helen Nellist @Chamber WCNW West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce /wcnwchamber

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chamber news

Chamber Chief Executive Officer appointed Vice Chair of North Wales & Mersey Dee Business Council

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olin Brew, Chief Executive Officer of the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, has been appointed Vice Chair of the North Wales & Mersey Dee Business Council, meaning he will take over as Chair in 2018.

The Business Council is the umbrella body for the

Private Sector in the North Wales and Mersey Dee area, with members from the key representative organisations in the region including; the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, the FSB, the IOD and the CBI. The Business Council also has members from leading educational institutions from across the area.

The Business Council’s remit is to drive the economic development agenda with the public sector / government and relevant stakeholders / partners, to achieve balanced and sustainable growth for the region. The Business Council works closely with the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, the Mersey Dee Alliance and Cheshire West & Chester Council.

Key priorities of the Business Council include; • Infrastructure – Including full support of the Growth Track 360 campaign • Working towards a growth deal for North Wales • Ensuring a voice for the region in the Northern Powerhouse • Engagement and partnership with the Public Sector at all levels • The business growth & innovation agenda for our cross-border region Colin Brew said about his appointment; “This is a fantastic opportunity for West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber to play an integral part in the shaping of our regional economy.

I feel privileged to have been elected to the role of vice chair at such a critical time both politically and economically

and look forward to working closely with all business representative organisations to ensure a prosperous and vibrant future for the North Wales & Mersey Dee area.”

Colin has been heavily involved with the Business Council and has been a key driver of the Growth Track 360 Campaign alongside current Chair Ashley Rogers. Ashley commented on Colin’s appointment; “Colin has been a great supporter and contributor to the work of the Business Council, and I look forward to working with him more closely in the coming months, as our Vice Chair.

Colin’s experience will be a real asset for the Business Council, as it delivers on its objectives and priorities, at this time of real change for UK businesses.”

Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer builds links in The Netherlands

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he West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Executive Officer, Colin Brew, has been building trade links on a recent visit to both The Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) and the Kamer Van Koophandel (Dutch Chamber of Commerce) on a “whistle stop” business trip.

Colin started the trip by meeting Michiel Van Deursen, the Managing Director of the NBCC, over breakfast. Based in The Hague, with offices also in London, the NBCC has 250 members who are eager to build good connections with businesses from our region. Michiel is currently working with the Welsh Government on a trade

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visit to Cardiff in 2018 and after discussions Colin is now hopeful that this will include North Wales which will ensure businesses across Wales have every opportunity to create connections with those based in The Netherlands.

Michiel said about the meeting “It is excellent to speak to Colin and hear about the exciting businesses that are in West Cheshire & North Wales.

We are hoping to build links with these businesses and our potential trip to Wales next year would be a good opportunity to do this.”

Colin then travelled to Rotterdam where he met Jaimie Baaker at the Kamer Van Koophandel (KVK) – the Dutch Chamber of Commerce – which has five

sites across The Netherlands.

Every business in The Netherlands must register with the KVK meaning there are many potential connections that firms in our region can make. Colin spent time meeting the KVK team and updating them on the economy of West Cheshire and North Wales and exploring how possible synergies could be better exploited.

The KVK and the NBCC work closely together on promoting links to the UK and this is shown by their joint hosting of a Department for International Trade trade mission earlier this year.

Colin commented on his visit “The whole experience was fantastic. It was great to meet Michiel and Jaimie

L to R: Colin Brew, Chief Executive Officer of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce and Michiel Van Deursen, Managing Director of The Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce

and discuss how we can work more closely for the benefit of all our respective members.”

“We have a great desire as a chamber to maximise the power and benefits of the British Chambers of Commerce’s Global Business Network and provide greater global connectivity for our members”

chamber news

Chamber Focus Group present Pedal Power – Cycling 4 All, with £3,500 raised at St David’s Day Charity dinner

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ollowing the success of the St David’s Day Charity ball, the Chamber Focus Group gathered on Friday to donate the money raised at the event, to Pedal Power – Cycling 4 all, in Wrexham.

The Chamber’s focus group is made up of six experienced members, all from very different business backgrounds who are Ambassadors for the Chamber. They presented the charity with their £3,500 cheque, and learnt more about the rewarding work that is involved.

Pedal Power – Cycling 4 all provides accessible outdoor activities for people of all abilities. The charity is a specialist cycling service offering fun, achievement and therapy for people with physical and learning difficulties as well as those recovering from injury or illness.

A life changing £3,500 was raised for the deserving charity earlier this year, at the Chamber’s yearly occurring St David’s Day dinner.

The amount of money donated will make a huge difference to the great work Pedal Power are currently

doing, and plan to do in the near future. The event held both a Charity auction and a raffle, which urged people to dig deep and raise money.

An array of fantastic prizes were available, all donated by generous Chamber members – including a rare opportunity to watch the England Team train, and afterwards a meet and greet with the players themselves, plus four cricket tickets for a Lancashire Vs Yorkshire T20 game!

Debbie Bryce, Operational Director at West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, commented after ‘Pedal Power – Cycling 4 all, truly is a very worthwhile charity that we have been so honoured to help. I wanted to personally thank all those that attended our St David’s Day dinner, this wouldn’t have been possible without your fantastic generosity in both donating prizes and money on the evening!’

Speaking on behalf of the Charity.

Karen Balmer, Trustee of Cycling 4 All – Pedal Power, said “We are

so grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for hosting the St David’s Day dinner and helping us raise funds.

It was a wonderful event and the support and kindness of the chamber members was wonderful to see.”

“I am so proud of the service we provide at Pedal Power enabling people to enjoy the fun, therapy and health benefits of all ability cycling.

We were thrilled by the amount of money raised at the ball which will go a long way to supporting the work we do, making an invaluable difference to the lives of those in poor health, but also to adults and children with a disability”.

Top: The Focus Group presenting a cheque to Pedal Power - Cycling 4 All. Right: L to R: Karen Balmer, Pedal Power - Cycling 4 All, with members of the Focus Group, Phill Jones, Debbie Bryce, Claire Davies, and John Farrell

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Typical capital repayment is below 2 years.

We offer accredited access to Welsh SMEs for interest free loans from the Carbon Trust. We can also provide a diverse and flexible range of business finance solutions to support companies preserve capital, maintain existing credit lines, ease cash flow and pay for your equipment as you use it.

Also, our products and associated controls are part of the government Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme offering 100% of the cost against that year’s taxable profits.

This could save you further costs, as well as reduce your business’ energy use, carbon footprint and climate change levies.

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Savings of between 88% and 97% in energy and carbon reduction

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Carbon Trust Case Study: Terex Trucks Terex Trucks has been building robust articulated and rigid dump trucks for extreme hauling applications since it was established in 1950. They evaluated a number of lighting options and were impressed with the rigorous and professional assessment of their requirements by lighting designer and manufacturer Carbon Reduction Technology (CRT).

The operational environment at Terex Trucks meant existing lighting control technologies were either unreliable, problematic or simply impractical to implement.

The vast steel frame structures created problems for wireless technologies and installing a wired control system was simply unrealistic.

Carbon Trust introduced CRT to enModus as they provide innovative smart building solutions, based on a patented new PLC technology called WattWave. Simply put, Wattwave is a way of connecting and controlling lighting and other building

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assets using the existing power cables. The simplicity of using the existing building power infrastructure to communicate, coupled with a powerful cloud based service platform and distributed intelligent hardware design, allow organisations to monitor and manage their entire estate through one simple App. A joint proposal submitted

by CRT and enModus was accepted by Terex Trucks and the lighting project was launched.

The combination of the new CRT HBX LED luminaires combined with the enModus Smart Lighting Control system has resulted in total energy savings between 92-97% (depending on work area) with significantly improved lighting quality and accurate ongoing monitoring of the energy consumed by each light. These results dramatically exceeded Terex Trucks’s expectations and they have now placed orders to retrofit further CRT LEDs with enModus Smart Lighting controls to other parts of their facility.

SAVE MONEY AND REDUCE YOUR CARBON EMISSIONS CRT Ltd. specialises in high lumen, high efficacy LED lighting for Industry and Local Authorities / Councils. We are now in our tenth year of helping businesses across West Cheshire and North Wales to save money and proud members of the WCNW chamber of commerce.

Our lighting solutions are designed to not only save energy costs, but to reduce maintenance and installation costs, whilst providing an improved performance over traditional lighting solutions. Our core goals for every customer we work with are to: • Improve on current lighting performance by up to 150% • Reduce annual energy expenditure and carbon emissions by 60 to 97% • Facilitate a payback period of 1 to 2 years (industrial) or 3 to 5 years (public sector) • Work with the customer to make the most of grants and tax relief opportunities such as Salix, Carbon Trust Interest free Loans, and Enhanced Capital Allowance.

We are also the supplier of the new LED street light program for CWAC. We are currently 30% through a 24,000 program of installation for residential street lights across the CWAC region.

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strategic members news

Protos Networks solidify a Strategic alliance with the Chamber!

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he West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce are delighted to announce that Protos Networks have become one of the Chamber’s latest Strategic Partners.

Protos Networks is a managed services provider based in the North West. By harnessing the power of the cloud, Protos Networks bring network and cyber security services usually reserved for the larger enterprises to the SME market. Whether it be Office 365 migrations or guest Wi-Fi for retail and hospitality or managed network services, Protos Networks can deliver a solution to fit you.

Speaking about becoming a Strategic Partner of the Chamber, Darren Kewley from Protos Networks said: “We are delighted to have become Strategic Partner of the Chamber. Ever since joining, we have worked closely with the team at the Chamber and have built a great relationship with everyone there. The Chamber’s events have also been paramount in helping

our start-up grow by forging new business relationships and providing advice on things such as marketing and accounting, and we have also helped other Chamber members by hosting seminars on cyber security.

We thought it would be fantastic to give a little back and partner with the Chamber on a strategic level. As a Chester-based business, we feel it is important not only to do business in the area, but also to help support other businesses as they also grow and contribute to the economy and prosperity of Cheshire and North Wales. Likewise, as businesses rely ever more on technology succeed, and as cyber security becomes ever more pressing, we would like to reassure businesses across the region that there are local experts on hand to help them.

We look forward to working closely with the Chamber and helping in any way we can”.

Protos Networks have taken an extremely proactive approach towards the Chamber since joining, from the Start-Up Club to general networking events and helping other members with their broad knowledge of Wi-Fi Solutions, Cybersecurity and much more, Protos Networks have strived within the Chamber community. Through their new role as Strategic Members, Protos will continue to use their extensive knowledge to benefit other Chamber members as well as using the Chamber’s many business connections across the West Cheshire and North Wales region.

Speaking on behalf of the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, Debbie Bryce Operational Director, said: ‘We are all delighted to welcome Protos Networks as our latest Strategic Partners. Since joining the Chamber, Joe and Darren have been extremely active within the network and supported the Chamber along the way.

Left to right: Debbie Bryce, West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, Joe Joinson and Darren Kewley, Protos Networks

Joe Joinson, Protos Networks

As a Chamber, we’re excited to work closely alongside Protos Networks to benefit not only our business but our members also.

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We have worked closely with the team at the Chamber and have built a great relationship with everyone there.

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strategic members news

Insignia Resourcing Limited joins the Chamber’s Strategic Members as our newest addition L to R: Colin Brew, West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce and Phill Jones, Insignia Resourcing Limited

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he West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce is delighted to welcome Insignia Resourcing Limited as our latest Strategic Partner!

Insignia Resourcing Limited endeavour to be one of the most trusted and highly respected Resourcing and Recruitment professionals across the UK and overseas. They aim to be one of the market leaders within their field and provide the highest quality service you would expect and demand. By firmly understanding and respecting their clients and candidates they believe they make the perfect partner.

They have developed relationships built on trust and understanding and are able to offer a service personalised to your business. Insignia Resourcing work within a number of industry sectors which can be found on their website.

Phill Jones, Director of Insignia Resourcing had this to say on joining as a Strategic Partner: “We are delighted to become a Strategic Partner to the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce along with our fellow Partners and Patrons. Having worked closely with and supported the

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Chamber for the last four years and as well as becoming a Chamber Board Director within the last twelve months, it was a natural progression for our business to further help and support the Chamber network. As our business has offices in Chester, North Wales and Manchester with plans for further growth, we are well placed to support companies across the West Cheshire and North Wales areas. Seeing the Chamber membership and network go from strength to strength, month on month we are very excited to continue our relationship with the Chamber and its ever-growing membership. These are exciting times for all as we go in to a new and challenging era and we look forward to providing our services for the benefit of others”.

Since joining the Chamber in 2014, Insignia have taken a very proactive approach to their membership and completely immersed themselves within what the Chamber has to offer. Being a valued member of the Chamber’s ‘Start-up Club’ and a regular attendee of Chamber events,

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These are exciting times for all as we go in to a new and challenging era

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Insignia is well known throughout the Chamber and a familiar face to all.

As Chairman to the Chamber’s Focus Group, Phill works as an ambassador for the Chamber and represents member’s ideas to the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Committing to a Strategic Membership, Insignia will now work even closer with the Chamber.

Speaking about Insignia’s new alliance with the Chamber, Debbie Bryce, Operational Director at West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce said “We are delighted to welcome Insignia Resourcing Limited as the latest Strategic Partners to join the Chamber. Insignia have been actively involved and very supportive of the Chamber and our members for a number of years.

I’d like to thank Phill personally for all the help and support he has given to myself, the Chamber Focus Group and the Chamber Board of Directors, from day one of joining the Chamber Phill has given up so much of his time to help others, shown huge commitment and support.

Sharing the same values and vision as the Chamber, I’m looking forward to working even more closely with Insignia going forward and excited to see what we can achieve together!”

strategic members news

The UK’s tax system is going digital – is your business ready?

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lthough it has not been widely publicised during the focus on Brexit and President Trump, the UK is soon to see a huge change to the tax system which will have an impact on every business including sole traders, partnerships and companies.

HMRC’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ scheme will mean that businesses will need to use accounting software to report their activities to HMRC each quarter.

Fortunately, there have also been massive changes to accountancy software in recent years: oldfashioned ‘desktop’ packages which required hours of tedious data entry have been superseded by a new breed of online ‘cloud accounting’ packages.

These new packages are designed to be used by business owners as well as accountants. They do not use

accounting terminology like ‘debits’ and ‘credits’; instead using phrases like ‘money in’ and money out’.

The software links directly to the business bank account, so every transaction processed through your bank will be automatically captured.

The user needs to allocate the transaction (e.g. a payment for petrol may be allocated to a ‘motor expenses’ account) to include it within the reports; best of all some of the packages can ‘learn’ over time and will automatically suggest where to allocate similar transactions next time.

As data is not stored locally on a PC, users can access their accounting records any time they have an internet connection, and even via apps on their phones.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) apps can be used to scan receipts on the go; the software will then

recognise the key elements of the receipt (e.g. date, name of supplier, amount paid, VAT element) and input the data automatically.

Business owners can also view profit and loss reports, debtor lists, tax estimates and other key financials.

Ellis & Co are partners of the major cloud accounting software providers and have the expertise to transfer your accounting records to an online package swiftly and efficiently.

Best of all, we are able to offer software subscriptions for free to Ellis & Co clients.

For more information please contact John Moorhouse on 01244 343504.

John Moorhouse, Accounts Senior at Ellis & Co Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers

Time to re-think outsourcing

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ow much do you outsource?

Not much? Ok, how about your print? Your accounts? Cleaning services? Here in the UK 3.3m of us work in outsourcing, contributing to 8.7% of all economic output; those that still associate it with offshore call centres are disillusioned!

Outsourcing can save up to 60% of business costs, so it’s no wonder even the largest of corporations outsource key areas of their business

to specialists - and it’s not just for the financial reward. It’s so that they can access a range of top level skill sets and keep their in-house people focused on core activity.

So what about marketing? What value can you add by outsourcing that too?

Affordable, executive support You’ve downsized and it’s given you some short term cost benefits. But compromising on marketing activity can have a negative impact on your business growth and company reputation. Outsourcing means that you can access marketing expertise to plan, oversee and offer guidance, without the overheads associated with employing a fulltime person.

Risk Avoidance Recruitment can be a big financial risk and a long term costly commitment. In an ideal world, we want to expand and downsize in-line with business growth and decline.

Accessing a scalable resource allows you this flexibility, whilst ensuring that

the person with the appropriate skill set is working on your project.

By accessing a team of diverse marketing interests and specialisms, your campaigns benefit from creative thinking and professional guidance.

Results Recording outsourced time can be as granulated as by the hour. This means that there is no time to be complacent or distracted by other tasks, a common drawback of inhouse staff. Time is invested solely on project work. Working this way means that planning, preparation and task allocation is crucial. It also means clients can see where time is spent and on what.

We’re a close knit team that work collaboratively so that our energies are pooled and channeled into our client’s marketing activity. We foster an ethos of teamwork and tenacity to ensure the best results for campaigns. For all your marketing needs, call us on 01244 515569

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strategic members news David Jones, Associate Solicitor at Hillyer McKeown LLP

Member offer

Free T&Cs review for 1 standard document, plus 10% off any associated instruction.

This offer applies to the first 10 enquiries to email hillyermckeown@law.uk.com

Terms & conditions whose rules are you playing by?

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henever they encounter ‘terms and conditions apply’ most people switch off for good reason! Often, T&Cs are full of legal jargon and tough to untangle. However, switching off isn’t an option as T&Cs protect your business.

Why are T&Cs important?

Have you ever read iTunes T&Cs when there’s an update? If we read them, perhaps we wouldn’t accept them! However, if we don’t accept Apple’s T&Cs, we don’t receive the update. T&Cs are vital because they tell your customers the terms upon which you’re happy to do business. Bluntly, T&Cs impact Productivity, Profitability and Prosperity.

So, here’s what you can do:

You are cordially invited to our Chamber Summer Cocktail Party 2017!

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he countdown is on to the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce’s Summer Cocktail Party at Eaton Estate, Eccleston on Thursday July 6th 2017.

The West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce would like to formally invite you to join us for our Annual Summer Cocktail Party. This year’s celebration will take place in the spectacular surrounds of the home of His Grace the Duke of Westminster.

This event promises to be one of great company, giving you the chance to network and socialise with Chamber Members from across the region. Canapes and Prosecco will be available on arrival at the venue.

This year the Chamber is delighted to announce

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that the entertainment will be a selection of singers from Chester’s very own Cathedral Choir. The group will include, Christopher Collins of Select Mortgages North West Ltd, a Chamber member, who will perform an array of classical favourites. As always, this event guarantees to be one to remember.

We would like to extend our invitation to all Chamber Members and look forward to welcoming you to this prestigious event. Places are limited and we highly recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.

To find out more or to book your place, please contact Jenny on 01244 669988, or alternatively email j.davidson@ wcnwchamber.org.uk.

1. Get some T&Cs! If you don’t have T&Cs then have some drafted.

Don’t try cobbling a set together from different sources; you’ll be wasting your time. T&Cs need to be bespoke to your business. If you have T&Cs, regularly review and update them. As your business evolves and legislation changes, so should your T&Cs. Getting legal advice is inexpensive compared to getting something so important wrong.

2. Know whose rules you’re playing by Avoid misunderstandings. T&Cs create clarity which minimises your company’s litigation risk profile.

Have you heard about the ‘Battle of the Forms’?

This is about whose rules parties are playing by; your rules or the other side’s is less important than understanding the terms and expectations of each party, and exposure to potential risks.

3. Limit your liability We can decipher price, payment terms and delivery costs but there’s more to T&Cs. Did you know you can limit your liability if something goes wrong with your products or services?

4. Capital value Ensure your contract foundations are solid. Creating certainty, pipeline and protecting your assets (e.g.

Intellectual Property) can be accommodated in well drafted T&Cs. This adds tangible value to your business.

T&Cs and contracts For more information, contact David Jones at Hillyer McKeown on 0151 666 0747 or dbj@law.uk.com

Yn cefnogi busnesau Cymru Supporting businesses in Wales

A ydych yn ystyried cychwyn busnes eich hun?

O’ch helpu i ddatblygu syniad busnes, cael cyllid a’ch cefnogi wrth benodi’ch cyflogai cyntaf, mae Busnes Cymru yma i helpu entrepreneuriaid Cymreig bob cam o’r ffordd.

Are you thinking about starting your own business? From helping you develop a business idea, to sourcing finance and supporting you with hiring your first employee, Business Wales is here to help Welsh entrepreneurs every step of the way.

03000 6 03000 busnescymru.llyw.cymru businesswales.gov.wales

Cyflymu Cymru i Fusnesau Superfast Business Wales

Dylunydd cacennau o Ogledd Cymru’n dod o hyd i rysáit am dwf gyda thechnoleg ddigidol

North Wales cake maker finds recipe for growth with digital technology

Mae’r dylunydd cacennau Judith Bond Cakes yn ffynnu ar ôl datblygu strategaeth marchnata digidol gyda help gan Cyflymu Cymru i Fusnesau, gwasanaeth cefnogi technoleg ddigidol Llywodraeth Cymru.

Bespoke cake designer Judith Bond Cakes is thriving after developing a digital marketing strategy with help from Superfast Business Wales, the Welsh Government’s digital technology support service.

Ers gweithredu’r strategaeth, yn ystod y chwe mis diwethaf mae cyfrifon cyfryngau cymdeithasol y cwmni wedi cynyddu 30%, mae’r ymwelwyr â’r wefan wedi cynyddu i 1,300 y mis ac mae’r gwerthiant wedi cynyddu 30%.

“Mae cefnogaeth Cyflymu Cymru i Fusnesau wedi agor fy llygaid i i’r holl adnoddau digidol sydd ar gael i helpu fy musnes i dyfu.”

Since implementing the strategy, over the last six months the company’s social media accounts have grown by 30%, website visitors are up to 1,300 a month and sales have increased by 30%.

“The support from Superfast Business Wales has opened my eyes to the many digital resources available to help my business grow.”

“Fe es i i weithdy technoleg ddigidol ac wedyn cael cefnogaeth un i un gan Adam, cynghorydd busnes digidol, a eisteddodd gyda mi a fy helpu i greu cynllun gweithredu digidol yn canolbwyntio ar farchnata ar-lein a chyfryngau cymdeithasol.

“I attended a digital technology workshop and then received one-to-one support from Adam, a digital business adviser, who sat down with me and helped me to create a digital action plan focusing on online marketing and social media.

“Mae’r hwb i fy ngwerthiant ac i broffil fy musnes wedi’i ddylanwadu gan fy ymgyrch farchnata newydd yn sicr. Mae Cyflymu Cymru i Fusnesau wedi bod yn gefnogol iawn i’n twf ni ac fe fyddwn i'n eu hargymell nhw’n sicr i fusnesau bach sydd eisiau ehangu.” judithbondcakes.co.uk

“The boost in my sales and business profile has definitely been influenced by my new marketing campaign. Superfast Business Wales has been really supportive of our growth and I’d definitely recommend them to small businesses looking to expand.” judithbondcakes.co.uk

To find out more search online: businesswales.gov.wales/superfastbusinesswales Am ragor o wybodaeth, chwiliwch ar-lein: businesswales.gov.wales/superfastbusinesswales/cy

03000 6 03000 busnescymru.llyw.cymru businesswales.gov.wales

international trade

Welsh Government Re-Act Scheme Training Plan F

ollowing the success of our International Trade Training Courses in 2016, we decided to run two consecutive sets of training courses in 2017 from the end of January to the end of June 2017.

This was to give trainees the flexibility to choose two dates per course to enable them to work their attendance around business needs.

We didn’t know how this would impact on the usual course take-up in April but, to date, we have had a fantastic response and already have four individuals who will have completed their BCC Foundation Awards in International Trade by the end of the first set of courses and our second set is booking up fast! One candidate in particular came to our training via an unusual route and I asked Nicola Birch to tell our readers about her journey and this is what she said …

“Following the announcement of closure and pending redundancy, the company I was working for organised an information day. Careers Wales and recruitment agencies were invited along to discuss available options. Living in North

Wales meant I was eligible for the Re-Act Scheme Training Plan. This is a Welsh Government initiative which gives funding to help people affected by redundancy, undertake training either to increase existing skills or retrain for a completely new vocation.

I decided straight away that I wanted to do an Import/Export course.

Having previously worked in this field it was an area I wanted to get back into but I’d been away from it for a number of years.

I started my search for courses but struggled to find anything that didn’t cost the earth or wasn’t miles away from home.

Whilst attending an interview, somebody told me about the Chamber of Commerce BCC Accredited courses so I began looking into it.

I contacted the Chamber about the funding and they said they would contact the Skills Team at Welsh Government to find out about the funding criteria and whether they could supply the courses to me.

Debbie Hancox contacted Re-Act and following a period of liaison, it was confirmed that the

WCNW Chamber Training Team with Nicola Birch who achieved Welsh Government Re-Act funding for her training. Left to right: Daniel Ward, Sarah Jones, Nicola Birch and Debbie Hancox Chamber BCC training courses did indeed fit the learning criteria and it was all systems go for me to attend and gain my NVQ Foundation Award in International Trade.

It was suggested I call into the office, as there were a number of forms to complete for the Re-Act funding and by working on them together, it would give the Chamber a better insight into the claims procedure for future candidates and also help me be successful in my application. Once the Chamber became familiar with Re-Act and what they were about, everything from my perspective was a breeze. Sarah Jones, Finance Manager at the

Chamber couldn’t have been more helpful.

Attending the courses has been a fantastic opportunity. Both Becky and Mark are highly experienced and knowledgeable individuals.

They insert elements of fun into the courses which definitely makes some export processes easier to understand.

The opportunity to meet other people and exchange experience is both interesting and entertaining.

I would definitely recommend the British Chamber of Commerce International Trade Courses both for beginners and also people wanting to refresh their export knowledge.”

For further details about the Re-Act Scheme Training Plan please call the Welsh Government Skills Team at Ffôn / Tel: 01792 765888 or E-Bost / E-Mail: SkillsTeam1@wales.gsi.gov.uk If you would like to attend any of our WCNW Chamber training courses, please contact Debbie Hancox on 01244 669984 or email d.hancox@wcnwchamber.org.uk.

For course overviews please visit our website wcnwchamber. org.uk/exporting/international-trade-training/

Our four successful B.C.C Foundation Award in International Trade achievers. Left to right: Nicola Birch, Caroline Thedens, Nadia McKane and Tamzin Woodward

We are also holding a third set of BCC courses starting on the 6th September. Places are available for all our courses but are booking up fast, please contact us early to avoid disappointment

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chamber events

Chamber St David’s Day Dinner raises a staggering £3,500 for Cycling 4 All Pedal Power!

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he Chamber’s very own renowned St David’s Day Charity Dinner returned for the third time on Friday the 3rd March. Held at The Quay in Deganwy, the event was attended by over one hundred local business people from around the region. The evening was sponsored

by Cullimore Dutton, a celebrated and highly successful legal firm, incorporating traditional values with a modern outlook.

The event was held to help raise charitable funds for Cycling 4 All – Pedal Power, a charity which provides truly accessible outdoor activities for all. Pedal Power is a specialist cycling service offering fun, achievement and therapy for people with physical and learning difficulties as well as those recovering from injury or illness – a real worthwhile cause.

A big thanks goes to all of our very generous auction / raffle donator’s and buyers, we are very proud to have raised such a significant amount for the charity.

The Quay Hotel and Spa prepared a delicious three-course meal for guests. In running style of The Quay, the service and the standard of food was exceptional and a testament to the superb venue.

Attending the event with three of his guests, Jonathon Hogg of Knights 1759, said “Me and my guest’s all thought it was a brilliant event - we all had a fantastic time!”

Richard Smith from the Wine School

of Cheshire was our compere for the evening. Bringing an air of charisma and humour to the event he introduced the raffle prizes and ran the auction. Richard did a remarkable job of getting people to dig into their pockets and raise a staggering £3,500 for the worthy cause.

With over 30 raffle and auction prices available, including a rare opportunity to watch the England football team train and 4 seat only cricket tickets for a Lancashire Vs Yorkshire T20 game at Emirates Old Trafford – the auction and raffle generated a lot of interest indeed!

Speaking on behalf of the Charity Karen Balmer, Trustee of Cycling 4 All – Pedal Power, said “We are so grateful to the Chamber of Commerce for hosting the St David’s Day dinner to raise money for Cycling 4 All /Pedal Power. It was a wonderful event and the support and kindness of the chamber members was wonderful to see. We were thrilled by the amount of money raised at the ball which will go a long way to supporting the work we do making a difference to the lives of those in poor health and adults and children with a disability”.

Debbie Bryce, Chamber Operational Director said ‘It’s such an honour to see the St David’s Day Charity Dinner go from strength to strength. Incorporating the pride of the Welsh heritage with raising money for a deserving cause, it’s an event we are very proud to host and I am delighted that the feedback we have received shows that our guests enjoyed it also. The Chamber would personally like to thank each and every individual who contributed and helped on the evening and made it the huge success it was, your efforts are truly appreciated.”

Chamber Team

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We would like to thank the following companies for their contributions to our charity auction and raffle; ACJ Risk Solutions Anglesey Sea Zoo Arbonne Arriva Buses Wales Bangor on Dee Racecourse Bangor University Beehive Healthcare Ltd Cat N Mouse Cheshire FA Ellis & Co Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors Emirates Henlle Park Golf Club Heyland Recruitment Hillyer McKeown Insignia Resourcing Limited Joliffe & Co LLP JSW Insurance Land & Lakes Ltd Martin John Bespoke Tailors MacArthur Glen Designer Outlet Monster Energy North Shore Photography Pink Spaghetti PA Services Protos Networks Snowdonia Cheese Stay Calm and Content Surf Snowdonia The Alternative Board The Bunburry Bag Company The Macdonald New Blossoms Hotel The Wine School of Cheshire Tree Frog Digital

Guests enjoying St David’s Day Ball

chamber events

Networking Lunch a roaring success at Bodnant Welsh Food!

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he Chamber of Commerce played host to another spectacular networking lunch on the 22nd March 2017.

The networking event was held at Bodnant Welsh Food, situated in the idyllic surrounds of Conwy, overlooking the beautiful welsh landscape. The monthly occurring Chamber networking lunches are always highly popular and provide guests with a spectacular opportunity to meet and connect with business people across our region.

Wayne Wrigley of Rentokil showcasing his Birds of Prey

New and old members gathered together, creating strong business bonds and sealing new friendships before lunch was served. Guests were treated to a Welsh braised beef flank, swiftly followed by a mouth-watering lemon meringue pie. Holding its first Chamber event, Bodnant Welsh Food excelled in the high level of service, food and hospitality it offered all in attendance.

Attending the event Gill Ronayne of Land & Lakes said “Today’s event was fantastic. Everyone was so friendly and it was very easy to network and get promotion out about my company in an informal environment.

I enjoyed getting to know a wide range of people from very different business backgrounds and it also helped the food was delicious!”

The Chamber delighted guests with two speakers at the memorable

event. Speaking first Simon Gainey of Patron Member, MWL Systems, informed guests of the great range of services MWL can provide businesses and their unique approach of personalizing their support so that IT works for you in the easiest way possible.

Following shortly after, Wayne Wrigley of Rentokil addressed the audience, bringing with him three of his flighted friends. Guests watched eagerly as he introduced the birds of prey, and spoke in detail of their uses in controlling vermin and pest animals, in addition to their very admirable flight speeds!

Some very brave attendees even turned their hands to a bit of “I’m a celebrity” by helping themselves to a range of crickets, meal worms and grass hoppers provided by Rentokil – not for the faint hearted!

Las Iguanas Chester host a fantastic networking lunch

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osting their first Chamber Lunch, Las Iguanas Chester helped to co-host a fantastic event for all Chamber members.

With nearly 50 guests in attendance, Las Iguanas hosted a delicious lunch for all - showcasing their wonderful food and immaculate new venue. Chamber networking events are a great way for members to network with other delegates and broaden their contacts from across West Cheshire and North Wales, in a friendly and informal networking style.

At the beginning of the event, delegates had the chance to take part in some general networking over tea and coffee. After the networking had taken place, guests were then seated upstairs and a two-course meal of albondigas (or beetroot and black bean burger for our vegetarian guests) was served, followed by an exquisite cheesecake. Following from the desert, Joanne Darlington and Sam Salisbury were introduced from

Cheshire Wildlife trust. Jo and Sam spoke to our delegates about the great work that Cheshire Wildlife trust do on a daily basis, also informing our delegates of the corporate opportunities available within the Charity.

Speaking to Matt Ballard, General Manager from Las Iguanas, he said: ‘This event was a great chance to showcase the restaurant to other Chamber Members and to host our first Chamber event. The presentation from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust was really informative and I hope to meet many more members over the next few months!’

Looking in review of the event, Debbie Bryce, Operational Director said: ‘The event was such a success thanks to all that attended and helped make the day such an enjoyable one. The team at Las Iguanas were extremely attentive

Guests enjoying lunch at Las Iguanas and made sure that all members were looked after from start to finish so a big thank you is extended to them!’

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patron news

A better deal for Cheshire and Warrington

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any big decisions affecting residents and businesses in Cheshire and Warrington are currently made in London by central government. Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East and Warrington Councils, and the Local Enterprise Partnership are looking to secure a deal with government to transfer power to our area so that we can make these decisions ourselves.

Securing powers to make decisions on things like jobs and skills, transport, economic investment, housing and public sector services will mean that you should expect to have a much bigger say on what happens in your area and how services are run.

Local businesses will benefit from joined-up support and an improved Growth Hub with guaranteed funding for advice, support and guidance to local businesses, and those looking to move into the region. Key sectors will be supported in line with the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

A deal would look to create better transport infrastructure and greater powers to roll out digital connections in line with local needs.

Learning and training courses would be designed locally to meet the needs of local employers and to develop the skills and workforce to support high-performing local sectors.

We are also exploring greater devolution of powers and funding relating to housing, enabling us to deliver more of the right type of homes in the right places so we can support higher levels of growth and a good quality of life.

We are working together to discuss our potential devolution deal with government. If discussions are successful we will then be asking for your views on what a deal could look like. Please take the opportunity to take part.

For more information please email: business@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Lead the way and offer a fair day’s pay

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est Cheshire Employers are urged to stand against poverty by paying staff the Local Living Wage. Cheshire West and Chester Council has launched a campaign to help workers in the borough earn a decent living.

Despite the affluent image of leafy Cheshire, almost a fifth of the borough’s households have an annual income of £15,000 or less.

The Local Living Wage is about paying an hourly rate based on the real cost of living. This will rise from £8.25 to £8.45 in west Cheshire from 1 April 2017, reviewed annually. The Council pays all directly employed staff at least the Local Living Wage since April.

Employers paying a Local Living Wage report lower absenteeism and staff turnover, higher productivity and improvements in quality of work, greater motivation, morale and recruitment.

The Local Living Wage rate is different from the National Living Wage of £7.20 per hour for aged over 25s, set by government, formerly known as the minimum wage.

For information about the Local Living Wage or to sign the Council’s charter as a Local Living Wage employer, visit: www.cheshirewestandchester. gov.uk/LLW

Students learn how to make it in manufacturing

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udding young manufacturers from Mid Cheshire proved their business acumen after winning a challenge designed to show what work is like in the world of modern manufacturing.

Students from across Mid Cheshire took part in in the Make It Enterprise Challenge, a collaboration between The Manufacturing Institute, Cheshire West and Chester Council and local companies.

They were challenged with completing a series of tasks, developing a brand for their company, before pitching their fully costed ideas in a Dragons’ Den-style presentation to senior managers from our sponsoring companies.

Make it winning team from Hartford High School

Stephanie Boyle, Events Executive at The Manufacturing Institute, said: “The Make It campaign enables young people to experience new challenges and ways of learning, and showcases the exciting and creative careers that are on offer within manufacturing.

Developing next generation talent is essential and this event allowed young people to learn first-hand just what it’s like to work for local businesses like Thor, Tata Chemicals, Cygnet Texkimp, Tiger Trailers and Roberts Bakery.”

We’re looking for businesses to engage with future events email: business@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

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patron news

Investing in the future of Blacon

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Chester business women on the track to success

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dedicated support service in Blacon is providing the perfect platform for businesses to make a successful launch.

Entrepreneurs and small businesses can speak to trained advisers at Avenue Services, based at the Parade Enterprise Centre, who will guide them through the start-up process.

It is a free service which has been running since the state-of-the-art centre opened its doors nearly two years ago.

One person who sought the support was Lorraine Salisbury, a local entrepreneur with a fledgling mobile therapy business aimed at promoting positive mental health for women.

Following issues in her personal life 18 months ago which saw her suffer from depression and anxiety, Lorraine was struggling to turn her dream into reality.

She contacted Cheshire West and Chester Council for help and was put in touch with Avenue Services.

Under the guidance

of Chris Leicester, the Neighbourhood Partnerships Manager, Lorraine has been assisted with market research, budgeting and website design for her new business.

She is now at the stage where White Blossom Therapy, which uses her passion for crystal and Reiki healing, is ready to be launched.

Lorraine said: “Chris has given me that support and he has been amazing. He’s got me back on track and given me resources I didn’t know were available; things I wouldn’t be able to afford and that help a business to flourish. Without him and Avenue Services the business wouldn’t be where it is today.”

Chris Leicester added: “From day one Lorraine has shown a determination to make her business a success and she has worked hard to make that happen.

“Our Enterprise Service offers business support to people who need it most and we would encourage anyone who thinks we can help to get in touch.”

ome of Blacon’s most popular community facilities are to benefit from improvements over the coming months.

Avenue Services, a joint venture between Sanctuary Group and Cheshire West and Chester Council, is reinvesting money generated by its work over the past two years back into the neighbourhood.

Work is currently underway to improve Blacon Adventure Playground. This has already seen a variety of play equipment fitted, including new swings and a zip wire, and more work will be carried out ahead of the busy summer period.

Within the next couple of months, a new BMX and rollerblading track will also be installed following a positive public consultation, while similar discussions have been held surrounding the upgrade of play facilities at King George V Playing Fields and Meynell Place Playground.

The not-for-profit organisation has also continued its support for the new Blacon High School. Furniture has been supplied for both the library and an intervention area for students who need more personalised support.

A contribution was also

made towards the school’s new 3G sports pitch, which is due to be completed later this year.

Avenue Services works with a number of community groups, including Blacon Youth Football Club who have benefited from support to provide a temporary clubhouse and facilities.

Another Blacon Boxing Club is going from strength to strength, having signed up in excess of 200 members since forming back in August.

Paul Knight, Head of Avenue Services, said: “Avenue Services exists to serve the community and we are proud to be able to play such an important role in Blacon and make a positive difference to the area for local people.”

Top: Residents are already benefiting from improvements to Blacon Adventure Playground.

Above: Blacon High School has also received support.

Helping residents to grow fruit and veg

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ith the growing season fast approaching, budding gardeners from the business world are being sought to help with a successful project in Chester.

Sanctuary’s Growing Spaces programme has been running for a number of years, during which time

disused urban sites, such as garages, have been transformed into green areas for residents to grow their own fresh fruit and vegetables.

It also gives people the chance to improve their gardening skills and learn how to live healthy and nutritious lifestyles.

Land at Weston Grove in Upton, Queen’s Road in Vicars Cross and an allotment at Linden Grove in Hoole, which is owned by Cheshire West and Chester Council, are already reaping what residents have sown.

Sanctuary is now seeking volunteers from across the business community to get

involved and lend a hand in preparing sites for the new season.

If you’re interested, or to find out more, get in touch with Michele Payne, Sanctuary’s Resident Involvement Manager, on 01244 305 537 or by email to Growing.Spaces@ sanctuary-housing.co.uk

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Patron news

Award-winning boutique hotel offers apprenticeship

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young person from Chester has been given the opportunity to work with one of Europe’s most prestigious hotels, after securing an Apprenticeship through West Cheshire College with Edgar House in Chester.

Named the second most romantic retreat in the world, Edgar House took on Europe’s elite in the 2017 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards for Hotels, also claiming top spot for the most Romantic Hotel in Europe 2017. Edgar House has now opened its doors to a new apprentice, Beth Vernon, aged 17 from Chester.

Beth will be completing a Front of House Apprenticeship at Edgar House for the next year. Speaking about the opportunity, Beth said “I am over the moon to have been offered this fantastic opportunity.

Edgar House is a lovely boutique Hotel, growing in popularity and known for its amazing service. I know that I will gain valuable experience

working here and the team have already made me feel really welcome.”

Edgar House and Beth were connected via West Cheshire College’s Apprenticeship programme. By providing these work based programmes, West Cheshire College enable businesses to grow, matching the right business with the right candidate and the right Apprenticeship framework.

Tim Mills, Co-owner of Edgar House, commented “We pride ourselves on our impeccable attention to detail in all areas of business, as well as delivering an exemplary service to our customers.

We therefore surround ourselves with the best team possible.

“At Edgar House, we think it’s important to give young, enthusiastic people an opportunity to better their career prospects, hence we enquired about the Apprenticeship programme with West Cheshire College and they found us the perfect match in Beth. Not only do we want to help develop young talent from the outset but we want to add value and allow them to gain the experience they need to prepare them for the future.

If you are interested in benefiting from having an Apprentice at your business, please call the Employer hotline on 01244 656499.

Beth Vernon, Apprentice at Edgar House with Co-owner of Edgar House, Tim Mills

Apprenticeship Levy

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f you’re not already aware of the coming changes to Apprenticeships, now is the time to think about how Apprenticeships can benefit your business. From May this year the Government is introducing a new levy on UK employers to fund Apprenticeships.

Our Apprenticeships Team are available to help guide you through what the new changes will mean

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to your business. We can also help you make the most of the current funding and make sure you’re ready for when the changes come into effect.

To find out more about the new changes to Apprenticeships and the employer Levy call 01244 656499 or email employers@west-cheshire.ac.uk

Vauxhall’s Rising Star clinches top EEF Award

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est Cheshire College student and Vauxhall Apprentice, Beth Garnett, 19 from the Wirral scooped the National Rising Star Award at the EEF Future Manufacturing Awards 2016/17 National Gala Dinner, held at the opulent Grand Connaught Rooms in London earlier this year.

News of Beth receiving this prestigious award comes just months after she was recognised for her achievements at the North West EEF Future Manufacturing Awards, held in December last year.

The Mechatronics student, who is completing an Apprenticeship with Vauxhall Motors in Ellesmere Port impressed judges with her ambition and drive in the regionals and has now gone on to claim the title at national level, beating five other regional winners from across the UK. Beth said: “I am delighted to have been recognised for this award. I was astounded to have taken home the regional title but to have also won at the nationals is a complete surprise. I am still in shock but of course I am absolutely thrilled.”

Val Thomas, Plant Personnel Manager Vauxhall said, “We are very proud of Beth. She is a very driven and committed person, and a true credit to Vauxhall. We have developed a strong relationship with West Cheshire College over time and it is proving to be extremely beneficial. Working together, we have developed a group of highly driven and competent employees and we look forward to seeing how they grow in the future. We know Beth will go on to be very successful and do great things.”

Beth also added: “I am really grateful to both West Cheshire College and Vauxhall for giving me this opportunity to develop my career. I am really passionate about this industry and enjoying my time at Vauxhall. To win this award is really exciting and a great achievement.”

Beth Garnett, apprentice at Vauxhall Motors with her National Rising Star Award

patron news

What are the four main benefits of outsourcing your IT?

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T issues amongst UK businesses can prove to be an enormous headache to solve. This is especially relevant considering figures that showed 52% of businesses were victims of cybercrime in 2016, which amounted to an astounding cost of £29.1 billion to businesses nationwide (SC Magazine UK).

MWL Systems is working with businesses to improve their IT systems so that they are protected from a host of IT issues, including

cyber-crime. They do this predominantly through their outsourcing service; providing companies with either a part or fully outsourced IT department.

Matt Kingsley-Williams, Director at MWL Systems, said: “More than ever, we are finding that businesses are coming to us to look after their IT. We can save them time, money and energy finding solutions which fulfil their requirements for a stable, efficient IT system

without them having to jump through various hoops trying to do it all themselves.

“There is nothing worse than when your IT lets you down, and the world of IT and the options available can prove complex to anyone who is not totally au fait with the technologies and terminology used. Even making educated guesses on what to go for can prove problematic in the long run, and costly if the

wrong decisions are made.

There is also the added and very real concern of cyber threats and security, an overriding consideration for every individual and business.

“The good news is – we can tackle it all, as this is what we do best, and we have been doing it day-in day-out for the past 33 years. So we know exactly what you need, and our motto is - let us take the IT strain off you whilst you get on with what you do best. running your business!”

Here are just four of the many benefits of outsourcing IT versus establishing an in-house department: 1. Reduced overhead costs It goes without saying that outsourcing means less employees and subsequently fewer overheads that go hand in hand with employing someone; these include:

• Salary • Holiday pay • Sick pay • Office equipment (i.e. computers, desks, stationery, etc.)

• Travel expenses • Training costs 2. Qualified Professionals As with every department within a business, you want staff to be trained to the highest standards.

Due to how crucial an IT professional’s role is to the smooth running of a business, special importance should be placed on their training to ensure that they have the most up-to-date knowledge of the industry, systems and current developments.

It is guaranteed therefore, that when you outsource

to a company who is dedicated to IT services, that they will have professionals with expert knowledge of all appropriate IT systems.

This means that issues will be resolved much more quickly and you will save money on training employees.

3. Time savings Business owners and managers having to deal with IT issues can find this tremendously time consuming, not to mention the downtime that issues may cause a business.

Outsourced IT are more than likely to have come across issues many time before, and therefore will have perfected their responses so that these issues are resolved correctly and efficiently.

4. 24/7 IT support For most businesses with in-house IT departments,

traditional working hours will apply (9-5, Monday to Friday); however, research has shown that one in four business owners work outside of normal working hours. This may present an issue for business owners as, should an IT problem occur outside of these hours, there will be no resolution found until the next working day.

Furthermore, with many businesses now taking an entire week off in between Christmas and New Year, should a problem arise during this time, there may be significant impacts on the business.

Unlike some outsourced IT solutions, MWL Systems provides 24/7 IT support, guaranteeing that no matter what the day or time, IT problems can be solved quickly and the business can continue running smoothly.

If you would like to benefit from outsourcing your IT department and receive expert IT support on hand 24/7, contact MWL Systems today on 01978 858300

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ECONOMY WCNW Results National Results

BCC Quarterly Economic Survey

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he British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey – Britain’s largest and most authoritative private sector business survey – based on more than 7,300 responses from firms across the UK in Q1 2017 – shows the manufacturing sector performing strongly in the first quarter of the year, particularly in the exports market.

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However, rising overheads and raw material costs present a risk to growth in the medium term.

In West Cheshire & North Wales 160 businesses took part representing over 15,600

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employees. Businesses in the region are reporting a strong start to the year and confidence remains high as the UK Government enters Brexit negotiations. However, the drop in the value of sterling since the EU

Businesses in the region are reporting a strong start to the year

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referendum continues to push up the price of raw materials which could dampen growth in the medium-term.

There has also been a sharp increase of businesses citing inflation as a concern. Employment expectations are broadly moving in line with the trend in the North West, though businesses remain hampered by recruitment difficulties.

members news

Commercial photographer adds another award to collection

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former press and media photographer has won a prestigious award for her corporate work from the Guild of Photographers.

It is the latest bronze award to add to another four that professional photographer Melissa Cross, 41, has won since becoming a member of the Guild a little over a year ago.

The winning image was shot in Manchester on a busy Saturday and perfectly frames the movement of shoppers, and the tram within the city surroundings, incorporating the retail shops and restaurants. Melissa was commissioned by Cybertill in Knowsley to create imagery that captures this vibrant atmosphere for use as part of a retail campaign.

Elizabeth Wheeler, Marketing Manager at Cybertill, said: “Melissa’s photography work has been instrumental in our brand development strategy to tell the story of Cybertill’s core retail and charity software solutions. Having worked with many photographers over the years, few have had the ability to

translate the creative concepts into the required artistic image output which has been critical to our visual story telling of the brand, and the market landscape we operate within. I would recommend Melissa to any business seeking professional photography.”

Melissa, who graduated with a HND in Photography, has over ten years’ experience, much of it gained from working for regional newspaper groups. As her freelance client list grew, and with an ambition to work for herself, in June 2015 she set up her own photography business.

To differentiate her corporate, PR and commercial work, Melissa then introduced the new Ginger Pixie brand. After a successful twelve months of trading, she has celebrated by refreshing the brand identity with a new logo and website.

Melissa said: “I take a huge pride in my work and am committed to delivering a high-quality service for clients, no matter how small or large their budget might be.

“I was so pleased to receive this

particular award as it’s the first I have won for my corporate photography.

This side of the business has massively increased and I’m working with almost thirty different clients now, with a high level of repeat business coming through.

“I’m looking forward to another exciting year ahead” Melissa’s services include PR photography and all corporate related photography required for marketing materials and literature, websites, and social media. Amongst her locally based clients are Hanson Cement, Gladstone Library, Flintshire County Council, Wrexham County Council and Waterco in Ruthin.

Chamber Annual Ball

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he West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce’s showpiece Annual Celebration Ball is set to return for another year on 13th October at 7:00pm.

We are delighted to announce that Power Solutions will be our Headline Sponsor for the evening. As one of the UK’s leading independent business energy consultants, they are committed to helping UK businesses of all sizes get the best value contracts on their business gas and electricity.

The Ball will be held at Cheshire’s iconic Chester Racecourse where guests will be greeted with a glass of prosecco on arrival, with a spectacular three-course meal to follow after.

Returning for the second year following the success of 2016, Dee 106.3’s resident DJ’ Gavin Matthew will be acting as compere for the night, hosting the charitable auction and helping to lead the way for the Chamber Recognition Awards. The Chamber has specifically designed the Awards categories to ensure our members receive the recognition they deserve for their hard work in their industry or sector.

Due to the popularity of last year’s after dinner entertainment, we are delighted to announce the casino will be making a return, with a few other soon to be revealed entertainments.

Get your poker faces at the ready!

The night will also raise money for the Countess of Chester Hospital, a

The Pavilion at Chester Racecourse local charity with the aim of building a new Neonatal unit for ill and poorly babies. The proposed unit will offer better facilities and a more spacious environment for the babies and their families - a very worthwhile cause.

To find out more or to book please contact the Chamber team on 01244 669988 or alternatively email:

j.davidson@wcnwchamber.org.uk

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recruitment It’s the A-PLAYERS and HIGH PERFORMERS that will make a massive positive difference to your business

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ased on the outskirts of Chester in glorious North Wales, Adam Butler and his team at Adam Butler Consultancy think differently about recruitment and have provided tailored resourcing and executive search services for clients of all sizes throughout the UK for over 10 years.

In 2008 Adam was named Cheshire Young Business Person of the Year, and in 2015 the business won recognition as Trusted Supplier of the Year as voted for by the members of the Entrepreneur’s Circle after they helped over 40 SMEs to hire over 200 key members of staff.

The services offered by the recruitment firm include: • Flat Fee Recruitment Advertising and Response Management Campaigns • Full EXECUTIVE SEARCH Services • Advertising and Selection

A message from Adam:

“Recruitment and Selection is a people business, that much is obvious, but we believe it’s about more than just being good at talking to people even though we are very good at that too!

For us it’s about getting under the skin, going deep, understanding the PURPOSE of individuals and organisations so that we can match not only skills and experience, but arguably more importantly VALUES and CULTURE. “To match talented high performing A-Players with organisations that will empower them to unleash their true potential, delivering enormous long term dividends through return on hire.”

This is the vision of our business and every client we work in partnership with receives our unique and personal guarantee, regardless of the service or tailored solution we implement for you.”

Case Study: iVendi iVendi are a fast growing business with offices in Colwyn Bay and Manchester. Established in 2009 they are the UK’s leading provider of e-commerce solutions for the UK Motor Retail and Motor Finance industries and now employ 52 people. iVendi selected Adam Butler Consultancy as their recruitment partner of choice in their early stage development and the two businesses have worked closely in partnership ever since.

For a recent recruitment drive the team at ABC proposed a Recruitment Advertising campaign approach. This allowed for adverts to be professionally copywritten, approved by iVendi management and distributed across a wide selection of job boards and social media platforms. Additionally a comprehensive CV database search

was conducted to identify individuals with the right experience. CVs were then sifted and all applicants spoken to before deciding who to send on to the client with the Consultant’s comments.

The whole campaign was run within one simple fixed cost and resulted in 4 new hires for the customer service operation in Colwyn Bay. iVendi adopted a structured interview process which would first test for a match of Culture and Values.

Richard Tavernor, Co-founder and Chief Operations Officer commented “Adam and his team have taken a keen interest in our growing business and really got to know us. Their passion for and deep understanding of our business, together with their bespoke approach, has been invaluable in helping us find some A-Players to join the team.”

Contact our friendly and professional team on: 01244 752 459 or email: ab@adambutlerltd.co.uk See our special offer on the back cover for all fellow members of the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce 22

How to guarantee success when hiring 1. Start with your CULTURE and your VALUES before matching for experience or industry. If you are serious about building a world class business, with world class experiences for your customers, then it stands to reason that you need people that match your own idea of what world class looks like. Start by looking for individuals that can demonstrate passion for your vision as well as shared values. Finding people with skills and experience can be a challenge, but if you find people that buy into your bigger picture and believe what you believe, then you can upskill them in the knowledge that they will stick around for the long term.

2. Recruit strategically, not simply reactively. Always be looking ahead 6 – 12 months and let everyone know the kind of people you are on the lookout for. Don’t just wait for “Bob in Accounts” to hand in his notice. Build a talent pipeline.

3. Market. Message. Media. In. that.

Order.

Have a clear understanding of who you want, and what you need to say to attract to them before you start thinking about how you will find them. Don’t buy a recruitment advert just because it is cheap, instead invest time in thinking about where the people you need “hang out” and what will tempt them away from where they are now.

4. Interview process – have a defined process documented and proven to work that all your team can work through and adhere to. Review this process from time to time to ensure it is working efficiently and delivering return on investment for your business.

5. Take references. Check out prospective hires on social media and make sure you contact their last 2 employers to see what you can uncover about them and whether it matches what they have told you or not.

6. Be brave! So many businesses we see could be much more successful if they just delegated more of the workload and got some fresh talent on board. With a clear process and strategy in place you can smash your company targets with the right people engaged in your vision.

Getting started

Getting started David Roberts To begin with, tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Having graduated in 1993 with a Business Studies degree from Liverpool John Moores, the formative years of my career were spent at Ford Motor Company on their Human Resources graduate programme, which included a stint in employee relations at Halewood! My first Head of HR role came in 2000 with Harman International with responsibility for European and then US operations, latterly working in Los Angeles. Between 2003 and 2013, I was HR Director for the oil and gas consultancy Wood Mackenzie based in Edinburgh, during which time we grew from a £25m MBO to 950 staff across 30 locations globally and a valuation of £1.2b. Our People Strategy was key to this success, which as HR Director I built and led.

What made you set up your business?

Mid-2013 I decided to take a sabbatical. Life at Wood Mackenzie had been great; building a global business, receiving numerous accolades, great personal rewards, but I felt I had reached a peak in my professional capability as an HR Director. I wanted to spend more time with my family - I had a two year-old son, elderly parents living here in North Wales and my marriage was under strain. I ‘returned home’ in Summer 2014 and decided to setup my own business, initially

as an HR Consultant, but then I came across The Alternative Board. So, in essence, my motivation was for family and work-life balance reasons.

How and when did the idea come about?

TAB, to use its acronym, has been around for over 25 years so I cannot claim the idea! What struck me was how simple the model is: Bring business owners together into small groups (rather like boards of directors) and facilitate a process whereby we all benefit from our combined experience. Coupled with this, I provide a 1-2-1 coaching service to each of my board members, helping them to achieve their business and personal ambitions.

What have been your main achievements and difficulties?

From a standing start about 20 months ago with no prior contacts in the local business community and having never set up my own business, I am really pleased with how far I have come in terms of getting known in the area, and making a real difference to the businesses and lives of my current board members. There’s no doubt that making the transition from ‘corporate life’ to running your own show is difficult - keeping motivated and the ‘loneliness of command’ can be tough (something that I am often helping my clients with!), but the rewards of building your own business are immense,

Name: David Roberts Job Title: Owner From: The Alternative Board (North Wales)

especially if you can do this and retain the flexibility to be available for your family and friends too.

What attracted you to entrepreneurship? Why was this?

I wouldn’t say that I am an entrepreneur, but if the question can be interpreted as ‘what attracted you to be a business owner’, I would say that the ability to follow your own aspirations, (hopefully) maintain a balanced work and personal life, as well as being in control of your own destiny are the main attractions for me.

What are your career aspirations?

My goal is to build a TAB business that makes a real difference to the lives of an increasing number of business owners, as well as makes a significant contribution to the local economy. I am passionate about North Wales, the quality and diversity of people and businesses that we have here, and if I can help ‘bang the drum’ then I’m happy with that.

There is a great statistic that members of the TAB community in the UK (of

which there are about 500) see growth in their business far in excess of the national average. Coupled with this, TAB board members are more likely to achieve their personal goals and dreams, and generally lead a more fulfilling life. I am very much motivated by helping facilitate that.

What message would you give to fellow entrepreneurs or people looking to get involved in setting up their own business or organisations?

Whatever your reason for setting up your own business - whether you be a true entrepreneur (not me!), joining a franchise, or taking on the family business, be clear about ‘your why’. The more passionate you feel about your cause, the more likely you will be a success. Be accepting of the fact that building your own business is hard graft and can be lonely, so seek out like-minded people to be bounce ideas off and get support. Remember, ‘people buy from people’ and you cannot short circuit the process of becoming known, then liked and then trusted.

Be yourself.

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> Management & Leadership and Coaching & Mentoring Qualifications. Fully approved by CMI & ILM. > Range of Personal Development Skills programmes. > Bespoke staff development programmes. > All our activities are designed to help develop staff for the roles they undertake, delivering the results your organisation expects and requires. > All courses are delivered and where applicable, assessed through the medium of English and are supported by our online Learning Management System. > For members of WCNW Chamber we offer a 20% discount against and Qualifications enrolled upon before December 2017 and 10% discount on Personal Development programmes bookings.

+44(0)1244 530734 l enquiries@aquariustd.co.uk l www.aquariustd.co.uk

Take a Rain Check, Review your Cloud Strategy

About Inspired

BY IAN BURNS - INSPIRED TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

We are Inspired Technology Services, the premier 360° technology partner.

Lots of manufacturers, vendors and suppliers speak to me about the latest and greatest in technology. I hear of their brand new, shiny, hybrid, mega, converged, virtualized, IOT widgets. So caught up in buzzwords the core of what their products do is lost in the language of the latest hype.

Salespeople almost promote them religiously with an unenlightened vigour. Pitching ƌĂƚŚĞƌ ƚŚĂŶ ĐŽŶƐƵůƟŶŐ͕ ŽŌĞŶ caught up in their own hype, full of self importance and using confusing language that sounds impressive but lacks substance. An engineer of ŽƵƌƐ ƌĞĐĞŶƚůLJ ůĞŌ ĂŶ ŵĂnjŽŶ ĐŽŶǀĞŶƟŽŶ ŝŶĨƵƌŝĂƚĞĚ ĂŌĞƌ listening to 6 hours straight

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ďĞŝŶŐ ƉŝƚĐŚĞĚ ĞůĂƐƟĐ beanstalks and the snowball ĞĚŐĞ ĂŵŽŶŐ ŽƚŚĞƌ ĞdžĐŝƟŶŐůLJ named services.

Many small businesses today are born in the cloud and ƚĂŬĞ ƚŚĞ ďĞŶĞĮƚ ŽĨ ƌĞŵŽǀŝŶŐ ŝŶŝƟĂů ĐŽƐƚƐ ŽĨ ƚƌĂĚŝƟŽŶĂů infrastructure. Cloud gives Don’t get me wrong, the AWS them the opportunity to scale ƉŽƌƞŽůŝŽ ŝƐ Ă ďƌŝůůŝĂŶƚ ƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞ͘ up, start new projects, fail The problem is that a deep ǁŝƚŚŽƵƚ ƐŝŐŶŝĮĐĂŶƚ ĐŽƐƚƐ ĂŶĚ technical understanding was grow their business using ƌĞƉůĂĐĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ŇƵīLJ͕ ǁŽƌĚLJ an Opex model. However, preaching. We have technical before we all rush to the cloud people now referring to because that is what new themselves as evangelists young businesses are doing ǁŚŝĐŚ / ĮŶĚ ďŝnjĂƌƌĞ ŝŶ ĂŶ let’s look quickly at two large industry based on science. names we all know; AirBNB However, all businesses must and Uber. accept the fact is cloud is here.

The most important thing to Both these businesses were do now is ask what this means born in the cloud, scaled up for you and your business. but then took on their own tŚĞƌĞ ĚŽĞƐ ĐůŽƵĚ Įƚ ŝŶ LJŽƵƌ private infrastructure. Why? As model? More importantly the business grew, it became ǁŚĞƌĞ ĚŽĞƐ ĐůŽƵĚ ŶŽƚ Įƚ͘ ŵŽƌĞ ĐŽƐƚ ĞīĞĐƟǀĞ ƚŽ ĂĐƚƵĂůůLJ

purchase their own infrastructure. However, for ŵĂŶLJ ĂƌĞĂƐ ƚŚĞLJ ƐƟůů ƵƐĞ outsourced cloud services.

Cloud should be viewed of as part of your toolbox, not the toolbox itself.

To get the best results for our clients rather than shoehorn or force feed technology ideologies we set up business workshops to understand exactly where the business currently is and where you want to take it.

If you are interested in working with us or hearing more about us please get in contact with one of the team.

We specialise in ƐƵƉƉŽƌƟŶŐ ďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐĞƐ in the planning, ĂĐƋƵŝƐŝƟŽŶ͕ ŝŶƐƚĂůůĂƟŽŶ͕ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͕ ƵƟůŝƐĂƟŽŶ and decommission of their technology, providing access to a high level of consultancy, engineering, support and procurement.

Call us today 03333 201021 www.inspiredtech.co.uk

members news

Chester Zoo unites with the University of Oxford to deliver world class conservation service • New research scientists for zoo’s global field programmes • Largest formal partnership in zoo’s 85 year history • Cutting edge studies will inform conservation of bears in Latin America, elephants in India and tigers in Nepal • Species threatened with extinction from human wildlife conflict

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he UK’s number one zoo has teamed up with the world’s number one university to address key challenges in the conservation of endangered species.

Chester Zoo and the University of Oxford’s famous Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) have joined forces with the shared aim of delivering high-impact conservation research to address the global decline of biodiversity.

The new partnership is

Above: A Spectacled Bear Top: Preventing human elephant conflict in India is a major Chester Zoo conservation focus

designed to investigate major challenges in conservation by combining some of the international projects that Chester Zoo coordinate with cuttingedge scientific research.

It is the zoo’s largest formal partnership with a university in its 85 year history.

Chester Zoo, which attracts almost 1.9 million visitors per year, leads and supports conservation projects around the world, which range from managing endangered bird populations in Mauritius, to studying Andean bear ecology in Bolivia and mitigating human-elephant conflict in India.

The University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) is an internationally renowned leader in applied conservation research, comprising top graduate and postdoctoral researchers from around the world.

Over the next seven

years this new partnership will see up to 10 doctoral and postdoctoral researchers placed into Chester’s conservation projects around the world. It is hoped that this collaboration will provide new research to assist conservationists in developing innovative approaches to tackle global challenges such as human-wildlife conflict, livelihoods and sustainable development, and monitoring of populations of endangered species in the wild.

The initial cohort of scientists under this structure will study the effects of conflict mitigation efforts on tigers in the Terai of Nepal, understand the behaviour of crop-raiding Asian elephants in northeast India, and investigate the varied interactions between bears and people in Latin America.

Dr Alexandra Zimmermann, Head of Conservation Science at

Chester Zoo, said: “The aim of both Chester Zoo and WildCRU is to deliver top-quality conservation research projects that are directly relevant to urgent global conservation goals. This exciting new collaboration allows us to do this in a way that will maximise the impact of our joint conservation efforts.”

Professor David Macdonald CBE, Director of WildCRU, said: “This partnership provides an excellent platform for our graduate and postdoctoral scientists to design their research around the real needs of conservation projects on the ground, helping to find solutions to some of the challenges we are facing in wildlife conservation the world over”.

This non-exclusive collaboration comes at a critical time in both Chester Zoo’s and WildCRU’s missions to help solve some of the most urgent wildlife conservation challenges world-wide.

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the big interview

Jane Brooke Vice Dean and Canon Chancellor Chester Cathedral WCNW: To begin, tell us a little about yourself and your background I work as a self-supporting minister. My work is in consultancy in Religious Education and School Improvement. I established the RE Quality Mark with a colleague which is a nationally recognised kite mark for Religious Education. I train RE teachers and support and appoint head teachers for the Diocese of Chester.

As Canon Chancellor at Chester Cathedral, I oversee education. We have a rich and varied education programme that is intended to engage with children and young people from across Cheshire.

Primary schools bring pupils to get involved in workshops. They undertake a range of activities including being a monk for a day or making mosaics out of clay. There are conferences every year for secondary school pupils on Christian controversies and to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day. WCNW: What are your main responsibilities?

I am currently Vice Dean at Chester Cathedral whilst we work towards appointing a new candidate. In this role, I support the day-to-day management of the organization, in collaboration with the Chief Executive and the senior management team. I am passionate using this role to introduce and support new initiatives, ensuring that the cathedral is not a museum but a place of worship respectful of God. WCNW: What does a typical day involve?

No two days at the cathedral are ever the same! However, a typical day will involve worship at 8.30, 12.30 and 5.30.

I deliver a briefing to all cathedral staff at 9.00am every day to ensure everyone knows what is happening. This is an essential task in our very busy organisation!

During the day, I might meet with the cathedral’s education officer to discuss future school visits. I also sit on the cathedral’s governing body, Dean and Chapter, and attend monthly meetings where strategic and governance decisions are made.

We hold a weekly diary meeting where we discuss upcoming activities including events, concerts, special services and exhibitions. We also meet every Monday to track visitor numbers and visitor income and plan marketing and engagement campaigns.

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the big interview WCNW: Who are your target audience and what is the main aim of the organisation?

Chester Cathedral is many things to many people: an ancient abbey, a cultural hub, a centre of musical excellence, a city landlord and a unique blend of modern and medieval history. The cathedral is a living and working building with a vibrant community of worship and a heritage visitor attraction that is keen to diversify and innovate.

We are very keen to attract as many visitors as possible to the cathedral.

The bold decision to remove our admission fee in 2013 was part of this aim and has seen a record-breaking increase in numbers over the past four years.

We are passionate about ensuring the worship that takes place in our magnificent building brings people nearer to God through the music, the liturgy and the sermons.

WCNW: What projects are you currently working on?

In the last twelve months, the cathedral has taken great strides in establishing itself as a cultural hub and a premier exhibition space within the city walls and beyond.

The cathedral has some very ambitious plans for the year ahead!

ARK is a world-class contemporary sculpture exhibition. It will take up residence at Chester Cathedral between 7 July and 15 October 2017.

It will be the largest modern sculpture exhibition to be held in the North West of England and will feature 90 works by over 50 internationally renowned sculptors including Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Lynn Chadwick, Barbara Hepworth, Sarah Lucas, David Mach, Kenneth Armitage and Peter Randall-Page.

In the time I am Vice Dean I also wish to introduce values into the cathedral’s strategic development plan and into the appraisal system.

The concept of hospitality has been chosen to link with the Benedictine tradition and is broken down into welcome, listening and respect. All employees and volunteers will be expected to exhibit these values.

WCNW: How have things gone so far?

The planning and fundraising for the ARK project is well underway. We have been able to secure some fantastic partnerships with a range of local and regional businesses - but we

could always do with more support!

We have begun to introduce the element of hospitality into our organisation-wide working practices and have had meetings with senior managers, staff teams and Dean and Chapter about progress.

WCNW: Was it hard getting others to see your vision? Or invest?

We have found that lots of people – in the city and the region - are willing to support us and buy into our vision for the future.

Chester Cathedral is the only cultural centre to bring art of international importance to the city in recent years.

Our plans to transform our building into an inclusive gallery space that plays host to significant works of art sets us apart. A fiercely ambitious outlook, a passion for making art accessible, a deep understanding of our visitors, a dedicated staff team and a determination to innovate and diversify makes Chester Cathedral an exciting place to be.

WCNW: Any difficulties? If so how did you overcome them?

Yes – there have been complications and challenges! The cathedral is a working building and its core purpose is worship. Unlike other cultural centres, the cathedral must manage a busy diary. As the cathedral Church of the Diocese of Chester, we hold 1,200 regular services a year, three every weekday and up to five on a Sunday. In addition, the cathedral hosts community services for the local council, military organisations, charities and local schools. In this way, the cathedral is unusual as it must continue to serve as a place for spiritual engagement whilst also providing a first-class exhibition and events experience for visitors.

WCNW: Looking ahead, what are your main aims for the organisation and how would you like it to develop?

Our aim is to work towards a stepchange in the way in which people look at, feel about and engage with art. The fact that the cathedral is free to enter and already operates as a focal point for Chester and Cheshire means that art within the building is accessible to a much wider audience. Unlike more commercial galleries – who may charge to see an exhibition or present barriers to particular types of people – the

Above: Interior view of the Cathedral featuring the Quire Stalls and the West Window.

Below: A Sculpture from the ARK Exhibition called Noah and the Raven

by Jon Buck cathedral is well-established as an open and welcoming space for young people, older people, families, local residents, visitors to the city, people of faith and people of no faith.

In addition, Chester Cathedral is a city leader. We are determined to work closely with city stakeholders to shape Chester’s agenda and improve its offer to visitors and locals alike. We are always thinking about how our work can have a knockon effect for the city as a whole, increasing visitor dwell time in the short term and boosting economic growth in the longer term.

WCNW: How have businesses and individuals responded to what you’re offering?

Lots of businesses and individuals have been very supportive of the ARK project. We have gathered together some wonderful local and regional sponsors including Iceland Foods, Cazenove Capital, URENCO, Cavendish Nuclear and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

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members news

Chamber members CCP Building Products set to Inspire Britain

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o celebrate the achievements of growth companies across Britain, London Stock Exchange Group has launched its fourth edition of “1000 Companies to Inspire Britain” report.

To be included in the list, companies must have annual turnover between £6m - £250m, show consistent revenue growth over a minimum of three years and are significantly outperforming their industry peers.

West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that one of its members - CCP Building Products based in Wrexham – have been recognised on this prestigious list.

CCP Building Products have manufacturing facilities in both the North West of England and North Wales providing a portfolio of products

It is fantastic for one of our members to be recognised on such a distinguished list

”

that includes precast aggregate blocks, foundation blocks, concrete engineering bricks and paving flags through a network of many well-known and reputable builder’s merchants.

Having built the business on a reputation for supplying high quality, competitively priced products, the company boasts a 60-year history in the industry having been formed in the small Cheshire village of Wheelock in the mid 1950’s before expanding across the region.

This reputation has led to CCP Building Products supplying products to a myriad of projects across England and Wales including; Manchester City’s expansion of the Etihad Stadium and City Football Academy, St Helen Rugby League Football Club’s Langtree Park Rugby League Stadium and the Nuclear Services Facility at Capenhurst.

When asked why he thought CCP Building Products was included on the list of businesses Peter Whalley, Group SHEQ Officer, said;

The Yard at Cheshire Concrete

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“I think you can put it down to five key factors; • A fantastic workforce that buy into the company ethos.

• A constant drive to develop and improve added to the ability to embrace change.

• A recognition of our strengths and weaknesses.

• An ability to react to market forces.

• A desire to be the very best we can.”

Peter added; “We at CCP like to think that we are not only manufacturing products that will literally help to ‘build the future’, but are building safe environments for our staff to come to work in, along with a reputation to deliver, that our customers can rely on, as we move onward for the benefit of ourselves, customers and the communities around us.

Debbie Bryce, Operational Director at the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, stated; “It is fantastic for one of our members to be recognised on such a distinguished list. The work that the team at CCP has

been doing is amazing and it is a real testament to the hard work that they’ve put in over the years. We hope to work closely with CCP going forward to help support their growth.”

Debbie Bryce, Operational Director at West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce and Peter Whalley, Group SHEQ Officer at CCP Building Products

members news

North Wales business growth project off to ‘flying start’

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£4.3M project supporting business growth across North Wales has got off to a flying start.

North Wales Business Academy – a collaboration between Wrexham Glyndŵr University, Bangor University, Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Coleg Cambria – was launched six months ago and is already educating dozens of professionals across the region.

Backed by the European Social Fund (ESF), the further and higher education institutions joined forces to supply modules on a wide range of industry topics.

Andrea Hall, NWBA Business Development Associate, said the three-year initiative is building momentum and gathering interest from different arenas.

Andrea pointed to the people management sessions as an example of how the Academy is supporting and building the skillsets of members, including representatives from companies such as Direct Line Communications, AVOW, UCML, Coveris, Unimaq and Hadlow Edwards.

“The Academy has enjoyed a good start, the aim now is to spread the word even further,” she said.

The first cohort of the North Wales Business Academy, studying at Wrexham Glyndwr University

“We are supporting growth and competitiveness in an increasingly tough environment, so the question isn’t whether companies and individuals in business should join us, the question is when.”

The programme was announced in the autumn by Welsh Government Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford, with the aim of delivering universityaccredited management qualifications to more than 1,000 employees over the next three years.

Professor Chris Jones, Head of North Wales Business School at Wrexham Glyndŵr, said

the project will make a difference to the local economy.

He added: “We are offering the unique opportunity for every business in North Wales to get the up-skilling their company needs to grow, not as part of a rigid programme of learning, half of which may be irrelevant to them.”

The academy is aimed at all private sector companies with growth ambition and particularly key sectors, including advanced manufacturing, tourism and outdoor activities, the food and drinks industry and energy sector.

Supported by £2.8

“

million of EU funds, the scheme will enable employers to access subsidies of up to 70% for training and staff development opportunities in areas including financial management, sales and marketing, business strategy, governance and operational skills and management.

Among its successful programmes is the North Wales Young Talent Academy, which aims to boost skills and succession planning in the workplace.

Iwan Thomas, regional skills and employment coordinator for the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, says the NWBA can have a major influence on the future of business training.

“Having a collaborative approach amongst providers further demonstrates how working as part of a ‘Team North Wales’ approach, our collective vision for a confident, cohesive region with sustainable economic growth, capitalising on the success of high value economic sectors and its connection to the economies of the Northern Powerhouse and Ireland can move closer towards becoming a reality,” he said.

The Academy has enjoyed a good start, the aim now is to spread the word even further

”

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Wales’s Flagship Training Programme for profitability and growth now available in North East Wales The only training programme of its kind in NE Wales with up to 70% fee subsidy by the European Social Fund through Welsh Government 20Twenty delivers two Chartered Management Institute approved levels designed for Aspiring Leaders (level 3-4) and Executive Leaders (level 5-7) with progression towards an MBA via Cardiff Metropolitan University in partnership with Bangor University. In just 15 days over 10 months, you are given the opportunity to step away from your business and think in new strategic ways, have access to an

executive coach, develop your own innovation strategy, as well as become part of a unique network of fellow companies in your region.

Already successful in South Wales, 20Twenty has shown participating companies to have increased turnover by an average of 30%. The programme’s Ambassador Professor Brian Morgan, known for a number of successes including Penderyn Whisky, has highlighted that 10% of the Top 300 businesses in Wales have already taken part – make yours one of them.

For further information contact Jackie Whittaker MBA, Bangor University Business School Tel: 01248 382569 Email: j.whittaker@bangor.ac.uk www.20twentybusinessgrowth.com

up close

The Person behind the Business Steve Jackson, Founder and Managing Director of Jackson Fire & Security An overview of yourself and your current role.

My name is Steve Jackson and I am the founder and managing director of Jackson Fire & Security in Mold. I set up the company 26 years ago, after previous sales experience in a range of different sectors. The idea attracted me like no other, as there was a definite demand for fire extinguisher installation and servicing, backed up by a legal requirement to have these in place. We have now grown our offering to include installation and maintenance of a range of different fire and security systems to businesses throughout the UK. What are your aims?

To continue to deliver a good service, grow our business in North Wales & Cheshire and to expand throughout the UK with our franchise network. We have eight regional branches and have a further 80 territories available. The industry we operate in means good response times for emergency call outs are essential; offering a local service for pre-planned maintenance is important to us. Through franchising we can expand nationwide and continue to offer a local service.

Describe your role.

I’m heavily involved in the day to day running of Jackson Fire & Security and regularly attend networking events and client meetings throughout North Wales & Cheshire. I have appointed managers in our servicing, projects, accounts, marketing and franchising departments who report to me on a weekly basis. I also oversee franchisee recruitment and make key decisions from head office influencing the franchise network.

Tell us a bit about what you do outside of work to relax.

I have three children; one son aged seventeen and two daughters aged eight and three, so they keep me busy outside of work. We’re all keen skiers and my son loves snowboarding.

Jackson Fire & Security Directors Tim Fletcher and Steve Jackson

What’s the best bit of having a job like yours?

Providing such a valuable service to local businesses by ensuring their people and property are safe.

Giving people the opportunity to run their own business and share the same values through an established brand and franchise network is also very rewarding.

Was a role like this always what you aspired to?

I always wanted to run my own business but wasn’t sure in which sector I would end up. My sales experience helped give me a good starting point, I’ve picked everything else up along the way and recruited people with specialist skills for key areas of the business. I couldn’t have foreseen growing a local company nationwide and this is something I am particularly proud of.

Any special memories to share?

In 2012, when we were successfully awarded the University of Chester contract to provide fire alarm maintenance to their 210 buildings - it was a game changer for us and we continue to be their chosen provider. We’ve always looked after SMEs very well and they remain very important customers to us, this contract demonstrated we could manage big projects and it led to further large contracts with multiple properties.

In an ideal world, what else would you like to be?

Besides spending my days fishing or sailing, I’m very happy with what I’m doing! In my previous days, I was a national sales manager working for a food manufacturing company travelling up and down the country. I’m happy we can offer a service that is needed locally and continue to deliver at a local level each time we open a new regional branch.

What advice would you give to anyone starting out?

Get the basics right with good customer service, keeping your accounts up to date and being ethical in your approach to business. Being decent with people whether it be employees, suppliers or customers. My favourite saying is ‘employ for attitude and train for quality’ and this is our number one approach to recruitment.

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social business wales

Do you have a robust exit strategy in place?

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any business owners in Wales see the growth and nurture of their businesses as a long-term commitment and devote a large proportion of their lives to it. But, if business owners do not have a robust exit strategy in place, they may find that the only option remaining to them when the time comes is to close the company and make their employees redundant.

Employee ownership can safeguard both the

By Nicholas Wilson, Business Advisor, Social Business Wales business owner’s retirement and the employees’ futures. Retirement can be well-funded and can be enjoyed in the knowledge that the business that is left is sustainable and run by those with the highest stakes in securing its future success.

Installing employee ownership mechanisms and developing and engaging staff takes specialist knowledge, time and effort and the work needs to be undertaken from the moment the

owner starts considering succession – not from the moment the owner starts trying to sell their business.

At Social Business Wales we provide one to one support to businesses interested in succession planning and are the ‘go-to’ organisation for employee ownership support in Wales. We can advise on a wide range of aspects that are relevant to the transfer of ownership of an SME to employees.

We are able to support

a consideration of the corporate finance, tax and governance implications of the transition process and deliver the broad staff engagement that is required.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss the opportunities employee ownership could offer you and your business. We will be pleased to speak to you on a no obligation basis to discuss whether employee ownership is a suitable option for you.

ETL Solutions - Bangor-based software company looks to the future as an employee-owned business

S

erving some of the world’s leading companies, Bangor-based ETL Solutions develops software and services to manage complex data.

Clients include global car makers, banks and oil companies.

When the founding director, John Biggerstaff, was approaching retirement, a number of exit options were considered. It became clear that venture capitalists’ interest was in owning the software only, not in retaining employees. This ran counter to the founding director’s intentions.

Employee ownership was therefore considered as a way of ensuring continuity.

In 2016, Social Business Wales supported ETL Solutions throughout the employee ownership transition process. They worked with both the pre-existing management and the employee team to explore the different employee ownership models and their implications and then helped them design the preferred approach to the transition to employee ownership.

Staff of ETL Solutions alongside Sarah Owens (centre) and Paul Cantrill (centre right) of Social Business Wales Social Business Wales were instrumental in brokering and supporting the eventual deal structure and provided support in management approaches, setting up an employee forum approach, employee training in governance and the role of a Board and sharing of responsibilities.

Under the Social Business Wales operation, it was also able to arrange

further specialist help from external consultants on areas such as HR processes.

Using a structure similar to the John Lewis Partnership, one hundred percent of the company’s shares are now owned by a Trust on behalf of the employees. All employees have an equal stake in the business, with the Trust overseeing the business to ensure that it’s run in their best interest.

John Biggerstaff, the former Managing Director of ETL Solutions and now Executive Chairman, said: “An employee-owned business is the best way of preserving the company and making sure that these highly skilled jobs remain in north Wales. The employee ownership structure means that the new management team has the freedom to make decisions in the long-term interest of the company.

Having a stake in the organisation will motivate employees to build on their specialist skills and create a sustainable future in our competitive, highly technical market.”

Social Business Wales is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Welsh Government. It is delivered by the Wales Co-operative Centre and is part of the Business Wales service.

Get in touch: 03000 7 03000 (quoting ‘EO2017’) sbwenquiries@wales.coop

32

24 hours

24 hours with...

Richard Smith

Managing Director, The Wine School of Cheshire

A brief overview I host wine tasting events around Cheshire. I always ensure a good balance of wine education and fun – there’s no boring and no wine snobbery so I ensure everyone has a good time. I also host corporate events, I’m a wine columnist and have some really interesting private clients.

How long have you been in this role?

I started the wine school in 2013 after noticing Cheshire lacked an enjoyable form of wine education from an independent voice, as a more entertaining alternative to the sales focused, supplier led wine tastings on offer: a turn off for many who want to learn more about wine without feeling pressured to buy.

What types of disciplines do you usually work with?

I work to very high standards particularly when it comes to service. At The Lanesborough our mission statement was ‘good enough is the enemy of excellence’ and I still work to that now. I believe my guests should expect and receive the best.

A little about your background I grew up on my family’s farm in Norfolk, moving to London after I graduated from Hotel School. I joined The Lanesborough Hotel and during my time there we were voted Best Hotel

Do you work in the evening?

Almost always! It’s rare to have a weekday daytime tasting hence I’m usually working late.

in the World from Condé Nast. I also worked with The Savoy Group and Four Seasons-Regent Hotels, counting several members of our Royal Family as well as international heads of state and a host of top celebrities amongst clients.

I went on to be a private butler before moving to Cheshire. All this in 26 years and counting!

How do you begin your day?

There are times my day’s merge into one as I host late events and work with private clients sometimes at odd hours. One of my clients sends me their wine list whilst on holiday and I choose wine to match their menu choices every night they are away – with varying time zones involved this can mean a late finish.

A more normal day starts with managing bookings and planning around my diary.

What does your morning usually involve?

As I work so many late evenings, wine school doesn’t open until 10am so I often have an hour with coffee and the news.

I guess this is my version of

most people’s hour down time when they get in from a day at the office. After that it’s on with planning marketing for the day and/ or the days ahead and preparing tasting notes if there’s an event later.

How many people do you work with?

Mostly it’s just me but I do have some trusted helpers on call for larger events, particular the corporate tastings. I have a team I can call in Cheshire as well as in London for the events I host there.

What is a typical afternoon?

Afternoons are usually the quietest part of my day which I use for meetings or wine buying trips – all the wine I use is available to my guests at local retailers.

I deliberately don’t sell wine so I can be honest about product quality and service. If I’m hosting a wine tasting on the other side of the county then I have to allow travel time too, usually leaving by 3.30 to avoid the rush hour if I’m off to Knutsford, Alderley Edge or Macclesfield where wine school holds regular wine tastings.

When do you finish work?

This depends on the event and venue. Usually I’m done by 10pm but that can vary and a late finish in Macclesfield means a good 50 minutes extra for the journey home.

What are the best parts of work and why?

First and foremost, I absolutely love what I do.

If you’ve got that bit right the worst problems should be easier to manage. Each day is totally different: the best bits are wine challenges. I have a client who sends me their wine list from business class on their Lufthansa flight to the USA using the on-board Wi-Fi so I get to choose what they’re having with lunch. I always get feedback throughout the flight too which is great fun but it does make me wish I was up in the sky with them!

What plans for the future?

I have opened a London wine school which is specifically for corporate clients. I have quite a bit more to do with that but Cheshire takes priority for now. I’m in talks with a very high profile London client to provide regular tastings but that will require some extra manpower so watch this space!

33

venues & events

Reasons to be cheerful in the events sector The continuing confidence in the economy despite all the uncertainty surrounding the likes of Brexit suggests that 2017 could be a good year for the regions conference, exhibitions and events sector.

I

t has already proved itself a resilient sector, even during economic downturns, thanks to the ability of providers to constantly try out new things while never losing touch with the needs of clients, namely the desire to network and develop personal relationships with their clients.

The West Cheshire and North Wales region has a particularly buoyant events sector with plenty of fine venues which take advantage of the opportunities on offer and allow companies and organisations to Race day at Chester Racecourse

34

celebrate special events or promote their products and services.

Across the region can be found ideal and character venues, ranging from retreats, historic houses, chateaus to hotels, specialist conference centres to sports clubs, to civic buildings, all of which offer events and corporate hospitality.

One trend increasingly being observed is the arrival in the market of distinctive venues which were not always considered for such events.

Hotels and business centres have always hosted conferences and exhibitions but increasingly other venues are becoming involved.

From sports stadiums to cathedrals and churches, such venues offer something a little different in terms of visitor experience and enrich the sector in this region.

Many West Cheshire and North Wales companies can see the value in taking a client to an event like a football or cricket match or day at the races or maybe a concert, events which

allow for mixing in a relaxed atmosphere.

And it's a big market both for the local economy and UK PLC. Recent research into the UK's conference and business events sector revealed that, in 2015, more business events were held at UK venues than the previous year.

“

The arrival in the market of distinctive venues which were not always considered for such events

�

2015 UK conference, exhibitions & events

venues & events

asked to deliver more with budgets destination spend that have not increased.

1.34m: business events Nevertheless, the 70: average delegates per event research findings showed that the 94.1m: total delegates overall number of business events in 144m: business event days 2015 (an estimated 1.34 million) rose by 1.5 days: average 600,000 compared with event duration the 2014 figure of 1.28 million.

A decrease in the average size of events The UK Conference (70 delegates per event and Meeting Survey 2016, as against 81 in 2014) produced by UKCAMS, led to a fall of 10 million estimated that the sector in the total number nationally was worth an of delegates, with estimated £19.2 billion in 94.1 million delegates venue and destination generating approximately direct spend in 2015.

144 million business event However, there did days in 2015. remain challenges and The average event there had been a fall duration was 1.5 days, compared with the previous year. The findings although most events (67 per cent) lasted a day mirrored other research or less. Average duration which suggested that varied from 1.4 days for organisers are being

£19.2bn: venue and

non-residential events to two days for residential events.

According to the authors, there is good cause for continuing optimism in the market, and to believe that growth is possible, which was reflected in sustained levels of investment by venues.

The proportion of venues investing more than

The historical town of Ruthin in North Wales

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£500,000 was up on 2013 and 2014 levels, with purpose-built convention centres being the heaviest investors.

Venues also indicated that their overall business performance was up in 2015 compared with 2014, and 61 per cent anticipated that 2016 results would show further growth.

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23/05/2017 12:04:58

venues & events Historical landmarks, such as Chirk Castle, are becoming increasingly popular as conference venues

The BVEP’s major new policy document “Opportunities for Global Growth in Britain’s Events Sector” highlights five key areas of opportunity for the events sector: • To make a bigger role for government working with the events industry

U

nderlining the reason to be optimistic for the sector in areas like West Cheshire and North Wales, Simon Gidman, Head of Business Visits and Events for VisitEngland, principal sponsor of UKCAMS 2016, said: ‘The UK events industry has a lot to look

forward to over the next few years.”

To underline the importance of the sector, the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP) has launched a major new policy document for the UK events industry called Opportunities for Global Growth in Britain's

Events Sector.

The policy document outlines the issues, opportunities and challenges that will help Britain achieve a more competitive, more profitable and higher profile as it repositions itself following the decision to leave the European Union.

• To grow infrastructure and enable greater access and investment • To create a more competitive tax regime • To avoid greater regulation • To support the industry and business sectors that sustain the events industry.

Discover a new land of opportunity at Château Rhianfa Book Chateau Rhianfa hotel for youR Event Celebrations

Corporate Events

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Beaumaris Rd, Menai Bridge, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, LL59 5NS

T

he days of stuffy boardrooms, distasteful lunches and humiliating team bonding exercises are long gone. Instead, we invite you to look at a different way to accomplish your business objectives.

If you’re looking for an inspiring business venue in Anglesey to host a meeting or hold a conference, look no further. With a sophisticated collection of beautifully styled function rooms that boast historic charm, immersed with state of the art facilities, our setting will keep you and your team inspired throughout the day.

Each room offers free wifi and comes with fully installed AV equipment allowing you to carry out meetings, presentations, product launches and conferences completely at ease. Simply tell us what you want and our dedicated conference team will attend to your every need, adding a few touches here and there to ensure your business event is a complete success. We are also easily accessible from Liverpool and surrounding towns.

Château Rhianfa, Beaumaris Rd, Menai Bridge, Isle of Anglesey, Wales, LL59 5NS www.chateaurhianfa.com | 01248 880 090 hello@chateaurhianfa.com

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15/05/2017 11:46

venues & events BVEP Vice Chair Simon Hughes said: “There’s no doubt that support for the events industry in Britain will reap tremendous benefits in terms of greater trade, increased exports, more inward investment, stronger community cohesion and higher levels of civic and national pride.

We now have a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to present a clear view of both the key policies and new opportunities which our partners believe will help Britain transition into a new global role following our exit from the EU. “This document is a rallying cry for all event professionals to make the most of the government’s focus on trade and industry and the role events can play in supporting Britain plc.”

In such a competitive market place, it is vital for a venue to differentiate itself from its competitors, by choosing an unusual venue it can offer an extra dimension and

The Quay Hotel in Deganwy, Conwy is a popular conference venue in North Wales

pull to your event which will potentially attract delegates that may otherwise have declined the invitation. Whether your event is hosted at an historical venue, in an old priory or medieval castle, on a steam train or at a wildlife park, choosing an unusual venue will stand

you apart from the crowd and is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

By providing your guests with an unique venue that they're unlikely to have sampled before you will be sure to tick the wow box and a leave your guests with magical lasting memories.

BVEP Vice Chair Simon Hughes

37

venues & events

Energise your team at Surf Snowdonia!

T

here’s a whole raft of studies out there that make a connection between being active in the fresh air, our health and our happiness.

Regularly spending time in The Great Outdoors, say the experts, can help us to overcome anxiety, improve our ability to concentrate, and increase our creativity and drive.

Naturally, this is equally true of the home and the work environment. Wellplanned team-building

activities away from the confines of the office are an important employer responsibility and an increasingly significant part of HR plans and budgets.

Managing director of world-first inland surf lagoon Surf Snowdonia, Andy Ainscough, says that investment in quality corporate away-days is a ‘no-brainer’.

“We firmly believe that an energising team away day can add significant long-

term value to any business,” he said. “Human beings bond with other human beings when they laugh and have fun together. It gets us through the hard times and encourages long-term loyalty. With the average fee for a departing member of staff reckoned to be around £30,000, retention of a happy, loyal workforce has to be a top priority for any employer.”

Surf Snowdonia offers unique team-building

activities including surf sessions, a Wipeout-style Crash & Splash obstacle course, raft regattas and retro back-to-school sports days.

The award-winning adventure parc near Conwy is a knock-out venue for events, corporate conferences, product launches, meetings and private parties. Lagoon-side boardroom and licenced TiPi, bar and restaurant are available for half-day and daily hire.

More information at www.surfsnowdonia.co.uk/corporate or call 01492 353 123

City Centre meeting venue, supporting local businesses

T

he University of Chester’s state-of-the-art business incubator, the Riverside Innovation Centre (RIC) supports local businesses in the region and offers City Centre conferencing facilities.

Enabling business growth Since opening, the RIC has supported over 60 companies and has an enviable cohort of awardwinning alumni that have ‘fledged’ from the RIC and gone on to grow and develop.

Expert support is onhand from the University of Chester’s Commercial Operations Directorate and business partners from the West Cheshire & North Wales

38

Chamber of Commerce are situated within the same building. This makes for a co-ordinated and comprehensive approach to business growth.

Designed from the start to be a meeting place for innovation and creativity, the RIC has become a nexus where business, academia and education co-exist and is becoming the beating heart of the business community in Chester.

City Centre conferencing Alongside its office incubation space, the RIC is able to offer organisations a unique meeting and conferencing venue in the heart of Chester on the banks of the River Dee.

Facilities include: • Modern conference venue with break out rooms • Facilities for up to 180 delegates • Selection of room sizes • Latest IT/AV facilities and free Wi-Fi throughout • Break-out spaces • Catering services on-site • Meeting room options • Business loung/café area • Half and full-day delegate packages

Inside and out at the Riverside Innovation Centre

RIC offers modern, specialised facilities in a practical business setting in the heart of the city.

For more information Email: ricmeetingrooms@chester.ac.uk Visit: www.riversideinnovationcentre.co.uk Follow us: @riversideinnov8

39

focus on

Mapping out a new future for Wrexham W

rexham is on the cusp of exciting times as the Council’s masterplan for the area takes shape, supported by a diversity of local businesses.

Hundreds of residents, including business people, gave their views on the document, which will help to outline development in the town centre in the years to come.

The aim of the Wrexham Town Centre Master Plan is to give a single framework to development in the area and bring together plans put forward by the Council, the Local Development Plan (LDP), national government and private companies.

Areas examined under the consultation included: • Bridge Street • Bodhyfryd • Queen’s Square • Henblas Street • Fire station off Bradley Road The majority of people responding were from Wrexham town centre and areas of concern highlighted included the identity of the town, the quality of the shops and car parking.

Those responding were interested in supporting retention of character buildings, the arts space and encouraging more niche providers. Most respondents supported mixed use development at Bodhyfryd.

Driving the plan is the vision: “Wrexham will be an attractive, distinctive and accessible 21st Century town centre where people want to live, learn, work, visit and invest.”

40

The following objectives will help ensure the vision for Wrexham is realised: • Improve the identity of the town centre - the town centre needs a unique selling point with a rounded mix of attractions to become a strong and attractive destination with a positive identity. Important elements in achieving this are heritage, local distinctiveness, local culture and arts, good design/built environment and place making.

• Improve the visitor experience - increase the vitality and viability of the town centre through improved visitor attractions such as arts and culture, events, leisure, facilities for families and through an attractive, safe, vibrant, high quality, clean and well-maintained environment.

• Improve town centre accessibility, both into the town and circulation within the town – the town centre needs to be accessible to all visitors and residents by a range of transport options that support sustainable development. The town centre should be accessible by walking and cycling by residents living adjacent to the centre. Once within the town people should be able to move around safely and pleasantly by using the most sustainable modes of transport, with walking,

“

cycling and public transport taking priority. Navigation around the town should be legible through good design of buildings and of the public realm and through signage.

• Improve the evening economy - an active town centre beyond the daytime shopping hours will improve the town’s vitality and viability, help stimulate investment, increase footfall and improve perceptions of safety. Improving the diversity of evening and night-time uses such as leisure, restaurants and small local convenience stores can make the town more attractive to a wider audience including families, couples, elderly people and professionals.

• Provide opportunities for town centre living – provide a range of attractive housing choices within the town centre through the reuse of vacant or underused land and the conversion of vacant office space above retail units.

• Accommodate the needs of a growing population - provide a range of facilities within the town centre needed to sustain a diverse community within an environment in which it is desirable to live and play e.g. health, schools, nurseries, sustainable transport options, multifunctional recreational spaces and leisure facilities.

Wrexham will be an attractive, distinctive and accessible 21st Century town centre where people want to live, learn, work, visit and invest

”

• Provide opportunities to improve green infrastructure - green infrastructure such as parks, gardens, trees and landscaping are important for people’s health and wellbeing, mitigating the impacts of climate change, encouraging walking and cycling and thereby increasing footfall, reducing the causes of global warming and providing attractive places to live and visit. Ways to enhance existing infrastructure and provide new will be supported, as will improved connections and linkages into residential town centre urban population.

Top: Wrexham’s Sheep Sculpture Trail.

Below: The evening economy is important to a town’s vitality and viability,

focus on

Wrexham Town Centre is very much open for business

by Nigel Lewis - Chairman Wrexham Town Centre Forum

O

ver the past decade Wrexham Town Centre like many town centres throughout the UK has suffered decline.

This is in part due to the growth of the internet and mobile phones and people being able to buy many items available in towns online.

However, I firmly believe the focus by the public sector in permitting the relentless growth of mega supermarkets and out of town shopping centres has been the biggest nail in the coffin of town centres.

This has been compounded by the public sector still using our town centres as cash cows for raising finance in the form of business rates, parking charges and parking enforcement - without significant investment back into towns.

Wrexham’s issues were compounded by the building of the Eagles Meadow Entertainment and Shopping centre.

Whilst I believe this has been positive for the town as a whole, since it attracts a lot of footfall, what has not really occurred until recently is an actual plan to deal what was left behind in the old part of the town centre, when many of the main anchor stores left such as Next, Burtons, Boots and M&S. This has been a major

failing which has resulted in a lot of resentment to both the council and Eagles Meadow.

Since taking over the voluntary role of Chair of the Town Centre Forum two and half years ago, I have worked with many business, groups, voluntary organisations and academics regards a number of ways in which the town centre can be improved. Key to this thinking was some work carried out by Manchester Metropolitan University, which defined Wrexham’s strength as a community based town for its local people.

Some degree of effort had been made by the council to attract tourists, when predominantly we were losing footfall to our nearby towns and cities.

The focus has to be on ensuring that we re-create the community experience / variety of the offering in

the town centre to attract local people.

We set up a Steering Group within the forum to proactively looks at ways of improving pride, increasing footfall, reducing vacant units and creating jobs.

Wrexham does not have a BID (Business Improvement District) but the forum and its steering group works in a similar manner, and key to its success is having members who include the business community, voluntary organisations, small business, large business, council officers and elected council members, landlords and agents. We have developed a joint Town Centre Action plan and have many ongoing initiatives to improve the town centre.

One of the initial tasks was to deal with the perceived expensive car parking charges in the town centre. We would constantly hear from shop owners reference people rushing back to their cars to keep parking costs to a minimum.

By working with WCBC (Wrexham County Borough Council) and private car

park owners, we now have much fairer parking charges and a number of free days parking. This has helped improve the dwell times in the town centre, and we are seeing many new cafes, restaurants opening in the town centre as a result.

We have campaigned for lower business rates in the town centre. Whilst some of the smaller shops have seen business rates maintained or slightly increase, our main streets - Regent, Hope Street, Henblas, Queen Street have in parts seen substantial business rate reductions in April 2017.

This is resulting in more businesses and investors taking an interest in Wrexham as a possible location which is extremely positive.

We have carried out a number of community clean up days and actively encourage local people to get involved through our Facebook Group Wrexham Matters.

We have started local initiatives in the form on The Wrexham Tenner encouraging people to shop local, and have just launched the Wrexham Bunting Project - a community project to decorate parts of the town centre. The Wrexham Savers Card offers a range of discounts and promotions Continued on page 43

Left: A family play day.

Right: A variety of places to eat and drink are important for a vibrant town centre

41

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Director Tom Evans, right, is proud to be a member of the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. With a successful background in procurement and supplychain management, gained in large multinational blue-chip organisations such as Airbus™, JCB™, and Prysmian Group™. ”I started this business because I truly believe the experience I gained working for multinational organisations can make a real difference to SMEs. I was right. Small businesses cannot afford to employ the experience they need, so a project or temporary solution works, with average

savings on purchases of around 31%. The result transforms the cashflow performance providing more capital for development.

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• Training & Coaching Outsourcing your purchasing • Interim Resource function to Pro Outsourcing’s Pro Outsourcing offer a dedicated and experienced wide range of services that team will mean that you guarantee to save you money. no longer have the high If you require assistance: administration burden to staff l to reduce cost this operation, will reduce l improve performance costs, add specialist skill sets l or are a business in Wales to the department, improve and would benefit from fully communication, purchasing subsidised support call analysis and negotiation by an Pro Outsourcing’s dedicated expert. team today.

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focus on Continued from page 41 One of the most significant projects launched is the last Saturday of every month Wrexham Street Festival.

These types of events can increase footfall by up to 30% on a given day, and they build on Wrexham’s heritage as a market town.

They offer a broad range of local foods, crafts, street food and entertainment throughout the day. Its free to enter and is growing every month.

From June festival onwards - we will be creating a new Arts / Craft

and Children’s Zone in Chester Street. We actively encourage visitors to use existing shops and fixed markets on these days and many town centre business actively participate in the festivals as well.

Our Sat 30th September 2017 Festival will be themed a Choir Festival and we will have over 30 local and national choirs singing on 5 street stages around the town on those days, with all Choirs performing together at the same time in the afternoon. A truly spectacular experience.

We are putting on

a growing list of family orientated events from food festivals, cycling events, climb the church tower, waters slides and much more.

WCBC have a 20 year look ahead Masterplan for the town centre. A significant project which is now underway is the transformation of our tired People’s Market into a new £5 million Arts / Cultural Hub / Modern Market / Food court. This will open in April 2018 I firmly believe that Wrexham Town Centre has turned the corner. We will

only do this with all parties and the general public working together with the same aims.

We have many exciting projects about to start. The challenges are not over, but we know what they are - it is only by accepting the mistakes of the past and acknowledging the current challenges that we will transform Wrexham into the town centre that all local people want to see, and use.

So the message is loud and clear - Wrexham Town Centre is very much open for business.

Wrexham Street Festival

Securing a foothold in the market

H

aving lived and worked in Wrexham for a total of over 15 years, Richard Carr is well placed to support businesses in the region to grow.

Prior to starting his own business, Richard worked at Deeside College, where he was successful in bringing in external funding for a range of projects across the whole college and tendering for contracts for the college.

Richard’s goal was always to have his own business and in starting Richard Carr Consultancy Services, he put his experience to use in meeting a need in Wrexham and beyond.

According to Richard: “The public sector in Wales spends a total of £4 billion a year buying goods and services from the private sector but only about half of this business goes to companies based

in Wales. This represents a huge untapped market for Welsh businesses.”

While getting public sector contracts does have its attractions for companies, particularly in terms of getting regular work and being certain of getting paid, many SMEs are put off tendering for it because of what they see as the bureaucracy involved and also because they don’t have the time or have a limited understanding of the whole process.

Richard Carr Consultancy Services offers a range of services to companies in Wrexham and elsewhere to help them win new business in this market.

In the first instance Richard will have a friendly informal discussion free of charge and with no obligation to see if he can be of any assistance.

consu ltanc y se r v i ces • Not enough regular customers?

• Ever thought of tendering for contracts to grow your customer base?

• Are you put off doing so by all the paperwork?

• Not sure how to go about it?

• Haven’t got the time for all the hassle?

• Or do you think you wouldn’t stand much chance?

Contracts from the public sector or large companies are a very good way of getting regular customers that will be certain to pay you.

With a decade’s experience of producing winning tenders we at Richard Carr Consultancy Services can help you through the maze and help you gain valuable new business. We can also help you look and apply for grant funding.

To find out more and arrange a FREE no obligation consultation session on how we might be able to help you just call us on 01978 845532 or visit our website at: www.tendersandgrants.co.uk

Richard Carr Consultancy Services If you want to advance, don’t leave it to chance

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focus on

The importance of tourism T

ourism is one of Wrexham’s most important sectors. The Welsh tourism economy has developed significantly in recent years, thanks to an explosion in adventure tourism and the rise of the staycation within the UK. Wrexham isn’t a place that rolls off the tongue when asked about ‘must see’ places in North Wales for visitors, but it’s the combined strength of the rural delights and thriving industrial areas that are having a big impression on Wrexham’s tourism economy.

Indeed, the tourism economy in Wrexham County Borough experienced a record 11% increase on visitor spend in 2015 and recent figures show the value of tourism to the County Borough currently reaching £111.9m per year.

In fact, these latest figures show a huge overall 41.5% growth in the local tourism economy since 2009, making it one of the fastest growing areas for tourism in Wales and the UK. The increases are largely

attributed to increased overnight leisure and weekend accommodation, plus events which bring staying visitors into the area such as last year’s Tour of Britain, Underneath the Arches at Pontcysyllte, plus other festivals such as FOCUS Wales and headline act last summer – the Stereophonics who played Wrexham’s famous Racecourse Ground.

A major impact was also the designation of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009 – which has since attracted thousands of new visitors per year from around the globe. This has since become Wrexham’s primary destination, alongside the picturesque Ceiriog Valley and the National Trust sites at Erddig and Chirk Castle.

The growing quality leisure and local food on offer throughout the County Borough has in-turn helped restaurant bookings and overnight stays, plus midweek ‘business tourism’ has received a boost following the start of the

Erddig Hall is only 2 miles from Wrexham town centre and is popular with visitors HMP Berwyn construction in 2015.

Now operational, the prison and the whole industrial estate (one of Europe’s largest) has had a major impact on midweek business tourism with delegates also using the conferencing facilities at Wrexham’s nearby University – Glyndwr.

In addition, the new figures say Wrexham County Borough had 400,000 overnight ‘staying’ visitors in 2015, a growth of 11.6%. Day visitors still continue to grow too – with 1.46m visiting in 2015, a growth of 5.7% from

2014 data. Alongside the growth in visitor spend and stays, 1,639 Full Time jobs are currently supported in the Wrexham Tourism industry – a growth of 9.2% from 2014.

Speaking about this growth, Destination Manager at Wrexham County Borough Council Joe Bickerton (pictured) said, “The latest data really backs up the sense of togetherness in the local tourism sector in Wrexham.

The Local Authority have been bold and ambitious in supporting tourism and the work of the Destination Management Partnership is making a big difference.

Music and cultural events such as The Stereophonics concert at Wrexham Racecourse, left, and the annual FOCUS Wales festival are attracting more visitors to the town.

44

focus on The Under The Arches Festival

The benefit of Dragon Flight drone inspections

U

“There’s also been a large emphasis on improving the quality of the welcome in the trade throughout recent years as first impressions count.

Recently Wrexham’s Museum has received a gold standard award for customer service and many of our local businesses have received gold TripAdvisor accolades.

“We have perhaps always undervalued what we have here in Wrexham, but when you look at the

Tourism in Wrexham County Borough 2015

11%: increase in visitor

spend on previous year

£111.9m: value of tourism per year

400,000: overnight visitors 1.46m: day visitors

number of global visitors coming to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site or coming in to Erddig or Chirk Castle on the Cruise Liners from Liverpool – they’re attracted to this area because of our rich heritage, natural beauty, amazing food & drink and the standard of the welcome they receive.

“Events such as the recent Stereophonics concert, Focus Wales, the William Aston Hall gigs, the Wrexham Food Festival, ComicCon, the Wrexham Street Festivals, Bangor on Dee Races, the Victorian Christmas Market and Underneath the Arches all play a vital role in attracting staying visitors and can never be underestimated either.”

For more information visit Wrexham’s tourism website at: www.thisiswrexham.co.uk

sing drones is the ideal solution to be able to gain access to difficult areas that would normally require scaffolding or rope access for visual inspections.

A drone can be deployed and undertake tasks in a fraction of the time it would take to erect and dismantle scaffolding or rig and de-rig rope access equipment, thereby saving time and money. It reduces the need to put any personnel working at height unnecessarily, hence considerably reducing risk.

The images or data are recorded and logged and can be analysed during or after flight thus enabling clients to plan and schedule the chosen course of action required.

Dragonflight Drones is a Professional drone operating service that has been granted day & night Permission for Commercial Operations (PFCO) by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It has completed theory and CDL-s practical flight examinations ensuring it operates to the highest of safety standards

within the industry and fully complying within the law.

Dragonflight Drones is fully insured for commercial drone operations with a £5M Public Liability Policy Dragonflight Drones, takes safety seriously, so it holds a valid ECITB & CCNSG SAFETY PASSPORT and its staff are trained in emergency first aid at work.

Cwmni Cymraeg - A Welsh Speaking Company Mae Dragonflight Drones yn gwmni sydd yn falch i gael cefndir Cymraeg.

Rydym hefyd yn falch i fod yn gallu gwasanaeuthu yn yr iaith Gymraeg, sydd yn beth unigryw yn y maes ddyddia yma!

Dragonflight Drones is a company that is proud of their welsh background and feel privileged to be able to offer our services in the welsh language which is a rarity this day and age.

For further information: Phone: 07518 515068 Email: info@dragonflightdrones.co.uk or visit: www.dragonflightdrones.co.uk 45

top tips

Ten top tips for recycling at work

by Steve Evans, Managing Director at Parry & Evans Recycling 1 It’s good business practice to develop a corporate social responsibility strategy, as it can enhance your reputation and also save on your bottom line.

2 One primary focus of a good CSR strategy is to focus on the impact your business has on the environment. By setting up a recycling scheme, your business can benefit from saving space and clutter.

You will also increase your revenue returns through rebates on your collected waste. Most importantly, your employees and customers will appreciate the positive steps you’re making to protect the environment.

3 You’ll need to think about the type of materials you’ll be recycling, from general office paper, mixed papers to shredded confidential paper waste. There’s

also other recyclable materials to consider, such as cardboard, plastic packaging or redundant stock. When you start to evaluate the potential materials that can be recycled you may be surprised at how much waste your business is already producing.

4 Find the right waste management company to handle your waste.

When considering the right contractor, think about the type of materials you’ll be recycling and whether it’s a good match with the service on offer. Will your service provider be able to handle your volume of waste? Are collections free of charge and are containers included in the service?

5 Ask your waste management provider to carry out a waste audit to establish the most efficient solutions that will save your business time and

increase your revenue return. The audit will help you to get an action plan, that will bring your recycling scheme to life.

You will discuss things like having the correct waste bins, or containers, and the frequency and access to your collections.

6 A successful recycling scheme requires support from your staff. Ensure your employees are on board with your objectives and understand the benefits to your business and the environment.

7 To increase the volume of waste recycled, it’s important that staff are clear on what materials can be recycled and where they should put them. Wrap.org.uk provide free downloadable bin stickers to help you visually sign post your containers.

8 To help with staff participation Wrap.org. uk have a fantastic online

P

arry and Evans are a family-run, Welsh based, specialist bulk waste recycling company that provide ethical recycling of bulk collections of paper, cardboard & plastic waste. They’ve been helping businesses for over 50 years and offer a full waste management service to ensure their customers get the best recycling solutions for their business.

The business was started back in 1961 when Maurice Parry began recycling

46

Left to right: Lee Evans, Jack Evans, Steve Evans, Jordan Evans and Nick Owen hessian sacks, paper bags at the Old Station Yard in and baler twine. He was Welshpool. joined by his son-in-law Steve Evans became John (Jack) Evans and the third generation of the the business expanded family to become involved into new larger premises in 1977, and in 1981 they

library of downloadable, educational material, such as posters and leaflets for the workplace.

9 It’s important to keep your employees interested and motivated in the success of your recycling scheme. You can do this by sharing your success stories; such as the volume of waste recycled and the positive impact this has made on the environment.

10 Remember that

your business has legal responsibilities under the ‘Duty of Care’. The term ‘Duty of Care’ refers to a law which requires businesses to store waste safely and securely and prevent it from causing pollution or harming anyone. It’s a legal requirement that your waste management contractor carries a Waste Carriers Licence and be authorised by the Environment Agency.

moved to new premises as the business grew into the waste paper recycling industry.

They’ve since expanded and now specialize in bulk collections of large volumes of waste using their specialist vehicles.

Most recently Lee and Jordan Evans, Steve’s sons, have become the fourth generation of the family to join the company, after each graduated with degrees in Environmental Management from Loughborough University.

Bullying Harassment Absenteeism Grievances Redundancies Contracts Discrimination Stress Equality Performance

TRAINING COURSES AND BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ACAS.ORG.UK/WALES | 0300 123 1150

new members

Welcome to WCNW Chamber of Commerce

Absolute Boss Dawn Wilce St Asaph T: 07540 344404 E: dawn@absoluteboss.com www.absoluteboss.com Acorn Industrial Services Ltd Ian Johnstone Unit 9, Parkway Business Centre, Sixth Avenue, Deeside Industrial Park, Deeside, Flintshire CH5 2NS T: 01244 281280 E: deeside@acorn-ind.co.uk www.acorn-ind.co.uk Active Cheshire Duncan Setterington 1 Royal Court, Gadbrook Park, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UT T: 01606 330212 E: duncan.setterington@ activecheshire.org www.activecheshire.org Andrew Collier Photography Ltd Andrew Collier 19 Grove Avenue, Lymm, Cheshire WA13 OHF T: 01925 471091 E: info@andrewcollierphotography.co.uk www.andrewcollierphotography.co.uk Avenue Consulting Ltd Neil Thompson Avenue House, PO BOX 2060, Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough LL13 0ZG T: 01978 781117 E: neil@avenueconsulting.co.uk www.avenueconsulting.co.uk Braggs Marketing Solutions Ltd Helen Booth Harwarden, Wales T: 01244 537675 E: helen@braggsmarketing.com www.braggsmarketing.com Brewhouse and Kitchen Chester Rebecca Deaville Love Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1QY T: 01244 404990 E: rebecca.deaville@ brewhouseandkitchen.com www.brewhouseandkitchen.com/ venue/chester-2

48

Challenger Mobile Communications James Denman Communications House, Parkway, Deeside Industrial Park, Deeside Flintshire CH5 2NS T: 01244 837837 E: james.denman@cmc.uk.net www.challenger-mobile.co.uk Cheshire Leaflet Distrubution Paul Burrows Barnton, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 4LU T: 01606 246100 E: cheshireleaflets@mail.com www.cheshireleaflets.co.uk Chester Art Centre Anastasia Tilston 132 Northgate Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2HT T: 01244 313700 E: hello@chesterartcentre.co.uk www.chesterartcentre.co.uk Chester Used Furniture Enterprise Pam Bleasdale Old Blacon Library, Western Avenue, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire CH1 5QY T: 01244 379293 E: pamatcufe@gmail.com Cheshire Movement Clinic Mark Waldron Suite D1C, The Quadrant, Chester West Business Park, Mercury Court, Chester, Cheshire CH1 4QR T: 01244 389024 E: mark@cheshiremovementclinic.co.uk www.cheshiremovementclinic.co.uk Cirrus Technology Solutions Rachel Batho St Andrews Business Park, Queens Lane, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1XB T: 0330 3130966 E: hello@thinkcirrus.co.uk www.thinkcirrus.co.uk Citation Darren Welch Kings Court, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AR T: 0161 667 4000 E: darrenwelch@citation.co.uk www.citation.co.uk Concentric HR Ltd Laura Cross 7 Birch Way, Heswall, Wirral, Merseyside CH60 3SX T: 0151 3426978 E: laura@concentrichr.co.uk www.concentrichr.co.uk

Creditax Limited Gemma Davies Northwich, Cheshire T: 07583 133442 E: gemma.davies@creditax.co.uk www.creditax.co.uk Dragonflight Drones Gavin Taylor Wrexham T: 07518 515068 E: info@dragonflightdrones.co.uk www.dragonflightdrones.co.uk Entyce Creative Ltd Jane Entwistle 1A Spital Walk, Boughton, Chester, Cheshire CH3 5DB T: 01244 310140 E: hello@entyce-creative.com www.entyce-creative.com Extra English Ltd Sophie Freeman Red Hill House, Hope Street, Saltney, Chester, Cheshire CH4 8BU T: 07921 765177 E: info@extraenglishchester.com www.extraenglishchester.com Ginger Pixie Photography Melissa Cross Hazeldene, 2 Warren Crescent, Buckley, Flintshire CH7 3BZ T: 07841 457353 E: melissa@gingerpixie.co.uk www.gingerpixie.co.uk H.E.L.O Wearable Technology Steven Gobby Chester T: 07774 421917 E: info@helo-world.co.uk www.helo-world.co.uk HMP Berwyn Clair Evans Bridge Road, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough LL13 9QS T: 01978 523076 E: clair.evans@hmps.gsi.gov.uk www.gov.uk/government/ organisations/hm-prison-service ION Leadership - Bangor University Felicity Roberts Bangor Business School, College Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG T: 01248 383024 E: f.roberts@bangor.ac.uk www.ionleadership.co.uk

Welcome to WCNW Chamber of Commerce IT Support Worx John Kilkenny Stanlaw Abbey Business Centre, Dover Drive, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 9BF T: 0330 0883010 E: john.kilkenny@itsupportworx.com www.itsupportworx.com

Posib Ltd Dorothy Roberts St Mary’s Chamber, 87 High Street, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1BQ T: 01352 757273 E: enquiries@posib.co.uk www.posib.co.uk

Lodge Initiatives Ltd Alan Duckers Riverside House, Brymau 3 Industrial Estate, River Lane, Chester, Cheshire CH4 8RQ T: 01244 659143 E; info@lodgeiniatives.co.uk www.lodgeiniatives.co.uk

Pro Travel Agent Clare Collins Frodsham T: 07801 985841 E: protravelagent@ independenttravelexperts.co.uk

Proper Lettings Ltd Maureen Pegler Tarporley T: 01829 824024 E: hello@properlettings.com www.properlettings.com

MacCarthy Notary & Legal Nicola MacCarthy The Mount, Park Gate Road, Mollington, Chester, Cheshire CH1 6NE T: 07498 306663 E: enquiries@nicolamaccarthy.com www.nicolamaccarthy.com Mineral Creative Elizabeth Hughes Chester T: 07722 844085 E: hello@mineralcreative.co.uk www.mineralcreative.co.uk North Wales Magazine Kate Hamilton North Wales T: 07904 155943 E: kh@northwalesmagazine.co.uk www.northwalesmagazine.co.uk Northwest Business Funding Bill McFall 5300 Lakeside, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 3GP T: 0161 2466057 E: info@nwbf.co.uk www.northwestbusinessfunding.co.uk Opera Grill Sara Boothby 3 Pepper Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1DF T: 01244 343888 E: sara.boothby@individualrestaurants.com www.individualrestaurants.com Pescado Ltd Andy Murphy Pescado House, Lakeside Business Village, Ewloe, Deeside, Flintshire CH5 3XJ T: 03300 022000 E: andy@pescado.co.uk www.pescado.co.uk

Q-Vet Ltd Andrew Hodgson 17 Fford Caradog, Four Mile Bridge, Anglesey LL65 2SX T: 07545 588093 E: info@q-vet.co.uk www.q-vet.co.uk River and Sea Sense Ltd Debbie Turnbull Holywell T: 01352 715420 E: debbie@riverandseasense.com www.riverandseasense.com Smurfit Kappa Mark Hughes Mold Business Park, Maes Gwern, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1XZ T: 01352 750655 E: mark.hughes@smurfitkappa.co.uk www.smurfitkappa.co.uk Textlocal Ltd Chloe Dignam Aldford House, Bell Meadows Business Park, Pulford, Chester, Cheshire CH4 9EP T: 01244 573256 E: chloe.dignam@textlocal.com www.textlocal.com The Admin Office Maja Kenney North West T: 07974 951586 E: maja@admin-office.co.uk www.admin-office.co.uk

new members

The Literacy Company Catherine Richardson Riverside Innovation Centre, 1 Castle Drive, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 1SL T: 07588 381891 E: admin@theliteracycompany.co.uk www.theliteracycompany.co.uk The Yard Chester Ernesto Sciarillo 26 City Road, Chester, Cheshire CH1 3AE T: 01244 325199 E: hello@theyardchester.co.uk www.theyardchester.co.uk The Yard Knutsford Ernesto Sciarillo 89 King Street, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 6EQ T: 01565 650607 E: hello@theyardknutsford.co.uk www.theyardknutsford.co.uk Valto IT Limited Hugh Valentine 10 Watergate Row, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2LD T: 0161 2401440 E: sales@valto.co.uk www.valto.co.uk Vicky Cutler Vicky Cutler Colwyn Bay T: 07990 526907 E: vicky@dothisforyou.co.uk www.dothisforyou.co.uk Woodhouse Plumbing Heating and Electrical Ltd Kieran Moralee C3 Frodsham Business Centre, Bridge Lane, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 7FZ T: 01928 733437 E: kieran@woodhouseltd.co.uk www.woodhouseltd.co.uk Wynne Marketing Amanda Wynne Evans Chester, Cheshire T: 07752 309830 E: hello@wynnemarketing.co.uk www.wynnemarketing.co.uk Your Space Rachel Hancocks Unit 1, Gwersyllt Resource Centre, Second Avenue, Gwersyllt, Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough LL11 4ED T: 01978 756804 E: yourspacewales@hotmail.co.uk www.yourspacemarches.co.uk

49

feature

What I’m passionate about

Helen Nellist Deputy Principal and CEO at South Cheshire and West Cheshire College, tells us what she is passionate about in the world of business

I

am, and always have been, a firm believer in proactive learning. Within my career, I have been lucky enough to have had great mentors who have instilled confidence and believed in me.

That was really important for my career growth, but they also set the parameters and provided me with the tools I needed to simply get on, have a go and learn.

It’s the best way to really understand a business, an industry and a role. Today, in my role as Deputy Principal and CEO at South Cheshire and West Cheshire College, I am a mentor to many talented individuals and it is something that I am tremendously passionate about.

There is often a chasm between what businesses expect from talented new recruits and what these people can offer an organisation. This is often because a new employee may not necessarily be ready for the working world. They are in fact intelligent, ambitious and committed individuals with a proven ability but simply have a lack of experience in the workplace.

Many employers therefore now consider hands-on experience to be as valuable as academic qualifications, and the combination makes for a rounded and employable individual.

This in part underpins the work we do as part of our Higher Education

“

I believe that success happens from working and learning with inspiring businesses and people.

50

”

courses and apprenticeship programmes at South Cheshire and West Cheshire College. Our ethos is to support our students and apprentices by enabling them to gain the practical experience they require within a working environment and develop their knowledge of the industry.

In my experience, I have witnessed that skills can be developed far more efficiently through apprenticeships or work-based training and development. We have seen it first hand with many successful case studies.

Apprenticeships provide people with real jobs, expert advice and a practical approach, along with accessible training and formal qualifications. It is an opportunity to equip talented individuals with the skills they need to further their career and develop life lessons which are also very important in today’s business environment.

I believe that success happens from working and learning with inspiring businesses and people.

We work with over 1,500 employers, supporting their apprentice programmes as well as delivering workplace training for their employees. Gaining experience within these companies is invaluable for our apprentices and enables them to channel their passion, giving them a platform to learn, develop and do what they have always wanted to do.

As organisational structures evolve and globalisation speeds up in the business world, soft skills and active participation is going to be more crucial than ever before.

Can you do the triple?

"

Lee Roblin - ION Delegate

Find out how you can grow your business

"

Gyda thipyn o help gan eich cwrs chi, fe lwyddon ni i dreblu maint y cwmni…A fyddech mor garedig â diolch i’r tîm a roddodd y cwrs! Mae’r newid yn y ffordd o feddwl am redeg y busnes wedi digwydd oherwydd rhai o’r cynghorion gwych a gawsom ar y rhaglen.

"

"

With a little help from your course we managed to triple the size of the company…

If you could thank the team that takes the course it would be appreciated! The change in thinking towards running the business has been a result of some of the great tips picked up on the programme.

Allwch chi dreblu?

Lee Roblin - Cynadleddwr ION

I gael gwybod sut gallwch chi dyfu eich busnes

01248 382497 | www.ionleadership.co.uk | info@ionleadership.co.uk @IONleadership

• Bespoke Recruitment Solutions for businesses of any size.

Single appointment through to volume requirements • Executive Search / “Headhunting” services for Senior Management and Board level appointments • Recruitment Advertising and Flat Fee solutions Contact our friendly and professional team on: 01244 752 459 or email: ab@adambutlerltd.co.uk

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