Inspire Magazine March 2015

INSPIRE.08

UPFront

The business magazine of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Feb 2014 - Mar 2015

.

Welcome

new patrons Longmores Solicitors

n Spotlight on Watford n Raising our voice on key issues affecting growth n Enter our Awards!

INSPIRE

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Your passion is our business We believe better relationships make for better business.

That’s why our Relationship Managers work hard to get closer to what’s important to you and your business.

Business Banking To find out more contact

David Clarke, Head of St Albans Business and Private Banking centre on:

01727 898 739

david.p.clarke@eu.nabgroup.com | cbonline.co.uk/business

Welcome

Contents MBA Courses Business News Economic Review Up Front Patron Focus Spotlight on...

Members News BCC Annual Conference Dacorum Big Interview Inspiring Herts Awards New Members Chamber Events HR Development Members News Forum News Work Place Health and Wellbeing Legal Update Last Word

4-5 6-7 8-9 10-13 14-16 18-24 26 27 28 30-31 33 34 35-37 38 39 41 42-43 44-45 49 50

•••• Editorial and General Enquiries Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce MacLaurin Building, 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, AL10 9NE Tel: 01707 398400 Fax: 01707 398430 Email: enquiries@hertschamber.com Web: www.hertschamber.com Chief Executive: Yolanda Rugg Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing 3tc House, 16 Crosby Road North, Crosby, Liverpool L22 0NY Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published February 2015 © Benham Publishing and Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com Production Manager Mark Etherington Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: studio@benhampublishing.com Media No. 1414 •••• 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. © 2015.

Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content.

Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

From the Chief Executive Setting the pace for the year We’re mid February and already we have hosted six highly successful member events- Bank of England forecast, an HR Forum chaired by our new patron, Longmores Solicitors (see page 14), a Gatwick aviation presentation, a luncheon address

by Mark Prisk MP (Hertford, Bishop Stortford), a breakfast address by Charles Walker OBE MP (Broxbourne) and a hugely interesting networking event in Hemel Hempstead, hosted by Smiths Coffee (see page 13).

National and international too The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) produced an incredible Annual Conference agenda this year - with addresses by Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Ed Balls and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Secretary and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable, First Secretary of State William Hague and Chuka Umunna respectively, with a video message from Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne (see page 27).

We’ll continue to feed back to central government business concerns, and report on Quarterly Economic Survey findings to our members.

We have a Budget 2015 overview on 23 March, with expert Mike Hayes of Kingston Smith leading us through the maze of tax implications, and hopefully not complications.

We’re urged to export Exporting our products and services is good business and good for our economy. We have a Doing business with Singapore and Malaysia event in April: how to do business, how to get paid and ensure payment and accessing finance.

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2015 With headline sponsors LV= and Porsche Hatfield we have 16 Awards this year.

Think about the benefits:

Can we top this?

• huge PR and marketing value • customers and suppliers esteem • showcasing areas of excellence • particular project achievement recognition

As the accredited Chamber of Commerce in Hertfordshire to the BCC, we know more than anyone the importance of providing the right environment to help businesses flourish, the need for government to provide stability that encourages more investment where it really matters... growing exports, growing skills, growing jobs, and advancing our competitiveness.

We’re very excited about the new category: The Schools Award for Education in Employment. Recognising the exemplary practice of education establishments and specialists in helping students to be inspired and inspiring career choices is close to our heart. So much aspirational work is being done in the county; we must pay tribute to it (see page 33).

We've provided much support on STEM career options for young girls over the last year, so this is a natural extension. Our Women in Leadership lunches - next one 26 February - are very popular, and our STEM speakers are very well received.

Circular Economy conference A healthy awareness is growing in the production of things.

As an economy, we need to redefine how product design and production to product end of life feeds into new production.

For business there is huge opportunity to grab new markets.

For consumers, we play our part in perpetuating the production circle which brings lower prices.

Retailers, distributors and recyclers will find greater efficiencies for better bottom line profitability (see page 35).

Our conference on 11 June is going to be very good.

Lobbying government in what really matters And we’ll continue with lobbying government in key issues: • education fit for tomorrow’s employment needs • infrastructure (air, rail, road, broadband) to support business on a global platform • support for businesses to invest in training and jobs growth

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“Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce leverage priority access funding to members investing in up skilling their workforce”

MBA & LEADERSHIP COURSES: Fast Forward your Career

We are delighted to bring you a variety of unique and affordable professional leadership courses, one of the best in its field to ensure people in your business have the and skills they 4 knowledge INSPIRE need to excel.

Benefits of Development through Chamber Training • Developing people through training will allow them to reach their full potential.

• A difference can be made to the performance of your business.

• Become more productive and efficient by reflecting on your learning’s and highlighting gaps in your knowledge and experience.

Hertfordshire BusinessUPFront Academy Costs: From £10 MBA

Cost: £11,000

The MBA degree is designed to meet the needs of busy working professionals and is delivered on a part-time basis over 10 weekends (Friday-Sunday).

If you are considering studying for an MBA but are unsure of how it might benefit your career, or how you might manage your existing commitments, then come and talk to us.

Attendance to any of the Business Academy session will entitle you to regular invitations to Business Academy events, access to new business contacts, and access to funded mentoring and consultancy schemes amongst many other benefits.

See below for timings: Date

Course and Timings

Tuesday 24 February

Be More Competitive and Profitable - The Sustainability Option

Thursday 26 March

Herts Chamber Event - Business Clinic (5pm – 7pm)

Friday 24 April

Building Confidence and Credibility

Friday 22 May

Small Business Marketing Conference (All Day)

Friday 19 June

Employment Law Update - Flexible Working

Hertfordshire Enterprise & Leadership Programme (HELP) Cost: £2,500 per person HELP is an intensive leadership, management and business programme, specifically designed for owner-managers, directors and senior managers of small to medium sized businesses that are actively growing and who need HELP in removing growth barriers.

National Centre for Project Management Costs: From £2,300 Develop your business expertise with professional courses, coaching and solutions tailored specifically for your business. Degrees include: • MSc in Project Management Practice • MSc in Managing Major Projects • Pg. Cert in Delivering Organisational Change amongst several others.

We are offering 10 twilight session from 17.00-20.00, courses include: • leading your business • sustainability leadership • access to funding • growth through e-business • managing people for growth amongst many more.

If you would like to book a place or require any further information please contact Helen Rowe helenrowe@hertschamber.com or phone 01707 398400 4 Bishops Square, Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9NE Tel: 01707 398000 Fax: 01707 398430 www.hertschamber.com

BusinessNews

What do you want from The Voice of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce

“There has never been a better time for our members to voice their concerns on key issues affecting growth, and the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce being in the heart of the community will listen to our members and elevate these issues to local and central Government” Yolanda Rugg, CEO

“Roads need maintenance”

“More support for SME’s”

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INSPIRE

Local rail, road, aviation provision and infrastructure “Cancel HS2 and use the funds to improve the road and rail infrastructure especially regarding more rolling stock for commuter trains” “Widening of the A1 between Stevenage and Welwyn as it regularly backs up in the morning as far as Letchworth Gate. In practice this means that businesses in North Herts cannot get to business meetings in the south of Herts during rush hour. You have to assume 1½ hours travel just to get to Watford or St Albans, and if you come back in rush hour too,

you lose 3 hours out of your day! (Why is the A1 carriageway four lanes wide at Peterborough but only 2 wide here? Is anyone planning our motorways?)

If that is going to take some time to do, then consider putting electronic noticeboards on the A505 on each side of that junction so that people don’t drive down onto the A1 only to find that it is blocked.

This only exacerbates the problem.”

Superfast broadband for villages in N Herts and South Cambs. It is ridiculous that someone less than 40 minutes by train from central London cannot do downloads - especially now

BusinessNews

your Government?

“The A1 needs another lane ...”

Business Leaders that the government insists on so much online filing.”

“Superfast broadband available to all businesses in Hertfordshire by the end of 2015. Currently the Openreach are prioritising residential over business.”

“East-west public transport could be improved. Roads need maintenance.”

“The A1 needs another lane from J10 to J6 South bound to London and North bound from J5 to J7.

“Free car parks especially for Banks, Doctors, Dentists, Opticians, Hospitals and Courts.”

“Do away with the Congestion Charge Zones in London which are, unfortunately, now spreading to other cities.”

“Our biggest issue as a local business is parking - especially for lower-paid workers. St Albans has a high rate of employment so most of our staff, particularly those on lower salaries, come from some distance away and have to drive to get here. Public parking is expensive and would have a significant impact on their take-home pay. Our staff are able to park in nearby roads at the moment and this is just about workable but moves by residents to prevent such parking are threatening our ability to retain these team members. We don’t want to lose these team members and the knowledge they have of our business – they play an important part in the running of our business.”

“Parking is sometimes a problem at the mainline station and it would be nice to have a rail link on Maylands.

We need the same as any business in this area, primarily

better traffic flow on major routes during the working day and on the road to the M1.”

“Free car parks for Banks, Dentists, “More support for Opticians, Hospitals small business looking to take on an apprentice. and Courts” E.g. Wage subsidy for the first 24 months”

“Timeliness of delivery to customers becomes more important with every day that passes. We also need better road surfaces and a solution to the bottlenecks that build up round the junction of Maylands and the A414 Breakspear Way.

We have a leased line but know that many businesses still cannot get the broadband links that all modern businesses need; there are businesses for whom this affects location and investment.”

“Better flights from Luton and Stansted” “More control over privatised suppliers of key infrastructures and their continual price increases”

Access to finance “More support for SME’s” “Give more firms advice on access to finance. In practice banks are not lending to many SMEs. Peer-to-peer lending is now their best bet by far, but it is not as well regulated and few know how to go about getting it and how to make the business investor-ready. We used to have some very good schemes on this and their websites were excellent.”

“We are fortunate in not having any difficulty. “ “Not a question I know much about as I have not needed Finance. But having skilled Business people in Banks would be a step forward.

Maybe the Chamber can be the centre for that.”

“Managers and staff need better training in conflict prevention and resolution.”

Employee and potential employee workplace skills “Take away the emphasis of encouraging too many students to take up university places as degrees are being dumbed down and devalued by the vast numbers of academically challenged students.

Encourage more workplace apprenticeships and encourage employers to value hands on experience as much as university degrees. Reward employers with tax breaks or some kind of incentive to run effective workplace training programmes.”

“Employability skills for graduates are sorely needed.

Several of my customers have been very disappointed with even 1st Class Hons graduates.

Several of these have had no confidence in answering the phone, wouldn’t talk to customers, couldn’t write effectively or spell correctly, and lacked initiative. They were very reluctant to search for answers/instructions online (part of daily life in small businesses who don’t have specialists) which is surprising, given their comfort with social media, etc.”

“In our industry there is a dreadful lack of trained Sales People, Installation and Service Engineers in both fire and security. Careers in these fields hardly get mentioned in schools or colleges. Property will always catch on fire or be attacked by arsonists and there will always be crime. Sales People or Engineers would never be out of work even useless ones seem to keep employed as there is such a shortage. They call their own tune for conditions and monies as they can leave one company and walk into another!”

“We need not just the traditional skills of the three Rs but the ability to check and the willingness to take care in checking work, whatever role the employee fills.”

“Wage subsidy for the first 24 months” INSPIRE

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EconomicReview

UK Monthly Economic Review February 2015

(Based on January 2015 data releases)

Monthly headlines: • UK economic growth reaches seven-year high, despite slowing in Q4 • Services remains the key driver of growth as construction and industrial output weakens • UK inflation drops to joint record low, reinforcing the case against an early interest rate rise UK GDP growth slows in Q4...

...driven by a sharp fall in construction Services remain the dominant sector of the UK economy, growing by 0.8% in Q4 and accounting for almost all of the growth recorded in the quarter (see Chart 2). This mirrors the latest QES with most of the key service sector balances improving in Q4.

The agricultural sector, which accounts for less than 1% of UK economic output, grew by 1.3% in Q4.

The first official estimate of economic growth (GDP) revealed that the UK economy grew by 0.5% in Q4 2014, slower than the growth of 0.7% recorded in the previous quarter. The slight slowdown in growth since the start of the year is broadly in line with the latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) where although most of the key national balances rose in Q4, they remain below the high levels recorded earlier this year (see Chart 1). UK economic output is now estimated to be 3.4% higher than the pre-economic downturn peak in Q1 2008.

Construction was a drag on growth, falling by 1.8% in Q4 and knocking 0.1 percentage points off the overall figure of 0.5%. Industrial output was also a slight drag on growth, falling by 0.1% in the quarter.

In addition, the number of young people who are out of work rose for the first time since mid-2013.

Nonetheless, the labour market remains a source of strength for the UK economy.

Source: ONS Labour Market Statistics, January 2015

...although there are big local differences.

Although the UK labour market picture remains positive, there are notable disparities between the UK's regions and nations. Half of the twelve regions and nations in the UK currently have an unemployment rate that is above the UK average of 5.8% (see Chart 5). In the three months to November 2014, the North East of England recorded the highest unemployment rate (8.5%), followed by Wales (7.0%) and Yorkshire and the Humber (6.8%). In contrast, the South West (4.4%) has the lowest unemployment rate in the UK, followed by the South East (4.5%) and the East of England (4.9%).

Sources: ONS, IMF

...but 2014 growth still hits seven-year high...

Source: ONS Preliminary GDP estimate, Q4 2014

...as UK unemployment falls to six year low...

Despite the slowdown in Q4, the UK economy grew by 2.6% in 2014 as a whole, the fastest rate of growth since 2007 and double the average growth of 1.3% over the past decade. Furthermore, based on current projections, the UK is now expected to have been the fastest growing G7 economy in 2014 (see Chart 3). This represents a marked turnaround from two years ago when the UK was the second worst performing G7 economy in 2012 as it struggled to recover the output lost during the economic downturn.

Sources: ONS Preliminary GDP estimate, Q4 2014, BCC QES Q4 2014

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In the three months to November 2014, UK unemployment fell by 58,000 to 1.91 million, the lowest level for six years. The unemployment rate also continues to decline, falling from 6% to 5.8%.

However, there are signs that the rate of improvement in the UK labour market is starting to ease with the number of people in employment rising by 37,000, the smallest rise since 2013 (see Chart 4).

Source: ONS Labour Market Statistics, January 2015

With inflation falling to joint record low..

CPI inflation fell from 1% in November to 0.5% in December; the joint lowest on record (see Chart 6).

The main contributions to the slowdown came from the continued fall in motor fuel prices and the impact of the earlier gas and electricity price rises of December 2013 falling out of the calculation.

Although inflation is now likely remain below 1% for the rest of the year; concerns over the possibility of deflation in the UK are overdone with the latest QES revealing that intentions to raise prices in the coming months are up slightly for firms in both manufacturing and services.

UpFront

economy is still overly reliant on consumer spending rather than investment and trade.

The general slowdown in the global economy, particularly in the Eurozone is also a major risk to the recovery.

Source: ONS Labour Market Statistics, January 2015

...the prospect of a rate rise recedes further.

Source: ONS Consumer Price Inflation, December 2014

…the squeeze on the wages is easing...

Regular pay growth, excluding bonuses, reached 1.8% in annual terms in the three months to November 2014 (see Chart 7). This is the fastest rate of growth since September 2012 and beat November's comparable inflation rate of 1%.

Stronger wage growth coupled with the continued fall in inflation means that wages are rising in real terms. However, although real wage growth is in positive territory, earnings have got a long way to make up for lost ground. Since 2009, prices have increased by nearly double the rise in earnings over the same period.

The minutes from the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting revealed that all nine Bank of England policymakers voted to keep interest rates on hold this month. This is the first time since July 2014 that there has been a unanimous decision on interest rates, which have been on hold for nearly six years (see Chart 9).

Since July, two members of the MPC, had been calling for a rate rise. But with inflation well below target, our view is that interest rates will stay at their current low level at least until the first half of 2016.

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This handy and easy to use mileage expense app records the time you started and finished, the distance and the time it took you to reach your destination. Taken a detour? Don’t worry, this app allows you to pause and resume your journey anytime.

Once you have reached your destination, the mileage expense app builds a report and stores it safely using Cloud database, and all you have to do is email your report and claim your expense!!

Source: Bank of England

...and as risks to the recovery remain...

Although the UK recorded the strongest growth for seven years in 2014, risks to the recovery remain.

In the near term, the main risk facing the UK economy is the possibility that the slowdown in growth evident in recent months could worsen further. Despite the recent improvement in the trade deficit, which narrowed for the second successive in November (see Chart 8), the UK

Bottom line: Last month’s data releases support our view that while the UK economy continues to outperform many of its international competitors, the pace of growth is slowing.

More must be done to rebalance the economy towards trade and investment and the MPC must delay raising interest rates for as long as possible.

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For more information please contact: Suren Thiru, UK Economic Advisor.

Email: s.thiru@britishchambers.org.uk.

Tel: 020 7654 5801

Download and find out more by visiting our site: www.mileagexpense.com Or get in touch for a free demo: software@ardentisys.com

INSPIRE

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UpFront

Gatwick - in the running for a second runway In just five years since breaking away from BAA, the airports consortium, Gatwick Airport has invested £1bn in passenger experience improvements, innovations and technologies that have helped secure new long-haul destinations that include the US and key emerging markets, fuelling a record number of 38 million yearly passengers - of which 20 per cent are business travellers.

Farrells Image of New Gatwick

It has committed another £1bn to invest in connectivity and infrastructure but with record-breaking growth and the airport close to capacity, Gatwick desperately needs to expand. Its plans for a second runway, estimated to cost £7.8bn, are in competition with Heathrow’s contention for a third, to cost £15.6bn.

Competition for another runway However, the two airports are competing from different flight paths. Heathrow argues that it needs a third runway to compete with European hubs - Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt - and with the proliferation of Middle-East hubs - Dubai, Istanbul, Doha among others.

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INSPIRE

Gatwick believes the argument for a hub status is overstated. Transfer traffic is declining and point-to-point travel is increasing. Gatwick’s airlines fly directly to the destination. No hop on hop off. It serves its market very well in this respect business travellers, families with little ones, leisure seekers with luggage.

Tourism, two-way Tourism, in and out of the United Kingdom, is big business. Gatwick has 151 short destinations on its up-and-away or downand-in rotas. With a reputation as the world’s most efficient single runway airport,

it also serves 42 long haul routes.

All in all, Gatwick serves more destinations than Heathrow, 193 compared to the latter’s 173. And its analysis of aircraft design and manufacture trends make their own arguments for an additional runway quite compelling.

Apart from British holiday makers seeking sun or Mickey Mouse pleasures, there are the emerging markets’ middle classes whose growing affluence is funding far-flung vacation fortnights - England’s green and pleasant lands beckon visitors from China, Korea, India and South America - all good for the tourist economy.

UpFront

But business too It’s not just about holiday makers.

Gatwick’s airlines, largely low cost, although BA is the second largest carrier, take people home to their families after extended work periods in Britain’s thriving economy, and bring them back, refreshed nurses, doctors, engineers, consultants, plumbers, construction workers.

Flying in the face of video conferencereplacing-the-business-flights arguments, Gatwick says that 20 per cent of its passengers are business people taking a close look at business opportunities in their local context in other countries, as the UK Government exhorts us to export more.

Gatwick pitting against Heathrow’s hub contentions It is impossible, say Gatwick, for a UK, or a European for that matter, airport to compete effectively against middle-east airport hubs.

Europe has planning regulations and is a patchwork of cities and towns with people resisting aeroplane noise. The Middle East, moreover, is better placed, geographically, to handle these passenger flows.

Out in the deserts of the Emirates, there’s space for more and bigger hubs, built and run more cheaply than any in Europe. And there’s no-one to complain to their parliamentary representative about 24-hour sky-filled aircraft or encroaching airport infrastructure in our back yards.

In 2000, (graphic 1) there were about 26 routes straddling UK and Europe, across the Middle East, connecting to Asia, Australia and the archipelagos in between. Last year’s (graphic 2) picture is very different.

Hub busters

Sustainability and environment

There is order-book evidence that aircraft design is responding to flying trends.

Smaller planes with longer ranges with greater fuel efficiencies will replace the 600seater Airbus and Boeing juggernauts. Pointto-point long haul travel, circumnavigating the world and bypassing the European hubs - at lower operating costs - is now a reality.

It also means that aircraft like the 200-250 passenger Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 will make it easier for budget carriers, nesting at Gatwick, to compete.

The number of people affected by noise at Gatwick is 3,200 and at Heathrow: 240,000. Another important quality of life indicator is that Gatwick is not in breach of air quality regulations. But perhaps the cherry on top is its public transport access, with the London South Coast rail line parallel to the runway perimeter, the on-the-spot railway station feeding the Hertfordshire rail through St Albans-Watford Thames Link across London and plans for a greatly expanded coach and bus terminals.

How green is that!

Competition World War I dogfights were aerial skirmishes between German Fokkers and Britain’s Sopwiths. A century later, dogfights in the skies above, just as focused on national supremacy, are vastly different and altogether commercially based. We’re all part of the global market now. Countries and continents are competing.

Closer to home, the competition for London airport expansion is just as commercial.

Far less people would lose their homes in a Gatwick expansion than Heathrow which has the additional setback of very expensive and very challenging tunnel engineering beneath the M25, in addition to the construction of new road diversions and road build and M4 widening.

These additional requirements bring the total estimate of a Heathrow expansion cost to £15.6bn, compared to half the cost for Gatwick’s desired expansion.

Lower costs mean lower fares. In addition, there are Gatwick’s arguments of environmental impact.

Last word Gatwick say that its bid for the additional runway is based on sure-footed evidence of global changes in air travel and not flights of fancy. For instance, Middle East hub developments are shifting the global centre of aviation away from Europe, and that hub-busting aircraft of the near future will change the planes we fly in to reach our destination without tedious transfers to connecting flights. This means low cost carriers will be competing more effectively with the long haul national carriers.

Over the next forty years, most UK traffic growth will be to Europe, remaining one of our largest export and holiday destinations.

And for those of us who have business in Berlin or love our lattés in Venice, we must wait for the Airports Commission’s recommendation later this year.

More information: Fiona Wilkinson, Guinea Fowl Creative 01438 900 284.

INSPIRE

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UpFront

Sign up to receive £800 - £2400 for your business and free training in English &/or Maths for your staff

Help to shape our economic future North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) is seeking the views of local businesses and other stakeholders to help to develop its economic vision for the district.

This opportunity is funded through the European Social Fund with the purpose of upskilling adults in employment.

To qualify for monetary reward you must be: • a small employer (up to 249) or self employed To qualify for the free training you must be: • 19 or over • employed for a minimum of 8hrs a week, (or volunteer with an agreement) • employed/self-employed • working in the east of England: Herts, Essex, Cambs, Beds, Suffolk & Norfolk How it works: • An initial assessment to identify level of training required • This will be City & Guilds qualification at either Level 1 or level 2 • Option to do maths and English or just one subject • Length of training. Approx. 10hrs but up to 30hrs if required • On line, face-to-face and tutor supported training Expected Outcome: • Recognised City & Guilds qualification in maths and/or English Monetary reward: The fund compensates for staff time with a payment of £800 for each staff member (max £2400 per employer) • £400 rewarded at sign up stage • £400 rewarded upon successful completion of the assessment This is a government backed initiative that is available for a limited period only.

I signed up to it and have already received my first £400. There is no catch and no risk so I can’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to reap the benefits on offer.

That is why I’ve agreed to help recruit as many businesses and people as possible during this short window of opportunity.

If you would like to take part, please email me and I’ll arrange for you to be contacted.

Sarah Lebentz sarah@pwpark.com

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INSPIRE

The Council is looking for feedback on its draft Economic Development Strategy – ‘Productive North Herts’ which aims to address issues related to growing new and existing businesses in the area.

The feedback from the consultation will form a final strategy and action plan to help the economy grow and generate employment opportunities locally.

Joint working with business partners, building better relationships and using the area’s resources to their full potential, are some of the key areas that the Council

would like feedback on.

There is also the opportunity to highlight the barriers that prevent business growth in North Hertfordshire.

Cllr David Levett, NHDC’s portfolio holder for Planning and Enterprise said: “The area hosts a number of internationally important businesses and those from growing sectors, including advanced engineering, information technology, pharmaceutical and manufacturing.North Hertfordshire also benefits from being in an excellent strategic location and having excellent transport links.

“We want to harness our resources and work closely with businesses to strengthen business links and drive economic growth in the area. This consultation is just the first step in doing just that.”

A final version of the Economic Development Strategy is expected to be published in summer 2015.

Visit www.northherts.gov.uk/productivenorth herts to read and comment on the Draft Strategy.

Comments should be received by 30 March 2015.

“Joint working with business partners, building better relationships and using the area’s resources to their full potential, are some of the key areas that the Council would like feedback on.”

UpFront

Wake up, and smell the coffee A Herts Chamber West Herts networking evening on 3 February was one of those Chamber events that mingled people with pure pleasure.

“I REALLY WANT TO GROW MY BUSINESS BUT I’M JUST TOO BUSY RUNNING IT!” Sound Familiar?

We understand that running a business is life consuming.

Just keeping on top of your daily activities can leave little time to take a step back, see the bigger picture and capitalise on key opportunities!

Smiths Coffee Co Colin Smith is the grandson of the original purveyor of coffee beans who began his coffee beans business in 1936 in Mill Hill, London.

Colin took over the business from his father, giving up his teaching career, and expanded the range. Today Smiths Coffee offers origin coffees, blends, organically certified, Fairtrade, flavoured, speciality, rainforest and decaf.

blended, roasted, packaged and shipped to the palace, hotel, or restaurant. It’s all online and quickly despatched so that customers who recognise quality can appreciate the freshness of the products.

Passion for coffee, evidence everywhere He even has a little museum to visit, with ancient coffee urns, Turkish coffee pots, cups and drinking vessels from all over the world on display. He has Smiths Coffee’s first two bean roasters and happily explains how they worked.

He travels the world over to find and buy the best beans: Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Papau New Guinea and many more. As Past President of the European Speciality Coffee Association he assures us that the coffees that he purchases are all of a designated quality.

Colin conducts educational and training programmes on every aspect of coffee production: growing, brewing, tasting. He is a gifted narrator; we clung on to each word and anecdote as he pulled out handfuls of beans, explaining their origins.

For palaces

Teas too

Ask him who his clientele are, and he answers airily: the Palaces, high-end grocers, premium hotels in London and elsewhere, of course, he says, and the very good restaurants, private people….

Loose teas are making a comeback. He offers over 40 varieties from Chinese green tea, to Russian Caravan, Sencha Fukujyu, Oolong, Orange Pekoe, Lapsang Souchong, Lady Grey, Gunpowder… and more.

Colin is very unassuming, hugely affable and deeply passionate about what he does. It shows in the talks and tours he does for interested people and discerning clients.

His tea bags also make beautiful birthday gifts: Lemon Verbena, Mixed Fruit, English Breakfast, Rosehip and Hibiscus.

Worth every bean His coffee is, of course, more expensive than any we might pick off a supermarket shelf, but the aroma and every sip is worth every bean we pay.

His team of 20 equally passionate coffee lovers roast the beans according to each client’s particular preference. Clients provide their own brand names and labels - and within 24 hours of receipt of the order - the beans are selected,

Smiths Coffee also sells herbal tisane teas: blackcurrent, dandelion, lavender and 25 other flavourings.

Tamsyn Hammond said “One of the best things about working for Herts Chamber is getting to meet so many interesting and lovely members.

It’s been a fabulous networking event, and it’s exciting to hear that Smiths Coffee Co is setting up a café here, where we can taste the very best of coffee there is. How great is that!”

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PatronFocus

Welcome Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce are delighted to welcome long standing member Longmores as a new Patron in 2015.

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce CEO Yolanda Rugg says “This is fantastic news for our members as Longmores Solicitors have been a huge supporter of our Chamber HR Forum and are keen to help our members navigate through today’s burden of legislation and protect their businesses.”

Longmores Solicitors Longmores Solicitors LLP, based in Hertford, is a dynamic, forward-thinking law firm setting the standard with a high level of legal expertise and specialist knowledge.

Becoming a patron Having been actively involved in supporting Chamber events for many years, Longmores was delighted to be invited to become a Patron. Senior Partner Anna Baptist said “We consider we have a natural affinity with the Hertfordshire Chamber in its commitment to supporting and promoting business development in the county.

Many of our clients and contacts are active supporters of the Chamber and we believe our increased level of involvement will be mutually beneficial.”

During 2015, Longmores will again be running a number of seminars in conjunction with the Chamber following the success of its HR Forums in 2014.

All its lawyers are very much looking forward to getting to know even more of the Chamber’s members through increased attendance at its events and being closely involved in this year’s ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ awards.

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The firm was established in the late 1700s and has played a significant part in the local community ever since, but the level of service it offers is firmly based in this millennium. It has a varied and wide-spread client base, ranging from Hertfordshire families and businesses which have used its services for generations, through to cutting-edge commercial enterprises to leading national enterprises.

Most of its new clients come through personal recommendation, but increasingly it also attracts work via its website and social media activity.

The firm is made up of a number of specialist teams including private client, family, residential property, commercial property, company and commercial, employment and commercial litigation.

Each team is led by one of the firm’s partners.

Private Client The private client department headed by Richard Horwood is one of the largest in the county and covers all aspects of probate, tax and trusts, boasting a specialist niche area in older and vulnerable client issues. The private client lawyers are members of the

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP), the Hertfordshire Law Society Probate & Trust Committee,

PatronFocus

Solicitors for the Elderly and The Law Society private client section.

The practice area is recognised as a leader in the locality for high net worth individuals seeking practical advice to reduce exposure to inheritance tax. Many of the local landowners, and farming community as well as local businesses, seek advice on structuring their business interests and ownership of assets to provide maximum protection for future operations.

Linked to the advice regarding tax planning are wider succession issues for families to pass wealth and control to future generations.

The successful older client segment of the department, headed by Nichole Giddings, has expanded within the past year, appointing Georgina Crane after an extensive training programme with the firm.

Nichole and Georgina work on matters governed by the Court of Protection such as lasting powers of attorney and matters relating to care as well as wills and administration.

The private client team runs a number of events which take place through the year including regular free ‘Keep it in the Family’ seminars in Hertford and at other locations.

“Longmores is proud to have achieved a number of accreditations, including rankings in the two prestigious legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers UK. Six of its partners and one consultant are currently ranked as leading lawyers in the 2015 edition of Chambers UK.”

Family Law The family law team, headed Anna Baptist, offers specialist legal advice with understanding and sensitivity. The family team can assist in drawing up a wide variety of relationship agreements including nuptial, civil partnership and cohabitation agreements to provide protection if a relationship ends through separation or death.

When relationships break down, the specialist family lawyers at Longmores provide practical and sympathetic advice, focusing on the impact on any children involved. Its lawyers are all members of Resolution, which means they are committed to dealing with

“We consider we have a natural affinity with the Hertfordshire Chamber in its commitment to supporting and promoting business development in the county. Many of our clients and contacts are active supporters of the Chamber and we believe our increased level of involvement will be mutually beneficial.”

matters in a constructive, nonconfrontational way. They draw up separation agreements and reconciliation agreements, as well as guide clients through the various options for resolving disputes and represent them in court proceedings if no settlement can be agreed.

Anna is a qualified Family Arbitrator. Arbitration is a relatively new option for resolving financial and propertyrelated disputes between married or unmarried couples.

It offers a faster, more costeffective and confidential alternative to formal court proceedings.

sales and purchases quickly and efficiently. The team specialises in dealing with the sale and purchase of freehold and leasehold properties, remortgaging, transfers of equity, equity release mortgages, and ‘buy to let’ properties.

The residential property team holds the Conveyancing Quality scheme accreditation.

Company Commercial

Residential Property This department, headed by Chris Pease, offers a quality service which is responsive and competitively priced with a team of highly experienced conveyancers, who, together with their support staff, are used to dealing with house Longmores has developed its company commercial practice organically over the last four years. The team is lead by Craig Harrison and actively focuses on providing a full range of corporate and commercial services to ownermanaged businesses.

The team has expanded its coverage into complex, high value work and assisting clients with sales and acquisitions of businesses and companies.

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PatronFocus

The company commercial department recently appointed Rina Sond as a senior solicitor.

Rina has extensive experience of intellectual property matters which has helped strengthen the firm’s offering to its commercial clients.

sold or purchased for development.

The team will be joined in March by Rachael Spalton who was previously a partner in a central London firm.

Commercial Litigation

Commercial Property The commercial property team, headed by Liz Gallop, offers specialist advice on the full range of commercial property transactions including the sale and purchase of business premises by both owner occupiers and property investors and business leases.

The team acts for a wide range of clients both in Hertfordshire and beyond and regularly deals with option and overage agreements when land is being

Employment Law The employment law team at Longmores headed by Richard Gvero, works with a broad range of clients, from SMEs to large multi-national companies.

The team regularly helps businesses with general HR issues, reorganisation and An unfortunate fact is that being in business can often lead to disputes with competitors, trading partners and customers.

Longmores’ commercial litigation team of four specialist litigators advise businesses on all manner of business disputes and represent them in court when necessary.

The team is headed by John Wiblin (who is also a qualified Californian attorney and South African advocate).

Achievements Longmores is proud to have achieved a number of accreditations, including rankings in the two prestigious legal directories, Legal 500 and Chambers UK. Six of its partners and one consultant are currently ranked as leading lawyers in the 2015 edition of Chambers UK. The firm has held the Investors in People accreditation since 1999. Its first assessment since the new standard was introduced a few years ago resulted in the firm achieving the silver standard

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A civil arbitrator and mediator John has Higher Rights of Audience and so can appear as an advocate in any level of English court. He specialises in shareholder disputes, copyright infringement, and recruitment industry-related matters.

Other specialisms within the team include property litigation (especially landlord and tenant matters) land valuation arbitrations and debt collection.

redundancy, TUPE and all types of employment dispute.

The team boasts expertise in the recruitment and education sectors, and also has a specialism in handling employee competition disputes.

For further information or to speak to one of our specialists please call 01992 300333 24 Castle Street, Hertford. Hertfordshire. SG14 1HP www.longmores-solicitors.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LongmoresSolicitorsLLP Twitter: https://twitter.com/Longmores Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/longmores-solicitors

which is held by only a handful of solicitors in Hertfordshire. The firm’s long-standing commitment to the development of its own people made it a natural decision to choose the ‘Excellence in People Development’ category when it decided to become a sponsor of the Chamber’s ‘Inspiring Hertfordshire’ Awards this year.

Longmores is actively involved with a number of charities, both local and national. Its involvement ranges from acting for a number of ’not for profit’ organisations to getting actively involved on a voluntary basis with more locallybased charities.

L O N sG MORES olicitors Longmores is a long-established firm with a forward thinking approach. Whatever your requirements, we will work with you to ensure we deliver swift and effective solutions. We go the extra mile to provide a second to none service.

• Private Client • Family Law • Residential Property • Company & Commercial Services • Commercial Property • Dispute Resolution & Employment

01992 300333 24 Castle Street, Hertford, SG14 1HP

www.longmores-solicitors.co.uk

25 25

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SpotlightOn

Watford - an ideal place to do business

Watford is one of the major regional business centres in the northern Home Counties, home to a diverse range of businesses.

Artists impression of the Intu development of Charter Place

Several head offices of national companies and multi-nationals are based in Watford, including retail chain Mothercare and film-makers Warner Brothers, along with many family companies and a whole range of SMES. Watford was recently ranked the 3rd hottest retail destination nationally in the CACI retail rankings; the CACI Retail Footprint provides annual information on the best performing retail centres in Britain.

There are several major developments under way which are adding to the area’s attractiveness.

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Intu begin their £110m redevelopment of Charter Place in early summer, which will include an Imax cinema, due to open in autumn 2017, with an additional £40m invested by the retailers themselves, taking the total investment to more than £150m.

Work on Watford Health Campus is also starting imminently. A flagship joint venture between Watford Borough Council and Kier valued at around £250m, it will create a new community in west Watford, delivering new homes, commercial space, leisure amenities and public open space. In addition, the

council continues to work with the hospital with the aim of regenerating its facilities, by lobbying for government investment.

Among the attractions of the area cited by businesses are good communications and the skilled and loyal workforce.

One company which cites those factors as a reason for staying, and which has a particular reason to celebrate its Watford links, is Trend Machinery & Cutting Tools Ltd, which this year celebrates its 60th anniversary, the majority of it spent in Watford.

The company was created by Jim Phillips, the father of current chairman Stephen, and employs 71 staff, 69 of them in Watford but also two in America, a country into which the business has expanded in recent years.

Jeff Willcocks, Managing Director since 2006, said: “We are an example of a company that has grown from a small company to become a market leading company.

“The main thing that keeps us in Watford is our very loyal workforce. Many staff have worked with us for more than ten years

SpotlightOn “This is going to be a big year for Watford as we begin construction.

We’ve spent a lot of time and effort preparing for all these projects that will continue the transformation of Watford into an enjoyable place to live, work and play. We, along with our private sector partners and investors are spending more than £1.5Bn, creating the right spaces and places to support both our existing and future employers.”

Dorothy Thornhill, Elected Mayor of Watford and some for more than thirty years. Staff loyalty is very important to us.

“We do not just see ourselves as a business, it is also about our people and the role we play in the community.

“Other advantages with Watford include the excellent transport

links. The road links are good and you can travel to Heathrow and Luton airports easily, which is important to us.

“The company made a strategic decision to expand into America more than ten years ago and we opened an office there. We also export product around the world so it is important that we have good air links, not just for when our staff travel abroad but also if customers visit us. The number of local hotels helps as well.

“The company has enjoyed a number of good years and is performing strongly and we will be marking our sixtieth anniversary by celebrating that and reminding people how long we have been around.”

It is a similar story for Leo McKee, Chief Executive of Watford company BrightHouse, who said: “Watford offers many advantages as a business location and is a

great fit for BrightHouse’s requirements as a major retailer.

“With nearly 300 stores and dozens of suppliers throughout the UK, we require robust and diverse transport links, not just into London, but throughout the regions and countries of the UK. “The ease of access provided by Watford’s proximity to mainline rail services, the road network - M1, A1, M25 - and major airports, all help us maintain vital relationships throughout the country.

“Our head office, employing more than 200 people, meets our requirement for affordable and good-quality office accommodation.

In addition, the Watford area offers a diverse talent pool. Many of our colleagues live locally. A crucial part of our business ethos is the close connections to the communities where we work.

“In Watford, we are pleased to be members of a number of business organisations and to partner with Watford UTC – one of the newest local schools. Our partnership recently involved us running a master class advising sixth form students on career skills, CV writing and interview techniques. This culminated in two talented local students joining us for a work shadowing placement - perhaps one day they may return as colleagues.”

Another example of a Watford bornand-bred company that is faring well and values its role in the community is Freedom.

Founder and Managing Director Pat Botting established Freedom Communications in Watford in 1988.

Since them, Freedom has established itself as a leader in Unified Communications systems, with a portfolio covering Voice, Data, Connectivity, Cloud, Security and Support.

Jeff Willcocks

The Watford UTC organises MP’s Question Time Event The Watford UTC’s Event Management and Hospitality students hosted a Question Time event for local MP Richard Harrington.

Students promoted and managed the event, collated the questions submitted by the public, organised the catering and developed their own special ‘Mocktail’ drink.

Mr Harrington and Chris Grayling MP, Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, responded to a wide range of questions from the audience.

The Watford MP said: “The Watford UTC students did a great job pulling this all together. I take my hat off to them!

“Given how many jobs are going in events and hospitality nationally, as well as in Watford, I think these students will have invaluable experience when they are looking to move into work they are going places.”

Event Management and Hospitality is just one of the specialisms on offer from the Watford UTC. Computer Science, Travel and Tourism, add to their unique offer.

The UTC works with a range of major local employers, who provide hands-on projects for students and work with the UTC to ensure its curriculum meets industry needs.

Left to right: Richard Harrington MP, Watford UTC Event Management Students, Chris Grayling MP

The UTC is now recruiting students for September at both Year 10 and Year 12. They have a series of Information Events planned for students wishing to find out more about the college.

For more information, visit http://events.watfordutc.org/open

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SpotlightOn Continued

The Watford UTC is a school specialising in Computer Science The Watford UTC is a school specialising in Computer Science, Travel & Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management.

Guideposts Training at Freedoms offices

Pat said: “Evidence of our success is shown by turnover during the past five years being stable at around £20m, and the company is both cash generative and profitable. The same cannot be said for others in the marketplace.”

Freedom are a strong advocate of the area as a prime position in which for businesses to operate; the location enables close links to major towns via the M25 and M1 motorways and London is reachable in less the 20 minutes via Watford’s train lines.

Pat said: “We have close working ties with both the Watford and the Herts Chamber of Commerce and are partners with them on various projects. One such example is Freedom’s upcoming ‘Cloud Clarified’ event, looking to educate businesses within Watford and the wider area on how market leading Cloud Technology enables companies to work better, faster and more costeffectively.”

Freedom have also established close links with educational facilities in the area. In 2014, it launched a unique Higher Apprentice scheme, in

partnership with West Herts College, to address the growing skills gap within the Communications sector.

Working closely with Further Education establishments within Watford and the wider Hertfordshire area, Freedom have designed and delivered a scheme to provide technical and business skills and work experience opportunities.

College Principal Gill Worgan said “In partnership with Freedom we're helping to keep local young talent here in Watford and providing lucrative careers in a growth sector that's bringing investment and wealth into the region.”

The scheme is partly supported by the Employer Ownership Pilot fund, provided by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.

Pat said: “Having been in Watford for more than 25 years, Freedom are proud to say that we are fully committed to the community within which we operate. Freedom contribute many hundreds of staff hours, including at senior and director levels, to support local

The school currently has Year 10 and Year 12 students and opened in September 2014. In running this event, we are looking to raise the technical skills of the Year 12 Business students, in additional to raising money for the charity DEMAND. Students will learn many new skills organising this event which is taking place in the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons. Our Champagne, Cocktails and Canapés Event is a prestigious business and networking event which will also be supported by the parents, friends and families of our students.

A few words from our principal “This is such a terrific learning opportunity for our students while also being able to give back to the community. WUTC is about creating the right environment for students to thrive in and this group have seen their technical skills improve so much that they are

delivering a high end event at this destination location”.

Denise from Demand has said, “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the beneficiaries of the Watford UTC’S event. DEMAND (Design & Manufacture for Disability) is a charity dedicated to helping people with disabilities to live life their way. At DEMAND we believe that physical or mental impairment should be no barrier to dignified living or opportunity, which is why we apply our technical knowledge and expertise to bespoke and modify equipment to help anyone living with disability to achieve more. Events like this help us to reach more people in need as well as well as raise the vital funds we rely on to provide our service. Each year we have to raise £850,000 to provide our service and we are extremely grateful for the support of the Watford UTC.”

Important exporting news "Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) accredited Chamber of Commerce for Hertfordshire and we recognise that Watford is one of Hertfordshire’s most important economic areas.

The BCC is setting up an international business network in cooperation with UKTI, in 41 countries and we believe that it's important that businesses in Watford can engage with this network service to seek to

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increase their export business. For example: a business in Watford might want to consider exporting to a markets such as Myanmar or Singapore and now through Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce they can be connected to the BCC offices in those countries".

Neville Reyner CBE DL Hon. DLitt Chairman Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce

SpotlightOn

Scheme will improve rail link The area’s communications which so many companies prize so highly will be further improved as progress continues with the Croxley Rail Link, with Hertfordshire County Council now in discussions with London Underground about the next steps for the project.

Watford’s college West Herts College is Watford’s local college.

It’s based in the town centre and much of what it does best is in partnership with local employers and the local community.

The buoyant economy within the ring road creates countless opportunities for students. They’re the next generation of new recruits and the college is working closely with many firms to offer tailored student work experience.

Watford’s thriving creative sector includes renowned and much loved venues like The Palace Theatre and Colosseum.

And with the likes of Warner Bothers close by, the region’s well-established film industry is again making national and international headlines.

A calendar of open-air Big Events in the town centre cosponsored by Watford Borough Council draws people from across the region. Again students are closely involved, whether performing or assisting with backstage production.

Providing a modern twist to Watford’s creative industries are the fast-growing digital and tech firms choosing to base themselves in and around the town.

Apprenticeships developed in partnership with the college meet the needs of this ever-changing sector – and provide young people with the prospect of exciting twenty-first century careers.

Finally, you can’t talk about Watford without mentioning the vibrant retail offer in the town centre (that and Watford Football Club, of course). With the already buzzing shopping and leisure experience set to be transformed in the coming years via extensive new infrastructure and facilities, the future’s bright for local young people both at work and play.

Beverley nominated for award Watford resident Beverley Charlton has been nominated by Pitman Watford for the Pitman Super Achievers ‘Outstanding Student’ category.

Terry Douris, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “We have been working very hard to deliver this vital railway development for Hertfordshire, which will have so many benefits for the area.

We are now in discussions with London Underground about their potential greater involvement, given that they will ultimately own and operate the railway.”

David Hughes, London Underground’s Director of Major Programme Sponsorship, said: “We are supporting Hertfordshire County Council with their proposal to re-route and extend the Metropolitan line to Watford Junction.

The Croxley Rail Link will improve access to public transport for local residents, lead to jobs growth in the area and provide access for Metropolitan line passengers to West Coast mainline National Rail links from Watford Junction station.”

Dorothy Thornhill, Elected Mayor of Watford, said: “The Croxley Rail Link is a transformational project for the town,

and absolutely critical to unlocking Watford’s future economic potential.

It is the thread that links Watford’s major development projects together Watford Health Campus, Ascot Road, Watford Business Park, Watford Junction Interchange and Charter Place Shopping Centre. That’s over £1.2 billion of investment to the benefit of our residents and businesses.”

The next steps are for the county council to continue discussions with London Underground and for the £230m scheme to receive final funding approval from the Department for Transport, which is expected in March.

Construction is due to start in the spring.

The target date for trains to start running on the new link is spring 2018.

There is also an ongoing consultation by the Department for Transport for Crossrail Services for Watford, reducing journey times and helping to alleviate congestion pressures on this section of the west coast mainline.

The nomination is to acknowledge her exceptional achievements since suffering a severe stroke five years ago, developing Epilepsy and becoming quite housebound as she was unable to return to work.

Prior to her ill health, Beverley had worked in banking for 30 years, studying accounts and aspects of the law, and as her health improved she felt that it was her knowledge of law that would be the most beneficial area for helping people as she wished to do voluntary work.

Beverley approached Pitman Watford to gain up-to-date information on writing Wills and Probate and progressed to do 27 courses by attending their Centre six days a week.

She has achieved 12 passes and nine distinctions, thereby growing in confidence and optimism and now volunteers in centres such as the Multi Culture Community Centre in Watford, using the skills recently obtained.

She is now in the final stages of her Diploma for Legal Secretaries qualification and plans to become selfemployed whilst still continuing to support the local community.

The Pitman Training ethos is centred on encouragement and acknowledgement of achievements hence the nomination for the Super Achievers award.

The final winner who will be announced on the 27th February and will be presented not only with the award but also a distance learning training course and a cash prize of £500 to help them on their way to achieving their goals.

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Now shop intu.co.uk/watford

A big thank you to the many Hertfordshire businesses that are helping local students make the most of GAP – our unique work experience programme for young people.

It’s changing lives and we couldn’t do it without you.

GAP CHAT? To find out more, whizz an email to Francesca.bonn@westherts.ac.uk

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SpotlightOn

Warner Bros Studios are thriving Dan Dark is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.

Dan began his career in production and then moved on to special effects before developing film studios in Spain. In 1994, he converted the old Rolls Royce plant at Leavesden into a working film studio and subsequently ran the facility throughout the entire production of the Harry Potter film series.

In 2010, Warner Bros. invested over £100 million redeveloping the site and Dan was appointed to his current role. He is responsible for overseeing the operations of Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. Production Rentals, Warner Bros. Leavesden Park and postproduction facility Warner Bros.

De Lane Lea.

You’ve been at Leavesden since 1994, what changes have you seen since then?

So much has happened over that time. After GoldenEye, the site became an established base for making movies with productions including Sleepy Hollow, Sherlock Holmes and of course, all eight Harry Potter films. When Warner Bros. acquired the site in 2011 and invested in its redevelopment, the Studios were transformed into a state-of-the-art facility.

Warner Bros. also had the unique opportunity to showcase the amazing props, sets and costumes that were created for the Harry Potter film series and launched the Studio Tour which gives visitors a behind-the-scenes insight into filmmaking.

Warner Bros. has really grown the site since opening three years ago and I understand you employ a largely local workforce.

What are the advantages of recruiting in the area?

Over 600 permanent staff are employed directly at the Studios and Studio Tour covering a diverse range of skills. We work closely with West Herts College to attract new recruits and are consistently impressed by the calibre of applications that we receive.

They arrive with a great foundation and are very quick to learn.

Customer service is a key element of the Studio Tour’s success and we invest heavily in training, the results of which can be seen in the feedback we get from visitors.

We achieve unrivalled scores on TripAdvisor with 97% of reviews rating the Studio Tour as excellent or very good. Our staff play a critical role in ensuring our visitors have the best experience possible.

Warner Bros. is committed to developing future talent in the creative industries and supports a number of apprentices across the company, three are based here at the Studios. We also have a great partnership with the University of Hertfordshire and support relevant programmes with scholarships, awards and work-shadowing opportunities for students.

The Studios have been busy since Warner Bros. opened the doors in 2012, what’s been going on?

The Studios have proved incredibly popular and we’ve been able to play

host to some of the industry’s most prestigious talent including Tom Cruise on Edge of Tomorrow and Directors Ron Howard for In The Heart of the Sea, Matthew Vaughn for Kingsman: The Secret Service and Guy Ritchie on Man from U.N.C.L.E. I’m really delighted that clients are already returning as it is a great indication of how much they’ve enjoyed being here.

Filmmakers need flexibility and we are able to offer them lots of options - in fact the only scene in Edge of Tomorrow that wasn’t shot here was filmed in Trafalgar Square. Huge beach scenes were created on our backlot and Paris was built in an enormous outdoor water tank which we had specially constructed.

In terms of location, the studios are in a great position for productions.

The area is an established base for some of Britain’s most talented filmmakers and crews. It’s also really well served with transport links and is in easy reach of major

airports with London a quick train ride from Watford Junction.

Do you think there is room for growth and further development?

We host a wide range of productions at the Studios from films to TV series and commercials. It’s important we can be flexible and meet individual needs so are constantly looking at ways to adapt what is already here or provide new facilities. Since opening we have built the exterior water which was used extensively during filming for In the Heart of the Sea. We have also acquired two buildings at Leavesden Park to offer clients additional pre and post production office space. This year we launched three brand new sound stages, one of which is among our largest and construction is underway on 20,000 sq ft of office space.

At the Studio Tour an exciting expansion will open in March which features the original Hogwarts Express train on Platform 9 ¾.

Visitors will be able to walk through one of the carriages, find out about the special effects and sit in a carriage set that was used during filming. It’s very special to have this iconic prop back at the studios as I remember when the train was filmed here steaming along the track that ran around the backlot.

Watford has fantastic opportunities for development with real potential for growing tourism in the area. It has a thriving cultural scene with events such as Imagine Watford firmly established within Hertfordshire.

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Our suite of social media training programmes will help you make the best use of this important marketing channel.

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MembersNews

Big ambitions for ambitious Broxbourne A Hertfordshire Chamber East Herts networking breakfast on 6 February was so oversubscribed that extra places and cutlery were needed to accommodate a highly engaged group of business networkers from the professional services and financial sectors, business and IT services, property and construction, and education. much more than most other business areas, and that’s very healthy for the community.

He said that Ambition Broxbourne is changing the business mix. The area was a hub for light industry, but the broader and highly ambitious aims of the Council and local industry are to capitalise on opportunities and economic growth. “Business rates must come down… who is able to justify the rates in their current form?”

Mark Mills-Bishop, Council Leader

Cllr Mark Mills-Bishop, Mary Sykes, Charles Walker MP OBE, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce Patron Sarah Smits Ashbourne Insurance

Charles Walker MP OBE Charles spoke passionately about Broxbourne’s prospect for prosperity.

He identified three critical issues: infrastructure, housing and education and skills.

Infrastructure It needs to be better, he said frankly.

Lobbying for London-StanstedCambridge corridor improvements and arguing loudly for four-track rail from Broxbourne to Liverpool Station need to be stepped up. These are critical for Broxbourne’s future.

Housing People must be given a home ownership stake, even if it’s looking at shared ownership. Broxbourne has

a fast growing economy, and it’s attracting families emigrating from London who rate the area as highly desirable.

“We were building dormitories, not real homes - and that needs to change. We’ve got to look at how to improve planning, quality of houses and affordability in order to attract good teachers in maths and sciences.”

Schools to attract families He said that Broxbourne has some very good schools: Goffs, John Warner, St Mary’s… and that other schools in the area were improving all the time. Good schools with great teachers are important to attracting families to Broxbourne.

Bright, talented young people He said we have got to broaden the skills set in Broxbourne. While there’s been a big push from universities in the past, which is good - it’s resulted in skills shortages in other critical areas, for example, in construction. The Hertfordshire Regional College is working hard, and he urged businesses to support them. “They are producing bright, talented young people.”

Changing business mix A different set of skills are required now, so other apprenticeship schemes for young people are needed. Broxbourne, he said, was at the forefront of creating apprenticeship schemes, doing

Networking Breakfast

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Mark spoke briefly, and just as passionately, about the purpose and plan of Ambition Broxbourne. It was a 25-year work-in-progress vision that would see Broxbourne as a thriving economy and community.

He spoke about the prospect of 6,000 jobs and the requirement to fill those from Broxbourne’s schools and FE educators. An enduring sense of enterprise and a strong spirit of entrepreneurialism attracted both people with skills and inward investment - both needed to inspire and engage the next generation.

He called on the whole community to support Broxbourne as it makes a bid for royal status. He said “I want all the community businesses, associations, school-children and residents to get behind us and help us get Broxbourne the royal status it deserves.

Mary Sykes, Herts Chamber Business Development Manager “We have been working actively and strategically for the past 14 months with Ambition Broxbourne to deliver monthly networking events across the Borough that are informative, inspiring and insightful - which have gained very favourable feedback from the local business community.

with Ambition Broxbourne National Apprenticeship Week

Apprenticeships are thriving in England and National Apprenticeship Week will celebrate Apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on young individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

Date: 11th March Time: 07.30 – 09.00 Venue: Hertford Regional College, Turnford, Broxbourne, EN10 6AE Cost: £19.20 members £24.00 non-members

Employers, apprentices, business support organisations, learning providers, colleges and schools across the land will be encouraged to support the Week by hosting activities to showcase the achievements and benefits of Apprenticeships. Come along to hear how taking on an apprentice can help your business.

BCCConference

British Chambers of Commerce Annual Conference This year’s annual conference was held at a venue a stone’s throw away from the Houses of Parliament.

And just as well - the day’s programme was dominated by addresses by the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer (by video from a G20 summit), the Shadow Chancellor and The Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills. the multiplier effect of initial investment and supply chain economic growth and the resultant impact of improved mobility or connectivity.

Manufacturing is 10 per cent of our economy, services… 90 per cent, which today can be delivered to the rest of the world through broadband.

We should have the best in the world. The UK has a knowledgebased economy, universal superfast broadband is essential.

Prime Minister

British business and the rest of the world First on the agenda was an interesting debate on doing business with the world. Linda Yeuh (BBC chief business correspondent) said that a single market economy, similar to the EU, was developing in South East Asia. Martin Wolfe (Financial Times chief economics commentator) said that the referendum question must be settled as soon as possible; a protracted period of uncertainty is bad for business.

Britain could be the richest country in the world John Longworth (British Chambers of Commerce Director General) in commenting on the Chancellor’s recent remarks that by 2030 Britain could be the richest country in the world, observed that politicians were good at great ambitions, but frequently had clear ideas on how to make them happen.

Business is better at making these happen and Britain, he said, needed a long-term plan. He outlined the British Chambers’ Business Manifesto for developing the next generation, investment, international trade, local growth and business taxes and costs.

Move money from where it’s now to where it’s needed He said we need to fix our business finance system so that we can have

our own home-grown Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Siemens, L’Oreal.

World brands often begin as small to medium enterprises. But SMEs need the confidence that finance won’t disappear; long-term loan capital is essential to their development as they fill their order books or plan for growth.

Britain in Europe Chamber members fundamentally support the notion of Britain in a reformed Europe, John Longworth said. He quoted Gerard Lyons (economist) who said that what’s best for the UK is a Britain in a reformed Europe and what’s worst for UK is a Britain in an unreformed Europe.

He called on the next government to do the utmost to protect the UK; businesses want safeguards against being drawn closer to the Eurozone.

The role of business in Britain’s future Only business can bring wealth and prosperity - without business, there can be no welfare or NHS. Government must work with businesses. The risk-takers and hard workers in the UK create this wealth and prosperity in spite of the burdens by the state, not because of them.

Investment and infrastructure In response to a delegate’s question, he said that infrastructure investment is imperative, especially considering

David Cameron said that one of the important tasks was to help engineer a private sector revival. There are now more than 1.75m people in work in the UK, but true recovery has to be across the whole of the UK, which is happening. He said that this recovery is business led and it must the work of the next Parliament to grow capital investment. It was important to keep stable structures in place: low inflation, interest rates. His aim is to balance the country’s books and get UK to a surplus position by 2018.

Infrastructure, exporting This was important for business confidence, to enable businesses to plan for the future. Equally important were infrastructure projects: superfast broadband across the country, Crossrail and Hinkley Point, both near completion.

Business needs the continuance of red tape reduction, competitive tax regimes to compete with Germany, China and India and more effective support from the UK’s foreign offices around the world. Recent changes have been in foreign office roles where diplomats are now called upon to sell Britain in their overseas territories. To help realise the annual goal of £1 trillion of export, the foreign office is now leading on trade deals with China, Japan and India.

House building The Prime Minister said it was crucial to get UK building - we have to unblock the planning system. The help-to-buy scheme was already having a positive effect on the construction sector; there was planning permission for 240,000 homes. It was important to step up the apprenticeship scheme, especially in this sector. The funding for three million more apprentices, he hoped, would help young people to develop important skills.

Get Britain lending He expected that £46m of lending capital would boost the economy, particularly for start-up loans for good business ideas. Entrepreneurs were the heart of an economy. Too many fast-growing businesses can’t get the finance to become mediumsized businesses – important for the growth of jobs. The government’s Business Bank, with a goal of attracting £100b of private sector funding, should help the development of Mittelstand-type businesses in the UK.

Time for a pay rise The Prime Minister urged businesses, now that the economy was growing strongly, to give employees a pay rise. The government’s policy of corporation tax reductions and cut in employer NI contributions for those under 21 make this possible.

Vince Cable The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills said that one of the extreme difficulties for SMEs to continue trading is the late payments by big business in settlement of invoices. He said that more transparency of payment terms was required, and promised that new legislation to curb this unfair practice would be soon forthcoming.

The next generation A panel - Nick Boles MP Minister of State for Skills and Equalities, Margaret Mountford (Bright Ideas Trust), Kathryn Parsons (Decoded), Penny Power (Digital Youth Academy) and two young entrepreneurs, Fraser Doherty MBE and Jules Quinn - discussed issues to help the next generation become the next entrepreneurs.

Nick Boles MP said it was important to get an enterprise adviser into each school. There is a need to educate children earlier at school in career options, as early as 9 or 10 years of age. The government is redesigning apprenticeships to help businesses as well as the next generation.

Summary Whether intended or not, the underlying theme of various addresses was the technology centre-point of Britain’s business future. Yet each speaker, whether as part of a panel, a business leader or Member of Parliament, spoke with passion on skills development.

It was a good day.

Fiona Wilkinson, Guinea Fowl Creative 01438 900 284.

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Dacorum

Get an apprentice, get a grant Are you are keen to expand your business and recruit new talent?

An Apprentice Grant from Dacorum Borough Council could be the answer. Dacorum is encouraging local companies within the borough to employ young and grow their own leaders of the future through the Apprentice Grant scheme for Employers.

We have grants of £1,200 available to Dacorum businesses who recruit apprentices aged 16-24 years old. You may also be eligible for a further grant of £1,500 from the National Apprenticeships Service, providing you meet the requirements.

We have already supported a number of local businesses with apprenticeship grants, helping them grow and support our young people into employment.

There are many advantages for taking on an apprentice; you get an additional employee that you can train and guide towards developing their talents and skills to ensure sustainability in your workforce and apprentices are usually more motivated, because they can see that you are investing in their training.

The increased investment in them will benefit, not just your business, but will also help to cement the relationship that you have with them, leading to greater motivation and company loyalty.

The grant is available to all Dacorum businesses with less than 1,000 employees and they must not have had an Apprentice in the last 12 months.

If you’re thinking of taking on an apprentice, now is the time to act. Dacorum’s apprenticeship scheme could be the answer to help your business grow, while creating new local jobs and benefiting the local economy.

Contact Lisa Devayya on 01442 228396 to see how our grants could help you. Or go to www.dacorumlooknofurther.co.uk to find out more about the scheme.

For an area that is investing in skills and employability - Dacorum Look No Further

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UPFront

Project Evolution: BRE Apprentices tasked to build unique test equipment “National Apprenticeship Week runs 9-11 March this year. What are you doing to get involved?

Learn from Award Winning BRE on how they recruit and develop apprentices for their future workforce.”

- Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce.

In January 2015 four apprentices on the BRE Apprenticeship programme were challenged to project manage the construction of a new advanced test rig that will be used by our Fire Suppression Team to investigate the performance of sprinkler systems.

As a world leading, multidisciplinary, building science centre BRE helps customers create better, safer and more sustainable products, buildings, communities and businesses.Our Fire Suppression Team are responsible for assessing and approving fire suppression products, systems and services from customers in over 60 countries around the world.

The test rig is called an ADD Trolley it is a unique piece of equipment that measures the distribution and volume of water emitted from sprinklers within a set timescale.

It is a critical piece of equipment in our test offering to clients in what is a growth area of our business. It is not something that can be bought off the shelf - and the parts need to be regularly maintained and repaired.

Being able to build and maintain our own ADD will help us to offer and sustain an even higher standard of service to our customers.

Our BRE lab apprentices within fire and calibration (Rob, Greg, Harry and Nick) will need to work as a team to manage Project Evolution from cradle to grave. They have each been allocated specific roles: project manager and electronics, mechanical and parts and materials coordinators and will begin by reviewing and updating the drawings of an existing trolley.

Once the review is complete the next step is to discuss the build requirements of the ADD frame with a supplier to procure the necessary parts required from electrical wiring to hydraulics. Risk assessments, timelines and costs will all need to be managed in line with the project requirements and regular communication is crucial for this project to work both within the team and with management responsible for this part of the business.

This is a great opportunity for our apprentices to apply their new engineering skills to, to understand what it is to manage a project and be responsible for delivering it on time and within budget at such an early stage of their career.

In total there are nine trolleys which will need to be replaced in the coming months and we are hoping Project Evolution will be the start of a wider roll out of similar projects across the business.

"Project Evolution will take our apprentices out of their comfort zones. It will be very challenging at times, not only as individuals but as team players, and the learning gained from this will help propel them in their careers.”

Tara Bishop BRE Scheme Manager Graduates and Apprenticeship

Pension auto enrolment - it’s here, ready or not

Planning for and implementing AE is complicated and time consuming. There are no short cuts and failure to comply can result in fines of up to £2,500 per day, or even a prison sentence.

Do you have less than 60 employees?

Are you facing auto enrolment (AE) staging in the next 12-18 months?

If you haven’t yet started, it’s time to get moving!

Businesses which lack the dedicated • Don’t rely on employee opt-outs. in-house resources required to deal You have to enrol all eligible workers with the process and are finding that in the AE scheme and budget to staging is much more challenging than make the appropriate employer they realised. contributions for them. Most Here are our top tips for minimising the employers - even those with lots of pain of meeting your obligations: lower-paid, younger and transient • Get the right advice at the right time. staff - are finding that staff are not Some of the initial work -such as opting-out after staging. reviewing existing pension arrangements or choosing a pension • Payroll integration is all-important.

Payroll is a time-sensitive process company - is FCA-regulated work, so with tight deadlines. If AE isn’t an you’ll need the help of an IFA. Once that’s done, your payroll provider is integrated part of that process best placed to implement AE for you. problems are likely to arise.

Keep it simple and involve as few • Look for a pension provider now. service providers as possible.

Many pension providers are swamped with AE scheme enquiries • Test, test and test again! and there is anecdotal evidence Don’t leave it until your actual live that some are turning away all but staging date (or the extended the most lucrative new business. date if you defer) to run the process Options such as NOW:Pensions, NEST for the first time. There will be and the People’s Pension may be more appropriate for you. unforeseen issues to iron out.

If you need help with auto enrolment, please contact Susan Elsdon, on 01727 838255 or email susan.elsdon@wmtllp.com WMT Chartered Accountants

2nd Floor, 45 Grosvenor Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3AW Tel: +44 (0)1727 838255

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BigInterview

Former international footballer seeks goals in the financial world David Clarke is a man who has known the very heights of sport, picking up medals and accolades a-plenty on the football field and starring in games staged at some of the world’s finest stadiums.

David Clarke Head of Clydesdale Banks St Albans Business & Private Banking Centre

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However, away from the sporting arena, he has also proved himself just as dedicated to helping businesses and individuals achieve their own dreams, having spent many years developing a successful career in finance.

Perhaps best known as a Paralympian and international blind footballer, these days David has retired from playing and is Head of Clydesdale Bank’s St Albans Business & Private Banking Centre.

He joined Clydesdale Bank in October 2005 and has been based in St Albans since April 2010, where he currently has responsibility for delivering the bank’s corporate, commercial, small business and private banking offerings for the Northern Home Counties.

However, David’s initial career path was very different and could have seen him working abroad.

After school and university, where he studied diplomacy and international relations, his growing interest in politics meant that he thought that he would end up working for the Foreign Office.

He said: “I had always been interested in the political landscape and I saw it as something in which I could start my career.

“However, an opportunity came up to go on a graduate scheme with a major financial institution, which excited me because of the opportunities it offered to work with people and to help them create their futures.

“I spent two years on the scheme, learning all about banking and developing my trade, and decided that finance was where I wanted to work.”

At the same time, he was also developing his reputation as a blind footballer, although the profile of the game in Britain was not as high as it is these days and full-time career

opportunities were strictly limited, even for the captain of the national side.

David said: “Today’s England players are full-time professionals who train at the FA’s St George’s Park centre but things were very different when I started playing the game.

“In those days, the game was not particularly structured – the first European championships did not take place until 1997 with the first World Championships in 1998 – and there was not really the chance to go into it as a full time professional.

“Indeed, my seventeen year football career was divided between making sure that we got things right on the pitch and working off the pitch towards a time when players could consider the game as a career.

That only came to fruition when I retired and my part in the journey to achieve it gives me great pride.”

That retirement came at the end of a glittering career in which David had two spells as captain of the England Blind Football Team, represented his country 144 times during which he scored 128 goals and competed in European and World championships as well as taking part in three Paralympic Games, including London 2012.

Despite his growing fame as a footballer, he remained just as dedicated to his career in finance.

Now aged forty four, he said: “At the same time as I was playing football, I was developing my banking career. Going full time as a sportsman was not an option and I worked for a couple of major financial institutions, much of the time living in Hertfordshire but working in London.

BigInterview

“It is very much a bespoke service. I think that, since the financial crash and the recession, we are seeing people much more prepared to plan their finances. Planning is very important and we start by sitting down with them and asking them what they want to achieve. By planning properly, we can help them realise their goals.”

“The chance to work in St Albans came up in 2010, and was very appealing. It felt like the right time.

“My children were four and nine and I felt that I wanted to spend more time with my family.

“Up until then, I had been working in London and playing football matches at weekends and competing in tournaments and it felt the right time for a change.

I did not want my family life to suffer.

“Also, I was coming to the end of my playing career, which ended with a game against Turkey. With two minutes to go, I scored my 128th international goal and decided that I wanted to be able to say that the last touch of my career was a scoring one so I spent the next two minutes running around trying not to touch the ball, which I achieved!”

His current job involves managing a team that takes customers through effective financial and strategic planning.

He and his team work to build relationships with local businesses, professionals and residents through a personalised face-toface service.

David said: “It is very much a bespoke service. I think that, since the financial

crash and the recession, we are seeing people much more prepared to plan their finances.

“Planning is very important and we start by sitting down with them and asking them what they want to achieve.

By planning properly, we can help them realise their goals.

“I think that we are seeing more confidence. People see the statistics coming out and hear people talking more positively about the upturn in the economy and that confidence breeds more confidence.

“We are also fortunate in the area in which we live and work Hertfordshire did suffer the effects of the downturn but not as severely as some other areas of the country.”

He has not entirely lost his links to his previous sporting life, though, because he is chair of the Athletes’ Commission for the British Paralympic Association.

David said: “I have retired from competing but being chair of the commission means that I can represent the views of those who are still competing and make sure that they are heard at a national level. That’s an important thing to be able to do.”

“My seventeen year football career was divided between making sure that we got things right on the pitch and working off the pitch towards a time when players could consider the game as a career.

That only came to fruition when I retired and my part in the journey to achieve it gives me great pride.”

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InspiringHertsAwards

Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards 2015 - Countdown to entry deadline!

Submit your entry at www.hertschamber.com/categories-and-entry-forms by Thursday 12 March.

This is an exceptional opportunity to make your business stand out and celebrate the hard work and determination you have put in over the last year.

There are no limits on how many categories you can enter.

The categories and further information can be found at www.hertschamber.com/inspiringhertfordshire-awards-2015 Testimonial from Sarah Lebentz at Paradise Wildlife Park With the template provided, it really didn’t take very long to pull together our submission for ‘The Tourism Award’, and it felt really rewarding to see our key achievements all captured in one document.

The Awards ceremony, held at the Porsche showrooms was a fantastic event and a marvellous opportunity to network with other businesses of all sizes from across the county.

The guest speakers were inspiring, the food great, the setting amazing and the event production faultless.

We were delighted to win The Tourism Award and were then entered in to the Business of the Year Award, along with all the other category winners. To our astonishment, we also won the Inspiring Hertfordshire Business of the Year Award and could hardly contain our excitement as we proudly made our way back on stage for the second time that evening.

The support in the room was incredible and the publicity we received from the evening is still

continuing even now. We proudly display our Awards in reception for all to see and the award logos sit alongside our own on every email we send.

Taking part in this event has been an excellent experience all round; raising our business profile, increasing awareness and boosting team morale.

We all work so hard to make our businesses a success and it should be equally important to invest the time to share this with others.

We all deserve a pat on the back from time to time. Herts Chamber is a great supporter of local businesses and allows us all the chance to shine through the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards.

The old saying ‘You gotta be in it to win it’ couldn’t be more apt. We are thrilled to have been recognised for our contribution to this great county in what has also been a record year for the Park. Could this be more than just coincidence?? !

Good luck everyone.

The Team at Paradise Wildlife Park

The Schools Award for Education in Employment Sponsored by Youth Connexions Following a demand for celebrating success in this area, we are delighted to have a new Award this year; the Schools Award for Education in Employment This award is open to FE colleges, higher education institutions, educational trusts, mentors, coaches or other high achieving individuals who can motivate students to think beyond their immediate experiences to inspiring every student to help them understand where different choices can take them in the future.

The judges will be looking for: • Sustained and varied contacts with employer networks • Development of student motivation to think beyond their immediate experiences • Encouragement of a more ambitious range of future education and career options.

• Enthusiasm and passion towards careers and development of future generations We look forward to receiving your Entries

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NewMembers

Welcome to new members 001 Limited Independent energy consultants 4 Cedar Court, Potter Wood, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6PA 017273906001 www.001ltd.co.uk

Tate Recruitment (Hitchin) UK office recruitment specialists planners, doers, advisors and, most importantly, thinkers.

100 Hermitage Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire. SG5 1DE 01462455181 www.tate.co.uk

Tate Recruitment (St Albans) UK office recruitment specialists planners, doers, advisors and, most importantly, thinkers.

12 Cheques Street St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3XZ 01727844799 www.tate.co.uk

Tate Recruitment (Welwyn Garden City) UK office recruitment specialists planners, doers, advisors and, most importantly, thinkers.

10 Howardgate Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL8 6BQ 01707320255 www.tate.co.uk

Tate Recruitment (Hemel Hempsted) UK office recruitment specialists planners, doers, advisors and, most importantly, thinkers.

Breakspear Park, Regus Suite F Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 4T2 01442345210 www.tate.co.uk

Fuzzy Digital Web and App development Titan Court, 3 Bishops Square, 2nd Floor, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9NA 01707226622

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Best Practice Training and Development Ltd In-company skills training and vocational qualifications Gresham House, 53 Clarendon Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD1 1LA 01923 225225 www.bestpractice.uk.com

Bodyscope Ltd Health and Fitness / Personal Training 37 Flora Grove, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 5EW 07921774915 www.bodyscope.co.uk

Fuel Card Services Ltd Fuel card provider to businesses 16-21 North Lane, First floor, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7PG 01227 818190 www.fuelcardservices.com

TechSpark Ltd Supporting growth of tech-enabled businesses through marketing strategy 92 Coleridge Close, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 0QY 07787128294 www.techspark.com

Peter Knight Recruitment Ltd Consultancy services - recruitment, HR, vetting and screening First Floor Dyers Hall Offices 11-13 Dowgate Hill, London, Hertfordshire EC4R 2ST 02072469920 www.pkrlondon.com

Lexash Media Ltd

Jayden Finance Paradise Wildlife Park White Stubbs Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 7QA 01992 440 048 www.jaydenfinance.co.uk

Abundant Solutions Limited Brackley House, Campbell Close,Buntingford Hertfordshire SG9 9BY 01769273452 www.abundant-solutions.co.uk

Apex Office Furniture & Interiors Ltd Commercial premises fit-out refurbishment modernisation and furbishing 579 Dunstable Rd, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 8QW 01582 492434

Bizas Coaching and Consulting Enable people to perform at their best through bespoke coaching, consulting and facilitation service Catalyst House, 720 Centennial Court Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3SY 02033622940 www.bizas.co.uk

Sensoria Corporate training, improve productivity and manage stress 07816673731 www.sensoria.info

The Cookery Purpose built cookery school.

Tudor Hall, Conduit Lane, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire EN11 8FN 07957421854 www.thecookery.london

ACAS East of England

Internal Communications and Employee Engagement 11 River Green, Buntingford, Hertfordshire SG9 9ES 07582493999

ACAS House, Kempson Way, Suffolk Business Park, Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP32 7AR www.acas.org.uk

Keits Training Services Ltd

Barr-Jones Associates

Training provider 502 Centennial Park, Centennial Avenue, Elstree Hill South, Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3FG 01923 854586 www.keits.co.uk

Specialising in collaborative consulting or executive business coaching and mentoring Fairclough Hall, Halls Green, Weston Hertfordshire SG4 7DP 01462790549 www.barrjonesassociates.com

ChamberEvents

Squaring up to the Circular Economy Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is squaring up to the Circular Economy, beginning with a conference on Thursday 11 June.

The speakers - experts, each of them - will explore the subject and also the effects of the Circular Economy on business, consumption and regeneration, and society.

Member: £45.00 per person Non-member: £65.00 per person

Are you in business? Or do you consume?

Then we must regenerate. The coming of the Circular Economy provides new business opportunities seeded from the simple principle of cradle-to-cradle manufacture to retail to reuse.

It involves us all, for the good of us, our environment and our future.

What is a circular economy?

Ever since the industrial revolution, we’ve been used to the ‘take, make, dispose’ way of manufacture and consumption. The end point is the ‘discard.’ And these discards are scrap-piling, the world over.

Good bye to inbuilt obsolescence Instead of the economic model of – take, make, dispose – businesses should be exploring the model of remake, repair, resell or recycle.

This recycle-ability has to be built into product design before it is manufactured.

Sustainability A second principle is its intended consequence of sustainability - by using renewable energy in the manufacture process, in distribution, retailing and consuming and ending in recycling.

As a society, we already recycle quite a bit of waste - but not all of it.

In the Circular Economy, we treat the waste of every product as food to feed the The first simple principle is that each next phase of an element’s life, discard - a kettle, a computer chip, a car, leftover carrots - must be composed in a new product or by-product. of healthy elements: Exciting future

• biological matter that can be returned to the soil • manmade materials that can be returned to the stockpile of re-useable matter

This is not new thinking; it’s been around a while. It’s now time to implement the principles and take full advantage of the benefits and opportunities for businesses and communities. It’s an exciting time ahead for businesses and the economy.

The experts

David Gauke MP, The Financial Secretary to the Treasury Prof. Mark Maslin UCL Richard Potter Sopra Steria Martin Fahey Mitsubishi

Simon Haughton-Dodd Johnson Matthey Mike Pocock Affinity Water

Come along. Find out what the possibilities are for your business.

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ChamberEvents

Upcoming Events Women in Leadership Networking Lunch Date: 26th February Time: 12.00 – 14.00 Venue: Letchworth Hall Hotel, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3NP Cost: £20.00 members £25.00 non members

Join the Herts Chamber for our third women in leadership lunch and listen to Signe Sutherland CEO and Principal of North Herts College (NHC) talk about rising to the challenge of meeting employers’ skills needs.

Maggie Berry our second speaker is the Executive Director (Europe) for WEConnect International, she has lead responsibility for the management, leadership and development of WEConnect International’s activity in Europe and her role involves developing corporate and public sector support as well as growing a network of majority owned women’s businesses across the UK and Europe.

West Herts Business Breakfast with Metro Bank Date:

3rd March

Time:

08.30 - 10.00

Venue: Metro Bank Hemel 56-58 Marlowes Centre, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1DX Cost:

FREE OF CHARGE

Herts Chamber, in association with Metro Bank and Dacorum Borough Council would like to invite you to a networking event at the Metro Bank Hemel Hempstead Store.

Find out more about the first bank to open on the High Street in over 100 years. Look around the store and see how evolving banking truly is.

Guest Speakers include: James Doe at Development and Regeneration for Dacorum Borough Council, Hazel Simpson at Metro Bank and Gareth Humphreys at MBDA.

Networking Breakfast with Ambition Broxbourne National Apprenticeship Week Date: 11th March Time: 07.30 – 09.00 Venue: Hertford Regional College, Turnford, Broxbourne, EN10 6AE Cost: £19.20 members £24.00 non-members

Apprenticeships are thriving in England and National Apprenticeship Week will celebrate Apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on young individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

Employers, apprentices, business support organisations, learning providers, colleges and schools across the land will be encouraged to support the Week by hosting activities to showcase the achievements and benefits of Apprenticeships. Come along to hear how taking on an apprentice can help your business.

The Budget 2015 - An Overview Date: 23rd March Time: 17.00 - 19.00 Venue: Fielder Conference Centre, Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield Avenue, Hatfield, AL10 9TP Cost: FREE members £25.00 non-members

Further to George Osborne’s Autumn Statement at the beginning of December, outlining proposed tax changes and economic comment, join us for an analysis of the Budget 2015, which will be the last before May’s General Election.

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce will be running a Budget seminar with St Albans accountancy firm, Kingston Smith. Their specialist tax partner, Mike Hayes, will be de-coding the output, explaining what it will mean personally and to businesses and the likelihood of legislation being passed before the next General Election.

Made in Herts - Networking and site tour of Kelvin Hughes Ltd Date: 26th March Time: 09.30 - 12.30 Venue: Kelvin Hughes Limited, Voltage, Mollison Avenue, Enfield, EN3 7XQ Cost: FREE for Members

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In 2015 our mission will be to drive greater awareness of the inspirational models of excellence we have in Hertfordshire businesses, and invite fellow members to learn and experience what makes Hertfordshire’s world class centres of excellence, whether it be in skills, lean manufacturing, technology and innovation or sustainability.

Join the Herts Chamber at Kelvin Hughes, a world leader in the design and supply of navigation and surveillance systems, and experience a site tour and presentation from a representative at Kelvin Hughes.

ChamberEvents Chamber Match Day Networking: Stevenage FC v Portsmouth FC Date: 14th April Time: 18.30 - 22.00 Venue: Stevenage Football Club, Broadhall Way, Stevenage, SG2 8RH Cost: £37.00 members £45.00 non-members

Our ever-popular networking events at Stevenage Football Club are back for 2015. This match will see Stevenage FC continue their fight to reach play-off status with a crucial game against Portsmouth FC held at the Lamex Stadium. Come along and network with other businesses whilst supporting one of Hertfordshire's most successful football teams.

Price includes full hospitality including 2 course dinner, half time refreshments, match programme and seat in the directors section of the west terrace.

West Herts Afternoon Networking Date: 21st April Time: 14.00 – 16.00 Venue: Apsley Paper Trail, Frogmore Paper Mill, Fourdrinier Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 9RY Cost: £15.00 members £20.00 non-members

The Herts Chamber invites you to meet with local businesses to network in this unique setting. Frogmore Paper Mill is the world’s oldest mechanised paper mill – the birthplace of paper’s industrial revolution.

Today it is still a working paper mill producing around 100 tonnes of specialist grade paper every year on historic paper machines.

The Apsley Paper Trail charity operates the site in order to conserve its unique history for the benefit of the public and future generations.

The site is actually owned by Dacorum Borough Council but it has been leased to the Apsley Paper Trail charity for the last 150 years.

International Trade Seminar: Doing business in Malaysia & Singapore Date: 23rd April Time: 09.30 - 11.30 Venue: Aubrey Park Hotel, Hemel Hempstead Road, Redbourn, St Albans, AL3 7AF Cost: £15.00 members £25.00 non-members

Are you currently doing business in Malaysia and Singapore and seeking to expand your reach within this high potential continent, or are you an experienced exporter but new to the region and ready to find out how to enter this lucrative market?

If so please join us for this practical seminar which will be thought provoking and motivating, providing you with detailed information to take your business forward in this country.

Inspiring Hertfordshire 2015 Gala Awards Dinner Date: 14th May Time: 19.00 - 00.00 Venue: Porsche Centre Hatfield 1 Hatfield Avenue, Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield, AL10 9UA Cost: £95.00 members

Join us for our fourth year in celebrating the excellence of our local business community.

Register your interest today for this prestigious event.

Dates for your Diary

Lee Valley Olympic Breakfast with Ambition Broxbourne 9 June 2015

Chamber Networking Breakfast: Women in Leadership Ambition Broxbourne - One Year On Networking Lunch 30 April 2015 19 June 2015 Ambition Broxbourne - Tour of Newsprinters 19 May 2015

East Herts Networking Brunch at Hertford Castle 25 June 2015

Networking Lunch with Connect Dacorum 3 June 201

Chamber Brunch - Network on the Wild Side!

9 July 2015

Chamber Clay Pigeon Shooting 20 August 2015 Chamber Early Riser Speed Networking 9 September 2015 Chamber Networking Breakfast: Cybercrime - How to protect your business 17 September 2015 Annual Chairmans Dinner 2015 1 October 2015

If you would like to register for an event or would like further information or would like to book on to an event please contact Jodie Reid on 01707 398400 or email jodiereid@hertschamber.com Alternatively visit our website www.hertschamber.com INSPIRE

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HRDevelopment

Leader as Mediator What do you do when two people in your team are in conflict with each other?

To achieve a good resolution the leader needs to facilitate a conversation between the two parties. Helping them to resolve their own differences and work positively together.

Here’s my tips for facilitating that conversation: Address the issue sooner rather than later.

At the start conflicts often seem very trivial but before you know it has grown out of all proportion. It impacts on the morale and productivity of the whole team. It’s easier to solve a small conflict early than to resolve a big problem that has escalated.

You are the mediator not the problem solver. You are not there to offer answers.

You are encouraging them to build their own relationship and find their own answers.

You ensure that they talk to, listen to and hear each other and then come to an agreement.

Set a clear goal for the conversation that is linked to the job that they do. For example the goal might be ‘Agree a strategy for how the two of you work together to achieve a better service for the customer’.

One of the most challenging aspects for leaders is how to positively resolve conflict.

After trial and error and incorporating my learning about interpersonal relationships and how the mind works I found an approach that worked not only to settle conflicts but to make them a positive experience.

Before I explain that approach here are some of the things that can work to an extent but never really resolve the problem: • Avoid the issue. Basically ignore it in the hopes that the problem would go away.

• Make a ruling: Listen to both sides of the argument, giving each party an equal hearing and then either make a ruling, or make suggestions for them to try.

• Put them in a room until they sorted out the problem.

• Have a three way conversation between myself and the two parties.

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Agree a contract for how you will have this conversation. This is critical to the success of the conversation. The contract should cover aspects like confidentiality, openness, respect, difference of opinion, interruptions, being factual and objective not subjective, accountabilities and responsibilities. This is where you need to be clear about your role in the conversation. The contracting sets the tone for the rest of the conversation.

Maintain your own presence throughout the conversation. Conflict can be highly emotive for the parties involved. You need to stay calm and avoid getting drawn into the emotion.

Ensure that each person has heard and understood each other. The only way a person can really know if they have been understood is if the other person repeats back what has been said. Once you have agreed the contract allocate a specific amount of time to each party to talk about their version of events (say 10 minutes).

The second party listens without interrupting. You ask questions but only for clarification. The second person summarises what they have heard (without responding) until the first person confirms they have summarised correctly. Then exchange and repeat the process for the second party. The purpose is for both parties to be listened to and heard by each other. This can be the start of the healing in the relationship.

Shift conversation to future and goal based.

Once they have shared their version of events a line should be drawn and the rest of the conversation focussed on the goal ensuring that both parties are getting roughly equal air time.

Brainstorm lots of ideas. Encourage them to brainstorm lots of potential solutions before deciding which are workable. When they have identified a range of ideas then invite them to analyse them before deciding what they will commit to.

Plan for old patterns of behaviour to resurface. People don’t always change just because they have said so. Encourage them to work out a strategy to support each other when they fall into old patterns of behaviour.

Allow plenty of time for the process.

Truly resolving a conflict takes time. Conflict is multi facetted and rarely simple to resolve so it can take more than one meeting before a long term strategy is agreed.

Always have a review meeting.

Even if the conflict appears to be resolved hold a review meeting to check on progress.

Dealing with it in this way the team learns how to handle conflict positively.

Relationships become stronger, team work and productivity improves and they resolve other problems in the workplace without you! When handled well conflict provides a great opportunity to grow and develop your team.

Maria Iliffe-Wood maria@meridianiliffe.co.uk

MemberNews

New approaches to fighting neurodegeneration to be funded Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC), the UK’s first open innovation bioscience campus, has announced that six academic research projects have been selected for support under its open innovation challenge in neurodegenerative disease.

Covering a range of approaches to tracking, diagnosing and treating this range of disorders, the successful applications came from the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester, as well as UCL and Imperial College London.

They were selected on the basis of a range of criteria, including impact potential, the level of innovation and opportunities for collaboration.

Recognising the need for new approaches to tackle diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, SBC worked with

MIMIT1 and the universities' Academic Health Science Centre Technology Transfer Organisations2 to develop the scheme, which was launched last year.

It is designed to provide small amounts of funding to kick-start research and is supported by Astex Pharmaceuticals, Alzheimer's Research UK, Eli Lilly, GE Healthcare Life Sciences and GSK, who are also contributing their extensive expertise.

This will be invaluable to the selected projects, which focus on

biomarkers for diagnosis and stratification, and the role of inflammation in neurodegeneration.

Ray Hill, President Emeritus, British Pharmacological Society & Chair of the OI Challenge Review Panel, said: “Everyone on the panel was impressed by the quality and breadth of the project proposals submitted for review by the academic researchers. It’s great to see exciting new approaches to neurodegenerative disease being generated by the UK's strong science base, with the SBC open innovation challenge

providing vital support for further investigation.”

Martino Picardo, CEO of Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst, said: “We're delighted to have concluded successfully the initial step in our initiative to bring benefit to neurodegenerative disease patients through open innovation - hopefully the first of many such schemes.

Bringing together a diverse range of players is vital for driving innovation, and we'd like to thank our partners for their involvement and support.”

INSPIRE

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Peace of mind for you and your family The Hertfordshire Funeral Funeeral Plan is a bespoke, bespokee, pre-payment plan exclusive exclussive to Austin’s which takes care of your wish wishes es and simplifies the arrangements for your loved ones.

Planning ahead for peace of mind

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Do you know? ;OL <UP]LYZP[` VM /LY[MVYKZOPYL KLSP]LYZ WYVMLZZPVUHS

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ForumNews

Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce "Made in Herts" first Manufacturing Forum in 2015 Register now for networking and tour of Kelvin Hughes' Limited purpose built state of the art manufacturing design, development and distribution facility.

For over 250 years, the name of Kelvin Hughes has been synonymous with the best traditions of nautical achievement. The history can be traced back to the middle of the 18th century with Thomas Hughes, a Master of the Clockmakers' Company, who rapidly made a reputation for his

precision quadrants and timepieces which were used in marine navigation. His name and work was so prominent and highly thought of that in 1780 none other than the famous Captain Bligh of the Bounty bought one of Thomas Hughes' chronometers. This purchase was the part of a tradition as

suppliers to both the Royal and Merchant Navies, which still flourishes today.

Kelvin Hughes is a world leader in the design and supply of navigation and surveillance systems. It has been in the forefront for more than 250 years, supplying advanced navigation solutions and

services around the globe.

From instrumentation to digital charts, integrated bridge display systems to solid state surveillance radars, Kelvin Hughes has established itself as a technology innovator and reliable partner to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s navies, merchant shipping, and pleasure craft operators.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kelvin Hughes is a world leader in the design and supply of navigation and surveillance systems. It has been in the forefront for more than 250 years, supplying advanced navigation solutions and services around the globe.â&#x20AC;?

INSPIRE

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WorkPlace

Will falling oil prices benefit your business?

LSI Independent Utilities Brokers Ltd, outlines why oil prices have halved and what this might mean for business energy prices Chamber Energy can assist you in reducing your business energy costs by offering a free of charge assessment of your current bills and helping you search the entire market to find the best prices for your next contract.

In order to benefit from Chamber Energy and the 5 year low in prices please contact Barrie Jacobs.

Call: 01727 877 039 E-mail: barrie@lsiutilitybroker.co.uk Web: www.lsiutilitybroker.co.uk

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past six months you will know that oil prices have been steadily falling. The cost of a barrel of oil is now less than half what it was just a year ago, and industry experts predict it is not likely to increase again anytime soon.

So why have global oil prices fallen sharply and what does that mean for business energy costs in the UK? During the period 2010 to mid2014 world oil prices hovered around the $110 a barrel, but since June prices have dropped to below $50 a barrel for the first time since 2009 and are expected to tumble even further in the coming months.

The reasons for this change are mainly associated with weak demand from many countries suffering an economic downturn, combined with ever increasing production in America from shale gas reserves. Historically the oil cartel Opec would step in and prop up prices by cutting back

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INSPIRE

production, but on this occasion major players including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Kuwait voted against this.

Many commentators suggest the reason for this decision is to put the USA’s shale oil and gas industry under pressure and perhaps even force investors permanently away from this sector.

A big player in this latest game of international ‘dare’ is Russia, one of the largest oil producers in the world. The country is in a state of near economic meltdown, interest rates are around 17% and its economy relies to a very large degree on export incomes from gas and oil. Despite the fact Russia loses some $2bn in revenue for every $1 fall in the oil price, its Energy Minister, Alexander Novak has refused to cut production as he fears other producers will take their customers.

When economic pressures decide, world oil prices will once again rise

and when they do are widely predicted to soar past the $110 a barrel mark in an attempt to recover the losses incurred.

However, in truth, no one really knows for sure where the price is going. But one thing is certain, the current fall is making major investors rethink their business plans.

For example, oil exploration in high-cost places such as the Arctic and deep-water locations, even the North Sea is either being mothballed or cut back. New Shale exploration and other schemes yet to leave the drawing board are being put on hold. Even much needed energy generation projects are seeing investors pull out.

So what does all this mean for Britain’s business energy users?

Well in the short term it should lead to a lowering of prices although with the increasing tax element being levied onto bills it is not expected to boost bottom lines by a huge percentage. Indeed recent weeks have seen the ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers bow to public pressure and announce cuts or around 5% to their tarrifs for domestic customers.

We’ve even had Energy Secretary Ed Davey commend them for their efforts, whilst at the same time calling on homeowners to consider switching supplier to get even better prices.

And what’s wrong with that?

Nothing, it’s a great example of a competitive market. Unless, of course, you happen to be a business consumer.

Where are the announcements of reductions for this sector? For those locked into a fixed price contract with another year to run, it could be

irrelevant. On the other hand you might be lucky enough to be nearing or at the end of your current contract and hoping your supplier will automatically offer a cut-price deal. But don’t hold your breath.

Oh, and if you should happen to be a medium to large consumer of gas or electricity, switching supplier will certainly not be the simple and straightforward process it is in the domestic sector.

There’s no guarantee your business would be welcome.

Many suppliers are still very cautious about taking on the financial risks involved with a business that could consume several tens of thousands of pounds worth of gas and/or electricity and then default on the payment.

However, don’t despair, there are ways to overcome all these issues, but they do in most cases, require the market savvy skills and expertise of a dedicated energy management team, whether employed full-time in-house or from a trusted consultancy.

Before making any firm decisions on accepting a new tariff, check out all the available options, consider how your business might be affected should prices soar by 20% in 12 months time. Investigate whether you might benefit from opting for flexible purchasing, for at least part of your contract. There are lots of options to choose from. Don’t be pushed by your supplier into making any rash decisions.

The only thing that is certain about the year ahead is that it will indeed be extremely challenging.

WorkPlace

Tune into your Senses for Peak Performance Sensoria offers a new approach to improving productivity and performance in the workplace; teaching people how they can tune in and use their senses for optimal benefits.

Whether you work for yourself or a large organisation, you know that your staff are your best asset. For business to thrive, you need everyone to be focused, effective and to perform optimally. Be that just yourself or the team that you are managing. You may also want to be able to attract and keep good staff and for everyone to work well as a team. Yet, so often other things get in the way…

We live in a world of information overload, conflicting demands, time pressures and responsibilities, all of which can distract or overwhelm us. Such constant bombardment can lead to ‘sensory overload’ causing us to become unfocused, unproductive and create tension or stress. Our brains move out of ‘the zone’ and our performance suffers as a result, both individually and within the team.

Everybody works best when their minds are in a ‘calm and alert’ state. In this optimal brain state we are more productive, creative and effective in whatever we are doing.

Grounded in neuroscience, Sensoria offers simple, practical strategies, easily incorporated into the workplace to help you and your staff get into ‘the zone’ for optimal efficiency. Sensoria also teaches people some ‘First Aid for the Brain’, which can be used when people are feeling a bit frazzled.

Launched in late 2014, Sensoria is the brainchild of Tania Barney, formerly an Occupational Therapist working with Local Authorities and the NHS. She realised that the methods she was using had a much wider application than the clinical setting.

Tania explains “I used to provide a lot of training to teachers and parents about managing children’s attention through the use of the senses. I taught them how they could use sensation to either calm or alert.

I soon realised that people were using these strategies for themselves with good effect. I recognised that knowledge I took for granted was not widely known and could be really helpful in the business environment”.

Tania tells us “there are some basic principles about what is calming and what

is alerting. For example, minty flavours tend to be alerting, that’s why we’re often offered them at meetings and conferences; they help keep everyone awake!

Once people learn the basic principles of how different sensations impact on how their brain is working, they can use this

knowledge to help them get in ‘the zone’.

Operating in ‘the zone’ enables everyone to work at their full potential.”

Want to know more about how Sensoria can help you and your business? Contact Tania email: enquiries@ sensoria.info or look on the website www.sensoria.info

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Looking for help to change how you look and feel?

Our expert team of consultants, dietitians and specialist nurses can talk you through our wide range of surgical and non-surgical cosmetic procedures and options for weight loss surgery â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and help you to discover a new you.

For more information, or to make an appointment, call:

01582 714 420 or visit www.spireharpenden.com

HealthWellbeing

Boost your wellbeing by changing your eating habits The start of the year is always a great chance to change aspects of your life youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re unhappy with. Many of us turn to our eating habits as the first change to boost our wellbeing.

Dietician Karen Gifford, based at Spire Harpenden Hospital shares answers to some of the questions she is commonly asked and gives tips on staying healthy this spring: How many cups of tea and coffee should I have a day?

All drinks count but water is the best choice for hydration as it is calorie, caffeine and sugar free.

Unless you choose decaffeinated varieties tea and coffee contain caffeine which is a stimulant and can act as a diuretic, so it is best to drink other fluids such as water, sugar free squashes or milk over the day as well. Pregnant women are advised to consume no more than 200mg of caffeine a day, which equates to around 2 mugs of instant coffee or about two and a half mugs of tea.

Should I skip breakfast to help me lose weight quicker?

No! Breakfast is the meal that people who are trying to lose weight skip, when it is perhaps the most important meal of the day. Studies have indicated that individuals who eat breakfast consume less calories overall in a day - if you miss breakfast you are more likely to eat more and choose a less healthy option for your first meal (often a snack such as crisps or chocolate) than if you had enjoyed a healthy breakfast such as a bowl of wholegrain cereal or porridge. Aim for 3 moderate sized meals a day breakfast, lunch and dinner, with 1-2 snacks in between such as a piece of fruit or a low fat yoghurt if you are hungry to help regulate your appetite and calorie intake.

Are carbs bad? Should I avoid them?

Starchy carbohydrates for example bread, potatoes, rice and pasta are energy giving foods and make up one of the five major food groups.

Moderate amounts of at least one form of starchy, preferably wholegrain carbohydrate should be included at each meal and approximately a third of our food intake should come from these foods. They contain fibre, B vitamins, iron, calcium and folate all of which are important nutrients for good health.

Bear in mind that the starchy carbohydrates are not fattening foods in themselves, but it is often what is put on them that raises the calorie count, such as butter on bread, cheese on pizza base, sauces on pasta, fat/oil on roast potatoes.

Are antioxidants still good for you? And if they are, which foods are high in them?

The three main antioxidants are vitamins C and E and carotenoids.

Antioxidants can help protect healthy cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are molecules produced by normal body functions including breaking down food, and which we may also be exposed to by environmental and lifestyle factors such as smoking.

Foods rich in carotenoids include red, orange, deep-yellow and some dark-green leafy vegetables, such as tomatoes, carrots, apricots, nectarines, tangerines, peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, and broccoli.

Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, broccoli and potatoes, and those rich in vitamin E are vegetable oils, nuts and seeds.

The content of this article is provided for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for the professional medical advice of your doctor or other healthcare professional.

Karenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sample day: Breakfast Wholegrain cereal or porridge with semi-skimmed milk, a handful of berries or a small sliced banana

Mid-morning snack 2 wholegrain crackers with hummus or peanut butter and cherry tomatoes

Lunch A cheese salad sandwich on wholemeal bread with a small bowl of vegetable soup

Afternoon snack A glass of semi-skimmed milk with a handful of grapes

Supper Grilled salmon fillet with broccoli, peas and new potatoes

Treats 1-2 chocolate biscuits

Drinks 8-10 glasses a day- plenty of water, no more than 1 small glass of fruit juice, and limited tea and coffee

Helpful tips: Include fish in your diet - try and have two portions a week, one of which should be oily such as salmon, trout, mackerel, sardines, kippers Get active! Physical activity can help lose weight or maintain a healthy weight and it is important to incorporate this into your lifestyle.

Spire Harpenden Hospital can offer weight loss surgery and cosmetic procedures, please visit our website; www.spireharpenden.com or call 01582 714420

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Do you need to improve communications with your customers?

James Shand m-edp Managing Director

Who said a conference venue had to be ordinary?

••• Contact us and quote INSPIRE DECEMBER/JANUARY to receive your free critique of your existing customer communications documentation.

•••

Frogmore Paper Mill can accommodate conferences of up to 200 delegates or meetings of just ten. We have an auditorium, exhibition space, a number of meeting and break-out rooms as well as a cafe. There is parking for up to 70 cars (inexpensive pay & display) and up to three coaches. All this in a fascinating historic working environment. We do tours too. Call to arrange a viewing.

Frogmore Paper Mill Fourdrinier Way, Apsley Hemel Hempstead HP3 9RY

www.thepapertrail.org.uk 01442 234600

FROGMORE PAPER MILL Birthplace of Paper’s Industrial Revolution

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TriPa rtu m Limite d 12 Gateway 1000 Arlington Business Park, Whittle Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 2FP 0207 186 0052 07785 372 793 @: james@tripartum.com

Many organisations are being enticed by the world of ‘social media’ as the utopia for customer communications. Whilst many have developed very successful social media solutions they have lost sight of the fact that not all customers want to use or even have access to the technology to access these social media messages. Paper communications still provides the best ROI but organisations do not give them the attention they should to maximise they delivery of effective communications.

Facts about paper communications; • They are delivered to the right recipient • The content can be customised for the recipient with information and marketing so it is relevant and timely • There is an emotional attachment to receiving physical mail - especially when its customised • People spend more time reading physical mail than social media messages • It can’t fall foul of automated filtering into Junk or SPAM mail boxes • You can share it with multiple people • Research shows that people respond to call for action with physical mail more promptly than they do with electronic TriPartum specialise in building solutions and then providing cost effective managed services which deliver communications across multiple delivery channels. We deliver a stronger ROI by assessing the end-to-end processes simplifying content with coherent communications. Existing documents, content and marketing materials are analysed as part of the customer experience to deliver effective communications.

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

EMPLOYER RECOGNITION AWARD SCHEME

The Armed Forces Covenant sets out the relationship between the nation, the Government and the armed forces. The Ministry of Defenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Employer Recognition Scheme recognises those companies who are an armed forces friendly organisation. The recognition scheme is a tiered award scheme with Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards.

Bronze Award holders are self-nominated by employers who pledge their intention to support Defence, and take a positive stance towards Reservists who are either existing or prospective employees.

Bronze Award Holders seek to promote an Armed Forces friendly position, and are open to employing Reservists and supporting their training and mobilisation commitments.

Silver Award holders demonstrate support for Defence, employing at least one Reservist, actively communicating and upholding a positive stance to their employees via established HR policies and procedures.

Silver Award Holders support Reservists by showing flexibility to plan for and allow them to fulfil their annual training and mobilisation commitments.

Gold Award holders proactively advocate and support Defence, communicating their commitment both internally to employees and externally to the wider community, through established policies and examples of support.

Gold Award holders demonstrate significant support for Reservists, enabling them to fulfil their annual training and mobilisation commitments.

Hertfordshire employers were presented with their Silver Awards by the Vice Lord Lieutenant at Knebworth Barnes.

To find out more about the Employer Recognition Scheme or to sign up to the Corporate Covenant please contact Kristina Carrington, Regional SaBRE Campaign Director, 01245-244817

BusinessNews

Barristers embrace businesses direct You rarely see “lawyers” and “reducing costs” in the same sentence - but that is what the Bar is hoping to achieve by its direct public access scheme.

The public can now go directly to a barrister without instructing solicitors. And as of 2014, barristers may offer to take on the whole conduct of a case, traditionally the exclusive preserve of solicitors.

My own practice at the Bar is almost exclusively with direct access clients in the SME space. I spent 20 years in corporates, so this level of client contact feels normal to me.

I’m also fascinated by small businesses - I am one! - and the people who drive them, and thus our economy. I positively want direct engagement with my end-user. A good day for me is when I connect with a client at a commercial level, when they know I “get it”.

I couldn’t do that if our dialogue was filtered by an intermediary.

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The Bar says direct access promotes access to justice.

Mary Bullen, a family barrister, puts it slightly differently: “If you’re being charged £250 an hour to prepare your own statements, you might want to DIY that, leaving me to present the case in court.”

Employment barrister Amanda Nanhoo-Robinson offers another insight: “Direct access gives clients greater choice.

I’m often asked to deal with a specific element of clients’ cases because they’re

competent to handle the day to day work themselves.”

But solicitors are expensive for a reason and it’s a mistake to underestimate them.

We’re outnumbered 10-1 by solicitors, so it’s hardly surprising that they have enough legal talent not to feel threatened by the Bar. For you, that means one thing: use your buying power. We’re not cheap - but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get value for your money.

Rakesh (Rikki) Nath is a barrister who practised at a well known barristers’ chambers in the Temple until establishing Wishbone Law to focus on serving SME’s.

Speak to him on 07547 45 65 92 or email vipdesk@wishbonelaw.com See the Bar Council’s guidance here: www.barcouncil.org.uk/instructing-a-barrister/public-access

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Patron Longmores Solicitors LegalUpdate

New family friendly rights - more headaches for employers?

Catrin Mills and Richard Gvero of Longmores Solicitors look at what the new shared parental leave system means for employers.

On 1 December 2014, regulations came into force introducing new rights for eligible parents of babies due to be born or placed for adoption on or after 5 April 2015.

This new “shared parental leave” enables both parents to allocate leave between them to care for their child for up to a year. As of last month, employers could already

Catrin Mills

have been receiving notices from employees declaring their eligibility for these new rights, and their intention to take shared parental leave.

The idea behind the scheme is to allow parents greater flexibility but the new rules are far from straightforward. Maternity pay and leave continues unaffected as shared parental leave only applies once a mother has ended her maternity leave. Statutory paternity leave will also remain, that is, the right to take 1 or 2 weeks in a single block of leave early on.

However, additional paternity leave, or the right for fathers to take up to 26 weeks’ paid leave if the mother returns to work before using up all her maternity leave, will cease to be available for babies due after 5 April 2015.

To be eligible, an individual must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks at the end of

the 15th week before the week the child is due. There are also earnings criteria to be met. If eligible, however, employees can take shared parental leave in up to three separate blocks (or more if the employer agrees) over the course of a year. The total amount of leave available is 50 weeks, 37 of which are paid. Parents can take this leave separately (taking it in turns to be off work) or together (so that they are off work at the same time).

Employees could request a pattern of leave which involves them stopping and starting work during any relevant period.

It is not hard to see how all of the possibilities available under the new regulations could lead to operational difficulties for employers.

On receiving a notice of leave entitlement, employers will have to consider what cover might be needed in the employee’s absence.

Shared parental leave might well lead to inconvenience and cost, but it will be important not to allow that to affect employees’ rights, as robust protection now exists for employees electing to make use of the scheme. Employers are well advised to have a new policy in place.

An employee must provide their employer with a notice of entitlement to shared parental leave at least 8 weeks before the first period of intended leave and this should include a declaration by the other parent confirming they meet the eligibility criteria and an indication (which is not binding) of the leave planned.

So, the new regime might be said to level the playing field. Now, when interviewing candidates for a role, employers cannot assume that it is only female interviewees who might be taking leave on having children.

And the new regime could benefit higher-earning mothers who may elect to return to work sooner leaving their partners to care for the baby. That said, since additional paternity leave was introduced in 2011 the take-up has been a measly 0.5%. Whatever the reason for this, the inevitable question is, will the same happen with shared parental leave? Will it end up as electoral window dressing? Or will we see greater numbers of male employees sharing childcare responsibilities? Either way, it means a complex set of regulations that employers need to be on top of.

An employee must also give 8 weeks’ notice of any block of leave by submitting a booking notice.

This sets out the actual dates of the proposed leave. An employee can submit up to three separate booking notices, and so can take up to three separate blocks of leave. If an employee requests a block of leave as a continuous period, the employer cannot refuse the request.

However, an employee can request leave as a “discontinuous period” for example, by asking to work alternate weeks. Employers do not have to agree to such requests.

In such cases an employer has 14 days to either accept or refuse the leave, or to propose alternatives.

It will be important to discuss requests with employees promptly.

In addition to the 10 keeping in touch days (“KIT” days) available to mothers, parents will also be entitled to 20 similar days each, confusingly known as “SPLIT” days (nothing to do with working part of a day – in fact Shared Parental Leave In Touch days).

Richard Gveru

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LastWord Name: Andrew Wells Company: Media Five Ltd Job title: Managing Director Q What do you get from it?

However, with the economic turmoil of recent years it is encouraging to see how We have obtained useful information; legal, HR and employee advice to insights innovative people in this country are. From on available grants. Even if the chamber new product launches in sectors that just cannot help directly they can point us in did not exist a few years ago and new the right direction. thinking on matters like integrated marketing and behavioural economics..

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Its generally not enough to have the Q Who do you work for ? the prospects of the individual. product or service and the customers.

We work for progressive Creative Agencies There is the finance side, the legal aspect Q How confident are you your business who are embracing all forms of digital not mention finding the right staff and media. We work with Print Buyers and will grow in 2015? knowing what to delegate and what to keep Marketing Departments in SME and large The economy is far from repaired but control of yourself. Running your own Corporate companies.

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We joined the Chamber to engage with We have ambitious plans. We will Q What do you think is biggest challenge other business people, like minded or not complete five years of trading on March affecting running and growing a to… network and gauge the needs and 26th and we want to double the size of business? aspirations of the local business the business in turnover from 2015-16 Cash is the life force of any business. community to see if Media Five could and increase our profitability. In the last This remains the biggest issue for a provide services and products to other year we have heavily invested in systems, growing business. Accessing Funds for members. Also of course the chamber infrastructure and staff and now we need growth and getting paid on time are still provides an excellent knowledgebase for to capitalise on this. major factors for small business owners. business people on all manner of subjects.

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