Inspire April 2017 by Benham Publishing Limited

INSPIRE.19 The business magazine of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce March - April 2017

Building a better world from Hertfordshire - page 12 n

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2017 Deadline for entry is 20th March Page 8

St Albans a City of enterprise Business community driving economic growth - Page 17

USA A land of opportunities Understanding the American market - Page 48

Welcome

Contents Up Front Economy Economic Review Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards Circular Economy Cover Feature BRE Big Interview Spotlight on St Albans Business Brexit Chamber Events Patron Focus Members News Health & Wellbeing Young Chamber Workplace New Members Finance International Trade Last Word

4 5 6-7 8-10 11 12-13 14-15 17-24 25 26-29 31 32-35 37 38 40 42-43 45 48-49 50

•••• Editorial and General Enquiries Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce MacLaurin Building, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9NE Tel: 01707 398400 Fax: 01707 398430 Email: enquiries@hertschamber.com Web: www.hertschamber.com Chief Executive: Yolanda Rugg Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing 3tc House, 16 Crosby Road North, Crosby, Liverpool L22 0NY Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published March 2017 © Benham Publishing and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com Production Manager Mark Etherington Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No. 1481 •••• Disclaimer Inspire is published for Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members. All correspondence should be addressed to Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in Inspire are not necessarily those of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. ©2017 Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

From the Chief Executive Turning uncertainty into opportunity The last two months have been busy at Chamber HQ with increased levels of member engagement during extraordinary levels of uncertainty and volatility. We’ve raised the Chamber voice on important issues: business rates, the Government consultation on the Industrial Strategy, planning, digital connectivity, and Brexit. Our events programme has been diverse and interesting with partnering members on specialist topics - cybercrime; doing business in India, business planning, disruptive innovation, pensions auto enrolment, the apprenticeship levy and the always interesting Bank of England lunch, with representatives reflecting on the economy since their August’s more pessimistic post-Brexit predictions.

Spring planning We look forward to Dr Adam Marshall, Director General: British Chambers of Commerce, joining us on 30 March to speak on the recently published Brexit Priorities for Business Report that sets out members’ priorities for trade, customs, tax, regulation, labour market and EU funding (see website for report). He will also invite response to the Chancellor’s Spring Budget. We need urgent reform on business rates. Our businesses are unfairly treated with significant upfront costs before they’ve turned over a single pound. The rates deter many firms from investing in their own productivity and growth. The Chamber network has been lobbying for a business rates system review for years. Now is the time for action. I was pleased to see that the Government’s Industrial Strategy recognises the importance of place in driving local economies, also endorsed at our February’s BCC annual conference.

The conference speakers were first class: the Rt Hon Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, Rt Hon George Osborne, Rt Hon Greg Clark, Minister for Business, Energy, Industrial Strategy (BEIS), with a message from PM Teresa May. Focus was on civic businesses and local communities and businesses working in partnership to negotiate the best deal on trade agreements. However, counties such as Hertfordshire, with centres of excellence in film, life sciences, defence and advanced engineering driving innovation and growth, must ensure that in the race for decentralisation we don’t miss out on much needed infrastructure investment as our economy and population grows. We continue to innovate to serve our member community. Two new digital support initiatives will be launched from April to help member businesses build global partners and connect locally, nationally and globally.

Speaking up Finally, I’d like to hear your thoughts on both the Government’s Industrial Strategy and Budget, so please do email me. Your completion (two minutes of your time) of the quarterly economic survey (by 13 March) is appreciated. It’s an important voice for Hertfordshire businesses, and with other Chambers’ input, is used by the Monetary Commission in its guide for setting interest rates, by the European Commission as a health check on the UK economy and by the Treasury’s office for business responsibility for economic forecasting.

Yolanda Rugg Chief Executive Officer Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce

Looking ahead With time still to enter our Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards, please do submit your entries. There are so many outstanding organisations that should be showcased. Regarding the triggering of Brexit’s Article 50, we’ve established an email helpline (trevorclark@hertschamber.com) access to expert partners on finance, employment law, tax, together with our inhouse International Services, and will be promoting increased support.

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UpFront

The Hertfordshire PCC Independent Business Advisory Group (IBAG) This group was established in the latter part of 2016 by the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) David Lloyd to advise and respond to business on issues facing them such as Cybercrime, Mandate fraud and so on. I, in my capacity as Chairman of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce was asked to establish the group and to chair the group. I often hear stories from business which includes for example where Mandate Fraud has occurred often where people have replied to what appears genuine emails with bank details or direct payments being made, resulting in loss of money. The selection of the

group members which includes for example the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, the LEP, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Hertfordshire, Santander Bank giving a banks perspective, Cheeky Munkey a small business, Tesco, the NFU and others are a cross section of the business world in Hertfordshire and the group is supported by the office of the PCC and Hertfordshire

Constabulary. The objective of this group is to share experiences, learn of recent criminal activity effecting business and to provide an advisory service to businesses in Hertfordshire in terms of awareness, possible actions and so on through collective and respective channels. Neville Reyner CBE DL Chairman Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and PCC IBAG Chairman

Guarding against cybercrime and fraud Thousands of local businesses have joined Business Watch which provides alerts and advice from Hertfordshire Police, including many about cybercrime and fraud. The police have identified a number of offences which are causing concern. For instance, several local businesses have lost considerable sums of money after their business was contacted by someone impersonating one of their suppliers, informing them they had changed their bank details and requesting they amend their records. Staff then arranged the next payment using the newly provided details. They were later contacted by the genuine supplier chasing payment and the fraud came to light. A variation of this crime involves an email impersonating a senior manager within a business asking finance staff to change bank details for a supplier or requesting a one-off urgent payment be made. The police say that to protect your business you should: • Ensure all staff are aware of this type of fraud and double check requests to change financial details. • Try to establish at least two points of contact with regular suppliers. • Always review invoices and emailed payment requests to check for inconsistencies. • Contact senders of larger invoices in advance of making payment to ensure details are correct. • Consider what information is publically available about your business - is it necessary to publish information that may be helpful to fraudsters?

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• Never leave invoices unattended in the office or on a desk. • Ensure your computer systems are secure and that anti-virus software is up to date. The police also continue to receive reports of Hertfordshire businesses falling victim to ‘Dial through fraud’. Private Branch Exchanges (PBX) are telephone systems commonly used by businesses. Hackers target these systems from the outside and, once access is gained, make money by dialing a high volume of calls to either premium rate numbers to which they are affiliated or international numbers. This is most likely to occur when a business is closed but the telephone system is live, eg. at night or over a weekend or public holiday. The police say that to protect your business you should: • Ensure all default settings are changed to secure pin numbers. • Disable access to your voice mail system from outside lines. If it is business critical, ensure access is restricted to essential users - regularly update pin/passwords. • If you don’t call international or premium rate numbers, ask your provider to restrict these. • Review call logging/reporting options and regularly monitor for increased/suspect call traffic. • Secure your exchange and communications system, use a strong PBX firewall and if you don’t need a function, close it down.

The police also receive several reports each month from Hertfordshire businesses experiencing incidents of ransomware. Ransomware is where criminals lock your computer from a remote location – then display a pop-up window stating that your data will not be unlocked until a sum of money is paid. Recent cases in Hertfordshire involved a charity, an online retailer and a plumbing firm. There are numerous ways ransomware can infect your system, but it happens most often when you click on a link or attachment contained in a fraudulent email, or if you visit an infected website. So how do you prevent a ransomware attack? The police say you should: • Back-up your data regularly and independently so a ransomware infection can’t destroy your data forever. • Keep all software on your computer up to date and use robust antivirus software to protect your system.

• Be cautious. Any account can be compromised, so malicious emails can be sent from the accounts of friends, colleagues or business contacts. Never open attachments in emails if the source isn’t 100% known and trustworthy. • Always go to your bank or other login pages by typing the web address into your browser. Criminals send fake emails that look like genuine ones from your bank, online stores, the police or government departments, luring you to click on a malicious link. Never log into your online banking or any other site via an emailed link – fake sites look like the real thing. • Visit only websites you know to be reputable. • If you discover a rogue process on your device, disconnect it immediately to prevent it from spreading, and seek professional advice. Membership of Business Watch is free. You can register at www.owl.co.uk or email the Watch Liaison Team at WLO@herts.police.uk

Economy

Inflationary pressures intensifying for businesses likely to come under increasing pressure in the coming months. “Higher inflation is a major headache for businesses as it increases their cost base and weighs on investment decisions.” On a more optimistic note, the BCC welcomed continued strong performance by UK exporters in the months following the UK referendum vote last June.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has expressed concern at the continuing pressure being exerted on businesses by inflation. Commenting on the inflation statistics for January published by the Office for National Statistics, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “While the rise was slightly less than expected, UK inflation remains firmly on course to breach the 2% inflation target. “Although most categories of goods and services contributed to the increase, it was primarily driven by rising food and fuel prices.

“The continued rise in factory gate prices confirms that inflationary pressures in the supply chain are intensifying, and a sustained period of materially above target inflation looks increasingly probable. “However, the uncertainty over future economic conditions is likely to limit the extent to which the expected higher inflation becomes embedded in stronger wage growth. This means that consumer spending power is

Despite the uncertainty created by the Brexit vote, and the predictions that it would harm business, UK exporters have shown themselves remarkably resilient and have continued to record strong trading figures throughout all the turbulence. Commenting on UK trade statistics released by the Office for National Statistics, Mike Spicer, Director of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The narrowing in the UK’s trade deficit in the final months of last year is a welcome improvement from the weaker performance in the previous quarter and reflects a growing number of goods being exported to non-EU countries.

“As Brexit dominates the headlines, the results are an important reminder that UK companies take advantage of trading opportunities in every part of the world. “This performance comes despite the mixed reaction of exporters to the depreciation in Sterling – which our research has found is hurting as many as it is helping. “Looking ahead, the continued weakness of the pound and the expected slowdown in economic growth will likely dampen demand for consumer imports. “In order to keep UK businesses trading with the world, companies need more direct support from government such as more investment in trade show access.” The big concern for all business analysts is the effect on the economy when the UK Government triggers Article 50 and begins the European divorce proceedings in earnest. They say that the real test of business confidence post-Brexit vote is whether or not companies can retain their confidence as the true effects of leaving the EU become clear.

Property Update - The Housing White Paper On 7 February, the government released its House White Paper titled, “Fixing our broken house market”. You can read the white paper in full on the government website: www.gov.uk/government/ publications/fixing-our-brokenhousing-market. The report is extensive at 106 pages long, but below are a few highlights:

Five year plans Every local area will be required to produce a realistic five year plan for projected growth in households. Currently, 40% of local planning authorities do not have an up-to-date plan. The hope is that developers will find it easier to get planning permission and projects off the ground with a plan in place.

Density Councils and developers will be expected to use land more efficiently by avoiding low

density homes and building higher where there is a shortage of land. The objective is clearly to get more people into a smaller area, and to create affordable housing. Speeding up house building The government will make it easier for councils to issue completion notices, shortening the timescales to require developers to start building within two years, not three, when planning permission is granted. This may not be entirely welcome by developers where amendments to planning permission granted are being sought.

Diversifying the market A £3 billion Home Building Fund will be created to help small independent builders enter the market. Currently, around 60% of new homes are built by just 10 companies. This will be very welcome

news for smaller developers – assuming the terms are reasonable and the process to access funds is not too onerous.

Renters The government will put measures to tackle the high cost of renting at the heart of its plan to fix the “broken” housing market. These include amending planning rules so that councils can proactively plan for more long-term Build to Rent homes. A consultation will be launched to allow developers to offer more “affordable rent” properties alongside other forms of affordable housing. There is also a plan to ensure more longer-term tenancies are available in private rented schemes to provide more stability to families renting. Longer-term tenancies may be seen as desirable by landlords if rent reviews and eviction options remain in place. Commentators have

highlighted that this appears to be the first sign that the government is moving away from the aspiration that everyone should have the opportunity to own their own home. The above are just a few of the announcements – we anticipate that there will be a lot more to come, as well as initiatives that will be generated from the white paper. If you have any questions regarding the above, please contact Kingston Smith LLP’s property specialist partners based in St Albans: Darren Jordan: djordan@ks.co.uk Silvia Vitiello: svitiello@ks.co.uk Nick Winters: nwinters@ks.co.uk www.ks.co.uk/st-albans

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EconomicReview

UK Monthly Economic Review February 2017

UK economy enjoys strong end to 2016...

...driven by the services sector...

...but while unemployment is still falling...

The first official estimate of economic growth (GDP) revealed that the UK economy grew by 0.6% in Q4 2016, unchanged from the previous two quarters. This mirrored the latest BCC Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) which revealed that output from both the manufacturing and services sectors expanded in Q4 (see chart 1). The UK economy grew by 2.0% in 2016 as a whole, slightly slower than the 2.2% recorded in 2015, but still broadly in line with historic trends. Overall, the latest GDP data confirms that the UK economy enjoyed a strong end to 2016.

Output rose in three of the four main industrial groupings. Service sector output grew by 0.8% in Q4 (see Chart 2) and accounted for almost all of the growth recorded in the quarter. While overall industrial production was flat in the quarter, manufacturing output rose by 0.7%. Construction sector output increase by 0.1% and agricultural production rose by 0.4% in Q4. Taken together the Q4 GDP data confirms remains that the UK growth remains unbalanced with an over reliance on services and consumer spending to drive growth.

In the three months to November 2016, the number of people who are unemployed dropped by 52,000, compared with the previous three-month period. In contrast, the number of people in employment declined by 9,000 over the same period, the second successive quarterly fall (see Chart 3). However, UK employment remains close to record levels. While labour market conditions could soften over the next year as economic growth slows, the high degree of flexibility in the jobs market will help limit the extent of any increase in unemployment.

…sterling weakens further…

...pushing up inflation...

…and could squeeze real earnings...

On a trade-weighted basis (weighted average of currencies as measured by trade flows) the value of sterling rose by 0.5% in January, but is 12% lower than its pre-EU referendum level. The latest BCC QES revealed that firms are increasingly reporting the exchange rate as a concern to their business. 56% of manufacturers felt that the exchange rate was more of a concern to their business, up from 48% in Q3 (see Chart 4). In the service sector, 31% of businesses reported that the exchange rate was a concern. While a weak pound can make UK exports more price competitive, it can also raise the cost of imports.

UK CPI inflation stood at 1.6% in December 2016, the highest rate since July 2014 and up from the 1.2% rise in November. The main contributors to the increase in the rate were rises in air fares and the price of food. UK CPI inflation has increased markedly over the past year, from just 0.2% in December 2015 (see Chart 5). Significantly with factory gate prices rising by 2.7% in annual terms in December 2016, the sixth successive period of annual growth, further price rises are likely. Overall, we expect inflation to surpass the Bank of England’s 2% target in the coming months, reaching around 2.5% by the end of the year.

In the three months to November 2016, annual earnings growth, including bonuses, rose by 0.2 percentage points to 2.8%. With consumer price inflation currently at 1.6%, pay growth outstripped inflation for the 27th successive month. However, rising inflation has meant that the gap between wage and price growth has narrowed to 1.2 percentage points, from a peak of 3.1 percentage points in Q3 2015 (see Chart 6). If this continues as we expect, real earnings could be squeezed, stifling consumer spending which is a key driver of UK economic growth.

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EconomicReview

Monthly headlines: • UK economy grew by 0.6% in Q4 2016 with services dominating GDP growth • Falling value of sterling feeding through into higher inflation and squeezing real earnings • GDP growth in the world’s two largest economies – USA and China – slowed in 2016

...as UK’s trade position deteriorates...

…US growth slows sharply...

…and Chinese GDP growth weakens.

The UK’s trade deficit was £4.2 billion in November 2016 (see Chart 7), a widening of £2.6 billion from October 2016. While exports increased by £0.7 billion, this was more than offset by a £3.3 billion rise in imports, the highest on record. Imports of machinery and transport equipment, which rose by £1.4 billion, were the largest contributors to the increase in imports. There remains little evidence that the fall in the value of the pound is boosting the UK’s net trade position. As a consequence, rebalancing the UK economy remains a major challenge.

The US economy, the world’s biggest, grew at an annualised rate of 1.9% in Q4 2016, a marked slowdown from the 3.5% growth recorded in the previous quarter. Consumer spending was the main driver of growth rising by 2.5%. Business and residential investment also contribute to growth in Q4. In contrast, exports were a drag on GDP growth having dropped by 4.3% in Q4. The US economy grew by 1.6% in 2016 as a whole, the slowest growth rate since 2011. US growth was also lower than the outturn for the UK, the first time since 2014 (see Chart 8)

China's economy, the world’s second-largest, grew by 6.7% in 2016. While this was the lowest rate of growth since 1990 (see Chart 9), it was in line with Beijing's growth target of between 6.5% and 7%. Growth was boosted by strong consumer spending and fiscal stimulus measures. There remain concerns that Chinese GDP growth could be weaker that its official data is showing. China’s economy also remains overly reliant on debt-fuelled investment to drive growth. The size of its economy means that a slowdown in China is a major risk to the outlook for the global economy.

“Overall, the latest GDP data confirms that the UK economy enjoyed a strong end to 2016.”

Bottom line: Although the UK economy enjoyed a strong end to 2016, higher inflation and uncertainty over the impact of Brexit are likely to mean that conditions will become more challenging in the coming months. It is vital the upcoming Spring Budget is used to tackle the escalating burden of upfront business costs. For more information please contact: Suren Thiru, UK Economic Advisor. Email: s.thiru@britishchambers.org.uk. Tel: 020 7654 5801 INSPIRE

InspiringHertfordshire

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2017 SAVE Our Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2017 are back with the focus on celebrating the expertise, achievements and outstanding contribution that businesses and individuals continually add to the growth of Hertfordshire. opportunity to win a prestigious award that recognises your company’s achievements. You will then have the opportunity to enter the national Chamber Awards held by British Chambers of Commerce to raise your profile further. Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce would like to say a huge thank you to our Headline Sponsor Hillier Hopkins LLP who have been members of the Chamber for over 25 years and their support to Hertfordshire businesses is incredible. This year’s awards promises to be bigger than ever with a fabulous new venue, St. Alban’s

Cathedral. By entering our awards you will be able to raise your profile and have the

We would also like to say a huge thank you to all our sponsors (featured on page 10) .

THE DATE Thursday 8 June 2017 There is still time to enter our awards so make sure you don’t delay. Entries close on Monday 20th March at 9am. To download entry forms, please visit our website: www.hertschamber.com/ inspiring-hertfordshire-awards2017-categories-and-entryforms If you are interested in sponsoring one of our remaining categories, please contact the Chamber team on 01707 502180 or email awards@hertschamber.com

How the awards could benefit your business By Karen Winrow of Hillier Hopkins, Headline Sponsor We all need a bit of inspiration from time to time. I guess we are lucky really, as chartered accountants we get to work closely with many different businesses from across the county. We’ve been helping Hertfordshire businesses to grow and prosper for more than 80 years and our clients inspire us every single day with their achievements. So when the

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opportunity came up to become the headline sponsor for the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards we thought, what better way to help business like these get recognition for all their hard work and inspire others in the process. As a leading firm in the region, it is important that we support the communities we work in, whether it is sponsoring youth

sports, community groups, charities or business initiatives like this.

and new clients won, were testament to the PR and profile building power of the awards.

At the launch event in January, it was clear from the previous winners that the awards have had a really positive impact on them and their businesses. Their stories of new contacts made, new partnerships and opportunities, new ideas sparked

With all the potential benefits, such as a boost in staff morale, stronger client loyalty or a competitive edge when hiring staff, I think there could be quite a good return on your investment. And as the awards are free to enter, the investment is just in

InspiringHertfordshire

Why business awards are important Last Years Winners

Launch event wih speakers, sponsors and patrons your time. I also think the entry process itself can help you to refocus and re-energise. I bet it’s not often that you take time out to step back from the busy day to day of your business and look at what you’ve achieved and where you’re heading. What's more, if you involve your team in the entry process it brings everyone together and reinforces what's really important to the business and your goals.

Our involvement in the awards includes judging the overall “Inspiring Business of the Year” award which two of our Principals, Simon Speller and Alex Bottom, will select from all of the category winners. Winning this award would be a wonderful endorsement of the work you are doing and we are really looking forward to seeing the creativity, innovation and ingenuity that we know is out there.

Every day we see the contribution our own clients make to the local economy. Many of them have great business stories to tell and we will be doing our best to encourage them to enter the awards. The awards aren’t only open to commercial businesses, but are open to schools, charities and the public sector, recognising the important role they play too.

There are 19 categories to choose from, and although you can enter as many as you like, concentrating on the ones that are important to you and you feel most passionate about will help you make a powerful entry.

It is easy to forget that every business in Hertfordshire contributes to the social and economic welfare of the county, so it’s really important that they get recognition for that contribution. That’s why we are supporting this initiative.

I think everyone is excited about the awards night itself, which is being held this year in the magnificent St Albans Cathedral. We are certainly looking forward to helping everyone celebrate their amazing achievements!

Handelsbanken a proud sponsor of the inspiring Herts 2017 awards You may not have thought of entering or even sponsoring a business award before, possibly having concerns over the time involved in collating information and filling in those entry forms, or maybe you view the cost of sponsorship as expensive, from personal experience, my advice would be to concentrate on the very real benefits either of these could bring to your business. We made the decision to sponsor the awards for the second time this year, as we firmly believe our business grew from the contacts we made last time. I was part of the judging panel and was fortunate to sit next to a fellow local professional, Keith Grover, partner of HB Accountants Hoddesdon, they have since moved their full banking to Handelsbanken and we are delighted at how well our businesses work together. This was just one of many contacts made. As a entrant, it provides a great opportunity to reflect on your business successes to date, a time itself to celebrate. If you are unsure how to get all your information down on paper, there are local businesses who specialise in just that. When it comes to the short listing and the award evening itself, it’s not just about the free PR and a great night out, imagine how proud your team will be to see their hard work recognised. Awards are brilliant for employee engagement. I am proud that Handelsbanken is an award winning bank, with recognition for customer service and the strength of our bank. Last year, I was fortunate to represent the bank and collect one of our many awards, The FT & Investors Chronicle Award, for Best Private Bank, I felt incredibly proud to go up on that stage. An added bonus was the recognition for the services we provide to private individuals, as we are mostly known for being a business and property bank. I hope to see you at the award evening 8th June 2017 at an amazing new venue, St Albans Cathedral. Debbie Chilton, Branch Manager, Handelsbanken Hertford

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InspiringHertfordshire

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2017 All businesses based in Hertfordshire can enter our FREE awards. If you are interested in sponsoring one of our remaining categories, please contact the Chamber team on 01707 502180 or email awards@hertschamber.com

• Inspiring Business of the Year Sponsored by Hillier Hopkins

• Business of the Year South Herts Sponsored by Lexus

• Associate Sponsor VolkerWessels

• Investment in Young People Sponsored by London Luton Airport

• Media Partners Herts Mercury and Herts Essex Observre

• Outstanding Contribution to Business

• Achievement in International Business Sponsored by Handelsbanken

Sponsored by Porsche Centre Hatfield

Remaining Categories • • • • 10

Community Champion Education in Employment Social Enterprise of the Year Most Promising New Business INSPIRE

• • • •

Made in Herts Excellence in People Development The Tourism Award Business of the Year North Herts

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BRE: Building a better world from Hertfordshire Ana Paun explores the value that one of Hertfordshire’s largest employers – BRE – brings to both its local and global communities a sustainability standard for buildings and infrastructure along with consumer standard the Home Quality Mark give developers a framework for tackling the issues around sustainability and wellbeing. Another key area of research for us is ensuring that the homes, buildings and cities we develop have a positive impact on the health of people – in the UK we spend up to 80% of our time in buildings so it is critical that they are life and work enhancing. Although we've largely eradicated the diseases associated with the slums of Victorian Britain, there remains a significant number of health and safety hazards in poor condition housing. The annual cost to the NHS from injuries and illness directly attributable to these homes is calculated to be £1.4bn per year, and the wider cost to society (including medical costs, lost education and employment opportunities) of leaving England’s poor housing unimproved is £18.6 billion. This is compounded by the fact that the UK has some of the oldest housing stock in the developed world. Located just outside of Watford at the end of a quiet suburban street, world leading building science centre BRE delivers on its mission to ‘build a better world’, a mission that has attracted the attention of China’s Premier Li-Keqiang, Prince Charles and former Prime Minister David Cameron. With a history stretching back over 90 years, BRE was created (in 1921) to improve the standard of housing post World War I by investigating new materials and methods of construction and creating standards for improving the performance of homes, buildings and their component parts. Privatised back in 1997, BRE is now an independent, impartial, research-based business. Key things it focuses on are training and education for the construction sector, certification of buildings, materials, products and technologies, creation of building and infrastructure standards that help ensure great performance and tools that help the sector improve its sustainability, health and safety and productivity.

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It is owned by the BRE Trust, a charity that uses the profits made by the organisation to fund built environment related educational programmes, demonstration projects, research and even a programme of free visits for schools. Now in its 20th year as a private entity, BRE has grown from being a UK centric organisation to a global company doing business in over 70 countries around the world. The cornerstone of our activity remains building research: identifying better ways to develop homes, buildings and communities in the face of major challenges like climate change, climate adaption, diminishing resources and a growing global population. The impact of climate change is one of the most significant concerns associated with our planet. The UK is committed to reducing carbon emissions by a very challenging 80% by 2050. This can't be done without cutting carbon from buildings, which are responsible for about 40% of our emissions. BRE’s flagship brands such as BREEAM,

Ethics also play a part in our offering to the market – in response to the arrival of the Government’s Modern Slavery Act last year, we recently created an Ethical Labour Sourcing Standard which organisations can use to demonstrate their on-going commitment to the principles of responsible sourcing throughout their supply chains.

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BRE Innovation Parks One of the key projects we’ve created is our BRE Innovation Park – a place where developers and architects can come and experiment with new designs and prototype homes and buildings before applying them in the real world. Prince Charles’s architecture foundation built a highly sustainable energy efficient home in the park in 2011 and more recent projects feature include the ZEDPod, a factory-made £65k home, complete with PV energy generation that requires no land because it sits in a car park, the flood resilient house which is designed to better protect people in homes that are at flood risk, and the Zero Bills house which aims to make home energy bills obsolete. The next project is the Dementia Home which aims to show how homes can be adapted with new technologies and clever design features that help support older people live

longer independently in their own habitats reducing the burden on the NHS. Part of an international network established to inform sustainable development at a global level and stimulate innovation within the built environment, the Innovation Park in Watford is not the only one existing. Other Innovation Parks can be found in Scotland and China with work soon to be underway in Brazil also.

Labs and testing facilities – where the magic happens On its 60 acre site BRE has some very unusual and unique facilities including: • A Burn Hall where we test the fire resistance of buildings, materials and fire protection and prevention technologies to fire • A security lab where our experts try to break into safes and other anti-theft deterrents

• Our acoustics lab, probably the quietest place in the world • A structures laboratory where full sale buildings can be performance tested. A few years back 150 volunteers did the Mexican wave and danced to a rock band in the Structures Lab to test a grandstand for the 2012 Olympics. This is also where our engineers looked to overcome London’s Millennium Bridge famous tendency to ‘wobble’. • A Wind Tunnel which can create over 100mph winds to assess the effect on buildings. Westminster Abbey, Charles De Gaulle Airport & Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium are among those tested.

Innovating Hertfordshire from inside out BRE is currently undergoing a site redevelopment which will see many of its ageing facilities upgraded. This also includes a green growth initiative based in West Hertfordshire where a new Enviro-Tech Enterprise Zone for Hertfordshire and a BRE innovation hub will be created. This aims to deliver thousands of jobs, attract hundreds of new businesses and help unlock key development sites including BRE. A European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) project – the Hertfordshire Low Carbon Innovation Network (LCIN), led by BRE and the Green Triangle, is part of the new incubation hub and will assist Hertfordshire-based SMEs with solutions that will help to accelerate research and development for commercial success. This new building will form a key part of BRE’s upgraded facilities in time for the organisation's 100th anniversary now less than 4 years away.

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BigInterview

A place at the As the largest employer in the local area, international speciality chemicals company Johnson Matthey has long held the view that it has a key role to play in supporting the business and community life of the area. That is why wherever you look, you will find evidence of the company backing community initiatives, everything from supporting economic development and seeking out the next generation of scientists to helping out charitable concerns. Overseeing the approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is John Gourd, who started his career at Royston and after gaining experience in commercial, business and operational roles became Site Planning and Services Director eight years ago. Royston, which is the company's largest site, employs 2,000 people, up from 1,100 ten years ago, the growth driven primarily by increasing demand for automotive emissions control systems. John has always believed that Johnson Mattheyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important place in the community means that it should be heavily involved in local affairs, which is why he was the first chair of the Royston First Business Improvement District (BID) Company, and remains a director. The BID was set up several years ago following a referendum among local businesses, who are asked to pay a levy which

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heart of the community “We like our staff to be involved in community activities. Not only does the work benefit the organisations, who appreciate our manpower and expertise, but there are rewards for us as well. People who support the community get a sense of well-being and it is good for team-building.”

funds initiatives designed to develop the town as a place to work and live. John said: “Before the BID was set up there was a town partnership and it was felt that a BID would have more gravitas. “As the largest employer in the area, we are a major funder of the BID but I felt that there was more we could contribute. We see it as a vehicle to make improvements in the area and that fits in with our CSR philosophy. “We are not just a company that stands alone and we believe that we have a responsibility to make the area a better place for our people to live and work.” A similar philosophy underpins his work with the area’s Local Enterprise (LEP), on whose board he has served since its inception and whose chair he became in 2011, stepping down after five years in the role in June 2016. He remains on the LEP Board as Business Representative. When the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership was formed in 2010, Johnson Matthey felt it was natural that the company should be involved from the start.

John said: “I feel strongly that Johnson Matthey has to be involved in initiatives that develop the local economy. “The participation of Johnson Matthey in the local LEP is an extension of the Royston site's community engagement strategy. An economically strong region is to the benefit of all, both inside and outside the company. “The Royston site recognises the importance of playing its part and helping strengthen the local economy and in doing so has contributed to the high corporate reputation that the company has earned.” Johnson Matthey also believes in encouraging the next generation of scientists and engineers, helping to tackle the shortage of students choosing science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects as a basis for their careers. To that end, the Royston site launched a programme to educate Year 5 and 6 students about the benefits of pursuing a career in science and industry. Children Challenging Industry aims to educate school children on the benefits of studying STEM subjects.

The company has hired a parttime teacher to work with the surrounding schools on science lessons, which are then followed by a site visit to the Emission Control Technology Centre and Operations. John said: “As a company we tend to find the people we need to recruit but we also acknowledge that there are not enough young engineers and scientists coming through. “When we asked young people for their description of a scientist, they came up with an Albert Einstein-type figure, all wild hair, and our programme is designed to help them realise that a scientist is actually someone more like them, ‘We do that by taking our industry into the classroom then when they visit our site they can meet scientists who remind them of themselves and see how the science they learn in the classroom is put into action in the working environment. We hope that will encourage them to consider a career in science.” Another example of CSR in action has seen the company forge links with community

organisations, including charities, partly by donating money but also encouraging staff to volunteer; employees are each given two days paid leave a year to volunteer. Johnson Matthey believes that charity and volunteer work in the community reinforces the Royston site’s standing as a good corporate citizen while also supporting staff development. John said: “We like our staff to be involved in community activities. Not only does the work benefit the organisations, who appreciate our manpower and expertise, but there are rewards for us as well. People who support the community get a sense of well-being and it is good for team-building.” With all this going on, it is perhaps not surprising that the company was recently named as Britain's Most Admired Chemicals Company for the third year running, and fifth most admired overall across all sectors. The awards are run by Management Today and ask 200 of Britain's top companies and their bosses to assess their peers.

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SpotlightOn

St Albans Cathedral

City of enterprise An entrepreneurial spirit is driving economic growth in the beautiful cathedral City of St Albans and the surrounding area. St Albans has many strengths: an attractive green setting, fantastic Roman heritage, excellent rail and road transport links, good schools and amenities that appeal to families, a highly-qualified population and a well-networked business community. The active and entrepreneurial business community includes a strong professional services sector and an enviro-tech sector with world-renowned research establishments. St Albans City and District Council has developed a strategy to grow the local economy that

harnesses these strengths. Core priorities include: building the green enviro-tech and professional services sectors; developing the visitor economy, and supporting retail. The business community is taking the lead in implementing the strategy through a series of partnerships. St Albans’ potential for economic growth is supported by Lambert Smith Hampton’s UK Vitality Index 2016. The City scored in the top ten in this assessment of the health of the local economies of the UK’s main regional towns and cities. It also topped the ‘most entrepreneurial’ index.

Enviro-tech Enterprise Zone One of the most innovative of the partnerships initiated by the District Council is the Green Triangle. The group aims to raise the profile of the area as a world renowned centre of excellence in green technology. Key members are Rothamsted Research, known for its work in agricultural science, and the Building Research Establishment (BRE), a world leader in the built environment. Other members include the University of Hertfordshire; Oaklands College and the District Council.

City of Expertise St Albans also has one of the strongest clusters of professional businesses in the South East outside of London. Firms in the sector are actively promoting St Albans as a ‘City of Expertise’ through a partnership initiated by the District Council. Members include solicitors, chartered accountants and chartered surveyors, together with banks and engineering and infrastructure businesses, such as newest member AECOM. Together they promote their services to local businesses and work to increase awareness of Cont. on page 19

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SpotlightOn Cont. from page 17

local employment opportunities among professionals and students. The group plans to hold ‘The City of Expertise Showcase’ on 26 April to provide information to young people about roles in IT, law, accountancy, surveying, marketing and administration. In addition, there will be information on apprenticeships as a route into work. A Young Professionals Network has also been set up to help younger and newly qualified professionals develop networking skills.

Visitor destination Another key element of the local economic strategy is to grow St Albans’ visitor economy. The City benefits from Roman heritage, medieval buildings, a Charter market and a beautiful Cathedral that hosts an annual pilgrimage to celebrate Britain’s first Christian saint, St Alban.

Business Improvement District Local businesses also recently voted to set up a Business Improvement District (BID) that will bring even more investment to the centre of St Albans. The BID will come into force in April covering a defined area of the City centre. It follows the launch of a campaign last year by St Albans City Centre Partnership inviting eligible local business rate payers to vote for a BID Business Plan. Planned projects include improvements to the ‘street scene’, such as new Christmas lighting, additional City centre events to attract visitors and increased marketing. Separately, the District Council is planning further investment in the City centre to help transform

the area of land it owns around its Civic Centre office building. The aim is to support the local economy by providing additional commercial office space and to make the Alban Arena more attractive to visitors. By tapping into St Albans’s strengths and the entrepreneurial spirit of local businesses and organisations, the local economy is set to grow and fulfil its potential.

Kingston Smith supports St Albans renaissance project Set to open in Spring 2018, the project will reveal the story of St Albans and its outstanding significance to national heritage, ensuring that residents and visitors alike can share and take pride in the history of the city. The St Albans office of Kingston Smith is supporting the renovation of the old St Albans Town Hall into a new museum and gallery in the heart of the town centre. Hailed as the one of the most exciting developments the city has seen for a decade, the project by the St Albans Museums and Galleries Trust to renovate the building is well and truly under way. The Trust is leading the £7.75 million fundraising campaign to develop the attraction in partnership with the St Albans District Council and the University of Hertfordshire Arts faculty. Dan Fletcher and James Newell, of Kingston Smith Fundraising & Management, worked with the Trust to develop a case for support and a fundraising plan to approach major donors in late 2014.

An architect’s impression of St Albans new museum and art gallery

Cont. on page 21

“Hailed as the one of the most exciting developments the city has seen for a decade, the project by the St Albans Museums and Galleries Trust to renovate the building is well and truly under way.”

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Mezzanine Floors & Partitioning to increase & improve your workspace We have been installing purpose designed Mezzanine floors for over 30 years as well as creating office, laboratory, cleanroom, CMM rooms & warehouse space with our various partition systems. Call us for a free survey & quotation if you need more space in your existing building or if you are planning expansion. Please email sales@stodec.com for our current brochures on Mezzanines, Partitions or on our Storage systems.

St Albans: 01727 840 594 â&#x20AC;˘ Milton Keynes: 01908 270 011 â&#x20AC;˘ www.stodec.com 20

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SpotlightOn “The St Albans district is a great place to do business. We’ve got great schools, and a highly-educated workforce which compares favourably at both county and national level.” Cont. from page 19

They also created job descriptions and assisted us in recruiting a freelance fundraiser to lead the major gifts work. Mike Gray, Chair of the St Albans Museums and Galleries Trust, said: “Their input helped move our fundraising campaign on and we are now very close to the finish line, with over 90% of the funds raised. “Dan subsequently provided advice about the fundraising strategy we submitted to HLF during Phase 2, as well as suggesting improvements to our community fundraising efforts. Kingston Smith has also supported the campaign through corporate sponsorship.” Silvia Vitiello, not for profit partner at Kingston Smith in St Albans, said: “This project will be an excellent asset to the community and will become a real hub of creativity and learning for our wonderful city. “Not only has the renovation had the corporate support of Kingston Smith, but it has really won the hearts of our staff members, who are contributing by raising funds through a range of charitable activities. For up-to-date news on the progress on the project, or to pledge your support, please visit: www.renaissancestalbans.org.uk

MP expresses optimism for the future of St Albans St Albans MP Anne Main believes that the area has many strengths which support its economy. Among them is the quality of education in the area. She said:

“The St Albans district is a great place to do business. We’ve got great schools, and a highlyeducated workforce which compares favourably at both county and national level. “Oaklands Community College is key in providing the district with skills development, training and learning opportunities.” The MP singled out other strengths, adding: “We have world renowned institutions and centres of excellence, such as Building Research Establishment (BRE) at Bricket Wood and Rothamsted Research in Harpenden. “Being so close to London, naturally many commute into the Capital but the local economy is good shape and has huge potential for growth. “It is largely made up of employment in financial and business services, research and development, retail and the educational sector. “The visitor economy continues to grow, and our wonderful historical cultural offering is at the heart of its attraction. “Whilst we are not without our challenges, the prospects for

Offices continued growth can be realised through a working local plan. This will ensure that we continue to have a healthy, diverse and strong local economy. Continuing to promote St Albans as the ‘City of Expertise’ will reinforce its strengths: knowledge industries, financial and business services, the rural economy, the green technology sector, creative industries and the visitor economy. “I hope that we continue to build on these strengths. As we do, our future will be bright.”

Bourne Wood Partnership Limited Bourne Wood Partnership Limited is an established multidisciplinary construction and development management consultancy, built on a reputation of providing pro-active professional and commercial advice and having an understanding of our clients’ business objectives. The company builds on existing experience to deliver an outstanding service to our commercial client base across a range of development sectors including In-Town and Out-ofTown Retail, Leisure, Logistics and Multi Brand Business Parks,

Residential and Mixed Use projects. We provide development and project management, contract administration, quantity surveying and technical architectural support services. The Company has been established since 1988 and operates across a wide spectrum of exciting commercial development sectors. We have established a reputation for providing quality advice to our Clients through the application of intellectual support, ownership and responsibility, enthusiasm, care and drive on every project we undertake, irrespective of the project type and size. This is reflected in the quality of the Clients whom entrust us with their instructions. Our Clients respect and appreciate the advanced levels of experience and knowledge which we are able to bring to their instructions, often missing from larger process driven consultancies. The majority of our business comes from either repeat Client instructions or Client referrals. Our offices at Salisbury Hall are within a listed and moated manor house, formerly the home of Winston Churchill and the home of the Mosquito fighter bomber airplane. Cont. on page 22

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SpotlightOn Cont. from page 21

over the UK to be named Consultant of the Year 2016 at the Tate annual awards ceremony. We’re also immensely proud to have won Medium Business of the Year 2016 at the Inspiring Hertfordshire Business Awards. As part of a larger chain with branches across the UK and a client list that includes both multinationals and local firms, we’re big enough to handle any recruitment request but personal enough to do it with passion.

Taylor Walton

Credit: Stephanie Belton - St Albans Christmas Market

Tate Recruitment The Tate Recruitment team work in the heart of St Albans, a bustling town steeped in culture, diversity and activity. It’s historically rich with remnants of Celtic, Roman and Medieval ancestry juxtaposed with a hubbub of innovation and modernity. This clash of old and new has produced a unique and dynamic feel with a thriving economy, making it an incredibly exciting location to work. Tate specialises in office recruitment, helping to place PA/Executive Assistants, Office Managers, Secretaries, Administrators, Customer Service Staff, Co-ordinators, Account Managers, HR and Marketing Staff. Our branch places local candidates in roles within St Albans, Harpenden, Watford, Rickmansworth, Elstree and Borehamwood.

We are specialists and love what we do. We want to transform careers and businesses for the better by placing the right candidate in the right job by getting to know everyone involved, not by pigeon-holing people for the sake of closing deals. Because of our extensive experience in the industry we offer unique seminars and networking events with tips and advice, simultaneously offering local business owners and senior managers the chance to network with likeminded individuals. Our next event is on Thursday 9th March at The Grove looking at the current Appraisal process. These events are popular, so please contact us if you would like to attend! We’re an award-winning team. Our very own Caroline Johnstone beat stiff competition from all

With excellent transport links, a rich cultural heritage, highly respected schools and fantastic facilities, it’s easy to see why St Albans is such an aspirational city to live, work and raise a family in. St Albans is of course a well known property hotspot attracting commuters who value its proximity to London but who also enjoy the city’s unique historic identity. St Albans consistently features as one of the best places to live in the UK and this reputation fuels a buoyant local property market. Demand for properties to buy and rent outstrips supply and the market remains resilient to national fluctuations and trends. In this dynamic property market, it is vital to have expert assistance on board in order to ensure that you are ahead of the competition. I recently joined Taylor Walton in a further expansion of the residential property team here in St Albans. This expansion is a reflection of the continued strength of the St Albans property market as well as Taylor Walton’s commitment to their St Albans based clients.

The office here has grown significantly since its launch and will continue to expand to reflect our increasing client base and workload. St Albans is keen to not just rely on its existing enviable reputation, but also to innovate and develop, evidence of which can be seen in a number of exciting current projects. This includes the St Albans Renaissance which looks to transform the original Georgian Town Hall into a state of the art contemporary public space, museum and gallery. Taylor Walton are proud to be sponsors of this fantastic scheme and both the firm and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for this wonderful and dynamic city. Caroline Hume is a Partner in the Residential Conveyancing department at Taylor Walton Solicitors and be contacted on 01727 845245 or by email caroline.hume@taylorwalton.co.uk

Rayden Solicitors multi-award winning family solicitors with offices in St Albans and Berkhamsted Rayden Solicitors is the largest specialist firm of family law solicitors in Hertfordshire with clients based across the county, in London, the UK and internationally. Our solicitors advise on all aspects of family law and are experts in financial and children matters relating to relationship breakdown, divorce and separation. This includes expertise in pre and post nuptial agreements,

“We have been in St Albans since 1996, having moved from Kings Cross and it has been a great base for our operation as it allows us to maintain our North London sales effectively at low cost, the direct train line into St Pancras being a key factor. It’s also ideal for expanding out into the Home Counties and is easy for our staff, suppliers and contractors to get to. In terms of facilities and expertise, it has everything that we need!” Fiona Edwards, Commercial Director, JPA 22

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Christopher Place

SpotlightOn cohabitation issues, same-sex relationship breakdown and complex financial arrangements involving family businesses, partnerships and off-shore vehicles. Rayden Solicitors has acted for and continues to advise high profile clients and top flight professionals, as well as maintaining a highly competitive regional practice. A keen focus on client care combined with an innovative team structure means that every client gains the benefit of partner level strategy and oversight with overall costs remaining highly competitive. We believe in empowering our clients through providing them with an understanding of the law and how it works, thereby enabling them to take more control of their future. Combining this with our overall focus on legal expertise, excellent client service and ongoing support is paramount

to inspiring confidence in all our clients. More than 75% of our new clients come through recommendation. Both the firm and individual solicitors have consistently been recognised by peer recommended directories Legal 500, Chambers and Partners, and the Citywealth Leaders list. We are the only St Albans firm to be Tier 1 in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Middlesex. Rayden Solicitors is accredited by the Law Society’s prestigious Lexcel legal quality mark, which involves a stringent annual review against the highest management standards. "A superb reputation for private family law matters, most notably the representation of high net worth individuals in matrimonial finance disputes and other complex matters."

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“With excellent transport links, a rich cultural heritage, highly respected schools and fantastic facilities, it’s easy to see why St Albans is such an aspirational city to live, work and raise a family in.”

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BusinessBrexit

Britain’s business Brexit principles The Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Yolanda Rugg, reports on UK’s Brexit business options and imperatives. India), 18 per cent to China, 17 per cent to Australasia, 16 per cent to India, 15 per cent to South America and 13 per cent to Africa (Chambers’ International Trade Survey: Dec 2016).

“Following the EU Referendum, June 2016, British Chambers of Commerce conducted a number of country-wide surveys eliciting 20,000 responses and discussions with over 75,000 businesses employing five million people on Brexit’s potential opportunities and challenges.” The report sets out key priorities - to ensure that UK business can continue to trade, invest, flourish and grow - with regard to trade, customers, taxation, regulation, the labour market and EU funding. “Over 35 per cent of businesses plan on putting even more resource into the European market over the next five years and another third have no plans to change their approach to selling into Europe,” she said. “It will be the ability of businesses to seize new opportunities that will shape our future relationship, not only with Europe, but with the rest of the world - it is businesses, not governments, that trade,” said Yolanda Rugg.

Regarding trade Businesses are concerned about potential new trade barriers that could frustrate trade with the EU. They want an EU trade deal on the best terms possible. These include adoption of existing rules to apply to the new situation (for the time being), Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with key markets (USA, others) and focus on additional high growth markets. Percentages of businesses planning increased export resources over the next five years are: 36 per cent to Europe, 25 per cent to North America, 20 per cent to Asia (excl China,

Market liberalisation has a significant effect for SMEs; FTAs having a limited impact. Businesses want good trading deals and removal of non-tariff barriers in key markets through diplomacy, engagement and support. Businesses say: keep tariffs with the EU to a minimum, alleviate non-tariff barriers (EU and rest of the world), ensure the continuance of existing FTAs, consult with business when negotiating future trade deals, revitalise the trade mission, trade fairs and trade support, and avoid sudden disruption to trading relations with the EU after 2019.

Regarding customs Businesses are concerned about HMRC and Border Force’s ability to deal with any changes to customs arrangements and want certainty regarding any future procedure to enable them to prepare for any changes. UK must be a distribution hub into the EU. Adjustment costs are likely to arise for some exporters, with insufficient awareness of trade and customs processes, currently trading exclusively with the EU.

Regarding taxation The UK tax system is mainly affected by EU law through rules - when to levy indirect taxes, assigning tax liability in cross-border transactions and information disclosure and reporting of income, personal and corporate. There is uncertainty over what tax regime changes might arise and whether HMRC can deal with major changes. Businesses want a clear transition period for the complex indirect tax issues facing business and trading partners, greater clarity on future tax systems and arbitration processes and future jurisdiction for interstate tax disputes.

Regarding regulation Businesses found some EU regulations and standards bureaucratic and challenging; high volume of regulations, sometimes poorly drafted rules, and subject to regular changes, all incurring compliance costs. They know it will be necessary to adhere to EU regulations, standards and EU directives to continue trading with Europe; but want to know how procurement procedures will change. Maintaining short-term stability of the regulatory framework and standards equivalence to enable two-way trade is vital but they want framework flexibility that reduces the size and complexity.

Regarding labour The future status of EU workers in the UK is critical: low-skilled EU workers for sectors such as hospitality and agriculture are as necessary as high and medium-skilled EU workers - their immediate residency rights are vital. We need a policy with minimal bureaucracy, cost or barriers supported by an improved skills system and favourable labour market policy.

Regarding EU funding Businesses want a new economic developing funding system with maximum local autonomy, a strong voice for business priorities and effective support for economic growth. Equally important is continued access to the European Investment Bank whose loans are critical for major infrastructure and utilities programmes essential to business productivity in the UK.

Grasping opportunities Strong negotiation, clear thinking and putting UK business first is essential during the next two years, says Yolanda Rugg. “Hertfordshire businesses also have other issues — internet and transportation, skills shortages, the growing burden of costs. However, we must be ready to take grasp the opportunities that Brexit presents.”

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ChamberEvents

Business Brexit Priorities with Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce Date: Time: Venue:

30th March 12.00 – 14.00 Beales Hotel Hatfield, Comet Way, Hatfield, AL10 9NG Member: £27.00 Non-Member: £35.00 Join us with guest speaker Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of British Chambers of Commerce who will be discussing the British Chambers of Commerce’s reaction following the results of the Budget 2017. Adam will also be looking at the recent Business Brexit Priorities report and how, through the British Chambers of Commerce’s Global Business Network, you can turn uncertainty into opportunity.

Chamber Networking Breakfast

Connecting you to a World of Opportunities with Ambition Broxbourne Date: Time: Venue:

26th April 07.30 - 09.00 Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre, Pindar Rd, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0FJ Member: £15.00 Non-Member: £21.60

Join us for where you will learn how to begin your exporting journey by connecting you to a world of opportunities. Following Brexit one of the greatest opportunities for businesses in Hertfordshire, whatever their size and industry sector, is looking for and exploiting export markets. This breakfast will bring together exporting experts including Gary Shields, International Trade Advisor at Department for International Trade. If you are looking to begin exporting, or to widen your exporting destinations this event will be ideal for you.

Best Practices in Cyber Security Date: Time: Venue:

20th April 07.30 – 09.00 Falkland Press Ltd, 1 Meredews, Works Road, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 1WH Member: £18.00 Non-Member: £21.60 Most of the businesses are aware of the need for securing their IT assets, especially data. However, the picture is not always clear. This haziness results in either overspending or being underprepared. In this talk, Salman Lone from TekOne Technologies will address some of the current key areas of threat and methods that cybercriminals are using for system penetration and some simple steps that business owners can take to mitigate these threats. Following this event you will have an exclusive opportunity to tour Falkland Press.

May Chamber Lunch with Qatar Airways Date: Time: Venue:

18th May 12.00 - 14.00 Beales Hotel, Hatfield, AL10 9NG Member: £27.00 Non-Member: £35.00

Join us with guest speaker William Hobbs, Head of Investment Strategy UK and Europe at Barlcays. William will be discussing his thoughts following Brexit, how to continue thriving in business and current affairs. We are delighted to announce our sponsor for this event, Qatar Airways. Qatar Airways is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Now in its 19th year of operations, Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 190 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents.

This event is sponsored by TekOne Technologies. TekOne Technologies is a rapidly growing and an award winning Business IT Support and Solutions Specialist Company. 26

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All prices quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated. For more information on any event: Sophie Watts, 01707 39 84 04, sophiewatts@hertschamber.com – or www.hertschamber.com

ChamberEvents

Practical Guides to Importing and Exporting 21st March 18th April 16th May 20th June 27th June 20th September

A Practical Guide to Export Documentation & Procedure A Practical Guide to Import Documentation & Procedure A Practical Guide to Export Documentation & Procedure A Practical Guide to Documentary Letters of Credit A Practical Guide to Import Documentation & Procedure A Practical Guide to Export Documentation & Procedure

17th October 21st November Time: Venue:

Member: Non-Member:

A Practical Guide to Documentary Letters of Credit A Practical Guide to Import Documentation & Procedure 09.30-16.00 Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, AL10 9NE £360.00 £420.00

A Practical Guide to Export Documentation & Procedure

A Practical Guide to Import Documentation & Procedure

A Practical Guide to Documentary Letters of Credit

The seminar covers all the relevant topics that enable you to get your goods to your overseas customers. Specific focus on Export procedures gives delegates the opportunity to increase their awareness and skills of the requirements involved with overseas trade.

This one-day course is designed to help businesses handle their imports more efficiently, and with the minimum financial expense. It covers all the relevant topics including Licensing, Preferential Duties, Documentation, Commodity Codes, Customs Clearance, Customs Regimes and rejected imports and your options.

You will be provided with a step-by-step guide on how to deal with Documentary Letters of Credit – from receipt of order to successful presentation. Specific focus on a real case history of a Letter of Credit gives delegates the opportunity to increase their awareness and skills of the requirements involved with using letters of credit.

If you would like to book on to these events, please contact Frances Harris on 01707 502192 or francesharris@hertschamber.com

Business, it is all about making the right connections

CIPS Beds & Herts Event:Yolanda Rugg, Herts Chamber; Phillip Goodrum, Grace Foods; Melanie Heath, CIPS Herts and Beds; Andrew Croston, Smith and Nephew; Mary Sykes, Herts Chamber.

British Chambers of Commerce Annual Trade Conference: Mary Sykes, Herts Chamber; Laura Kuenssberg, Policatical Editior for BBC; Yolanda Rugg, Herts Chamber.

British Chambers of Commerce Annual Trade Conference: Yolanda Rugg being interviewed by Kirsty Wark, presenter of BBC Newsnight.

British Chambers of Commerce Annual Trade Conference: Elvir Becirovic and Neville Reyner CBE DL, Herts Chamber; Ian King, Business Presenter for Sky News; Keith Moore, Herts Chamber.

Pensions Workshop Lunch: Mark Prisk MP David Miller, Millertech Ltd; Dave Brown, DSCO Chartered Accountants; Akash Gupta, APG Wealth Management; Justine Perry, Cariad Marketing; Paul Shadbolt, Lloyds Bank Stevenage; Mark Prisk MP; Ray Mariconda, Aldermore Corporate Savings; Norman Cowen, Wilder Coe Ltd; Ian Jenkins, RHG Insurance Brokers; Neil Esslemont, The Pensions Regulator.

Chamber events offer a superb opportunity to connect with the wider business community, raise your business profile and discover a host of possibilities. Featured are some recent Chamber events. INSPIRE

All prices quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated. For more information on any event: Sophie Watts, 01707 39 84 04, sophiewatts@hertschamber.com – or www.hertschamber.com

ChamberEvents

Forthcoming events Members Master Classes

Women in Leadership Lunches

Digital Marketing

Date: Time: Venue:

21st March 2017 10.00-12.00 Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9NE Members only. Free of Charge.

Marketing Tools, CRM & Systems Date: Time: Venue:

25th April 2017 10.00-12.00 Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9NE Members only. Free of Charge.

Save the dates: 25th 18th 12th 17th 28th

May 2017 July 2017 September October November

Property and Construction Forum BREEAM and Home Quality Mark - 27th April 2017

Tour of Local Award Winning Project - 22nd June 2017

Tour of BRE Innovation Park - 28th September 2017

Smart/Sustainable Products - 9th November 2017 Time: Venue: Member: Non-member:

17.15-19.00 TBC £18.00 per event £30.00 per event

The Chamber Property & Construction Forums are held in partnership with Constructing Excellence and will be particularly informative for businesses with an interest in construction, property or the built environments.

16th March 2017 12.00-14.00 Needham House Hotel, Little Wymondley, Stevenage, SG4 7JJ Sponsored by: Actus Speakers:

Lucinda Carney, CEO, Actus Denise Dollimore Director of MBA,UH Member: £25.00 Non-Member: £35.00 We will be joined by Lucinda Carney, CEO of our sponsor Actus™ for this inspirational lunch. A trusted advisor, confidante and coach at board level with responsibility for developing innovative leadership & talent management strategies, Lucinda will be sharing her advice on first-hand challenges of being a leader in times of change. In addition we will be joined by keynote speaker, Dr Denise Dollimore, Director of the MBA Programme at Hertfordshire Business School. Denise will be drawing on her award winning research on entrepreneurial mind-sets and how to acquire the flexible adaptive mind-sets required to thrive as effective leaders in complex uncertain environments.

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All prices quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated. For more information on any event: Sophie Watts, 01707 39 84 04, sophiewatts@hertschamber.com – or www.hertschamber.com

Date: Time: Venue:

6th July 12.00-14.00 Fanhams Hall, Fanhams Hall Road, Ware, SG12 7PZ Speaker: Vicky Ford MEP Member: £25.00 Non-Member: £35.00 We will be joined by one of the top ten most influential Members of the European Parliament, Vicky Ford MEP. Vicky is Chairman of the European Parliament Internal Market and Consumer Affairs Committee, one of the most powerful economic committees. She will be sharing how she has managed to become encouraging and influential throughout her career and balancing this with a husband and three children. This event is open to sponsorship including a 10 minute speaking opportunity. Date: Time: Venue:

16th November 12.00-14.00 Lussmanns Fish & Grill Restaurant, Waxhouse Gate, High St, St Albans, AL3 4EW Member: £25.00 Non-Member: £35.00 This event is open to sponsorship including a 10 minute speaking opportunity.

If you would like to sponsor a Women in Leadership lunch or find out more information, please contact sophiewatts@hertschamber.com or call 01707 502182.

ChamberEvents

programme Chamber HR Forums Family Business

3rd May 2017

Stakeholder Engagement

14th November 2017

Time: Venue:

09.00 – 12.00 Longmores, 24 Castle Street, Hertford, SG14 1HP Member: £15.00 per event Non-Member: £18.00 per event

Our HR Forums give business professionals the opportunity to meeting and connect with others across different sectors to develop smart working practices, take part in business discussions and connect with leading professionals.

Chamber Networking & Tour of Newsprinters with Ambition Broxbourne Date: Time: Venue:

23rd May 2017 10.30 – 13.00 Newsprinters Broxbourne, Great Cambridge Road (A10), Broxbourne, EN8 8DY Member: £12.50 Non-Member: £15.00 Join us at the world’s largest newspaper plant to gain an insight on Newspapers and a business that has realised its ambition of building the biggest and greenest newspaper plant, whilst overcoming the challenge of declining print sales. The factory currently prints for a large roster of national publications, including The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Sun and more. Make sure you don’t miss out on this sell out event.

September Chamber Lunch How To Build A Powerful Brand For Your Business Date:

14th September 2017

Time: Venue:

12.00-14.00 Beales Hotel Hatfield, Comet Way, Hatfield, AL10 9NG Member: £27.00 Non-Member: £35.00 Our guest speaker is James Hammond, Brand Doctor. Brand Doctor is the UK’s leading sales, marketing and brand consultant. James will be looking at what a brand is and what it isn’t. He will be showcasing the four-step process to building a winning brand and how to harness the power of the five senses to create a total brand experience that will

keep your customers coming back for more. James will also be discussing what brand innovation is and how you can achieve this.

Business Leader Lunches Date:

12th October 2017 23rd November 2017

Time: Venue:

12.00-14.00 Beales Hotel Hatfield, Comet Way, Hatfield, AL10 9NG Member: £27.00 Non-Member: £35.00

Hertfordshire PA Club Launch with Afternoon Tea We are delighted to be launching a unique PA Club for local Hertfordshire Businesses to enable PA and EA’s to network with other like-minded professionals. This lunch will be the launch of the PA club for you to share your ideas and thoughts to develop through our website, social media and networking events. Hertfordshire PA Club is aimed to be a fun, interactive, social business benefit for all PAs and EAs, to help you become more efficient and proficient in your roles, making your life easier! Date: Time: Venue:

25th May 2017 12.00 – 14.00 Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa, The Mansion House, Luton LU1 4LE

Free of charge for members Non-Member: £10.00

To find out more information on the Hertfordshire PA Club please contact naomipowell@hertschamber.com

INSPIRE All prices quotes include VAT at 20% unless otherwise stated. For more information on any event: Sophie Watts, 01707 39 84 04, sophiewatts@hertschamber.com – or www.hertschamber.com

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PatronFocus

Five actions you need to take before the apprenticeship levy lands Hart Learning & Development are helping businesses in a variety of sectors to use their levy to improve and grow. From May 2017, if your business has a payroll bill of £3m or more, you will pay 0.5% of that bill as a levy – which can either be spent on apprenticeships or lost as a tax. The apprenticeship levy is an opportunity for you to embrace apprenticeships as a way of meeting your current and future skills needs. It will fund Government’s ambition to support 3 million high quality apprenticeships over the life of the current Parliament. Lucy Hann, the Managing Director of Hart L&D, said: “The apprenticeship levy is designed to pay for the cost of training apprentices, and it’s making businesses think again about how they engage with apprenticeships. “Apprenticeships don’t need to be for entry level roles or specific trades like they once did. They can be used for bringing in young people and training them up, training existing staff, developing managers or to fill skill shortages.” In light of this, here are the top five things Hart L&D suggest you should do before the levy lands:

1. Think about how your workforce needs to develop If you’re a levy paying business, you’re about to have a sizeable workforce development budget to play with. The government are loosening eligibility rules so that you will be able to use your levy funds to pay for more or less any apprenticeship for anyone. There’s an apprenticeship for everything now – including professional areas, at higher levels. And employees, new and existing, young and old, can be apprentices. So if you have training needs that you have been wishing you could

afford to tackle, this is your opportunity. And actually, if you want to spend more than your levy, or if you’re too small to pay the levy, the subsidies available could still make staff development more affordable.

2. Commit to engaging with young people Knowing where your next wave of apprentices are going to come from is at least as important as choosing the areas you’re going to offer apprenticeships in. Thinking about what you can do in what Hart L&D call the ‘engaging phase’ - and committing to work with young people in your local community - will help you to play your part in the creation of a vibrant talent pipeline for your business and industry more widely.

3. Choose a training provider You will be able to use the online Apprenticeship Service to choose a supplier - who has met certain quality checks - to train your apprentices. You can choose to work with different suppliers for different specialisms, or let one partner handle everything. You can also negotiate on price under a maximum cap set by Government. There’s also the option for you to become a training provider yourself via an internal training function. There are quality and audit requirements that have to be met so this isn’t a roundabout route to getting out of paying the levy – but if you’re confident that you have the right expertise in house, it’s worth considering.

4. Plan and pilot apprenticeship programmes If you’re going to make the most of the new rules, now is the time to be getting really into the details

of your plans. You need to consider where your training needs – met or unmet – are and how apprenticeships can fill them, your attraction strategies and career paths to see how you can bring in the best people and keep them. You also need to factor in the impact of your training budgets into your financial planning. Piloting apprenticeship programmes is a good way of knowing what works before launching in a big way.

Doing these things now will mean that when May rolls around, you will be well prepared.

5. Advertise to get the best applicants You will need to think about where and how you can best run advertisements that will attract young people to your organisation; this might include targeted efforts to attract candidates from different communities and talent pools.

For more information about Hart L&D and to start a conversation about how they can help you think differently about emerging talent, visit www.hartld.co.uk. Or get inspiration from our online comic at www.hartld.co.uk/apprenticeship-levy/our-comic-strip/

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MembersNews

Setting standards The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) is the world’s largest professional body serving a global community of over 115,000 procurement and supply management professionals, across 150 countries.

Kingston Smith Tax team members achieve outstanding results St Albans accountancy firm Kingston Smith has announced that two members of its Tax team have achieved outstanding results in the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) examination. The CTA is recognised and respected internationally as the gold standard qualification for UK tax advisers. Assistant Manager Tom Acland was awarded the top prize in the form of The Institute Medal for the candidate with the best overall performance attempting the Awareness Paper and two Advisory Papers (all at the same sitting). He was also awarded a distinction in the ‘Advisory Paper: Advanced Corporation Tax’. Tax Manager Michelle Denny achieved a distinction in the ‘Advisory Paper: Taxation of Individuals’, and also passed the ‘Awareness Paper’. Her achievement is all the more remarkable as Michelle fitted her studies around being a mother to her young daughter. Both are now fully qualified Chartered Tax Advisers and Silvia Vitiello, partner at Kingston Smith’s St Albans office, said: “As a firm, we’re thrilled with Tom and Michelle’s fantastic achievements. Their superb efforts, along with the excellent results from other members of the team who are also now CTA qualified, marks our best ever year in terms of CTA results.”

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A not-for-profit organisation, with a Royal Charter, that exists for the public good, and reinvests its surplus into supporting and developing the profession. Dedicated to promoting best practice, CIPS sets the standards for the profession and is the only regulated procurement body in the world to promote a code of conduct. Membership of CIPS offers a range of benefits designed to support professional development and help organisations achieve all-round excellence in procurement; these include free knowledge resources, and discounted training, books and conferences. CIPS qualifications are recognised as setting the global standard for procurement and supply management education worldwide. These professional qualifications are designed to suit all the different stages of a procurement career, from technical knowledge for an administrative role to strategic supply chain management for senior executives. The Beds & Herts Branch has over 1,000 local members across a wide range of companies including SMEs and corporates, locally-headquartered multinationals such as MBDA, Tesco, TUI, and Xerox, as well as leading public sector organisations including local councils, NHS trusts, Cranfield University, and the University of Hertfordshire. The branch is run by member volunteers and organises events throughout the year to facilitate the professional development of CIPS members, and offers opportunities to learn and network, as well as supporting studying members to aid their progression in the profession. If you would like to understand more about CIPS, procurement and supply management, including the various routes to qualifications, apprenticeships, training and part time and distance study please contact the branch directly.

We also invite you to come and meet the branch committee at one of our future events and we welcome business leaders to come and talk to us about what good procurement can do for their business. Our next event is listed below. To book a place as a guest, please contact the branch committee at bedsandherts@cipsbranch.org. To view all forthcoming CIPS events visit bit.ly/CIPSBedsHertsFutureEvents Tuesday 21 March 2017, Strategic Category Management, Stevenage Matthew Bardell – Vice President Consulting at GEP will discuss how procurement teams can establish themselves as a valued business partner and trusted

advisor for the business through strategic category management. Sure, strategic sourcing is a great way to drive cost reductions and savings, but the C-suite is expecting more from procurement – value beyond savings, so you need something more pervasive, something that raises the game – strategic category management. GEP will share a framework for strategic category management to help you maximize category value, mitigate risk, increase revenue and support key enterprise goals.

MembersNews

A culture that makes the roads safer IAM RoadSmart has a mission to make better drivers and riders in order to improve road safety, inspire confidence and make driving and riding enjoyable. In fact, IAM RoadSmart has been striving to make the UK’s roads safer for more than 60 years. It does this through a range of courses for all road users, from shorter assessments through to the advanced driving and riding tests, which more than half a million people have passed and become an “IAM Member”. A vital part of the organisation is the work it does with businesses, large and small, in making their drivers safer and more efficient and their fleet more compliant and protected. The fact is, some company drivers are at greater risk of an on-road incident occurring. This could be down to bad driving habits, but it could also reflect the nature of the job, so factors such as high

risk driving environments or the type of vehicle need to be taken into account. Whatever the reason, IAM RoadSmart has a suite of business courses for those who drive for work. Underpinning any driver training has to be a culture of road safety at the workplace, which everyone in the organisation has to “buy-in” to. This includes the person or people at the very top; the CEO, the MD, the owner, the board of directors. As vocal and visible advocates for road safety, it is far easier for cultural changes and training to be adopted across the workforce if those at the helm have already done so. Driver training should always be seen as a positive addition to a company’s duty of care to its

employees. As drivers, they will benefit from being more skilled, safer and greener and can share in the business success that comes with that; cost savings, greater business efficiency and a happier and more productive workforce. IAM RoadSmart would love to hear from businesses in Hertfordshire who would like to make their fleet and drivers safer and better. At any time there are more than 7,000 drivers and riders actively engaged with IAM RoadSmart’s courses, from members of the public to company drivers, while its Driver Retraining Academy has helped more than 2,500 drivers to shorten their bans through education and support programmes.

An award-winning recruitment consultancy Tate is an award-winning recruitment consultancy that provides high calibre candidates for office support and office professional roles. Established in 1985, with a promise 'to be the best, everywhere, all the time', our vision since our launch has been to be a jewel of a consultancy, one that stands out from the competition in every aspect. Tate offer a portfolio of tailored recruitment solutions, ensuring that our clients benefit from high quality, talented employees. Their core areas of expertise include HR,

Administration, Secretarial, Personal Assistants, Executive Assistants, Customer Services, Business Development, Account Management, and Marketing based roles. Tate are so sure that our clients will be delighted with our service that we've created the unique Watertight Guarantee. Tate's commitment to quality means we go the extra mile with the strongest temporary guarantee.

Quite simply, if you're not happy with our service, you don't pay. In addition, if a Tate permanent placement leaves within the first 100 days and we are unable to refill the vacancy, the entire fee is refunded plus an additional 10%. The Tate Watertight Guarantee is the strongest in the industry. The right person for every job every time or you don't pay a penny! Tate have 30 branches nationwide.

High speed racing experience Rye House Kart Raceway located in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire provides a high speed racing experience that is exciting and fun for all skill levels. Once you have experienced Rye House Kart Raceway, you will learn why outdoor go kart racing is one of the most popular activities in the country! Our highperformance Le Mans Twin karts 320cc karts are capable of speeds of over 70mph with precise handling and control. Combine that with being just a couple of inches off the ground, and the thrill is one you will never forget! Events at Rye House Kart Raceway can include full use of our facility, including meeting, conference rooms and racetrack. Additionally, we can provide tailormade packages with all of the

standard event amenities, from audio/visual equipment to a complete catering selection. So if you need to host any event, you can be sure that you will get unparalleled service and an experience you won't soon forget! Open daily 7 days a week from 10am – 10pm We can host a variety of corporate events such as: • Sales Meetings • Employee Incentives, Recognition & Loyalty Rewards • New Product Releases • Training Seminars • Birthday Parties

• • • •

Customer Appreciation Team Building Celebrations Stag/Hen Parties Sport Team Celebrations and much more... • Business Lunches • Bar Mitzvahs • Private Full Facility Rentals are available (Up to 300 Guests) You may like to check out our Website www.rye-house.co.uk and online corporate brochure: www.rye-house.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2016/11/ Corporate-Brochure-A5-layoutV5_rs.pdf

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BusinessNews

Open for business – the Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre Keys for the new Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre were handed to Broxbourne Council at a special event on Thursday 12 January – meaning that the state-of-the-art facility is now officially open for business.

Andrew Morris (Ashe) Lord Lietenant, Deputy Mayor Cllr Crump, Leader of Council Cllr Mills-Bishop and David Williams (Herts LEP) The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, the Countess of Verulam, attended the opening of the £4.6m project in Pindar Road, Hoddesdon, alongside Broxbourne’s MP Charles Walker, the Leader of the Council Mark MillsBishop and Deputy Mayor Councillor Carol Crump. Councillor David Williams, Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Education and Skills and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Board Member also attended. Hertfordshire LEP contributed £1.8m to the project. After a tour of the facility, Lady Verulam formally welcomed attendees

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to the event before Andrew Morris of building contractor Ashe Construction handed the keys to the Deputy Mayor. The Deputy Mayor said: “It is a privilege for me to accept the key for the Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre on behalf of the Council. I’m confident that the Centre will flourish, along with the businesses that have taken up residency here. “We’re very lucky to have this fantastic facility here in Broxbourne and I commend everyone involved. I look forward to hearing about all of the success stories it brings.” Council Leader, Councillor Mark MillsBishop, said: “It is looking splendid

and the first tenants have already moved in and are enjoying the stateof-the-art facilities on offer. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being shown round these modern offices and I look forward to hearing stories of those businesses that work within its walls finding success in the Borough and beyond.” Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership Board Member, Councillor David Williams said: "The centre provides high quality accommodation with flexible easy-in, easy-out terms to help start-up and maturing SMEs prepare for growth. Having contributed £1.8m to the delivery of this project, Hertfordshire LEP is

pleased with the way in which the project has been managed by the Council to deliver a landmark building on time. We are confident that it will be a great success and continue to support local entrepreneurs for many years to come.” Broxbourne Council owns the centre, and Basepoint Business Centres was involved in shaping its construction and will operate it on behalf of the Council. Other partners included, RH Partnership Architects, Baqus as Employers Agent and Quantity Surveyors, Method as Mechanical and Electrical Consultants and Pick Everard as Structural Engineers.

Why choose the Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre? The modern facility has 68 offices and studio spaces and its focus is on the needs of start-ups and those existing businesses that are seeking to grow, with the provision of quality accommodation with easyin, easy-out terms. • 20,000 square feet of modern and flexible serviced business space • Quality accommodation • Different sized units available • On-site management

• Serviced meeting rooms • High-speed internet access • Free parking • Business support • Easy-in, easy-out terms If you are interested in letting some space at the Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre, please contact Basepoint Business Centres. Email: broxbourne@basepoint.co.uk Call: 01992 877310 www.basepoint.co.uk/broxbourne

MembersNews

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst is five years old

Environmental Message from F.T. Gearing Landscape Services

Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC), the open innovation campus driving collaboration to improve healthcare, is celebrating its fifth birthday.

The environmental crisis we are faced with has left many of us overwhelmed and wondering what sort of difference we can make.

Opened in February 2012 to bring together academia, industry, the NHS and other players in the UK life sciences sector, SBC now has 49 tenants which have raised more than £200m in funding. A five-year celebration event will be held later in 2017, which will showcase campus success stories and discuss plans for Phase 2 of SBC's development. SBC is very proud of the vibrant community that has been created on campus, with organisations large and small networking and collaborating. A high volume of visitors has added to the mix, increasing the chance of fruitful interactions catalysing innovation. Other highlights of the period include the development progress made by some of SBC's smallest corporate tenants, launch of an open innovation challenge in neurodegenerative diseases, and the establishment of translational laboratories by the University of Cambridge and UCL (University College London). Relocation of MRC Technology's Centre for Therapeutics Discovery to, and location of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult's Large Scale Manufacturing Centre on, the site are also important for the development of the campus. Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst's stakeholders are GlaxoSmithKline, Wellcome, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (formerly the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills), and Innovate UK. They continue to be supportive as plans for Phase 2 of the campus are developed.

There are many ways we can live more harmoniously with nature. Here are a few handy gardening tips to do help you do just that. • Collect rain to water your garden. Much of England and Wales could face serious water shortages, the worst area effected is the south east. • Recycle your garden waste – Start a compost heap. The Hertfordshire Waste Partnership is working with getcomposting.com to provide reduced priced environmental products like water butts and compost bins. • Use native plants able to withstand weather extremes of your area so they need less maintenance and fertilisers. This prevents pollution in your local waterways. Native plants get on with other native plants and local wildlife benefit. • Find locally grown plants and products. Energy is used transporting plants, compost and tools so it’s worth doing some research. These are often cheaper too! • Grow your own flowers. Flowers help pollinating insects and wild birds to survive. Honey Bees are vital to our food chain and support many plant and flower species through pollination. Visit www.friendsofthehoneybee.com for information on bee friendly flowers.

• Even small gardens can help the environment as plants convert carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas into oxygen which will improve the air quality. If you don’t have a lot of room for a garden many plants and vegetables thrive in pots and don’t take up much space. • Dead wood habitats, such as log piles, can support a wide range of garden wildlife. Beetles, woodlice, centipedes and millipedes which in turn will attract hedgehogs, toads, mice and birds. • Grow your own veg. This cuts down on demand for produce shipped from other continents there by cutting down on transport pollution. • Use sustainable urban drainage when building new or updating patios and driveways. Regulations states that when constructing a new driveway or improving an existing one you must use Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDS). This means that the materials you use must allow the water to pass through it or be directed into a soakaway within the property boundary to reduce the risk of flooding. By using a variety of sustainable drainage methods we can replicate the natural drainage system and manage rainfall where it falls. There are many more benefits to SUDS, like helping harvest rainwater and contributing to water efficiency. One of the ways to implement sustainable drainage is with permeable paving. For more information about SUDS contact FT Gearing Landscape Services Ltd www.ft-gearing.co.uk

Concerns about flooding in your area? Are you in a flood risk area? Go to www.flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk

Refurbishment provides a new look at The Grove The Grove in Hertfordshire has unveiled a transformation of its meeting and events spaces. The existing spaces have been reconfigured and refreshed and a new suite with an oval function room at its heart has been created by the hotel’s original designer. Martin Hulbert was briefed to turn up the volume on “bringing the outside in” to the rooms and spaces, integrating them with the gardens and grounds beyond. In keeping with the rest of the hotel, he was also charged to look for interesting art and objects. The Grove’s customer research had shown that clients particularly appreciated The

Grove’s natural setting so close to London as well as its contemporary style, flair and complete flexibility. There was also a definite move towards a preference for non-traditional venues suited to experiential, thought-provoking events. Martin Hulbert said: “We were very aware that these spaces would be for brainstorming, creativity but also for celebrations and special occasions. The designs are all about inspiration – bringing the great outdoors in, plenty of natural daylight and

open views – so people working or socialising in the rooms don’t feel fenced in and the art was chosen to make people smile and to think out of the box.” The new configuration offers more space, more style and total flexibility for any size of event, from small meetings to large functions for up to 700. Michael Helling, The Grove’s General Manager, saids: “These are beautiful spaces that people will really enjoy being in. The Cedar suite is truly unique, there is nothing else like it. It is compelling and exciting, with

endless possibilities for how it can be dressed and reinvented for each event. I believe this investment will make us one of the country’s leading meetings and events destinations near London. Anything really is possible at The Grove now.”

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Health&Wellbeing

Jeremy Read’s hands on guide Mr Jeremy Read is a consultant surgeon at Spire Harpenden who specialises in hand and wrist problems. Here, he answers common questions about hand and wrist pain, much of which can be caused or aggravated by stresses on the hands and wrists at work. I’ve suffered with pins and needles in my hand for a while and am worried it could be carpal tunnel, what do you think? Classically, carpal tunnel is tingling, pins and needles or numbness in the thumb, index and middle fingers; very often the symptoms don’t affect the little finger. It is often worse at night and can wake people up from sleep. There are many underlying causes that lead to pressure on the nerve in your wrist. The symptoms can be related to activity, or to pressure, for example using a telephone or holding a book. How can carpal tunnel be managed? I recommend simple things like activity modification, for example, using a hands-free for phone calls or a wrist support for a keyboard can help. Some people benefit from splints used at night or from physiotherapy and stretching exercises. If these don’t work then an injection may be useful and if

symptoms still persist then it can be managed with a fairly simple and quick operation that is done under a local anaesthetic. What do people mean by trigger finger? Trigger finger is where one of the tendons that bends your finger is getting caught at the mouth of a little tunnel in the palm of your hand. Imagine pulling a thread through the eye of a needle when it’s got a knot in it, and it suddenly “pops” through. It can be quite painful and sometimes actually gets stuck and cannot be straightened. It can be related to heavy activity, particularly in gardeners who might do lots of work with secateurs. What should I do if I have trigger finger? In the early stages it can sometimes be eased or stopped by reducing gripping activity and topical anti-inflammatories over the palm of the hand can also help. If these do not help, a steroid injection into the tendon sheath can be very beneficial. However, if it persists, a small operation can be done to release the tendon.

Many people may not have heard of De Quirvain’s, what is it? I see quite a lot of patients with De Quirvain’s, caused by the way they’re using their hands. De Quirvain’s is similar to trigger finger, where the tendons that straighten the thumb are getting inflamed or trapped as they go through a tunnel on the side of the wrist. This is common in business people who have poorly positioned mice and keyboards. I recommend gel wrist supports for keyboards and mice for those who have work related De Quirvain’s. It can be treated with physiotherapy and stretching or steroid injections, and occasionally requires a surgical release. Are there other things that can cause pain around the thumb? Many of my patients presenting with thumb pain have thumb based arthritis. This can start even in the early 40’s. The symptoms can be managed with splints, hand therapy and injections in many people for a long time before they require any kind of surgery. Even if it is already severe arthritis there are surgical treatments that can get rid of pain while maintaining good function.

Top 3 handy tips 1. Correct posture and wrist positions at a desk are key. Sometimes a different mouse might help. 2. Do short periods of heavy activity and take breaks rather than a long burst, as this allows the soft tissues to recover. 3. Don’t ignore problems; they’re often treated much more simply earlier. Spire Harpenden Hospital Ambrose Lane, Harpenden. AL5 4BP Telephone: 01582 714307 www.spireharpenden.com

One Stop Doctors introduces OSD Corporate Care One Stop Doctors - the new private healthcare provider located in Hemel Hempstead - has launched a suite of medical, healthcare and wellness services for corporates to help companies look after their most important asset: their people. OSD Corporate Care is a bespoke package of services designed for individual companies, and can include: GP and dentist appointments at convenient times (early, late, weekends); overseas travel healthcare; employee health assessments; psychological health; orthopaedics and physiotherapy; equipment and ergonomic

assessments; annual vaccinations; drugs and alcohol screening; and a wide range of occupational health services. Sarah Jones, Occupational Health and Wellbeing Lead for One Stop Doctors, says: “We believe healthy people lead to healthy, successful businesses. We will work with businesses to identify specific risks and areas for improvement. We’re aiming to help businesses achieve a number of benefits, such reducing sickness absence costs, preventing work-related ill health and injuries, improving employees’ wellbeing, and therefore productivity, and ensuring statutory health and safety requirements are met.” In 2015/16, 30.4 million working days were lost due to work-related illness or injury. Stress, depression or anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders accounted for the majority

of these days (11.7 and 8.8 million days respectively)*. “In addition to this,” says Jones, “the annual median cost, per employee, due to sickness absence is £522*.” However, One Stop Doctors believes that the cost of sickness absence and workplace injury/illness litigation can be mitigated through the provision of an effective Occupational Health Service. They will work closely with businesses to ensure occupational health and wellbeing are embedded in their business functions including working with Private Health Insurance providers, Income Protection, and Pension Schemes. Jones continues: “The modern world places many stresses on an employee, which can result in a range of physical issues, such as ‘tech neck’ and repetitive strain

injury, as well as psychological problems, such as anxiety, depression and stress. “Aside from the clear ethical responsibility for a business to look after its people, there are sound business reasons for doing |so as it has been proven time and again that a healthy, happy workforce is a more productive one. “We’re in the business of keeping people healthy and happy, and are proud to launch a whole range of services tailored to corporates, to ensure their people are always performing to their full potential.” For more information, see www.onestopdoctors.co.uk One Medical House, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7YU Tel: 0800 852 1234

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YoungChamber

Futures Day at St Albans Girls’ Young Chamber School offered Year 11 Students valuable interview experience On 10th January St Albans Girls’ School held their 'Futures Day' for their Year 11 students. St Albans and Harpenden Careers Network Yolanda Rugg, had the pleasure of presenting on our Young Chamber programme and the fantastic work we do with local Hertfordshire Schools engaging with the wider business community at the St Albans and Harpenden Careers Network on Wednesday 8th February. It was great to see so many schools including St Albans Girls School, Sir John Lawes School, Townsend School, St Albans High School for Girls, Chancellors School and Beaumont School. A total of 190 pupils were offered a real mock interview experience with professionals from a variety of industries. This annual event welcomed interviewers from some of the largest national employers in the UK such as Britvic Ltd, IBM, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. For many of the pupils this was their very first interview experience and it gave them an excellent opportunity to develop interview skills and build up their confidence levels. Each student provided the interviewer with a carefully prepared detailed CV in advance of the day. The information formed the foundation for dialogue during the interview. Prior to the day pupils were also carefully advised on appropriate clothes to wear, body language, and how to plan ahead for a success interview experience. Following the interviews students were given valuable feedback - Year 11 student Jess Laitner said, ‘I was very nervous at first, but after that I really enjoyed, and I found it was a very useful experience.’ STAGS would like to say a huge thank you to all parents, organisations and companies from outside industry for giving the year 11 students this vital experience. Thank you to representatives from DWP, Necton Consulting, The Triathlon Trust, Computacenter, Soroptimists International, Leonardo, The St Albans Priory Rotary Club, Raydens Solicitors, CIPD, Rothamstead, and Roccavivi.

St Albans Girls’ School Careers Fair We were delighted to attend a careers fair at STAGS on Thursday 9th February to encourage students of the possible apprenticeship routes available.

If you would like to get involved with Young Chamber please contact Courteney Black on 01707 502183 or email courteneyblack@hertschamber.com

It was great to see so many of our members there on the night including MBDA, SA Law, Oaklands College and University of Hertfordshire. If you would like our support at future Careers Fairs or would like to exhibit at our Young Chamber schools events please contact Courteney Black on 01707 502183 or email courteneyblack@hertschamber.com We are looking forward to continuing our work with our Young Chamber schools to bridge the gap between education and employment. We will be attending a Higher Apprenticeship Evening for Sixth Form students at Sir John Lawes School later this month and will be engaging with the students to share an insight into Apprenticeships with the experience gained through employing three higher apprentices here at Herts Chamber. Sir John Lawes School are also holding their successful annual careers fair which we are delighted to be supporting and attending to engage with a variety of students. We look forward to seeing many of our members there!

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Workplace

Market Research Tips for Small Businesses

What’s the Business Case for Full Time?

How to do your own research to increase profits and improve your competitive advantage. Market Research is one of the most useful tools to find out what your customers and prospects really want, need and care about. Often perception may be different to reality, and this might by why profit margins are under pressure and sales have declined. Market research helps businesses better understand their market sector, the changing needs of customers/prospects, and competitor activity/weaknesses. It is an essential element of marketing planning, and helps small businesses improve the effectiveness of their marketing investments (whether that is time attending a networking event or money spent on advertising).

One of the best ways to know the needs and requirements of your prospects is by understanding more about your existing customers and why they buy from you. However, I’d recommend you start with your most profitable customers because I’m sure you would like more of these! According to industry research, a prospect with a similar profile to an existing customer is eight times more likely to buy from you than a random prospect. By understanding your ideal buyer better is a start, and more sophisticated B2C and B2B customer profiling are available from organisations like Experian (basic analysis can be free)!

CK Assessment and Training is an established BPEC approved ACS centre providing a full range of domestic gas assessments. We are also a City and Guilds centre offering a selection of different courses in gas and plumbing. Offering courses in: • ACS. CCN1 plus domestic elements • Commercial ACS and elements • Gas training courses to ACS standard • NVQ Diploma In Plumbing & Heating • Renewables

CK Assessment & Training Ltd

Unit 2/3 Meridian Buildings, Nazeing Glassworks Estate, Nazeing New Road, Broxbourne, Herts, EN10 6SX

www.ckatuk.com

T: 01992 444 029

F: 01992 449 222

According to Penny Wylie, a CIM member and owner of Action Point Marketing Solutions, the essential questions you should ask include: how did you hear about us, why did you buy from us rather than another business, and what other products/services would you be interested in getting from us? These three questions will help any business decide what marketing is generating leads, and key messages the organisation should convey to prospects. In addition, don’t forget about the prospects who didn’t buy from you and remember to ask them why they made a different decision. As well as asking customers directly, you could do an online questionnaire using services like www.surveymonkey.co.uk, or email an auto-responder once a customer has purchased online with a key question. In regards to market/competitor intelligence and further support then the Hertfordshire Business Library (based in Welwyn Garden City) has excellent resources available including COBRA (market sector intelligence), FAME (company records), Market Line (research on large businesses and industries), and Mi Ventures (free business advice). Want to know more? Then read ‘Market Research in a Week’ by Judy Bartkowiak available from the CIM Bookshop or online. Good luck! Kelvin Golding Regional Chairman Chartered Institute of Marketing.

“One of the best ways to improve your sales conversion rate is to understand why customers really buy from you.”

There is still much talk about ‘what’s the business case for flexible working’? It seems to be fast becoming a pretty redundant discussion as flexibility is accepted as an integral part of Business DNA and those that are still seeking documented business case evidence are not listening to their people, customers or shareholders. However, there’s still seems some way to go around the value of professional part-time roles. Many companies still resort to the default of full-time status for a role without thinking about what that role needs to deliver and whether it really requires a full week. There is a very practical business case for professional part-time. Fewer hours means lower cost. There it is. That's it. Oh, and there's no compromise on the talent that's available and your people are happier and more loyal. And opting for part-time or a flexible working pattern might attract more talented people than the full-time alternative. We see it happen. A lot. So …. What job can't be carried out in a nine day fortnight? There may be some but the majority could be. You need someone every day? Five hours every day of the week offers a 33% salary cost reduction. Oh, and isn't part-time only for 'lower level' jobs? Ask your part-time Non-Executive Chairman. He'll tell you. So the challenge for business owners and HR teams is to ask 'What's the business case for full-time?' or 'Why do we need to budget for full time hours on this role' and don't take 'it's busy' for an answer. Businesses all over Hertfordshire are doing just that and by flipping their thinking they’re keeping their businesses resourced smartly. If you’d like to know more about how flexible working could help your business, call Ten2Two today. 01442 503727

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NewMembers

Welcome to new members Easy Wifi Ltd

Gardamed Limited

LIFE Build Solutions

POhWER

Provide secure Wifi solutions for business Office 16, Maylands Business Centre, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 7ES 01442 531040 www.easy-wifi.co.uk

Distribution, sales and marketing of compression hosiery for lymphoedema, phlebology and wound care The Pixmore Centre, Pixmore Avenue, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 1JG. 01462 411819 www.gardamed.com

Building Contractors

Provide information, advocacy and advice services across the UK Based in Stevenage www.pohwer.net

Eureka Sales Inspirational Sales and Marketing Speaker Northampton House, Park Road, Essex, CM6 2JH 0203 151 6165 www.eurekaselling.co.uk

MET Medical Ltd Private ambulance service covering events, private transfers

Groves Executive Coaching

Unit 4, 222 London Road, St

Coaching high performing, high achieving women in the work place The Cart Shed, Old Hall Green, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG11 1HE www.grovesexecutivecoaching.com

Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 1PN

JW Virtual Assistance

Business consultancy for SMEs, designer shoes and fashion making Based in Hemel Hempstead www.finsk.com

UK based credit controller and your personal assistant, manage social media and blogs Based in Stevenage www.jwvirtualassistance.com

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www.lifebuild.co.uk

and NHS work

FINSK

Based in High Wycombe

0203 627 9042 www.met-medical.co.uk

PathFinder4 Limited An ecosystem aimed at helping leaders perfect their ability to be positively disruptive in the world Based in London 0207 993 9043 www.patherfinder4.com

Sharp-AX Computer Systems Ltd Computer system sales and integrated websites R&R House, Northbridge Road, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 1EH 01442 505950 www.sharp-ax.com

Solveway Delivers IT, Web and Telecoms Apprenticeships Barnwell School, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 9SW 01438 893110 www.solveway.co.uk

NewMembers

Star Events

The LowTax Group

Corporate events and hospitality

Accountants and Tax Advisors

specialists

4 Millbridge Mews, Hertford,

Based in Knebworth

Hertfordshire, SG14 1PY

www.starevents-uk.com

07547 905831 www.lowtax.co.uk

Strand PR Limited Public relations, marketing and social media Based in Buntingford www.strand-pr.co.uk

The Virtual Marketer Email marketing specialist and marketing mentor 22 Broad Acres, Hatfield Garden Village, Hertfordshire, AL10 9LD 01707 258959 www.thevirtualmarketeer.co.uk

Striking Places

Toureen Group

Specialist 360 Photography

Groundworks, demolition,

company

basements, retail and petroleum

Based in St Albans

Based in Harrow

www.strikingplaces.com

www.toureengroup.co.uk

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Finance

Getting a head start - financial tips for business start ups What is the key to financial success for a new business? By Richard Cranstone According to Richard Cranstone, Partner at Playfair Partnerships, it’s all about good planning, good advice and keeping your eye on the ball. Setting up a business is an exciting time but it’s often a very steep learning curve, when you suddenly have to get your head round all sorts of admin, marketing, sales, HR and financial issues. It can be tempting to skip over some of the planning in your enthusiasm to start trading but it’s important to set firm foundations for your business and get expert advice, as you’ll reap the rewards later on. From a financial perspective, the following key areas will not only get your business off to a good start but put it in a strong position to prosper long term.

The fundamentals There are some important decisions and plans to make early

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on, including choosing the most suitable structure for your business (sole trader, Ltd company etc.). As well as having a clear business plan in place, you’ll need to prepare a financial plan and budget for the year ahead, identifying any funding you may need and exploring funding options and providers. A cashflow forecast should be a priority, to ensure you don’t run out of cash before you get going or just as your business is starting to take off, and will be essential when talking to funders.

Routine essentials New businesses can often trip up when it comes to other tasks which may not be particularly exciting but still require meticulous attention. Registering for VAT and PAYE; calculating and submitting the appropriate returns on time; preparing for autoenrolment and digital tax; and setting up your bookkeeping and

payment processes; are just some of the other essentials which you’ll need to consider.

Staying one step ahead In our experience the most important part of ensuring the success of any business is the ongoing monitoring and analysis of your business performance. This includes: • Measuring performance against the business plan and Key Performance Indicators • Ensuring you have regular, accurate management accounts to measure progress • Monitoring cashflow and profitability on an ongoing basis • Regularly updating your financial forecasts and spotting issues early This is an area where young businesses can particularly benefit from the right external expertise. As your business grows, you are

likely to have less time to devote to proactive financial management so getting support with this task can have a big impact on the health of your business. It will also mean you are up to date with the constantly evolving financial landscape and changes to regulation, such as the introduction of digital tax returns, auto enrolment, the national living wage etc. At Playfair Partnerships, we work with a wide range of start-ups from the initial idea, through the important first year and beyond. For advice on starting and growing your business, please get in touch. Email: mail@playfairpartnerships.com

Finance

Investment promises a boost for space exploration The Government has announced new investment in Space exploration and Hertfordshire is set to benefit from the knock-on effect of growing public interest. Business Secretary Greg Clark confirmed that Tim Peake will make a second mission to the International Space Station to continue work on scientific research and broadening our understanding of space. Tim Peake himself opened the new Airbus Foundation Discovery Space STEM Centre in Stevenage. The Centre features educational exhibits to promote science, technology, engineering and maths to inspire the next generation of engineers, technicians and scientists, based around the Airbus testing facility for its Mars rover programme. The site is expected to receive about 5,000 school visitors per year. Mr Clark’s announcement marks a further boost to the UK’s space ambitions and to the profile of the sector. The Minister said that UK space businesses are set to benefit from a £152 million fund, using British expertise in satellite technology for international projects monitoring and addressing problems such as flooding, drought and deforestation. The national funding follows the UK commitment of €1.4 billion, equivalent to around £300 million a year, which has been set aside for the European Space Agency over the next four years. It signals a major advance in support for the sector, with future growth focused on increasing the number of people with the technical training to support the industry, greater opportunity for private sector companies to invest in commercial projects, and continued expansion of British satellite technology businesses. Greg Clark said: “Tim Peake’s Principia mission inspired a generation, and showed just how far science can take you.

“Our space sector underpins industries worth more than £250 billion to the economy, employing people in every corner of the UK. It has enormous potential to grow further – showing why we have placed such an emphasis on science, innovation and skills in our plans for an industrial strategy. “Building on excellent foundations, our ambition is to capture 10% of the space market by 2030 and ensure the UK space industry is a global leader in the decades ahead. The UK space sector is growing and employs more than 38,000 people across the UK in parts of the space supply chain as diverse as specialist cutting machinery and satellite antennae. The sector is highly productive, with output per worker almost three times the national average and one of the most skilled workforces in Britain.

A report published by the UK Space Agency in December 2016 showed that British firms are positive about the future, with seven in ten businesses expecting their income to grow over the next few years, and over half expecting export sales to grow. Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said: “The UK space sector is responsible for ground breaking, innovative developments and technologies used to solve some of the most pressing global challenges of our time. Our space technology and

expertise in analysing satellite data is world leading, and through the International Partnership Programme we are supporting countries around the world while helping UK businesses to thrive. “Meanwhile, our strong collaboration with the European Space Agency will continue, backed by £300 million per year to ensure the UK remains a core part of the European space programme.”

“Building on excellent foundations, our ambition is to capture 10% of the space market by 2030 and ensure the UK space industry is a global leader in the decades ahead.”

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Dacorum

Hemel 70 years young

Dacorum businesses aim for perfect pitch

Hemel Hempstead is celebrating a double birthday – not only 70 years since it became a New Town, but also the one year anniversary of its Business Ambassadors.

Dacorum’s Den – the business grant scheme based on the popular TV show – is back for 2017.

Development in Hemel Hempstead’s Maylands Business Park (courtesy of Hightown Housing Association)

The group came together 12 months ago to promote Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring by strengthening its reputation as a prime choice for businesses, attracting key people to work and live in the area, creating new jobs and appealing to investors and developers. Inward investment to the area is already high, driven in part by

Dacorum Borough Council’s ambitious Hemel Evolution regeneration programme which has sympathetically renovated the historic Old Town, successfully prepared the New Town high street for 21st century leisurebased retail and restored the Jellicoe Water Gardens heritage. Chief Executive Sally Marshall commented, “Dacorum Borough

Council is proud to promote economic growth and prosperity of the local areas as a key priority. As a committed and fully engaged member of the Hemel Hempstead Business Ambassadors Scheme we will consult and encourage dialogue with HHBA as a key consultee when developing the Council’s policies and plans.” As Ambassador Place Manager Gary Stringer recognises, “There is still much to do in changing local perceptions and raising aspirations for the future of the town, which is why the Business Ambassadors are so central to this project. But with over 50 local businesses signing on and pledging their commitment to raising the profile of the area, we’re firmly established in promoting Hemel Hempstead and the opportunities it offers businesses, developers and institutions.” For further information, visit www.hhba.work or contact Gary on tel: 01442 228808.

All Dacorum-based businesses with fewer than 20 employees and an annual turnover of less than £1 million can apply for up to £1,000. If you’re starting a new business, developing a new product or service, investing in new equipment to improve your efficiency or expanding into a new market, now’s your chance. Competition organiser Dacorum Borough Council is hosting a launch seminar on Friday 31 March from 10am at The Forum in Hemel Hempstead. Everyone who’s interested in entering can hear about past success stories, meet the judges and learn how best to make the perfect pitch. The deadline for applications is 19 May. This year’s sponsors include Abode Bed & Continental, Gyron, Haspineall Collins, JE2 and McDonald’s. If you’re ready to make it big in business, book your place on the launch seminar at www.eventbrite.co.uk or email philippa.shaw@dacorum.gov.uk. For more information, visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/dacorumsden

3D Printing and Design Event University of Hertfordshire Thursday 18th May 2017 4.30pm – 6.00pm As business becomes increasingly competitive, uncertain and disruptive, the need to forecast and plan ahead becomes paramount to ensure businesses remain relevant and profitable. How do businesses continue to remain relevant when the world is rapidly and constantly changing? Innovation is the buzzword of the moment as companies use it to define theirproducts and services. But what does it really mean to be innovative? The University of Hertfordshire is opening its doors to showcase its cutting edge research and consultancy around 3D printing and design. As an attendee you will get the chance to explore the business applications of 3D printing and design, see demonstrations of 3D printers at work and explore how designers make full use of the technology. Join us to see and discuss how 3D

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printing is revolutionising manufacturing, fashion, product design, architecture, aerospace, medicine and more. Work on show includes collaborations and projects with EOS, Milton Keynes Heritage Foundation, Ben Eine and Headworks. Our industry partners include EOS, Digits2Widgets, Covestro (subsidiary of Bayer). The University has an excellent track record working with clients from a wide of industries using its expertise to deliver solutions to complex issues. They include medicine, town planners, museums, product designers, architects and brand management companies. The ‘Digital Hack Lab’ was set up to foster innovation through collaboration, removing the silos that exist within design and other disciplines, whether it be with fashion, engineering, the sciences, architecture, product or industrial design. With the assistance of leading industry partners, the Digital Hack Lab develops real world solutions

to existing problems. Customers of the Lab benefit from a deeper and more rigorous academic involvement in the development of services and products. Working with the University offers individuals and companies expertise in the design area as well as expert knowledge of 3D technology. Academics continue to push the boundaries to expand and build on knowledge of what these machines can achieve. On Thursday 19th May from 4.00pm, at the University of Hertfordshire’s College Lane

Campus, attendees can view current projects and case studies while networking with refreshments. At 4.30pm there will be a short welcome and series of talks from relevant experts. All attendees will have the opportunity to tour our advanced facilities and see a 3D printing machine at work. Finally, you can relax and network over a curry and drinks. If you are interested in attending or would like more information please email be@herts.ac.uk

International

A land of opportunities Emanuel Adam Director of Policy and Trade, BritishAmerican Business Go America It was only recently that June Medical, a medical device manufacturer based out of Oxford, decided to make the step to the other side of the Atlantic. With a small team of eight, but with much success in their business in the UK, June Medical is looking to grow further in the US. Being in the stage of finding suitable distribution partners for their products, June Medical expects to enter the US market within the next 12 months. Expanding business to the US was also the ambition of Northern Star, an IT support company from London. It worked. With a 5-year plan in hand and an opened office in New York, Northern Star is set to expand even further across the US, with

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plans to open another office in San Francisco in the near future. June Medical and Northern Star are just two out of the many UKbased companies that look at the US when it comes to growing their business internationally. In fact, when asked about their preferred foreign business destination, the majority of UK businesses would name the US first. The US offers a huge market, different clusters of highlydeveloped industries across the country, a common language, a highly skilled workforce, and not to forget special historic ties with the UK. As a result, the US is the UK’s top destination in trade and investment. The investment relationship between the US and UK has made strides since the new millennium,

with the value of FDI stock held by UK investors in the US increasing 45.9% between 2005 and 2014. Every day a million American workers get up in the morning to work for a UK-owned company, such as for our friends at Northern Star. The trade in goods between the US and UK is worth over £160bn annually, with the US accounting for 19.7% of all UK exports, primarily in Machinery & Transport Equipment (£14.4bn), Chemicals (£9.4bn), and Miscellaneous Manufactured Articles (£5bn). For the past decade the UK has run a continuous trade surplus with the US, with an average value of £28.1bn – peaking in 2013 with a surplus figure of £40.3bn.

A Strong Support System The opportunities are vast, as are the challenges. Different legal systems in US states, immigration issues or, as June Medical reports, finding the right distributor, can be challenging, particularly to those who have neither the experience nor the resources. Luckily, with the continuing success of the UK-US trade and investment relationship comes a strong support system in both the UK and the US that is meant to help companies navigate this exciting step for their business. The Department of International Trade (DIT) offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK,

International

Strengthening ties Jeffries Briginshaw, CEO BritishAmerican Business The United Kingdom has no closer ally than the United States. Jointly our two countries take action to meet the challenges we face locally, nationally and globally. Our bilateral cooperation reflects the common language, ideals and democratic practices of two nations built over the centuries. And, despite recent uncertainty, we can afford to be upbeat. Because, whatever the challenge, the British American economic relationship is a source of great strength, stability and opportunity. We are the single largest investor in each other’s economies. A million British people go to work every day in the UK for a US headquartered company, just as a million Americans go to work every day to work for a British headquartered company in the US. The business activities of the thousands of companies that day in, day out, trade and invest across our borders strengthen the ties between our respective economies and bring prosperity to our people.

Washington D.C., it is significant that UK Prime Minister Theresa May became the first foreign leader to meet with United States President Donald Trump following his Inauguration. Any moves to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries will be welcomed by the transatlantic business community, as will any easing of regulatory burdens on the thousands of businesses operating in towns and cities on both shores. These formal discussions provide a timely opportunity for the US and UK to re-define and re-imagine the special relationship which exists between our two countries.

For further information contact: BritishAmerican Business 020 7290 9888 www.babinc.org policy@babinc.org

As the United Kingdom prepares to leave the EU, and with a new Administration in

at the British Embassy in Washington DC as well as the British Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco. The US Commercial Service at the US Embassy in London has an open phone line for companies who want to make an investment in the US. In close collaboration with the UK and US government work, the chapters of the British-American Business Council (BABC) - of which BritishAmerican Business (BAB) is proudly part of - offer first-hand information and are often the first local network for companies who look into specific locations, such as San Francisco, where we hope to welcome Northern Star soon.

A Good Time In these turbulent times, the transatlantic trade and investment relationship can be more than ever an anchor of stability and opportunity for UK-based companies. Last year, International Trade Secretary Rt Hon Liam Fox MP has indicated that the UK Government will open three additional offices in Minneapolis, Raleigh and San Diego, complementing existing posts in the US network, therefore extending the UK’s reach into new and potentially lucrative areas. This is in addition to special UK Government programmes to support first time exporters and young entrepreneurs.

A good time to think about making the step to the US. Get in touch!

The American Dream Marketing Techniques to help you Enter, Market, Locate and Sell in the USA Venue:

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, 4 Bishop Square, Hatfield, AL10 9NE Date: Thursday 27th April 2017 09.30-13.00 Members: £15.00 including VAT Non Members: £25.00 including VAT Russ Froneberger from Global Consulting, and colleagues, who are based in North & South Carolina, USA, will be coming to the Herts Chamber to help you understand the American Market. This includes techniques to effectively enter, market, locate, sell products and services in the USA. This is an excellent opportunity to hear first hand how to have that extra edge that can make all the difference to making effective in roads in this massive market. Russ will also be including an overview of President Trump’s first 100 days in Office. If you would like to register for this event or would like further information please email keithmoore@hertschamber.com or call 01707 502193. Please book early as places will be limited.

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LastWord

Helping keep clients secure Chamber membership helps support the community Phil Hayden ServerChoice Head of Business Development Q What do you do?

Q What you do get from it?

Help businesses transition to secure colocation and cloud hosting services.

As well as the local business support and community mentioned above, it’s also a good way to give business a voice in Government.

Q Who do you work for? ServerChoice. We provide secure IT infrastructure and cloud hosting to businesses that rely on online services and e-commerce. With two data centres located in Stevenage and Welwyn Garden City, as well as partner data centres across London, we are well positioned to offer our range of products and services to the local, Hertfordshire business community.

Q Why did you join the Chamber? ServerChoice strongly believe in playing an active role in the local community and working with other local businesses to promote Hertfordshire. The Chamber is a valuable tool to help support and grow local business, as well as connecting with the community.

Patrons

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Q How has it helped your business network? As a provider of local technology services, we have been impressed at the reach the Chamber has provided us and, as a result, the number of new customer engagements we have witnessed.

Q What advice would you give someone starting out? Get plenty of good advice from trusted advisors. Don’t be scared of following your gut, it’s probably right. Make a decision, even if it turns out to be wrong… procrastination is a killer.

Q What do you think is the biggest challenge affecting running and growing a business? Identifying the key opportunities that are going to deliver step changes for the business and de-prioritising the rest.

Q What support do you want from government? Continued focus and commitment towards developing the UK’s skills and talent around Cyber Security, as this is one area where there is a significant labour shortage and could become a hurdle to our growth plans moving forward.”

Q How confident are you your organisation/ business will grow in 2017? Very confident. We are already seeing a significant increase in our order book over 2016.