Business 16 October 2013

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HOW I MADE IT

COLD SHOULDER

FREE MONEY

From re-spraying bikes in his bedroom to a business empire

Companies learn how to shake off sick-note culture

How to get your hands on grants of more than ÂŁ1 million

Business bristolpost.co.uk

www.

16

OCT 2013

START-UP SPECIAL

RISE TO THE CHALLENGE 300 new businesses start up in Bristol every month. Three of them share the wisdom of their experiences

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Volunteering

Know how

Bankers enjoy day on the farm

Paul Matthews Partner Bruton Knowles 0117 287 2101 Paul.matthews@ brutonknowles.co.uk

Not that easy to take a break!

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REAK clauses in leases on commercial buildings can be a great advantage. But business owners should not be lulled into thinking that just because they have a break clause it is easy to walk away from a premises on that date.

Taking advantage of a break clause is fraught with difficulty and there are a lot of pitfalls to avoid. Serving notice needs to be done precisely as in the lease agreement. Serve it in the wrong way at the wrong time and you could be left in a building for another five or ten years. Instruct a solicitor experienced in this field to handle giving notice.

Landlords faced with a loss of income and a void property will look at every possibility for claiming the break notice is void.

There will usually be conditions with which the tenant must comply in order to complete the break successfully. They are set down in the lease, but are not always obvious to the untrained eye.

One basic condition will usually be to provide vacant possession. This doesn’t mean just walking out of the door and handing over the keys. What you’ve left behind can have a serious bearing on whether the courts would accept that you’ve provided vacant possession. For example, if you leave something behind which is seen as preventing or interfering with the right of possession you could have failed to comply.

Your repairing obligations are likely to be a particularly contentious area. Fulfilling your obligations to repair, reinstate alterations and redecoration are usually closely scrutinised by landlords, particularly if you intend to undertake the works yourself, rather than reach a financial settlement. The extent of the works needed are often debatable; is it acceptable to repair or is complete replacement needed? What needs to be reinstated and is it necessary? Are the colours of redecoration accepted by the landlord?

The key to exercising a break clause in your lease is to plan your actions well in advance, and if possible have early discussions with the landlord, who may have his own plans for your property, should it fall vacant.

At Bruton Knowles we deal with break clauses every day so can spot the difficulties in advance. But if you want help it is vital that you call on us early, before the notice period starts, and then we can ensure a smooth break and move to your new premises.

● From left, John Drury, Martin Scrase, Gary Himsworth, Julie Povey and Paul Jarvis at St Werburgh’s City Farm Photograph: Barbara Evripidou BRBE20131004D-001_C

A TEAM of bankers got their hands dirty on a community project at a city farm.

The group of 10 from Lloyds Bank’s small- and medium-sized enterprises team of relationship managers, spent the day helping out at St Werburgh’s City Farm.

The team built four raised beds out of huge wooden sleepers.

Gary Himsworth, Lloyds’ senior manager for SME banking in the region, said: “In preparation we had to remove a brick-built rose bed so there was plenty of sledge hammering, digging and perspiration from the 10 of us.

“We enjoyed giving something back to the community and doing something completely different from our day jobs – the spade was considerably heavier than my pen.

“It was great to see an end product for our labours and we enjoyed the team camaraderie.”

Lloyds Bank encourages employees to spend at least one day a year volunteering in the community.

Smart cities

Bristol poised to cash in on growing global industry Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

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RISTOL is leading the way as one of a handful of smart cities in the UK – and could be well placed to cash in on a growing global industry.

Smart cities use technology to enhance quality of life, using data to manage waste, transport, energy use and more.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has published a report stating the smart-cities industry could be worth £400 billion by 2020.

The department has established a Smart Cities Forum, chaired by Science Minister David Willetts and Cities Minister Greg Clark, to make sure British cities are at the forefront.

And Bristol is leading the way –

both as a forum member and a pioneer.

Mayor George Ferguson said: “Bristol is fast becoming the UK’s most creative, smart, green and connected city.

“Being the only city in the UK to win funding from Government to be both a Super Connected City and a Future City Demonstrator is testament to this.

“In 2015 Bristol will be European Green Capital, staging an inspiring programme of events centred around the idea of Bristol as a laboratory for change.

“I am offering Bristol as a testbed for innovative environmental ideas, where we will develop pioneering practices which will not only benefit Bristol but will hopefully become a model for cities in the UK and around the world.”

Connecting Bristol – the city’s digital partnership – was established in 2006 and leads work on next-gener-

ation broadband infrastructure, smart city, open data, green ICT, and digital inclusion.

Bristol City Council owns and manages a £9 million city fibre network.

Through Gigabit Bristol, which received £11 million UK Super Connected Cities funding, it is deploying a high-speed broadband testbed, citywide wi-fi network and experimental radio-frequency network.

Smart City Bristol is a collaborative programme between the public sector, business and community which builds upon the city’s digital infrastructure.

The aim is to use smart technologies to meet a target to reduce CO2 emissions by 40 per cent by 2020.

It was launched in 2011 and builds upon the Smart City Bristol Report commissioned by Bristol City Council and funded by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change.

Mr Willetts said: “The opportunity to develop new technologies for smart

● Mayor George Ferguson cities in the UK is massive. We want to make sure we are at the forefront of this digital revolution so we can stay ahead in the global race designing new innovations in the UK and exporting them across the world.”

Volker Buscher, director of business consultants and engineers Arup and Smart Cities Forum member, wrote the new Smart Cities report. He said: “By 2050, the human population will have reached 9 billion people, with 75 per cent of the world’s inhabitants living in cities.

“Smart technologies can help address some of the challenges of rapid urbanisation by improving services and managing their efficiency.”

STORY RECAP HERE

BUSINESS NEWS Our reporters file on the move, and you can keep up to date out and about via the mobile versions of our website bristolpost.co.uk/business

Sales

Upwardly-mobile firm rewarded by supplier A BRISTOL firm has won a monthly sales award from a leading national supplier of mobility scooters.

Elite Mobility – which has a showroom in Staple Hill and was set up 14 years ago by current joint proprietors Steve Hall and Wayne Pegler – has been given TGA’s Retailer of the Month award for September.

Elite has a 3,000 sq ft showroom in Staple Hill and is a national provider of mobility equipment ranging from stairlifts to mobility scooters.

Recently, TGA launched a pioneering, compact mobility scooter, the Minimo – and sales of this

helped Elite win the award. The Minimo folds into a compact shape and can be transported in the boot of a car, with a revolutionary and lightweight lithium battery that minimises effort when lifting.

Mr Hall said: “We were so chuffed when we received this news and I can credit this award to all the hard work of the Elite team.

“We are a family company with so many relatives of my business partner and I working within Elite, ranging from sons, wives and brothers through to close friends.

“We have chosen to employ in

this way so we can trust our staff and always know that a positive, productive atmosphere will prevail whatever the pressure.

“This has been a major factor in our success.”

Daniel Stone, managing director of TGA, said: “I would like to congratulate Steve, Wayne and the rest of the Elite Mobility team for producing such impressive results in September.

“Winning this award is fully deserved.

“It recognises their hard work, dedication and commitment to helping the local community in a caring and compassionate fashion.”

● TGA area sales manager Wayne Galloway celebrates with Elite owners Steve Hall and Wayne Pegler, watched by staff from the Staple Hill-based business

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Retail

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Renewable energy City firm to work on pioneering power plant ● A CLIFTON-based environmental consultancy has been appointed to advise on the world’s first tidal-lagoon power station.

Tidal power has been talked about in the region for decades regarding the Severn Estuary – but this project will be in Swansea Bay. SLR Consulting will provide strategic planning advice ahead of an application to the Planning Inspectorate this year.

The project, by developer Tidal Lagoon (Swansea Bay) Plc, will be capable of generating 240MW of renewable energy on both the flood and ebb tide, providing enough electricity for all of Swansea’s domestic use.

SLR senior planner Mike Harris said: “Our involvement in this world-first marine-energy scheme demonstrates our expertise across the renewable-energy sector.”

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● Above, Jon Redish in his new showroom; with staff, below; and above right, pictures from Jon’s past, including the seaside base that washed away and his stall on the outdoor market Photo: Michael Lloyd BRML20131008B-009_C

Business is life for inspirational entrepreneur

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N inspirational businessman who started out respraying bikes in his bedroom as a teenager has launched yet another division of his com-

pany.

Jon Redish was a born entrepreneur.

At 13 he began restoring and selling bikes at home, doing most of the work in his bedroom – much to his mother’s horror.

By 15 the Henbury School pupil had a regular round of car-washing and lawn-mowing in his neighbourhood.

At 18, realising he did not have the cash to start a bigger business, he took at job at Barclays. But his weekends were a little different from those of most of his colleagues.

Jon said: “I loved anything to do

with business. I knew I wanted to be involved in business one way or another.

“I had no desire to go to university.

I just wanted to get out there. I joined Barclays but started selling on the outdoor market.

“I would be up at 4am on Saturdays and Sundays setting up. I would come in on Monday mornings and my colleagues would think I had had a heavy weekend because I was worn out.

“I did not want them to know I had a second job.”

After just a year Jon went full-time on the market, and later met Geoff Copson, a maker of car-seat covers.

Geoff made the covers at his shed in Brean Down, and Jon began selling the products.

When Geoff retired, he taught Jon

Property the art of making the covers, even passing on his machinery on trust in return for small, regular repayments.

The pair remained friends until Geoff died.

Jon abandoned the seaside base after a large wave washed away the shed and its contents.

He moved the business to Bristol – and The Caravan Seat Cover Centre was born in 1988.

Over the next quarter of a century the business grew to include many offshoots including Foam For Home Direct, Foam For Wholesale, Housekeeper’s Heaven and The Church Cushion Company.

There were further setbacks, such as when vandals burned down the premises in King’s Road, Brislington,

Best deals - How the numbers stack up Business savings Inflation Business current CPI accounts accounts Bank of India

Cooperative Bank

1.01% Bank of £10,000 deposit Cyprus

1.75% £1,000 deposit

0.25% United Trust £1 deposit Bank

1.75% £500 deposit

0.12% United Trust £1 deposit Bank

1.5% £500 deposit

0.1% Bank of Unity Trust £25,000 deposit India Bank

1.49% £10.000 deposit

1.45% 0.05% Cambridge and £10,000 deposit £1 deposit Counties 0.05% Melton 1.2% £500 deposit Mowbray BS £1,000 deposit

Source: Business Moneyfacts - moneyfacts.co.uk

Weekly earnings

Corporation tax % %

%

Base interest rate % Ave mortgage rate %

23 20 13 10

Main rate

%

Small profits rate – below £300,000

Employer NI rates .8%

Standard rate on earnings above £148 per week

.4%

Employees in salary-related pension scheme earning up £770 p/w

National average petrol prices .28p

132 139 140 69

Unleaded

.13p Diesel

.74p

Super unleaded

.07p LPG

Source: PetrolPrices.com

● A DELIVERY and logistics specialist has leased three units on the International Trading Estate in Avonmouth.

Aspray 24 has taken units three, four and five at the estate, which is on Third Way, totalling 17,778 sq ft on a 10-year lease at £4.25 per sq ft. Joint agents Colliers International and Knight Frank secured the letting on behalf of landlord CBRE Investors.

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

Writer Rupert Janisch Email business@ b-nm.co.uk 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 Simon Coy Media Sales Executive - Business Call 07736 900 705.

Email simon.coy @b-nm.co.uk

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Allied Irish Bank

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prompting the move to Carter Road, Bishopsworth.

But Jon always bounced back. The company was back up and running within 13 days of the fire.

Latest developments include the Bristol Upholstery and Soft Furnishings Company aimed at the domestic re-upholstery market, and the Handcrafted Sofa Company, making bespoke sofas and armchairs.

The business now employs 22 staff, aged between 20 and 70. More than half of the staff have been with company for 10 years.

Jon, 46, said: “Our growth has always been customer-led. Customers come to us and say ‘I am having trouble finding foam for my seat’ or ‘Do you do boat seats too?’, so we start to do them.”

Logistics firm delivers on 17,778 sq ft lease

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Charity

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Business centre

Raising funds for brain injury victims ● A BRISTOL insurance broker supported a mental health charity by sponsoring a yacht crew member in the first leg of the Clipper Round the World Race.

Fran Burgess, wife of Cliftonbased Venture Insurance director Ian, has a brother, Richard Byrne, who suffered serious brain injury in a skiing accident more than 10 years ago.

Richard now benefits from the facilities and services of head injury charity Headway, which has branches across the South West including one in Frenchay Hospital.

Since Richard’s injury the 10 staff at Venture Insurance have contributed over £10,000 to the

● Pictured at the topping-out ceremony at The Hive Business Centre in Weston are, from left, Pollard managing director Bill Badham, North Somerset Enterprise Agency chairman Charles Walker, North Somerset Enterprise Agency chief executive Angela Hicks, North Somerset Council leader Nigel Ashton, and James Miller of Triodos Bank

● Fran approaching Rio charity, which works to improve life for those with brain injuries.

The team at the offices just off Whiteladies Road have done a series of fundraising challenges and events, including charity balls and endurance and cycling events.

Meanwhile Fran did her most recent fundraising on a 70ft yacht, sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from London to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to raise around £2,000.

The Clipper Round the World Race sees 12 yachts taking 11 months to circumnavigate 40,000 miles around the globe.

Ian Burgess said: “We’re a very close team at Venture and we’re all incredibly proud of Fran for completing such a tough challenge.

We are also proud to be continuing to support Headway in the work that they do, work which is close to our hearts given the tragic circumstances surrounding Richard.”

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Ceremony leaves officials buzzing Rupert Janisch Business@b-nm.co.uk

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NEW business centre will soon be abuzz with activity just off the motorway at Weston-super-Mare. A ceremony has been held to mark the topping out of The Hive Business Centre being built in the business quarter at Weston Park.

The event marks the completion of the roof of the new business centre which is being built for North Somerset Enterprise Agency as part of the enterprise area around Junction 21 of the M5.

Once open next spring, The Hive will deliver an array of on-site business support, resources and services as well as the flexible office space for

start-up, small and growing businesses in North Somerset.

Angela Hicks, chief executive of North Somerset Enterprise Agency, was invited by Bill Badham, managing director of regional contractor Pollard, to complete the roof.

The ceremony was watched by members of the agency’s board of trustees, the design and construction team, and supporters of the project including several North Somerset councillors and Triodos Bank.

The new development has been enabled by an investment from the European Regional Development Fund, alongside funding from North Somerset Enterprise Agency – a not-for-profit organisation with social objectives – which will own, manage and be based at The Hive.

Mr Badham said: “The topping-out ceremony signifies an important stage of a construction project, tra-

ditionally referring to the completion of the structure. We are delighted to be marking this event and look forward to handing over the completed building this year.”

Ms Hicks said: “The Hive is the dedicated business centre that North Somerset’s business community asked for and we are proud to be delivering it.

“We have long wanted to offer a complete package of workspace and support to help local businesses succeed and grow.

“The Hive will be where it all comes together.

“It is fantastic to now be able to see this impressive building – which is designed to be both energy-efficient and sustainable – take shape.

“We are grateful for the hard work of our building team in bringing The Hive to this important stage.”

Councillor Nigel Ashton, leader of

North Somerset Council said: “This is an exciting project for Weston and North Somerset that North Somerset Council has been keen to support.

“This is the first purpose-built, managed workspace in the area designed to support local business.

“It is a symbolic development in a new business area for Weston.

“The focus on new and small business is critical to the growth of the local economy, and it is great to see the building work progressing so well.”

A preview evening is being planned for November by North Somerset Enterprise Agency.

The evening will enable local businesses to find out more about what will be on offer to them at the new centre.

More information about The Hive Business Centre is available by calling Angela Hicks on 01934 418118.

PROPERTY

Agents and developers lead region’s recovery Conference

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Find out how you can trade across Europe ● A FREE event about the opportunities to trade in Central and Eastern Europe takes place this month. The session will include talks from UK Trade and Investment experts and takes place at Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel, Wickwar, on October 23.

Register through eventbrite online, and email richard.stephens@ uktisouthwest.org to book a meeting with an adviser.

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ROPERTY businesses are leading the region’s economic recovery with increased marketing activity, according to a public-relations agency in the sector.

Residential- and commercial-property businesses throughout the region are raising their profile and accelerating their activities as they complete deals and report sales on the highest level since the economic downturn hit in 2009.

Empica public relations, which has its headquarters in Long Ashton, has seen a big increase in property clients. The agency has been appointed by commercial agents Bruton Knowles, which has opened a new office in Bristol.

Empica has also been appointed by Chipping Sodbury-based Redcliffe Homes, which is seeing solid sales on

quality new-home developments in Pewsey, Cheltenham and Sherborne and is helping Oakhill Brewery Developments, which has started marketing a housing project near Shepton Mallet that has been on hold for the last few years.

Empica managing director Martin Powell said: “The summer is usually a quiet period for new business but this year it has been noticeable that so many property projects are gearing up for the autumn and that has to be good news for the economy.

“We saw our property-sector work dip markedly in 2009 as buyers disappeared from the residential market, and the commercial sector found itself in very tough trading conditions. There are now real signs of an upturn. It is clear that some of the activity has been prompted by the Homes and Communities Agency set

“ It has been noticeable that so many property projects are gearing up for the autumn and that has to be good news for the economy Empica managing director Martin Powell

up by the Government to kick-start property activity. Certainly the residential Help To Buy scheme is now bearing fruit with buyers coming through. There are also funds being released to help land and regeneration projects.”

The new clients are added to a portfolio of property clients serviced

by Empica. These include Colliers International, CJH Land, BNS Block Management and Crest Nicholson’s Harbourside development in Bristol, which have all been strong throughout the downturn.

Mr Powell said: “We have been providing public-relations services in the region since 1989. Up until a few years ago the region’s economy was always underpinned by a strong property market. The summer of new clients is a strong indication that the region is in recovery.”

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Workers’ health

Overseas trade

Sickness costs £240m a year

Masterclass on breaking into China

SICKNESS costs the Bristol economy £120 million to £240 million a year – so the city council has launched a workplace wellbeing charter in an attempt to tackle the problem.

The aim is to help employers promote health at work by self-assessing against a set of nationally-agreed standards.

The free, voluntary scheme is suitable for organisations of any size working in any sector based in Bristol. Organisations have the choice of three levels of activity at which they would like to gain accreditation.

Bristol City Council commissioned the University of Bath to look at the issue. The research found that

10 million working hours are lost, with stress and back pain the major causes.

It found that encouraging staff to be healthy and active can reduce sickness absence by 20 to 30 per cent.

Barbara Janke, assistant mayor for health and social care, said: “Bristol City Council is one of the city’s largest employers and takes its duty of care to its employees seriously.

“We are taking a leadership role in signing up to and launching the workplace wellbeing charter across the city and encouraging other employers to adopt it.

“The council is actively working towards achieving the highest stand-

● The launch of Bristol’s workplace wellbeing charter. From left, Richard Billingham, Ian Lawry, Concetta Gaudio, Barbara Janke, Angela Bragg, Pic: Barbara Evripidou BRBE20131009B-001_C Rachel Mylrea and Louise Davis ard of best practice to support its staff to enjoy a healthier life.”

The scheme was piloted last year.

And four organisations – Wellspring Healthy Living Centre, the Uni-

versity of the West of England, The Care Forum, and Bristol City Council – have gained their first set of standards and received their awards at the launch.

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● BUSINESS and financial adviser Grant Thornton is hosting a China masterclass in Bristol tomorrow for companies keen to break into the world’s second-biggest market.

A panel of experts – including representatives from Grant Thornton, the China-Britain Business Council/UK Trade and Investment, and HSBC – will be addressing the seminar.

The event begins at 5.30pm for 6pm, at Grant Thornton’s office at Hartwell House, 55-61 Victoria Street. Contact Laura Ketland on 0117 305 7664 or at laura.ketland@ uk.gt.com for more details.

Technology

● The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is presented by Lady Gass to Yatton-based Simulation Picture: Michael Lloyd BRML20131011D-007_C0.JPG Systems Ltd

Crowning glory Firm wins Queen’s Award Rupert Janisch Business@b-nm.co.uk

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NORTH Somerset firm which designs and manufactures software for our road networks has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Louis Thompson, managing director of Yatton-based Simulation Systems Ltd, was presented with the award by Lady Gass, the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, on Friday.

It follows a trip to Buckingham Palace in March, when Mr Thompson was confirmed as a winner of the highest business award in the land by the Queen and the Government’s Business Secretary Vince Cable.

The award is a massive boost to the 130 employees at the firm, which was established in 1979.

Mr Thompson said: “It is great for everyone here, particular after the last three years which have been so difficult and have seen so many changes.

“We work so much with the public sector that it has been a matter of soldiering on and waiting for things to improve. But we have not had to make any redundancies, just pull our belts in, and the staff have done a fantastic job which has resulted in this honour.

“Now that the economy is looking more positive we are looking forward to making the most of the new opportunities that are coming along as a result of this award.”

SSL was given the award for its innovative design of closed-circuit television systems which have been used on the strategic road network on several high-profile sites around the country.

These include the M4/M5 motorway interchanges, where SSL’s electronics are used to improve flow of traffic. SSL’s closed-circuit television cameras are also used to inform the Highways Agency of best times to open up the hard shoulders on these motorways.

Viewers of the BBC television programme The Route Masters – which looks at running roads in London – will be familiar with SSL’s systems, which were implemented throughout the capital in the build-up to last summer’s Olympic Games.

SSL employs a highly-skilled workforce of software engineers, including 16 staff with PhDs, and takes on recruits from regional universities such as Bristol, Bath, Exeter, the University of the West of England, and those in South Wales.

SSL is the second Bristol firm to receive a Queen’s Award this month. Limbs and Things, which makes medical training equipment and is based in St Philip’s, also received the honour.

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

In pictures: Business people out and about Networking in the City: Bristol Curry Club

Distinguished Executive Address Series at the University of the West Eng

Small businesses ‘the key to jobs and competing’

● Networking in the City, the nationwide lunchtime networking organisation, launched its Bristol Curry Club. More than 40 attendees from 28 different companies had a curry and a drink at the 4,500 Miles from Delhi restaurant on Colston Avenue. They networked and listened to a talk by Alan Hyde regarding EDF’s supply chain opportunities for Hinkley Point C, where £80m of contracts have already been awarded.

Above, diners with speaker Alan Hyde on the right.

Above right, Ian Stinson of Smith Williamson, Aaron Treliving of

Sanderson Weatherall, and Andrew Worley of Ashfords Llp. Below, Kit Harvey of TLT

Solicitors, Tony Scrase of TSA Accountants, and Ross Pomery of Curtins Consulting.

● SMALL businesses are the answer to creating jobs and a healthy economy to compete with countries in the East, a leading commentator has said.

Jon Moynihan, executive chairman of PA Consulting Group, was speaking at a new lecture series at Bristol’s City Hall.

The Distinguished Executive Address Series was delivered by the University of the West England’s Bristol Business School last week and is the first of a series of business lectures by experts.

Mr Moynihan said: “It’s only the small firms that create jobs. Everybody thinks that big companies create jobs but they only get larger by buying other companies usually and usually what they’re about is rationalising and cutting costs in order to become more and more profitable.

“They’ve shown over and over again that it’s the small start-ups that create jobs.

Now obviously small start-ups like Google or Apple whatever, eventually grow into big companies but in the mean-time it is they that create jobs and so yes, it is they that are the answer.”

Mr Moynihan was interviewed by Ian Mean, content director at media group Local World, which owns titles including the Bristol Post.

He said there had been positives for industry to capitalise on in recent years, including advancements in technology and a new generation of budding engineers.

“There is a counterbalance to all the doom and gloom and the counterbalance is the technology revolution basically,” he said.

“It’s the technology revolution, combined with the fact that a lot of kids these days want to be entrepreneurs. A huge number of people want to be entrepreneurs, which was never the case in the 70s or even the 80s or the 90s.

“I think they understand now, they’ve seen the inspirational stories and Apple and Google and all these other things and now you’ve got Silicon Fen up in Cambridge, you’ve got Tech City in London and bit by bit, I believe, places like Bristol could pull their act together in terms of capital.”

The next lecture in the series will feature Sir Nicholas Young, chief executive officer at the British Red Cross.

The lecture, by invitation only, is tomorrow at the City Hall. Contact events@uwe.ac.uk.

The Bristol Distinguished Executive Address Series is delivered by the Bristol Business School in partnership with Bristol City Council, Bristol Post, Business West, CBI, CMI, IoD, and the West of England LEP.

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Bristol Music Mixer at The Brass Pig ● SCENES from Bristol’s new free music networking event – Bristol Music Mixer – started with an event a\t the Brass Pig. The project, a new venture by Joshua Bishop and Trish Brown, allows those involved in the music industry (either experienced professionals or newcomers) to network.

Photos: Ben Gillett

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

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England’s Bristol Business School

Get in the picture ● Pictured: attendees at the launch of the Distinguished Executive Address series; below, speaker Jon Moynihan,second from right, with Dr Jane Harrington, Prof Nicholas O’Regan, and Sarah Pullen

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

Photographs: Michael Lloyd

2 world firsts Simon Wilshire CIMA T4 - March / May 2013

fi.co.uk

Fiona Walker ICAEW

Advanced Stage Business Change - July 2013

3 regional firsts

Samantha Barnes (2 papers) Tom Foster (1 paper) ICAEW Professional Stage - June 2013

100% pass rate

ICAEW Advanced Stage & Case Study for all our first time students - July 2013

92% pass rate

ACCA approved rate for all papers by first intuition Bristol students - June 2013 EPB-E01-S4

First Intuition Bristol, 6th Floor City Point, BS1 6PL

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

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

Start-up special

NEW COMPANIES ARE GETTING Companies launched by British entrepreneurs are springing up like never before.

Rupert Janisch reports.

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TARTING up a business is never an easy thing to do but despite the state of today’s economy, companies launched by British entrepreneurs are springing up like never before.

In the UK, we are on track to start more than 500,000 new businesses in 2013, according to figures revealed by StartUp Britain.

Research from the national enterprise campaign shows 397,455 businesses have already been started this year, making the country on target to hit 523,410 by the end of the year.

Last year 484,224 businesses were started, compared to 440,600 in 2011, according to the figures which come direct from Companies House.

And although in Bristol there has been a slight dip recently, in the 12 months to May 2013 there were more than 3,600 new start-ups, according to city council figures.

That’s 300 Bristolians starting up new companies every month – stunning numbers, and testament to the adventurous nature of entrepreneurship in our city. And any area which wants to encourage such endeavour needs to have support mechanisms in place to make starting up a business as easy as possible.

In Bristol we have Outset, which reaches those under-represented sections of the business world which might otherwise struggle to start up a company, and organisations such as BRAVE, which works with Business West and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund to provide help for thousands of entrepreneurs.

Funding organisations like the South West Investment Group have tens of thousands of pounds in low-interest loans for fledgling businesses trying to get off the ground, as well as offering business mentors and advice on putting business plans together.

And bodies like Business West run

programmes such as Ready for Business which offers a complete five-stage development plan to place your business in the prime position for external funding.

So basically, if you have a nugget of an idea which you think could make money, or if you’ve spotted a gap in the market and need some help getting into it, the support is there.

Entrepreneurs today are undoubtedly given opportunity by the changing face of business, developing markets and online opportunities, while the freedom the internet provides in terms of the ability to work from home with a telephone and a desk means that never have the words of William Arthur Ward, the 20th-century American PR guru, been more relevant: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it”.

Having an idea and taking it to market is one thing. Running a business is something else entirely and the administrative and legal aspects to owning a company are not things which come naturally to everyone.

But with organisations like the Federation for Small Businesses offering – among other benefits – a host of online resources such as standard legal documents, support is available even here.

Sam Holliday, development manager for the FSB’s West of England region, said: “It is very exciting to see so many new businesses starting in Bristol and it reflects the spirit for entrepreneurship for which this city is famous.

“We welcome all moves to make it as easy as possible for businesses to start up and to prosper and we would urge the government, local authorities and the banks to do everything they can to support the SME community so we can develop and grow these new businesses.

“The banks can do a lot to help by providing financial support when businesses most need it as they begin their journey and the local and central authorities can help by ensuring new start-ups aren’t hit by crippling business rates or overburdened by red tape.

“Our new local small businesses are the medium and big businesses of tomorrow and the more support they get early on the better their chances of long term survival and prosperity.”

● Dan Martin and Virginia Allwood

Photograph: Dave Betts BRDB20131014D-001_C0.jpg

Case study: Le Shop ● AN online retailer selling exclusive photographs of Bristol and other UK cities has been included in a list of Britain’s top 100 firms taking part in a nationwide initiative to support small companies.

Le Shop, a Clifton-based company which provides prints, mugs, T-shirts and other items featuring beautiful images of British towns and cities, was chosen by the organisers of Small Business Saturday.

Taking place on Saturday, December 7, the scheme is inspired by a successful campaign in the United States

which encourages customers to spend money with small companies on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Le Shop, which was founded in July this year, sells photographs from the food and culture blog LifestyleDistrict.co.uk and is among 100 companies being showcased in the lead up to the event.

The name Le Shop is derived from the nationalities of the two founders.

Virginia Allwood, 34, who has 10 years’ experience in the advertising industry, is French and Dan Martin, 37, a business

journalist for the past 12 years, is British.

Dan said: “We are delighted to be among 100 innovative companies being celebrated ahead of Small Business Saturday.

“It’s very tough setting up your own business but schemes like this are vital in encouraging public support for entrepreneurs who are going it alone and trying to build the big businesses of the future.

“We encourage everyone to support their local economy and spend money with a small business on December 7.”

Start-up businesses – things to consider, or: Here be dragons – five property pitfalls for Paul Williams

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Bruton Knowles

● 1. Till death us do part Make sure you don’t sign a lease for longer than you want to. Unlike marriage, you can’t divorce a property until the end of the lease, even if you really don’t love each other anymore, and are only staying together for the sake of the kids.

Yes it’s true you may be able to sub-let the property or assign the lease, but that can be a costly and time consuming process, with no guarantee of a successful outcome.

A bit like supporting a football team, but without the shouting and singing.

● 2. Rising damp If you sign what is known as a Full Repairing and Insuring lease then you become fully liable for the cost of any repairs to the property from that date, regardless of what condition it was in when you moved in. Think of it as buying the property, but for a limited period of time only.

Most people wouldn’t think of buying a house without getting a survey carried out to check that it was in good condition and that the previous owners hadn’t literally been papering over the cracks.

In the same way, you shouldn’t sign an FRI lease without checking that the roof isn’t about to collapse, or the central heating boiler explode, leaving you with a hefty repair bill.

● 3. Are you being served?

Yes, the rent may be low, but is there a massive service charge hiding in the bushes waiting to jump out once you’ve stopped the car to give it a lift? Fortunately for tenants, regulations have been tightened up in recent years, and landlords are no longer permitted to treat a service charge as rent going by a different name. They have to account for the expenditure properly, and provide audited accounts at year end.

Despite this the service charge can effectively double the rent in some instances, and you should think about asking for a cap on the level of service charge payable in order to protect yourself against any unforeseen major expenditure items, especially if the lease is for a

relatively short period. ● 4. Breaking up is hard to do Good news, you read paragraph one and have negotiated a break option into your lease, meaning that you can serve notice and walk away from the property without a backward glance should you need to do so. A quickie-divorce if you like.

But – as always the devil is in the detail, and break clauses can be worded in such a way as to make them virtually impossible to operate correctly, leaving you stuck with the property through to the end of the lease. Even worse, you could end up paying rent on two properties at the same time, if you have already committed to new premises, and

then find that the break notice which you served on the old one wasn’t in fact legally valid. Yes, it does happen. ● 5. The only way is up Most leases will include provision for the rent to be reviewed at regular intervals, and typically these reviews will be what is known as ‘upward only’. In other words the rent will rise if rents generally have risen, but if rents have fallen then yours will be marooned on the shore by the receding tide, watching properties all around you being let at a lower level, while you have to continue paying the original figure. It’s a bit like negative equity, but without the equity.

If at all possible, seek upward or

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

OFF TO A GREAT START

9

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

Be brave and get over the starting line

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● Alex Poulter at East Bristol Bakery in Easton Photo: Dan Regan BRDR2013 1010C-006_C

Case study: East Bristol Bakery ● WHILE unemployment is certainly an issue in Bristol, there are also many people working in unfulfilling minimum wage roles, searching for more stability and direction.

A great example of this is 28-year-old Easton resident Alex Poulter.

Before 2009 Alex didn’t have a set career path or any real direction, frequently moving between minimum wage jobs in shops and bars. Although he enjoyed aspects of this work he never found it fulfilling, and was constantly considering what else he could be doing.

Following a year of constantly baking for housemates, colleagues, family and friends, Alex pushed himself to fit in a day a week of work experience with a baker around his

the unwary...

traditional craft bakery in the heart of the community, making simple, tasty bread without any unnecessary additives or ingredients.

They also make cakes to a variety of dietary requirements, winning “Best Local Cake” at the 2013 Bristol Good Food Awards.

The focus for the business is to build local ties and grow within the

Bristol food scene from their premises on St Mark’s Road.

Although their primary focus is on their retail customers, they are expanding their wholesale cake business. In the future they aim to open a cafe and bar to complement the bakery and maintain the face-to-face interaction with their customers.

Case study: Develop My Startup ● AT Bristol University, 21-year-old Alex Dotsch has set up a social networking site for young student entrepreneurs to meet each other and find new business partners.

Described as “LinkedIn meets Match.com”, Develop My Startup works with students at Bristol, UWE, Bath and Exeter universities, primarily offering a range of speed-dating events to match up potential collaborators.

As the chairman of his own university’s Enterprise Society, Alex spotted a niche for bringing students together, against established competitors of his business, who work with perhaps more experienced businesspeople.

Alex, a third year mechanical engineering student from north London, plans to take Develop My Startup to universities in London as well. He is working with business partner Molly Bishop, who is 21 and is studying ancient history and archaeology.

Income comes through speed-dating events, subscriptions, through strategic partnerships with

● Alex Dotsch and Molly Bishop business support services and, eventually, through in-house versions of these services.

Alex said: “I know how difficult it can be to find a business partner who isn’t a friend – you need to find a person with the right key skills to help them succeed.

“It’s good for students to work with students, because there’s already an in-built connection and the chances are you also have mutual friends.

“There’s a weakness in that we don’t have the business experience but the universities have institutions

which can help them develop their idea once they’ve found the initial partnership.

“We’re not going to be a company which gives business support.

Initially at least we are going to push companies towards other organisations which do that.”

Develop My Startup is one of a number of companies supported by Bristol University’s Base Camp programme, a student incubator supported by the university’s Research, Enterprise and Development Division.

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downward reviews, or reviews to open market rent, which like a base rate tracker mortgage will mean that your rent can fluctuate with the market when the rent review takes place.

As property professionals we often find ourselves picking up the pieces of failed landlord and tenant relationships, and it isn’t pretty. Like many divorces, nobody comes out of the situation well, and some careful thought at the outset could have saved a great deal of heartache and expense all round.

Before signing that lease, pause and think; is this the property that I want to wake up and see on the pillow beside me for the term of this lease, and if in doubt, take professional advice!

full-time job.

When it became clear that this was the career path he wanted to follow, and finding no suitable vacancies locally, he decided to set about opening his own bakery.

East Bristol Bakery officially launched in October 2012, and now employs four staff, with a turnover of £100,000 in year one. It’s a

EW things in life can be more exciting than starting a business. We’ve all talked about it or thought about it. How we’d like to make money for ourselves rather than shareholders we’ve never met, how we want to build something from the ground up, how if it was our company we’d do things differently.

For most people, it remains just that. Talk.

For a select few it becomes reality. I say few, but the numbers are growing. In his recent Conservative Party conference speech Prime Minister David Cameron cited 300,000 businesses having started nationally since the last election.

Locally, within just the city of Bristol, there are 300 new businesses starting every month.

That’s about 10 a day.

The reality is that running your own business is hard. You have to put the hours in because no one else will and in the early weeks or months you might not be able to pay yourself.

It’s scary stuff. It’s no coincidence that one of the start-up support organisations operating in Bristol is called Brave.

For some people, going it alone is a last resort. They’ve lost their job and don’t know what else to do. Indeed, the Government has pushed people in that direction in a bid to get them off the unemployment figures.

To succeed takes drive and vision, however, and that usually comes from within, not from outside circumstances.

Whatever the motivation, most people starting in business need help. It’s one thing to have an idea, but what about doing your accounts? Do you need to pay VAT? How do you secure orders? What’s the best way to get your message out there?

That’s why organisations such as Brave and Outset Bristol (featured on pages 10 and 11) are so important. The latter offers free support and has helped more than 200 businesses get off the ground since 2010.

It is currently in limbo over funding, after the city council grant that was matched by European funding stopped.

Wherever the money comes from, without these kind of organisations we will have fewer new business and that will slow economic growth.

Because most people need that support to get over the fear factor and – in the words of a sports footwear brand – just do it.

10

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

The Big Interview

Comments What you’ve been saying about our business stories online www.bristolpost.co.uk /business Bristol Pound annual meeting ● Has it actually boosted the local economy of Bristol? If these independent traders provide goods/services people want, do they need a Bristol pound?

Casey12a

Green councillor Daniella Radice defends her legal challenge to Bristol Rovers stadium supermarket plan ● All that is being done here is to vandalise our democratic process and wreck the chances of investment in much needed services for Bristolians. Think again Ms Radice.

WGGrace ● The Green party have someone in the mayor’s cabinet (Gus Hoyt) who also acts as Deputy Mayor. Yet this woman Radice of the Green Party is taking out a judicial review against the same Council! And for this the Council tax payers will have to pay thousands and thousands of pounds so that the Council can defend it. Surely there must some rule somewhere that can stop this from happening?

Big_Johnny ● “It's a shame Daniella didn't recommend which vital service, costing maybe around £100,000 should be cut from Bristol Council services if her democratic process fails and the Ltd Company is liquidated, leaving the tax payer to pick up the bill.

“I'd like to suggest anything the Green Party request or have requested.”

Smoosername

BBC’s plans to move to Enterprise Zone may have stalled

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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

● I've just got back from a train and tram ride to Media City UK in Salford. It was a desolate wasteland the last time I was there, and is now a vibrant hub of entertainment and industry.

At the heart of its success is Greater Manchester's development of public transport, something made possible by it having an integrated transport authority.

In Bristol, we can tell them that they will get Metrobus in about five years time, unless the public inquiry report, due a year ago, rules against it.

Brizz_Tony

HELP FOR ANY BUSINESSES, Launching a new business is not just the domain of white, middle-class men.

Rupert Janisch talks to Andy Dean of Outset Bristol about how the support organisation reaches out.

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OBODY is hard to reach if you go to them. So says Andy Dean, programme director of Outset Bristol, from his offices in Royal Oak House.

Sitting within a stone’s throw of the city’s historic Harbourside, Outset Bristol’s grand settings in Queen Square are a far cry from the work it does in some of Bristol’s most deprived neighbouhoods.

Mr Dean said: “We realise that lots of people do not want to come to Queen Square to ask about business support – it is away from where they feel comfortable and it can be a daunting place to come to. So we take the help to them.

Vital statistics Name: Andy Dean Age: 50 Place of birth: Southmead Hospital, Bristol School: Wellsway School, Keynsham First job: Bank Clerk at Midland Bank, in Brislington Hero or inspiration: My late Mum , hardworking and 100 per cent my best friend.

“And it is not something we do with Powerpoint – it is all done on a flip chart, with a pen. The whole point of Outset is that we deliver it to everyone.”

Outset aims to deliver business support to start-ups, advising those with ideas and supporting those who are a little further down the line.

The Bristol branch is one of several in the South West – others include Torbay, Plymouth, Exeter and Truro – and all are run by YTKO, a Cambridge-based firm.

Set up by entrepreneurs Bev Hurley and Peter White, YTKO aims to support the creation and enable the growth of more than 6,000 companies that together will contribute more than £1 billion per annum to the British economy by 2020.

Mr Dean was appointed three years ago to take charge of Outset Bristol. His experience and ideals match those of YTKO – genuine business acumen, allied to a desire to nurture business among some of the less obvious sections of society.

Mr Dean is a former banker with HSBC and brings to Outset Bristol more than 30 years of financial and managerial experience. He was appointed programme director of Outset Bristol in October 2010.

After leaving banking nine years ago, he worked in the charity sector,

● Andy Dean pictured with Matt Rogers of Outset Bristol at the recent breakfast launch event for the Bristol Post helping people with disabilities to get back to work.

Now he says he is proud to be able to “give something back” and enjoys reaching out to deprived communities of Bristol, as well as helping entrepreneurs from under-represented sections of the business community – “basically anyone who is not a white, middle-class man aged 25 to 40” – get started.

But Outset is more than just a social enterprise. Success stories include genuine nuggets of business brilliance which stand to do well.

So you have got people like Tony Curtis, pictured, of Alago – you might have seen him on Dragons’ Den back in 2010 – who makes heated gloves for sports people and two years ago was declared winner of The Guardian

award for best start-up of the year. He was supported from the beginning

by Outset Bristol, and now runs a successful business.

Other work includes projects in Lockleaze, Easton, Southmead and Hartcliffe, finding the bright sparks who can become entrepreneurs of tomorrow.

So how does Outset go about its work? Mr Dean said: “We do training for start-ups. So we tend to see people before they have started having business coaching and we give them the nuts and bolts of what to consider before they get going.”

This takes the form of two separate courses. One is called Introduction to Enterprise, and comprises soft skills training to let people with an

“ We do training for start-ups. So we tend to see people before they have started having business coaching and we give them the nuts and bolts of what to consider before they get going.

Andy Dean

idea put together a feasibility study for their business. The second is Business Start-up, which provides advice and guidance on genuine business functions such as marketing, sales and financial stuff. It is

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Funding

RIGHT FROM THE OUTSET

Chance to apply for funding of £1m-plus

My working day You wake up at? 6.30am What do you have for breakfast? Cup of tea and glass of orange juice at home, then cereal when I get to work.

What time do you start work? Between 8 and 9 depending on the traffic!

What happens in your typical working day?

Firstly I check emails, then we make sure all the trainers are at the right venues to run the training courses. We schedule our new courses, deciding on venues throughout the city.

Then no two days are the same. I spend my days networking with clients, funders and stakeholders looking for new business opportunities for Outset to help train tomorrows entrepreneurs, to keep Bristol as the Enterprise success it already is and produce even further growth in the local economy.

11

What time do you go home?

5.30pm Do you take work home/attend evening functions? I do whatever is needed during the week and attend evening or Saturday events, but Sundays are for the family.

My downtime

● BUSINESSES can apply for grants of £1 million or more to help them grow through the latest phase of a Government funding scheme.

The fifth round of the Regional Growth Fund is now open for applications.

Previously Bristol businesses had the chance to apply for a share of £25 million from the fund via the West of England Local Enterprise Council as part of the Going for Growth campaign, backed by the Post.

This time bids go direct to the fund, rather than via the LEP. The Government is looking for high-quality projects that will generate significant private sector investment and sustainable jobs.

With the minimum bid at £1 million, there’s a lot at stake.

Launching the scheme nationally, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “The economic recovery is starting to bloom – we’re seeing very encouraging signs that we are turning a crucial corner on our road to recovery.

“Home-grown and British-based

“ The economic recovery is starting to bloom – we’re seeing very encouraging signs that we are turning a crucial corner on our road to recovery.

Deputy PM Nick Clegg

Business supplement

What’s your favourite book?

The Bronze Box by Amy Fitzjohn (it’s been written by one of my staff and has been recently published). She is a great example to our clients of what you can achieve by hard work and dedication.

What are your hobbies (if any)? Relaxing in the garden, walking in the countryside and entering the odd competition.

People really do win! Like anything in life, if you put the effort in you get the rewards out!

● Leisuretime favourites: countryside walk, full breakfast and a good book

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good work – and there is not much else like it in the city, targeted specifically at those at the embryonic stage of business.”

All the more reason why Mr Dean is so concerned about a funding

shortfall come March next year. The threat of losing local funding and, as a result, matched funding from the European Regional Development Fund, is very real.

Mr Dean said: “Since the demise of Business Link there is very little face-to-face training for people who want to start a business. Websites and online resources are all very well but they can be quite daunting and complicated for someone trying to run a start-up.

“We run groups here, and they help people realise that all the issues they are having about starting up are exactly the same as those shared by everyone else.

“We have supported 208 businesses since we started, and 75 per cent of those are still going.

“Some of them have done amazing things.

“We do not want to be shadowing them but we want to be there for them to give them support when they need it.”

What’s your perfect weekend? A lie-in till about 9am, then a full English breakfast and a long walk in the Somerset countryside, finishing with a pub lunch with my wife.

Then having one or both of my grown-up sons come round to visit to tell me all about the exciting lives of a 21- and 19-year-old!

businesses are leading that charge for a stronger economy.

“The Regional Growth Fund is a helping hand from the government, but I pay tribute to the people who are working hard to fuel our recovery.

“My message to businesses in every region is clear - if you’ve got a project that needs a boost, bid for cash from the Regional Growth Fund.”

Although not handing out the cash, the LEP can endorse and support bids that match its economic priorities.

Paul Wilson, chief executive of the West of England LEP, said: “Its a fantastic opportunity for companies in the West of England to get funding of over £1 million.

“We will support local firms as they try to get this money, with advice and letters of support.

“The Going for Growth campaign has been such a success locally, that we are confident there will be strong take-up of this new nationally managed fund.”

Applications have to be submitted by December 9. See www.bis.gov.uk/.rgf for more details.

While these grants are for big projects, there will also be a further £100 million nationally available to smaller businesses applying for grants of between £5,000 and £1 million from 2015-2017.

12

www.bristolpost.co.uk/business

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Up and coming

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

Education

Getting a taste of careers in tech Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk

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ORE than 300 children from 30 schools have had their eyes opened to the possibilities of a career in science and technology.

TeenTech was hosted by Airbus and the University of the West of England at the UWE Bristol Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Founded by former Tomorrow’s World reporter Maggie Philbin and top industry expert Chris Dodson, TeenTech aims to inspire the innovators of tomorrow by getting industry involved to show the youngsters the potential.

The event was split into three zones.

In the innovation zone, students were challenged to design their own app.

In the insight zone, companies including Airbus, Trunki, the BBC, Rolls-Royce and the James Dyson Foundation held interactive events.

And in the challenge zone, students tested their creativity and skills with tasks set by the Bloodhound project, Active Robots and the Airbus Wings Academy.

Steve West, UWE vice-chancellor, said: “UWE is very proud and excited to have been part of the team that brought TeenTech to the South West.

“TeenTech is a fantastic way of exposing pupils to potential careers within the technology industry, while allowing them to explore, learn and enjoy themselves.”

Neil Scott, head of engineering at Airbus, said: “Demand for engineers is growing worldwide and there are amazing career opportunities available for young people who choose to study science, technology, engineering and maths subjects at school, irrespective of gender.

“TeenTech is a great way to raise awareness of careers young people might previously not have considered, or known about, and inspire

● Above, Maggie Philbin with Orchard School pupils, from left, Leila Gardiner, Emily Mortimer, Ilhaan Marsal, Taylor Green and Anita Sunmola, all 13, at the Bernoulli blower

● Airbus graduates James Francey and Roger Laguia tell pupils, from left, Mia Tulip, Laurence Cooper and Kyran Brown, from the Hans Price Academy, Weston-super-Mare, about aerodynamics them to look closer at these options. If we are able to achieve this, not only will companies such as Airbus benefit from the additional skills and talent, but innovation and technology in the UK as a whole will reap the rewards.”

● Airbus intern Gregory Pearce with Bedminster Down School pupils, from left, Rhys Price, Saffron Cox, William Hunt, April Burton and Tonicha Jones, all 12, and the Bernoulli blower

Ms Philbin, who was present throughout the day, said: “My years spent as a technology reporter, experiencing everything the industry had to throw at me, helped me appreciate the kaleidoscopic technology landscape and the myriad of

career opportunities that are available at every level.

“TeenTech is an attempt to put this exciting world in front of as many young people as possible, exposing them to the possibilities that are out there for them.”

Finance

Work experience

Second-phase funds for start-ups

Children’s confidence grows

ENTREPRENEURS who have started a business through the Government-funded Start Up Loans Company can now access second-phase funds from high-street bank Santander UK plc, with more banks in the pipeline to follow suit.

Santander will provide second-phase funding to Start Up Loan businesses that have shown growth and promise, and have a minimum of six months of trading.

Each entrepreneur can apply for up to £25,000, with Santander relaxing the lending criteria for Start Up Loan entrepreneurs as part of its continued contribution to the growing economy and the promotion of enterprise.

This partnership highlights the

success of the Start Up Loans scheme which, in 11 months, has provided funding and mentors to more than 8,000 entrepreneurs in every sector, across all regions in England and Northern Ireland.

Start Up Loans has grown significantly since its inception, starting 30 businesses daily.

James Caan, chairman of Start Up Loans, said: “Second-phase funding from Santander recognises the great progress the Start Up Loans Company has made in stimulating entrepreneurship and start-ups in this country. Their commitment enables our entrepreneurs to graduate into the more traditional lending routes, previously closed off to young, budding entrepreneurs.”

NINE children from a special school in Hengrove found temporary placements as part of a pilot scheme to prepare youngsters for work.

The pupils at New Fosseway Special School were taken on as part of the Employability Chartermark for Education scheme, launched by the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.

The pilot scheme was trialled at seven educational institutions including New Fosseway, whose pupils enjoyed work placements at The Park community hub in Knowle.

Louise Hunt, of The Park, said: “They enjoyed the experience and there has been a sense of independence, ownership and development of skills. You could see each week that

their confidence had grown. They remembered what they had learned the previous week and were keen to work.”

The youngsters worked in the animal-care, caretaking and gardening sectors, as well as in a gym/sports centre and a cafe.

Jo Robertson, New Fosseway assistant head, said: “The pupils were able to choose from a wide selection of opportunities, from working in the cafe to building and gardening. They returned to school enthused with the tasks they undertook.”

The LEP will host a celebration event on Thursday, October 17 to recognise the commitment of the pilot education organisations which took part in developing the chartermark.

● SANTANDER Corporate & Commercial has appointed Peter Abel as new director of growth capital for the South West.

Based at the Corporate Business Centre in Bristol, Peter will specialise in working with growing businesses with an annual turnover of up to £25 million that are seeking growth capital finance to develop their next stage of business growth. He joins a 31-strong team in Bristol including sector and product specialists in real estate, healthcare, education, asset, invoice and trade finance.

Peter joined Santander in 2010, and has been working within the SME sector across the region for more than 20 years in both the accountancy and banking sectors. ● SMITH & Williamson, the accountancy and investment management group, has appointed Faye Hall as an associate director in its Bristol office.

Faye provides forensic accounting services, with a particular focus on financial remedies for divorce proceedings and commercial disputes.

She has 18 years of experience in forensic accounting and before joining Smith & Williamson was a senior manager at BDO. Faye said: “I am delighted to be joining Smith & Williamson; as a firm it is a market leader in providing services to private clients, which fits perfectly with my own practice.” ● SPECIALIST heavy commercial vehicle dealer Aquila Italia, has made its first new senior appointment following the formation of the business in May. Roy Morton joins the business as general manager with a remit to oversee the three Aquila Italia depots in Avonmouth, Swindon and Gloucester and to spearhead business development.

Gary Mullaney, managing director of Aquila Group, created Aquila Italia when he bought three Bristol Street Commercials dealerships from Vertu Motors.

Roy has extensive experience in the commercial vehicle industry with many years spent with companies including Man Truck & Bus and Iveco.

Roy said: “My role will be to ensure we replicate the high service offered in other parts of the Aquila Group in Avonmouth, Swindon and Gloucester while at the same time bringing new business into the dealerships.”