Business 26 March 2014

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26 MAR 2014

EXPORTS SPECIAL

YOUR WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY With the Chancellor to offer substantial support for firms to trade overseas in a bid to sustain the UK’s economic upturn, experts say there has never been a better time to export - p10&11 EPB-E01-S3

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Construction

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Medical

£3.5m funding helps plant hire firm expand ● A FIRM that hires out earth-moving equipment is growing its range by a quarter and buying 80 more pieces of kit.

Plantforce, based in Yatton, is making the move after agreeing a £3.5 million funding package from Santander Corporate & Commercial.

The expansion is in response to strong customer demand for its services, which reflects strength in the construction industry.

Founded in 1999 by owner and managing director, Claire Trott, Plantforce holds around 380 pieces of plant and machinery which it rents out to customers across the South West, from South Wales to Cornwall.

The business employs 85 people full and part-time across its two sites in Yatton and Exeter.

The firm has also been making more efficiency savings, and to comply with new emissions regulations, and is on track to increase profits by seven per cent in 2014.

Claire said: “We are delighted to be able to reinvest in our business and have been impressed with Santander’s understanding of our ambitions. The bank has provided an excellent level of service, putting facilities in place to fit our business model and we are sure we will continue this relationship in the future.”

Chris Mears, relationship director at the bank, said: “Plantforce is an excellent example of a business responding proactively to the needs of their customers and taking the decision to invest in new staff and equipment. We have been hugely impressed by the team at Plantforce and very much look forward to supporting their growth plans.”

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● The Work Doctors, from left, Dr Andrew Warinton, Dr Stephen Pill, Roger Harrison, Dr Mark O'Connor, Julie Davidson, Lesley Irvine and Dr Shruti Patel

Sick days GPs join forces to offer speedy help when workers fall ill Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

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OUR Bristol-based GP practices have come together to form a business that they believe will transform the way occupational healthcare is delivered.

Long Ashton Surgery, Yatton Surgery, Wrington Vale Medical Practice and Clevedon Riverside Group have joined forces to form Work Doctors, a specialist occupational healthcare company with unrivalled expertise in workplace health and wellbeing.

With many hundreds of sick days

lost to industry across the South West every year, Work Doctors aims to revolutionise how occupational health has traditionally been delivered and raise the standard for speed, responsiveness and issue resolution for both the employer and employee.

They hope that the result will be businesses in Greater Bristol finding it quicker and easier to access the specialist advice, support and assistance they need to keep their employees healthy, well and productive at work.

Work Doctors is led by occupational physician and Bristol-based GP, Dr Mark O’Connor, who said: “We believe that workplace healthcare can be better delivered by a company that

“ Employees are one of the most valuable assets for many businesses and too much time can be lost in coming to an understanding of their diagnosis and treatment” Dr Mark O’Connor works with both the employer and the employee to deliver sensitive solutions in an engaging, timely and personal way.

“Employees are one of the most valuable assets for many businesses

and too much time can be lost in coming to an understanding of their diagnosis and treatment when they are unwell, and how these impact on their ability to work.

“Our model eliminates the traditional delays and delivers a definite report and recommended treatment plan within 24 hours.”

With this approach, Work Doctors aims to provide business owners and managers with a swift and comprehensive solution to the myriad and often complex range of physical and emotional issues that can arise in today's busy and highly pressured workplaces.

The new company has a head office and medical facility in Long Ashton. and hopes to expand quickly.

Osborne Budget delivers outbreak of economic good sense

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TEND to have low expectations of Budgets – too often they are all mouth and no trousers, full of political posturing and pointless tinkering dressed up as helpful initiatives.

However, I have to say that last week Chancellor George Osborne delivered one of the best Budgets in many years.

The repositioning towards “doers, makers and savers” is long overdue.

The Government is hamstrung by the size of the deficit in the amount of help it can give these worthy folk, but the shift in emphasis is welcome, as is the unstated, but observable, turn away from complex trivialities to a simpler approach.

The highlights for me were: ■ Business tax – the increase in the annual investment allowance to £500,000 is a pleasant surprise, but perhaps even more important is the timeframe to the end of 2015. The previous constantly changing allowance levels made investment de-

Know how Andrew Fisher FCA Executive director Alanbrookes Ltd AndrewFisher@ Alanbrookes.co.uk 01934 863386

cisions difficult for any investment with a long lead time.

■ Personal tax – at last the higher rate band symbolically moves upwards a little in a belated recognition of the damaging effect of fiscal drag on middle income earners.

■ Pensions – the move to allow people to draw their pensions more easily and cheaply was a bold move and a necessary one. Retirees are no longer forced by the insurance giants to take poor-value annuities.

■ Apprenticeships – on the non-fiscal front, I like the idea of degree level

apprenticeships. Why get £30,000 into debt going to university when you can earn and gain practical experience while you learn?

The kind of language now being used is a long way from the previous administration’s absurd pettifogging, which reached its Pythonesque peak with the occasional free breakfast (maximum six per annum) on cycle-to-work days, requiring definitions of “qualifying meals” and “designated days”.

I now make a plea to all public policy-makers.

We know that all Budgets are based on economic data – an endless succession of numbers, the meaning of which has to be interpreted by experts.

Behind these numbers, however, is the reality of economic activity undertaken by human beings, led in my opinion by the entrepreneurs owning and running small and medium enterprises and owner-managed businesses.

Such businesses are not statistics, they are the dynamic, collective results of people’s hopes and dreams and hard graft, and politicians should make it their number one priority to ensure they survive and prosper.

I am constantly inspired by the energy, vision, ingenuity and resilience displayed by these enterprises in the face of challenging macroeconomic conditions.

In the Bristol area, we are fortunate

“ I have to say George Osborne delivered one of the best Budgets in many years. The repositioning towards ‘doers, makers and savers’ is long overdue.” that statistically we have more than our fair share of such people and businesses.

These SMEs and OMBs are the real sources of economic growth, yet they – together with their owners – remain among the most highly taxed and heavily regulated entities in the UK. Sorry Mr Balls, but more taxes and more regulation will be about as welcome among the OMB and SME community as the Black Death.

George has certainly made a start, but there is a very long way to go.

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Electrical

Tourism

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Economy

Quality touches help hotel scoop award

Optimism tempered by some concerns

● THE Bristol Hotel has won a Business Tourism Award for its commitment to excellence in quality and customer care.

Little touches including home-made lemonade freely available in reception and shortbread served with coffees helped it take the prize.

The 187-bed hotel in Narrow Quay, Harbourside, will now go forward to represent the city in the business tourism category of the Visit England national awards.

Finalists for those awards will be announced later this month, with gold, silver, bronze and highly commended prizes being confirmed in April, ahead of a presentation ceremony in May. The Bristol Hotel’s housekeeping team won the Team of the Year Award – Hospitality, based on its success in consistently hitting its targets and maintaining high standards in the guest rooms and public areas.

A spokesperson from the hotel said: “Lighter, healthier lunches are now on offer in the hotel’s conference centre, with the chef able to create bespoke menus to suit guests’ dietary needs, and various technology upgrades have been introduced, such as improved sound systems. The constant investment in the building resulted in a marked reduction in guest complaints and increased loyalty from existing guests.”

● BUSINESS leaders were given cause for cautious optimism following addresses at the University of the West of England.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales (ICAEW) and Lloyds Banking Group pointed to an increase in business confidence but with concerns about the future health of the economy.

Chief economist at Lloyds Bank Trevor Williams predicted solid upturn during 2014 and 2015 in the UK, with the South West well positioned with its high growth sectors such as the creative industries and smart technologies, together with access to high end education provision.

However he warned there were risks to recovery including the Eurozone, where he forecast tepid growth would continue.

Simon Thompson, head of corporate communications at ICAEW, unveiled the key findings of the latest quarterly business confidence monitor that it produces with Grant Thornton.

The report reveals that business confidence in the UK had increased for six consecutive quarters and that turnover and profit growth would continue to pick up.

Property

● From left, Mike ‘Spike’ Garty, Lee Godwin, Fraser Besant, Andy Besant, Kerry Rogers and Matt Lamoon Pic: Barbara Evripidou BRBE20140324C-2

Leading lights Scots help online business flourish

Office business takes over floor

Chris Campbell

● A SERVICED office business has taken over the fifth floor at One Temple Quay, showing the growing demand for flexible office space.

The firm, i2 Office, has taken the 24,000 sq ft space and is fitting it out to house a range of offices totalling 310 desks.

Businesses signed up already include planning consultants Lerch Bates, which is expanding its UK business with a new Bristol office.

Chief executive of i2, Philip Grace, said: “One Temple Quay occupies a prominent position in the heart of the prime business district of Bristol, and is generally considered as the finest building in the area.”

USTOMERS from as far away as the Orkney Islands and the Outer Hebrides have been buying lighting from a growing Bristol firm.

Ablectrics, situated on Gloucester Road, has rapidly expanded its online service over the past five years and 20 per cent of its internet sales are now to people in Scotland.

The firm sells a wide range of lighting products and equipment, including LED and low-energy lighting for bathrooms, gardens, security, chandeliers and for commercial use.

Partner Fraser Besant said the reason his products were popular in remote parts of the Highlands and

Business@b-nm.co.uk

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further afield was because residents were so far away from DIY stores.

“Sometimes they can buy items for £4 and then pay £4.99 to get them posted to them,” he said. “But when they are 30 miles or further from their nearest store, it can make sense.

They are in obscure villages and towns and buying things like lighting, circuit-breakers and fuse boxes.”

Internet sales account for 20 per cent of the electrical wholesaler and lighting specialist’s profits.

The family business’s second biggest online market is London, thought to be because of the capital’s higher prices, which account for just under 20 per cent of web sales.

The firm turns over nearly £1 million. Fraser, 29, added: “Without the internet there is no way we would be doing so well. There are thousands and thousands of fittings and we can’t possibly stock them all in store. The

majority of those who buy online buy again within the next two months. We have a five per cent return rate.”

Ablectrics is to push its online activity further with the launch of a new website in May. It will have two special features – a pop-up window offering users a range of low-energy lightbulb options and a log-in for trade customers, such as electricians, who will be able to offer their own customers a discount.

The business is also set to re-fit its shop next year. The present showroom will hold stock, while the front of the premises will be converted into an open-plan showroom.

Ablectrics celebrates 40 years in business on Sunday with a discount day of 15 per cent off all lighting.

It was founded by Fraser’s dad, Andy, and employs five people.

● Visit the company’s website at www.lightingshopbristol.co.uk.

Business savings accounts

1.01% State Bank £10,000 deposit of India

Hanley Economic 1.53% BS £1,000 deposit

0.25% £1 deposit

State Bank 1.49% of India £10,000 deposit

0.12% £1 deposit

Cambridge & 1.45% Counties £10,000 deposit Bank

Co-operative Bank

0.10% Unity Trust £25,000 deposit Bank 0.05% £1 deposit Allied Irish Bank (GB)

0.05% £500 deposit

Bank Of Cyprus UK

1.25% £1,000 deposit

1.25% Shawbrook £5,000 deposit Bank

Advertising Robert Rodgerson Call07828 941469 Email robert.rodgerson @b-nm.co.uk Advertising Jane Chapman Call 01179 343025 Email jane.chapman @b-nm.co.uk Advertising Shama Abokor, Regional Business Account Executive Call 0117 934 3426 Emailshama.abokor@ b-nm.co.uk

Petrol prices .36p

129 136 138 70

Unleaded

.47p Diesel

.11 Super unleaded

.10p LPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

Inflation (CPI)

1.7 1.6 0.5 3.99

Weekly earnings

TYTHERINGTON

%

Castle Quarry, Tytherington GL12 8QU

%

Base interest rate % Ave mortgage rate %

IN PLOTS OR POSSIBLY WHOLE Approx 11.88 acres (4.81 ha) Office Building – 5,046 sq.ft.

Industrial Building – Ref: N. Clark 3,636 sq.ft.

Suitable for variety of uses, subject to planning

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Source: Business Moneyfacts moneyfacts.co.uk

1.36% National Counties BS £1,000 deposit

Assistant Editor (Business) Gavin Thompson Call 0117 934 3336 Email gavin.thompson @b-nm.co.uk Twitter @gavin_thompson1

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Food and drink

Awards

Brewery raises a glass to beer voted UK best

Providing a fresh pipeline of talent ● We are sponsoring this award due to the importance in growing the skills for our region. We chose to sponsor this award to raise awareness of the wide variety of apprenticeships that are available and to highlight that apprenticeships offer females a supported route into careers that have been traditionally male dominated.

The aim of the West of England LEP Apprenticeship Hub is to provide a simple, easy to understand service for both

people who might want to take up an apprenticeship, and the employers who will potentially be taking them on.

We are currently working with the four local authorities to ensure every business in the LEP area gets a notification through the business rate notification of the Apprenticeship programme and the help and grants available.

We are also working with BIS on the new Trailblazer initiative to help facilitate employers being involved in shaping the future delivery of Apprenticeships.

Colin Skellett, Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "It’s not always possible to recruit people with the right skills off the shelf, by investing in apprentices we are able to tailor their training and development to what employers need – thus providing a fresh pipeline of talent into the business.”

● Debra Williams, who is on the board of Welsh rugby club the Ospreys

Beyond compare Debra’s praise for high achievers Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

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BUSINESSWOMAN who has tackled a host of challenges and come out with the right result will be guest speaker at the inaugural Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards.

Debra Williams is on the board of Welsh rugby club the Ospreys. But her biggest win was probably her role as managing director of Confused.com, the price comparison business.

She built the business into one of the top comparison websites, making profits of £36 million and securing more than 60,000 visits online every day.

Her career has also taken her to

Tesco Compare, where she was managing director.

She started her working life as an underwriter but worked her way up to become one of the most powerful women connected to the insurance industry by running the comparison sites.

Debra said: “I am delighted to be invited to speak at the forthcoming Bristol and Bath Women in Business

Awards. There are so many impressive ladies in business in these areas I was surprised to learn these are the first awards of this type.

“I look forward to meeting these high achievers and sharing some of my experiences with them.”

Sarah Pullen is managing director of Bristol and Bath News and Media, publisher of the Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle.

She said: “This is the first year we have run the Women in Business awards and I am delighted that we have been able to launch them.

“In these challenging economic times it is good to focus on the women whose business success is helping to lead us out of recession.” ● The Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards will take place on April 2 at the Bristol City Centre Marriott. You can book your tickets for the event at www.bristolpost.co.uk/wiba.

The finalists ● Woman of the Year, sponsored

by PPC. Finalists: Romy Gill, of Romy’s Kitchen, Thornbury; Susie Hewson, managing director of Natracare, Kingswood; Michelle Michael, of Weston’s Grand Pier; Rachel Demuth, of Demuth’s Cookery School, Bath; Suzanne Baxter, group finance director of Mitie, Emersons Green

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● Young Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by bclear Communications.

Finalists: Rebecca Kench, of PropertECO, Bath; Amy McCormack, ETM Recycling, Ashton Vale; Grazziella Pinto, Fashion Bloodhound, Longwell Green ● Business of the Year, sponsored by City of Bristol College.

Finalists: 1pm, Bath; Fabulous trading as Pandora, Bath; Mitie, Emersons Green

● Mentor of the Year, sponsored

by Lloyds Banking Group.

Finalists: Debs Eden, of Debs Eden & Associates, Southville; Joni Farthing, Women Outside The Box, Bristol; Emma Sparks, Geometry PR, Bath ● Contribution to the Community Award, sponsored by Southgate Shopping Centre.

Finalists: Low Carbon South West CIC, Queen Square, Bristol; Jenny Foster, of Bristol Fairtrade; Geometry PR, Bath ● Women in the Workplace, sponsored by Crest Nicholson.

Finalists: 2S Recruitment, Bedminster; Brunelcare, Whitehall; The HR Dept, Henfield, South Gloucestershire ● Female Apprentice, sponsored by the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.

Finalists: Emma Sparks, of Geometry PR, Bath; Jessica

Docherty, PES Consulting, Rudgeway, South Gloucestershire ● Innovation Award, sponsored by Ashfords.

Finalists: YourStreet Ltd, Ashley Down; LiteTile Ltd, Rooksbridge; In Touch Studios, Bedminster ● New Business of the Year, sponsored by HSBC Commercial Banking.

Finalists: YourStreet Ltd; Granny’s Secret, Chipping Sodbury ● Marketing Campaign of the Year Finalists: Hancock Communications, Bath; Merlin Housing Society, Chipping Sodbury; Rapport Digital, Brislington ● Outstanding Contribution to Business in Bristol or Bath, sponsored by UWE Bristol.

Will be announced on the night. ● Overall awards sponsors: UWE Bristol

● A BREWER in the city is celebrating winning a hat-track of industry awards.

The Bristol Beer Factory’s Milk Stout won gold in the stouts and porters category at the 2014 Society of Independent Brewers National Awards.

Independence won gold in the bitters up to 4.9 per cent strength... and went on to win gold overall, making it officially the best bottled beer in the UK. Senior brewer, Johnny Mills, received the award from SIBA commercial director Nick Stafford.

Managing director, Simon Bartlett, right, said: “The SIBA awards are very much the Oscars for the whole of the British beer industry – encompassing large breweries and small craft breweries. To reach the final we had to win the regional competition – the South West is one of eight regions across UK. “Up to 200 bottles per region are submitted, so our beers have been judged against many hundreds of beers from across the country to come out as the overall winners in these categories.”

To cap off a great week, the brewer’s Southville Hop won beer of the festival at the 2014 Camra Bristol Beer Festival.

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Charity

Association raises £10,000 for funds ● THE Bristol Property Agents Association (BPAA) has raised more than £10,000 for two charities for the 2013-2014 financial year.

The BPAA supported CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading charity for children and young people with cancer and leukaemia. The second beneficiary is Bath-based Wherever The Need; an international charity which provides sanitation in areas of the world where it does not exist.

The BPAA, which brings together people in commercial and residential property in the city, raised the money through a series of events including its annual Cyclosportive and dinner, a golf day, tennis and boules competitions and an annual quiz at the Mud Dock.

Andrew Main of Savills, BPAA chairman for the financial year, chose the charities when he took office. He said: “I am delighted with the level of fundraising support we have been able to generate for these two worthy charities and would like to thank both the BPAA’s membership and all those who contributed for making this possible.”

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

5

Call centres

Transport

Star operators in line for industry prizes

Airport fund donates £180,000 to projects

● WE all use call centres, and good or bad service can make or break our relationship with a company.

So the call centre industry, which employs 52,000 people in the South West, is set to recognise the excellence in its ranks.

The skills of the best people employed in the challenging contact centre industry and the places where they work are to be celebrated at the 2014 South West Contact Centre Awards, sponsored

by Red Contact Centres.

Organised by the employer-led organisation the South West Contact Centre Forum, the sixth annual awards celebrate excellence and innovation by individuals and teams from across the region’s 250-plus call centres.

SWCCF managing director, Jane Thomas, said: “The awards will recognise these outstanding businesses and those that deliver excellence to their respective customers.”

Nominations for the free-to-enter awards are now being sought and close on Thursday, April 10.

The winners will be revealed at a gala presentation ceremony on Thursday, July 3, at the Grand Thistle Hotel, Bristol.

Find out more at www.swccf.co.uk/awards.

● A FUND set up to benefit the community around Bristol Airport has donated more than £180,000 to 44 local projects since it was established two years ago.

The Airport Environmental Improvement Fund was set up in 2012 as one of the commitments the airport agreed to provide in connection with its planning permission for development over the next decade.

Each year, the airport contributes £100,000 to the fund, with the figure increasing in line with future growth in passenger numbers. The management committee includes representatives from both the airport and North Somerset Council and is independently chaired.

Alan Davies, planning and environment director at Bristol Airport, said: “All initiatives have, or will, deliver benefits to the local community and residents, thanks to the fund’s contribution.”

Last year, a total of 26 projects received contributions ranging from £370 to £11,000. Local initiatives supported include an improved pedestrian crossing on the A38 at Cowslip Green in Wrington, a community art programme at Backwell School, improved road safety signage on the A370 at Cleeve and outdoor play equipment in Flax Bourton.

● Ami Anderson from LV= in Bristol won the trainer of the year prize at last year’s South West Contact Centre Awards. She was presented with the trophy by comedian Milton Jones and Gareth Rayworth from the SWCCF

SMEs

Distribution

Road to success Junction needed for Avonmouth to thrive – expert Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

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NEW motorway junction is needed if Avonmouth is to build on its success as a business distribution centre, according to one expert.

Tim Davies, head of the Bristol office at Colliers International, said a new junction on the M49 was vital to open up further brownfield land for developers looking for bigger and bigger warehouse and distribution centres close to the West’s busiest motorway hub.

Mr Davies said: “With the economy on an upward spiral we want to take advantage of this and it’s essential that the Government commits

money to provide better infrastructure.

“Building a new junction on the M49 would open up whole swathes of land at Severnside and also improve connectivity to the port.

“My concern is that without better connections to the motorway some of the big players will begin to look outside the area.”

His comments follow a flurry of deals amounting to hundreds of thousands of square feet.

Supermarket Farm Foods recently announced it is to open a 175,000 sq ft distribution centre on Central Park – alongside the Chep pallet premises.

Other major occupiers include Morrisons, Tesco, Asda and the Co-op.

Current requirements in the South West include up to one million sq ft for The Range home, leisure and

● Tim Davies garden specialists and 600,000 sq ft for B&M Stores.

Mr Davies said: “Size is clearly becoming more and more important

in today’s economy. The Co-op and Asda opened massive units last year of 450,000 sq ft and 600,000 sq ft respectively.

“Simple economies of scale are fuelling demand for bigger and bigger distribution centres.

“With the economic recovery in full swing, it is clear that many suppliers are gearing up their distribution requirements ready to take advantage of the upturn.

“And although the Avonmouth area has attracted its fair share of major occupiers, the lack of access onto the M49 could become critical.

“If we can’t open up direct access to the motorway network we are in danger of losing out as other occupiers look further beyond the region. For instance, Home Bargains has just taken 500,000 sq ft at Solstice Park, near Salisbury.”

Events

Butler at your service as hall opens for functions quets. We work hard to ensure that it is straightforward staging events here. We work with a range of specialist partners, offering catering, AV and presentation equipment.

“Hall hire is competitive and events can be enhanced by including the services of the society’s butler and use of the Merchants’ sumptuous silver table pieces for grand dinners and banquets.”

The Merchant Venturers’ story has been threaded through the history of

Bristol for 450 years. The Merchants ran the Port of Bristol from the beginning of the 17th century to the opening of the Floating Harbour in 1809. Now its interests are mainly charitable.

Anthony Brown, Master of the Merchant Venturers, said: “We believe that Merchants’ Hall can be a valuable amenity for the civic and business community in Bristol. This is a very special place and events here are memorable and distinctive.”

● The Merchants’ Hall

● SMALL and medium-sized businesses are planning for growth and seeing increased levels of orders and new customers.

The Business Factors Index, produced quarterly by business funding specialist Bibby Financial Services, surveys the sentiment and outlook of 500 UK SME owners.

The South West saw 44 per cent report a rise in new customers compared to 33 per cent in the third quarter and 26 per cent had recruited new staff compared to just 11 per cent in the previous quarter.

Sharon Wiltshire, head of Bibby Financial Services Bristol, said: “The findings of our research for Q4 2013 are certainly encouraging ... It is imperative the financial services sector plays its part in backing those firms and providing the kind of funding that not only meets a financial requirement but works with development of the business.”

Customer service

Survey shows high rate of satisfaction ● HOUSEBUILDER Barratt Bristol has achieved a five-star rating in an independent customer satisfaction survey for the fifth year running.

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) UK-wide survey revealed 90 per cent of all respondents would recommend Barratt Bristol.

Sales director Andrea Pilgrim said: “We take an enormous amount of pride in the consistently high levels of quality and service that we deliver for our customers across the area.

“It’s a great achievement for our employees to be recognised as leaders in customer service. We are passionate about the quality of the homes we build so it’s fantastic for everyone associated with Barratt Bristol to be rewarded nationally in this way.”

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FOR those wanting to add a touch of (upper) class to their corporate do, how about a butler?

The Merchant Venturers organisation has decided to open Merchants’ Hall, overlooking Clifton Down, for corporate and civic functions.

And you can even hire the society’s butler and use the silver tableware.

Emma Jennings, deputy events manager, said: “Merchants’ Hall is a very special place for organisations looking to hold meetings and ban-

Survey shows rise in orders and customers

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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The Big Interview

THE TIME AND PLACE FOR GROWTH Cities Minister Greg Clark is the architect of the City Deals programme, which is set to boost the region’s economy and deliver an extra 40,000 jobs in the next 30 years. He talks to the Post’s Parliamentary Correspondent Caroline Wheeler about the future of the programme, which he claims will ‘revolutionise’ the relationship between the region and central government.

“ It is a really exciting time for this agenda. We are on the cusp of a big breakthrough. It will bring a transformation in the relationship between central government and these places.

Cities Minister Greg Clark

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HE City Deal was heralded as a major breakthrough for the region that promises to boost the economy and deliver 40,000 jobs and investment worth more than £1 billion over the next 30 years.

It was the brainchild of Cities Minister Greg Clark, who visited pioneering Bristol microchip firm Xmos – whose technology is used globally to develop electronics products – to announce the deal back in July 2012.

Now he is looking ahead to the future of the City Deals programme, which he claims will “revolutionise" the relationship between the region and central government.

“It goes back to three years ago when David Cameron and I had a conversation and it was around the importance of different places for what was then being put together, which was the Government’s growth strategy,” Mr Clark said.

“And my view at the time was that of course it is absolutely right to get the right macroeconomic policies in place – it is the basis on which the coalition was founded. To sort out the finances and to attract the confidence of international investors is absolutely essential.

“The debate was also about microeconomics, so have you got the best tax system in place to attract the people, to locate and expand their businesses?

“They are absolutely the bedrock of any growth policy, but it seems to me that there is a third leg that over a period of decades national governments had completely forgotten about, which was the fact that you can have all the right national policies – you can make the nation a good place to do business and grow – but the truth is that every instance of growth doesn’t take place at the national level. It can’t take place at the nation level.

“It always, by its very definition, has to take place at a particular location.”

The Minister added: “If a business is expanding and taking on more people, that doesn’t happen in the ether, it doesn’t happen in the abstract – there is always a geographical place in which that expansion takes place.

“If you have a business starting up, it doesn’t start up on a national level, it starts up in a particular place.

“An investor doesn’t come from the abstract to the UK. They will always chose a particular place – a town, city or rural area.

“It seems to me the national debate for such a long time has been about

● Cities Minister Greg Clark; below, fourth from left, during a visit to Bristol’s Engine Shed Business Centre last year how the country can be made a good place to invest, so every particular place can be conducive to growth, or it can put in place impediments for growth and investments and they can be from different sources – it could be transport connections, for example.

“One place can be hard and expensive to get to for supplies and people, or it can be so brilliantly connected that it makes it a positive advantage.

“The workforce can be attractive for businesses to want to base and expand there, or a low skills level can make people think twice. A good local leader can be attractive to local business locating there or a bad one can make them think twice.

“The paradox is that increasingly during the 20th and 21st centuries, economics was never local, it was either micro or macroeconomics, and so what we have done over the last three years – and the Chancellor in particular really grasped this – was see the need to have the third prong of the strategy. Not the microeconomic or the macroeconomic, but the local.

“As soon as you accept that as being irrefutable, then you understand that every place is different.

“So if you accept that places make a difference to growth and national growth is the accumulation of growth in every place in the country, then it forces you to treat places differently because every place is different, so that was the basis of the City Deals programme.”

Mr Clark said that at first the process was a bit “dispiriting”.

“At first, the experience was a bit dispiriting because the ambitions expressed to the Government from the different places were very limited,” he said during a newspaper conference lunch at Westminster.

“Over the decades, they had been so used to second-guessing the Government that the proposals they came forward with initially were miniscule and so I had to go back to the regions and say, ‘Surely you could do better than that?’

“And eventually they got it – the penny dropped.”

Liverpool was the first City Deal to be announced.

Since then, almost every area of the country has been granted a City Deal to help improve the economic fortunes of the region.

In July 2012, it was the turn of the Bristol area to be awarded a City Deal, which allowed the West of England to keep 100 per cent of growth in business rates over 25 years to invest in projects, enabling local authorities to deliver an investment programme worth £1bn over 30 years.

But the programme does not end there.

In response to the success of the City Deals, Mr Clark is pursuing the agenda set down by Michael Heseltine as part of his drive to devolve more powers to local government and has invited Local Enterprise Partnerships to bid for a slice of the Gover nment’s £2bn Local Growth Fund.

The LEP plans to ask for between £75m and £90m of Government funding each year to spend on targeted projects to boost the economy in the

Bristol area. Although details of which projects the LEP will support, or even how much money it will actually get, are not yet known, the chief executive, Paul Wilson, said there were five sectors where the organisation felt it could get the best value for its money – areas where Bristol is already punching above its weight.

The sectors are low carbon; high-tech; advanced engineering and aerospace; creative and digital media; and finance and professional services.

In those industries, the organisation says there are four areas in which it may be able to help – skills and people; place and infrastructure; investment and promotion; and support for small and medium-sized businesses.

“It is a really exciting time for this agenda,” Mr Clark said. “We are on the cusp of a big breakthrough.”

The deadline for the Local Growth Fund is March 31 – with the first allocations expected to be made in July.

“It is something that will bring about a transformation in the relationship between central government and these places,” Mr Clark added.

“I don’t think it has happened – certainly in my lifetime – that such a degree of recognition that the future of a place is best driven by the people within that place, so it is tremendously exciting.”

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Bristol business people out and about

Get in the picture

In pictures - event here

and legacy at Bristol 2015; Rebecca Tregarthen, director at Rejoove and chairman of the Bristol branch of the Institute of Directors; and Zoe Willcox, service director, planning and place strategy, at Bristol City Council.

The event was organised by leadership training provider Common Purpose and the consensus among its graduates was that Bristol’s new status as European Green Capital 2015 should be much more than an

Send us photos from your event, with names please, to business @b-nm.co.uk

● Jim McAuliffe, finance director at Bristol Airport, June Burrough and other graduates on Mohammed Saddiq's table at Common Purpose alumni event

● Rebecca Tregarthen hosts a table at Common Purpose alumni event ● MORE than 60 leaders from key public, private and not-for-profit organisations discussed what Bristol’s new role as European Green Capital 2015 means for the city.

Those taking part included Mohammed Saddiq, director at Wessex Water Enterprises and Swiss Combi Technology and general manager at GENeco; Mike Zeidler, founding member at Happy City and director at Modoto Ltd; Darren Hall, head of partnerships

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international showcase of its environmental credentials.

It represents a real opportunity for leaders to engage, transform the city and creating a lasting legacy.

Each year, more than 4,000 new leaders connect with Common Purpose internationally through courses and in Bristol there is a thriving and supportive alumni community which values the chance to share experiences and gain insight into the mix of challenges facing leaders across the city.

● Zoe Willcox and Mohammed Saddiq host tables

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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Business diary FSB South Gloucestershire seminar: Today, 6.45pm-9.45pm, Aztec West Hotel, Almondsbury, BS32 4TS. Register at www.fsb.org.uk.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Bristol business people out and abou Bristol Distinguished Address Series - Air Vice Marshall Julian Young

Silicon Gorge 1.0: Showcasing 25 tech and digital firms from Bristol and Bath to potential investors. Joint event with Webstart Bristol and SetSquared, at the Engine Shed, Temple Meads, today. Ticket only.

The Bristol Distinguished Executive Address Series: Networking event and opportunity to hear from a leading business voice. Sir Win Bischoff, of Lloyds Banking Group, at City Hall, 6pm today.

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Ready for business workshop: Introductory workshops for anyone who is exploring the concept of self-employment or starting a business, at Brave, The Coach House, Upper York Street, Bristol, 10am-4pm, tomorrow. Free. Contact readyforbusiness@ businesswest.co.uk.

FSB Bristol branch networking event: Free for members networking, 9.30am-11.30am, Wednesday, April 2, 9.30am-11.30am, 1 Friary, Temple Quay BS1 6EA. Register at www.fsb.org.uk.

● Air Vice Marshal Julian Young addresses the audience; right and below, guests at the event

Pics: Michael Lloyd

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Bristol Chamber of Commerce networking breakfast: Liaise with like-minded people and enjoy a full English breakfast in the new venue of Colston Hall.

7.30am-9.30am, Thursday, April 3. £11 members, £20 non-members. Contact events@businesswest.co.uk.

Ready for business workshop: Introductory workshops for anyone who is exploring the concept of self-employment or starting a business, at Brave, The Coach House, Upper York Street, Bristol, 10am-4pm, Tuesday, April 8. Free. Contact readyforbusiness@ businesswest.co.uk.

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Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards: The inaugural Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle awards celebrating women in business. Bristol City Centre Marriott, from 7pm. See www.bristolpost/co.uk/wiba.

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The Set.Social: Monthly informal networking night at The Set, a collaboration club at Bath Road Studios. Taking place on the first Wednesday of every month, aims to bring together like-minded people in the south of Bristol to meet, think and create over drinks and canapés.

From 6pm.

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Business Showcase South West: Celebrating the best in commerce, innovation, creativity, enterprise and sustainability.

Speakers including Karren Brady, exhibitions and networking. Free to attend.

Tuesday, April 8, 10am to 5pm at Colston Hall. See www.businessshowcase southwest.com.

Email your business events to gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk.

Events are sometimes cancelled without us being notified so please check with organisers before travelling.

BRML20140319A-019 ● GUESTS were provided with an insight into the Bristol-based Defence Equipment and Support organisation within the Ministry of Defence.

Air Vice Marshall Julian Young, who heads the organisation, addressed an invited audience at UWE’s Frenchay campus as part of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series.

Air Vice Marshall Young spoke of links between the engineering sector and universities, but also called for more focus on training

BRML20140319A-015 “The people we get now are far and apprenticeships. more aware of what’s going on In an interview with Ian about them, far more Mean, content director at VIDEO travelled, far more wise Local World, which owns ONLINE about the world, more the Bristol Post, he said: streetwise and actually “We have strong links AIR VICE MARSHALL are prepared to with the universities JULIAN YOUNG question, and once and also the local To see our interview, go to: they get the answer Bristol area and indeed Southwestbusiness.co.uk they will see delivery we are a good through. employer.

“There is a far stronger “The youngsters we place in society in the UK are getting out of for further training and for universities these days are apprenticeships.” high quality.

BRML20140319A-010 He added that the Bristol area was hugely competitive for engineers. The organisation aims to recruit 130 graduates over the next academic year and take on 85 apprentices this year.

Air Vice Marshall Young also touched on the importance of quality equipment for front-line troops.

The Defence Equipment and Support organisation procures and fields all the equipment for the Armed Forces – from desert boots to nuclear submarines.

ut

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

9

Know how Pat Murphy

Bristol Distinguished Address Series - UK chairman of financial services giant KPMG Simon Collins VIDEO ONLINE

SIMON COLLINS To see our interview with the UK chairman of KPMG, go to:

Director Kendleshire Golf Club 0117 956 7007 info@kendleshire.co

Golf’s golden opportunity

Southwestbusiness.co.uk

T

● UK chairman of KPMG, Simon Collins, gives his address; right and below, Pics: Michael Lloyd guests at the event

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GALLERIES GALORE

FOR MORE PICTURES Check out our website at

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bristolpost.co.uk/business

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BRML20140320A-011 ● AN audience of invited guests, including university management students, heard how businesses should make a larger contribution to society.

UK chairman of financial services giant KPMG, Simon Collins, tackled the issue when he addressed delegates at City Hall on Thursday.

The influential businessman spoke

on the topic of ‘how to make business great again’ in the latest in a series of speeches delivered by industry leaders and organised by UWE’s Bristol Business School.

Mr Collins said incidents such as financial mis-selling and the horsemeat scandal had led to people mistrusting big companies.

But he told guests: “Businesses

BRML20140320A-008 are not a necessary evil. They are a vital and healthy part of a responsible society. Business leaders need to set out the path, live by it and shout loudly about it.”

Mr Collins promoted the living wage and told firms to be ‘brave about diversity’ by allowing more women and people from disadvantaged backgrounds to

reach the top. The talk was part of the Bristol Distinguished Address Series, which will see three more speeches delivered before the end of April.

Mr Collins was interviewed by Ian Mean, content director at Local World, which owns the Bristol Post.

To view a video of the interview, visit Southwestbusiness.co.uk.

HE Cheltenham festival is one of my favourite sporting events of the year. While enjoying, or in my case not enjoying, the ups and downs of the gambling fest of the year, I was intrigued by the thousands of corporate guests hustling and bustling their way backwards and forwards continually.

Little or no peace, and precious little time for valuable time with their hosts for the day.

It made me appreciate even more the opportunity that a round of golf offers to really get to know your customers without continuous distractions.

Four-plus hours in glorious surroundings followed by a drink or two on the terrace or clubhouse offers the perfect environment for getting to know more about someone you want to do business with.

There are very few other sports that offer such a golden opportunity while also giving you, as a player, the chance to enjoy the occasion as well.

With most clubs these days offering a wide range of individual membership opportunities, the corporate schemes are becoming far more available and, in many cases, are great value for money.

The better ones even allow key individuals the chance to become ‘regular’ members of the club, hold a handicap and play in competitions.

The important factor before getting involved is to understand what you are buying into.

Getting good value for money is key to a good deal for your company, and the golf club you are joining.

Analyse your customer base and ensure that you have a good golfing core who will appreciate the offer to play at a top class club.

Ensure that you have enough key staff to get out there and play occasionally with your customers.

I can promise you that it is better value for money than watching some sports where you don’t even get the chance to have a chat with your customer!

Buying a corporate membership at

Buy a Corporate Membership before

The Kendleshire could be the best

30th April 2014 and receive for free

business decision you make today.

“Golf in a Day” for 12 of your best

Packages start from £1970+VAT

non-golfing customers. or email pat@kendleshire.co

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Find out more at Kendleshire.com

Call Pat Murphy on 0117 956 7007

10

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Export focus Expert eye Addy Bridger Trade Mark Attorney Page Hargrave, Bristol abridger@pagehargrave.co.uk 0117 927 6634

Register trademark in China before someone else does

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LANNING to trade in China? An increasing number of businesses entering the Chinese market, including those manufacturing their products in China, are discovering that a Chinese individual or company has beaten them to it and registered their brand in “bad faith”.

These “brand squatters” typically have the intention of either selling the Chinese trademark registration back to the overseas company at an inflated price, or of labelling their own products to take advantage of the reputation of the overseas brand.

This is a significant problem since the rightful brand owner faces the prospect of not being able to use their own trademark in China, even on products manufactured in China for export elsewhere.

Such issues arise because China operates a “first to file” system, so that the individual or company that first files a trademark application in China is deemed the rightful owner of the trademark.

It is very difficult and expensive to prove that a trademark was filed in bad faith unless it can be shown that the parties had prior business dealings with each other before the application was filed, or unless the rightful brand owner is able to provide significant evidence that its brand was well-known to Chinese consumers at that time.

If you have any interest in using your trademark in China: ● Apply to register your trademark there as soon as possible; ● Ensure that your application is broad enough to cover current and anticipated future products and/or services; and ● Consider protecting the Chinese character version of your trademark.

New revisions to the Chinese trademark law are due to take effect from May 1. Among various changes generally helpful for trademark owners, the new law introduces the principle of “good faith” to trademark use and registration in China, which may help in tackling “bad faith” applications.

But, if you have Chinese ambitions, it will still be preferable for you to register first, and not have to deal with a brand squatter.

SEIZE THE CHANCE TO MAKE The UK is growing again and quickly, but with concerns over how sustainable that will be and a drive to re-balance the economy, Gavin Thompson discovers that now is the time to start exporting

Y

OU’VE never had it so good.

Harold Macmillan was talking about post-war prosperity in Britain, but his words can be applied to businesses thinking about exporting in the next 12 months.

Because with exporting chosen as the Government’s key driver of future economic success, the support for firms looking to step out of the trenches and join the fray has never been better.

Dave Mouncey, partner at Smith & Williamson in Bristol, said the Chancellor’s target of trebling UK exports to £1 trillion by 2020 has put the pressure on.

“That would require nine per cent growth a year in exports, which will be really difficult to achieve,” he said.

“But clearly there is a real focus from Government on how important it is to re-balance the economy.

There’s going to be a lot of finance and support for businesses to be part of that.

“The support to achieve that breakthrough will be greater than it’s ever been so now is the time to consider exporting.

“Any company with vision needs to try to seize that real opportunity while it is there.”

The kind of support he is talking about comes from UK Trade & Industry, which runs courses and provides market research, introductions and even offers places on trade missions.

It also comes in the form of export credit guarantees, a form of insurance against the risks of operating overseas such as not getting paid.

But it’s not just the official help that makes now the right time to export.

Dave said: “Sterling depreciated during the financial crisis and although it has risen since, it means we are at a rate where we can be competitive on the world stage.”

He added business owners had been pushed toward exporting by sluggish growth in the UK but even now that the economy is growing at a very healthy 3.4 per cent, forecasts suggest that would not continue beyond this year.

“There probably isn’t the spare capacity in the economy to allow high levels of growth for a considerable period of time,” he said.

“If people want to grow their business then they are going to have to look at overseas markets.”

So now is the time. But where? And how? Europe is still dragging, so the United States or the emerging BRIC countries of Brazil, India, Russia and China would be strong options.

However, Andy Braithwaite, a partner in Bristol-based law firm

Thrings’ commercial team, said despite the common language, America was not always the best choice.

“This is not one market,” he cautioned, “it is several markets and very challenging ones.”

He said: “We get a lot of firms coming to us saying that strategically they want to be in the Far East.

Certainly if you are, say (handbag maker) Mulberry, you need to be.

China makes up about 34 per cent of the luxury goods market.”

The important thing, according to Andy, is to do your homework.

“You will probably have to have a relationship with a distributor,” he said. “Picking the right distributor can make or break the business in that country.

“We spend a lot of time writing and managing distribution agreements and unpicking them when people

Export experts’ top tips ● Dave Mouncey, partner at Smith & Williamson: “All businesses should review whether they think exporting is for them. If they do, then appoint a champion, someone to take ownership, to take it further.

“As a starting point, talk to professional bodies in their own sector to find out what others are doing and talk to UKTI.” ● Andy Braithwaite, partner at Thrings: “Find the right partner in your country of choice. You can’t do it yourself. But don’t take any approach.

Clients get approached out of the blue. You need to really check it out because they are probably not the best match for you.”

have to exit because they didn’t work.”

A good local partner might even help protect you from the risks of political tensions, such as the current strained relations between the UK and Russia, he said.

According to the latest quarterly figures, exports from the South West are growing.

The region accounts for 4.6 per cent of the UK’s total exports with a 2.9 percent increase in the last quarter, of June to September 2013. The number of exporters from the region also grew year-on-year.

Machinery and transport equipment, manufacturing goods and

‘Poshing up’ instant noodles Case study

● CRISPEN Blunt got a taste for business working for Bristol success story Pieminister. Now he’s building his own empire selling posh noodles to the discerning shopper.

His Kabuto Noodles brand has just secured a listing with Tesco, and is already on shelves in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and Harvey Nichols.

It’s a fast growing success for the 39-year-old, for his Stokes Croft-based business.

“The minimum we could order was 15,000 units. That took eight months to sell. This month we’ll sell 150,000 units,” said Crispen.

It hasn’t all been easy, and Crispen believes starting during a recession has made the business stronger.

Indeed, the early days conjure up images akin to tasks on The Apprentice.

“When I started I was taking a car full of noodles and driving round selling them to independent shops,” said Crispen. “It

concentrates the mind when you have got 15,000 packets of noodles in a warehouse and no customers!

“We kept our overheads very low. We had to, but sometimes having money means you spend it without getting good value so it has probably been good for us.”

Now that the business has become more established, Crispen is looking to make the future more secure by exporting.

He said: “In the UK the dominance of the supermarkets in food industry is great and bad. It means if you get two or three customers you can become relatively big quickly.”

But that also means should you lose one of those customers, it’s a very big hit.

Crispen added: “We are hoping that by exporting we can spread that risk. I have been told it takes a couple of years before you really

chemicals continue to be the most exported commodities from the region, and the South West remains one of only two regions with so called food and live commodities in their top five export goods.

The European Union remains

South West’s biggest export market, representing 58.6 percent of all exports from the region.

The figures show that the value of exports to Asia and Oceania remained steady at £1.8 billion over the past year, whilst the value of exports

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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

11

YOUR MARK IN EXPORT MARKETS Model-makers take creativity to a new world

Export Week events ● Your Springboard to the Nordics: Meet the Experts Meet with specialists from British Embassies in the Nordic and Baltic States to learn what you should consider when doing international business or setting up in the region.

Leigh Court Business Centre, Abbots Leigh, April 7.

Case study A 3D design company is proving that exporting is not just for manufacturers as its sells its creative talents around the world.

Cod Steaks began as a model-making company working with the likes of Aardman and now delivers innovative designs for customers in a number of countries.

Its latest big project is a Porto theme park, dedicated to Portugal’s early explorers, charting voyages of discovery that set sail from the country to places no European had been before – down the west coast of Africa, round the Cape of Good Hope and on to India, China and Japan, as well as across the Atlantic to Brazil and the New World.

Cod Steaks founder, Sue Lipscombe, said: “Initially we looked at providing parts of the theme park using our model-making expertise.

“But when I flew to Porto in Portugal to take a closer look at the 4,000 sq m site. I discovered that they were proposing to illustrate the story with small models in what is a very large building.

“It just would not have worked and so I proposed instead that Cod Steaks should design in detail and create

● Crispen Blunt from Kabuto Noodles

make any money exporting, but the longer you put off starting the further away that two years gets.”

The firm has used the research services offered by UK Trade and Industry and is testing out markets including Sweden and Russia.

It was his years at Pieminister that gave Crispen an insight into starting a business and he began looking for the right idea.

He noticed a lot of the successful new companies in the food market were focussed on high-quality ingredients combined with funky branding.

The market was already getting crowded but he noticed a gap for “poshed-up” noodles.

“The instant noodle industry had gone very down-market, it was all about being as cheap as possible,” he said. “I thought there was an opportunity to sell to the people who would pay more for a better product.”

And so far, the customer is proving him right.

Mario Ferreira

full-scale models and sets for The Odyssey of Discoveries.

“They showed interest and so we built a full-scale model, to be featured as part of a 20-minute boat journey, and shipped it to Portugal for them to see.

“While they already had the concept, our model showed how the journey might evolve.

“Until then, they had found the boat ride hard to visualise, but they liked our concept and asked us to put together a detailed design as a physical model and also on screen.”

The project had to be completed in six months because the park opens in April.

Despite the tight timeline, Cod Steaks took on the task and its research has been meticulous to ensure the detail is correct in terms of the 15th century.

“The Odyssey is designed to be educational as well as entertaining,

● Meet the Buyer, Food and Drink Sector Bringing together selected international buyers with UK food and drink suppliers, with the aim of creating new business.

Leigh Court Business Centre, Abbots Leigh, April 11. ● Below, Sue Lipscombe, founder of 3D design company Cod Steaks, with one of the models; above, models being created in the workshop at St Pictures: Dave Betts BRDB20140224B-003 (below) Philip’s

● Sizzling South East Asia Roadshow: Unlock Your Business Potential in ASEAN Equipping local businesses with the knowledge, expertise and insight needed to take advantage of exciting, new export opportunities in the Southeast Asia region.

Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, College Green, April 11.

so the boat ride has some enjoyably scary parts before you emerge into sub-Saharan Africa and move onwards towards India and the Far East,” said Sue. The exhibits have been built in Bristol and shipped to Portugal, where they have been rebuilt and finished on site.

Just one of the 20 zones features everything from Neptune's portal and a giant squid to full-sized elephants, a rhino and hippo. Other zones feature pagodas, Chinese dragon dancers, a Japanese tea house and even a waterfall in a jungle setting.

Cod Steaks, based on a 1.5-acre site in St Philip’s, has about 20 staff, but has had a workforce of up to 50 people on this project at any one time, drawing on experienced freelance workers, including carpenters and other craftsmen and women.

Customer Mario Ferreira, chief executive of Mystic Invest Group, is impressed. He said: “The work presented by Cod Steaks is, above all, of great realism, detail and of amazing artistic quality.

“At the same time, the scenarios and objects… integrate a dimension of dream and fantasy, allowing us to accomplish one of our main goals: make our visitors dream while travelling back in time.”

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to the Middle East & North Africa increased by £237 million. There has also been a year-on-year increase in exports to Sub-Saharan Africa.

If businesses here grasp this moment of opportunity, those figures should soon be much higher.

“ The work by Cod Steaks is, above all, of great realism, detail and of amazing artistic quality.

The scenarios make our visitors dream while travelling back in time”

● The Future of Exporting in the Digital Age Discover why the birth of the digital age has changed how we communicate with customers and the resulting impact on exporting in the 21st century.

Tortworth Court, Wotton-under-Edge, South Gloucestershire, April 9.

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Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

UKTI export focus Expert eye Russell Jones Regional director UK Trade and Investment (UKTI)

Most firms could be selling abroad

I

T HAS been great to see so many of the region’s companies, large and small, taking up the international trade challenge and benefiting from the support available.

There is an unbelievable appetite for British products and services overseas and there has never been a more opportune time to take advantage of these commercial prospects.

I strongly believe that most companies can and should export – from single-owner operations to large corporations. If you are successful in the UK, there is no reason why you can’t sell abroad, if you do your research and plan properly.

Exporting is crucial to the growth of our regional economy. Once you start exporting, there’s no limit to where you can go and the profit you can make.

Whether you’re new to exporting or experienced in trading internationally, these events are not to be missed.

Registration is now open for a series of events to inspire the region’s businesses to explore overseas markets.

UKTI South West is hosting events across the region as part of Export Week, to encourage businesses to consider their overseas potential and show how UKTI can help reach new customers around the world. It takes place from April 7-11.

Export Week will offer a mix of seminars, masterclasses, one-to-one meetings, workshops and networking events to inform and inspire businesses to take up the export challenge.

They include:

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April 7 ✔ Your Springboard to the Nordics – Meet the Experts. Bristol.

April 8 ✔ Business Showcase South West.

Bristol.

April 9 ✔ The Future of Export, Exporting in the Digital Age. South Gloucestershire. ✔ Growing Your International Business – MSB Breakfast Briefing. Bath. ✔ The A-Z of Selling Online. Cornwall.

April 10 ✔ Entering the Chinese Market – Masterclass. Somerset. ✔ Worldwide Women Network – Grow Your Business Overseas. Chippenham.

April 11 ✔ Sizzling Southeast Asia Roadshow.

Bristol. ● For further information and bookings, visit: www.exportweek. ukti.gov.uk.

Follow UKTI South West on Twitter @UKTI_SW and take part in the conversation using #exportweek.

In the bag Trade experts guide medical firm to global success Chris Campbell Business@b-nm.co.uk

A

SMALL company in North Somerset has been working in partnership with UK Trade and Investment to become a world leader in its field.

Espiner Medical, based in Clevedon, began in 1990 when pioneering laparoscopic surgeon Harry Espiner developed the idea of using a bag for retrieving tissue safely during surgical procedures such as gallbladder removal.

He set about designing one and identified Jim Howard, at Cameron Balloons in Bristol – the world's largest manufacturer of hot air balloons – as his partner.

With his expert knowledge of lightweight fabrics, Jim created a fully leak-resistant prototype using ripstop nylon, with a specially formulated polyurethane coating. Harry tested and modified the designs in clinical trials and the refined product was patented in 1992.

This design has been the basis for the company’s full and comprehensive E-Sac product range, now used all over the world for all tissue retrieval procedures on parts of the body ranging from the appendix to the spleen, and everything in between.

Espiner Medical now has a turnover of nearly £1.5 million, employs 20 people and is exporting to every part of the world. The company has continued to expand as demand for its products has grown and, in 2013, its remarkable achievements were recognised when it was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

With such a good product, the company continues to flourish in its home market, but working with

UKTI Market Visits ● Every year UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) organises and takes overseas a number of market visits.

These may be sector specific or general focused and sometimes encompass multiple markets.

So what is a Market Visit?

In a nutshell, a market visit is an overseas visit by a group of businesses who meet face-to-face with potential buyers, agents and prospective business partners. ● How it works: Organised to

Diary Dates ● Espiner Medical, based in Clevedon

● June 2014 - USA Fancy Food Show - Food & Drink Sector ● August 2014 - Vietnam Healthcare Sector ● September 2014 - China Multi Sector ● October 2014 – Australia and New Zealand – Food & Drink Sector ● October 2014 - Brazil - Oil, Gas and Renewable Sectors ● November 2014 - South Africa - Advanced Engineering (inc. Aerospace and Automotive) Sector ● November 2014 - South Korea - Creative Industries Sectors

UKTI to exploit new opportunities abroad has made a big contribution to its recent success.

Commenting on working in partnership with the company, UKTI international trade adviser, Rob Thompson, said: “When we started working with them two years ago, Espiner Medical were already well established in most European markets.

“It was clear that North America represented an enormous opportunity for them, but there are various regulatory hoops foreign

companies have to jump through before they can trade there.

“We were able to give them guidance on the US approval process and the foreign currency payment procedures they needed to put in place. Espiner Medical are real innovators and leaders in their field and I am delighted UKTI has helped them achieve their well-deserved worldwide success.”

Dave Groombridge, Espiner Medical’s sales and marketing manager, said there was strong demand for the business’s

products and it had always enjoyed healthy growth.

“Since we started working with UKTI, sales have increased dramatically,” he said. “That is partly down to growth in our existing business, but has largely come from new export markets. Thanks to UKTI’s help, support and expert advice, we are getting new overseas customers all the time.”

For information about UKTI’s support services and details of Export Week events taking place between April 7 and 11 across the South West, visit www.ukti.gov.uk or www.exportweek.ukti.gov.uk.

help businesses visit an overseas market of particular interest, a market visit usually follows an initial research exercise. This research is vital in helping to identify the appropriate opportunities and to maximise the value of the visit.

UKTI’s world-beating network based in British Embassies, High Commissions and Consular Offices around the world are pivotal to the organisation of a market visit.

The staff in these offices are the USP - the input that they bring to the table is invaluable to UK

companies. Their local language skills, market knowledge and extensive political and commercial contacts put them at the heart of this service.

By taking part in a market visit UKTI can help businesses to: ✔ Identify opportunities and open doors ✔ Reach customers/business partners otherwise not accessible ✔ Raise your profile and credibility overseas ✔ Overcome barriers to entry or expansion ✔ Understand the competition ● Forthcoming Market Visits

In the next 12 months UKTI will be taking business delegations on market visits to all corners of the world. From Vietnam to Australia, China to South Africa there are multiple opportunities for businesses in the region to travel overseas and make the right connections to grow their business.

For further information on market visits and the support available for South West businesses, contact Angela Maynard-Smith, International Market Visits Adviser, at: angela. maynard-smith@uktisouthwest.org.

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

13

The Budget Expert verdict Chancellor’s pledge to give support to exporters offers ‘real benefits’ the announcement of new doctoral training centres and a new big data institute was an “encouraging sign”.

She also highlighted good news for start-ups and small businesses.

“The announcement that the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme, which was set up to help finance start-ups, has been made permanent will continue to promote enterprise and encourage investment in small and early stage companies,” she said.

“And the extension to the R&D tax credits relief scheme for loss-making businesses is also welcome.

“There are many failures behind some of the most well-known innovations and the ability to try again if things don’t quite work is crucial.”

The Federation of Small Business, which represents 7,200 members across the West of England, broadly welcomed the Budget, picking out the doubling of the amount which a firm can invest in capital expenditure tax-free to £500,000 as important.

Mark Owen, chairman of the regional branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “The Budget offered a clear signal for businesses to grow with the increased investment allowance, for example, providing certainty for small firms looking to realise investment expectations.”

Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

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BUDGET for makers and doers. Those were the words with which George Osborne opened and closed his Budget statement last week.

So, seven days on, has the Chancellor achieved his goal of a Budget that helps manufacturers, exporters and other businesses?

On exports, initial reaction has been positive.

Josephine Bush, Bristol-based tax partner at EY, said: “The Chancellor announced a number of initiatives to support exporters of which the two most significant were further resources for UKTI and a doubling of the funding available for export finance to £3 billion at a new lower interest rate.

“The Chancellor said this would be the most competitive scheme in Europe and it does appear to offer real benefits especially to small and medium-sized exporters and aspiring exporters. However, the OBR’s forecasts for trade are relatively muted, showing how challenging and competitive export markets are likely to remain.”

But she said more significant could be the “industrial strategy”, where the Chancellor said developing expertise in graphene, cell therapy and big data would be priorities.

Bonnie Dean, far right, chief executive at the Bristol and Bath Science Park in Emersons Green, said

● Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne

Property ● THE pensions market is still coming to terms with changes that will allow people to draw down their whole pension as a lump sum and not have to buy an annuity.

Chris Mapp, head of the Bristol office of Putner Southall, said the changes would affect most firms.

“There will be a much greater need for advice and guidance for employees in the years leading up to retirement and there will be pressure on employers to fund that.

“It’s not just a one-off decision at retirement – if people are going to take their pension as cash there are investment choices along the way.”

James Dean, pensions partner at law firm TLT, said: "By opening up defined contribution savers' options at retirement the Government is throwing a grenade at the annuity market

Pensions and challenging it to fix a broken system. It's quite something that the predicted effect of ‘lowering’ the tax rate on full defined contributions withdrawal from 55 per cent to an individual's marginal rate is to generate an additional £1.2 billion in tax revenue by 2018-2019.

"Those with trust-based defined contributions schemes will want to review their existing rules for allowing flexible retirement options and will be interested to learn just what is meant by the proposed ‘guidance guarantee’ which will oblige them to offer free and impartial guidance on their members' financial choices at retirement.”

“While it may encourage some speculative developers to pursue opportunities that would ordinarily be fraught with planning risk, in reality developers will only convert properties which provide them with a financial return.”

Darren Sheward, head of office at Lambert Smith Hampton in Bristol, said previous changes to allow offices to become flats had been popular since taking effect last year.

“Our research reveals that applications for almost 10,000 new residential units were made in just six months,” he added.

“Any extension of the rules to allow a broader range of commercial properties to be converted into residential premises will help to remove obsolete stock from the market whilst also creating much-needed new homes, and so is a ‘win-win’ for everyone.”

Enterprise Zone

Borrowing variety of different funding options. This is also a real opportunity for a collaborative culture to develop between the banking and alternative sectors, not just to refer businesses but to work together on multi-source deals that provide the right shape of funding package for the business owner. Better signposting would give businesses, particularly SMEs, safe access to approved lenders, while helping banks keep UK businesses growing by encouraging innovative or complementary funding.”

● THE Chancellor announced an extension to some of the incentives for businesses to invest in the Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, around Temple Meads.

Paul Wilson, chief executive of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, which manages the zone, said: “While one Budget is never going to deliver everything business needs, this Budget has certainly provided some positive measures that will help to support business growth.

“We’re pleased to see that the business rate

discount in enterprise zones has been extended for three years, until March 2018.

The Government is also extending the period in which capital allowances are available in enterprise zones by three years, until March 2020.

“Our enterprise zone in Bristol Temple Quarter is already home to over 350 businesses. Since opening in April 2012, we’ve seen around 70 businesses moving in and a lot of interest from companies in locating here.

“These measures provide certainty for business and an extra incentive to locate here, which is good news in terms of inward investment.”

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● TUCKED away in the 120-page Budget document was an idea to force banks to refer small and medium-sized businesses to alternative lenders after turning them down for a loan.

The idea is that if the banks won’t lend, someone else might. If pursued, it would be welcomed by Adam Tavener, right, chairman of pensionledfunding.com, based in Pill, who was the catalyst for the recent launch of the alternative businessfunding.co.uk portal.

Adam said: “This could pave the way for banks to refer businesses to the alternative funding providers via our recently launched portal - which signposts business owners to a

● WHILE Help to Buy got most of the attention, there was more for the property business in the Budget.

One change could see empty warehouses and workshops turned into flats and homes.

Jonathan Lambert, left, director of development at DTZ in Bristol, said: “The Government’s proposals to consider enabling the conversion to residential use of warehouses and light industrial structures through permitted development rights is encouraging, albeit we will have to wait and see what the actual affect of this would be.

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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.

IT security Expert eye Steve Perry Operations director Quadratix www.quadratix.it

Coming threat to stored data

B

USINESSES in Bristol could be facing a huge threat to their data security, without even realising. The clock is ticking on Microsoft ending support for Windows XP, Office 2003 and Exchange 2003.

So what? You might think. The system still works, it’s been meeting your needs so why change?

One word. Security. Any business still using those systems after April 8 are putting any data stored and their business at risk.

The reason is that Microsoft will no longer be providing security updates for those operating systems. They are 14 years old so it’s hardly surprising. Now that in itself is a good enough reason to change, but it’s worse than that.

When Microsoft releases security for its later operating systems, the bad guys will pick those apart and reverse engineer them to work out what the bugs or flaws were that they are fixing.

They will then be able to look for those flaws in Windows XP or Office 2003 and take advantage.

Put simply, any business with a PC that is connected to the outside world through the internet that is using those operating systems will be at risk. So what should you do about it? If you have an IT support service provider they should have already addressed this with you.

Assess the risk. Are you prepared to take on the chin the risks of continuing to use it? And do you know what they are?

The risks are bigger than you might think. If you store data subject to the Data Protection Act, and most businesses do, such as client information, then you have a legal duty to protect that information.

The Information Commissioner can give out fines of up to £500,000 for failing to do so. Even a tiny fine by its standards, say £10,000 for a data breach, could sink a small office/home office business.

If you use XP, I would strongly advise that you need to change your operating system.

There may be businesses which use it with bespoke software that is no longer available and is crucial to their business.

That is the only good reason to keep using XP. And in that circumstance you should isolate that machine from your network and the internet if you are to continue to use it.

Yes there would be a small cost involved in changing your operating system, but nothing like the costs you could face if you don’t.

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● For more information visit our website – www.quadratix.it – coming soon, thanks to Mayfly Media.

DON’T END UP THE WEAKEST As the dangers from cyber attacks grow, Gavin Thompson reports on what businesses can and should be doing about their information security.

I

NFORMATION technology security might feel like just another overhead. And it’s true, it is a business cost, but it’s one you can’t afford not to invest in, thanks to the rising tide of security threats.

For smaller firms, it’s becoming a bigger issue, as many predators and hackers look for ways into bigger firms through the back door of the supply chain.

Wil Rockall, director of information protection at accountants and business advisers KPMG, explained how the problem was growing.

“Lloyds Register carries out a survey of what businesses are insuring as big risks,” he said. “In 2011, cyber risk was not in the top 10. Last year, it was at number three. That means big companies are rating it as highly as taxation, threats to their reputation with customers and the like.”

Wil says there two reasons why big business is suddenly taking this more seriously. First, there are more threats out there. And second, busi-

“ In the recession, businesses under-invested in this area… a lot of smaller owner-managed businesses are seen as the weak underbelly of the big company Wil Rockall

ness has been shirking its duties during the recession.

“There’s been an increase in threat activity,” he said. “The number of organisations attacking businesses in the UK has gone up and the level of sophistication has gone up as well.

“In the recession, businesses under-invested in this area and in the past few years businesses have had a sort of increased security debt – they haven’t spent enough money or paid enough attention to it and therefore accepted higher levels of risk than they should have done. Now they are playing catch-up.”

The kinds of threats range from nuisance viruses, there to cause disruption, and hackers looking to embarrass firms in high-profile or controversial industries such as banking or energy, through to espionage, with a growing number of

● Wil Rockall, director of information protection at accountants and business advisers KPMG organisations in China and other countries trying to access confidential business information.

All that sounds like a problem for corporations and big business. But increasingly it is an issue for smaller firms, too.

“A lot of smaller owner-managed businesses are seen by these organisations as the weak underbelly of the big company,” said Wil. The big corporation might have invested heavily in information security, but those further down its supply chain, without the same resources, might not.

Wil said: “There was a big data breach with Target (supermarkets) last year involving 70 million customer details.

“The way they breached security was through a small contractor which looked after the air conditioning.”

It’s a sobering thought for any smaller business doing work for a larger one.

And as hacking gets more sophisticated, the trail could go beyond just direct suppliers and through the network of company contacts.

What it also means is that bigger firms are becoming aware of this and will be putting pressure on smaller businesses to make sure their IT is up to scratch.

So if your business is not attacked, if you don’t invest you might find it

hard to win business in future.

Wil said: “Big businesses which have spent heavily on their own security are now looking at the supply chain and asking, ‘are you going to be the weak link’?”

Dark forces are not the only IT threat to businesses, either. The biggest danger for many will be a lack of simple housekeeping.

For Steve Perry, operations director at IT services firm Quadratix, planning is vital.

“Having a business continuity plan will be, I think, the most important thing you can do for your business,” he said.

“That involves working out what are the risks for your business, what would happen if your hard drive goes down. How do you continue your business in the event of losing all your data?

“The majority of businesses, in my experience, don’t do anything about it because they think it won’t happen to them and they think it is an onerous task.

“But as directors you have a legal obligation to make sure your business is done properly, which means being able to carry on when something bad happens.”

That starts with something as simple as backing up your data, so in the event of a fire, hack or whatever, all is not lost.

Steve said: “For many small busi-

nesses, their first experience of backing up their data comes after they lose all their data the first time.

That’s when they learn how important it is to back up.”

His own firm uses a system that means, even if the office burned down, he could use his phone to log on and access his landline extension number, so no calls need be lost.

Other straightforward steps include keeping your software and operating systems up to date.

The decision by Microsoft to stop supporting Windows XP next month will leave any business still using it with a serious security problem.

Wil said: “Housekeeping is so important. About 80 or 90 per cent of the big breaches of security could be avoided by doing the basics, such as knowing what IT system you have and what information is housed, ap-

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

15

Know how

LINK FOR CYBER CRIMINALS

plying operating system patches and keeping your anti-virus software up to date.”

He says many businesses, big and small, do not have someone at the top taking responsibility for data security.

“Historically IT security has been a small part of the IT manager’s job,” he said. “But information has a value

for nearly any company, it is something that should be treated like other valuable assets.”

The simple lesson is that in order to protect one of its most valuable assets, a business needs first to recognise its value and then to use professionals with the right skills.

For bigger firms, that might be in-house or for many smaller firms it

● The growing danger to firms’ online security means it is more important than ever to invest in measures to protect data

means finding the right outsourcing solution.

But the question isn’t can you afford to pay, it’s can you afford not to.

Steve Perry said: “Our clients pay a fixed fee per month, not per repair, except if buying new equipment. Fix problems before they know they have them.”

Celebrating 55 Years of Business

Nic Symonds

Commercial director BOM IT

Operations director BOM IT

IT risks must not be ignored

B

USINESSES have seen significant changes over recent years in the way they handle their data. The introduction of the mobile workforce, cloud repositories and 24-hour access to critical business data is now something we have all come to expect. Changing the way we work and providing our workforce with the flexibility to access our data is certainly of benefit, but it’s not without its risks and security is certainly an area of IT that businesses simply can’t ignore.

In an ever more compliant world, what are businesses doing to protect their data and systems? BOM has provided security products for many years to businesses of all demographics and more recently as a managed security service. The IT security business can be a complex area with terms like WAF, IDS, IPS, DLP, all three-letter acronyms that have huge implications on any business if you don’t understand what they mean.

We have developed a number of services to help initiate the first steps of securing your business. The development of a security readiness review, risk assessment and penetration testing are all areas to arouse the thoughts of business owners and those responsible for the data.

What measures does your business put in place to secure what’s important to you? You may ask yourself the question, “would you bet your job that your business data is secure”? This is clearly hard to do, especially with ever-moving targets and threats designed to prevent your business operating smoothly and securely.

Having developed such services, I believe BOM has positioned itself well to advise and support customers on their business needs. Working with its preferred vendor Fortinet and offering managed services for mail filtering, web monitoring and firewall traffic analysis, BOM believes strongly that it can deliver a cost-effective solution in what can be a hugely expensive and desirable technology.

We believe that customers want a combination of cloud and on-premise technology, where the managed service provider takes on some of the potential risk and cost of supporting IT security, allowing their business to focus on what makes them profitable.

At BOM we want to effect change, a fresh approach to IT security, delivering shared success for businesses through our managed security and remote monitoring services.

01275 890 100 sales@bom.co.uk www.bomitsolutions.co.uk

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Delivering IT Solutions, Managed Services and Cloud Computing to Local Business

Andy Carter

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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Up and coming

Movers & shake-ups The latest appointments news. Send your news to business@b-nm.co.uk

Style

Beauty spot Mum launches salon and draws up plans for expansion Rupert Janisch Business@b-nm.co.uk

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POLISH mum-of-three who moved to England four years ago has set up her own beauty salon in Bedminster.

Jolanta Jablonska, aged 44, ran a beauty salon in Poland and trained in New York before moving to the UK in 2010.

After a job as a waitress in a hotel in Newquay, Cornwall, Jolanta moved to Bristol in 2012 and worked as a beautician before finally opening up her own salon in Cannon Street in January.

Now after establishing her business and with a mixture of both Polish and English clients on her books, Jolanta is already thinking about plans for future growth. She hopes to take on an extra therapist and open another salon in the city later this year.

Jolanta’s business, JJ Slimming & Beauty Eco Salon, was supported with a start-up loan from the South West Investment Group.

Although she had her own capital for starting up the business, Jolanta needed support to provide funds for a deposit on the property.

The low-interest loan from Swig offers free business support to applicants and on-going advice from a mentor. Needing help finalising her business planning and financial forecasts, Jolanta received advice from Business West adviser Jon Nicholls before taking the loan application to Swig Start Ups for appraisal.

Swig Start Ups programme manager Lisa Moore reviewed Jolanta’s application and was impressed with the strength of her business plan. She said: “Jolanta has extensive experience of the sector and she has a very exciting business. We wish her every

● Jolanta Jablonska is from Poland and has set up JJ Slimming & Beauty Eco Salon in Bedminster Pics: Dan Regan BRDR201403 19B-005

success for the business and the future.”

The salon offers treatments ran-

ging from facials and exfoliations through to body care and slimming treatments with flexible appoint-

ments, after work, during lunch breaks or at the weekend.

The treatments available include those provided by specialist equipment for slimming and body contouring therapies such as LPG endermologie, presotherapy and electrostimulation.

Jolanta said: “There are only three other places in Bristol that have the equipment and we have really good prices and offers on our treatments.

“It’s important to me that everyone is welcomed into a warm and friendly environment and everybody can feel totally relaxed during their visit and leave the salon feeling good about themselves.”

● KEYSTONE Law has recruited Martin Howe to join the firm’s Bristol office.

Martin was a partner at Bevan Brittan and is an expert in the interpretation and drafting of construction and related contracts in the public and private sector. The Bristol office now has 15 partner-level lawyers.

Managing director, James Knight, said: “As client demand grows in the South West, we continue to strengthen our Bristol team. Martin joins a team of highly experienced solicitors whose combined expertise, in both contentious and non-contentious matters, makes them perfectly placed to advise clients across a wide range of legal issues.” ● Solvings, which provides IT infrastructure services, support and project consultancy, has appointed Mark Taylor as sales manager. He will work with sectors from oil and gas to hospitals and banking.

Mark worked for the Ministry of Defence and has 24 years’ service in the Royal Navy, including five years on HMS Invincible.

He has a thorough understanding of meeting mission-critical needs.

He said: “I am very excited about this opportunity. We have a team of high-level, security-cleared people who understand our clients’ needs.”

Education

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Students given help to be masters with money STUDENTS from Weston College learned financial, enterprise and employability skills as part of a money management programme being staged at further education colleges across the UK. Staffed by Weston College business studies students who were specially trained as Money Skills ‘college champions’, the Barclays Money Skills roadshow is a national initiative aimed at helping young people to develop their financial skills, knowledge and confidence.

Tutorials were delivered at the college and online resources were available to learners to boost their skills, while the college champions ran competitions, quizzes and prize draws.

One of the champions was Jordan Sotiris, 16, a level three business studies student. He said: “Generally I manage my money OK. I have a paper

round and I save half the money from that and spend the rest. It’s useful to be here and find out how better to look after what money I have.”

Catherine Knight, Weston College’s strategic lead for school partnerships and progression, who helped to organise the event, said: “The Barclays Money Skills week has been a fantastic opportunity for students to brush up their money management and employability skills.”

Chris Hearn, head of education at Barclays, said: “Around the UK, young people are facing unprecedented social and financial changes.

We recognise that, through the Barclays Money Skills programme, our resources and knowledge as a business can help young people overcome those challenges and gain the skills they need to achieve independence and financial security.”

● Weston College students

● NICK Taplin, from Cadbury House Hotel in Congresbury, has been appointed to oversee the roll-out of the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill and Marco’s New York Italian concepts across the UK, with plans to open 50 new franchised restaurants within five years.

Nick is managing director at Sanguine Hospitality and has been instrumental in establishing the steakhouse and Italian concepts at destinations including Cadbury House, The Cube in Birmingham and more recently at Exeter Airport.

He said: “We have had great success with our own seven restaurants and are opening in Sheffield at the end of March.

We are looking forward to expanding both franchises.”