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RISE OF THE LIVING DEAD
ARE YOU IN THE PICTURE?
SELLING TEA TO CHINA
How firm is growing fast thanks to zombies and monsters – p3
Photos from Bristol Connected and other events – p10, 11, 12
Herbal company that’s hot on its export markets – page 4
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DEC
2014
BIG INTERVIEW
FASTEST IN THE WEST Meet the boss of Bristol’s fastest growing business and find out how his company is growing so quickly – see pages 6 & 7 EPB-E01-S3
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Accounts
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Travel
One-off chance to increase value of assets COMPANIES have a “one-off ” opportunity to increase the value of their business assets due to an imminent change in UK accounting rules, according to chartered surveyors Bristol-based Sanderson Weatherall. On January 1, 2015, UK accounting practices for many businesses will change to the new Financial Reporting Standard (FRS) 102. When this happens, it presents the opportunity for companies to elect to use the principle of “fair value” to revise the balance sheet value of their property, plant and equipment assets. Sanderson Weatherall partner, Roy Tubman, said: “When companies transition to FRS 102, there is a one-off opportunity for them to revalue their assets at fair value. “Essentially, this allows businesses to effectively rebuild their asset registers, particularly where machinery has been written down to zero but is still a valuable part of the company’s assets.” Roy said that after transition to the new standard, FRS 102 only requires valuations to be performed with “sufficient regularity” giving further motivation to businesses to undertake valuations sooner rather than later. “These changes represent an excellent opportunity for Bristol businesses to boost the value of their balance sheets through the application of fair values,” he said. “We have already undertaken fair value valuations for a number of companies in the region and on each occasion it has delivered a significant uplift in asset values.”
Digital
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Top judging panel for green capital awards The judges have been chosen for the European Green Capital Digital Challenge. The challenge is asking Bristol’s brightest minds to develop new ways that software can be used to tackle environmental challenges. It will include a 48-hour hack from February 6-8. The judges were picked for their range of skills and some of them will also mentor the finalists. They are: ●Ed Parsons, geospatial technologist at Google. ●Siobhan Reddy, studio director and co-founder of Media Molecule, creators of the award-winning Little Big Planet franchise. ●Bill Thompson, head of partnership development, BBC Archives and Digital Public Space. ●Tim Kay, director of KPMG Enterprise which is focused on supporting UK tech SMEs. ● Nick Appleyard, head of digital at Technology Strategy Board ●Stephen Hilton, Bristol City Council’s future cities director ● And Sonny Masero, Bristol 2015’s International GreenTech Festival advisor. The two-stage challenge will see teams of developers together with digital and environmental experts compete for cash prizes of £50,000 and £10,000. The aim is to stimulate innovation in the development of software applications and games, addressing five environmental challenges: energy, transport, food, resources and nature.
Oceans of opportunity City firm offering dream trips Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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T was in a moment of crisis when Graeme Higgs decided it was time to go into business for himself. Working in the holiday industry, he realised that when things went wrong he was the one trying to fix it for customers and not his boss. “I was able to run his business for him and I realised I was making so much money for my boss,” said Graeme. “So I thought I could give it a
go. Now I’m realising it’s not so easy!” Despite any unexpected challenges, earlier this year the 37-year-old launched Redfield-based Go Sail Turkey with his wife Su, 27. They are an ocean away from most people’s view of a cruise, aimed at 20-somethings looking to see something of the world before setting out on their careers rather than those reaching the end of theirs and enjoying retirement. “In this country we see cruises often as something for older people
but it’s not like that everywhere,” said Graham. “In Australia these kinds of cruises are seen as something of a rites of passage for younger people.” So the couple is trying to convince Bristolians to pluck up an Aussie sense of adventure and sign up. That and the fact that Bristol has direct flights to Dalaman, where the cruises sail from is an added bonus. “Imagine waking every morning for breakfast and a swim in idyllic bays and cruising along the coast to a new destination
● Graeme Higgs, below, from Bristol, has set up Go Sail Turkey, selling cruise holidays for younger people
each day,” said Graeme. “The decks are perfect for sunbathing and jumping into the sea, the food is excellent and there is a tender boat included to shuttle you to and from all the sites such as Butterfly Valley, the stunning Oludeniz beach, the charming fishing village of Kas and several ancient ruins.” Plus there’s the bar and promise of nightlife and parties. The firm also organises specialist cruises for people who enjoy hiking, cycling and even yoga. Wherever the journey takes him, next time there’s a crisis at least Graeme knows he can rely on the boss.
Construction
Labourer cements trainee role at head office LABOURER Lewis Richardson has swapped his hi-vis vest for a shirt and tie after being fast tracked on an in-house training programme. Lewis, from Horfield in Bristol, has worked as a labourer on Helm Construction sites across the South West. His professional approach and organisational skills caught the attention of site foreman Kim Richings who recommended him for transfer to Helm’s head office in Pilning near Bristol. Lewis, 31, joined the company in February after 11 years’ work in the care home sector. He said: “One of my friends was already working for Helm and suggested I sign up as a general labourer. It was a bit of a shock to the system going out on site after more than ten years working in very warm care
● Lewis Richardson has moved from labouring to the head office homes! The company has a reputation for looking after its employees and sets great store on diligence and
enthusiasm – and after eight months working on site I was invited to move to head office and join the in-house
commercial training programme.” Lewis will be working with senior estimator Richard Haworth on a range of office-based responsibilities including estimating, quantity surveying and administration work. Richard said: “The company believes in breaking down traditional career progressions, ensuring that further training is available for all employees regardless of background and age. “We are aiming to build the skills we have within the company at all levels, formalising qualifications and encouraging employees on to specially targeted career paths.” Helm Construction is presently training five new apprentices while five site managers are on courses. Two members of staff are also undergoing training for their HGV licences.
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Tourism
Play deadly game Could you help save the planet from zombies? Gavin Thompson
2.8 HOURS LATER
Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
● Zombie game ‘2.8 hours later’ returns to Bristol next year. In the game, a rapidly depleting number of living humans are left. Five years after a zombie infection broke out, a devastating discovery has been made; a weaker strain of the virus has infected our entire species and, as a result, no children have been born in four years. This street game sees participants join a resistance movement as they attempt to locate the last remaining group of uninfected children left on earth. The only way to prevent humanity’s extinction is to reach them before someone, or something, else does. The games will be held in Bristol on September 3, 4, 5, 11 and 12. Find out more at www.2.8HoursLater.com.
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HIGH-TECH house of horrors-style tourist attraction that could draw thousands of visitors could be built in Bristol. Slingshot, a Bristol based business that organises real world games where hundreds of people are chased through the streets by zombies, is behind the project. Called Hyde, it would be a permanent attraction in which visitors are wired so that their vital signs can be monitored to see how scared they are. That data is then used to make the game more or less frightening. Players would move around an interactive maze from room to room, facing challenges in each one, like a scary version of TV show The Crystal Maze. They might be asked to lower their heart rate or hold their breath for a period of time to pass the challenge. Slingshot, based in St Nicholas Street, was formed six years ago by Simon Johnson and Simon Evans who met at a networking event run through the Pervasive Media Studios at the Watershed in the Harbourside. They put in a successful joint bid for funding for a project to develop games played in the real world. Simon Johnson, 39, puts it: “The key thing is creating an experience you can go and do. Instead of seeing somebody else experience something, you are now doing it. “It’s very cinematic. The sort of thing you would see in a film but you are experiencing it rather than just watching.” Simon Evans, 51, added: “As more of our lives are spent in front of screens, people seem to value real life experiences more, whether it’s live gigs, festivals or what we do.” After a few years experimenting and honing their ideas, they now have a successful business model. The main product is zombie game “2.8 hours later”, which this year took place in eight cities with about 25,000 people taking part.
● Simon Johnson and Simon Evans, founders of Slingshot the Bristol business behind the ‘2.8 hours later’ zombie game Next year, that will grow to 11 cities and therefore more players, each paying around £50 a ticket. The demographics are surprising, equally split between men and women. Until recently the 25-34 year old age group was the biggest, but now it’s 18-25s as the games become more mainstream.
The firm has grown revenue 100 per cent each year for six years. Last year revenues were £603,207, for 2014 they will be around £917,000 and next year the forecast is £1.4 million. It now employs six people and is adding another five next year. The business has developed as it has grown, so the two Simons now step
back from running events and focus on designing the next one. Simon Johnson said: “The scaling challenges we face as a company are the same as any other.” The Hyde project is the company’s next project and has both Simons very excited. They’ll be launching a crowd-funding campaign in the new year and looking to launch perhaps by the end of 2015. And the founders would love to house their new attraction in Bristol, if they can get support. “It might be in Bristol, if there is a bit of strategic support from the city,” said Simon Evans. Simon Johnson added: “Our business could only have happened in Bristol. There are other businesses we use here, designers video experts and so on, which are world class and have helped us grow.” The Hyde project certainly fits mayor George Ferguson’s vision for Bristol as a fun city. Watch this space.
IT support
Food
Sausage restaurant looking to expand ● THE new owners of a Bristol restaurant are looking to roll out their brand across other towns and cities. Simon Quarrie has been managing The Clifton Sausage for around 10 years, and now he has bought the business. He and wife Joy, who is joining him after working as a general manager for a national restaurant chain, have plans to open more branches elsewhere. Simon, 41, said: “We think this is a really strong concept - the idea of a restaurant serving British food, with an emphasis on sausages, is unique. So many people say to us ‘I wish we had one in Cardiff, Bath or Cheltenham’. So we will be looking for the next place to open our doors. “We may end up with two or three restaurants, or maybe even six or seven in the long-term future.”
● Simon and Joy Quarrie of Clifton Sausage with Paul Williams The couple have retained the 20 staff who were already working at the restaurant in Portland Street, and in the short-term they plan to revamp the menu, focusing especially on the lunchtime offering, and do some refurbishment work. “If you’re going to buy a business the most sensible thing to do is to buy something you know,” said Simon, a former chef. “I know all the staff, all the equipment, the building, the suppliers and how the systems work. That continuity and stability has been really good.” Joy, 38, has just given birth to the couple’s second child, a daughter named Joni, and Simon said that becoming his own boss gave them the flexibility they needed. “I have a young family and so it was important that we secured what we are going to do for the future,” he said. Simon and Joy worked with NatWest relationship manager Paul Williams to secure a loan of £100,000 to buy the business. Simon said: “When we were looking at raising the finance Paul was good at working through what we needed to do, and he kept me up-to-date with information.”
Rapidly-growing IT company opens city office
Get in touch
WHILE many businesses were struggling in the aftermath of the recession, one IT support company has been thriving. Small business Netitude has tripled in size over the last 12 months and, with much of its growth coming in Bristol, has just opened its first office in the city. The firm has grown from five staff to 15 and doubled its turnover, and has no intention of letting up. Managing director Adam Harling said: “The region has really embraced us, probably because we make very precise promises with our service around our response times. “We have worked really hard to
Advertising Robert Rodgerson Call07828 941469 Email robert.rodgerson @b-nm.co.uk
Assistant Editor (Business) Gavin Thompson Call 0117 934 3336 Email gavin.thompson @b-nm.co.uk Twitter @gavin_thompson1
Advertising Jane Chapman Call 01179 343025 Email jane.chapman @b-nm.co.uk
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● Managing director Adam Harling
develop a local reputation we are proud of and we are not about to slow down in our expansion strategy.” The firm previously had offices in Melksham and Frome but has now opened one in St Philip’s. Adam said the growing number of inquiries from the city had been the main factor in the decision. And now the firm is looking to hire new staff as it continues to grow. Adam said: “We want to double in size again in the next year, so there is plenty of work to do and we are always on the lookout for talented people who can be committed to delivering IT solutions, above and beyond, for our clients.”
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Advice
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Exporting
Rise in South West exports welcomed
● Patrick Bos is an International Trade Adviser at UK Trade & Investment South West, the government department designed to help with all aspects of international trade. He tells us what his role entails and how he helps local companies like yours to expand overseas: 1. What does your job involve? Being an international trade adviser (ITA) means I work closely with SMEs and MSBs to develop their export strategy and/or help them entering a foreign market. I help businesses identify potential markets, assist them with pricing strategy, open doors in new markets and develop the skills of the workforce. 2. What is your top tip for anyone considering exporting? You need to identify the best market for your products or services and focus on one market at a time. Contact your local UKTI office and arrange a meeting with an ITA who can help you with this. 3. Which markets are offering the most opportunities at the moment? This really depends on the industry you are working in and what kind of product / service you are selling. However especially for mid-sized businesses, UKTI has developed a high value opportunity website: www.gov. uk/high-value-opportunities. 4. What is the most unusual business you have encountered? One guy I met was a really wacky innovator and created all kinds of new products; one of them was a glow in the dark ice cream! This seems to work really well for large corporate events. 5. Why do you enjoy your job? Helping experienced directors with achieving their goals and thinking outside the box just gives me a lot of energy. I am also a generalist ITA which means I deal with all sorts of companies and this pushes me to educate myself on various industries. 6. What do you do in your spare time? I have two major hobbies: travelling and surfing and the best thing is that you can combine them and I am lucky my future wife also likes the same things. So in the last two years I surfed in Brazil, Indonesia, Ireland, Spain and USA and in the coming year, Cook Islands are on the agenda.
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● Contact patrick.bos@uktisouthwest.org or call 01275 370 944.
● Sebastian Pole and Tim Westwell, co-founders of Pukka; below, one of their tea products
A new leaf The Bristol firm selling tea to China Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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SOUTH Bristol company is selling tea not just to China but to India as well. And Germany, Denmark, the United States and Australia. Pukka was formed in 2001 in the back bedroom of co-founder Tim Westwell’s home and began exporting in 2007. Since then the international side of the business has grown is now more than half the company’s £17 million tur nover. The reasons for exporting were compelling. The UK herbal tea market is worth about £64 million a year. “The markets in the United States and Germany are 10 times that size,” said Tim. So if the company wanted the best chance to grow, exporting was essential.
They started by selling to Denmark, where there is an established market for herbal teas. But now they have moved into newer territories. “Australia has just mushroomed in the last year,” said Tim. India is a growth market too. “Like in the UK the public is waking up to the fact there is more to life than green tea or black tea,” said Tim. “There is a market for innovation. People want healthier and happier lifestyles. “And they are finding that they can get great tasting herbal products that help them feel good as well.” But the goal for the coming year is to focus on growing in Germany and the US, with the firm having appointed an international sales director to lead that charge. In other markets, Pukka works with one distributor but because of the scale in those two, it instead uses
agents to work with several distributors in order to get its products to a wider audience. The approach has paid off so far. Six years ago, Pukka was turning over £2.3 million. Consistent growth of 30-35 per cent a year has seen that rise to £17 million. And Tim says 70 per cent of that growth has come from international trade. The firm now employs 75 people directly, many travelling to source and buy herbs and work with suppliers. Without exports, the business would be much smaller. And he urged others to follow on. “People get too daunted,” he said. “Do some basic research to work out the size of the market and potential for your products or services. “If it’s significant, go out and get involved in local trade shows. Meet people on the ground and learn. Don’t be afraid.”
● EXPORT expert Russell Jones has welcomed a rise in the region’s value of exports over the last year with cautious optimism, as new measures were announced to help even more local firms begin their export journey. The latest trade statistics released by HM Revenue & Customs reveal that in the 12 months to September 2014, annual exports from the South West increased by £116 million to £13.7 billion. The total annual value of exports from the region in the year ending September 2014 rose by 0.9 per cent. The South West also witnessed an increase (0.7 per cent) in the number of exporting businesses in the last quarter, with over 3,820 active exporters. The statistics show that machinery, transport equipment and manufactured goods are the key export commodities for the South West and that it remains one of only three regions with food in its top five export commodities. Further analysis reveals that Germany, France and the USA represent the top markets and that there has been gain in the value of exports to Sub-Saharan Africa in the last quarter. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Regional Director Russell Jones, pictured, said: “It is encouraging to see that the region’s exports have increased in the last 12 months, along with a rise in the number of active exporters in the three months to September. “While we have seen a slight dip in the value of exports during the quarter, I am cautiously optimistic that we will see further growth over the next few months.” The figures were released a day after George Osborne announced £20 million of additional government funding to help more small and medium-sized UK businesses take their first steps into exporting. ● To find out more about the wide range of support services available through UKTI to help your company succeed overseas, please call 01275 370 944, e-mail enquiries@uktisouthwest.org or visit www.gov.uk/ukti
Chance to win £3k export support package as website launched A NEW website has been launched by Business West to help and inspire local businesses to take on the export challenge. getexporting.info showcases a range of companies from across the South West who all make exporting look easy! Those who log on in the next few months also get a chance to take part in a short survey for the chance to
win an export support package worth over £3,000. In the first couple of weeks since going live the website has already attracted more than 400 local businesses who have explored the possibilities of selling their goods or services to new customers in destinations as far and wide as Mexico to France, Australia to Canada, and
India to South Africa. The website is part of the wider #GetExporting campaign, by Business West, which is designed to encourage more businesses to get into export for the first time or if already exporting, to export more! Sarah Hildersley, Regional Co-ordinator, International UK Business Networks part of Business West, said:
“The idea of the #GetExporting shipping container is to use an iconic symbol of exporting to encourage businesses to reap the benefits of international trade. We are doing everything we can to support local businesses with market research, overseas contacts, training and more to reach our target of 2020 South West businesses to export more by 2020.”
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Health and safety
Retail
First aid Pair breathing life into market for training lifesavers
Inbetweeners help firm’s revenues rise
Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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HEN Carrie Britton and Catherine Dando are teaching first aid, you can rest assured they know what they are talking about. The pair have been working as paramedics for the past 12 years. Two years ago the friends set up a business, C Squared, giving first aid training to businesses and other organisations. “If we haven’t done it it’s not going to happen,” said Carrie. “We did a course for an organisation where we were asked can you do CPR in a wheelchair? “They had been told no before. We said, ideally you’d have the person on the floor but if you can’t then anything you can do is better than nothing. “We can teach you what you need to get your first aid certificate but also what you need in real life if anything happens.” After setting up the business, based in Redland, without borrowing, they have both kept up their day jobs and organised courses around their shifts. But now they want to ramp up the business and hope to eventually be able to employ other trainers too. Carrie, 35, and Catherine, 37, are both guide leaders and have been running free first aid training for local Guide and Brownie packs. Now they are offering the same service to local schools. “Kids are really great to train because they are excited about it,” said Carrie. “And children aren’t frightened to try. If they thought they needed to do it, they would just give it a go. “Whereas some adults say ‘what if I hurt them’ with CPR and I have to say, they’d rather be alive with a broken rib.” As well as being a worthwhile thing to do, the free sessions make business sense too. There are calls for first aid to be included in the national curriculum. If that happens, C Squared would be well placed to pick up some of that business in future. Besides, much of the firm’s business comes from word of month.
● Catherine Dando, top, and Carrie Britton who set up a business teaching first aid skills
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● A COMPANY which helps retailers sell more products has seen its own revenue rise by 26 per cent from £11.2 million to £13.8 million. A big slice of that turnover came from eXPD8’s work on blockbuster films, making sure DVDs are available, appropriately stocked and promoted in stores nationwide. Recently the firm, based in Orchard Street, Bristol, helped deliver the nationwide launch of The Inbetweeners 2 DVD earlier this month. Profits for the year were pretty flat, down slightly from £439,732 to £427,441 as the company invested revenues back into the business, growing the workforce from 1,000 to 2,500. It recently hired another 600 staff across the UK for the busy Christmas period. Director Mark Thurgood, who founded the business in 2003, said: “We have grown our business on the back of our in-depth understanding and expertise in the markets we serve along with exceptional customer service. Our ever growing team have played a critical role in ensuring that our customers meet the demand of their consumers in store. “We are always looking to bring new people into our fast expanding business and we are in the process of setting up an apprenticeship scheme with a local college.”
Carrie said the feedback from courses so far had been very positive. “We try to teach why as well as how,” she said, giving the example of the recovery position which is to keep people’s airways clear. The business came about after the pair both felt there was a need for more first aiders. “We see a lot of incidents where had there been first aider there, it might not have been as it was,” said Carrie. “There aren’t enough good first aiders out there when they are really needed. We thought, we can do something about that.”
● Schools interested in signed up for sessions should visit www.c-squared.co.uk.
Commercial property
A ‘seminal’ year for city office market Tribal Group’s move earlier this year. “Bristol’s office market is on track to deliver annual take-up in excess of 1 million sq ft, a level last seen in 2007,” she added. Rob Stanley, director of property and facilities for Bevan Brittan LLP, said: “We are delighted that Kings Orchard is benefiting so strongly from the strong performance of the Bristol office market. We have now secured 32,000 sq ft of lettings this year with two of this year’s top ten transactions.” Meanwhile commercial property agency DTZ has hailed 2014 as a “seminal” year for the market. Director Andy Heath said: “After six years of depressed conditions, we have seen a substantial uplift in activity. “With a substantial level of take-up expected in Q4, it will be the highest level of take-up for many years.” He added the biggest change had been at the top end of the market. “The most notable sea change has been the increased levels of grade A activity.”
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BRISTOL’S commercial property market is ending the year on a high with the second biggest deal of 2014, and is on course to break the 1 million barrier for the square footage of deals made. Parsons Brinkerhoff, a big planning, engineering, and program and construction management business, has taken 17,000 sq ft at Kings Orchard, overlooking Bristol’s floating harbour. The firm, represented by Knight Frank, is relocating from Redland and has sub-let the entire third floor from head tenant Bevan Brittan LLP. The agents say it is the second largest office letting in Bristol so far this year – the biggest being Ovo Energy’s move to a 70,000sq ft site in Rivergate, Temple Quay. The Parsons Brinkerhoff move means the firm can fit all its staff on one floor as well as providing a good central location. Catherine Collis of Alder King’s office agency team, who secured the lettings with GVA, said it was the second similar sized letting in the building in 2014, just overtaking
Part of the Local World group
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
The Big Interview
WHAT HAS POWERED ENERGY FIRM TO Jason Sharpe runs Bristol’s fastest growing business, energy company Ovo. Gavin Thompson asks the managing director for the secret behind the phenomenal success
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HEN Jason Sharpe joined Ovo Energy as customer service director, he was shocked by what he found. It wasn’t that things were bad. On the contrary the firm has a customer service record to be proud of. But one particular initiative made him gasp. “Once a month we have a town hall,” he said. “In a lot of businesses that aren’t call centres that’s easy to do. When I started on the Monday Stephen (Fitzpatrick, Ovo’s founder) told me about it and said, ‘we just turn the phones off ’. I said ‘Oh my God we can’t do that, what about the customer’.” Once he recovered from the shock, Jason grew to cherish the idea. “I really embrace it now,” he said. “If you go to any bank or shop sometimes you’ll see a sign saying ‘shut for staff training’ and that’s acceptable. So why isn’t it with a call centre too? Once a month we turn the phones off for an hour and get everyone to talk about what’s happening. We have 25 minutes of presentation and 25
Vital statistics
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Name: Jason Sharpe Age: 43 Place of birth: Thurrock, Basildon, Essex School: Cecil Jones High School, Essex First job: Underwood’s the Chemist (bought by Boots) – Sales – gave me my passion for retail and customer service Hero or inspiration: Steve Jobs, pictured, innovator, entrepreneur, disruptor in the market place, never gave up, perfectionist, tenacious.
minutes of Q&A. At end of that we do something like pie and cider or beer and pizza. People really look forward to it. We get a highly engaged workforce and good camaraderie.” It’s not the only thing Ovo does a little differently. Yes, there’s popcorn Friday and monthly fancy dress days. But the culture runs deeper than most call centres trying to motivate their staff with some enforced fun. There’s a lecture theatre, for example, in the firm’s new offices. There can’t be many call centres with one of those, but it reflects both the rate of the company’s growth – so fast it needs a new office – and the way it values its people. Everyone at the firm gets four days off a year for learning, and Jason, now managing director, says the firm decided to build the lecture theatre, which has space for more than 100 people, to facilitate that. “If people want to learn a language or learn
about finance, we’ll bring people in to run classes,” he said. He joined the Bristol firm 15 months ago, having been convinced by founder Stephen Fitzpatrick to buy into his vision. That the customer service director was later promoted to MD is no surprise. Stephen’s vision when he started the business was of how things should be done for the customer. Jason is building on that. He has introduced a system called Rant and Rave, designed by a company of the same name, that asks customers for feedback. “I love the idea that customers should be able to tell you that you are doing very well and if we’re not doing very well we need to hear about it,” he said. “We try to build trust. It became obvious when I worked at First Direct that the only way you build trust is by delivering something consistently. Then people will become advocates of the business. “If you’ve contacted us, immediately afterwards you’ll get an email if you’ve emailed or a text if you’ve called asking how did we do today? Score us out of 10 and give us your comments. That’s it, it’s not 20 questions. But if you score us between zero and three we call them back that day to say, ‘we’ve not done a great job, what can we do to put it right?’. “And when we do get it right, the agent gets to know in real time whether it was a good conversation, they get their score immediately and the team leader can see that 10/10 and can say ‘brilliant, well done’. “Or if there’s an opportunity to learn in that moment before the call has gone and they’ve forgotten what happened we can say ‘we could have done that better, what do you think you could have done?’. It’s real time feedback, coaching and celebration. That’s really important. “When we get a low score and call the customer back, most go ‘blimey! I didn’t expect anyone to call back’. So in the worst moment possible you are blowing their socks off.” A lesson learned from Jason’s time in charge at bank First Direct is to empower call handlers – or customer service agents, as Ovo prefers to call them – to be able to deal with issues, rather than having to ask a manager. “Here 90 per cent of customers only call once so the agent has been able to deal with them from beginning to end,” he said. The firm gives staff discretion to, for example, send a bunch of flowers or knock £10 of a bill when they think it is called for. “We recognised giving agents more flexibility means they felt more empowered, more in control of the conversation,” he said. “It means team leaders aren’t caught up with ‘I need to ask my manager this’ and they can focus on coaching and thinking ahead.” The formula seems to be working. The five-year-old company now has 425,000 customers, having grown 260 per cent in 12 months. New customers who didn’t come for the service, might have signed up for the green credentials, with 15 per cent of energy on its standard tariff coming from renewable sources.
My working day You wake up at? 5.30am What do you have for breakfast? Cereal and Fruit, with a comedy show puts me in a good mood for the day. What time do you start work? 7.30am Your typical working day? Meetings and briefings. Planning and making sure I’m visible in the
Jason would also be quick to stress Ovo is competitive on price too. Ovo was recently rated number the UK’s 10th fastest growing private company in the Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100, and top in the South West. The nearest challenger in Bristol was the Loungers bar chain, some 88 places behind. Growth, of course, has its own challenges. With getting on for 650 staff, the firm has outgrown its office in St Thomas Street and next week moves to Rivergate in Temple Quay, where it
office. I walk around the business at least four times a day to speak to the team face to face. What time do you go home? 7pm Do you take work home/attend evening functions? During the week I live away from home but at the weekend I make sure there is a good balance.
has room for more than 900. “With a business like Ovo which is growing phenomenally, we don’t want to grow our costs at the same rate,” said Jason. “We want to become more efficient. We want people to be able to go online and webchat. “Most customers call their energy provider in the first three months of setting up because as a customer you want to build some trust and make sure these are the people you want to deal with. Once that happens, why do you need to calls us? We can send you
“ When we get a low score and call the customer back, most go ‘blimey! I didn’t expect anyone to call back’. So in the worst moment possible you are blowing their socks off Jason Sharpe, Ovo a renewal and click here to renew. Customers who manage accounts online get discount, we’re passing savings on to them. We’re not saying don’t call in an emergency but if we make it easy for you, you won’t want to call.” As for the future. There’s growth left in the energy market. But that might not be the end of it for Ovo. Jason says: “We see ourselves as a technology company that delivers energy at the moment... and possibly other things in future.”
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
TO RAPID GROWTH
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Aerospace
We’ll launch a stretch version of A380, says Airbus chief PLANE-maker Airbus hopes to make a stretch version of its double-decker super jumbo the A380 in future. The plane is already the biggest commercial aircraft in the skies and can carry up to 853 passengers, dropping to 525 if you want first and business class in the mix. The prospect of an even bigger stretch version has been raised after an internal debate over the future of the plane became public. Comments from the firm’s finance director mooted the possibility of halting production on the giant plane. The remarks prompted a 4.5 per cent slide in the company’s share price and executives moved quickly to try to calm nerves. Airbus president and chief executive Fabrice Bregier admitted the firm was looking to reduce the costs of producing the A380, which has a list price of $414 million (£264 million) making it by far the firm’s most expensive plane.
Cutting costs could mean the manufacturer can break even making just 30 a year. But looking longer term, he said the company would look to create a new engine option for the plane, which would make it more fuel efficient. He went on: “I will tell you a secret. We will one day launch a stretch of the A380. This is so obvious that there is extra potential. And the market is growing in size, and this aircraft will find its place day after day.” So far the A380 has 318 firm orders from 19 customers, with Emirates by far the biggest. The Dubai-based airline’s president Tim Clark told Reuters news agency that if Airbus upgraded the plane with a more fuel-efficient engine his firm could double its order, adding it would hold the company to fulfilling all orders already taken. The wings and landing gear systems for the A380 are designed in Filton, where Airbus employs 4,000 people.
Showcase your business in the
My downtime What’s your perfect weekend? Going to the pub on a Friday night seeing friends, seeing my wife, getting out walking my dog. What’s your favourite book or film or
TV show? Big Bang Theory – it reminds me of my childhood. What are your hobbies (if any)? Walking the dog, music, reading, friends and family.
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Economy
CAPITALISING ON THE GREY POUND
As the demographics of Bristol change, Rupert Janisch reports on how business can benefit from our ageing population
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O
ne of the highlights of the finale to The Hobbit trilogy is 92-year-old actor Christopher Lee performing martial arts more befitting of a Shaolin warrior monk. Special effects, of course, but it represents a point – that as the health of our population improves our retired and elderly are more active, both physically and financially, than ever before. Combined with the 1940s baby boom, decades of soaring property rises and, barring a couple of recessions, sustained economic growth, there are essentially a lot more senior citizens around these days, and they are better off than ever before. The so-called ‘grey pound’ is becoming increasingly big business. Saga’s most recent research shows that the over-50s are becoming relatively more important in economic terms. Their analysis of the ONS Family Expenditure Survey data
shows that the over-50s’ share of UK household income has grown since the financial crisis and is expected to hit 49.9 per cent by 2018, up from just 41.4 per cent in 2007. In line with this increasing share of income, over-50s now make up a larger share of household consumption than before the financial crisis and the age group supports some 5.7 million jobs in our nation’s economy through their expenditure, of which around 900,000 are youth jobs. In Bristol, one example of a company profiting from this ageing population is Churchill Retirement Living. Based in Hampshire but with developments all over the south of England and venturing further
● Christopher Lee
north, the company specialises in creating mid-priced retirement flats. At the moment the company has a development in Fishponds, 62 units in Filton, one in Henleaze which is about to start construction, one in Portishead which is all sold and another there which has just been completed. There is also a site in Nailsea and another new facility in Thornbury, at which one bed flats start at around £200,000. The company’s regional managing director Martin Young, said: “Bristol has a population of around 450,000, with approximately 17 per cent of that population being over the age of 65. So it’s a large target market for us as a company. We’ve identified it as being one of our main operational hubs and in the future I expect we’ll open a sub-regional office here. “We had one before the recession and I can see that happening again because from the city we can not only service the Bristol area but South Wales as well. “We are seeing the effect of the baby boomer coming through, there’s a change in the demographic and the population is growing. “We have a number of different types of buyer. We have the people in their 60s or 70s, who are effectively downsizing from a four or five bed
family house when their children have left home and they are realising the liquidity in their biggest asset by buying down. That’s the beginning of the senior living sector. “But the sector runs the whole way up to those with high needs and requiring high intensity nursing. That’s quite a big umbrella, covering an age span running from 60 to 100. Retirement has become a lot more sophisticated and a very wide umbrella – you can’t have one-size-fits-all any more. “The second step is Churchill, and that’s the step that we focus on. It’s a need-based product which is usually event driven. So they might have already retired and be in a bungalow
“ Bristol has a population of around 450,000, with approximately 17 per cent of that population being over the age of 65. So it’s a large target market for us as a company.
Martin Young
but something will have triggered their need to come here. “It may be one of a couple passing away, or someone having a fall and being unable to drive, heating costs and tax bills become unsustainable, the garden becoming too much – these can all be drivers for either an individual or a couple making the decision.” The company is thriving, having sold 375 units sales last year, expecting to sell 500 unit sales this year and targeting 700 unit sales by 2017. Last year Churchill turned over £90 million and this year it will be £125 million, with profits rising from £17 million last year to £36 million this year. Mr Young said: “The market potential is huge and we’re currently only tapping into a small part of it. If you look at the numbers in Bristol for example, there is 17 per cent of 430,000 population who are potential customers and that’s 73,000 people are over 65 in the city. OK, they’re not all customers but a large percentage of them would fall into our profile. “There’s potential for the business to grow and be attractive to inward investment and perhaps even a flotation at some point. “For any company with our size, growth and performance, that sort of thing is potentially on the horizon.”
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Women in Business
in association with
THE CATEGORIES
● Grazziella Pinto, director at Fashion Bloodhound
Height of fashion Designer label business growing in some style By Liza-Jane Gillespie Business@b-nm.co.uk
I
T STARTED as a one-woman band selling women’s designer label clothes over the internet but three years later and Fashion Bloodhound is going places, as is its owner 26-year-old Grazziella Pinto. Named as Young Entrepreneur of the Year at the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards 2014, Miss Pinto has had a very successful year and things look set to continue for the burgeoning enterprise. Run from Miss Pinto’s home in Bitton the firm allows women with unwanted Christian Louboutin heels or a spare Dolce & Gabbana clutch to sell their exclusive wardrobe. Since its inception Fashion Bloodhound has grown signific-
The sponsors
antly and now employs one full time member of staff, as well as hiring three freelancers. In 2012 it opened a temporary pop up shop in Milsom Place for the Christmas period and now runs regular showcase events in Bath city centre where shoppers can look at the stock in person. Fashion Bloodhound has attracted media attention from a variety of fashion publications and Grazziella winning Young Entrepreneur of the Year has helped to thrust the firm further into the limelight. She said: “Being self-employed and running your own business is incredibly hard work, not just for me, but for anyone that works for themselves, so when I was nominated it felt amazing to be recognised for all the hard work I’ve put in these past few years. “Winning has been a highlight of my year and tops off a hugely successful year for my team and I
“ If you’re thinking about entering the Women in Business Awards then I’d say don’t hesitate. It’s been nothing but a positive experience. at Fashion Bloodhound.” Since winning the award in April Miss Pinto said the business had attracted new customers and sellers, and is enjoying increased brand recognition. She added: “Business is thriving, we’ve added to our team and have seen sales increase at a higher rate than we had forecasted. “If you’re thinking about en-
tering the Women in Business Awards then I’d say don’t hesitate. It’s been nothing but a positive experience for my business and myself on a personal level.” The Bristol and Bath Women in Bristol Awards has 11 categories up for grabs including Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Mentor of the Year, Female Apprentice of the Year and Marketing Campaign of the Year. Entries must be submitted by January 16 and will then be judged by an expert panel who will draw up a shortlist of finalists. The winners will be revealed at a gala awards dinner at the Bristol City Centre Marriott on March 19.
● To enter, sponsor a category or book tickets for the night, visit www.bristolpost.co.uk/wiba. If you’re talking about the awards on social medial, use #wiba.
Woman of the Year: A woman who has made a significant personal contribution to the success of the established company they run or in which they are employed. Young Entrepreneur of the Year: A woman who has made a significant contribution to the company they run, in which they are employed or the organisation they have been promoted or fast tracked within. Mentor of the Year: The woman who has demonstrated the skills of being a mentor to male or female employees, who has gone the extra mile in supporting a colleague or business and has made a difference to their life or business. Contribution to the Community, sponsored by The Mall Cribbs Causeway: The woman who can demonstrate the difference she has made to their community and/or Bristol and Bath over the last year (from Jan 1 2014 to Jan 1 2015). Women in the Workplace Award, sponsored by PPC: A company which has demonstrated a flexibility and adaptability to the employment of women. New Business of the Year, sponsored by Your Street Gift Cards: Open to all businesses that have started trading since January 2013 and principal trading base is in Bristol or Bath with either woman/women owners or a female head of the company. Business of the Year: This award will go to the profitable business that either has a female owner/s or a high percentage of females on the senior management team. Award for Innovation: A business that has introduced a new product, process, invention, idea, or design that has made a significant contribution to the business and has a female owner/s or a high percentage of females on the senior management team. Marketing Campaign of the Year: An organisation that has communicated effectively with its target audience (internal or external) over the past year, either as part of an ongoing programme or a one-off campaign. Female Apprentice of the Year: A female apprentice who can show the impact she has had on the organisation she works for, as well evidence of personal development and progression. Outstanding Contribution to Business in Bristol and Bath, sponsored by UWE: The businesswoman who, in the opinion of the judges, has made a considerable, profitable and lasting contribution to business in Bristol and Bath. This category is not open for submissions but handpicked by the judges.
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Wednesday, December 17, 2014
In pictures Bristol Connected
GALLERIES GALORE
FOR MORE PICTURES Check out our website at bristolpost.co.uk/business
● Guests at the Bristol Connected event held on the empty second floor of city centre office 10 Templeback
Pictures: Dave Betts
Upbeat ‘People back out there doing deals’ Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
S
OON companies will give workers office allowances – similar to car allowances – so they can go and find their own place to work. Ru Laidlow, of Cube Real Estates, told an audience of more than 60 businessmen and women, how he thinks the office market is changing. Speaking at the Post’s Bristol Connected event, he said: “You don’t walk
in, sit at your own desk from 9 to 5. The way people are interacting, meeting with clients and using online social portals is changing and therefore the way people interact with their buildings is changing. “The emphasis is now on what employees want and you tailor towards them, rather than the companies. “In the next 12 to 18 months you’ll see companies beginning to offer instead of a car allowance, an office allowance. You’ll be able to go off and find your own space.” He said for office providers that means being able to offer attractive, flexible environments as well as the
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● Fitzroy Bonfield, Fitzfield Accountancy & Tax Services, Jon Gill, TLT LLP, Ricky Killa, CSG, and Julian Cassell, CSG Computer Services.
● Fiona Jordan, UWE
big spaces that larger companies like. The event took place on the empty second floor of 10 Templeback, a city centre office where Cube Real Estates has recently taken on the asset management. Ru added that the property market was moving again. “People are back out there prepared to do deals and landlords are prepared to do flexible deals,” he said. “Business is back.” The event was also used to highlight the Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle Women in Business Awards. Fiona Jordan, associate dean for external engagement at UWE’s faculty of business and law, which is
sponsoring the awards, said: “50 per cent of my students are women and I want them to have the same opportunity to achieve as men. The reality is there is still a significant gender pay gap and significant underrepresentation at very senior levels. “But for me it’s equally important that it’s about the value of having women involved. “I went to the awards earlier this year and found it a really enjoyable and inspiring occasion. It’s really positive to celebrate female role models successfully contributing to our local economy.” She said such awards were par-
● From left, Alexandra McArthur, McArthur Marketing, Alison Wilmot, Find Me A Trade, Amanda Kerin, AJK Event Manager, and Lindsey Sandom-Brown, The Bristol Bridge
● Dani Andres and Susan Uzel, Spirit PR; right, guests at the event
ticularly relevant for women. “When we look at what men and women want by way of professional development, there are differences,” said Fiona. “Women value coaching, mentoring, peer support and those confidence building activities. “We think this is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate achievement and showcase great female role models.” The final speaker was Ellen Green, who shared how her business, The Blue Badge Company, based in Montpelier, Bristol, had grown from a back bedroom to count Boots among its stockists.
● Ellen Green, The Blue Badge Company
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
11
In pictures Colliers International
● From left, Stacey Butterworth, Sustain, Oliver Holtaway, Freelance PR, Ryan Legge and Helen Carpenter, Hayes Parsons
● Chris Dawson (Colliers) and Warren Reid (Thrings)
Christmas cheer as Colliers hosts party for city firms COMMERCIAL property specialists Colliers International entertained guests from across the city’s business world at a festive networking event at Clifton Wine Bar. Head of office Tim Davies welcomed guests from a number of top Bristol companies including Thrings, Handelsbanken, Osborne Clarke, Urbina, Santander, Wards, Foot Anstey, Castleoak, Firmstone Developments, Peter
Brett Associates, HSBC, Eagle Land as well as the University of Bristol. Tim said: “We are seeing increased activity which is boosting confidence across the city business community and Colliers International enjoyed celebrating both the start of the festive season and a successful year ahead for the city’s property market with their clients.”
● Emily Cooke (Colliers) Gareth Hughes (Foot Anstey)
● Gemma Daly (Colliers) and Mark Halpin (Handelsbanken)
● Angela Belassie, PR The Write Way, Gemma Collins, Natwest/RBS, and Kathryn King, Artistry & Grace/Amway
● Bristol Post Assistant Editor (Business) Gavin Thompson talks to Ruari Laidlow of Cube Real Estate; below, guests at the event
● Heather Rees (Base Architects) and Matt Whiston (Peter Brett Associates)
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● Ben Meynell (Colliers) and Laurence Dungworth (Castleoak)
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
In pictures Bristol Gourmet Game Dinner
Food for thought Charity dinner raises £15k
T
● Cathy and Ross Ancell
● Lady Paula Wills and Jenny Dowdeswell
HE Bristol and North Somerset branch of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) raised more than £15,000 for the charity at its annual Gourmet Game Dinner. The exclusive dinner for 50 invited guests was held at the Clifton Club in Bristol, and featured four game courses comprising wild Scottish salmon, smoked venison, local pheasant and Wemmergill grouse provided by the guests themselves. The event also featured a silent auction of nine lots, which included a sterling silver hawk brooch designed and made by Bristol jeweller Nig Barratt and bottles of Chateau Lafite donated by the Rothschild family. Jerry Barnes, chair of the Bristol and North Somerset branch of the GWCT and chair of the landed estates team at the Bristol office of Smith & Williamson, which sponsored the event, said: “This was undoubtedly our best gourmet dinner to date, with the finest quality game donated by guests and sponsors. Each dish was superbly hand crafted by the Clifton Club’s chef Phil Clench and his team. “On behalf of all the sponsors, I’d like to thank our guests for their generosity and for helping to raise a considerable sum to help the GWCT with its research and other important work in the countryside.” The dinner was sponsored by accountancy and investment management group Smith & Williamson, law firm Michelmores, Yapp Brothers wine merchants, Southfield Sporting and Bristol Private Office Services.
● Jerry Barnes, of Smith & Williamson, Delphine Barnes, of BPOS, Robert Lintott, of Southfield Sporting, Teresa Dent, of GWCT, and Tom Hyde of Michelmores
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Going behind the scenes of Bloodhound project More than 50 chamber members were captivated by the project with incredible background delivered by chief engineer Mark Chapman and sponsor Liaison Tony Parraman, who then took them on a tour of the technical centre. Chamber member Berkeley Harris, from Sandler Training, said: “Having attended numerous events as a keen networker, I really enjoy the Business West approach to ‘Access all Areas’ events. “I was fortunate enough to attend the Bloodhound car event which was absolutely superb. ‘Made in Bristol’ will once again be on the map in 2015!”
● Katrina Lintott and Sarah-Jane Longbottom
● Jerry Barnes, Michael Cannon and Michael Dowdeswell
In pictures Access All Areas ● BUSINESS people enjoyed an access all areas tour of the project building a supersonic car designed to break the 1,000mph barrier. Access All Areas Business Networking events run by Business West are designed to be different than the norm. And the latest one, at the Bloodhound Supersonic Car (SSC) took this concept to a different level – you could say it was miles better. The Bloodhound SSC project is a global engineering adventure, using a 1,000mph world land speed record attempt to inspire a generation about science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
● Sir David Wills and Andrew Nisbett
● Berkeley Harris, from Sandler Training
● Julian and Lindsay Telling