Inspire July 2019 by Benham Publishing Limited

INSPIRE.33

The business magazine of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce July - August 2019

Inside

• Spotlight on Broxbourne Ambitious plans that seek to boost area’s economy - p16

• Economy

£1.4m of new funding made available to help companies Get Growing - p22

• Chamber Events

Forthcoming Business Events - p26

• Environmental

How businesses can think small to achieve big in the Green Revolution - p39

The Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2019 showcase and celebrate the best in the County - page 4

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Serving the local community for ten generations

Welcome & Contents

All hail the

entrepreneurs!

Briege Leahy Chief Executive Officer Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce

Welcome to the latest edition of Inspire. As ever, the theme underpinning all the news stories and features is entrepreneurship in Hertfordshire.

I am constantly amazed at the innovation shown by our businesses, both large and small, and that admiration was reinforced at the recent Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2019 ceremony and gala dinner, staged at St Albans Cathedral. More than 300 attendees heard stories about the companies and

individuals that had gathered to find out who would be crowned the winner of not only each of the 19 categories, but also the three Special Recognition Awards; Outstanding Contribution to Business, Outstanding Contribution to Charity, and the overall Inspiring Business of the Year. You will find a full report on pages 4-7.

Chamber team at the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2019

Contents

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards Inspirational Leaders Patron Focus

Chamber Events

4-7

10-11

12-13

Spotlight on Broxbourne 16-18 Economy

Herts Global Resilience

24-25

Editorial and General Enquiries Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce MacLaurin Building, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9NE Tel: 01707 502180 Email: enquiries@hertschamber.com Web: www.hertschamber.com

Tourism

New Members

Members Benefits

Building Connections

Sports & Leisure

46-47

Last Word

Briege Leahy Chief Executive Officer

30-31

35-37

Skills & Development

across five European countries by the Payroll and HR services provider SD Worx and the Antwerp Management School. The report says freelancers are often highly engaged, due to the qualities that come with the sense of autonomy they have, such as being able to manage workloads effectively and being in control of personal development. This results in freelancers feeling competent in their jobs, with 75.5% of UK respondents stating that they feel they are doing well, while only 14.5% have doubts about whether they can do their jobs properly. In my experience they also share a powerful sense of entrepreneurship with all the other successful businesses in Hertfordshire. Long may it continue.

26-29

Members News Environmental

The overall winner of the Inspiring Business of the Year, Ruby Raut, WUKA, (Wake Up Kick Ass), was also awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year title but each story shows that, even in times of political and economic turmoil, business just gets on with it. It’s the spirit of entrepreneurship that keeps the country going, even as politicians dither. I would like to say thank you to the Chamber team for all of their hard work both throughout the year and in putting together the Inspiring Herts Awards. They were surprised with a ‘Chamber Team 2019’ award at the ceremony as a thank you. The theme of entrepreneurship is reinforced whenever I meet business people or attend events. I recently had a very inspiring meeting with David Williams the Leader of Hertfordshire County Council (pictured) where he discussed his and the Hertfordshire Council’s vision “Hertfordshire Fit For the Future.” A collaborative ambition for sustainable growth and thriving communities. Both David and I agreed our Hertfordshire Entrepreneurs are the green shoots of this growth and the Herts Chamber is collaborating and encouraging Entrepreneur engagement in our new programme of Entrepreneur Round Table Events. It was also underlined by a recent survey, which showed that 39.5% of UK freelancers plan to remain so in the long term, with only 7.2% wanting to work as an employee again in the future. The results interested me because a significant number of our members are freelance and they embody the true spirit of entrepreneurship. The results came from research conducted

38-45

Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com

49 Published July 2019 © Benham Publishing and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com

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. ©2019 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.

Production Manager Mark Etherington Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No. 1678

INSPIRE

Awards celebrate the best in the County The Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2019 ceremony and gala dinner took place at St Albans Cathedral.

also the Inspiring Business of the Year Award by Herts Chamber of Commerce. This recognition of our values focused on the environment and women’s health, we hope this goes towards inspiring other people to pursue their dreams and break barriers.”

With more than 300 attendees, the room was filled with excitement as all of the finalists, judges and sponsors gathered to find out who would be crowned the winner of not only each of the 19 categories, but also the three Special Recognition Awards; Outstanding Contribution to Business, Outstanding Contribution to Charity, and the overall Inspiring Business of the Year.

With a Highly Commended award having been introduced for each category, there was even more to be celebrated this year. Since its launch in 2012, the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards have focused on and celebrated the expertise, achievements and outstanding contribution that businesses and individuals continually make to the growth of the County, and the evening most definitely achieved that.

During the evening, a silent auction took place with Good2Auction, raising a significant sum for the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce charity fund; this years’ Chamber Charities are Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust and Hertfordshire Community Foundation.

Delegates heard from the new Chairman of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Jeremy Bishop, and the new CEO, Briege Leahy; the 2018 winner of the Inspiring Business of the Year, Isabel Hospice’s CEO Robin Webb, and Headline Sponsor Hillier Hopkins’ Neil Cundale; who said: “The Inspiring Hertfordshire awards ceremony gave a fantastic opportunity to shine a well-deserved spotlight on some of the best achievements from around the county.”

The overall winner of the evening, 2019’s Inspiring Business of the Year, Ruby Raut, WUKA, (Wake Up Kick Ass) said: “I feel honoured to be awarded not only the Entrepreneur of the year but

INSPIRE

Alongside the 19 categories, this year saw a new award introduced, which due to its unique nature, was sponsored by the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. This special recognition award was given to Claire Austin, MD, Austin’s Family Funeral Directors for her Outstanding Contribution to Charity.

Claire said: “It was a great surprise and privilege to receive the Chamber’s award for Outstanding Contribution to Charity and to be presented with this accolade by the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, Robert Voss CBE. To be recognised, in this way, by the Hertfordshire Chamber is a great honour.”

Suzanne Westlake, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Corporate Affairs, who was awarded the special accolade of Outstanding Contribution to Business, said: ““I was shocked, delighted and humbled to receive the ‘Outstanding Contribution to Business’ award last night. It’s a wonderful accolade for years of hard work, but no less of a surprise.”

Thanks go to IHA’s Headline Sponsor for the third year running; Hillier Hopkins, and all of the Category Sponsors; Ashbourne Insurance, Austin’s Funeral Directors, Barclays Bank, Borough of Broxbourne, CS Recycling, Hertfordshire Building Control, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Kingston Smith, London Luton Airport, Longmores Solicitors, Porsche Centre Hatfield, Rothamsted Enterprises, SA Law, ServerChoice, Sonovision, Stevenage Borough Council, Tate Apprenticeships, Trinity Wealth Management, University of Hertfordshire and VolkerWessels UK.

Thanks also to our 2019 Associate Sponsors; Pearldrop Video Production for photographs and videography; Wine2Trade for providing each winner with a bottle of bubbly; Hashtag Digital Media for assisting in all media coverage; Aubrey Park Hotel for the drink’s reception on the evening; and Gascoyne Estates for their support.

Inspiring Business of the Year: WUKA

Outstanding Contribution to Business: Suzanne Westlake, Ocado Limited

Outstanding Contribution to Charity: Claire Austin, Austin’s Family Funeral Directors

Inspiring Herts Awards

Business of the Year North Herts: Sonovision Limited

Business of the Year West Herts: Saunders Architecture and Urban Design

Business of the Year Small-Medium: Rubber Cheese

Business of the Year East Herts: The Allendale Group Ltd

Business of the Year South Herts: Alliance Intelligent Scaffolding

Business of the Year Medium-Large: VolkerWessels UK Ltd INSPIRE

Inspiring Herts Awards

Best use of Technology: Kingston Smith

Community Champion: Lynne Misner, Small Acts of Kindness

Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year: Rennie Grove Hospice Care

Education in Employment: The Astley Cooper School

Entrepreneur of the Year: Ruby Raut, WUKA 6

INSPIRE

Excellence in Customer Commitment: Isabel Hospice

Inspiring Herts Awards

Export Business of the Year: Silent Sentinel Ltd

Excellence in People Development: Sonovision Limited

Family Business of the Year: Dobsons

IHA 2019 Highly Commended’s

• Business of the Year North Herts: Raymond James • Business of the Year East Herts: Shepherds Property Sales & Lettings • Business of the Year West Herts: Osborne Appointments • Business of the Year South Herts: Hertfordshire Building Control • Business of the Year Small-Medium: The Allendale Group Ltd • Business of the Year Medium-Large: Bouygues E & S Infrastructure UK Limited • Best use of Technology: Wagada • Community Champion: Home Start Watford and Three Rivers • Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year: The Allendale Group Ltd

• Education in Employment: North Hertfordshire College • Entrepreneur of the Year: Rory Dear, Datasound Laboratories Ltd • Excellence in Customer Commitment: Spire Harpenden Hospital • Excellence in People Development: Wagada • Export Business of the Year: Sonovision Ltd • Family Business of the Year: Shepherds Property Sales & Lettings • Most Promising New Business: The Carter and George Practice • Property and Construction Project of the Year: Green Building Design Consultants Ltd • The Green Award: Green Building Design Consultants Ltd • Workplace Wellbeing Award: Kingston Smith

Most Promising New Business: Ballinger Equine

The Green Award: JPA Furniture

Property and Construction Project of the Year: Network Homes

Workplace Wellbeing Award: Wagada INSPIRE

Dobsons winners of

Dobsons have had a busy first half of 2019 with the launch of their stunning remodelled showroom back in January and the buzz it has created. Dobsons, are a luxury kitchen, bathroom and glazing company based in Cheshunt, established in 1935 and now run by the 4th generation of the Dobsons family. Dobsons believe the key to their longevity is the excellent service they offer. They ensure that their customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs are at the heart of everything they do and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why as part of their premium service they take control of your entire project and co-ordinate every aspect, from design through to installation, taking the stress and

Family Business of the year at Inspiring Herts Awards 2019

hassle away from you, leaving a perfect seamless finish. Their large showroom hasbeen completely redesigned to showcase their exquisite Stoneham hand-built kitchen furniture in larger room sets to give each one the feeling of a real kitchen and to feature a variety of colours and textures in both contemporary and traditional styles. They also have two large glazed extensions at the rear of their showroom demonstrating how with their unique product mix they are able to provide services above and beyond other kitchen studios such as kitchen extensions and glazing, such as roof lanterns and aluminium bi-folding doors, all under one roof.

Dobsons have also refurbished a large area of their Villeroy and Boch bathroom studio, with stunning new displays featuring the latest trends in luxury bathing for you to peruse. If you are considering a new home renovation then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great time to visit for inspiration and to talk to Dobsons experienced team of designers about your project.

For more details visit dobsonshome.com

Join us for a FREE morning of networking! More information is available on page 26

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Past Events

Be part of ourr success We are proud to have been named medium to large Business of the Ye ear 2019 9 at the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards. We are a multidisciplinary engineering and construction contractor with a reputation fo or quality, capability and innovatiion. Our business thrives thanks to o our can-do people. Join us and become one of them QT IGV KP VQWEJ VQ Â¯PF QWV OQTG

To apply, visit: jobs.volkerwessels.co.uk

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Green Building Design (GBDC) is a consultancy specialising in the delivery of sustainable,, innovative, inno and practical building service design solutions.

in Her tfford ord next to We are based We ba Gascoyne Wa Way car park.Why par not visit when you are next in the area,, or call us to discuss your need ffor or sur surveys, designs or general advice.

EX XPERTS T IN DESIGN O OF EFFICIENT AND SUST TAINABLE AINABLE M&E SYSTEEMS FOR BUILDINGS

Tel: e 019922 552 111 Emaail: sim mon@gbuild.co.uk

INSPIRE

Inspirational Leader How did you start out your working life?

School was hard work so I left when I was sixteen and joined British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) as a Traffic Trainee. After that Army service followed and, at one stage after the war, was guard commander for one month at Spandau prison in Berlin which was guarded at that time in rotation with American, French and Russian forces. I always wanted to get into the RAF but, having no luck, joined Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), then GH Smith and Partners, Smiths Ink, Holmes Brothers (London Ltd) and finally Meredew furniture where I ended up as Managing Director of Meredew Contracts.

What led you to create the business?

In my late forties I decided that working for myself was what I wanted to do where I would have total influence on my future and have a company known for top class service and honesty for better or worse. I never wanted to have the biggest or most profitable company but I did want to create a place to work that was fun for me, my family and our team and here we are 45 years later – with three grown up children in the business and the best team a company could ever ask for.

What is its USP unique selling point?

JPA’s USPs are people, quality and sustainability – we employ quality people, supply quality furniture and aim to deliver what

A journey based on quality service Hertfordshire - based JPA was founded by John Pulsford in 1974. Here he talks about the journey on which he and the company embarked. I hope, is high quality service excellence. To me, nothing else is acceptable. That’s why I’m so proud of our efforts to operate in a way that has a positive impact here in Hertfordshire, on real people in meaningful ways. Technology seems to be front and centre of everything these days, very fast and often isolating, it’s so easy to forget how simple things such as remembering to say please and thank you make a difference in everyday life, everyone deserves to be valued. Our sustainability efforts have enabled us to become zero landfill and carbon neutral, and our local operation saved over 25,000 fleet miles in 2018 alone. Although we love to supply new office furniture, our starting point is always to help clients make better use of what they already have and we’ve helped them achieve savings of well of £750,000 in the last financial year through our range of

services which include: – repairs, refreshing, space planning and re-configuring to improve workflow and communication in line with evolving business needs, re-use in refurbishments and moves, reupholstery and ongoing maintenance – there’s an awful lot that can be done and new is not always the answer. If clients really can’t use their existing furniture we operate a community rehoming programme for unwanted items, and to date JPA have rehomed more than 3500 items for free, mainly here in Hertfordshire, saving those organisations well over £400,000 in furniture spend and freeing valuable budget to be spent elsewhere in more urgent areas.

How is the business faring?

Having started JPA in the middle of the three-day week in 1974 and written out our first purchase orders by candlelight due to the power cuts that were

a feature of that period, JPA has seen social and technological change on an unprecedented scale.

Since 2000, office workspaces has been revolutionised largely due to the technology we are now all using and trying to fathom out it’s magical powers, which made us all feel extremely backward!

JPA has evolved alongside these changes, moving from Kings Cross to St Albans in 1996, and creating our Hertfordshire base. We’ve worked through four major recessions and latterly in the last decade, the revolution in working styles, working habits and working environments.

We have adapted and continued to evolve with our business which now operates across office, educational, healthcare and hospitality sectors with broad spread of business, mainly in London and the Home Counties.

What plans does the business have for 2019/20?

We’ve just launched a brand new website www.jpa-workspaces.com which outlines our wider services. We’re continuing to develop our range of furniture services which make us unique in our industry – we’re with our clients every step of the way. I would think that most office or building managers in Hertfordshire have some furniture related ‘headache’ that they would like help with. We want to be the ‘go to’ company in Hertfordshire for solving furniture problems.

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Inspirational Leader

Scaling Up vs Growth – a solution that promises great returns for businesses If there is one question that Jon Kandiah hears more than most from business leaders it is ‘What is a Scale Up Strategist, and why do I need one?’

Many SME businesses are dependent on the owner to drive their growth. They are constrained by what the owners do not know or know but do not do. A scale up strategist helps them to overcome these constraints to achieve sustainable, profitable growth. Having spent 25 years in senior executive leadership roles, transforming large-scale businesses such as EE, T Mobile, Orange and Virgin Mobile, which achieved £500m revenue in five years and a £850m flotation, Jon started Scale Up Strategist Ltd in 2018. The business has developed a range of tried-and-tested strategies, coaching and mentoring techniques that equip businesses with the skills necessary to scale up. The basis of his approach is helping businesses to scale up rather than grow but what is the difference? Growth focuses on increasing revenue within the company’s existing business model, which means that your cost base rises in line with your revenues. While growth is welcome, it increases your working capital needs and that requires cash, and poor cash management is one of the biggest reasons that SME businesses fail. Scaling, on the other hand, focuses on increasing revenue whilst adapting the business model to keep your cost base as low as possible, thereby maximising profit and reducing the need for working capital. The resulting increase in margin can be substantial. Jon said: “Business growth is, of course, great, but it can cause cash flow problems if a business rapidly increases its revenue but also rapidly increases its costs at the same time. However, if a business scales up it can achieve sustainable, profitable growth. That is great for everyone, because growing companies are a powerful source of good in society. “They employ people, invest in the local economy and pay tax. Scale up companies are more productive than most businesses and therefore an even greater power for good.” So, if scaling is so much better for your business, why are so few SME businesses doing it? Running a small business is difficult and it is easy to be drawn into

the day to day activity and find yourself reacting to the latest crisis. To scale you need to step back and spend some time working on the business instead of in it. This is an area in which entrepreneurs can benefit from outside help. Jon said: “We are educating entrepreneurs and business leaders about scaling up and the key elements that they need to implement in order to scale their businesses.” These are Strategy – You need a differentiating strategy if you are going to stand out from your competition. Cash - Even though scaling is more cash efficient than growing you still need to manage your cash effectively, forecast cash requirements and know how to fund them. Adding Capacity – For scaling to work, you need to develop an infrastructure that allows you to acquire new customers at the rate that will allow you to scale in a cost-efficient manner. This needs to be backed by a delivery infrastructure that not only scales cost efficiently but also maintains a consistently high quality customer experience Leadership - As your business scales you will need to keep an increasingly large number of stakeholders aligned to the plan. As such, you will need to develop the leadership and communication skills required to keep everyone motivated and pulling in the same direction Execution – Scaling depends on ‘creating a drumbeat’ that drives the business and ensures that everyone not only knows what they need to do, but they do it in a manner that maintains the quality of the customer experience. Jon said: “Businesses that simply go for growth can find that the resulting cash flow problems have a negative effect on them. Our experience is that scaling businesses make more profit per employee and make a powerful contribution to the economy. “Our development work with CEOs and the techniques we use vastly improve leadership skills. This, in turn, makes them better employers and they build effective teams around them.

This leads to greater productivity and improved customer relationships which in turn increases profits.” Taking the time to work on your business and not in it is beneficial for any business leader and research has shown how vitally important this is to any business wishing to scale to the next level and achieve sustainable, profitable growth.

“Business growth is, of course, great, but it can cause cash flow problems if a business rapidly increases its revenue but also rapidly increases its costs at the same time. However, if a business scales up it can achieve sustainable, profitable growth.”

INSPIRE 11

Patron Focus

Altro innovation and partnership key to century of success Altro has continued to turn creative thinking into practical real-world solutions that can transform everyday spaces into environments that improve the wellbeing of everyone that uses them. Innovations include developing sparkle-free safety flooring which has transformed design for dementia, and Altro XpressLay: the world’s first adhesive-free and fully recyclable safety flooring.

Altro is celebrating 100 years in business. Founded in 1919 by a small group of individuals with a big idea, the company now has more than 900 employees globally, with a heritage of innovation including inventing safety flooring, developing a hygienic walls system and creating the world’s first adhesive-free safety floor. 12 INSPIRE

Richard Kahn is Altro’s CEO, and the third generation to lead this Hertfordshire-based family company that has offices across Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific.

He said: “One successful innovation could be luck; repeated success needs a little help. We’ve always known that speaking with, listening to and partnering with customers, end users, contractors, engineers and designers is the key to getting what we do right. It’s allowed us to be bold and to explore design and functional possibilities, without losing sight of who we’re doing it for.” Altro’s first safety floor was installed in 1950 in a church hall in Nottingham. Remarkably, that same flooring is still in place and when last tested still rates PTV≥40, meaning it has kept users safe for nearly 70 years.

Altro shares its centenary with the Bauhaus design school, which was also founded in 1919 and is based in Dessau just a few hundred metres from Altro’s German site. In developing the new Altro Ensemble modular flooring collection, the design team took inspiration from the Bauhaus philosophy of bridging the gap between form and function to engineer products that meet the customers’ biggest challenges, such as the need for cleanability, sustainability and flexibility. Richard said: “While the world in 1919 couldn’t seem more different from today’s, our excitement at embracing and developing new technologies and ways of working is exactly the same as back then. “Add to this that we remain a family business, with family values, and I think you have the reason why we’re here today, celebrating our centenary.”

Patron Focus

Patron tackles the toughest of conversations There are only two things that are certain in life, so the saying goes – death and taxes. However, whereas taxes are often discussed, for many people death remains the last taboo. That is why Hertfordshirebased undertakers Austin’s Funeral Directors, a Chamber Patron, is encouraging a more open debate of the subject. The business recently took part in a national week organised by the Dying Matters Coalition, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of talking more openly to friends and family about death.

The annual awareness week ran in mid-May with the theme Are We Ready? and Austin’s Managing Director Claire Austin was among those who supported the initiative by openly encouraging debate. She said: “How many of us have had a conversation about death? If not, you’re not alone. It’s a tough thing to talk about. We avoid the enormity of the subject with phrases such as ‘kick the bucket’ and ‘pop your clogs’.

“And if we do happen to mention in passing that we’d like to be buried, not cremated, it’s usually followed up very quickly with a change of subject.

“In fact, 55% of people prefer to say ‘passed’ or ‘passing’, while only 29% will say ‘dead’ or ‘dying’. If it’s hard to even say the word, how can we expect to have a conversation?”

Claire believes that families need to talk more about the nature of death and practical considerations like wills and funeral arrangements. To support the recent week, Dying Matters put together some facts, which show how unprepared we are. They showed that: • Just 35% of adults said they had made a will

• Just 30% had let someone know their funeral wishes

• Just 7% had written down wishes or preferences about the care they would want if they couldn’t make decisions

• Just 25% had asked a family member about their end of life wishes • Just 33% had registered to be an organ donor

Claire said: “It is said that death and taxes are the only two certainties in life, so why is the latter talked about so much more? You can’t scroll through social media these days without seeing a tax reminder or an advert for bookkeeping software. “One reason we don’t talk about death is because we’re all living longer. Even though death is a natural part of life, many of us don’t experience the loss of someone close to us until later on in our lives.

Illnesses and diseases that would claim the lives of our ancestors are no longer a threat, and so we are not as close to death as they were; hence it’s a fear of the unknown.

“Once we start being more open about death, we can help others through the grieving process by having a conversation with them. Talking can greatly reduce stress and avoid family disputes when someone dies.”

“The figures produced by Dying Matters speak for themselves and highlight just how much we need to start talking about death – for everyone’s benefit.

She said: “By choosing to talk about death, it can help us to reflect on our own life and goals we still wish to fulfil. From here, we might want to create a bucket list, or start to make plans for our own funeral. It’s not as morbid as it seems; we plan for every other stage of life.”

“Another reason is that it is seen as a taboo subject; people think they might jinx themselves for bringing it up. Trust us, you won’t!

“Talking about dying and your wishes makes it more likely that you – or your loved one – will die as you wanted to, for example, at home, because plans can be made in advance. This will bring comfort to those left behind, knowing the deceased had a ‘good death’ and that it was as they wanted.

In addition, Claire contends that such conversations can have a major impact on life as well as death.

www.austins.co.uk

“Austin’s can point to more than 300 years of embracing such questions. The business was established in 1700 in Graveley, a small village between Stevenage and Hitchin, in Hertfordshire. Today it operates nine funeral branches across the area and Harwood Park Crematorium, which is also privately owned by the Austin family.” INSPIRE 13

Education in Borehamwood

Heritage in St Albans

Homes in St Albans THE QUEEN’S AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2014 & 2019

THE QUEEN’S AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE: PROMOTING OPPORTUNITIES 2018

£2.35m Social Value created in Hertfordshire 2016-2018 Adding value since 1852. We are a privately-owned construction group, dedicated to leaving a positive legacy in our communities and environment.

willmottdixon.co.uk Proud member of the Herts Chamber of Commerce

THREE TIMES QUEEN’S AWARD WINNER

VOTED FOURTH BEST COMPANY TO WORK FOR IN THE UK

Willmott Dixon

Rewiring Social Value to deliver local prosperity

Community Garden creation Community Garden creation

By Sarah Fraser, Head of the Willmott Dixon Foundation

Seven years after it became law, is The Public Services (Social Value) Act now a force to deliver skills, jobs and growth for local communities? This is a relevant question given the budgetary pressures faced by public services to deliver frontline services. A recent New Local Government Network Leadership Index revealed councils’ diminishing confidence in their resources to deliver services; only a third felt they will be able to provide discretionary services such as libraries and museums beyond 2023. Other concerns are the plight of low-income levels in their local communities, while separate to the Index’s findings, dealing with the rise in knife crime has risen to the top of many local authority and city council agendas in 2019. So is the Act helping to tackle these challenges by embedding social, economic and environmental gain through the process of commissioning public services – as was its intention?

Care Home Refurbishment

Things are happening. Last year around £25bn of public sector procurement spend was shaped by the Act, leveraging activities worth many millions of pounds more in support of local economies. In some towns and cities, it has led to a vibrant, healthy, innovative and competitive marketplace of suppliers embracing small businesses, mutuals, charities and social enterprises. However, £25bn this is less than 10% of taxpayers’ money spent by the public sector on procurement each year. What we’re lacking is consistency and best practice in how the Act is applied. Strategic authorities – city and county councils, plus combined authorities - need to be more demanding, like specifying how much of their money is spent in the local community, and how many local people their contractors employ. Set targets for value-adding activities such as training and apprenticeships, supporting local businesses and charities, improving the environment, helping people with disabilities into work, employing ex-offenders and tackling homelessness. Make sure these are targets that business can be held accountable for! Measurement is key - are you using Social Return on Investment (SROI) as a way of demonstrating success? For example, Willmott Dixon uses externally verified TOMs (Themes Measures and Outcomes) verified by the Social Value Portal. SROI takes into account the impact on an

individual and/or the community – it avoids this becoming a ‘box ticking’ exercise. From providing work experience and apprenticeships to equipping people with the skills and confidence that breeds aspiration and opportunity, companies like Willmott Dixon who are driven by a purpose beyond profit want to play their part under the Act In Hertfordshire last year our teams volunteered hundreds of hours working with young disadvantaged people, alongside the day job of building new school places, new affordable homes, repurposed council offices and refurbishing St Albans Museum + Gallery. This included a two week challenge to refurbish five care homes and provide mentor support and training to the young people resident in these homes. This was all organised by one of our trainees who was able to mobilise a small army of volunteers from across our business and encompassed our suppliers, designers and customers.

These actions have changed the lives of those included from helping a young person to stay out of trouble with the police to giving back a young woman the confidence to attend a job interview after so many previous knock backs. For the people we meet it is about the chance to take a new path and all we need to do is provide that network of support and opportunity. We are stronger and more successful when delivering these activities in collaboration with other organisations. This year we are looking forward to working with Chambers members such as the University of Hertfordshire and Oaklands College to broaden this support network and deliver even more life changing opportunities. We trust more of you will join in and help those in need. Now think how many more people’s lives we can have a positive impact on if the annual £268bn of public sector buying power is used to leverage more for local communities.

Young People Mentoring group

INSPIRE 15

Spotlight Focus - Broxb bourne

Ambitious A plans thaat seek to bo b ostt area’s a econom my Brooxbour xbourne Borough Council in souttheast Hertffor ordshirre has a new Lead derr, Councillor Council Lew wis Cocking. Cocking Broxbourne Borough Council in southeast Hertffordshire has a new Leaderr, Councillor Lewis Cocking. He was elected to the Cou uncil three years ago and bec came the Leader on 14 May y this year. At just 26 years of age, he is the youngest leade er in Hertfordshire. He iss very passionate about ssustainability and tackling climate e change and has ambitions to t improve the Broxbourne eco onomy so that local people ha ave RSSRUWXQLWLHV WR ¿QG G employment in high h value jobs without the need to o travel outside the Boroug gh. The Council has sett out clear economic ambitions s and the centrepiece of its prroposals is the development off a new retail, leisure, reside ential and civic centre in the Bo orough at %URRN¿HOG 7KH &RX XQFLO believes that this willl transform the Borough and ma ake it a much more attractiv ve place, encouraging existing g businesses to stay, providing opportunities for em mployment and t i i for training f itits reside idents, t

16 INSPIRE

as well as encou uraging inward investment. Pos st completion it is estimated ove er 2,000 jobs will be created in the e new %URRN¿HOG FHQWUUH :LWK WKH EHQH¿WW RI DQ HQKDQFHG road infrastructu ure and potentially Cross srail 2, the area is planned to be ecome what will efffectively be a major new town centre with adjo oining community in Hertfordshire.. In addition, its proximity to cen ntral London makes this a ve ery attractive site to potential occu upiers. Whilst the majorrity of the land DW %URRN¿HOG LV RZQHG R E\ Broxbourne Borrough Council, some of it belon ngs to Hertfordshire Co ounty Council. The two authoritties agreed to work together la ast year and have announced d their preferred partner, Sovereiign Centros after a competitive prrocurement exercise. Sovereign Centtros is a major developer and currently c on-site developing large-scale projects in Basildon, Glasgow and Cambridge amongst others. th

TwentyFive25 w

,Q DGGLWLRQ WR %URRN¿HOG DURXQG 90 acres of land at Juncttion 25 of the M25 has been allo ocated by the Council as an inw ward investment business parrk. The site will be called TwentyFive25. This is lik kely to be a highly attractive loca ation for businesses providing high value jobs with direct acc cess to the M25 and a short disttance from W Waltham altham Cross and d Theobalds Grove station ns, which are only 25 minute es from Liverpool Street and Stra atford ,QWHUQDWLRQDO 7KLV ÀDJVK KLS development site could eventually provide up to 10,000 jobs, could help meet de emand for high quality space an nd drive inward investment into a location at the heart of tthe UK’s technology, R&D, life sccience and creative hubs. Opposite TwentyFive25 TwentyFive25 5 immediately adjacent to o N Newsprinters i t IInternational t ti l th the

Council has allocate ed a further site for business use es. In the north of the Borough, B is the Hoddesdon Business Park, one of the thre ee largest business parks in Hertfordshire. H This is close to the A10 A and approximately 10 m minutes from the M25 and a 15-minute minute drive to Harlow. Nestled in the busin ness park is the Ambition Broxxbourne Business Centre, jo ointly funded by the Council and Herts Local Enterprise Pa artnership (LEP). The centre is s now 95%occupied. As a result of the success, the Counc cil is looking to replicate the facility to help a growing number o of SMEs in Broxbourne. Alongsside these facilities, Broxbourn ne is rolling out a series of trainiing events to assist the succes ss of local business and introducing an innovation vouchers s scheme t encourage knowl to k ledge d

exchange. The programme p is to be launched at a the Ambition 2019 Conference ce in November being held at the e Council’s Spotlight theatre e in Hoddesdon. Five internationa al speakers are set to inspire e the business audience made up of both small and medium siz zed businesses from Hertfordshire and beyond. Readers are encouraged couraged to book their place es. In addition to these ese commercial opportunities, Broxbourne roxbourne Council is facilitating ating the development of 8,000 new homes across th he Borough. Councillor Cockking believes that ‘Our ambitious ous plans for the local econom my, tied into WKH GHOLYHU\ RI VLJQL¿FDQW V infrastructure im mprovements, notably along th he A10; the new housing and the e Lee Valley Valley Regional Park which w runs along the entire eastern side of the Borough means m that B b Broxbourne h has a b bright i ht ffuture’. t ’

“The programme “Th p ramme is ttoo bbe launcched hed at thee Ambition 2019 Conffeerence in N Noovember v being held at the Council’s Spotligght theatre in Hoddesdon.” d

F details For d t il see page 18

INSPIRE 17

TTuesday uesday 12 November 9.30am-4.30pm THE SPOTLIGHT, T, HIGH STREET T,, HODDESDON EN11 8BE

Tickets

£95 £9 95 (includes lunch) Tickets must m be purchassed in advan nce.

Six international sspeakers John Stapleton – The Power of Authenticity A F Founder of the Covent Garden de en Soup Co. Co a Little Dish. 30 years’ experience in and p pioneering new FMCG categories and e establishing and growing successful c consumer -led businesses.

Lysa Harding - The 4 C’s and Lysa a The Next Layer of Marketing: Customer Experience, perience, Commercials, Creativity and Courage With 25 years’ experien nce, L Lysa ysa is currently CMO and Executive bo oard member at Hertfordshire business, Hotel Chocolat.

Sam Rathling – ‘LinkedIn or LinkedOut?’ S H to Generate Leads and Build your Brand How o LinkedIn on O a mission to generate £1billion in sales On f her clients, for clients Sam inspires audiences i inter nationally to generate leads from the L LinkedIn platform.

Nathan Littleton - Credibility ility Marketing: The New Rules for Winning Business ess Nathan is a marketer, prrofessional speaker and author who specialises in helping businesses to grow by attracting and nd winning more customers. Having started ted his first business at the age of just 12, he has as become one of the UK’s best and brightest young business figures.

EEsther Stanhope - How to Make an Impact and b More Visible be I Inter national speaker,r, authorr,, former BBC producer pr oducer and Impact Guru. With her 27 years’ e experience in brroadcasting oadcasting and business, E Esther helps business leaders arround ound the world to confidently present an nd get noticed!

All profits from the event shared beetween two charities: TTeens eens Unite and Herts & Essex (Ware) Samaritans s

d partner Our sponsors an

Andy Lopata - Just Ask: We share our successes and good days, but do wee share the bad stuff often enough? Called ‘one of Europe’ rope’s leading business networking strategists’ by the Financial Times and ‘a true master of networking’ king’ by the Independent and Forbes, Brroxbour oxbourne e rresident esident Andy Lopata is the author of four books on networking.

Buyy tickets online at www.ambittion.events headline h dli e sponsors

BOROUGH OF BRO OXBOURNE

Excellence in Customer Commitment Following our 36 years’ experience of dedicated customer care, we have been recognised as finalists for the second year running for a customer service award. Although we did not win, we are proud to be awarded the Highly Commended recognition. Providing high quality patient care is our top priority, with constant reinvestment in a wide range of services and treatments at each stage of the care pathway: from initial GP referral, consultation, diagnosis and treatment, to recovery and rehabilitation. We specialise in a wide range of therapy areas including: oncology, orthopaedics, gynaecology, physiotherapy, imaging and many more. Spire Harpenden Hospital works hard to continue expanding our hospital services so that our patients receive excellent care. With free car parking, translation services and fresh meals prepared daily on site, we believe these are the small details which make all the difference to patients. We have various examples of acting upon patient feedback to better individual’s experiences. For example one patient said “I would like a prayer room to practise my faith”, so we introduced a designated prayer room for patients and staff, including religious books and a prayer matt. Another example involved a patient stating “sometimes in the room, it gets a little lonely”, therefore we have seven volunteers, most of whom have been patients previously at Spire, who visit the wards and spread positivity, support and keep patients company. The volunteers bring patients any beverages or magazines and look after any visitors. This is particularly important especially for those patients who don’t have any visitors during their stay.

Education in Employment

Delivering highly commended customer care for 36 years Here at Spire Harpenden Hospital, we were delighted to be shortlisted as finalists for two Inspiring Hertfordshire awards, presented by the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce.

A key part of our approach as a leading healthcare provider is educating all referrers (healthcare professionals) with the latest updates of key specialities so that they’re able to refer patients to the correct consultant. Together we can help patients get better, quicker. We hold regular education meetings with the local GP and healthcare community to suit them. We also hold both evening and day time education sessions, covering an array of topics. In 2019 we have 168 educational sessions booked in, with the demand ever-growing. We also help to educate the public, with free patient events surrounding various topics ranging from cosmetic surgery, to bunions and hand issues. We present the public with the opportunity to meet and speak with a consultant, free of charge, and discuss their problems along with how we can help them. We continue this education with regular blogs on our website focused on awareness days and health topics such as; cancer signs and symptoms, stress awareness and many more.

“We are passionate about looking after our patients.” Please call our friendly team on 01582 788 611 if there is anything we can help you with.

www.spireharpenden.com

A private counsellin g service in Hitchin

Are you, an employee or a TTS provides professional counselling in Hitchin. We work within the BACP code of ethics and all of our counsellors are BACP e accredited with many years’ experience of working with: u g collea • Bereavement and loss • Adjusting to change • Self-harming m • Anxiety suffering fro • Family and relationship issues • Depression • Issues around sexuality h • Stress lt a e h l a n io t o • The emotional impact of physical m e • Problems at work or home health issues If you would like more information please contact us: problems? Tel: 01462 656149 Email: counselling@tts.org.uk www.tts.org.uk

Providing corporate wellbeing services that...

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Reduces absenteeism Increases productivity *-,4"/0 6,2/ 01 ƛ Improves morale Contact us today

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osdhealthcare.co.uk/corrporate GP Appointments 20 INSPIRE

Physiotherapy

Dentistry D

Diagnostic Imaging

Health Assessments nts

Gold accreditation

for business communications experts Support UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission is to be THE trusted advisor for our clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s communications infrastructure.

We have earned a strong reputation through trust, honesty, customer focus and premium product offerings. In December 2017 we were delighted to announce our partnership with Liquid Voice, to provide their call recording solutions.

With over 12 billion telephone calls taking place each day, it has never been more important for organisations to keep records of their interaction with customers. Installing an efficient recording solution will ensure the delivery of the best possible customer service, as well as providing a layer of protection to rapidly resolve any possible disputes and guarantees compliance. Whatever the size of your organisation, imagine having a scalable, intuitive and feature rich solution that will fulfil your company needs and your technology strategy. Liquid Voice call recording can work with any current or future telephony system or you can opt for a solution as a service. The Liquid Voice solutions give you the peace of mind that you are taking care of your customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sensitive data and are fully PCI/DSS compliant.

Call recording is an area of massive growth and within a year, we have achieved Liquid Voiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Gold Partner status.

We are not stopping there, having recently become one of three Liquid Voice installation partners and it is the intention that we will become a training and development partner later this year, to test the exciting new products that Liquid Voice will be announcing. Platinum partner status is within our grasp and is very achievable by the end of 2019.

Martin Green, Support UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Managing Director commented â&#x20AC;&#x153;we are delighted with the partnership we have formed with Liquid Voice. It is refreshing to work with such an agile company, that places a huge emphasis on customer needs. Our Gold Partner status comes with financial benefits that we are able to pass onto our customers, making us highly competitive in the call recording arenaâ&#x20AC;?.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your Wellbeing Strategy? The fast pace of life and changing world of work demands that business leaders need to look for ways to help themselves and their people be at their best to enable better business performance. With burnout becoming a workplace epidemic, 67% of people feeling stressed and 29% saying they are unhappy at work, focusing on your peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wellbeing seems to make business sense especially when \RX VHH WKH EHQHÂżWV RI UHGXFHG VLFNQHVV and turnover, increased happiness, engagement, performance, productivity, morale and resilience. Healthy and inclusive cultures report 19% more revenue yet only 2 out of 10 SMEs are implementing wellbeing strategies. What can you do to start to create a wellbeing strategy in your workplace? Here are a few ideas: â&#x20AC;˘ Have a clear direction and purpose â&#x20AC;&#x201C; help your people know where they are going and that their contribution is valued. â&#x20AC;˘ Be clear about your values and ensure that they are lived as much as written down Â&#x2021; &UHDWH D FXOWXUH RI Ă&#x20AC;H[LELOLW\ FKRLFH and resilience which enables the demands of the business to be met whilst enabling your people to be at their best for the business and their life. â&#x20AC;˘ Build self awareness and self care â&#x20AC;&#x201C; understanding yourself, others and when your or others energy is high or low enables you to react better, faster. Â&#x2021; 0DNH ,QFOXVLYH /HDGHUVKLS WKH QRUP â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pay attention to how people feel, invest time in your people, enable collaboration and connectivity. Be authentic and trust. Â&#x2021; (QDEOH JHQXLQH FRPPXQLFDWLRQ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ask your people what matters to them and expect answers as diverse as your people. Â&#x2021; 6WHS EDFN DQG UHĂ&#x20AC;HFW RQ TXDOLW\ RI WKH ZRUN HQYLURQPHQW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we are all impacted by the spaces we are in. Do yours motivate and energise or zapping and depleting? Building fundamental foundations for ZHOOEHLQJ ZLOO KHOS \RXU SHRSOH Ă&#x20AC;RXULVK reach their potential and your business thrive. Good luck! /LHVH /RUG )RXQGHU RI 7KH /LJKWEXOE 7UHH :HÂśUH KHOSLQJ EXVLQHVVHV DQG SHRSOH FKDQJH WKH ZD\ WKH\ ZRUN IRU WKH EHWWHU FRQWDFW /LHVH RQ OLHVH#WKHOLJKWEXOEWUHH FRP RU WR GLVFXVV KRZ ZH FDQ KHOS \RX PDNH \RXU ZRUNSODFH EHWWHU

If you would like to find out more about a call recording solution and how it would help your organisation, get in touch with us today at info@support-uk.com or on 0345 241 1521. INSPIRE 21

Economy

£1.4m of new funding made available to help companies Get Growing The Growth Hub’s Get Growing project is the second funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the first having successfully helped over 200 businesses, created 190 jobs and generated £12.2m for the local economy. “Get Growing 2 provides a structured package of comprehensive support for SMEs that have the potential to grow or scale up,” says Sian Ryan, the Growth Hub’s Head of Service. “Following initial registration, eligible companies meet with our expert Growth Account Managers, who carry out a free in-depth diagnostic to help us understand their challenges and barriers to growth. We then put in place a detailed growth action plan and work with the SME to implement the key actions identified either directly or through our network of local specialists, who can provide support

Hundreds of SMEs across Hertfordshire can access new grants of up to £3,000 or one-to-one advice, as part of a package of tailored business support from Hertfordshire Growth Hub.

in areas such as marketing, cyber security, recruitment, productivity and product development.” Building on the success of previous funding, the project is placing particular focus on working with businesses that demonstrate the ability to grow, scale and improve productivity. Eligible companies can receive a grant of up to £3,000 to access external expertise, with Growth Account Managers monitoring progress and providing ongoing support. Companies are also invited to exclusive events and seminars on key business improvement topics and will have access to the Growth Hub’s new digital platform. An impressive track record The Growth Hub is delivered, on behalf of Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), by a consortium led by business

BCC Forecast:

Brexit stockpiling to hit economic growth in coming years The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has released its latest economic forecast, upgrading its growth expectations for the UK in 2019 to 1.3% (from 1.2%). However, the leading business group has downgraded its growth forecast for 2020 to 1.0% (from 1.3%) and to 1.2% (from 1.4%) in 2021. The leading business group has slightly upgraded its growth forecast for 2019, driven by the exceptionally rapid stockbuilding early in the year. However, the immediate boost to UK GDP is forecast to come at the cost of more subdued growth in 2020 and 2021 as the unwinding of historically-high inventory levels, coupled with weaker business investment, weigh on economic activity. Business investment is forecast to contract at a faster rate in 2019 and recover more slowly in 2020 than expected in our previous forecast. The continued Brexit impasse, including the growing possibility of a no-deal exit, together with the high upfront cost of doing business in the UK and the running down of excess stock, is expected to suffocate investment activity over the near term.

22 INSPIRE

Trade is projected to make a negative contribution over the forecast period as exchange rate volatility, Brexit uncertainty and a subdued global economy, weaken trading conditions for UK exporters. In contrast, consumer spending is expected to remain resilient with earnings growth forecast to continue to exceed price growth over the forecast period and unemployment forecasted to remain low by historic standards.

The BCC’s latest forecast is a clear warning sign that the next Prime Minister must set out a clear roadmap for how the political impasse in Westminster can be broken and an agreement reached to prevent further slowdown in the economy. The Chamber Network is also calling for a strong and clear strategy on the

support services provider Exemplas with the University of Hertfordshire and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce. Hertfordshire LEP receives funding directly from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), augmented by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and other funding as bidding opportunities arise to deliver the service. The Get Growing project itself has an impressive track record. Almost three quarters (71%) of the companies who have taken part so far say they’ve improved their approach to growth, while nearly half (45%) say they’ve seen an increase in productivity and over a third (34%) say they’ve seen a profit increase. In that same timeframe, 36% have created new jobs.

domestic agenda, including urging the next government to use the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review to affirm its commitment to delivering major infrastructure projects, such as HS2, that underpin economic growth. The BCC forecast assumes that the UK avoids a messy and disorderly exit from the EU. Another scenario would lead to revisions in the next forecast.

Commenting on the forecast, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The revisions to our forecast suggest that the UK economy is likely to remain on a disappointingly subdued growth path for some time to come.

“It is increasingly likely that the temporary boost from historically high stockpiling in Q1, which has marginally improved the growth outlook for this year, will be surpassed over the medium-term by the negative impact from the running down of these inventories. The downward pressure on business activity and investment intentions from the unwinding of stocks is likely to be exacerbated somewhat by increasing cost pressures and Brexit uncertainty, slowing overall economic growth across the forecast period. “The deteriorating outlook for business investment is a key concern as it limits the UK’s productivity potential and long-term growth prospects. On the upside, household spending, a key driver of UK economic output, is expected to be supported by relatively low unemployment and positive real wage growth.

Fast profits for fast-food business One of those who has benefited is Andrea Allen, who runs Hertfordbased fast-food restaurant, Galos. Get Growing linked her up with a branding expert, finance specialist and restaurant investor, who all helped her make significant changes to her business, which helped increase its profits. “Get Growing made me look at the numbers, the mechanics of the business and how you market yourself,” she explains. “It’s given me a sense of focus and direction and I’ve found the process positive and motivational. You have to have a big skill set as a business person and I now have more confidence to do what needs to be done.” To find out more about Get Growing 2 and to register your interest in receiving in-depth advice or accessing the business grant, go to www.hertsgrowthhub.com “A messy and disorderly exit from the EU remains the main downside risk to the UK’s economic outlook as the disruption caused would increase the likelihood of the UK’s weak growth trajectory translating into a more pronounced deterioration in economic conditions.”

Responding to the forecast, Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, added: “While politicians are distracted, businesses are left with no choice but to try and prepare for the unwanted possibility of leaving the European Union on 31st October without a deal and transition period. Businesses are putting resources into contingency plans, such as stockpiling, rather than investing in ventures that would positively contribute to long-term economic growth. This is simply not sustainable. Business communities expect the next Prime Minister to quickly find a sensible and pragmatic way forward to avoid a messy and disorderly Brexit.

“The UK’s low-growth trajectory makes clear that we can’t afford for Westminster to keep turning a blind eye to the domestic agenda. The upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review is an opportunity for the next government to affirm its commitment to support economic growth, including investment in the skills and training system and infrastructure projects, such as high-speed rail and the city regeneration schemes linked to them. Businesses will also be expecting action to alleviate the heavy burden of upfront costs, which stunt growth.”

Herts Global

Science and technology innovations to help grow the UK economy By John Woodruffe,

International Trade Advisor, Herts Chamber of Commerce Earlier this year whilst working for Exemplas, (owned by the University of Hertfordshire Group and dedicated to assisting SMEs to enhance their value proposition and benefit their markets), I was privileged to take part in two exciting Innovate UK funded Global Business Innovation Programmes (GBIPs), delivered by Enterprise Europe Network. One covered Agri-Tech and included a visit to various provinces in mainland China. The other embraced Digital Health, taking place in Houston and Austin, Texas.

Innovate UK is the United Kingdom’s innovation agency and part of UK Research and Innovation, which drives science and technology innovations to help grow the UK economy and ensure the UK maintains a world leading position in these fields. Since 2007 over £2.5 billion has been committed by Innovate UK, helping more than 8,500 organisations, adding an estimated £18 billion to the UK economy whilst creating 70,000 new jobs. One aspect of their work is funding innovation programmes which includes missions overseas, aimed largely at SMEs and start-ups. Exemplas works closely with Innovate UK to deliver its objectives in supporting the most innovative and ambitious SMEs.

Previous GBIPs have included visits to countries as diverse as South Korea, Canada and Israel, covering a range of sectors such as Space and Robotics and Autonomous systems.

I was asked to lead on programme recruitment and take part in the China mission, and lead on the US programme. The build up to each in-market mission followed a similar pattern. Working in collaboration with Innovate UK Sector leads and other partners such as Business South West and UCL, the scope is decided and a vigorous recruiting campaign ensues, via an array of means including social media and through European Enterprise Network partners, to attract as many countrywide applications as possible. Each programme enables 15 innovative SMEs to participate with the programme supporting them in gaining greater impact from collaborative, international opportunities. The programme includes tailored

support from specialist Innovation Advisers pre-mission to ensure delegates are able to fully maximise all opportunities when in-country, as well as support post-mission to ensure full exploitation of the visit. As to be expected applications are heavily oversubscribed and the selection process is necessarily both extensive and demanding.

When organising the in-country visit, the work behind the scenes is both time critical and intense, to ensure that the weeklong visits are as beneficial and productive to all participants as possible. Flights, hotel rooms, coach booking, mission brochure and venue selection are all as important in ensuring the delegates meet with appropriate decision makers to ensure they get value out of the visit and meet their objectives. Trying to keep 15 disparate companies’ content was also part of the fun! China was especially demanding due to language and distance, along with cultural differences. We visited Beijing, Hebei and Nanjing provinces, as well as Shanghai in five days. Trips included seeing various institutes, meetings with potential customers at the Ambassador’s Residence in Beijing, banquets and speed dating style one to one business meetings. All were effortlessly accommodated. Lots of travel, early mornings and late arrivals at hotels were the order of the day. Getting one jet lagged delegate out of bed ten minutes before he was due to speak to a room of 300 people was another and unexpected challenge. But we did it and all the delegates were happy and came away with both a sense of achievement, having learnt a great deal about

the country and opportunities along with potential business leads - and an amazing sense of camaraderie. Several companies are now working together on projects, including one experimenting with the use of another’s products with their equipment.

The programme to the US was less travel intense, focussing on just two centres. Houston hosts the world’s largest medical city. A range of receptions, meetings and presentations took place and a good sense of understanding of the country processes and what was on offer were the result. At the time of writing, three of the delegates have applied for the Texas Medical Centre Accelerator Programme which, if successful, will enable them to develop their products within the Houston environment and have access to key decision makers. We wish them the best of luck. Several local Hertfordshire companies took part in the missions, including Straw Innovations, Rothamsted Research and In Touch with Health. Early days but contact with potential in country partners is progressing. Exemplas have been awarded several more GBIPs this year covering a range of sectors. Look out for the flyers, these missions are a fantastic opportunity to help your company grow and scale internationally.

INSPIRE 23

Resilience

What fuels my resilience? I was flicking through the channels on the TV the other evening, feet up, glass of wine, you know the kind of thing when I landed on what looked like a travel programme. As I watched I realised the presenter, who was abseiling down a hidden gorge, kayaking and open water swimming is blind.

Pauline Kidd Owner HR Blah Blah Blah

24 INSPIRE

As I got more absorbed in the programme, I learnt he had lost his sight at 18 years of age. The programme, one in a series of him travelling the world, is encouraging other blind people to extend their horizons through travel. There was something about his perspective on being blind that caught my imagination. He describes how he has learnt to explore the world without sight

â&#x20AC;&#x153;To see the world, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really need to see the world at all, it is blindness that makes me travel, and keeps me seeing the worldâ&#x20AC;?. This got me thinking how adversity and setbacks shape us and in turn how our natural abilities to adapt help us then to not only carry on but flourish.

His ability to find purpose and reframe his situation speaks volumes about his

personal resilience but what is it exactly and can you develop it? Is someone just resilient no matter what? How come some people appear to breeze through stomach churning challenges and others seem to find getting through the day to day a stretch too far? As I thought about this more, I looked to the sports world, medical experts and the military to see what they said about resilience.

Resilience I found some common themes emerged. Firstly, it is much harder to be resilient when you don’t care about the outcome of the situation. Having a clear purpose fuels you and re-energises you because you believe what you are trying to achieve is important. Having something to ‘go after’ helps to build endurance when inertia kicks in.

Discovering a fresh perspective on a situation where you identify and accept what is within your control and what isn’t, is a solid foundation from which to build adaptability in the face of overwhelming pressure. It takes effort and attention to make a change, as our energy normally goes into maintaining the status quo, redirecting attention into exploring different viewpoints helps us to work through challenges. Sometimes asking yourself a couple of questions can help you to change the way you see a challenging situation. For example, if you were to take a drone and fly it above your current situation, what do you now notice about the situation having some altitude? How does this wider perspective change your view?

Having an optimistic attitude is an important mindset in resilience; a belief you can find a way through. Optimism does not mean blind faith but balancing hope with the ability to confront the facts and accept the situation. The truth is at times life is difficult, if you are someone who has the ability to see and accept this, you equip yourself with the skills to handle more and more pressure without turning it into stress.

Calling on support from others can be an important step and is often overlooked when the pressure’s on. Ask yourself “what or who could support me here?” If you’re not sure, simply talking the situation through with someone objective could bring clarity.

Something that kills our resilience is the critical voice we have inside our heads. This voice tends to limit our beliefs about ourselves, focusing on negative messages such as “I am not good enough”.

FLEX: A Practical Masterclass and Guide to Leading with Resilience

It can ultimately takeover our thinking process even though much of the internal chatter is made up, it affects our self-confidence. One way to challenge this is to find ways to appreciate things however small – in yourself and others.

What I notice with my clients and work in general is the need to ‘Press Pause’ regularly to refresh our thinking and responses. Pressing pause is the opposite to a checklist, replying to emails, or endless meetings in the diary. Pressing Pause is the opportunity to reset and take a doorway to a new perspective and alternative possibilities. It can look different to different people – it might be scheduling a walk or some form of exercise, a coaching session, dedicated time for a hobby. As a coach and Supervisor, I have seen clients gain a great deal of professional and personal benefit from making time in their diaries to step away for an hour or two each month. Scheduled coaching sessions are a way for a client to develop a regular routine and habit to “Press Pause”, the time offers the discipline to think out loud in order to unravel the pressures and dilemmas of their agenda. We can so easily get locked into right or wrong positions, cornered into one way of thinking about a situation. Integrating “Press Pause” sessions are an accessible way to build mechanisms for coping and ultimately build resilience to grow and develop.

At difficult times, I find one of the fastest ways to get myself on track is remembering the good times, even if they feel initially insignificant, bringing them to the forefront of

my mind provide a comfort and reminder things aren’t always difficult. There is so much uncertainty and turbulence, with the workplace and in the wider world, I believe we need to extend effort and energy into building our personal and organisational resilience.

Developing the personal awareness and skills to reinforce resilience in order to tackle whatever life throws at us, will be the differentiator to move beyond just surviving into thriving. It may shock you to know, the biggest cause of health related disability in the working age population is not cancer, not cardiovascular, not diabetes, it is mental health issues (The Science of Resilience, Dr. David M. Clark, Professor and Chair of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University).

I haven’t heard a stronger economic argument for an investment in building resilience skills and mindset. Our capacity and energy to adapt is something I feel is an important thread in all our lives – it certainly is in mine. Whether a parent, a business owner, student or member of a team, our resilience to work with change enthusiastically and positively does seem to lead to a life with purpose, meaning, personal success and perhaps happiness too.

Maya Angelou, American author, Poet, in her imitable way says it all “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.”

Not a bad mission, I think I might ‘borrow’ it!

A little bit of information about HR Blah Blah Blah…

We create energising, novel and relevant Leadership Development Programmes for CEOs, Board members and Heads of Departments across many industry sectors. We work with some of the most well-known household names creating a series of development experiences for senior leaders within organisations to help keep corporate values, stories, identities and engagement alive during periods of intense change or growth.

All illustrations credit Matthew Johnstone

Our Coaching Programmes and Professional Supervision is designed for Leaders who want time to think out loud, decompress and personally ‘reset’ as part of their personal performance strategy. If you’d like the opportunity to air your thoughts and concerns within a restorative, educative and confidential space and press pause on the demands of your everyday work. For further details email pauline@hrblah.com

In today’s world where change is the norm and essential to success, one of the priorities of a Business Leader is to look for ways to build and reinforce the capacity to adapt and grow.

This capacity applies to individuals, teams and the wider organisation – at the root of this capacity is the understanding and application of resilience. Without resilience, organisations, teams and individuals lose energy, focus and the ability to spot opportunities.

Join Herts Chamber and Pauline Kidd for a Masterclass in Resilience on September 10th at Sopwell House, St Albans

This is an opportunity to get underneath the term resilience and understand what it is and how to expand your capacity to adapt and work to build resilience as part of your personal performance strategy.

Outline

This Masterclass takes an interactive style with discussion, sharing of ideas and concepts with practical examples on how to build personal and organisational resilience.

Some areas we will cover are:

1. Diagnosing your resilience as it operates on a daily basis

2. Deepening understanding of how to tap into personal resilience

3. Working on flexibility, stability and stretch

4. Provide some exercises and additional materials to take way and reflect on and use with your teams

Increasing resilience equips you to work with those changes you are facing and to recognise and tap into the potential you have to adapt and work positively with change.

Aimed at

HR Specialists and Leaders looking for fresh ways to inspire their colleagues and teams in an environment where innovation, productivity and performance are central to growth plans as well as leaders facing structural changes in business strategies and direction.

For further information please visit www.hertschamber.com/event/ details/376

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Chamber Events

Forthcoming Business Events

Bringing the Local Community Together Join us along with Dobsons, Cheshunt, our Inspiring Herts Awards 2019 Family Business of the Year winner, at their luxury showrooms, for a morning of networking on Tuesday 16th July. Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Dobsons have joined forces to provide this great opportunity to network and meet like-minded businesses. Use this event to make new connections and help your business to grow.

Breakfast and refreshments will be served, plus there will be a live cooking demonstration by a Bora chef.

Check out Dobsons article on page 8 Date: Time: Venue: Price:

16/07/2019 08:30 – 10:30 Dobsons, Cheshunt Members £0.00 Non-Members £0.00

July Chamber Lunch On 18 July 2019 our monthly networking lunch is being held at Cromwell Hotel, Stevenage.

We are delighted to announce that our guest speaker at this event will be Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director Policy and Campaigns at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Hannah will share some highlights of the work BCC do to influence change with, and on behalf of, Chamber members.

As well as providing an update on where we are in the Brexit process and what this means for business, Hannah will also look beyond Brexit at the current challenges, and opportunities, for business.

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We will also be joined by Michael Nadasdy, Programme Manager – Cyber Crime, Hertfordshire County Council who will discuss the importance of being cyber aware.

Date: 18/07/2019 Time: 12:00 – 14:00 Venue: Cromwell Hotel, Stevenage Price: Members £33.00 Non-Members: £45.00

For more information on any event: 01707 502180 bookings@hertschamber.com or www.hertschamber.com

Chamber Events

August Chamber Lunch Join us on 15 August 2019 for our monthly networking lunch, being held at The Grove Hotel.

Our guest speaker at this Lunch will be Camilla Tominey, Associate Editor of the Telegraph will be our guest speaker for this month's lunch event.

Date:

15/08/2019

Time:

12:00 – 14:00

Price:

Members £33.00 Non-Members: £45.00

Venue: The Grove Hotel, Watford

Camilla Tominey is a Patron of Peace Hospice Care and Associate Editor of the Telegraph, covering politics and the Royal family. Formerly Royal Editor, Political Editor and columnist for the Sunday Express newspaper. Royal expert for the American television network NBC News and Nine Network Australia's royal insider.

Hertfordshire PA Club: The rapidly changing role of the PA/EA We are delighted to welcome David Clubb, Managing Director at Tate to speak at this event.

The role of the PA has been constantly changing over the years and David likens this to watching your kids grow up, you don’t really notice the change, but it’s happening. The difference now, is that with new technology growing exponentially, this will be like seeing them go from toddler to teenager over night! Come and see how you can future proof your career and learn why you need to consider that change is coming.

David Clubb graduated from the University of Westminster with an honours degree in Business and Finance before joining the recruitment industry as a recruiter.

He has run branches and regions through to Managing Director, where he has spent over 10 years on the senior exec teams of the largest staffing businesses in the UK and Globally. He has spearheaded branch openings, with over 30 offices successfully opened, including London, where he has in depth knowledge of creating the super branch model.”

Date:

Time:

05/09/19

12:00-14:00

Venue: Knebworth Barns Conference & Banqueting Centre, Knebworth Price:

Members FREE Non-Members: £10.00

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Chamber Events

Forthcoming Business Events FLEX: A Practical Masterclass and Guide to Leading with Resilience Join Herts Chamber and Pauline Kidd, Leadership Development Specialist, HR Blah Blah Blah, for a Masterclass in Resilience on September 10th at Sopwell House, St Albans.

This Masterclass is aimed at:

Date: 10/09/2019 Time: 08:30 – 11:30 Venue: Sopwell House, St Albans Price: Members £75.00 Non-Members: £95.00

Women in Leadership We are delighted to announce that Helen Webb, ex-UK Managing Director of Lastminute.com is our speaker for this Women in Leadership Lunch.

By the age of 34, Helen Webb was UK Managing Director of one of the UK’s first digital success stories, Lastminute.com. With her team, she grew topline revenues nine-fold in

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three years to £400m, before leaving to start her family and her own strategy consultancy, Webb Strategy Ltd. Date: 12/09/2019 Time: 12:00 – 14:00 Venue: Cromwell Hotel Stevenage, Stevenage Price: Members £33.00 Non-Members: £45.00

For more information on any event: 01707 502180 bookings@hertschamber.com or www.hertschamber.com

Chamber Events

A Practical Guide to Documentary Letters of Credit This one-day seminar provides a step-by-step on how to deal with Documentary Letters of Credit – from receipt of order to successful presentation.

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. The seminar will cover: •

Types of Letters of Credit

•

Practical Exercise

•

The roles of the parties involved

•

Related paperwork and examination of: Bill of Lading, Insurance Certificate, Invoice, Bill of Exchange, to comply with UCP 600

Also includes a free copy of UCP 600, a certificate of attendance, all written materials, lunch and refreshments, PLUS a follow-up helpline to the lecturer. Date: 17/09/2019 Time: 09:30 – 16:00 Venue: Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Hatfield Price: Members £420.00 Non-Members: £540.00

Protecting and Enforcing your Intellectual Property In partnership with Longmores Solicitors, this breakfast seminar will be on the subject of Intellectual Property, the last in a series of three events on this subject.

In this session, Rina Sond LLB LDip, Company Commercial Partner and Head of the Commercial and IP teams, and John Wiblin, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution team at Longmores Solicitors will be covering how IP can be protected and enforced, including:

• Remedies for infringement

• Settlement and Co-existence Agreements

Date: 17/09/2019 Time: 08:00 – 10:00 Venue: Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, Hatfield Price: Members £10.00 Non-Members: £15.00

• The new copyright regime what is protected and what is not

• Database rights – what is a database • Passing off and Trademark infringement

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Tourism

Why getting the basics right is key to sustainable restaurant’s success Sustainability is a key consideration for today’s restaurant-goers, particularly when it comes to seafood.

Indeed, a commitment to ethically-sourced food is one of the reasons Hertfordshirebased restaurant group Lussmanns Sustainable Fish & Grill continues to grow.

Although founder and managing director founder Andrei Lussmann believes that the ethics of the business are important, he says that the main reason for the group’s success is more basic – offering a good service. Andrei began the business after working for the likes of Forte, Bass, T.G.I Fridays and Pizza Express in increasingly senior roles. Since he opened his first outlet in 2002, he seen the business grow to have restaurants in St Albans, Hertford, Harpenden, Hitchin and Tring.

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Lussmanns operates on the view that you can enjoy good ethically-sourced food served in an attractive and timely manner at value for money prices. The company was a founding member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association, SRA three-star champions and twotime winners of Sustainable Small Restaurant Group of the Year. But Andrei does not think sustainability is the main reason for the company’s growing clientele.

He said: “I do think that diners are becoming more aware of what they eat, and that increases with campaigns such as the recent one about plastics in the world’s oceans and the banning of straws, but I still think it comes down to getting the basics right.

“We have to be one of people’s ‘go-to restaurants’ and that comes down to things like is the food good, are the surroundings pleasant, are the staff welcoming, is the price right?

“Once you get those things right then the ethics surrounding sustainability add to the attraction but, first and foremost, people must feel that it is a good place to dine. It’s almost as if we do the sustainability by stealth.” The approach is certainly working; food critic Giles Coren included Lussmanns in the list of the 100 best places to eat in the UK as published in The Times newspaper. Although visitors to the area are an important part of the business’s growth, most of Lussmann’s diners live locally. Andrei said: “St Albans is the one of our restaurants that attracts tourists because of its ideal location but, first and foremost, we seek to appeal to local people, which is where the bulk of our business comes from.” And he does not rule out adding to the company’s restaurants.

Andrei Lussmann

He said: “We are always looking to expand but we have to be mindful of what can happen if we grow too quickly. We have seen what has happened to some other restaurant companies who have hit trouble so it has to be the right decision.” www.lussmanns.com

Tourism

Watford Colosseum is a major hospitality and entertainment venue, conveniently located in the heart of Watford Owned by Watford Borough Council and managed by HQ Theatres & Hospitality, Watford Colosseum can accommodate over 2000 patrons for concerts, up to 1260 in the main Auditorium ‘theatre style’ for shows and conferences as well as 420 cabaret style and 600 for dining events.

There is also the Forum; a lovely art deco room which can be used for private functions for up to 200 guests standing or 120 for dining; it also has conferencing facilities for 160 theatre style and 96 cabaret style. The Venue has a

beautiful Grand Lobby for drinks receptions along with several bar options including the Deco bar which is frequently used as a VIP area or for press launches.

Whether it be a trade show, product launch, formal meeting, wedding or banquet clients are guaranteed to receive a personal service from the dedicated inhouse hospitality team, who can transform the venue to create a totally bespoke event in one of the flexible spaces.

Events manager Jane Kirk says it is enjoying another strong year for comedy and live music, with

Our member Dinner Dance Events, hosts events in aid of a number of charities across the County and beyond. The next event is taking place at Letchworth Hall Hotel on August 30 2019, in aid of the Earnest Gardiner Treatment Centre.

If You Love The 60s 70s 80’s This Night Is For You.

Special Offer Price Ends 12th July

Call / Message to 07766 674004 to book your table!

a line up including UB40, Ben Elton, The Proclaimers, Frank Skinner and OMD as well as hosting conferences for local businesses, a variety of sporting events and competitions as well as community functions.

Watford Colosseum is well known for its acoustics, the work of Hope Bagenal, whose credits include the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall. “It’s a great all-

round venue that combines beautiful original features with a great tech spec,” says Jane. “The Auditorium can be turned from a flat floor venue to theatre set-up very easily and the Forum is a lovely room for smaller functions.”

“Whether it be a trade show, product launch, formal meeting, wedding or banquet clients are guaranteed to receive a personal service from the dedicated in-house hospitality team.”

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New Members

Welcome to new members New Patron heart fm

Local radio for news & traffic; tune in on weekdays 4-7pm on 96.6 FM with John Darin @HeartHerts Twitter: debbie.chadwick@communicorpuk.com email: Website: www.heart.co.uk Tel: 01923205480 Address: Unit 5, The Metro Centre Dwight Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 9UP

Alison Jenkins Photography Ltd

Corporate, Business and Wedding Photography AJPhotography14 Twitter: alison@alison-jenkins.photography email: Website: www.alison-jenkins.photography Tel: 07581 016 899 Address: 10 The Brambles Ware Hertfordshire SG12 0XU

Alliance Intelligent Scaffolding Scaffold Erectors Website: www.alliancescaffolding.co.uk

Bio-Mimetic Chromatography Ltd

Chemical 2 Cosmetic testing, developing consultancy on drug design klara_valko@bio-mimetic-chromatography.com email: Website: www.bio-mimetic-chromatography.com Tel: 07521 989 558 Address: Unit 5B Business & Technology Center Bessemer Drive Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 2DX

Business Market Events UK Ltd

Business Exhibitions Twitter: BusinessMrktsUK email: tishb@businessmarketsuk.com Website: www.businessmarketevents.co.uk Tel: 020 3863 5979 Address: Saxon House, 27 Duke Street Chelmsford Essex CM1 1HT

Chasebridge Wealth Management Ltd

Provision of wealth management advice to individuals email: chasebridgewm@sjpp.co.uk Website: www.chasebridgewm.co.uk Tel: 01707 643555 Address: Suite 2A Brosnan House, Byng Drive, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 1UR

Costco Wholesale

Membership Warehouse Club selling high quality goods at the lowest possible price Website: www.costco.co.uk Address: Gunnels Wood Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2FW

Davroc Limited

Family Business Encompassing 3 nationwide Bathroom distribution Sites and 3 luxury manufacturing sites email: info@davroc.co.uk Website: www.davroc.co.uk Tel: 01992 441672 Address: Ibroc House Essex Road Hoddesdon Hertfordshire EN11 0QS

Dinner Dance Events

Charity Dinner Events Twitter: @DinnerCharity email: dinnerdanceevents@gmail.com Website: www.charityballevents.com

Ebase Technology

Cambridge UK Company that develops and distributes the Verj.io low code platform email: contact@ebasetech.com Website: www.ebasetech.com Tel: 01767 654987 Address: 2-5 St George's Tower Hatley St George Bedfordshire SG19 3SH

32 INSPIRE

Electric Blue

Turnkey solutions for zero-emissions transport (including fleet analysis, design and operations of EV charging infrastructure) @ElectricBlueLtd Twitter: hi@electricblueuk.com email: Website: www.electricblueuk.com Tel: 01582287297

Esprit Digital Limited

Design, manufacturer, supply & installation of digital media screens for corporate or public spaces espritdigital Twitter: sales@espritdigital.com email: Website: www.espritdigital.com Tel: 020 8731 3121 Address: Units 17/18 Gunnels Wood Park Gunnels Wood Road Stevenage Hertfordshire SG1 2BH

Eureka Care Services

Care Services @ServicesEureka Twitter: enquiries@eurekacareservices.co.uk email: Website: www.eurekacareservices.co.uk Tel: 01992 472 975 Address: Suite 3, Broxbourne Business Centre, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, EN8 0NL

Forward Resource Ltd

Inbound UK Support Twitter: 4wardresource email: kward@forwardresource.com Website: www.forwardresource.com/ Tel: 07793 634501 Address: 8 Hexham Road Barnet Hertfordshire EN5 5HJ

G V Health Ltd

Heath Supplies Twitter: GVHealthLtd email: sales@gvhealth.com Website: www.gvhealth.com/en/ Tel: 01920 463098 Address: 1 Centrus Mead Lane Hertford Hertfordshire SG13 7GX

Grow +

Digital Marketing Agency email: hello@growonlinemarketing.co.uk Website: www.growonlinemarketing.co.uk Tel: 0845 652 0356 Address: Grow Online Marketing, 3 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Hertfordshire

Geneva Wealth

We provide holistic financial advice for individuals, businesses and trusts on investments, savings, retirement planning, non-investment email: shan@genevawealth.co.uk Website: www.genevawealth.co.uk Tel: 07482 233844 Address: Rivers Lodge West Common Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 2JD

Hatfield Town Council

Local Government Twitter: @hatfieldtc Website: www.hatfield-herts.gov.uk Tel: 01707 262023 Address: Birchwood Leisure Centre, Longmead, Hatfield, Hertfordshire

HR Blah Blah Blah Limited

Offering unique individual Coaching Experiences, Professional Supervision & a fresh approach to Leadership Development email: pauline@hrblah.com Tel: 07968 186217 Address: 6 Matthews Way Seaview Isle of Wight PO34 5LB

Media Thirty Nine

Digital Marketing Agency @mediathirtynine Twitter: email: hello@mediathirtynine.com Website: www.mediathirtynine.com 0203 488 3072 Tel:

Network for Skills

Business Improvement, Project Management, and Learning & Development email: Iainsmith@networkforskills.co.uk Website:www.networkforskills.co.uk 07768 536793 Tel: Address: 20 Green Walk Berkhamsted Hertfordshire HP4 2LW

Realm IT Partners Ltd

Technology Service keith.mizon@realmitpartners.co.uk email: Tel: 020 3343 2852 Address: 47 Gresley Close Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL8 7QA

Resourcing4HR/4Marketing

Recruitment Consultants Twitter: Resourcing4HR email: annabel@resourcing4hr.co.uk Website: www.resourcing4hr.co.uk Tel: 07850 215276 Address: Cottage Row Vicarage Road Wigginton Hertfordshire HP23 6DY

Rockitfish

Events Agency Twitter: @rockitfish10 Website: www.rockitfish.co.uk Tel: 01992 558820 Address: 16 Mead Lane Business Centre, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 7BJ

Saunders Partnership Ltd (Architecture and Urban Design)

Architecture & Urban Design Twitter: SaundersArch email: saunders@saundersarchitects.com Website: www.saundersarchitects.com Tel: 01707 385300 Address: 2nd Floor 1 Falcon Gate Shire Park Welwyn Garden City Hertfordshire AL7 1TW

Standon Calling Limited

Independent music, arts & family friendly festival in Hertfordshire Twitter: StandonCalling email: alex@standon-calling.com Website: www.standon-calling.com Tel: 020 8985 1691 Address: Uncommon 25 Horsell Road Highbury London N5 1XL

Your Town CIC

Connecting the Local Community Twitter: yourtown email: mark@yourtown.community Website: www.yourtown.community Tel: 07702 359021 Address: 20 Christian Close Hoddesdon Hertfordshire EN11 9FF

Zany Consultancy

To provide bespoke stakeholder management & engagement services to the consultants email: info@zanyconsultancy.com Website: www.zanyconsultancy.com Tel: 07854 346054 Address: 6 Fairmead Bromley Kent BR1 2JU Hertfordshire AL3 6PF

Membership Benefits

Business Breakdown Cover from the

Membership Benefits

Running a company with vehicles at its heart means that staying still isn’t an option. The AA’s business breakdown cover will make sure your drivers get back on the road quickly – and with minimum disruption – if the worst happens. All you need to do is choose the right level of cover for you.

What does cover include?

You can choose from the following options for your company’s vehicles:

• Roadside

Repair or recovery to the AA’s choice of appropriate local repairer.

• Relay

Transportation of vehicle, driver and up to 7 passengers to a UK mainland address if prompt local repair not possible.

• Relay Plus

Extended Relay service to include one of three alternative arrangements for driver and passengers; car hire, accommodation or public transport services.

Which vehicles can be covered?

Whether you just have a single vehicle or run a whole fleet, the AA can cover your cars, vans, trucks and more – as long as they’re 3.5 tonnes or under.

If you’re not sure if your vehicle would be eligible, you can call the AA on 0800 55 11 88 to check.

• Home Start

For breakdowns at or within ¼ mile of your home address.

Up to 78% off business breakdown

• Accident Management Takes the hassle out of arranging repair, recovery and insurance claims after an accident or vandalism.

† Savings based on Fleetwide 3 Standard rates for 3-6 vehicles. Fleetwide cover does not apply to: specialist vehicles, ie: taxis, mini cabs, hire vehicles, ambulances, police vehicles, vehicles on tradeplates, minibuses, privately owned vehicles (unless used for business purposes), motorcycles and courier vehicles (all of which can be covered on Specialist rates, call 0800 55 11 88 for details), or any vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gvw. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer prices are only available while your Chamber membership is current. We reserve the right to review pricing at any time. Full terms and conditions available on request by calling 0800 55 11 88.

cover for Chamber members†

Visit theAA.com/business and ask for a quote, using reference code 0360

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Building Connections

Enabling young people to change their lives The Gifted Organisation supports young people to unlock their gifts and create brighter futures for themselves.

The Gifted's Private View exhibition, for The Clothmaker's Wings, delivered in partnership with the Lowewood Museum and funded by The Heritage Fund took place on 9th May.

Through creative projects and participatory workshops, The Gifted enables young people to develop transferable skills while supporting their emotional and mental wellbeing and helping them move forward positively at key stages in their lives gaining creative, entrepreneurial and leadership skills within an enabling framework of positivity and care.

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce's Alison White was delighted to be invited to this event, and even more so to be able to donate £500 to this amazing charity!

Alison commented, “It was a lovely evening and a delight to be a part of. I would like to thank The Gifted Organisation for inviting us to this inspiring exhibition.” The Gifted have been working with girls aged 11- 18 years old across Broxbourne and the neighbouring areas and in a key partnership with Herts Chamber member, The John Warner School. Participants have researched the textiles industry in Hertfordshire and the women who carried out these skills between 1790-1890.

Hertfordshire is relatively unspoken of, as an instrumental contributor to the silk, plaiting and textiles mills of the time, with the North of England being better known for its manufacture of textiles goods.

Luton Hoo Luxury Hotel & Spa with Rebecca Mitchell (Image Consultant & Stylist) scope to consider various business collaborations. Cold Calling is very rarely effective since good business is based upon connections and relationship so I was very keen to meet Jayne in person.

Image Consultant with House of Colour Harpenden

I was asked to make a presentation at the PA luncheon club on the theme of personal branding and explaining how considering what we choose to wear can influence how we are perceived at work and ultimately plays a part in how successful we are perceived to be at our jobs.

I had been very keen to connect with Jayne: My studio is located a few minutes drive from the Luton Hoo Estate and I thought that there would be

Following the event, I was able to meet Jayne at the hotel to discuss how we might be able to work together. Following that meeting, I have been invited to be an after-dinner speaker at

Rebecca Mitchell, I met Jayne Allison (Business Development Manager at Luton Hoo) last year at the Herts Chamber PA Luncheon Club which was hosted at the Conference Centre which forms part of Rothamstead Research in Harpenden.

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Unbeknownst to me, Jayne was present at the lunch with one of her colleagues and we were able to swap business cards and arrange a subsequent meeting to explore the ways in which we might work together.

an exclusive dinner for top flight PA’s from London, attended the Christmas fair at the hotel Spa, spoken at their regular ladies luncheon club and we are currently planning to develop a “Styling Weekend” package for the hotel. That simple exchange of business cards at the Herts Chamber PA club (and subsequent “follow-up”) marked the start of an ongoing relationship which is mutually beneficial to both Luton Hoo Hotel and my own styling business. Had I not been a member of Herts Chamber and attended their events, I am very unlikely to have been in a position to connect with Jayne and Luton Hoo. Trust and the building of relationships is essential to successfully growing mutually beneficial collaborations. The impact of personal referral is key and Herts Chamber events provide these opportunities by creating spaces and events where businesses may meet, connect and build relationships to grow business.

This project shines a light on the counties historical relevance and gives a voice to the thousands of women who worked in the factories, mills and from home, during these times of hardship and oppression. We’d like to thank our funders, partners and supporters for enabling us to change the lives of over 3,000 children and young people.

Members News

Dan’s Mighty Plod aims to raise £3,000 for SANDS An intrepid Director of Hemel Hempstead-based Igloo Creative is fundraising for SANDS, the Stillbirth and Neonatal death charity, by ‘plodding’ his way on 28 July from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire to Haryln Bay, Cornwall, aiming to arrive three weeks later on 21st August.

Dan Branton’s route will cover 250 miles across six counties. The 44-year-old father of three has experienced the support of the charity first-hand and is paying tribute to his daughter, Constance Elizabeth, who was stillborn in 2012 and would have been seven in August.

While the day job at Igloo Creative may be about helping corporate clients such as Yamaha, Boston Scientific, Cranfield University and the like, raise their profile with re-branding, websites and digital marketing, Dan has been turning his talents to physical challenges for several months in preparation for his fundraising walk. He wants to shine a light on SANDS, and raise approximately £3,000.

Dan said: “In 2012, my second daughter Constance Elizabeth

was born sleeping at full term pregnancy. It was an incredibly tough time for both myself and my family. Fast forward seven years and I have decided to walk the 250 miles from Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, where Constance was born, to Harlyn Bay in North Cornwall, where we scattered her ashes.

“I will be undertaking this challenge in August this year to raise much needed money and awareness for Sands, the Stillbirth and neonatal death charity who provide vital support and advice for bereaved parents.”

Fellow company Director, Louise Major, said: “I’ve known and

worked with Dan 17 years. I’ve seen him get engaged, get married, have his first baby and started a business together. We are so very proud of Dan pushing himself right outside of his comfort zone to fundraise significant funds for SANDS, this very worthwhile charity who help so many UK families. “We are right behind Dan and would like to thank our clients, suppliers and other local Hertfordshire businesses who are also supporting the Plod. We are all so grateful but would love to help him exceed his target with more donations!”

To make a donation visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/dansmightyplod. Follow on Instagram @dans_mighty_plod or Facebook @dansmightyplod

Aitchison Raffety Director receives Dealmaker of the Year Award Aitchison Raffety, a leading practice of chartered surveyors and town planners, has announced that Matthew Bowen, Director in the company’s Commercial Agency team, has been awarded the Dealmaker Award for Hertfordshire 2019 by leading property magazine Estates Gazette. Matthew has reached the number one spot for the fifth consecutive year as a result of managing higher volumes of transactions in Hertfordshire than any other commercial property agent.

He said: “It is a testament to the popularity of Hertfordshire as a location for all businesses that despite the Brexit ‘effect’, transaction numbers, rents and sale prices have remained steady if not increasing for some property types/locations. Stock levels are still at a historically low level, however, we are now

starting to see some new commercial developments coming on line. Due to our market presence and reputation we are dealing with a number of these new projects and look forward to the remainder of 2019.” Aitchison Raffety provides a full range of commercial property services with offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester and the counties of Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Middlesex, Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Can you help your local lifesaving charity this September? Essex & Herts Air Ambulance are appealing to the local business community in Hertfordshire to support this year’s National Air Ambulance Week in September.

During National Air Ambulance Week (9th to 15th September) EHAAT’s fundraising team will be out across Hertfordshire to promote awareness and collect vital funds for their lifesaving service.

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) is a Charity which provides a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) for the critically ill and injured of Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas. Last year they attended a record number of 1,491 patients in the area. The service is provided free of charge but, unlike NHS emergency services, the Charity receives no direct funding from the Government or National Lottery. It costs in excess of £750,000 every month to keep the service operational and cover all charitable costs.

The clinicians and pilots who work for EHAAT have skills which allow them to `bring the hospital to the patient’, but you can help support the Charity’s life-saving work just by holding a collection bucket.

Fundraising Manager, Natasha Robertson said: “National Air Ambulance Week is an important way of increasing awareness and raising funds. We are keen to recruit as many volunteers as we can, so we’d love to hear from any companies who would like to get involved.

“Just an hour of collecting can make a huge difference. Some companies take on a collection point and use it as a ‘give back’ day. It’s a great way of getting your team together away from the workplace and putting something back into the community.”

Another way of supporting EHAAT is to host a box of helicopter pin badges at your workplace during September, with a suggested donation of £1 per pin.

If you or the business you work for would like to get involved in supporting EHAAT, contact Natasha Robertson or on 0345 504 0055 or at natasha.robertson@ehaat.org

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igloo

Five Top Tips

when planning a New Website

A website can be a significant investment, both in money and time.

By Louise Major We often find that prospective clients describe their site as ‘not hitting the spot’ or ‘it doesn’t reflect us as business’.

Top Tips for an effective website 1. Research competitors

Give yourself a task to do on your competitor’s website and then see how easy it is to achieve. Is their tone of voice and message consistent across their marketing? Can you easily access information from one place to another? Your prospects are likely to look at multiple sources of informationas part of their research.

2. Consider the target audience

With people making on average 22 web searches a day, there are no end of options online. Remember to identify your target audiences’ challenges, frustrations and aspirations. Create a profile of the different types of customers you want to work with. A survey or interview with clients is a good way of getting this information.

3. Set measurable goals

If you are looking to grow your database, be a resource for essential information and increase sales leads, you will need to work out what your definition of a conversion is. Set goals that you will measure the website performance by. This gives you information about what works best and gives you the opportunity to change it, if it doesn’t.

4. Be clear and consistent

Be clear about who you are and what you offer. Focus on the planning side of your site, not what it looks like. It will act as a guide for what you need to write. A lovely looking website that doesn’t reach out to the right audience, won’t be worth the investment.

5. Regularly update content

Be realistic about how much time you spend on your website. If you want to be regularly updating it and creating content, you may find working with a partner agency is useful. It is important that content is consistent, relevant, fresh and reflects the business.

About the author

Louise Major is Director of Igloo Creative, a Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire based creative agency, supporting clients in growing their business and connecting with the customers to make that happen.

www.igloo-creative.co.uk 01442 531166

36 INSPIRE

Hertford Based Design Engineers Win National Building Award Green Building Design Consultants, based at Four Rivers House on Fentiman Walk in Hertford, has won a National Building Award for leading edge sustainable design for the building industry. The company’s energy saving designs to create comfortable, functional and cost-effective working environments were recognised at an award ceremony in Wembley Stadium on Thursday 22nd May. In judging The Green Award, a team of industry experts was impressed by how the company promotes sustainable development and energy efficiency throughout the building industry. Performance improvements which were assessed included £5m of energy cost savings in 3 years

for Vodafone and reducing carbon emission in a Camden Victorian terrace house by 80%. The National Building Awards, sponsored by Liebherr, raise the profile of enterprising businesses in the construction industry. Green Building Design Consultants were amongst 50 finalists including architects, engineers, developers, contractors, building material manufacturers and software specialists. “This award is a massive thank you rewarding our team’s hard

work and dedication to excellent sustainable designs. I am extremely proud of this achievement and would like to thank all my colleagues for making this possible”, said Simon Green, Managing Director of Green Building Design Consultants. For more information about the range of sustainable design services supported by Green Building Design Consultants, please call 01992 552 111.

Anthony Downs appointed Estate Director at Hatfield Gascoyne Estates is delighted to confirm that Anthony Downs has been appointed Estate Director at Hatfield and will assume responsibility for leading the wide-ranging and diverse activities of the Hatfield estate from 1st June 2019.

Anthony has worked at Hatfield for 19 years and is already a well-known and respected local figure through his involvement with Local Development Plan and for his work on the renovation of buildings across the estate, including Hatfield Railway Station and the building of new homes at Arm and Sword Lane and Church Lane in Old Hatfield. Having grown up in the surrounding counties of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Anthony has always had close personal ties to Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas. Anthony understands and appreciates the county and its communities and

is uniquely well placed to ensure the estate continues to play a positive role in promoting Hatfield as a dynamic and enterprising place to live, work and visit. Anthony will continue to focus on the Local Development plan and he is now supported in this project by Simon Conibear, who previously headed up Poundbury for the Duchy of Cornwall. Anthony will also be prioritising the redevelopment of Salisbury Square in OId Hatfield and the enhancement of visitor facilities within Hatfield Park. He will also be working on plans for Mill Green, including the redevelopment of the

Green Man pub, which has recently received planning consent for development from WHBC. Lord Salisbury said “Lord Cranborne and I are delighted to appoint Anthony to this new role. It is important to us that Hatfield is represented locally by someone who lives and works in our community and who understands the challenges and opportunities we face. Anthony has already made a very remarkable contribution to Hatfield and we have every confidence the estate and our community will thrive under his direction.”

Members News

ARISE Hatfield donate over £6,500 to Hatfield Projects On Wednesday 22nd May, ARISE Hatfield awarded 7 Hatfield organisations with funds ranging from £515 to £1,000 for their projects at a ceremony, held at The River Cottage Restaurant at Hatfield House.

ARISE Hatfield has made over £63,000 of donations, supporting 76 projects since it began in 2013. Projects that benefitted from the latest round of funding were: • The De Havilland Community Project – who were awarded £515 for their summer fun day in August this year.

• De Havilland Primary School – who were awarded £997.50 to purchase a class set of Ukuleles for use in music lessons and school shows.

• Potential Kids received £1,000 to buy some equipment for their sensory room for young people to use when they feel overwhelmed.

• Howe Dell Play Scheme was granted £1,000 to fund the purchase of scooters and bikes to encourage outdoor play at their holiday play schemes and breakfast and after school clubs.

• Young Life International was awarded £1,000 for their bash day camp BBQ and high ropes adventure which will take place in the summer for local kids.

Hertfordshire: a UK testbed • Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival received £1,000 for their education outreach programme for kids to fund artist fees, travel, venue hire, lighting and equipment.

• Hatfield Army Cadet Force were granted £1,000 to develop their training provisions for 12-18 year olds. Funds will pay for a new first aid doll, walkie talkies, high-vis vests and a gazebo.

If your project needs funding of up to £1,000 then please visit www.arisehatfield.com for more information and an application form.

Avalon Vehicle Rental is the local specialist in Vehicle Rental for both personal and business users

Our professional vehicle rental experts combine 65 years of industry experience so we’ll always be able to match you with a suitable hire solution. Now under new management and having recently undergone a rebrand we are looking forward to this exciting new chapter in our history. In addition to this we have also become a member of the Hertfordshire Chamber

We are Avalon Vehicle Rental, your flexible car and van rental specialists with convenient pick-up and drop-off centres offering UK coverage at Hemel Hempstead, Milton Keynes and Leicester.

of Commerce, showing our ongoing commitment to the local area and our customers as we strive to offer the best service at competitive prices. We are offering discounted rates to all Chamber of Commerce members, simply get in touch to see how we can help. We have a diverse fleet of over 1500 vehicles including a wide range of cars, vans, people

carriers and minibuses. Our fleet is available on a variety of bespoke hire options including daily rental, long term hire and a range of flexi rental options. Our proposition is built on an ongoing commitment to customer service, strategic locations, experienced staff and our choice of rental options. Corporate account enquiries are always welcome and include many exclusive benefits.

Contact us see how we can help you get the most out of vehicle rental. enquiries@avalonvehiclerental.co.uk www.avalonvehiclerental.co.uk

The development of a Local Industrial Strategy has enabled us to trial new ideas that will deliver greater social and economic impact.

At its heart is innovation, be it in the way we live, work or move around. This underpins our future success and emboldens us to develop projects that could have national and international significance. As lead partner for Hertfordshire IQ, Hertfordshire’s new Enterprise Zone, we are setting a quality standard for sustainable design, build and materials to support future generations.

Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership is leading the development of Hertfordshire IQ, three million sq. ft. of new commercial space over the next 10 years in Hemel Hempstead. It offers opportunities to collaborate with its partners: construction industry leaders BRE Group, global leaders Rothamsted Research and the University of Hertfordshire – experts in AI, robotics and Big Data.

Hertfordshire IQ will be at the centre of the Hemel Garden Communities in Hemel Hempstead, a development of 11,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs that will fuel a vibrant, connected community, making a great place to work, live and play.

Jake Berry, Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth said: "Since their creation, Enterprise Zones have been the foundations of success for over 1,100 businesses, attracting £4.28 billion of private sector investment and creating over 51,000 jobs - proving the UK is a great place to do business.

"Hertfordshire IQ aims to become the leading place in the UK for businesses operating in modern construction, agri-tech and related digital and environmental technologies and the £680,000 investment from the Local Growth Fund has opened the door for up to 800 new businesses, creating over 8,000 new jobs. Hertfordshire IQ will also form the commercial heart of the Hemel Garden Communities development at Hemel Hempstead, creating around 10,000 high quality new homes in a wonderful setting." Visit Hertfordshire IQ: www.herts-iq.co.uk

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50% 5

Sto op p sing g gle-use ep plasticc.

r e b m e m e R ! s e l b a s u e r your

Environmental

How businesses can think small to achieve big in the Green Revolution The need to tackle climate change has never occupied a higher place on the UK’s political agenda than today. The impact of Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg and the school pupils’ strikes she has inspired and the recent activities of Extinction Rebellion, primarily in London, have focused attention like never before on the need to halt Mankind’s contribution to potentially disastrous global warming.

“At a time of difficult trading conditions and economic turmoil, saving the planet can come pretty low down the list of priorities for businesses trying to make a living and many managers find themselves wondering if they really can make a difference anyway.”

In addition, a recent United Nations report saw scientists warn that one million species of plants and animals are at risk of going extinct, with species being lost at a rate of tens or hundreds of times faster than in the past, unless governments, companies and individuals take action. Just about everyone agrees on the need for action but what can a business in Hertfordshire do faced with what often comes over as a global problem?

At a time of difficult trading conditions and economic turmoil, saving the planet can come pretty low down the list of priorities for businesses trying to make a living and many managers find themselves wondering if they really can make a difference anyway.

However, a few simple measures can not just benefit the environment, they can also benefit the bottom line. One recent estimate suggested that businesses spend at least 4% of their turnover generating waste because the cost of waste is not just the cost of its disposal but also

includes wasted energy, water, raw materials, consumables and labour. Many business people may still assume that such issues relate primarily to big industry where major changes in processes can bring about major savings.

However, there is a growing awareness among many owners of businesses of all sizes that changes in the office can have a significant effect as well, that switching off the light at night, turning off that leaking tap and recycling paper is not just a ‘good thing to do’ but it can also save money. Agencies working in the waste minimisation field say that the largest controllable outgoing in an office is often energy consumption but that a few commonsense measures can cut bills by at least 50 per cent, according to some estimates. The same is true when it comes to other everyday office functions.

The call does not just relate to the company itself because there is growing pressure on companies to ensure that the businesses in their supply chain are doing the same. Small businesses seeking to carry out work for larger companies are increasingly finding themselves required to demonstrate their green credentials.

Sound scary? Wondering where to start? Here are some simple ideas that businesses of all sizes can adopt. >>>

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HertsWasteAware

#RememberYourReusables wasteaware.org.uk/reusables

RECYCLING • Ensure that all photocopying and publications are produced in double-sided format on recycled paper • Consider setting aside one business printer for draft documents only – and load it with scrap paper • Use electronic material where possible to reduce printing and faxing • Use paper recycling bins, including one next to the photocopier • Post reminder notices on the walls to ensure that staff remember to switch off lights, printers and faxes etc when not in use. ENERGY • A single computer and monitor left on 24 hours a day can cost more than £50 a year, according to some estimates. Switching them off out of hours and enabling standby features could reduce this to £15 a year each and prolong the lifespan of equipment • Measure how much energy you’re using. Keep track of bills, and how they change after the introduction of energy-saving tips.

LIGHTING • Artificial lighting can be automatically controlled through daylight sensors, motion detectors and zoned controls to switch off lighting in unoccupied areas – some estimates suggest that they could cut lighting costs by as much as 15%, possibly more • Replace high wattage lamps with low energy versions, which could make energy savings of 65-75% • Make the most of natural light cleaning windows and skylights regularly will allow maximum daylight to enter the building and significantly reduce the need for electric lighting.

HEATING • Temperature control – keep a thermostat set at the minimum comfort level. Heating costs will go up by 8% each time the temperature goes up by just one degree. • Keep the thermostat away from draughts or hot and cold spots these will all affect the thermostat and automatically increase heating costs • Don’t put equipment that generates large amounts of heat, like photocopiers, near cooling vents the cooling system will need to work harder to cool an area that is constantly being heated. • Maintain equipment properly poorly maintained heating equipment could be adding as much as 10% to a heating bill.

WATER The rate of water use by businesses in the UK is 1.3 billion cubic metres each year – the equivalent of 1,400 Olympic swimming pools every day. However, businesses that take action to cut the waste typically achieve a 20-50% decrease in the amount of water used, which in turn cuts costs both in water supply and water disposal charges. Tips include; • Identify areas of wastage, including leaks. Keep water-using equipment well maintained and check it periodically for leaks. • Make sure staff are fully aware of the importance of water minimisation. Ensure staff are encouraged to report leaks and that leaks are repaired quickly. • When purchasing new equipment, take its water efficiency into account. Fit water minimising controls where possible, eg push taps, flow regulator/restrictors, cistern displacement devices and low flush toilets

FOOD AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRIES URGED TO ACT Businesses in the worlds of food retail and hospitality have been urged to take action to drive down food waste, seen as important as the planet seeks to make more efficient use of land. The call came from the Government’s Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot ahead of a recently-held symposium called ‘Step up to the Plate’, which he hosted alongside Environment Secretary Michael Gove at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. Attendees were asked to sign up to a number of commitments on measuring and reducing their own food waste and inspiring others to follow their lead. Every year, about 100,000 tonnes of readily available and perfectly edible food goes uneaten and the Step up to the Plate campaign aims to stop good food going to waste through a range of measures. These include setting an ambitious target to halve food waste by 2030 in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 and encouraging others to take the problem seriously and to change their habits to be Food Value Champion at work and at home, buying only what they need and eating what they buy. Food Surplus and Waste Champion Ben Elliot said: “Wasting food is an environmental, moral and financial scandal. We intend for the symposium and pledge to spark action, not just conversation, and inspire us all to champion change. It’s time to ‘Step up to the Plate’.” Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “Together, we must end the moral, economic, and environmental scandal of food waste.

Environmental

The UK is showing real leadership in this area, but I urge businesses to join me in signing the pledge so we can bring about real change.” Susan Barratt, Chief Executive Officer at Institute of Grocery Distribution, said that 90 food businesses across the UKhave already committed to reduce food waste. She added: “The time is right for change, so it is encouraging to see so many representatives from both industry and government coming together to tackle this growing issue.” Helen Munday, Chief Scientific Officer, Food and Drink Federation, said the organisation encouraged members the industry as a whole to do more. She said: “Food Waste is an important issue to our members and by working across the value chain, we can make a real change happen on this important social and environmental issue.” You can find out more about the pledge at https://www.gov.uk/ government/news/slashing-foodwaste-major-players-urged-tostep-up-to-the-plate

Have you got the bottle to refill? New Hertfordshire scheme launches to tackle plastic bottle pollution. Recycling is great for the environment, but it is essential that we reduce the amount of waste we create in the first place. There’s no justifying it, single-use plastic is a problem that we all need to take responsibility for. WasteAware (Hertfordshire Waste Partnership), is on a mission to encourage people to ditch single-use plastic and ‘remember their reusables’ whether at home, the shops or in the workplace. A shocking 60% of all plastic bottles used in the UK are single-use water bottles – that’s 7.7 billion every year! Imagine how much waste could be stopped if everyone switched to a reusable bottle. In order to help tackle this plastic crisis, WasteAware have launched Refill Hertfordshire! This FREE scheme enables any public-facing

organisation with a tap - such as bars, restaurants, cafés, takeaways, and so on - to register as a Refill Station. This simply means that they will refill someone’s reusable bottle with free tap water on request. It’s as easy as that! This new scheme will help to encourage more people to remember their reusables when on the go and reduce the amount of single-use plastic produced. If you want to register your business as a Refill Station, or find out more about the scheme, visit www.refill.org.uk. As a business you are in a position of influence for your colleagues, clients and workforce by highlighting the importance of reducing singleuse plastic in the workplace. Providing the relevant equipment and information can increase awareness and help drive a ‘sustainable company’ ethos.

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, you can easily reduce single-use plastic with just a few simple switches: • Replace disposable coffee and plastic cups from around the office, with reusable cups and glasses. • Replace disposable plates, containers and cutlery with reusable alternatives • Encourage staff to bring in their own ‘zero waste’ packed lunches and water bottles

Switching to ‘biodegradable’ or ‘compostable’ plastic cups, plates or cutlery for your workplace is not a solution and actually creates a larger issue. It is crucial that we switch to truly reusable items instead that can be used again and again.

We have a FREE digital ‘Remember Your Reusables’ resource pack available with artwork that you can use in your organisation (posters, screen savers, email footers, video, stickers) - please contact us to find out more: wasteaware@hertfordshire.gov.uk and see www.wasteaware.org.uk/reusables.

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LET'S S.C.R.A.P. FLY TIPPING!

Information for

BUSINESSES

Is YOUR business disposing of its waste correctly? EVERY business that produces waste in the UK has a legally-binding ‘DUTY OF CARE’ . Over 50% of UK businesses are not complying with waste management regulations. 90% of these are small companies with fewer than 50 employees.

Any waste from commercial activity is business waste. If you use part of your home to run your business then any waste from that is business waste. All business waste has to be collected by someone who is licensed and registered to do so.

Take responsibility for YOUR waste and make sure whoever collects it does not fly tip. Don’t risk getting an UNLIMITED FINE – Check YOUR business complies with the law and YOUR Duty of Care.

For more information, visit:

hertfordshire.gov.uk/flytipping

rightwasterightplace.com

Hertfordshire Business Owner elected President of The Recycling Association On 14th May 2019, local commercial recycling business, CS Recycling, had some great news as Managing Director Craig Curtis was elected President of the Recycling Association in the UK. Craig, by many people, has been called a true “recycling enthusiast”.

Craig has been a Director in the Recycling Association for several years now and becoming president of the association is no small feat. The person who fills this role must not only have the acumen to spearhead The Recycling Association campaigns but must show a dedication to the industry as a whole. The Recycling Association’s CEO has said “As Managing Director of CS Recycling, he has years of experience in the recycling sector that will prove valuable as we take The Recycling Association forward. Craig has recently been heavily involved in formulating the Association’s response to the Resources and Waste Strategy consultation, where his experience and insights showed what an asset he will be as President.”

The Recycling Association is a trade body that works with stakeholders across the country, supporting better UK recycling through lobbying for improved legislation, policy and operation; working towards increased clarity and awareness within the country and improving the provision of best practice within the industry. Craig Curtis commented “I am honoured to be given this opportunity to take on the presidency of the Recycling Association, I have seen so much development in the recycling industry over the past 40 years I have been in the industry. I cannot wait to get started in this new position alongside my role as managing director at CS Recycling.”

Recycle your Office Furniture

Environmental

JPA is about more than just new furniture and we thought it was time to tell the world more about what we do. Our entire business is built on delivering value through sustainability which is woven company-wide into our products, our services and our operation. We work with you, our clients, to get more from the furniture you already have in place, helping it to last longer and work better for you through a unique and complete set of services designed to solve your furniture headaches. One such headache may be what to do with office furniture that your business no longer wants or needs? UK businesses spend £9 million per year on office furniture landfill – a huge cost for users and a big problem for our environment. JPA however, make it easy for furniture purchasers to deal with all aspects of their furniture including unwanted items, by providing furniture re-use and recycling services which eliminate landfill kg, related carbon emissions and environmental impact. To date, JPA have recycled over 20,000 unwanted furniture items, eliminating over 480 tonnes of landfill and have rehomed an additional 3,800 items in our local community.

We’re confident that our furniture maintenance and repair services can prolong the working of the furniture you already have in place and potentially, avoid the need for disposal altogether – it’s a win win situation. Discover our new website www.jpa-workspaces.com showcases key services including: • project and move management • space planning, layouts and design • furniture maintenance, repairs, spare parts • service call out visits • general furniture advice • new furniture supply • DSE workplace assessments • redundant furniture re-use • redundant furniture recycling We are passionate about delivering measurable value through our sustainable approach and proud winners of the Inspiring Herts Green Award for the third time in 2019. We’d love to hear about your furniture headaches as we’re here to help: T: 01727 840800 or service@jpa-workspaces.com Fiona Edwards JPA Furniture

Is your business complying with its Duty of Care ??? The Hertfordshire Waste Partnership (HWP) is leading on efforts to reduce fly tipping around the county and beyond.

As part of this, the HWP is urging businesses to keep in mind their waste management responsibilities under the Duty of Care requirements. Recent research undertaken by one of the UK’s largest waste management companies shows that up to 90% of organisations who fail to comply with their Duty of Care are small and medium size enterprises with less than 50 employees. This matters because legally, under Section 34 of the

Environmental Protection Act 1990, every business that produces waste (including recyclables) has a Duty of Care to manage all wastes they produce in compliance with UK waste management regulations. Failure to comply can ultimately result in your company being prosecuted in either a Magistrates Court or even at the Crown Court where fines are unlimited. How do you fulfil your Duty of Care? For businesses this means you must both arrange for the collection and disposal of any wastes you produce as well understand how your wastes will be dealt with after leaving your premises. This is achieved by having a proper waste collection contract in place with a suitable service provider; one who is licensed to undertake the services they are providing, as demonstrated through the appropriate contract documentation. Service providers can include private waste management companies or your local borough or district council.

However, the Duty of Care requires you to do more than simply take such licenses at face value. As a business, the Duty of Care requires you to check the potential service provider is properly licensed before entering into a contract. Such checks can made by: • contacting the Environment Agency on 03708 506 506; • emailing at dutyofcare@ environment-agency.gov.uk; or • by using a link on Hertfordshire’s WasteAware website; www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/flytipping; taking you directly to the Environment Agency’s online checking tool where you can enter a service providers details to see if they are properly licensed. For more information you can also check out the www.rightwasterightplace.com website, designed to help business comply with their Duty of Care.

INSPIRE 43

Environmental

Commerc cial and domestic c collections across Hertfordshire Our simple process, explained:

How we can give you peace of mind: ‫ ط‬A simple and secure process for ensuring all confidential waste is destroyed efficiently ‫ ط‬Free Certificates of Destructions for all customers ‫ ط‬Special diisscounttss fo for allll Herttss Chamber members

Telephone 01707 621431 Email enquiries@csshredding.co.uk

Call: 01707 656261 Email: info@csrre ecycling.co.uk + H U W I R U G V K L U H · V l o c a l c o m m e r c i a l r e c y c l i n g c o m p a n y , p r o v i d i n g services to commercia al businesses acrosss the home counties for over 80 years. Rebates arre available for high h quality baled recy yclable materials:

Quality recycling serrvices for a sustainable e world Working with Manufacturers, Factories, Offices, Distribution Centres, Wholesalers, Facilities Manag gement, Garden Centres, Hotels, Restaura nts«

44 INSPIRE

Environmental

Managed Print: The Essentials Managed print services provide stability, security and value for money for your business.

• Improved information security

A typical agreement covers the printer/photocopier, software, toner/ink, parts, servicing and emergency engineers – everything but the paper! The chief benefits include:

• Reduced costs

With ink, toner, parts, servicing and breakdown cover included in one predictable monthly payment, managed print saves you money and allows you to focus on using your cash flow to grow your business.

Sophisticated print software means your team can work on the move by utilising cloud printing, but you can also ensure security by employing follow-me printing alongside a range of other tools that make sure you’re printing smarter.

• Greater efficiency

Automatic delivery of ink/toner when you run low, regular servicing and emergency engineers mean that managed print maximises uptime. It also removes the burden of managing the printers from your staff, freeing up their time so they can get on with the job.

• Lower carbon footprint

Managed print companies are expert in implementing print policies that make the best use of ink and paper to reduce waste. They can also measure your print and work out how/where you can save.

In addition, EBM Managed Services’ Green Print Programme allows you to run your business printers on a carbon neutral basis.

With cost savings, improved security, more efficient devices and less waste, managed print is usually the right choice for agile, growing businesses.

Managed print with EBM Managed Services

EBM Managed Services is a family-run business founded in 2005. Our engineers have over 40 years’ combined experience working with market-leading brands.

We pride ourselves on excellent customer service, and currently score 4.8/5 in our Google Reviews.

Interested?

Get in touch on 01376 512575, at info@ebmltd.co.uk or via our website, www.ebmltd.co.uk

PRINTER/PHOTOCOPIER REPAIR | MANAGED PRINT | TELEPHONY

Reduce your impact on the environment and continue to meet your business needs. Choose a carbon neutral managed print service with EBM Managed Services. EBM’s Green Print Programme uses X gbrnol] i^ l][s[ebh` Xh\ iƂm]n ni make your printers carbon neutral. Find out more: www.ebmltd.co.uk/about/carbon-neutral-printing/

ԕ Ҡ]ZgiƉ[bXe ԕ bh^iҠ]Zgen\Ҷ[iҶod ԕ qqqҶ]Zgen\Ҷ[iҶod

INSPIRE 45

Sport and Leisure

Sitting at the heart of the action, alongside its array of partner organisations, schools and sports clubs, is the Herts Sport and Physical Activity Partnership (HSP), an award-winning organisation that was established in 2003. Hosted at the University of Hertfordshire, the Partnership continuously strives to help more people in Hertfordshire to become more active. Led by Director John O’Callaghan, the team’s work is divided into two themes; Sport for Social Change and Physical Activity for Wellbeing. Although coined as the ‘County of Opportunity’ the more affluent areas of Hertfordshire often mask deprivation, inactivity and social isolation; inequalities the team aim to overcome, with projects like Fit, Fed & Read. Funded partly by The Big Lottery’s Community Fund, Fit Fed & Read is just one example of how sport and physical activity works alongside other services such a libraries, and

Sport for Social Change and Physical Activity for Wellbeing There are several things that gel communities together, neighbourliness, vibrant town centres, coffee shops and culture to name but a few, but perhaps nothing in quite the way that sport and physical activity does.

benefits from corporate social responsibility input. HSP’s lead officer for the programme Will Slemmings, explained the impact that collaboration with the Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has made: He said: “It was always important that we delivered Fit, Fed & Read in the right environment, and the fire stations have given the project everything it could have wished for. The young people are immediately wowed by their surroundings and as part of the project, they gain first-hand experience of what firefighters do, how they prepare for their challenges and the fitness requirements involved.” The Partnership also places great importance on workplace health and wellbeing and offers a Health MOT service to businesses across the county. Health MOTs measure indicators including visceral fat, resting heart rate and blood pressure, which can be used to identify underlying problems. Recommendations can then be made on where might be suitable to take up something new.

None of the mass provision could even happen if it were not for volunteers. John said: “We have more than 2,500 sports clubs in Hertfordshire. The majority of these function solely on the goodwill and dedication of volunteers who themselves, will usually have been drawn into the fold as an interested parent or ex-player. It is one of our ambitions to communicate the wealth of volunteering opportunities to the corporate world. Vast skillsets lie within Hertfordshire’s private sector, skills which could be utilised through ‘Volidays’ (corporate volunteering days). “Additionally, the Herts Disability Sports Foundation, based at Stanborough Lakes, welcomes regular support for its participants, and can even offer bespoke team building days.”

b rii ngii ng p e o ple l togeth er Through a wide range of o activities, we bring commu unities together by giving them the opportunities to be healthieer and nd happier. Whether it’s a show h , workout, round of golf, outdoor activity or family swimming, we are here fo or everyon ne. fi nd you r nearest centre: w w w.sl l.co.uk fi

46 INSPIRE

SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Through a wide range of activities, SLL brings communities together by giving them opportunities to be healthier, happier and to live a fuller life. Whether it’s a show, workout, round of golf, outdoor activity or family swimming, we offer something for everyone with friendly welcoming teams all experts in their fields. We are here for everyone. We are committed to make each and every customer experience an exceptional one. Whatever our customers’ passion, we can make it happen. We exist so that people can join together to love life, pursue their dreams and achieve their goals. EMBRACING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY THROUGH SPORT Mid Herts Golf Club offers a warm and friendly welcome to members, guests and visitors, embracing the local community. With a smart, comfortable clubhouse and excellent catering, it is the perfect venue to suit all occasions. Unique in having four starting points on the course, there is no need to pre-book a tee time. Just turn up and play from the correct starting tee. Society packages can be tailored to suit the needs and to accompany the golf, there is a well-appointed Pro Shop and a fleet of buggies for hire. Mid Herts also has a purpose-built Pilates studio, a thriving bridge section and an attractive social calendar. Membership offers are always publicised and if you are new or returning to golf, we have Academy Membership. For a golf club that respects tradition but embraces change, Mid Herts Golf Club will meet your needs and is hard to beat.

Enjoy a

E FRE of Golf

MEMBERSHIP

round r... at ou

OPEN WEEKEND Friday 20th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Monday 23rd September

Play our wonderful course during this time to then be eligible for a one-off Membership Offer

Call to secure your place or pop in to the Office Telephone

01582 832242

www.midhertsgolfclub.co.uk Lower Gustard Wood, Lamer Lane, Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire, AL4 8RS

Succeed with Succession Planning Richard Horwood, Partner at Longmores Solicitors, summarises the key ingredients that he considers important for any family business to succeed with its succession planning.

STRATEGY

It is essential for any business to plan its strategic goals to ensure that it will be not only successful on a day-to-day basis, but the succession plan will also work.

UNDERSTANDING

There must be a clear understanding by all parties, including those that are not involved within the family business, about what is the strategy and succession plan.

CLARITY

$ VWUDWHJLF SODQ PXVW EH FOHDUO\ VHW RXW SURYLGLQJ VXIÂżFLHQW GHWDLOV WR WKH shareholders, directors and other family members so that there can be no uncertainty about what are the aims and objectives.

COMMUNICATION

This is often the area of greatest weakness because those involved with the business do not keep those outside of the business informed about what is happening. This is an understandable oversight but by paying attention to it, it can prevent friction from arising at the time control of the business is passed down to the next generation.

Contact Richard Horwood for further insight and advice about succession planning. 01992 300333 enquiries@longmores.law longmores.law

ENGAGE

You should consider involving not only those in the business, but also the other family members appropriate advisers, (whether it be from the legal or accountancy background), or other business advisers that have been through this process before, to tap into knowledge and resources that are available and can help make the strategy a success.

EVOLVE

Like any plan it will need to move and adapt as circumstances change. Any strategic plan must be reviewed and updated as situations develop.

DETERMINATION

Lastly, the key to any successful business is the drive and determination of WKRVH LQYROYHG WR HQVXUH WKDW LW FDQ IXOÂżO DQG H[FHHG LWV DLPV DQG REMHFWLYHV The same applies in relation to the strategy for the succession of the business. By adopting these key components I believe it will be possible to ensure that the strategic plan for the succession of a IDPLO\ EXVLQHVV ZKHWKHU WKDW EH GXULQJ D SHUVRQÂśV OLIHWLPH RU WKHUHDIWHU FDQ EH IXOÂżOOHG 3OHDVH QRWH WKH FRQWHQWV RI WKLV DUWLFOH DUH JLYHQ IRU LQIRUPDWLRQ RQO\ DQG PXVW QRW EH UHOLHG XSRQ /HJDO DGYLFH VKRXOG DOZD\V EH VRXJKW LQ UHODWLRQ WR VSHFLÂżF FLUFXPVWDQFHV

Skills and Development

Preparing schoolchildren for the world of work… The careers programme at the John Warner School takes students from their start at the age of 11 through the different stages to helping them secure good apprenticeships or University places at the age of 18. These seven years are divided into stages of support based on their immediate needs. The John Warner School uses a variety of means to develop students’ skills. Through the direct careers curriculum there is a scheduled and detailed programme of study to assist learners on their future decision making process. In year 7, 8 and 9, each student has 50 minutes a week in a Life Long Learning programme; this includes careers, resilience, citizenship and personal health development. Students have their finance education supported through the mathematics faculty which is embedded within their lessons, but, in addition, the same students have the opportunity to work with Money Sense and Santander in a series of financial awareness days. The older students are catered for through a well-structured careers programme, supported by YC Hertfordshire. In year 10, all students take part in a week long work experience, which incorporates the application process and the follow up session reflecting on the skills the students have gained. The lower sixth students have bespoke time to help them with their next steps; this gives equal weighting to University and Apprenticeships.

These days are delivered by staff within the institution and external agencies. Groups of students support the local community by carrying out projects led by the team from the John Warner School. The school has recently developed its own Combined Cadet Force; the students are constantly involved in local community projects including Remembrance events. There are many ex-students who are prepared to visit to pass on advice to current students and support them in the events they provide for students; this was highlighted on International Women Day, and Futures Days in February. The uniqueness of the approach used by the John Warner School is to allow students to take the lead, the school is totally inclusive in the selection of students who take part. There is no pre-selection

Year 10 students at VolkerFitzpatrick, Hoddesdon in March

ASK working with our year 12 students on Futures Day in May

and the staff encourage a diverse range of backgrounds to take advantage of the many opportunities. The staff will guide and support these personalities who may not be given these chances elsewhere. An example of this was the mixture of year groups represented in the recent award winning Dragons Den CARPEdiem team. To support students in their applications for Apprenticeships, they meet regularly with the school’s Futures Advisor, who works to support their applications and advises them on their job searches. To prepare them for assessment centre tasks, the school is supported by ASK (Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge) who provided a training session during the school day.

“To support students in their applications for Apprenticeships, they meet regularly with the school’s Futures Advisor, who works to support their applications and advises them on their job searches.”

The school runs eight House Charity days which are student led and involve a variety of events raising money for a mixture of charities. Talent shows afford students Opportunities to performing on stage to audiences of parents and within the curriculum there are many activities available to all year groups. Examples include the Dragons Den, and the Engineering Robot club who consistently win VEX competitions and are a student-focused group. School days do not end at 3.30pm, and staff are encouraged to take students on trips that extend their cultural capital. Through the Local Education Network, working with YC Hertfordshire and Santander, the school is are working towards completing the Gatsby Benchmarks for careers provision and the school values of Creativity, Respect, Participation, Aspiration and Endeavour are aligned to employment competencies. The school celebrates student success in these areas through the rewards system that is in operation. It has a clear vision on how to develop this aspect of the school, it is embedded into the Vision 2022 plan.

INSPIRE 49

Last Word

The Last Word ... Happy team makes for happy clients Colette Cooper Business Development Manager Cariad Marketing Limited

â&#x20AC;&#x153;As Platinum Members of the Chamber we receive the delegate list ahead of networking events which is very useful in addition to the peer to peer introductions.â&#x20AC;? Q Who do you work for?

Cariad Marketing Limited, I report to Justine Perry (Managing Director) who leads #TeamCariad.

Q What do you do?

As Business Development Manager, my role is to cultivate new business prospects, develop client relationships, write proposals and play an active role in developing long-term sales and marketing strategies for both Cariad and our clients. As a Marketing Agency, we have specific client personas which we target in order to ensure we

Patrons

50 INSPIRE

only work with clients who are a best fit for the services we offer and will benefit the most. Our clients are typically based in Hertfordshire and have a clear growth plan for their business, be it through lead generation, online sales or brand awareness. We help them to deliver their marketing objectives and KPIs by working as their outsourced marketing partner with a team of the relevant experts assigned to their account. In the eyes of our clients we are very much part of their team, which is such a compliment. It is therefore no surprise that a large chunk of our new business comes from client referrals.

Q Why did you join the Chamber?

Cariad has been an active member of the Chamber for almost ten years. We have found that the Chamber has met our needs and supported us as the company grew from a twoperson start up to a 15-strong team of inhouse experts.

Q What you do get from it?

As Platinum Members of the Chamber we receive the delegate list ahead of networking events which is very useful in addition to the peer to peer introductions.

Our Managing Director has spoken at several Chamber events and we regularly use the Membership Directory to reach out to other members as service providers.

Q How has it helped your business network?

Apart from the great networking venues and food, our Chamber membership has helped me to expand and develop my network of contacts and keep up to date with what is happening across a wide variety of industries in the county.

Q What advice would you give someone starting out?

People donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to be sold to. They like to build a relationship and know you are the expert. So be nice, kind and helpful and the business will come based on trust.

Q What do you think is the biggest challenge affecting running and growing a business?

In our business, the biggest challenge is ensuring we have the right staff with the right skills and the right attitude.

As a service-based company we invest a lot of time and effort into ensuring that our team is motivated, trained and inspired with a true passion for what they do.

This has a direct result on the bottom line. Put simply, if our team is happy, our clients are happy.

Q How confident are you your business will grow in 2019?

100%! In the year to date we have consistently surpassed our revenue, new business and client retention targets, and are anticipating a record year.

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