The Chamber September 16 Surrey Chamber

theChamber Voice&VisionofSurreyBusiness|September - October 2016 www.surrey-chambers.co.uk | ÂŁ3.95 (where sold)

Surrey - Centre of excellence in technology

Page 27

Ask the Expert pg 17

Careers Fair pg 36

What businesses need to know about the threat of cyber crime

Young Chamber membership for schools

Big Interview with the Rutland Group pg 22

Festive pg 41

Jim McAllister looks to the future of Dunsfold Park

Making the right decisions for that big festive event

www.premierfx.com | reigate@premierfx.com | 01737 735064

Contents

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Voice & Vision of Surrey Business www.surrey-chambers.co.uk

September - October 2016

Welcome to theChamber from our Chief Executive Louise Punter Looking Ahead Autumn is upon us and now Parliament has reconvened it’s time for businesses to reflect on the events of the summer and be more assertive and confident in what they want in the lead up to Brexit. Since the referendum many firms have expressed concern over the future status of their existing EU workforce.

These employees are absolutely vital to the success of businesses, and must be retained. Theresa May should reassure them as soon as possible that they will have the right to remain in the UK, to provide much-needed certainty both for EU employees and UK employers. In a period of uncertainty, with Brexit still ahead, making sure that businesses can recruit talented and work-ready people is critical. So is having the right incentives to commit to further training for those more established in the work-place.

Employability The Exam results, which came out in August, gave the national media one of its annual opportunities to pass judgement on the UK’s education and training system.

For some of our businesses it’s a time of some frustration. Most journalists, and many politicians, equate exam success with automatic progression to university. The number of people going off to university then becomes a sort of national barometer of progress, as if the completion of a degree were automatically linked to personal wellbeing, greater local prosperity or an expanding national economy.

In our business community, companies take a different view of the world. We are keen to get the message across that employability needs to be frontand-centre in the educational system. Our businesses have a lot of good things to say about universities, of course, but we take away the strongly-held feeling that other training routes still get short shrift on the national stage.

We still have a long way to go to demonstrate that apprenticeships, adult learning, and other routes to personal success deserve to be celebrated and valued.

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Introduction

26-34

Cover Feature

5-7

Member News

36-37

Careers Fair

8

Legal Update

38

Design

9-13

Members News

39

Economy

15-16

Health & Wellbeing

39

Development

17

Ask the Expert

40-45

Festive

18-19

Members News

46-47

Chamber Events

20

24 Hours With

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New Members

22-23

Big Interview

49

Movers & Shakers

25

International Trade

50

Chamber Chat

Editorial and General Enquiries Surrey Chambers of Commerce Unit 14a, Monument Way East, Woking, Surrey GU21 5LY Tel: 01483 735540 Fax: 01483 756754 Email: info@surrey-chambers.co.uk

Production Manager Mark Etherington Email: mark@benhampublishing.com

Media No.

Chief Executive: Louise Punter Finance: Caroline Cherryman

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Editor

Disclaimer

Molly Edwards Tel: 01483 735545 Email: Molly.Edwards@surrey-chambers.co.uk

The Chamber is published for the Surrey Chambers of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members in the county. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Surrey Chambers.

Views expressed in The Chamber are not necessarily those of Surrey Chambers of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2016.

Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited 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

_________________________________________________

Advertising and Features

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.

Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com

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

Published September 2016 © Benham Publishing

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Introduction

A word from our President Welcome from Frankie Tierney

Getting the technology balance right Technology has come a long way in a relatively short time period and probably the fastest growth has come with the development of the affordable PC and that “mystical” entity – the internet.

At the risk of sounding like a dinosaur, when I first started my legal career, fresh from passing my solicitors final exams – secretaries were only just getting to grips with electronic typewriters!

The innovations since then have transformed business and the way we communicate. The concern nowadays is has technology become the master and those who use it the servant? Speed of response to the ever increasing number of emails and texts and

keeping up with those tweets has come at a price. We all know people who take their laptops and business mobiles on holiday and seem completely incapable of really relaxing and recharging their human batteries.

Businesses that work hard at giving staff a proper work/life balance find it pays dividends.

Their people are less likely to burn out; are actually more productive and enthusiastic when at work and much more likely to stay with you.

Embrace the innovations as they occur and certainly make them work for your business but remember it should not be the tail wagging the dog!

“Businesses that work hard at giving staff a proper work/life balance find it pays dividends. Their people are less likely to burn out; are actually more productive and enthusiastic when at work and much more likely to stay with you.”

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Clever marketing tech tools can help smaller businesses bat with the big guns!

by Sarah Orchard, CIM Whilst bigger businesses can adopt the latest marketing technologies more quickly, for smaller outfits the costs and risk can be a huge barrier.

As a smaller business you cannot afford to test and adopt all of them.

So which of the marketing tech bandwagons are really worth jumping on?

There are so many areas of marketing where technology can assist but here are just two areas I think are worth exploring.

Marketing automation With platforms like Wordpress for SEO-friendly blogging, Piktochart and Canva to create powerful infographics, and YouTube for videos; it’s easy to get started with creating engaging content for your customers. But if you’re serious about deploying content to grow your business, it’s worth investigating a more structured and automated approach.

Software, from the likes of Marketo and HubSpot, can help you handle email, website design, blogging, social media and SEO efficiently, as well as integrating with your sales and CRM systems.

Social media management Staying on top of your brand’s multiple social media platforms can be somewhat challenging.

Luckily, there are specialist tech tools for effortlessly managing and measuring your social activity – all in one easy-to-use, streamlined dashboard. When time is limited this is a real godsend to any small business owner. From free platforms like Tweetdeck, Hootsuite and Buffer, to paid-for solutions like Sprout Social - there is plenty of marketing technology on hand to assist you.

Get more free marketing tips like this by joining our CIM South East LinkedIn group or follow us on Twitter @cim_se.

Until next time…Happy Marketing!

Sarah Orchard Chartered Institute of Marketing - Surrey Branch

“Software, from the likes of Marketo and HubSpot, can help you handle email, website design, blogging, social media and SEO efficiently, as well as integrating with your sales and CRM systems.”

Members News

Launch of new Surrey Business website, tool and network SurreyBusiness.interests.me is a website, a tool and a network for businesses in Surrey who want to improve their online communications.

Woking-based Chambers member Interests Media Ltd (trading as interests.me) has just launched new website for Surrey businesses, called SurreyBusiness.interests.me supported by Surrey Chambers of Commerce.

But it’s not just a website. It’s a website, a tool and a network aimed at businesses in Surrey who want to improve their online communications. It helps them get the word out about their business using email, social media, blogging and collaboration with other businesses.

The website features news and events from businesses across Surrey (and Surrey Chambers themselves).

It’s free to sign up, be listed in the directory and post events, news or blog posts directly to the site’s front page to promote your business.

The interests.me tool enables businesses to create their own simple blog, share their content easily on social media, manage mailing lists, get email subscribers and create beautiful email newsletters.

It’s incredibly easy to use, and membership costs from just £10 a month – with an amazing

half price offer for Surrey Chambers members taking this down to just £5 a month (or £50 for a year).

The Surrey Business network helps businesses across Surrey collaborate. Businesses who join the network can share their content with other Surrey businesses, and use each other’s content directly in their email newsletters. They can also tap into the content of over 300 Surrey-based voluntary organisations already using interests.me, to use their community news in their email newsletters.

The Surrey voluntary sector have been using a version of the interests.me tool and network since January, and businesses signing up for the tool can also join their closest hyperlocal interests.me website (eg Woking.interests.me), where their content will also be posted.

Get involved by signing up for free at SurreyBusiness.interests.me and clicking ‘Join’.

Oakleaf Hosts: An Evening with Dame Penelope Keith Join us for an exclusive evening with our patron, Dame Penelope Keith, on Friday 21st October at Loseley House.

A special event featuring Oakleaf patron, Dame Penelope Keith, as she shares highlights and a walk-through of her career, followed by a question and answer session.

To take place within the spectacular surroundings of

the Great Hall at Loseley House, guests will be served drinks and canapés on arrival and also be entertained by live music with the chance to win some super raffle prizes.

Tickets are only £30 per person, available from Guildford Tourist

Information Centre: 155 High Street, Guildford GU1 3AJ / 01483 444334; or you may book online at: www.visitguildford.com.

(All proceeds to Oakleaf Enterprise – Making Life Work with Mental Illness)

Managing Risk: Growing Sales Channels in the UK and Beyond Breakfast workshop, 12th October, 8.30am, One London Square, Guildford Getting goods to market and managing the supply chain are major considerations for every business from start-ups to SMEs through to international corporations.

There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. But what are the options, what are the risks and how can those risks be mitigated and managed? Charles Russell Speechlys is taking an in depth look at some of the key issues in managing supply and supply risk both domestically and internationally in an interactive workshop session.

The session will cover risks and options in establishing a presence in another market, including using a distributor or an agent or setting up yourself.

We will explore some of the key considerations in trading terms and policies particularly where agreements have an international context. We will also look at what this may all mean in the context of the UK’s forthcoming exit from the EU. In addition to hearing from our legal experts, we will be joined by an industry expert to offer insight and first-hand experience of growing a business internationally and the risks and commercial considerations of doing so.

To join us for a lively breakfast seminar, please contact Caroline Townsend on caroline.townsend@crsblaw.com to register.

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Members News

Guildford Games Industry Unites at G3 Futures Event More than 150 games developers and industry specialists attended the second G3 Futures Event, aimed at galvanising the Guildford-based games industry, often described as ‘the Hollywood of the games industry.’

Organised by The University of Surrey, UKIE (UK Interactive Entertainment trade body) and South East technology law

specialist Charles Russell Speechlys, the purpose of the event was to provide an opportunity for local gaming

companies to network, share ideas and learn about the latest innovations and industry issues from key note speakers and panellists.

Dr Jo Twist, OBE – CEO of Ukie delivered the first of two keynote speeches. In an engaging presentation, she highlighted the increasing importance of collaboration post Brexit and of maintaining access to more than 500 million customers across Europe.

The second keynote speech was given by Ian Baverstock, CEO of Chilled Mouse who talked about ‘what makes gaming great in Guildford.’ He concluded that the cluster of people in successful gaming companies in Guildford has attracted other developers over the years, resulting in a

thriving community which continues to go from strength to strength.

Nick Hurley, partner at Charles Russell Speechlys and co-host at the G3 Futures event summed up the evening, “Our second G3 Futures event was a real success as it pulled in even more indie developers and people from the industry, making the event relevant and authentic.”

Co-host Dr John Collomosse, an academic in the University of Surrey’s Centre for Vision for Speech and Signal Processing (CVSSP) added, “G3 is a fantastic opportunity to forge further links between the University and local games sector.”

Running a business – your legal questions answered This month the Charles Russell Speechlys’ team answers a few of the legal questions often asked by businesses “I want to set up a new company with a business partner. Should we ‘govern’ our relationship?”

We suggest to our clients that at the outset of any business venture, they agree their roles and responsibilities formally - including what should happen if things go wrong. The most common way of doing this is through all of the company’s shareholders entering into a binding contract governing their relationship. Shareholder agreements are not public documents (unlike a company’s articles of association), which means that they can contain commercially sensitive information not usually made publically available.

Issues dealt with by shareholder agreements typically include: the appointment of directors, shareholder contributions to working capital, dividend payment policies, who can hold or receive shares in the company and certain decisions that the company may take only with the consent of all

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shareholders. Shareholder agreements will ideally contain dispute resolution procedures in order to avoid costly disputes should any shareholders fall out or, if a shareholder were to retire or pass away. (Sam Milne, Associate, Corporate and Commercial team).

“Is the landlord of commercial premises entitled to carry out works to the building that will have a detrimental impact on the tenant’s business?”

In the vast majority of cases, the answer will be yes.

The landlord must strike a balance between the potentially conflicting obligations to avoid substantial interference with the tenant’s business and to carry out repairs to the building. In practice, this means taking reasonable precautions, such as, informing the tenant about proposed works before granting the lease, involving the tenant in project management, restricting noisy works to certain times of day and preventing obstruction to the tenant’s premises.

Earlier this year, the court considered a situation where the landlord’s development of the upper floors of the building had a detrimental effect on the tenant’s art gallery located on the ground floor. As the works were solely for the landlord’s benefit, the court applied a higher standard when deciding what reasonable precautions the landlord should take. This was reflected in the court’s award of a 20% rent rebate for the duration of the works.

(Richard Hosmer, Associate, Property team) “How enforceable are restrictive covenants when the employment relationship ends?”

Most employees won’t give restrictive covenants a second thought until their employment ends. Restrictions can often appear onerous and intimidating.

Employees need to know what can and cannot be enforced by their employer.

At face value, restrictive covenants are not enforceable. This is on the

basis that they act as a restraint of trade, which is against public policy. In order to enforce a restrictive covenant an employer must illustrate that it has a legitimate business interest to protect. The restriction must also be reasonable and proportionate.

Furthermore, restrictive covenants are unenforceable if an employer fundamentally breaches the employment contract.

Employees should review their restrictive covenants when negotiating an exit; they might be asked to reconfirm them in the terms of a settlement agreement.

Often it’s important for employees to negotiate a full release: for example, if they wish to take up immediate employment with a competitor.

(Zoe Dudgeon, Associate, Employment and pensions team)

Members News

How to prospect effectively As business (and sales) people we need to ensure we’re always in control of our sales transactions.

Whether we’re prospecting for new business, selling our value proposition or structuring communications (Linkedin requests, emails, proposals, presentations etc) we need to be relevant to our target audience and share just enough information at each stage of the sales process to keep momentum in the deal.

- Share too much and the buyer will be in control of the negotiation; - Share too little and the buyer won't have enough reason to buy.

Sharing just enough information requires thought and practice.

To help you improve the impact and effectiveness of the way you

Out, but not over Jonathan Reeves, Regional Manager South East, ArchOver Ltd Alternative Finance was born of the bank-led crisis of 2007/8 and the recession this engendered.

The past few weeks have brought great uncertainty, which has once again threatened to unsettle the economy, but the alternative finance sector will help create certainty because we will carry on doing what we do.

The banks have steadily reduced lending to SMEs over the past 20 years or so, accelerated by the crisis of 2007/08 and I expect there will be a further decline.

However, there will still be a need for working capital to get over a short-term hump, or to take advantage of new opportunities

and the crowdlending sector will not be pulling up the drawbridge.

At ArchOver we will continue to look at the underlying strength of each borrower and make our decision accordingly and continue our policy of never asking for personal guarantees.

As always, if a business is strong, it will thrive and we will continue to not ask for personal guarantees.

The true alternative finance sector, funded from multiple sources – financial institutions, hedge funds, family offices and individuals – will continue to make funds available to businesses.

Our lenders are still attracted by our 6-8% yield and, with a wide portfolio of lenders, as one group dials down another will crank up, that’s the strength of a crowd.

share information we have prepared two yellow papers for you: “How to Prospect Effectively”, and “How to Write Compelling Executive Summaries”.

For your FREE copy email info@salesgym360.com and put “Chamber of Commerce” in the subject line.

We’re also have launched our first ever FREE taster “business improvement” training sessions designed and available exclusively for members of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce.

The sessions will last an hour and will focus on “Intelligence Based Prospecting” – ie, helping you better understand why and how

to use information to improve your prospecting success.

The training will take place at your offices and up to 6 people can attend.

To register your interest please email info@salesgym360.com.

As a new member of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce we look forward to connecting with as many of you as possible.

Sales Gym 360 was established a year ago in an effort to help professionalise the sales industry and improve business performance. We welcome the opportunity to learn more about you and your business. If we can help you grow your business, you’ll be helping grow ours.

darren.spence@salesgym360.com 07771 598 578 www.linkedin.com/in/darrenspence1973

Win more business Register today

To help you win more meaningful prospects and grow your business, register today for your FREE taster “business improvement” training session designed and available EXCLUSIVELY for members of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce.

The training will take place at your offices and up to 6 people can attend.

Every attendee will receive one years FREE access to the brand new Sales Gym 360 Personal Training App. For more information and to register your interest please email info@salesgym360.com www.salesgym360.com

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Legal Update

Privacy Update - Shields or Swords?

The matter of privacy, particular in relation to data held electronically, has been the subject of debate through the courts over the last few years.

This summer there have been two important developments that impact on what can and cannot be done with data held electronically by businesses.

Privacy Shield The European Union has come to an agreement with the United States to determine how and when your personal data can be transferred to a US Company and the remit of what the US Company can then do with that data.

The Privacy Shield procedure commenced on 1 August 2016 and you can check whether a company is registered here: www.privacyshield.gov/welcome.

Each company’s registration has to be renewed annually and they have to self-certify that they are complying with the scheme requirements.

The Privacy Shield replaces the previous procedure known as Safe Harbour which was subjected to a legal challenge and was deemed to be invalid in October 2015. The new procedure will apply to any businesses in the US that sell products or offer services to

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either individuals or other commercial entities that are based in the EU. The key points to note under the Privacy Shield are as follows: - Personal data gathered in the EU can be transferred to the US; - The US company will have to secure personal data and restrict the secondary use of such data; - Companies operating under the Privacy Shield will have to undertake adequate training to ensure their staff are acting appropriately to protect data held by them; - The company must provide you with information on what the data will be used for and any third parties it may be transferred to; - There must be an appropriate and free independent dispute resolution service available to those whose data is being held by the company registered under the scheme; - The registered company must also ensure transparency as to their procedures in place so that a third party is able to check the procedures are adequate.

Effectively the new procedure requires much more publically available information about what data is held and for what purpose rather than just an assurance that the company had an internal data protection policy in place. Further, the methods for taking action where concerns arise should be simpler, cheaper and quicker. If you are concerned that your data is not being adequately protected by the US company you will now have clear contact details for where to send a complaint for a Shield registered business and your complaint must be responded to within 45 days.

It is expected that there will no doubt be legal challenges to the remit of the Privacy Shield, particularly as those registered will be self-certifying their compliance. However, given that Microsoft has signed up within the first two weeks of registration being possible, it appears that it is getting the support of the big players in the industry.

Cloud data The other main development has been the recent appeal decision in the case of Microsoft Corporation –vUnited States of America (Case 14-2985). The appeal judges in the US concluded

If you have further questions about concerns over how your data is being used by third parties please contact Jill Lipscombe, Dispute Resolution Department Tel: 01276 686222 Email: Jill.Lipscombe@herrington-carmichael.com or our Dispute Resolution Team on drteam@herrington-carmichael.com

that data held by a US company on a cloud based system could not be subjected to a warrant by US federal agents to be delivered up.

Microsoft had delivered to the federal officers data held in the US but refused to provide data held by it that was located outside of the US borders.

Initially the US Court’s had held that Microsoft were in contempt of the warrant. However, on appeal the court concluded that the US legislation under which the warrant had been brought (the Stored Communications Act 1986) could not have been intended to apply to data held away from the US territory. Therefore, it was decided that the data held by Microsoft in Ireland could not be demanded under the US warrant. A separate claim would have to be brought through the appropriate channels in the jurisdiction of the country where the data is held in order for the federal agents to gain access.

This case has been held as welcome clarification as to when data has to be released and when it should not when a government agency is seeking disclosure.

Members News

Building confidence Look Good Feel Better (LGFB) is an international cancer support charity based in Epsom.

Its free confidence boosting skincare and make-up workshops and masterclasses are held in 87 locations across the UK and help more than 17,500 women and teenagers a year with the visible challenges caused by their cancer treatment.

Finding out you have cancer can be daunting and life-changing and the added stress of the appearance related side effects like eyebrow and

eyelash as well as hair loss can feel overwhelming.

The two hour workshops are led by volunteer beauty professionals and offer a chance to relax, meet women in a similar situation as well as learning vital new skills. This October LGFB is encouraging supporters to hold a ‘Girls Night’ – this can be anything from a pamper evening at home, cake sale at work or a big party with all your friends, family and colleagues – anything that involves getting together, having fun and raising money for LGFB. Take on the ultimate muddy challenge

with Brutal on 12th November in Aldershot – a 10k course of natural obstacles and rough running.

This time they’re encouraging men to compete against the women!

On Monday 12th December LGFB will hold its annual Carol Concert at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, London. The evening is full of spectacular musical performances and is the perfect start to Christmas.

To find out how your company can become involved, hear more about events or how you can help, visit www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk

Making dreams come true It’s not uncommon to define our goals according to what is expected of us.

We stay on the path of what we have been taught is success, as if on autopilot.

Follow the rules, stick strictly to the plan, have a clear agenda in every meeting, with everybody - that’s how we supposedly reach our goals. And once those goals are met, maybe then we can finally be happy.

Reality proves us wrong. Failure is inevitable. You can’t control how the rest of the world operates.

The outcome is always different from what is expected, even in the best-case scenarios.

If you set goals not based on your true values and dreams, it may be difficult to truly love what you are doing – you are simply executing. You might be

missing a great deal of opportunities by not being flexible, open to experiment and trusting your instincts & feelings. And valuing your everyday life. What is the point of arriving if you didn’t enjoy the journey!

When it’s your own definition of success you are after, you stop expecting others to guide you to the destination or defining their role in your journey. You are ready to take the reins and accept responsibility.

You start trusting your own journey; your way of doing things.

Living the trusting way releases so much energy previously wasted on worrying about outcomes.

Do your best. You can’t do more than that, so that’s what you should expect of you. Failure is a friend. It is an opportunity to learn and improve.

With this attitude, you can lower your stress levels and enjoy your journey.

And when you enjoy what you do, you will start to dream bigger.

I welcome all women with drive and dreams to DrivenWoman introduction event in Guildford in September!

We make big dreams come true with small, trustful steps.

Tiia Sammallahti, Group Leader, DrivenWoman Surrey, for further information visit www.drivenwoman.co.uk

Volunteers crucial in providing hospice care Volunteers are hugely important in helping local charity Phyllis Tuckwell provide the hospice care which it offers to local people who are living with a terminal illness.

Julia Morpeth, Phyllis Tuckwell’s voluntary services manager, said: “We have around 1,000 volunteers, who help in many different roles throughout our organisation.

“Many work closely with our patients, offering professional expertise such as counselling, physiotherapy or nursing, while others undertake more general roles such as helping on reception or on the In-Patient Unit, tending to the gardens, or driving patients to and from Day Hospice sessions.”

Phyllis Tuckwell values its volunteers highly and is keen to utilise their broad range of abilities. Ms Morpeth said: “Many are looking for a way to develop their skills, re-train, or get back into work after having had some time off.

“We have worked hard to develop a robust and comprehensive training programme for those who will be taking on a patient-facing role, as well as providing all of our volunteers with an overview of the care we offer our

patients and relatives, at our induction days.”

All of Phyllis Tuckwell’s patient-facing volunteers are asked to complete the appropriate training, depending on the role they will be taking on. Level 1 training includes topics such as communications skills and infection control, and is aimed at volunteers who will be helping as ward clerks, receptionists or drivers, for example.

Level 2 covers subjects including confidentiality and the impact of grief on the bereaved, and is for those helping in roles such as counselling, complementary therapy or Hospice Home Support.

New volunteers also shadow an experienced volunteer and are supervised or mentored, providing them with ongoing support.

Ms Morpeth said: “We are indebted to our volunteers and we are confident in the support they provide because of the robust training they undertake.

This training is delivered across our organisation by all of our managers, providing consistency and ensuring that we are able to offer a safe and effective service.

“It is one of the reasons that our volunteers enjoy helping here so much.

By giving them this support, they are able to develop their skills, take on fulfilling roles and really feel that they are making a difference.”

With the help of these volunteers, and the dedication of Phyllis Tuckwell’s hard-working staff, the charity is able to care for more than 250 patients, relatives and carers every day, at the Hospice, the Beacon Centre, and in patients’ own homes.

If you would like a volunteering role which can offer you training and development, contact Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care to find out about current volunteer vacancies.

Call Julia Morpeth on 01252 729431 or email julia.morpeth@pth.org.uk

Building Brighter Futures for our Children - help us to help them!

Home- Start Surrey will be showcasing the premiere of our new documentary film on Thursday 6th October early evening at the World Wildlife Fund HQ in Woking.

If you, or a member of your firm, would like to come and discover more about this unique family support charitymaybe you are looking to choose a Charity of the Year or you have corporate responsibility for your company?

Home-Start UK has been operating in Surrey for more than 20 years and we have eight schemes covering all of Surrey. Our early intervention and preventative approach has empowered thousands of local families over the years to deal with issues such as disability, long-term illness, mental illness, domestic or emotional abuse and other diverse and complex issues.

We train parent volunteers to visit families in their own homes to help them become stronger, more resilient and better able to cope with parenthood. We believe that strong communities and children are at the heart of everything we do.

If you would like to be part of our event please get in touch with Joanna Mckenzie on email: homestartsurreyevent@gmail.com

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Member News

Capital support for businesses Trafalgar Marquees and JF Marquees celebrate major award and five years in business One of Surrey’s most dynamic young entrepreneurs, James Morris, is celebrating a major award.

The Acquisition International Business Excellence Awards have named his operation Best Marquee Hire Company, South East.

His companies, Trafalgar Marquees and JF Marquees are also marking five years in business with £500,000 sales.

James, 28, started the operation as a student at university and since then he has won accounts with leading organisations including Nike, English Heritage (where Prince Charles spoke and praised the marquee on his website); BP and Hyatt hotels.

Trafalgar Marquees operate throughout Surrey and the South East working for weddings, businesses, family celebrations and themed parties suggested by James and his team, (James Bond, Chinese Dragon and Regency events have proved very popular).

He said: “We aim to provide the highest standards and personal service. We work very closely with clients and discuss their wishes and then suggest ideas for the marquee, lighting, furniture and music. It’s a bespoke service and between us our team has 30 years of experience.

“We get a lot of repeat business because our clients appreciate our attention to detail and professionalism.

We’re also very friendly and really passionate about marquees.”

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As a small to medium-sized business (SME) based in the Coast to Capital area, find out how you could boost your company’s expansion plans by applying for a government grant.

Grants are now available for start-ups, established businesses and social enterprises struggling to secure funding to grow and create new jobs via the Business Growth Grants initiative.

Back for a second year, Coast to Capital LEP has pledged to award a total of £2.4 million to local businesses who can demonstrate their benefit to the region’s economy.

Businesses are invited to bid for a grant of between £15,000-£100,000. Whether you are a start-up seeking investment or a medium business in transition, you could meet your targets ahead of schedule with Business Growth Grants.

Project proposals for the funding are accepted exclusively from organisations operating in the Coast to Capital region: Epsom and Ewell, Reigate, Banstead, Mole Valley, Tandridge, Croydon, Lewes, Brighton and Hove and West Sussex.

The £2.4 million fund is more than double that which helped to create 57 new jobs in year one – a figure projected to reach 148.

Specialist vehicle parts supplier, Venhill Engineering, chose to purchase a new scanning data capture system with its grant, in turn modernising the company’s picking process. Business owner, Max Adams, believes that the new system has improved efficiency and cut out human errors since replacing the previous manual process.

“With the help received from Coast to Capital, the new system has developed the quality of our picking process, monitoring stock control and customer service.” he said.

Venhill’s warehouse contains 20,000 active components and products – the fully

implemented system has allowed staff to better meet shipping demand from worldwide orders.

Meanwhile, West Sussex infrastructure consultancy Geo-Environmental used its £15,000 capital grant to purchase new software and hardware – allowing them to expand into the rail industry. Head of business development, Mike Brown, explained how the Hurstpierpoint business has since witnessed its turnover increase by £100,000.

“The grant has allowed us to build a platform that makes us competitive and we are now actively winning work in new areas,” he said.

Preference will be given to businesses within key Coast to Capital sectors including: advanced engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, medical technology, creative, digital & IT, goods & services and environmental technologies.

Coast to Capital and partners West Sussex County Council, encourage eligible businesses to complete their application at the earliest opportunity before funding runs out.

More information on eligibility and criteria can be found on the Business West Sussex website; and you can also download the EOI form at www.businesswestsussex.co.uk/ businessgrowthgrants Contact us today for further information and to discuss your project, email businessgrants@westsussex.gov.uk.

For all your other business needs please contact the Business Navigator service at www.c2cbusiness.org.uk.

Focus on Finance

Data solution is launched Hands up or the fridge

gets it! Getting cyber security right

Healthcare brands are increasingly under pressure to provide up-to-date credible evidence to support their product licensed indications and claims, as well as general product safety, throughout a product’s lifecycle.

This is backed by the Association of The British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in its white paper citing the growing number of examples where Real World Evidence (RWE) has been ‘essential for the market access of a product.’

Until now there has been no systematic collection of data from non-prescription healthcare interventions, leaving these brands with the only option of repeating expensive and time consuming randomised clinical trials (RCTs).

In response to this increasing demand on healthcare brands

and the current lack of solutions, a pioneering solution, Real World Data Collection using Social Media, has been launched, enabling brands to collect data in a pertinent, low cost manner to support their licensed indications, pattern of use and outcomes in the real world.

The data collection solution has been developed by social and digital specialists, Orbital Media, while independent medical officer, Dr. Martin Goldman, pioneered the concept and process.

Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream, a UK superbrand, is the first product to have conducted this Real World Data Collection using Social Media. The resulting, published, peer-reviewed study has been successfully used to support Sudocrem’s claim for treating infantile nappy rash, by showing rapid skin healing and reduction in signs of inflammation.

“The data collection solution has been developed by social and digital specialists, Orbital Media, while independent medical officer, Dr. Martin Goldman, pioneered the concept and process.”

How long have we dreamt about robots and household appliances, which can actually communicate with each other?

With the development of the Internet of Things, the term used to describe the connectivity of physical objects with devices and smart objects, these techy reveries are finally becoming a reality.

These days British companies are major players in the development of this sector, which is largely down to our track record in communications technology and cyber security.

The UK Government demonstrated their commitment by allocating £40 million towards further research in the 2015 Budget.

All good news, but then there’s the big issue of security and privacy. The inherent problem lies in the fact that security is seldom the first priority for a technology company when trying to beat the competition to market and for IoT to yield all the benefits it has to be connected to a network that is in turn connected to the internet.

But as we know, the internet is fundamentally insecure, meaning we rely on the firewalls and virus protection on our network to safeguard us.

The major worry is how safe our personal information actually is. We need to be mindful of precisely what information we share with third parties when we register and connect our appliances and then we need to protect our networks.

There are a few, simple, preventive measures that you can take to protect yourself and your business.

• Ensure your software has the latest security ‘patches’ installed and that your anti-virus software is kept up to date • Ensure that your network is protected by a firewall • Encrypt sensitive data • Ensure that your system can only be accessed by way of individual passwords, which should be changed quarterly as a minimum • Manage and monitor the way that your employees use their own mobile devices, applications and cloud-based storage at work • Maintain strict control on what software is installed on your computer system • Have an emergency response plan in case of a security breach or virus

Jane Gregory, head of client services, Godalming T: 01483 425724 E: jgregory@hwca.com Surrey offices in Godalming and Esher www.hwca.com

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Members News

Festival a Hurtwood Park clinches win on home turf success Guildford Fringe Festival 2016 was a success, including several sell out events and many standing ovations.

The festival in July saw more than 7,500 people attend events, shows and exhibitions throughout the month.

Nick Wyschna, managing director of Guildford Fringe Festival, said: “The talent that we have enjoyed at the Fringe has been top rate and I can’t thank all the performers and artists enough.

“One of my personal goals is to make the arts more accessible to everyone, not just the stereotypical theatre goers.

Ticket prices were kept very low to make this goal achievable as high ticket prices do put some people off.

“As tickets were generally in the region of £6, a number of people were able to come to more than just one event, in fact there were many people that came to 20 plus events!”

As well as ticketed shows the Fringe Festival massively grew its ‘Free Fringe’ events and regularly took to the streets and pubs of Guildford to entertain shoppers and patrons. A few highlights were Rock Choir Day, UkeJam, Charley Farley Sunday Four and the Pub-Sing-A-Long.

The biggest change for Guildford Fringe Festival this year was their partnership with White Lion Walk Shopping Centre where they had their box office and exhibition open seven days a week.

Charlotte Bateup, general manager of Guildford Fringe, said: “I joined the Guildford Fringe team back in January and for my first festival I really couldn’t have asked for more.”

Plans are already well underway for next years Guildford Fringe Festival and if you want to be involved, either as a performer or volunteer, then you can contact the team via their website www.GuildfordFringeFestival.com

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The fourth annual HFS Milbourne Challenge Cup took place on 24 June at Hurtwood Park Polo Club, the thriving ‘hidden gem’ located at the foot of the Surrey Hills in Ewhurst.

HFS Milbourne, the leading Surrey based wealth management company, hosted private clients and guests from the local business community who enjoyed an afternoon of fine dining and captivating polo.

Rod Milne, joint managing director, HFS Milbourne said “Polo is a great spectator sport and with such a prime location we always enjoy an excellent afternoon at Hurtwood.

“We have an annual sponsorship programme with Hurtwood, the highlight of which is the Challenge Cup match and we are delighted to be able to support our local

club whilst entertaining clients and business associates in such a relaxed and informal way.”

The match featured two strong looking 7 goal teams, Sumaya –

How Brexit decisions will affect business owners Following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, David Gibbs, partner at Alliotts Accountants based in London and Guildford, looks at the tax implications.

• Direct Tax Currently, the UK enjoys an EU wide corporate tax “freedom” which in many groups allows the payment of interest, royalties and other intra group payments free from withholding taxes. Also, there are EU based exemptions from anti-avoidance provisions which then allow EU based companies typically to pay royalty and licence fees to subsidiaries in low tax EU countries such as Luxembourg or the Netherlands. We’ve seen this in the headlines with the likes of Amazon and Google.

Leaving the EU takes away these benefits and the UK has to fall back on the individual tax treaties it has with countries across Europe. Currently, the UK has one of the largest treaty networks in the world and so there is still a strong argument that it is attractive to locate a business here that acts as a gateway to Europe and beyond.

The UK is also now free to extend government supported tax reliefs such as R&D tax credits and the

EIS scheme vital for the tech and science sectors. These were both classified as state aid and subject to EU caps on the level of allowances that could be given.

Similarly the Patent Box regime can be extended having been curtailed by EU opposition to it originally offering UK businesses a competitive advantage.

• Indirect Tax VAT is a European Tax, levied by Europe and governed from Europe. Once we have left the EU it can’t simply be ‘business as usual’ in terms of the VAT rules as we will need to create or adopt our own set.

The minimum allowed standard rate of 15% will no longer apply, and the UK will be free to set its own standard rate. The minimum reduced rate of 5% will no longer apply, and the UK will have complete control over that rate.

We will no longer have any limitation on extending the current zero rates to other goods and services.

Julian Drake, Bryony Taylor, Cody Jones and Pablo Villela, and home team Hurtwood Park – Ed Owens, Duncan Hotston, Tommy Elliott and Guy Higginson.

Beyond Tomorrow Spending reviews, the Big Society and now even more political uncertainty – just what does the future hold for Surrey’s voluntary sector?

Almost 400 local organisations, both big and small, took part in Surrey Community Action’s State of the Sector survey recently to help identify the needs and trends of Surrey’s communities and the sector’s role in meeting those needs.

The organisation will be presenting the results of the survey at its Beyond Tomorrow conference on Wednesday 21 September at Leatherhead Leisure Centre between 10.00am and 3.00pm.

The event will be taking a closer look at the top issues identified, including mental health, the ageing population, exclusion and poverty, housing and independent living, with views from Fiona Edwards of Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Di Cheeseman from Age UK Surrey, Amanda Dubarry of Step by Steps and Richard Davy from SILC. They will join keynote speaker Debra Allcock-Tyler of the Directory of Social Change , Nick Davies from NCVO. Tony Okotie of Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services and Jon Clemo from Norfolk RCC.

Members News

PNPR expands with social media and branding experts

Ask the HR Expert

PNPR, the Surrey-based PR & Comms agency, has taken on two experts in their field as new Associates.

Sarah Orchard is a leading practitioner in social media and ecommerce and a Champion for Small Businesses with the Surrey Branch of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Previously she held top jobs at Kuoni and Avis.

Andy Ward is a pre-eminent designer of websites and logos, who has worked for Sky, the MoD and The National Trust.

“I’m delighted that Sarah and Andy have joined the team,” said Paul Nathanson, Director at PNPR. “They are brilliant at what they do and lovely people, so I am honoured they’re now Associates, who will help grow us from PR & Comms to include the new offerings of design and e-commerce including workshops on how to make the most of social media. “

MGI Midgley Snelling LLP – supporting the local community Weybridge-based chartered accountancy firm MGI Midgley Snelling LLP makes contributing to the local community a priority.

MGI Midgley Snelling LLP launched the Midsnell Activity Fund in 2015 to promote engagement and participation in a range of activities to help people live active, healthy and interesting lives. So far, it has funded sports equipment for blind and visually impaired students at a local school and oars for a local rowing club, amongst others.

“Sport and exercise has the potential to transform lives and make a real difference to our local communities,” said Tracey Wickens, a partner at MGI Midgley Snelling LLP. “Beyond the obvious benefits for people’s physical health, it enables people to master new skills, de-stress and socialise.”

The first beneficiary of the Midsnell Activity Fund was the Specialist Centre for Students with Visual Impairment at Woking High School.

It received £700 towards the cost of specialist sports equipment to increase participation for students who are blind or visually impaired within sports lessons and clubs.

Another group to benefit from the Midsnell Activity Fund is the Weybridge Ballet Academy.

The Academy, which offers ballet lessons to children and adults in and around Weybridge, was offered a 2016 sponsorship and decided to use the funds to support one very fortunate young girl, Marissa Collins, and her ballet lessons for the year.

These donations were followed in June this year the firm presented a cheque for £950 from the Midsnell Activity Fund to Staines Boat Club to cover the cost of oars used for training its new members.

The new MGI Midgley Snelling LLP-branded Macon oars – named after the town in France where they are made – are designed to help novice rowers. This is set to prove particularly useful for the club’s junior section, which accounts for nearly a third of the club’s 150 or so members.

Dudley Fletcher from the club said of the donation: “We’re all very grateful to MGI Midgley Snelling LLP and the Midsnell Activity Fund for their sponsorship. This will help us introduce many more people to rowing, including a growing number of over-50s.”

On top of its work with the local community under the auspices of the Midsnell Activity Fund, MGI Midgley Snelling LLP has also nominated Woking and Sam Beare Hospices as its charity of the year.

Fundraising for the hospices began in December with a Christmas jumper day and the firm held an International Cake Bake featuring a selection of cakes from different countries in April. MGI Midgley Snelling LLP is now in the process of organising further events to take place later in the year in support of the cause.

Why do I need employment policies in the first place? It feels like a lot of effort where's the benefit?

JN of Guildford Employment policies, often contained in handbooks of employment, allow both employees and management to be aware of rules and responsibilities in the workplace.

An important first step in implementing policies in the business is to require employees to sign the handbook, or a separate form, stating they have read and understood the policy which can be kept as evidence of receipt.

Enforcing and implementing policies often helps employers take action in troublesome areas such as grievances, social media abuse, absence and instances of bullying and harassment.

Grievance policies should outline the process to be taken by those who want to raise a grievance and the process of dealing with raised grievances.

Importantly, this transparency will reduce the risk of repeated complaints as the employee will be aware the matter has been taken seriously.

Similarly, social media policies should clarify what is, and isn't, acceptable online conduct to limit the risk of online reputational damage.

Robust absence policies should contain the trigger point at which absence levels become unacceptable so that employers can deal with this and reduce the impact on the workforce.

Bullying and harassment policies are essential because an employer can be found vicariously liable for these acts by their employees. It is important this policy outlines all reasonable steps taken by the employer to remove these issues, such as equality training, to reduce the possibility of liability.

Robust employment policies should outline the consequences of a breach of contract and the disciplinary procedure to be followed. This is important because, if there is a question of fairness when disciplining staff, the policy is evidence that the employee knew what was expected of them and the potential consequences.

Tel: 033 3305 7155 Dennis.Upfold@peninsula-uk.com www.peninsulagrouplimited.com

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Health & Wellbeing

Thinking about weight loss surgery?

By Shashi Irukulla If you have tried other ways to lose weight, but have not been successful, weight loss surgery may be the solution for you. peace of mind. Our weight loss surgery teams are headed up by consultant bariatric surgeons, all registered with the General Medical Council, and include specialist weight loss surgery nurses, physicians and dieticians.

How surgery treats obesity

Our expert bariatric surgeons offer a range of weight loss surgery (also known as obesity surgery or bariatric surgery) in the form of gastric bypass, gastric balloon, gastric sleeve, gastric banding and revision bariatric surgery (band to bypass or sleeve). Spire Clare Park Hospital offers safe and effective weight loss surgery Spire Healthcare has been helping more and more men and women throughout the UK lose weight through surgery and transform the lives of over 2,000 patients every year.

Bariatric surgery helps to improve your quality of life.

It helps you lose weight and

achieve remission or cure for diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea, infertility and high cholesterol.

Experienced bariatric surgeon, Mr Shashi Irukulla, offers regular monthly free mini consultation evenings for weight loss surgery, offering an introduction, information and advice about our wide range of treatment options.

Weight loss surgery helps to reduce the amount of food that can be eaten at one time and some weight loss procedures also change the digestive system so that fewer calories are absorbed from the food you eat. This makes it likely that you end up with a shortage of calories over what is needed as fuel for day-to-day activity.

To compensate for this deficit, the body begins to use stores of fat that have built up over the years as a source of energy.

As this fat is burnt up, your weight begins to fall.

Why choose Spire Clare Park?

• Qualified and experienced weight loss surgeons • Multi-disciplinary weight loss support team • Personal consultation with your individual surgeon – and extensive assessment • Range of procedures to meet your needs • With you all the way – from your first appointment until long after your surgery • Finance Options available to help spread the cost • Free mini weight loss events with the surgeon • Full two year follow up package included For more information call 01252 895 490 or visit www.spireclarepark.com Spire Clare Park Hospital, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 5XX.

Dedicated before and after care teams look after you throughout your weight loss journey, from making that first decision, to providing ongoing weight loss support and advice long after surgery, with comprehensive full 2 year follow up programme, to fully support your weight loss journey and provide that extra

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Health & Wellbeing

Is your Eyesight as good as it could be?

From September 2016, BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital is delighted to offer an extensive range of ophthalmic services through chosen partner LaserVision. From cataracts and complex conditions to general vision enhancement and Laser surgery.

ABOUT LASERVISION LaserVision’s mission is to provide unrivalled, uncompromised and personalised vision correction treatment tailored to individual lifestyle.

With access to the latest and safest technology LaserVision help correct challenges including mild to severe short-sightedness, longsightedness and astigmatism.

Because their surgeons have extensive expertise in corneal surgery they also offer complex treatment for more specialist conditions such as keratoconus.

CONSULTANT-LED UNBIASED PERSONALISED TREATMENT Complete care. LaserVision are different. They treat every patient as an individual. You’ll receive close and careful care throughout your journey, from initial consultation through treatment and procedure to aftercare.

What they won’t do is pressurise you into treatment – it’s always your choice.

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Peace of mind. LaserVision believe that you should have access to the best information.

Whenever you have questions, your consultant will make themselves available to provide the answers you need. And if you’ve been elsewhere and would like a second opinion, they are always happy to help.

TECHNICALLY ADVANCED HOSPITAL ENVIRONMENTS Safe hands. You can be assured that their specialist surgeons are trained to the highest standards in corneal and refractive surgery.

They choose to carry out procedures at highly professional facilities in NHS and private hospitals such as BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital to ensure healthy and safe environments. From start to finish their surgeons are supported by teams of highly qualified technicians and experts in patient care.

Advanced technology. Every eye is different and their industryleading “wavefront” laser technology delivers treatment that’s as individual as your eyes.

They’ll work with you to choose the technology that suits your needs, such as the ground breaking Z8 bladeless Femtosecond laser for surgery for a truly gold standard procedure.

They’ll let you know too when laser surgery isn’t the best option for your eyes, and explore with you other choices such as lens surgery, implantable contact lenses, corneal segments and corneal grafts.

SPECIALIST SURGEONS OFFERING A FULL TREATMENT RANGE Expert vision correction treatment focused on you.

As leading consultant surgeons in vision correction, LaserVision will help you choose the treatment that’s exactly right for you. They’ll listen to who you are, your life

style and what’s important to you.

Their independence ensures they create a treatment plan that focuses entirely on you and isn’t limited by the services they have on offer.

Trust. Doctors and eye care professionals regularly choose LaserVision for their own vision correction treatment. This reputation is backed up by many positive patient reviews and recommendations.

For more information about the wide range of treatments available from LaserVision at BMI Mount Alvernia Hospital, please visit www.laservision.co.uk or call 08000 24 8888 to arrange your free consultation.

Ask the Expert

Is the threat of cyber-crime something that should keep us awake at night?

Russ McKenzie, MD of Surrey based IT support company nTrust Systems talks us through what we all need to know...

Over 40% of UK businesses have been infected by ransomware in the last two years and about two thirds have paid up to recover critical data, with one in five of the payers getting NO data back, Like any criminal activity the people involved will target the least protected companies and individuals first – a thief will go for an open window rather than a locked one every time.

Russ McKenzie Managing Director nTrust Systems Telephone: 03331 50 60 70 www.ntrustsystems.co.uk This is a real problem, with real implications for businesses.

Globally, Microsoft reckons cybercrime costs $500 billion and that one in five small / medium businesses have been targeted.

In the UK, according to the Office of National Statistics, three out of four SMEs reported a security breach in 2015, with nearly 6 million cybercrime incidents overall.

Sensible precautions, common sense and good housekeeping are a good beginning, and your IT provider will be able to advise you further on best security practice. The key is to find a balance between vigilance and practicality.

measures which significantly reduce your vulnerability.

The Cyber Essentials certificate is a quality mark.

It demonstrates to clients, customers, employees and suppliers that you take protection of their data seriously. It helps to establish credentials when entering the procurement process with larger organisations, all government contracts advertised after 2014 DEMAND Cyber Essentials certification.

At nTrust Systems we provide IT support for companies of all sizes. Internet security is top on our list of priorities because we understand the devastating effect a loss of service or malware contamination can have on any business.

Whether your IT support is inhouse or you use an external service your security requires constant vigilance. Automate your back-ups, don’t share passwords, install updates, control users and if in any doubt…ask an expert.

• Protect your network with a firewall and individual computers with security software.

• Use supported and licenced software and apply patches and updates soon after they are issued.

• Control who has access to your systems and at what level.

• Disable accounts for leavers, don’t share passwords.

• Backup your data regularly and make sure it’s off-site.

As a framework and policy baseline, the governmentbacked ‘Cyber Essentials’ scheme is an excellent start point. It’s a self- assessment scheme that gives a sound foundation with basic security

“...like any criminal activity the people involved will target the least protected companies and individuals first – a thief will go for an open window rather than a locked one every time.”

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Members News Waytime sponsors leading Surrey business awards

Free business mentoring for Haines Watts Young Entrepreneur of the Year winners

Waytime, a leading Surrey IT support company, has announced that it is a gold sponsor for the inaugural SME Surrey Business Awards, which were launched at Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking.

Chartered accountants Haines Watts in Surrey is offering free mentoring to winners of its Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition but hurry up and apply, the competition closes on 30 September.

The awards are being launched to celebrate the many successes of the Surrey business community and the ceremony will be held in November.

These prestigious awards are also being sponsored by Surrey County Council, two borough councils and the Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnership.

Waytime is sponsoring the category Best company of up to 50 people, and Liz Turner, Waytime director, said “It’s great to see such a vibrant small business community in Surrey.

My co-director Mark Hunte and I are looking forward to judging this very competitive category.

With Waytime having been in business for over ten years in Surrey, and with many SMEs as customers, it’s nice to be able to put something back into the business community and to recognise SME excellence where it is deserved.”

In these uncertain times business owners often wish they had a crystal ball to gaze into, when deciding on many aspects of their operations, such as recruitment, funding and growth.

It’s no surprise that numerous successful entrepreneurs have business mentors – people who they turn to when they don’t have all the answers. These include the likes of Richard Branson and the late Steve Jobs.

For some entrepreneurs, actually recognising that they will benefit from having a mentor is half the battle. Haines Watts has been running its Young Entrepreneur competition since 2010 and, because they realise how valuable a good mentor can be, they made free mentoring part of the prize.

The HWYE competition is running for entrepreneurs under 36 years old in the Thames Valley area located around Haines Watts’ offices. This broadly encompasses Surrey, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire.

The overall winner of the Haines Watts Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 will receive a fantastic and useful set of prizes valued up

to £5,000. This includes a yearlong mentoring and support programme with a partner from Haines Watts, publicity and a cash prize of £1,000.

Each winning local business attending the finals will receive a cash prize of £250, a year-long mentoring programme with a partner from Haines Watts and free publicity.

Barry Potter, a partner at the Godalming office of Haines Watts, said: “It's never a waste of time entering the Young Entrepreneur competition because, even if you don't make it through to the finals on 17 November 2016, the process of entering itself is invaluable; as it makes you think through your current position and future vision.”

Entering the Haines Watts Young Entrepreneur competition at www.hwye.co.uk is easy - you just fill in the online entry form and it’s free. Hurry though the deadline is 30 September!

Surrey talks Brexit at Hart Brown Economic Forum The 12th Hart Brown Economic Forum held at the University of Surrey had the theme of “Hidden Danger”.

As keynote speaker, the leading economist Vicky Pryce wryly observed that after the Referendum vote it’s not so much a hidden danger as a clear and present one.

She had to hastily rewrite her speech and she began with the statement “We don’t know where we are or where we’re going.”

The Forum was dominated by the Brexit fallout and Vicky began her talk by prefacing the economic outlook with the statement that the global economy which has recovered after the recent financial recession was still fragile, with the UK economy forecast to grow at around 2% in the next four years. As a result of the Brexit vote she now predicts a growth of between zero and 1%.

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All is not doom and gloom economically, according to Vicky, and the recent fall of sterling is good news for some businesses, with our exporters profiting from the exchange rate. She was keen to stress that there are hidden dangers as a result of Brexit in that nobody knows the consequences at this stage and that it could not have come at a worse time for the markets which were just recovering.

She continued by saying that Europe is in turmoil, with the banking sector in trouble, governments obsessed by austerity and only the European Central Bank providing respite.

She predicts that we are in for a long period of slow economic growth and low inflation which is

disastrous for employment, low investment, low productivity and high personal, corporate and government debt. As we are mainly an importing country it will make most goods more expensive.

The next speaker, Henry Pearson of Uniform Convergence, gave a detailed talk on the dangers to business of cyber risks.

He outlined that businesses should work out what their most valuable information assets are and plan accordingly, and to take safeguards against the dangers of the technology bad guys.

His advice is to be vigilant, take precautions and be sensible.

The third speaker, Jonathan Lucas from Elstead Lighting, gave a fascinating insight how

he completely re-engineered his family business, changing direction and markets, in effect starting from scratch. He now runs a business which is generating record profits, employs more than 100 staff and has an impressive customer list which includes Starbucks in the Middle East.

This year’s Hart Brown Forum was introduced by chief operating officer, Nigel Maud, and saw the first appearance of Hart Brown’s cow, part of the CowParade Surrey charitable initiative.

“Leafy Cow” made a big impression at the forum and will soon be at her permanent home outside Debenhams in Guildford.

Investment News

Outlook for Sterling For anyone involved in international trade, the recent fall in the value of sterling will have had a significant impact.

Clearly a weaker currency is positive for exporters, but the opposite is true for importers.

The weakness of sterling is a wider cause for concern as it has had inflationary implications for the UK. Uncertainty about the UK economy has dominated currency sentiment since before the Brexit vote in June when there was a sharp fall and the currency has continued to trade nervously ever since, with lows being probed every time there are any further negative indicators.

Business sentiment is negative, housing market indicators are causing concern and overseas investors are loathe to invest into such an uncertain environment.

An interest rate cut and

quantitative easing by the Bank of England have further undermined sterling.

The question is whether current sterling weakness is a temporary phenomenon or a long-term trend and the answer to this lies largely in the performance of the UK economy, post Brexit, for which we still await more data.

In the short term it is hard to be bullish and there is a more obvious risk of further declines in the value of the currency.

In view of this, we are recommending those needing to buy euros and US$ in the coming months to do so as soon as possible, either spot or forward, rather than wait for better levels.

For those needing to convert foreign currency receipts into sterling, there may yet be scope for better levels, but risk of short-term spikes, so this exposure needs to be carefully managed.

PremierFX offers customer focused and bespoke support to individuals and companies with foreign currency exposures to help them manage currency risk and reduce exchange and currency transfer costs.

Please contact us if we can be of any help with this. Tel: 01737 735064 Email: reigate@premierfx.com

So despite the soap opera - what should we be doing?

Phew, what a summer!

From failed military coups to political leaders changing and the uncertainty that results from Brexit.

The net result of this has been the hyperbole from some headlines undermining that all important driver of economic success – confidence!

It is at times like this that we should in fact sit back and enjoy the theatre of it all. I would recommend a decent Sipsmith gin poured over ice and lime with some Fever-Tree tonic water in a long glass. Now, we can consider the economic and investment world in a far more objective way.

Let's start with looking at the big picture. The global economy figures are very similar from all the leading economic data providers. The IMF has pulled back its growth forecast for 2016 to 3.1%, with a figure for next year of 3.4%, but the long term average for global growth is around 3%. So no need to panic here.

Now, here I have to be careful as I may go against my own tenet of not talking down economies.

This is easily done and can be very damaging to that all important consumer and investor confidence.

As yet we have no idea what Brexit really means, but the vote has had an impact and is shaking confidence, but this certainly does not have to be fatal.

It rather depends upon what Brexit really involves and what actions the government takes to encourage investments.

For us, as investors, we have to consider some key risks that are heading our way. One, of course, is inflation which, with a weaker sterling, will inevitably have an impact. Additionally, global investments away from the UK will provide a hedge against the lack of clarity about our economic future.

This has already proved beneficial and I suspect will continue.

What we cannot do is just sit and stare like those illuminated road rabbits and watch this political farce play out in front of us.

So prepare some of the defences described, and look to build up a cash pot so that you will be able to take advantage of any bouts of volatility which I think are going to be inevitable over the next few months. Although I always say that "you cannot time the market: it is time in the market", every so often there will be a crash sale when good quality assets are marked down to stupid prices.

Yours, Justin Urquhart Stewart

Call 020 7760 8777 or Email: information@7im.co.uk

www.7im.co.uk

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24 Hours with ...

24 Hours with ...

Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches

The excitement of an actor’s life “If you had said to me when I started out as an actor that twenty years later, I would be running my own theatre company with Brian Blessed as our patron, I would have probably said get away with you.”

So says Matt Pinches, co-founder of, and a producer for, Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC), an award-winning professional theatre company which was established in 2006 and has this year been celebrating its tenth anniversary.

GSC’s site-responsive productions and events use different locations around the area and seek to place the audience at the heart of the action, using each venue to its best advantage. In this way the venue becomes the performance space, thus challenging the audience’s usual involvement in conventional theatre.

Matt, who is originally from Worcester, trained at University College Bretton Hall in West Yorkshire, graduating in 1998 with an honours degree in dramatic art.

Open-air theatre gave him his first job, playing D’Artagnan in The Three Musketeers in Manchester.

“In the summer when we have a show on in the evening we will start rehearsing about 9.45am. Even though we will be performing one play in the evening we will be rehearsing another one at the same time. It’s like the old repertory model.

“I will try and have a hearty lunch to keep me going for the rest of the day, which gives myself and Sarah a chance to catch up on office things, then we will rehearse until about 5pm.

“Then at 6pm we have the evening show's dance and fight call. We then have 60 mins to prepare to go on stage at 7.30pm.

“Once the show has finished we may go to the pub, which traditionally is an important part of the actor’s life (!), but there is still work to do. Until recently, Sarah and I still did the laundry so it was back home and putting things in the washing machine with the day finishing at midnight.”

“It is an inspiring and humbling job.

We work with so much talent and we have some exciting ideas for the years to come.”

Grimms' Fairy Tales 8-30 October The Spiegel Tent, Challengers' Field, Stoke Park, Guildford, GU1 1TU

Vivace Concert All The World's A Stage 12 November

It was in 2002 whilst playing the Emperor of Lilliput in Gulliver’s Travels that he met Sarah Gobran, playing the Empress of Lilliput, with whom he cofounded GSC in 2006. Matt also delivers talks and lectures on Shakespeare.

20 theChamber

“With the help of Guildford Borough Council, we have just moved into new premises on the Midleton Road Industrial Estate, which is very much an interim measure because we hope in time to have a larger base complete with rehearsal spaces and an education suite.

Coming Next:

Since then he has continued to work in all forms of theatre, ranging from pantomime to tours to village halls, as well as TV commercials and short films.

He said: “When you run your own business you never clock off so my day starts at home with a strong cup of coffee and going through the emails and checking social media. We have found that social media is a powerful way of keeping in touch with our audience.

However, the shows are not the be-all-and-end-all. Matt said: “GSC is a full-time job. Last year we had a turnover of over £443,000 and created 87 jobs for artists. A lot of time is spent planning ahead, talking to venues, speaking to our business sponsors, fundraising and running our education offer. There is a lot going on away from the stage.

GLive

10th Anniversary Gala 6 December Guildford Cathedral

Sarah and Matt as Beatrice and Benedick in GSC's best selling open-air show Much Ado About Nothing, July 2016.

Photo credits - Matt Pereira

www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk To find out more about corporate sponsorship please contact Matt on the number below.

Box Office 01483 304384 Office 01483 301590

Big Interview

Chief executive looks to the Jim McAllister is one of those chief executives who has the knack of thinking big while at the same time being able to focus on the detail. It is an approach that has allowed him and his company, The Rutland Group, to drive forward some of the UK’s most exciting developments since he formed it in 1984.

Jim’s attention to detail can be seen in his choice of name for the company.

Having started out with a development company – ‘making tea, collecting rents, making more tea’ - he gradually worked his way up the ladder until he joined a business whose projects included Rutland Square in Edinburgh in his native Scotland.

22 theChamber

Jim, who oversaw the project, said: “Rutland Square was beautifully designed, right down to every last detail.

Even the lampposts were designed to be in keeping.

“When I came to choose a name for my new business, I wanted something that symbolised the approach I wanted to take and remembered Rutland Square.

“The idea of running my own business had always been inherently there, I think, and the move came when the company I was working for went public.

“The idea of spending the next thirty years behind a desk in a public company did not appeal so I set up my own business.”

Today, The Rutland Group is an award-winning, privately-owned property development, management and investment company whose dedication to creating communities and protecting the environment shines through everything that it does.

One of its first developments was Bedfont Lakes in the London Borough of Hounslow,

less than one mile from Terminal Four at Heathrow Airport.

Jim said: “The business had started well and I became aware of this large filled site near Heathrow, which had been used for gravel and sand extraction, and which was starting to be a problem for the locals. We put together some nine sites in total and working together with some excellent planning officers at Hounslow Borough Council, we produced HQ buildings for a range of businesses, including IBM, SAP and Cisco – all of which was set in a 200-acre public park, the largest built in London in the 20th century.

“I have always been an environmentalist – I am a member of several environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth - and it was immensely satisfying when the parkland was designated as a site of Metropolitan Significance.

Jim added: “The company continued to grow and we acquired an airfield near

Aylesbury from BAE systems in the mid-90s, in which their property division were tenants.

We got to know them quite well, so when they decided in 2000 that it was no longer viable to produce, service and repair aircraft at Dunsfold Aerodrome, we formed Dunsfold Park Ltd and began negotiations with them to acquire the site, which was completed in 2002.”

Today, Dunsfold Park is perhaps best known to most people as home to the track and hangar used by BBC television motoring programme Top Gear.

Jim said: “It has helped that the airfield is home to Top Gear, as the programme has allowed the site to be seen worldwide.

It has generated enormous publicity which money alone cannot buy.

“However, Top Gear is just a small part of what we do at Dunsfold Park. We have more than one hundred companies on the site and we view them very much as a community.”

Big Interview

future at Dunsfold Park Rutland has spent the past 14 years transforming what was a vacant site into a thriving commercial centre, which is now the largest employment site in the borough of Waverley.

Dunsfold Park is one of the largest brownfield sites in Surrey and comprises a 625-acre airfield with unrestricted planning permission for the erection, repair and flight testing of aircraft together with 500,000ft2 of commercial space employing over 700 people.

Tenants benefit from cheap energy provided by its 2Mw solar farm, shortly to be added to by an anaerobic digestion plant and the site is home to other forms of renewable energy, such as fuel-cell technology and bioethanol and green hydrogen production, all of which chimes with Jim’s environmental beliefs.

Formerly a World War Two airfield built by the Royal Canadian Engineers, and subsequently used by British Aerospace to develop Hunter, Harrier and Hawk aircraft, Dunsfold Park is also used for a number of other filming productions and outdoor events such as the increasingly popular annual 'Wings & Wheels’ Airshow.

Jim said: “There are two ways of approaching development, one is short-term and the other is long-term. We take the latter view. We believe that it takes time to develop something like this.”

That long-term approach is evident by the announcement in 2013 that The Rutland Group had entered into a new partnership with Trinity College Cambridge to ensure the longterm future of Dunsfold Park.

Jim said: “Trinity College is the ideal partner for us. They have been investing for 500 years and will be investing for the next 500 years. Their approach fits in with our own long-term approach to development.”

Working together, they continue to capitalise on the aerodrome’s existing planning permissions and future plans include expanding the scope of the business park and an increased commitment to bringing film production and entertainment events to the area.

Rutland continues to promote its long held ambition to develop a new mixed-use community at Dunsfold which, as well as further developing the business park, would also provide some much-needed homes in the local area.

Jim said: “The nature of the site also underlines our belief that developments like Dunsfold Park are more than just homes to businesses; they are communities and

we do everything we can to foster and promote that idea.”

Jim is not too concerned at the effect of Brexit on Dunsfold Park, even if it does push Britain back into recession.

He said: “Historically, when recession hits, it is the larger

global companies that take the remote decisions to close factories and offices.

Our experience has been that smaller, more locally-owned offices, do everything they can to avoid that happening.

A lot of our tenants are those type of businesses.”

“The nature of the site also underlines our belief that developments like Dunsfold Park are more than just homes to businesses; they are communities and we do everything we can to foster and promote that idea.”

theChamber 23

Finance

How Low Can We Go? Confidence is down, the Bank Rate has been cut and sterling continues to slide. Simon Lewis, CEO at Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd, looks for something to cheer about. discretionary spending by mortgage holding consumers, but only around a half of the UK mortgage stock is at a variable rate and even if passed on in full to those on a variable rate, the latest cut is worth little more than £20 per month for each £100,000 owed.

At the time of writing, roughly 6 weeks after the EU referendum result, the pound is around 11% cheaper relative to the euro, 13% cheaper relative to the US dollar and a whopping 18% cheaper relative to the yen.

It looks like a trip to Tokyo will be relegated to the later pages of my ‘bucket list’. Sentiment is a powerful force in financial markets and the sentiment is currently that the UK will be poorer, at least in the short term, as a result of its decision to leave the EU. There are certainly indications that foreign direct investment (FDI), which is the amount of new money invested in the UK by overseas investors, has fallen sharply this year. The UK had previously been a magnet for FDI, consistently securing over 20% of all inward investment into the EU. There is a risk that FDI will not recover until there is more certainty regarding the broad terms of the UK’s future relationship with both the EU and the rest of the world and an inevitable macro-economic effect of this is currency weakness.

24 theChamber

At present, the consensus in the foreign exchange market is that sterling has further to fall and the Bank of England’s recent monetary policy stimulus has made this more likely. It seems odd that the Bank of England should be an enthusiastic cheerleader for currency weakness because there is no clear evidence that past devaluations have had a favourable long term outcome for the UK. The Bank’s Inflation Report for August followed a pessimistic narrative. “Uncertainty may impact on investment, household spending and housing activity”, warned the Governor, “A fall in sterling will push prices higher.”

He then proceeded to cut the rate of interest earned by investors in sterling by half, making a further fall in the value of sterling inevitable.

Finally, to seal sterling’s fate, it was hinted that a further cut in the Bank Rate was likely by the year end. With interest rates already so low I am not convinced about the benefit of further interest rate reductions.

One of the principal objectives is to improve capacity for

It is already known that retail banks struggle to maintain their profit margin when interest rates are very low, with the consequence that benefits passed to the consumer become less efficient. The Bank of England has recognised this by introducing the Term Funding Scheme, an innovative arrangement to help retail banks to give consumers the benefit of the rate cut. However, I suspect that the same objective could have been achieved in a different way, without the need to cut the Base Rate.

It is also doubtful that a low pound is going to provide a lasting benefit to the UK. Traditionally, it has helped exporters but the fact is that we do not manufacture a great deal in the UK any longer and what we do export is often dependant upon the import of raw materials that become more expensive when our currency weakens.

Furthermore, overseas firms account for around 40% of the top 100 UK exporters and such firms will not appreciate the depreciation in their earnings that would result.

The decision to extend Quantitative Easing; the purchase of UK government bonds by £60 billion to £435 billion, was a little more controversial and was passed by only a slender majority of the Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). Once again, there are doubts about whether

the benefit of this will be efficiently transferred to the wider economy. I suspect, looking at these measures in the round, that the Bank of England has prepared the ground for the Treasury to announce a substantial infrastructure investment programme as part of the Autumn Statement.

This would be financed by the issue of further government debt that will be cheaper because of lower interest rates and more attractive to foreign investors because of a weaker sterling.

However, I started by saying I would find something to cheer about and, notwithstanding the considerable haul of gold and other precious medals that Team GB has added to the nation’s wealth, the UK will benefit from the fact that it has more overseas investment than overseas debt. The weaker pound serves to enhance the value of the differential, a good example being the recent surge in the FTSE 100 share index that has been amplified by the considerable overseas earnings of the UK’s largest companies.

As Clients of PMW’s Wealth Management and Investment Review Services have also been given a relatively high allocation to overseas assets in recent years; I am pleased to report that this has resulted in excellent investment returns over recent months, giving them something extra to cheer about.

Partridge Muir & Warren Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Telephone: 01372 471 550 email: simon.lewis@pmw.co.uk web: www.pmw.co.uk

International Trade

Sell in the EU now so you can export more to the EU in future Selling into Europe presents an even greater opportunity for those who are well-prepared.

Managing profit margin Assuming you've got a handle on the sales price in the destination market, you still need to be up to speed with costs.

Lay out your formula for profitable sales, like Export profit = export sale price - export costs (transport, duties and taxes, documentation) financial costs (currency, financing, insurance) - your business' internal measure of COGS. Ensure your costing process can quickly get quotes and estimates into your formula and react to changed terms of sale or new rules and regulations, so you always know your position during sales negotiations.

Alleviating customer concerns You and your customers may be asking about future processes and costs.

Will technical and safety standards remain exactly the same? What will the new duties and tariffs be? Will EORI requirements change?

How much will inward and outward processing reliefs compensate for loss of free circulation benefits? What about VAT payment and reporting?

EU companies may want to avoid UK-related risk due to these concerns, but selling to the EU should still have zero tariffs for the next 2 years at

least and the weakness in the pound boosts the top line.

Now is the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by strengthening your export capabilities. Gradually take over responsibility for export processes before changes take effect, rather than laying risk onto the customer. For example, move towards selling on Delivered Duty Paid Incoterms rather retreating to Ex Works.

Two actions that can help you succeed are to measure and manage your profit margin closely and be ready to address customer concerns.

Build capability and access to skills to handle new processes.

Get more visibility into your export process, so the impacts

of a change are easy to see and understand.

Smaller businesses face constraints in hiring in or contracting out key skills to strengthen their export capabilities. Exporting requires not just an understanding of the culture and regulation in the foreign market, but a plethora of technical aspects. You can go to your Chambers for advice on all of these, and reap the rewards to boosting your export capabilities.

About Parkway Logic We are building Exabler.com our secure one-stop-shop that brings visibility to your export process, so you can act and agree orders more quickly, and deliver orders more safely. We take you through from planning to delivery and documentation, so before you sign a new order you’ll know where to go and what to do.

“Now is the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by strengthening your export capabilities. Gradually take over responsibility for export processes before changes take effect, rather than laying risk onto the customer�

theChamber 25

Technology Cover Feature

University - Business links - a changing scene Dr Malcolm Parry In 1997, universities were asked by the UK Government to carry the additional responsibility of supporting community development.

This added to their long history of university teaching and research both of which in the UK are widely acknowledged to be of an excellent standard.

Nearly 20 years on from this there have been many initiatives such as access by universities to the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) to support knowledge exchange including enterprise, which is aimed at supporting economic and social impact of universities.

Over this period, the Surrey University has put some of its HEIF funding to support the SETsquared incubation programme of which a highly successful example is based on the Surrey Research Park.

In addition to the HEIF funded projects and the Surrey Research Park there are also other initiatives that have been developed and deployed to respond to this requirement.

These include working with business with many effective links through the university’s 5G-innovation centre, substantial links with many international companies through the work of the Surrey Research Park and in the area of computer games.

Despite the success of the UK’s HE system, the level of competition that is snapping at its heels has prompted the UK Government to sponsor 14 reviews of business-university links and collaboration since 2003.

Of these the Witty Review published in 2013 highlighted the need for government to invest in regions to develop their existing strengths in science and technology rather than invest in all technologies in all areas which had been the vogue behind developing regional innovation programmes.

These recommendations presaged the new idea of smart specialisation that emerged from the United States and is now finding favour across Europe and the UK. The rather arcane definition of this concept which has been proffered by Swiss Professor Dominque Foray is that the specialisation combines and relates a suite of knowledge about science, technology and engineering with knowledge about its market growth potential, potential competitors as well as the whole set of inputs required for launching a new activity based on this combined knowledge.

The underlying theme of this definition is the idea that government investment in research and development in a region should take account of the potential for the outputs of the process to engage with the underlying skills of technologyfocussed entrepreneurs that in essence take on the important role of turning research outputs into money.

Termed ‘entrepreneurial discovery’ this process recognises that technology entrepreneurs operate in an environment that is vastly different from the academic research, which most often builds on existing codified knowledge whereas entrepreneurs spot markets where they see gaps that are not generally easily seen in codified and publicly shared knowledge: in essence, they show entrepreneurial flair.

To build on the idea of smart specialisation needs those involved in developing the associated investment plans to identify the strengths of a region through a broad based analysis of its research and business base as well as nascent technology entrepreneurism that

can push and pull technology and science into the market.

In the context of business, ‘entrepreneurial discovery’ needs to be a bottom-up analysis and include firms in all stages of development or decline and from all sectors as well as inputs from higher education institution, public research institutes, and independent innovators.

Today all LEPs have been given the opportunity by BIS to bid for an analysis of their regions to assess how they might best engage with smart specialisation and attract government investment.

Work being carried out by the EM3 LEP and its stakeholders such as the University of Surrey, the Surrey Research Park, Royal Holloway and its neighbouring LEPs has shown that the region in which the Surrey Chambers operates has a number of important international standard intellectual assets and business interests.

These include existing specialisms in Connected Digital Technologies. These include 5G Mobile R&D, a strong interest in the ‘internet of things’, creative digital media, photonics, big data analytics, information (cyber) security, gaming, augmented reality, ‘gamification’, and autonomous systems and vehicles.

Similarly, the EM3 region has extensive and international leadership in a number of areas of bioscience: these include medical technologies, medicine and animal health which includes work at the recently opened University of Surrey’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

The region also has developed significant depth in advanced engineering that covers automotive, aerospace, autonomous systems, satellites,

defence and marine composite materials. Strengths also extend to marine maritime technologies including advanced manufacturing materials for marine industry, ocean and climate change monitoring maritime data and maritime autonomous systems.

The final area in which the region excels is its focus on digital related applications that are the foundation to enabling technologies that drive potentially world-leading ideas, products and technologies across multiple sectors, existing, nascent and future.

Lying behind these there are significant centres where there is evidence that technology entrepreneurs are using their skills to commercialise these technologies. This includes the work of companies such as SSTL in advanced engineering, BAE Intelligence Services in cyber security, IDBS in big data analytics, and the University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre.

Based on these strengths EM3 with other areas that make up the Innovation South consortium are now taking an active role in trying to secure government support from BIS to take advantage of the opportunity this presents to the regional and national economy. Let’s hope they listen to this impressive story in these times of change.

theChamber 27

Industry Comment

Keeping pace with technology The problem with writing anything to do with technology is that it’s invariably out of date before the ink is dry. In fact, it’s tempting to argue that even trying to keep pace with technology is a fool’s errand.

Yet as businesses, whatever our size and sector, keep pace we must. Why? Because our customers expect, nay demand, that we do.

The first stage in most people’s buying process is to Google the company or product in question – and if the site is slow, dull, hard to navigate or doesn’t grab their attention pretty much instantly, the moment, and the sale is lost for good. People also expect to be kept informed and in touch – to make a personal connection with the brand. Social media and e-newsletters make this easier than ever, but brands need to tread cautiously. There’s a bit of a backlash now against the rather mawkish ‘we really miss you, life isn’t the same without you’ tone that some brands are adopting as a way to lure back their lapsed and occasional customers. Yes, we want to cultivate a relationship with customers, but we also need to remember this is business.

From a branding perspective, though, technology opens up fantastic possibilities for storytelling, which is the big driver in current branding thinking. Interactive digital media allow brands to engage with their audiences on a sensory and emotional level that’s simply impossible with flat, static, 2D images, or the essentially passive broadcast media. In this respect, marketers are very much in the driving seat: we can give consumers brand experiences they weren’t expecting, never asked for, or even thought were possible. Technology gives us an enormous capacity to surprise, delight and engage with our audiences But like anything else, it can of course cut both ways. If you’re an engineering company, say, a website littered with typos and missing links will undo your reputation for precision and attention to detail at a stroke.

Likewise, it’s hard to claim you’re innovative and dynamic if your latest news story is eight months old, or your more recent blog entry is dated sometime in 2014.

We must also ensure that the medium doesn’t obscure or overpower the message. As the old song says, you gotta have a gimmick, but consumers’ expectations are now so great (plus we all have much shorter attention spans than we used to) that mere sensation isn’t enough: there has to be substance, as well as style.

There’s also the truth, rarely acknowledged, that as businesses and users, we actually have no control over the technology platforms we rely on so heavily. Social media is, of course, the biggest and most important example of this. You can invest huge amounts of time and resources in developing a campaign, only to have the whole thing instantly nullified because someone in Silicon Valley altered the algorithm. As far as your followers are concerned, you can be literally here today and gone tomorrow. And it’s very hard to have a long-term strategy when platforms can emerge and vanish virtually overnight. Anyone still using Myspace? How many of us saw Instagram and Snapchat coming as marketing channels?

And how many of us can say we’re using them effectively – or, more to the point, whether we’ll still be using them five years hence?

We must also be wary of the fact that people are becoming increasingly reluctant to pay for information, advice and expertise.

As designers, we face a real challenge, and it’s the same for others in the creative industries, like photographers, illustrators, artists and musicians. It’s professions and trades, not just retailers, who are having to adapt to the new reality that many people can get the products, services and help they need,

often more cheaply or at no cost, on the web. So what can we do?

As designers, we have to stick to our guns. The tools and media have changed beyond recognition, and continue to evolve. But the basics, the fundamental principles of good, effective design, remain the same. Indeed, as our clients’ markets become ever more crowded, noisy and accessible o all, the need for considered, professional design is increased, not diminished. And as businesses, we must all resist the temptation to give away too much of our expert knowledge in the name of satisfying search engines or proving our credibility.

We still want, and need, customers to pick up the phone or walk through the door.

Because the one truth that will never change is that technology, however sophisticated, is a means, not an end in itself. And that ultimately, people still buy from people – just as they always have.

So if you’re ready to press the button, or just want to chat informally about your ideas and ambitions, please email sam@farrowcreative.co.uk, or go old-school and give us a call on (01730) 710033. And to view our latest digital projects, visit our own website at www.farrowcreative.co.uk

theChamber 29

Technology

Protecting against cyber threats Liz Turner, director of Leatherhead-based IT support experts Waytime Technologies, gives advice to Surrey companies about how best to protect against cyber threats.

Cyber attacks are a frightening prospect. High profile corporate attacks such as those suffered by Sony PlayStation and TalkTalk hit the headlines and the UK Government has set up a National Cyber Security Centre with a five-year budget of just under £2 billion to counter the problem at a high level and to give guidance.

Smaller companies are more vulnerable to attack as their technology is less protected so here are some common sense steps that you can take to protect your business.

Be careful where you click The most common form of cyber attack against Surrey businesses is the phishing email. This is where a hacker sends an email, trying to get you to click on a link or open an attachment, which then contains a virus or malware, which can worm its way into your network, often being undetected for months, collecting valuable data for the hacker, and giving them access to some or all of your sensitive data, even allowing them to see passwords, use keylogging techniques and analyse your financial data.

There was a case recently where a professional looking newsletter was circulated, with malware hidden behind the “click here to unsubscribe” button. Very sneaky indeed. Some of the phishing emails are very convincing so never open any files or click on any link if you have any doubts.

Passwords For the last five years the most commonly used password has been “123456”. Other common ones are “password”, “12345678” and “qwerty”.

Don’t use anything that can be guessed easily, or words such as “football”, names of films etc.

Don’t use your date of birth or other personal data as this can easily be guessed by people that know you.

Waytime is delighted to be sponsoring the category of “best company with up to 50 people” at this year’s SME Surrey Business Awards 2016

Don’t write your password on a Post-It note and stick it on your monitor as you never know who will see it. Don’t save passwords for websites, or if you do use a different password. Change any password that you are given immediately.

Your password should be at least 8 characters long and should contains a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.

Make sure that your staff all follow these simple steps, and use caution at all times. If an email seems too good to be true it invariably is. Be careful, be vigilant, be sensible and be prepared. Be safe.

Finally, always make sure your data is backed up.

Celebrating business excellence in Surrey

Waytime is Surrey’s leading IT support company and consultancy serving small and medium sized businesses.

All support packages are tailored to fit the needs of clients. A flexible approach means that Waytime adapts and agrees services with clients as their businesses evolve and technology needs change.

We’re a friendly bunch and no technical problem is too large or too small

If you have any IT needs then please just call us on 01372 940290

www.waytime.co.uk hello@waytime.co.uk @waytime Fountain House, Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 7LX

30 theChamber

Technology

Technology – the key to working smart The most successful businesses are the ones that harness the latest in technology to become more efficient and provide the best service to their customers.

In an age when every penny must count, forward-thinking companies realise that digital technologies allow them to ensure that their staff are directed to the best effect and that tasks that once took many hours can now be done quickly.

That can include everything from communication with customers to market analysis and, with computers becoming ever more complex, the opportunities are vast and must be embraced. Companies that allow themselves to fall behind run the risk of being forced out of business.

Using technology to avoid that happening is invaluable for any company - especially a small one - because it means that skilled members of staff are not preoccupied on tasks which do not require their creativity. They can instead concentrate on developing new products and exploring opportunities.

Rethinking your product’s ‘manual’: how great technical communication can directly help your company grow Rachel Potts and Roger Hart are specialists in helping technology companies communicate.

This article gives you a flavour now used before purchase. It of the current best-practice in often turns up in search – turning your humble product becoming de-facto marketing – manual into an asset that and is sometimes more enables and delivers growth. effective than advertising at Discussions about good product making customers aware a manuals (and the technical product exists. communication activities that create them) might, at best, focus - Attracting customers through content marketing - Content on the ways they can save money marketing recognises that for organisations. It’s true that customers – and potential technical communication can reduce costs: good product customers – engage with training and help materials reduce genuinely useful information. the need for the user to contact Some organisations address the support desk; well-written this need for content by writing manuals protect the business from new technical papers or litigation; technical communicators creating new product videos are even seen sometimes as a for their marketing campaigns. cheaper alternative to having More savvy businesses make expensive technical specialists use of high-quality, informative write content. But let’s look at just content that already exists three ways that great technical within the business – technical communication can directly help communication content – by your company grow: linking to it in their email 1. Good product information is marketing or social media essential for marketing and campaigns. selling products - Purchasing decisions - later in - All content is marketing the purchase process, the modern marketing has customer needs to understand changed with customer the detail of what a product behaviour. Buyers are more does, and assess whether it is informed, and view brands really suitable for their needs. through every interaction they The materials that technical have; not just through communication teams normally traditional marketing such as produce – help, datasheets, adverts. Availability online knowledge base articles, howmeans the content produced to videos – meet this need. by technical communicators is

2. Clear, easy to find information is at the heart of customer experience - Customers demand effective self-service - Technical communication habits are the essential basis of positive customer experiences 3. Product information, best practices and operating procedures enable employees to do their jobs more successfully - More effective sales teams, increased sales - Smoother deployments, faster revenue collection - Reduced training, more expert capacity

Rachel Potts MISTC is a consultant with Surrey-based 3di Information Solutions. She advises businesses on how to make sure people can understand and use their products.

Roger Hart is a product manager at Red Gate Software, with a background in technical communication.

He specialises in understanding what drives product purchases.

theChamber 31

Technology

Protecting Your Reputation

By Andrew Knorpel

In our ever more computerised world, organisations handle data relating to customers, employees or other individuals on a day-to-day basis.

And once it’s in your hands, you must protect it with your corporate life, ensuring that it is kept secure and not used for improper purposes.

And yet, we still regularly hear stories in the press of how unencrypted data has fallen into the hands of unauthorised third parties (perhaps through hacking or employee negligence /misconduct). Reputations which may have taken years to build can be destroyed in a matter of mouse clicks.

If you want to maintain your corporate reputation, you’ll have internal processes requiring keys and passwords for staff to access particular records; but there’s far more to data security than that.

You should place a publicised data protection and confidentiality regime at the

32 theChamber

heart of your organisation.

Firstly, make it clear to staff how they should deal with confidential information, making it clear in contracts of employment what this includes and that it is not just limited to documents marked “confidential”. Staff should then be trained on what amounts to confidential information and how they must protect that information from getting into the hands (accidentally or deliberately) of third parties.

By also dealing with personal data in this way, you’ll be complying with the legal requirement to take the appropriate technical and organisational security measures to prevent unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss of or destruction or damage to personal data.

But, I hear you cry, what about the effect of Brexit on how we deal with personal data going forwards? For the time being, nothing will change. However, much will then depend upon our Brexit negotiations and it is highly likely that a condition of doing business with the EU in the future will be our acceptance of various EU rules including the whole (or at least the main substance) of the new EU General Data Protection Regulation which is due to come into force on 25 May 2018.

At present, the Information Commissioner can impose fines on organisations which breach data protection legislation of up to £500,000. However, if the new Regulation does end up applying in full, the limit on fines would be increased to €20 million or 4% of worldwide turnover (whichever is higher).

Data protection may not be the main topic of water-cooler chat, but the risk of substantial fines and reputational damage for employers should make training and investing in it a no-brainer for all businesses.

Andrew Knorpel is Head of Mundays’ Employment Team. He is an employment law and data protection specialist, offering advice in connection with both contentious and non-contentious matters. Andrew contributes regularly to the national press and various HR journals. As well as being an experienced speaker in the region, Andrew also provides in-house training on employment and data protection issues to clients.

Technology

Second Sight

By Claire Lupton, Head of Digital Marketing, SellerDeck Limited

When was the last time you looked at your website through the eyes of a customer?

It might sound like an odd question but, if you are anything like me, you have probably become so used to the way your website looks, you can find your way around it with your eyes closed.

But is this the same for your customers; how can you know if you give them an excellent (firstrate) experience, or if they just leave without exploring what you have to offer?

This is especially important if you have an ecommerce website; it is your digital shop window. Humans are very visual beings, they make instant decisions on how something looks, whether they are trying to buy trainers or finding a restaurant to eat in. How much they like the look of the sites they visit will influence their choice.

That is why, as an ecommerce business owner, you need to understand the impact that designbased decisions have on your bottom line. You would not want to operate a poorly decorated and cluttered shop, with unhelpful staff,

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so why would you allow your website, metaphorically speaking, to give the same impression?

Our Top Design Tips These days ensuring that your website looks great can be challenging. Online stores have to function well across a range of different devices, including smartphones and tablets and PCs. The same website has to perform well on all devices, so you need to design specifically for them.

These days more than 51% of all purchases are made on a mobile device; are you welcoming these shoppers to your website and giving them a great user experience?

Having a cool look is just the starting point. Product placement is also important; best-selling products need to take centre stage along with special offers and seasonal promotions. Not only will this help entice your customers, but everchanging content is also good for your Google search rankings.

You also need to have well photographed products with good descriptions, clear call to action

buttons and a smooth user journey from first click to cart. Publishing customer feedback, from an independent source like Feefo is also vital. If you offer great service, this is the simplest and most effective way of achieving it.

All these points might seem obvious, but when was the last time you looked at your website with a fresh critical eye? If you put yourself on the place of your customers you might be surprised what you see. And grateful for the increased business

you can generate by fixing problems.

If you would like a free website consultation and analysis, please contact the SellerDeck team.

Our mission is to help its customers build, operate, and maintain unique and distinct online businesses that generate more sales and profit for business owners, with over 20 years’ experience facilitating £11 billion transactions we are a trusted ecommerce partner for our customers.

How technology drives innovation Ian James, Entrepreneur in Residence, SETsquared Surrey, provides expertise to residential and virtual incubator members, guiding these ambitious startups through the challenges of early-stage business.

Technological innovation impacts every conceivable aspect of our lives, from social networking, to health and wellness, to media and entertainment.

We are witnessing the advent of smart cities and a general move towards a more sustainable world all enabled by technology. This shift creates numerous, exciting opportunities for tech start-ups to create, capture and disrupt multiple markets, on a global scale.

Recent figures from Companies House show that business start-up in the UK is on the increase, up by 4.6% in 2015, resulting in the formation of 608,100 new businesses, the highest number of new incorporations on record.

However, within five years, 50% of these start-ups will fail, with the top three reasons for failure: a product the market doesn’t need, running out of cash before making money and the wrong team.

In striking contrast, companies that come through incubators have a far higher survival rate – over 90%, largely due to vital, ongoing business support, mentorship and advice from within the incubator.

SETsquared is a shining example of a highly successful incubator programme. It is a partnership between five research-intensive universities: Bath, Bristol, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey and has been voted the global number one university business incubator by UBI Global. SETsquared has incubated over 1,000 companies over the past fourteen years, helping these start-ups secure £1 billion in investment, as well as contributing over £3.8 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy.

Underpinning the SETsquared Surrey incubator success are the in-house ‘Entrepreneurs in Residence’, who provide invaluable support and advice to incubator companies. This is backed up by an impressive network of external mentors and Surrey business partners who provide expertise to members through regular clinics on issues ranging from pricing models to patent law.

The incubator team based at the Surrey Research Park, also runs the ‘Surrey 100 Club’ angel investment network, with five annual investor events, during which companies pitch to a selection of high net-worth individuals. The club is open to early-stage companies looking to raise anything from £100K to £1m in equity funding.

SETsquared Surrey has helped accelerate over 165 early stage, high-growth technology businesses and implements a model called The Balanced Start-up, which encourages entrepreneurs to takes a holistic view of their business, ensuring that each company has a strong customer value proposition, a clear sales strategy and a sound legal and financial basis for rapid, long-term growth. They welcome new start-ups to get in touch to discuss becoming a member of their proven incubator programme.

For more information about SETsquared Surrey please go to www.setsquared.co.uk/surrey

Careers Fair

Young Chamber

For Schools

Young Chamber membership will help put your school at the heart of the local business community, supporting you in building the school’s brand and reputation.

Membership will also provide you with the opportunity to showcase your school and the value of its services.

In Your Own Words...

Amy Baber on presenting at a school career event Along with my apprentice colleagues, we attended a careers event at a secondary school in Guildford.

The young people that we spoke to ranged between ages 14 and 18 years, as we had also spoken to Sixth Form students.

The types of thing we talked to them about was about construction and Willmott Dixon as a whole and how it is completely different to what most people think about construction.

I spoke to quite a few girls who had the same image of construction as I did before I started working for Willmott Dixon that it would just be building, being on site with your hard hat and boots, but I think I managed to change a few of their minds.

I spoke about the 200 + roles that a company like Willmott has to offer. We also spoke to them about being an apprentice and the variety of work we get involved with while training.

We had a lot of interest and it would be great to see more females join the industry.

Amy is a Level 2 Business Admin apprentice on placement with Willmott Dixon in Cobham where she is supporting the Community Engagement team.

Could you provide an opportunity for a administration apprentice..? Get in touch 07468 511911

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BENEFITS INCLUDE: • Promote your school and its services to the business community.

• Attend our 10 free events a year, plus a full and exciting events calendar to promote

the school and develop relationships.

• Free press & PR opportunities • Entry to the British Chambers of Commerce School Award • Access to Chamber member database • Direct link to your local business community

Find out more about joining the Young Chamber CONTACT US: SURREY CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE T +44 (0) 1483 735540 info@surreychambers.co.uk www.surrey-chambers.co.uk @surreychambers

St Peters Careers Fair Success Students of St Peters Catholic School Guildford enjoyed a day full of future opportunities on the 12th July as Surrey Chambers of Commerce hosted another successful careers fair.

Over 180 year ten and 100 year twelve pupils were able to engage with a huge array of businesses and future career possibilities throughout the day.

Exhibitors consisted of many different businesses and organisations showing the vast amount of options available for

the pupils. Charles Russell Speechlys, Academy of Contemporary Music, Willmott Dixon, Army Careers, University of Surrey and many more held stands at the fair.

The event gave students the ability to really explore all the possibilities and ask questions about their future, as well as

honing their networking skills.

Throughout the day Surrey Chambers of Commerce ran workshops on employability skills; helping students learn how to apply for a job and write a CV. They also ran role-plays to develop pupils confidence and attitude in interview scenarios.

Careers Fair

Sweet Success for BizSchool Grand Finalists A homemade confectionery company ‘Sugar Sweet’ set up and run by Year 5 pupils at St Paul’s Primary School, Addlestone, won the first-ever Good Shepherd Trust / BizSchool Grand Final held at Christ’s College in Guildford on Friday (July 15).

The team had been kindly sponsored by Achieve Lifestyle as part of the BizSchool Corporate Sponsorship programme and beat off strong competition from pupils from Guildford’s Queen Eleanor’s Primary School, itself sponsored by Surrey Research Park.

Pupils from six Good Shepherd Trust academies from across Surrey and North East Hampshire had all taken part in a four-day programme in their own schools run over recent weeks by Hampshire–based BizSchool Ltd which saw pupils run pop-up market stalls and develop a business plan. A ‘Bear’s Cave’ panel then selected ‘Sugar Sweet’ as the most original class winner and the whole class had split into nine departments including finance, art and design, project planning, PR and operations to launch and run the business.

The children were competing to win the silver cup which was presented by chief executive of the Surrey Chambers of Commerce Louise Punter in the exciting Grand Final. Isabel and Harry (both 10) from Sugar Sweet said “We really enjoyed the whole experience of setting up and running our business but it was an added bonus to be the overall winners!”

“It felt amazing, especially as we are in Year 5 and lots of the other teams had Year 6 children. We’ve learned how to co-operate better with people and how to be more organised.”

Sitting alongside Louise Punter on the Grand Final Bears’ Cave panel was Good Shepherd Trust CEO Dr Peter Simpson, BizSchool managing director Andrew Kinniburgh and educational consultant Carol Nicolls CBE. The St Paul’s Team had impressed judges with not only their profit of

£146.05 from selling confectionery and cakes at the school summer fair but also with their tenacity in securing customers and their presentation skills.

Peter Simpson said: “The competition has been a fantastic way to help children develop confidence and independence as well as learn key business skills such as marketing, finances and promotion. It was great to give the pupils the freedom to be creative and tackle problems as they competed to be the most successful and a delight to see the schools come together and hear their ideas in what will become a new tradition for the academy trust.”

BizSchool managing director Andrew Kinniburgh said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with pupils from the Good Shepherd Trust and we were delighted that Louise was able to join us as a judge today to

help encourage the children to continue their interest in business. It has also been wonderful to have the support of so many local companies who have come aboard to build relationships with their local schools and help pupils.”

Louise Punter was delighted to award the trophy and said “I have had the great pleasure of judging the “Bears Cave” final , which brought 6 primary school teams of entrepreneurs together to share how their businesses had progressed and what they had learnt from the experience.

Following a few weeks of instability in the leadership of the country it was really uplifting to listen to a cross section of 10 and 11 year olds talking about communications, teamwork, planning and marketing. The presentation skills demonstrated were very impressive and I am sure their experience of the “Bears Cave” will more than prepare them for future jobs and opportunities.”

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Design & Leisure

Exciting New Avenues After 7 years in Regus’s Cathedral Hill building, we recently packed up our Apples and Tintin rocket and headed down the road to the Surrey Technology Centre.

It took some time to get everything over here and get settled but now we are and it's an exciting opportunity for us for a number of reasons.

For one, we can get a bacon sandwich and coffee on site! But perhaps more importantly, it has given us the chance to look at the environment we work in and think about what we can do to make it more effective and exciting.

We were keen for this new space to be a place that fosters creativity and inspires us when we need that spark the most.

We’ve added plenty of colour, created a quiet space to think and reflect, bought comfy chairs to relax in and hold laid-back meetings and

added plenty of art and books to be surrounded by. We also took the opportunity to get sit/stand desks, which we would highly recommend!

Perhaps the best thing about moving here though, is being part of a technological and innovative community.

We have met with a number of our neighbours over the last couple of months and it has been really exciting to see the work they are doing and the expertise on display – virtual reality, augmented reality, 360 degree image capture, projection mapping, 3D mapping, to name but a few exciting technological avenues!

Being a small team, collaboration is something we are keen to embrace as it means we can expand on our current range of offerings and go

above and beyond traditional design work to answer all of our clients’ needs and help them tell their stories better.

The things we have seen have also got us thinking about just how much new technology is impacting our industry.

Technology like 3D mapping can be really helpful for designers looking to preview physical design work or quickly put together the framework for designing rooms and suites by scanning the space to be worked on.

It has also got us thinking about the changing ways in which businesses can communicate with their audiences.

There is an increasing need for brands to be unique (both customer and business facing we might add) and reach people on a personal and emotional level.

Virtual reality and interactive video in particular are interesting new technologies that businesses should

look into utilising to give their customers and clients a new and exciting experience that they may have never had before.

Giving a user the ability to explore an image, a video or a room for themselves adds a new level of interactivity and provides an experience that is more personal and more unique.

A phrase comes to mind about brands and how people won't necessarily remember what you do or say, but they will remember how you made them feel.

We are excited to get stuck in and explore more of the amazing work going on here.

Feel free to swing by our office for a coffee. We'd love to show you around!

Written by Ollie de Kretser Communications Manager FdK Design Consultants Telephone 01483 243565

Could you be making money from your research and development?

Regardless of the size of your business, R&D tax relief can considerably reduce your company’s tax bill.

In recent years the Government has steadily increased the rate of R&D tax relief to encourage businesses to engage in the scheme.

The relief is only available to limited companies, so if this applies to you then there are two schemes that are available: • The Small or Medium sized Enterprise (SME) Scheme and; • The Large Company Scheme.

The SME Scheme will apply to an organisation with fewer than 500 employees AND an annual turnover not exceeding €100 million or a balance sheet not exceeding €86 million. If your company falls outside of these size limits then it would be classified under the Large Company Scheme.

What is it worth?

For SMEs the tax deduction can be worth up to 230% of the actual qualifying costs incurred and the following example demonstrates how this would work:

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A company spends £100,000 on qualifying R&D expenditure. In the absence of an R&D tax relief claim the company can set £100,000 of costs against its taxable profits.

The same company now claims additional R&D tax relief for those costs: £100,000 x 130% = £130,000. In addition to the £100,000 actually spent, the company can claim an additional £130,000 against its taxable profits. With a corporation tax rate of 20% that deduction is worth £26,000, being a reduction in the company’s corporation tax bill of that amount.

Where the company is loss making, or the enhanced deduction creates a loss for tax purposes, it is possible to claim a repayable tax credit from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) by surrendering the loss. This would be equivalent to 14.5% of the loss surrendered.

Continuing from the previous example, if the company was breakeven before the R&D claim,

the claim would create a loss for tax purposes of £130,000. Surrendering this for cash would provide a cash payment of £18,850 from HMRC, potentially giving much needed cash-flow assistance.

How to show a project is eligible for R&D In order to confirm whether a project qualifies for R&D relief, the following indicators may be helpful: 1. What is the scientific or technological advance?

2. What were the particular scientific or technological uncertainties?

3. In what way does the project go beyond what was the current state of knowledge?

4. How and when were the uncertainties overcome?

5. What was the R&D project and was there a larger commercial benefit?

6. Why was the knowledge not in existence already?

Which costs qualify?

If you think you do have a claim, then Wilkins Kennedy can help you to take this to the next stage. The type of costs that will qualify to be included in the claim can include the following: • Staff costs • Software • Costs of subcontracted R&D • Costs of any consumable or transformable materials.

This would include, for example, consumable stores, water, fuel and power insofar as they relate to R&D activities.

For further information on how your company could benefit from R&D tax relief schemes and qualifying projects, contact your local Wilkins Kennedy offices in Heathrow and Guildford to see how we can help or visit our website www.wilkinskennedy.com/ sectors/technology/

Economy & Development

Changes to rules governing people with significant influence Since April 6, UK companies and Limited Liability Partnerships have been required to investigate “People with Significant Control” (PSCs) in them and “Relevant Legal Entities” (RLEs), and to keep a register of their details.

This is part of the UK implementation of the G20 High Level Principles of Beneficial Ownership Transparency.

The PSC register has to be open for inspection (subject to certain protections) and information from it will have to be included in each company or LLP’s annual confirmation statement from 30 June 2016 (which replaces the submission of annual returns to Companies House).

PSCs themselves will be under a duty to ensure that their details are included on the registers of companies and LLPs over which they have control.

There are criminal sanctions for both companies and LLPs, and for PSCs, who fail to comply with the new regime. Certain publicly traded companies already subject to similar transparency requirements (such as those listed on the Main Market of the

London Stock Exchange, or traded on its junior AIM market) will be exempted from the requirements, though their subsidiaries and other interests may fall within the new regime.

All companies and LLPs within the regime have had to keep a PSC register since 6 April, even if it simply states that they do not have any PSCs. The PSC regime is effectively the first stage in the UK’s implementation of the beneficial ownership register mandated by the European Fourth Money Laundering Directive (“MLD4”), which has to be implemented by member states by June 2017.

MLD4 will extend the scope of the regime to all corporate and legal entities and for example will require a greater level of information in relation to trust structures.

The UK is not proposing to implement these additional measures until 2017, following further consultation. In the meantime, the UK is considering the transparency of beneficial ownership for companies based outside of the UK, but which are active in certain ways within the UK (and so fall outside of the PSC regime).

In a written statement on 26 January 2016, Baroness NevilleRolfe (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) said that the PSC regime “…is an important step in providing much greater transparency about who owns UK companies and LLPs. This will boost trust in UK businesses, and reduce the risk of UK companies and LLPs being used for corrupt purposes.”

Privacy is not always driven by corrupt purposes, and many perfectly legitimate structures within the UK will fall within the

new regime, in respect of which information will have to be made public.

Those who have specifically avoided public company ownership and adopted ‘private’ company and trust structures may therefore be surprised to find additional ownership details being tracked in a public register.

This is a potentially difficult regime for those involved, especially for those with legitimate but more complex ownership or control structures. We have therefore both been involved in the consultation process to develop the legislation and guidance and also in helping our clients navigate through the intricacies of the new regime.

Virginia Cook Business Development Manager for and on behalf of Charles Russell Speechlys LLP

Increasing your confidence in a digitally driven business world At Surrey Business School, we’re at the forefront of technology and innovation, creating business models fit for a digital economy.

Our newly launched Business Insights Lab on campus, is truly a gateway to business innovation.

Designed to teach business skills for the digital age, it draws together research, teaching, brokering and problem solving to foster new business innovation strategies.

Professor Alan Brown, director of the Centre for Digital Economy, explores the challenges for people and businesses when it comes to understanding and utilising the digital landscape. ‘‘Ultimately technology and business innovation are intimately linked. Businesses today are dealing with: • Fast speed of change • Uncertain digital landscape

I focus not just on the theoretical features of business, but work directly with businesses and organisations, trialling new practises to cope with technological advancements. Areas I’m looking at are the future of mobile technology and its impact on business innovation, personal data management and privacy.

Having spent a number of years in industry, I see a demand by businesses today for a solid foundation around decision making processes. The Surrey Business School and wider university setting gives a chance for important business directions to be substantiated with academic theory, driven by problem solving and research.

Every business facing rapid and unpredictable change will

benefit from a set of techniques to cope with that change. Our modules question the fundamentals of business, building skills for the next generation of business leaders.’’

Professor Alan Brown has recently led our Executive Education Course, delivered in the Business Insights Lab: Strategy, Management and Service Delivery in a Digital Economy, which addressed the implications of the changing landscape.

Equipping delegates with the knowledge and skills to adapt their ways of working and develop practical solutions to effectively lead their organisations in the digital age.

Some feedback from delegates: • “My team are going through a significant period of change. I have found the

course really valuable from a practical application point of view and it has given me increased confidence in handling this transition.”

• “All of it was useful. It has given an overall 'feel' for digital business improvements and has helped my confidence in that area.”

If you would like to enquire about our bespoke or open programmes, please contact: Erin McLeod, Executive Education Manager E: e.mcleod@surrey.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1483 686320 M: +44 (0)7814 896794

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40 theChamber

Festive

Making the right decisions for that big festive event Summer may only just be coming to an end but it’s the time of year when people are already thinking about booking that all-important Christmas Party.

A good Christmas party can do wonders for staff morale, which is crucial in these uncertain times, and the chance of finding the best venue for your needs is very high indeed as long as you take care in preparing the groundwork.

Surrey is blessed with excellent restaurants, hotels and other venues that can stage the best parties possible, taxi companies that can get you home or hotels and guest houses should you decide to spend the night.

So how do you know how to select the best venue? Well, it’s all down to first impressions - do you like the décor, does it look like it can generate a good atmosphere, are the staff friendly?

It is crucial to selecting venues that make everyone feel welcome.

Older staff members might not appreciate a busy pub, younger ones might not want a restaurant whose clientele are normally on the older side.

It’s worth putting a bit of thought into making a choice that strikes the right balance.

Choosing the right menu is important as well. People like choice so even though most guests will go for the traditional Christmas meal, it’s a good idea to make sure there is an alternative - and definitely a vegetarian option.

Also, people like to be appreciated. Maybe your staff and suppliers have gone over and beyond what was expected of them to help the business.

A good boss knows to acknowledge that at the Christmas party. Maybe a tribute in a short speech or a thank you note on place settings would be a good idea.

That could mean bringing in specialist companies to dress up venues to mimic everything from Thirties America to space-age celebrations. Anything is possible.

And yes, times have been tough for some, yes, budgets have been tight, but a cheap party looks cheap so if you are a boss who is determined to hold one, loosen the purse-strings a little - err on the side of generosity and your staff will appreciate the gesture.

Whatever you fancy, venues or specialist events companies can oblige, providing the right décor and costumes and guaranteeing the right ambience.

However, for some people a straightforward party is not enough and there is a growing trend for something a bit more ambitious to celebrate the festive period.

Themed parties can work really well so consider what will generate the most goodwill and what kind of event will appeal to most people.

Such events could happen everywhere from hotels and restaurants to marquees in gardens – it does not really matter where because venues and events companies are adept at making magic happen.

All you need to bring is that initial spark of imagination and they can make the rest happen.

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Includes

Let THE COBHAM CURVE take care of you at your next event

Christmas Parties starting at £20pp based on 60 guests Includes DJ, Buffet & Full Decorations.

Other packages available.

Free Welcome drink if you quote CurveChristmas

• DJ

• Chair covers and

choice of sash colour

• LED Star Cloth

Wedding Packages

starting at £2,950 based on 55 guests

• 3 Tier Cake

• Traditional Buffet

• Evening Pizza station • Welcome Drink

Other Packages available.

Payment Plans available.

£50 bar spend free when you quote CurveWeddings Receive a 10% discount on hire charge at The Cobham Curve from September 2016 – March 2017 when quoting : Curvediscount

The Cobham Curve, Fairmile Lane, Cobham, KT11 2BU Tel : 01932 864441 Email: events@thecobhamcurve.co.uk www.thecobhamcurve.co.uk

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• Full Decorations

Festive

Top 3 Props for DIY Festive Theming Adding a dusting of festive sparkle can be easier than you think with tips from décor and theming experts The Complete Chillout Company to help whether you’re dressing your office reception, canteen or just adding some festive cheer at home, here are three top props for a big impact.

1. Micro lights (also called rice/ angel lights)

to get weather-friendly lights, and simply wrap around plants and trees. Their versatile nature means they make a good investment, as they can be used throughout the year to add glamour and glitz to your home. You can get yours from places like Lights for Fun.

2. Stack of festive boxes These are tiny, dainty lights attached to an almost invisible, mouldable wire, making them ideal for wrapping around plants and trees, draping down spiral staircases or using underneath fabric such as tablecloths for a magical glow. If you are planning on using yours outside, make sure

These are a great space filler and come in different colour-ways or can be covered with fabric - to add texture - or wrapping paper to match a particular look. Stack them on top of each other to create a towering stack of festive boxes.

These are a great top prop as they stack into each other so easily, meaning they can be stored in the attic year after year. Boxes stacked

in different ways and tied with a large bow are a favourite used by Harrods at Christmas time!

like living plants and can be stored easily to use for the following year.

Make your own by simply spray painting in a colour to compliment the look. Alternatively, use silver birch twigs, keeping your twigs aunaturel and add brightly coloured baubles to complete the look. We picked ours from the flower market in Vauxhall from Porters Foliage Ltd.

www.completechillout.com

3. Bundles of glitter-twigs These create an organic feel to Christmas displays, padding out floral displays, adding texture to garlands wreaths and trees and woven together can create an arch or even be added to the façade of a building. They don’t create mess

The Winter Wonderland Ball Celebrate Christmas at The Conservatory at Painshill The Conservatory at Painshill is the perfect venue for Christmas parties.

With its idyllic location in the stunning surrounds of one of the UK’s most historic parks, The Conservatory sets the scene for the most magical of winter celebrations.

In the heart of Surrey, it is the ultimate venue for both exclusive Christmas parties for up to 320 guests and shared Christmas parties for groups of 8 people and above.

This Christmas the Winter Wonderland Ball comes to the The Conservatory at Painshill.

Revel in a dreamlike atmosphere at this impressive festive venue, which has been transformed with fantastical theming.

From the stunning parkland of Painshill, you’ll be transported to a magical realm, hidden within the secret walled garden. The welcoming glow of lights will draw you in to a snowy landscape which will set the scene for your festive reception.

The venue’s fun theming includes giant candy canes and baubles hanging from the ceiling, with influences from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to capture the childlike excitement Christmas brings.

Beautiful snowflakes with illuminated lanterns will continue the theme into the venue’s stunning dining space. Twinkling snowy trees surround the room, where beautifully adorned tables will be set ready for a sumptuous festive feast.

The Package Includes: • Winter Wonderland Ball event design and decor • Sparkling wine drinks reception (From 7.30pm - 8pm) • All inclusive beer, house wine and soft drinks package (From 7.30pm - 11.45pm)* • Exclusive group tables • Sumptuous three-course set dinner

• Coffee and mince pies (served from a buffet after dinner) • Professional DJ and disco • Festive group photos from our photo booth with complimentary prints • Fun Casino tables - blackjack and roulette including winner’s prizes • Fully stocked cash bar for drinks not included within the package* • Complimentary cloakroom • Ample free car parking • Full event management and security *Additional charge applies

Our in-house caterers Create Food and Party Design have designed a seasonal Christmas menu for Christmas parties at the Winter Wonderland Ball, making use of the best of British ingredients and big, bold flavours.

Contact the events team now to check availability and book in your Christmas celebrations at the Conservatory at Painshill.

Painshillevents.co.uk events@painshillevents.co.uk

01932 584 283

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Festive

Festive Fun for Groups at Foxhills Christmas party packages from £35 per person Get the festive season off to the perfect start by rewarding colleagues and clients with a sumptuous seasonal celebration at Foxhills Club & Resort in Ottershaw, Surrey.

From glamorous party nights to informal festive dinners, Foxhills’ team of chefs and expert event planners offer a range of Christmas party packages and will oversee every detail of the night for a truly memorable event.

Choose from the modern clubhouse, which can seat up to 140 guests for dinner and dancing. Along with a DJ playing dance floor fillers until 1am, the evening comprises an arrival drink followed by a beautifully prepared three-course menu.

A choice of dishes includes a starter of Foxhills’ smoked salmon with pickles and dill oil, a main course of traditional butter roast Norfolk turkey or pan-fried sea bass with buttered ratte potatoes and dessert options of a fruit filled Christmas pudding with traditional brandy sauce or a rich chocolate tart with blood orange sorbet.

A cheeseboard, followed by coffee and petits fours plus a half bottle of house wine per person completes the feast.

The package is available Sunday to Wednesday for £50 per person

or £55 per person for events held Thursday to Saturday.

Alternatively, for smaller events of up to 66 guests, for £35 per person, the same three-course party menu (excluding DJ and wine), is available in the stately library, located in the Victorian Manor House.

For a more casual affair, try the Summerhouse, which is located in the grounds of the club next to the tennis courts. Entertainment, a DJ and drinks can be added as required.

Looking to stay the night?

For groups booking a Christmas party at Foxhills a special accommodation rate of £110 per room per night (bed & breakfast, including VAT) is offered, subject to availability, based on a standard room.

Foxhills is open to Members and visitors alike. To book a festive party call the Foxhills’ Events team on 01932 704551 or christmas@foxhills.co.uk.

Discover more at foxhills.co.uk/christmas

“Choose from the modern Clubhouse, which can seat up to 140 guests for dinner and dancing. Along with a DJ playing dance floor fillers until 1am, the evening comprises an arrival drink followed by a beautifully prepared three-course menu.”

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Chamber Events

Denbies Sparkling Wine Tasting & Networking!

21 September 2016 16:00pm - 18:30pm

Denbies Wine Estate

The Hidden Truth: How Domestic Abuse can affect your colleagues and employees and what you can do about it 20 September 2016 09:00am - 11:00am

London Road, Dorking RH5 6AA

Member: £20.00 + VAT Non-Member: £30.00 + VAT Surrey Chambers of Commerce invite you to join us for a private wine tasting at Denbies Wine Estate.

through the amazing working winery.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for you to grow your business network. Join us to De Vere Venues hear from expert Sunningdale David Swift, Paradigm Sunningdale Park, Larch Avenue, Marketing about how Berkshire SL5 0QE you can use the social Member: £20.00 + VAT media platform to Non-Member: £30.00 + VAT benefit your company.

22 September 2016 08:00am - 09:30am

Horsley Park, Ockham Road South, Guildford. KT24 6DU

Member: £14.00 +VAT Non-Member: £17.00 +VAT

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followed by a walking tour

Chambers Power Breakfast: Grow your prospects using LinkedIn

De Vere Venues - Horsley Park

Did you know?

• 1 in 10 staff experience domestic abuse or violence in any one year • Domestic abuse costs businesses across the UK £2.72billion through lost productivity, absenteeism, legal costs, medical costs and police costs.

• 75% of domestic abuse victims are targeted at work - from harassing phone calls and abusive partners arriving at the office unannounced, to physical assaults With such large numbers of people affected, it is likely that all workplaces have staff that are experiencing or have experienced domestic abuse.

The aim of this event is to highlight this hidden issue and the impact it has on victims and their working life.

The indoor tour commences in the Denbies cinema with their 20 min film “Vineyard, through the Seasons”,

Fraud Awareness Seminar - Protecting your business and your employees in 2017 29 September 2016 08:00am - 10:30am

Mercedes-Benz World Brooklands Drive, Weybridge KT13 0SL

Member: Free Non-Member: Free Surrey Chambers of Commerce, in association with NatWest, are pleased to invite you to attend this seminar.

This event is free to attend, but places are limited so you must book in advance.

With cybercrime alone estimated to cost the UK economy £27 billion a year

(Source – The cost of Cyber Crime Report, The Cabinet Office and Detica) and given the continued risk to local businesses we have arranged with the sponsors of this event, NatWest, to run a

special “Fraud Awareness Event”. This will help businesses be more aware of, and reduce, the prevailing threats they face including malware, phishing, vishing and invoice re-direction fraud.

Chamber Events

Get Set for Global Growth 18 October 2016 10:00am - 16:00pm

Surrey Research Park Export Hub, 1 Occam Court, Surrey Research Park, Guildford, Surrey GU2 7YJ

Open 18 Hole Golf Competition 13 October 2016 09:30am - 17:30pm

Camberley Heath Golf Club Golf Drive, Camberley GU15 1JG

Member: £78.00 + VAT Non-Member: £93.00 + VAT Open to all business people to attend. A round of golf with clients and colleagues is one of the most enjoyable forms of corporate entertainment and an excellent networking opportunity. The golf course provides an ideal setting for business deals, cementing networks and building friendships. So come and enjoy business golf specifically aimed at business people and professionals.

Member: Free Non-Member: Free This event is directed at new exporters, those businesses who want to tap into the international markets through export or ecommerce and would like the opportunity to speak to experts in their field.

The day will include short ‘snapshot’ seminars from a variety of experts.

Presidents Awards Dinner 20 October 2016 18:30pm - 22:00pm

Join us for our most exclusive event of the year!

Brooklands Hotel

Our presidents awards dinner is your premier chance to network with over 90 fellow business leaders and professionals, host your clients and to enjoy a delicious three course meal at the charming Brooklands Hotel.

Brooklands Drive, Weybridge, KT13 0SL

Member: £60.00 + VAT Non-Member: £80.00 + VAT

Members' Networking Evening Access to Business Funding 13 October 2016 17:30pm - 21:00pm

Surrey Business School, University of Surrey University of Surrey, Stag Hill, Guildford GU2 5XH

Member: £15.00 + VAT Non-Member: £25.00 + VAT Surrey Chambers of Commerce and the Surrey Business School, University of Surrey bring you an interactive forum for SME's seeking funding which will up-date you on the latest products and trends in the traditional and alternative finance markets today and let you ask questions to a panel of experts to find the most suitable product.

25 October 2016 18:00pm - 20:00pm

Canon (UK) Ltd Cockshott Hill, Reigate RH2 8BF

Non-Member: £20.00 +VAT Join members and non members for another networking opportunity.

Networking is a sure fire way to creating sales and ultimately growing your business. Developing fresh, new and long lasting business contacts is a constant need for any business wishing to succeed.

The question is, are you networking enough?

The event is absolutely free to members and refreshments and canapes will be served throughout the event.

With an average of between 80 and 120 attendees at this type of event, what do you have to lose?

Just don't forget your business cards!

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New Members

Surrey Chambers of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies: Acas Richard Poore 01252 360732 Public sector

Hart Scales & Hodges Stephen Carr 01306 884432 Legal

Sabre Computers International Jacqueline Stubbs 01883 332200 Manufacturing/Engineering

Akiko Design David Evans 01483 510510 Web Design

Hinchley Wood School Lisa McCarthy 02083 987161 Training & Education

Sales Gym 360 Ltd Darren Spence 08006 893936 Training & Education

Apex Performance Limited Robert Ferguson 01372 236377 Business Support

Kritzinger Consulting Limited Lorraine Kritzinger 01372 801258 IT and communications

St Peter's Catholic Comprehensive School Cathy Thompson 01483 534654 Training & Education

Ark Accountancy Mary Ryan 02033 974030 Accounting

Look Good Feel Better Sarahjane Robertson 01372 747500 Charity

Trafalgar & JF Marquees James Morris 01932 620060 Leisure & Entertainment

Chessington World of Adventures Resort Georgina Pettitt 01372 734620 Leisure & Entertainment

OGMA Communications Khadidja Merakchi 07938 650005

Wise HR Services t/a HR Dept Woking Martine Robins 01483 603001 Recruitment & HR

DrivenWomen Surrey Tiia Sammallahti 07468 337176 Training & Education

Oxford Innovation Services Ltd Elaine Kearney 01865 261480 Business Support

Working Health @ Bevan Wilson James Avery 01483 570092 Health & Wellbeing

Finsbury Media Carlos Dasilva 01753 208540 Marketing & PR

Protea People Jenny Johnson 01293 454185 Business Consultants

Worplesdon Place Graham Rolland 01483 232407 Hotels/restaurants/venue

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Translation Services

Movers & Shakers

Accolade for Mandy

Mandy Brooks Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR, managing director of award-winning agency, Chazbrooks Communications, has been announced as the latest Chartered Public Relations Practitioner.

Chartered Public Relations Practitioner is a senior professional status awarded to selected members of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) who demonstrate an outstanding level of professional practice and knowledge, along with a commitment to continuous learning. Chartered status was first awarded by the institute in October 2009.

There are currently only 89 accredited Chartered Practitioners worldwide and Mandy is the only person from a Surrey-based agency to be awarded the accreditation.

Mandy recently completed the Masters Level Diplomas in PR and internal communications which gave her confidence to put herself forward for the chartered assessment day.

Mandy said: “I’m proud to be a chartered practitioner. It’s fantastic that the PR industry has evolved so that we are more accountable and we have to demonstrate measurable success.

We need to keep listening to the changing needs of our clients and develop our skills and competencies. The role of a PR practitioner is more interesting and more rewarding than ever.”

Emily Fitzpatrick joins Hart Brown as Partner Law firm Hart Brown has established a new department to offer leasehold enfranchisement services, with Emily Fitzpatrick joining as both partner and head of this new department.

Dealing with lease extensions outside a formal framework can be riddled with dangers, and this new department has been created in recognition of

the growing need for specialist advice in this area.

Emily said: “I am delighted to be heading up this new department with Hart Brown.

My experience shows that many clients will negotiate a “deal” with their landlord, but this usually offers poor value for money, represents unsatisfactory lease terms, and is rarely in their best interests to accept.

We aim to offer clients the best advice on lease extensions with all the options open to them”.

Emily is a member of the Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP).

Awards success for Surrey business leader

A Surrey director has been named among the region’s top business leaders in the IoD London and the South Director of the Year Awards.

The awards, run by the Institute of Directors (IoD) and open to

members and non-members, are sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and bring together company directors from a variety of backgrounds, recognising their qualities as business leaders.

Steve Coburn, MD of projectfive of Camberley, was named Director of the Year of a Small Company. projectfive is an IT support company looking after businesses of all sizes across Surrey, Berkshire and Hampshire.

Steve said: “I was so pleased to win. I honestly didn’t expect it. It’s at times like these when you want to thank the team around you for their hard work

and dedication – our success is jointly earned and, whilst it may be the most obvious cliché to say, it really is a team effort.”

Rodger Broad, director of the IoD South, said: “Once again, the standard of leadership set by all our finalists was exceptional, so Steve’s win is a tremendous achievement.”

Steve goes forward to the UK IoD awards in October where he will compete for the title of UK Director of the Year.”

He received his award at a Gala Awards Dinner attended by nearly 200 fellow finalists and guests at the Institute of Directors in Pall Mall, London.

Remco Norden appointed as New General Manager at Hilton London Gatwick Airport hotel Hilton London Gatwick Airport welcomes the appointment of Remco Norden as its new general manager.

Norden replaces Guy Hilton, who after three and-a-half successful years at Hilton London Gatwick Airport, leaves the hotel to continue his career as general manager for The Waldorf Hilton London.

Norden has been working in the hotel hospitality industry at the Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand for more than 20 years. Most recently he spent four years in Turkey as general manager at Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center. Prior to Hilton Istanbul Bomonti, Norden spent more than five years at upscale Hilton hotels in Poland and in the Czech Republic as general manager.

His extensive experience in hospitality coupled with great leadership will play an essential role in his position. Hilton London Gatwick Airport is an integral part of the Gatwick business community, being the largest residential property at Gatwick Airport and Norden`s expertise will ensure the hotel and team continue to perform at the uppermost levels.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity to lead the team at Hilton London Gatwick Airport, the largest residential hotel at Gatwick Airport with its 821 bedrooms” said Norden. “This is a fantastic hotel with a superb team which I am very much looking forward to joining and developing even further.”

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Chamber Chat

Let’s

Talk!

Helping companies to communicate with their clients

Doug Mathieson iTrust Digital Marketing Ltd “We see our business developing across different sectors and at an international level.”

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Explain the company to someone unfamiliar with the business

What is your vision for the future of the business?

iTrust reviews.com is a digital technology business that helps companies who sell their services or products online promote the power of past client endorsements to potential new clients and develop new sales opportunities.

We provide an application for them to communicate with past clients, ask questions about their products and display the results and comments on their website with the use of our widget. The scores and comments are fed by us to search engines such as Google who in turn award stars according to their scores which promotes natural search engine optimisation, so new clients can easily find the company when doing a search. We also include a newsletter, analytics, market research and bench-marking functions.

We see our business developing across different sectors and at an international level. We have just launched a French version of the app with a distribution partner in Nantes, France. We also see ourselves building our survey and market research functions in order that analyses of reviews can be done at a micro as well as a macro level.

What differentiates your organisation from others?

Our application is managed 100% by the company and is as much as 50% less than our main competitor ( just £30 pcm) and we have no long term contracts.

Above all it is easy to use and can be managed in 30 minutes a month.

What advice would you give to a company considering setting up in Surrey?

Surrey has a wealth of great businesses and opportunities , it is an ideal location geographically for most businesses and the work force is skilled and dynamic.

I can't think of a better place to establish a UK business.

If you were telling another business person about the chamber what would you say?

You will meet and make contacts through the Chamber that you will do business with for a very long time. It is worth every penny of the small membership fee. Join now.